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Copilot 02ee4f03da Add Prisma schema format validation to CI pipeline (#115 )

* Initial plan

* Initial state: CI workflow already exists, planning improvements

Co-authored-by: PatrickFanella <61631520+PatrickFanella@users.noreply.github.com>

* Add Prisma format validation to CI and document environment variables

Co-authored-by: PatrickFanella <61631520+PatrickFanella@users.noreply.github.com>

* Fix code formatting issues to ensure CI passes

Co-authored-by: PatrickFanella <61631520+PatrickFanella@users.noreply.github.com>

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Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: PatrickFanella <61631520+PatrickFanella@users.noreply.github.com>

2025-11-02 20:06:02 -06:00

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Get answers to the most common questions about Internet ID.

🎯 General Questions

What is Internet ID?

Internet ID is a platform that helps creators prove ownership of their digital content. It creates a cryptographic "fingerprint" of your work and anchors it to a public blockchain, providing permanent, verifiable proof that you created it.

Think of it as a digital notary service that timestamps and authenticates your content.

Why should I use Internet ID?

For Creators:

Prove you created content before anyone else
Combat impersonation and content theft
Build trust with your audience
Platform-independent proof (works across YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, etc.)

For Audiences:

Verify content is from the real creator
Distinguish authentic content from deepfakes
Trust what you're watching/reading

How is this different from copyright?

Internet ID doesn't replace copyright—it complements it:

Aspect	Copyright	Internet ID
Legal Protection	Yes, full legal rights	No, just proof of creation
Registration	Optional (automatic in most countries)	Voluntary opt-in
Cost	Often expensive to enforce	~$0.01 per registration
Speed	Can take months/years to enforce	Instant verification
Proof	Must go through courts	Public blockchain proof

Use Internet ID for instant, public proof. Use copyright for legal protection and enforcement.

Is Internet ID free?

Account Creation: Free
Connecting Wallet: Free
Browsing/Viewing: Free
Verifying Content: Free

Registration Costs: Small blockchain gas fees

Base: ~$0.01 per registration
Polygon: ~$0.01 per registration
Ethereum: ~$0.50+ per registration (not recommended)

See Gas Fees Guide for ways to minimize costs.

Do I need to know about cryptocurrency or blockchain?

No! While Internet ID uses blockchain technology, you don't need to understand how it works. Our guides walk you through:

Setting up a wallet (5 minutes)
Getting a small amount of crypto (~$5 worth)
Registering content (click a button)

If you can use Twitter, you can use Internet ID.

🔐 Security & Privacy

Is my content private?

By default, YES! You have two options:

Privacy Mode (Default):

Only the file's hash (fingerprint) is stored
Your original file stays on your device
Nobody can download or see your content
Perfect for unreleased work, sensitive content, or personal files

Public Mode (Opt-in):

You choose to upload the file to IPFS
Anyone can download the original
Good for content you want to distribute publicly

What data does Internet ID collect?

We collect minimal data:

On-chain: Content hash, your wallet address, timestamp
Off-chain: Manifest (file metadata, your signature)
Optional: Email, social accounts (if you sign in for platform bindings)

We NEVER collect:

Your private keys or recovery phrase
Your original files (unless you opt in)
Personally identifiable information (unless you provide it)

See Privacy Policy for details.

Can Internet ID access my wallet?

No! We can never:

Access your funds
See your recovery phrase
Make transactions without your approval
Control your wallet in any way

You approve every transaction. Your wallet, your keys, your control.

What if Internet ID shuts down?

Your proof remains valid! Here's why:

Content hashes are on public blockchains (permanent)
Manifests are on IPFS (distributed storage)
You can verify independently with open-source tools
Anyone can build verification tools using the blockchain data

Internet ID the company could disappear, but your proof lives forever.

🔗 Platform Integration

Which platforms can I bind to?

Currently supported:

✅ YouTube
✅ Twitter/X
✅ TikTok
✅ Instagram
✅ GitHub
✅ LinkedIn
✅ Discord

More platforms coming soon! Vote for your favorite in our Discord.

Why do I need to bind platform links?

Platforms re-encode your content (change quality, format, compression), so the file hash changes. Binding creates a verified link between:

Your original file (with hash A)
Your platform post (with hash B)

This way, viewers can verify your YouTube video even though YouTube changed the file.

Can I bind multiple platforms to one file?

Yes! You can bind as many platform links as you want to a single registered file. For example:

Register original video once
Bind to YouTube version
Bind to Twitter version
Bind to TikTok version
All point back to the same original proof

Do I need to bind every platform?

No, it's optional. Binding is useful when:

You've posted on platforms that re-encode (YouTube, TikTok)
You want easy verification for viewers
You want to use the browser extension

You can skip binding if you only want to prove you created the original file.

⛓️ Blockchain Questions

Why use blockchain?

Blockchain provides:

Immutability: Can't be changed or deleted
Transparency: Anyone can verify
Decentralization: No single point of failure
Timestamp: Permanent proof of "when"
Ownership: Cryptographically proven

Traditional databases can be hacked, manipulated, or taken offline. Blockchain can't.

Which blockchain should I use?

We recommend Base for most users:

Very low fees (~$0.01)
Fast transactions (2-5 seconds)
Backed by Coinbase (reliable)
Growing ecosystem

Other options:

Polygon: Also very cheap, more established
Arbitrum/Optimism: Good balance of cost and security
Ethereum: Most secure but expensive (~$0.50+ per transaction)

See Network Comparison for details.

What are gas fees?

Gas fees are small payments to blockchain validators who process your transaction. Think of it like a stamp on a letter—you pay a tiny fee to have it delivered.

Typical Costs:

Base: $0.01 per registration
Polygon: $0.01 per registration
Ethereum: $0.50-5.00 per registration

See Gas Fees Guide for optimization tips.

Can I use multiple blockchains?

Yes! You can register the same content on multiple blockchains. Each registration is independent. This provides:

Redundancy (if one blockchain has issues)
Flexibility (use cheap networks for tests, secure networks for important content)
Broader reach (users can verify on their preferred network)

What if gas fees spike?

Networks like Base and Polygon have very stable, low fees. But if fees spike:

Wait a few minutes/hours (fees fluctuate)
Use a different network (switch to Polygon if Base is expensive)
Batch multiple registrations (register 10 files at once)

See Gas Optimization.

🛠️ Technical Questions

What's a content hash?

A content hash is a unique "fingerprint" of your file created using cryptography (SHA-256 algorithm). Key properties:

Unique: Different files = different hashes
Deterministic: Same file = same hash (always)
One-way: Can't recreate file from hash
Sensitive: Change one pixel = completely different hash

Example hash: 9f86d081884c7d659a2feaa0c55ad015a3bf4f1b2b0b822cd15d6c15b0f00a08

What's in a manifest?

A manifest is a small JSON file that contains:

{
  "content_hash": "9f86d081...",
  "content_uri": "ipfs://Qm...", // optional
  "created_at": "2025-11-02T...",
  "creator": "0x1234...",
  "signature": "0xabcd...",
  "metadata": {
    "name": "My Video",
    "description": "..."
    // optional fields
  }
}

The manifest is signed with your wallet, proving you created it.

What's IPFS?

IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) is a distributed storage network. Instead of storing files on one server, IPFS spreads them across thousands of computers worldwide.

Benefits:

Can't be censored or taken down
No single point of failure
Content-addressed (hash is the address)
Works forever (as long as anyone hosts it)

Can I verify content without Internet ID?

Yes! Everything is open-source. You can:

Read the content hash from the blockchain
Download the manifest from IPFS
Recompute the file hash yourself
Verify the signature matches
Confirm on-chain entry matches

See Manual Verification guide.

Is the code open-source?

Yes! Everything is on GitHub:

Contributions welcome!

📱 Browser Extension

Do I need the browser extension?

No, it's optional. The extension provides:

One-click verification on YouTube, Twitter, etc.
Automatic verification badges on platform pages
Quick access to register new content

You can use Internet ID without it, but the extension makes verification much easier.

Is the extension safe?

Yes! The extension:

Is open-source (you can audit the code)
Requests minimal permissions
Doesn't track you
Only communicates with Internet ID API
Stores data locally only

See Extension Security for details.

Why isn't it on the Chrome Web Store yet?

We're working on it! Currently in review. For now:

Download from GitHub
Install as unpacked extension
Follow installation guide

💰 Cost & Billing

How much does it cost to register content?

Per Registration: ~$0.01 on Base or Polygon

How far does $5 go?

Base: ~500 registrations
Polygon: ~500 registrations
Ethereum: ~10 registrations (expensive!)

Other Costs:

Binding platform links: ~$0.01 each
Updating metadata: ~$0.01 per update
Verifying content: FREE
Viewing content: FREE

Can I get free registrations?

Test Networks: Use Base Sepolia or Polygon Amoy testnets with free test tokens to practice.

Mainnet: No, gas fees go to blockchain validators (not Internet ID). We don't control or receive these fees.

Are there subscription plans?

Not currently. Internet ID uses a pay-per-use model (pay gas fees only).

Future plans may include:

Premium features (batch operations, analytics)
White-label solutions for businesses
API access tiers

But core registration will always be available to anyone with gas fees.

🆘 Troubleshooting

My transaction failed. What now?

Common causes:

Insufficient balance: Need gas + small buffer
Network congestion: Try again in a few minutes
Wrong network: Make sure wallet network matches app network
Outdated settings: Clear cache, refresh page

See Troubleshooting Guide for detailed steps.

I can't connect my wallet

Try:

Refresh the page
Unlock MetaMask
Check you're on the correct network
Clear browser cache
Try a different browser
Update MetaMask to latest version

See Troubleshooting Guide.

Where did my content go?

Check:

Are you on the same network you registered on?
Did the transaction confirm? (Check on block explorer)
Did you refresh the page?
Are you connected with the same wallet?