[This was a naive post. What I envisioned was a location based “payment for service” concept like TaskRabbit but fully genericized. Rather like an all in one Paypal/Venmo + Uber/Lyft + Taskrabbit/Fivvr + Angieslist/Craigslist. An any-location “I need this — will pay $X for it” service that provides the means to connect providers with consumers. • I need a ride to… • I need a dog walker… • I need to move a piano… • I need someone to fix my sink… • I need a cord of firewood delivered. • I need *something* at my location who can help me? Why all these independent silo-services need to exist when a single all-in-one service would do — baffles me.]
Could Uber be replaced with blockchain?
It seems that the only purpose of corporate Uber is to provide global management of Uber drivers and rides, create the server infrastructure to host the data and payment mechanism, and take half to two-thirds of a driver’s earnings.
I wonder if such a service couldn’t be total democratized through blockchain technology?
“BlockRide” would:
- Be hosted on a gateway only cloud system that provided communication between BlockRide app instances.
- Be a standalone application which provided both driver and rider connectivity through the cloud gateway. The mobile app would be leased by both drivers and riders at some rate that would go to support the cloud infrastructure. The app would provide peer-to-peer communication for transaction finalization.
- Be regionally distributed – blockchain databases would be divided by region based on GPS.
Ride requests would be posted into the cloud, for a region, and drivers would bid to win riders. The transaction would be posted-pending at the time of the win and sealed as a blockchain transaction at the time of rider seating. Various payment methods would be built into the app to facilitate funds transfer. Bitcoin is an obvious addition to this process.
Driver reputation and liability would be managed by the drivers themselves. Other services would probably spring up to create “driver guilds” and Yelp style recommendation platforms. BlockRide could facilitate some of this reputation management, rather like Youtube channel likes/dislikes. (Rider reputation could managed too.)
The regional blockchain databases would store the transaction records for an entire region, city or county. Anyone with a registered instance of the application could review transactions for the region in which they are currently operating.
Drivers and riders would communicate their peer-to-peer transaction with at least N other nodes participating in the loop.
I’m not well versed in blockchain technology which means I’m probably making incorrect assumptions about the way such a service would work. Other’s knowledgeable about the concept could correct me.
Ride sharing seems like an appropriate blockchain supported service. Uber may have started out as a egalitarian, distributed system, but it certainly hasn’t stayed that way. Perhaps it’s time for the real Uber to stand up and put the power back into people’s hands.
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Thinking about this, I wonder if TaskRabbit or Fivvr already do this? If not, perhaps this model could be applied to any location based “service for hire.”
Anonymole - apocryphal agitators 
its obvious! but the most important view point is Uber implemented which part of the blockchain ? Is it public or private? https://blockoland.com/
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STO : Security Token Offering – instead of stocks.
Use of Blockchain: With an exchange built on blockchain, all trades will be transparent, with traceable ownership.
Fewer intermediaries: A digital market, enabling security tokens and cryptocurrencies to be traded, brings issuers and traders directly together, with potentially lower costs and higher liquidity.
Real-time settlement: Digital markets can operate 24/7 and offer real-time settlement, eliminating huge inefficiencies of daily market closures.
Programmable: Digital assets are programmable and can include smart contracts such as corporate events like ex-dividend and cum-dividend dates and proxy voting.
Custody services: Exchanges will offer custody services for cryptocurrencies, security tokens and other digital assets.
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It can and I’ll imagine that it already exists. Beenest is an alternative to Airbnb, decentralised and free, problem is it lacks users. I do not know what kind of security and such it gives, but still, you can rent out your home, or find a home to stay in with no middle man charge. There’s an e-bay clone as well, which I can’t remember the name of right now, but last time I checked there wasn’t too much things to buy. Another problem is the instability of the crypto currencies, which makes the prices kind of weird. There are quite a few blockchain social networks, too, although some have come and gone, I guess of the same reason, lack of users. Steemit and Minds are still up and running, but they both have their rather big flaws.
I guess to get in competition with sites like Über you’ll need a hell of a lot of money for marketing, and if not, no one will hear about it in a long time. The jungle telegraph does go a lot slower than massive advertisement.
I still think these kind of pages will get more and more successful, though, in the long run.
New times are coming, and one can stop it. The revolution will be decentralised 😀
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I like that – the revolution will be decentralized. Fully agree.
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Anony: I have filed your recent comments in my personal ANONY folder for permanent storage and continued meditation. Gonna take “They will escape” post down today. (Tired of it already). Thanks for the comments. Really appreciate your efforts. I may post new content tonight as well.
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Zip car has already eliminated the middle man and new age taxi driver, at least in concept. All that rental car bullshit, all the freaking ride apps. Where Uber kills is the short haul, which is over 90% of their traffic. Local Doctor’s offices, hospitals, grocery stores, bars, food delivery. There’s nothing front loaded for the driver like there is for traditional hack drivers. The ride share management wants to make money, and makes theirs before the door opens. Drivers should have the same deal – minimum first mile charge.
Watt pad wants untapped, unsigned, and talented. Two out of three might be all it takes for a pitch man.
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Funny, I was just discussing Watt pad with someone else. You ever use it?
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RE: Wattpad. I recall signing up, and boppin’ around it. But I think it felt like being a minnow in massive baitball. Like, jeeze, all this shit being written? I believe I’d rather delude myself into thinking that there’s only a few of us trying to make it big in writing venue.
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I checked out the website…big promises.
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…and btw, some of the stuff that actually published from that site wouldn’t get a D in a high school English class. But, hey, wtf do I know?
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Because UBER takes all the profit and assumes none of the expense or liabilities (No cars, automobiles, insurance costs, etc.) they’re expected to be the largest IPO in the market by aprx 2020 with an estimated market cap of over 100 billion…so I’m not sure they’d be interested in democratizing what they already have…some other company would have to do it. Anyway, any professional editor comments on my latest post before I remove it in the morning? If you scroll the messages, I actually mentioned you and invited you in. Just sayin’
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The concept would be in place of Uber (reduce them to rubble). The liability I loosely alluded to was for any suits brought on by riders against drivers. I’m sure there must already be some generic, location oriented, transaction based (maybe/maybe not blockchain) service which only provides for the connectivity (the publish/subscribe/contract) between service consumers and providers. (Like Fivvr or Taskrabbit). This idea was naive, will update.
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I continue to collect your posts… Will comment on your latest right now, though.
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I’d like to see UBER reduced to rubble. They’re perfect capitalists. All the profit. None of the risks or expenses. What a business model! You collect my posts? I wasn’t aware of this…but kinda flattering. Looking forward to your comments. BTW, I just discovered Wattpad. Have you heard of it? If so, what’s you take? If not, Google it or I’ll post a link. Thanks!
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