about messages

about messages are very flexible. They are often used to add or alter metadata about some other message or feed.

about (gathering)

In the case of a gathering, the message will be used to attach metadata such as description and date, but also to flag people as attending the event. Let’s look at some samples:

{
    "author": "@GF214rVSdwf/nARy7oDh+AxJViVCGfKqw+aa162itZY=.ed25519",
    "content": {
        "about": "%1T2IbTOXd7euvhEsHnZ9WgsRRNUgqfXVbLW/w4Hueak=.sha256",
        "startDateTime": {
            "bias": -60,
            "epoch": 1514113200000,
            "tz": "Canada/Pacific",
            "valid": true
        },
        "title": "Christmas",
        "type": "about"
    },
    "hash": "sha256",
    "previous": "%1T2IbTOXd7euvhEsHnZ9WgsRRNUgqfXVbLW/w4Hueak=.sha256",
    "sequence": 15,
    "signature": "K2SL5Y3UpO1NjSwNCY8+dSOeEWjhgD/65b2hzacuR0d+lPdW8dY63/2zgxax9XD5UDzjwfPRM9ogNHcmI1ldCw==.sig.ed25519",
    "timestamp": 1513623739160
}

The message sample above is setting the date for a gathering and adding a title to it.

Let’s look at another case of about being used with gatherings:

{
    "author": "@GF214rVSdwf/nARy7oDh+AxJViVCGfKqw+aa162itZY=.ed25519",
    "content": {
        "about": "%1T2IbTOXd7euvhEsHnZ9WgsRRNUgqfXVbLW/w4Hueak=.sha256",
        "attendee": {
            "link": "@GF214rVSdwf/nARy7oDh+AxJViVCGfKqw+aa162itZY=.ed25519"
        },
        "type": "about"
    },
    "hash": "sha256",
    "previous": "%6AS8z2tf+qS0HYxf/pH4KGK7m0/NCDujnY6ATwDX5Vg=.sha256",
    "sequence": 16,
    "signature": "CyZ6CT9shZmiajt3UbYrP0WyjaHf3EdALzQQa264x9QdzZxVe/YyQk5Pfz+/uApHHtisf5Lv+6VjQrCRzUDZCw==.sig.ed25519",
    "timestamp": 1513623753905
}

That message is marking a feed (aka a user) as attending the gathering.

about (profile update)

About messages are often used to add additional information to other messages, much like attaching post-it notes to some book page. You’re attaching information about something. The most common use of about messages is to add names, images and descriptions to a user profile.

Attention: There is no central authority handling names on the Scuttleverse. Much like in the physical world where two people can have the exact same name so it is on Scuttlebutt.

You can name other people as well, just like partners and friends do although application are not forced to respect third-party names.

What does it look like?

{
  "key": "%buRChtQMrk/WjZQsfsgsg17XHmSDnMMKfFEXv/bjL43lQ=.sha256",
  "value": {
    "previous": null,
    "sequence": 1,
    "author": "@G/zUdqlPsdgsgd8yXIfMjx1676ApAOghwgc=.ed25519",
    "timestamp": 1560287825423,
    "hash": "sha256",
    "content": {
      "type": "about",
      "about": "@G/zUdqlPMsdgsdg8yXIfMjx1676ApAOghwgc=.ed25519",
      "image": "&N3ectV2qM5gyH2Zrsdgsdgd+InCMkJBc/MaTbJ0=.sha256",
      "name": "Hilo",
      "description": "extrem klug"
    },
    "signature": "UMjf4aFsdgsgUY9zeDAqWdTZeymoQznicvfgATu0/kArvLnshqbkiG7ZIngXcnztMUc6SyI4GrDwkAA==.sig.ed25519"
  },
  "timestamp": 1560288248693,
  "rts": 1560287825423
}

The message above is adding a name, an image and a description to the user specified by the about field.