Bigfoot glossary
The words you’ll meet in Bigfoot, explained in one place.
Backup
A file containing an exported identity. It can restore access after an installation is lost or damaged. A protected backup still requires the passphrase used to encrypt it.
BFT
Bigfoot’s network currency and accounting unit. The network credits it for qualifying contributions, and it is used for certain network actions, tips, and transfers. Read BFT help for more.
Bigfoot Footnotes
Bigfoot’s footnote layer for the web: footnotes beside a passage add sources and context, done by people with the help of AI and reviewed independently before they publish. They’re optional, and they cover pages, never people’s conversations on Bigfoot.
Blocker
Software that applies rules to network requests and page content, including known advertising and tracking resources. Rules reduce unwanted activity but do not establish that every remaining site is safe.
Cache
A reusable copy of information. A network contribution cache holds assigned public information; it is separate from your private browsing data.
Cookie
A small piece of data a website asks the browser to retain and send back with later requests. Cookies can support sign-in and preferences, and can also be used for tracking.
Footnote
A submission, shown beside a passage on a webpage, that adds sources, evidence, or analysis. Qualifying footnotes pass through the protocol’s review process.
Footnote reviewer
A participant admitted to assess footnotes through the network’s review process. This role is separate from ordinary authorship and governance membership.
Governance member
A volunteer network role involved in appointments and other responsibilities defined by the protocol. Membership does not confer a share of the protocol support fee or membership of a company board.
Identity
A network identity backed by a private key that authorizes its actions and controls its BFT. Its chosen name need not identify a person by their legal name. Read Identity help for more.
In use
The one identity your posting and network credits currently follow. Viewing any other identity is free and changes nothing; Use this identity performs the switch.
IP address
An address used to route internet traffic. Services involved in a connection may observe it; it is not the same thing as a Bigfoot identity.
Locked
A passphrase-protected identity that has not been opened this session. Its public facts still show; acting as it waits for the unlock.
Network contribution
Enabled use of device resources for eligible network work. Credits depend on assigned, verified work; simply remaining online is not enough.
Network standing
The protocol’s assessment of a participant’s eligibility and performance in a network role. Failures can affect its assignments and credits.
Node
A computer running Bigfoot node software to perform network work, such as storing, serving, or checking public records. Its eligibility for work depends on the protocol’s requirements.
Passphrase
A secret used to encrypt and unlock a saved private key or backup. A backup protected by a forgotten passphrase does not bypass that passphrase.
Post
A public message published in relation to a webpage, in a Space, or in a conversation, signed through its author’s identity.
Private browsing
A browser session that separates temporary website data from Regular browsing. It does not hide everything from websites or connection providers.
Private key
Secret information that authorizes actions through an identity. Someone who obtains it may be able to act through the identity, so keep it private and protect its backups.
Protocol
The shared rules and message formats that Bigfoot software follows to communicate and participate in the network.
Protocol support fee
An explicit fee on certain network actions that funds protocol and software maintenance. The current rate and recipient are recorded in Bigfoot Governance.
Record
Information submitted in the network’s published format, such as a post, reply, or footnote. Published records are public and may be copied by other participants.
Relay
A participant that forwards a request or response along a network path. Forwarding alone does not mean that the relay can read every part of the request or that each delivery is credited.
Review note
A reviewer’s published assessment of a footnote, including the reasoning behind the assessment.
Signature
Evidence created using a private key that allows authorization of an action to be checked. It does not prove that the signed statement is true.
Space
A public area within Bigfoot where participants can publish original posts and replies without referring or linking to a webpage.
Thumbprint
An identity’s public fingerprint, derived from its key. It identifies the identity on the network without exposing the private key.
Validator
An admitted participant in agreeing on and recording network transactions under the protocol. It has duties under those rules, not general editorial authority over assigned work.
VPN
A virtual private network: software and a service that carry traffic through another network. It changes part of the connection path and introduces trust in the provider; it does not make a signed-in account anonymous.
Wallet
The balance and transaction history associated with an identity. These are public network information; spending requires authorization through the identity.
Looking for something else?
Browse product Help, explore Learn, or look up a term in the Glossary. You can also contact us with a question.