Talk:Double Ratchet Algorithm

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Cryptography: Computer science Unassessed

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Name of the article

Trevor Perrin has now renamed the ratcheting algorithm as "Double Ratchet",[1] and Moxie Marlinspike has written that Axolotl actually referred to the full messaging protocol (double ratchet + prekeys + 3DH), which has now been renamed as "Signal Protocol".[2] If this article is only about the ratcheting algorithm, I suggest that it be renamed as "Double ratchet". --Dodi 8238 (talk) 13:55, 31 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I went ahead and changed everything from Axolotl to "double ratchet", seeing that this isn't that controversial. --Dodi 8238 (talk) 14:41, 31 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Axolotl describes the double ratchet construction, not the full protocol. It's possible OWS used it internally that way, but nobody else did because their public documents only talked about the double ratchet part.

Also, there is not even a public statement by Trevor or anyone at OWS that they prefer the term Axolotl ratchet be replaced by double ratchet. In particular, the github reference should be removed because that repository has no public content https://github.com/trevp/double_ratchet

Finally there are actually numerous double ratchet constructions possible, depending upon your particular goals, so it's an extremely poor choice in names, and it's very unlikely the cryptographic community will use it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.250.123.11 (talk) 07:56, 9 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

What is a ratchet?

Hi, I looked up this article after reading several of the recent news reports about WhatsApp. I'm wondering what the definition of a ratchet actually is? This might be useful information to put into the article (or is it defined elsewhere? I couldn't find it...) for your average layman reader. Thanks, CaptRik (talk) 12:24, 7 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]