I think we need a better term for "multisig account". Many people won't understand what it means.
One idea I heard is "multi-user account", but I think that confuses people because it implies that more than 1 user is needed to handle it.
What do you think about "multi secured account"?
Other ideas?
Edit:
List of all proposals:
- multisig account
- multi-user account
- multi secured account
- cosign account / cosigning account / co-signing account
- multi-lock account
- branched account
- multi-signature account / multiple-signature account
- multi-confirmation account
- secure shared account
- secure fragmented account
- puzzle account
- joint account
- multi-deal account
I think "cosigning" is a term that more people are familiar with, and makes sense given the context I think.
People which are not into crypto currencies or cryptography will not understand why anything has to be "signed" I think. And I think they don't have to know.
But ok, lets just collect it, so we have "cosign account" or what do you suggest?
You could call it a multi-user account but explain that it requires cosigning to send transactions. That might be easier for a layperson to understand. I think no matter what we do it's going to require a short explanation/infographic. The easiest way to explain would be to explain it in terms of a married couple setting up a joint savings account or something like that.
I don't think there is going to be any name that enables someone unfamiliar with crypto to be able to jump right in and use it straight away without a little reading first. But that is no different from e-mail or anything else when the Internet started. When something is completely new, it's going to require some education.
Yes, that is probably true Amy, but I still think that "multi-user account" is misleading, because it is not true that multiple users are needed. People should rather understand that a multisig account is more safe than a normal account. They should get the idea that an acount with big funds in it should be protected by the multisig feature.
neither multi-user accounts nor cosigner accounts completely and intuitively describe what we have at NEM, but either term is still a lot better than multisig which doesn't many anything to a normal person. If NEM gets more than 1 million users, the net effect of switching to either of those terms would be very beneficial.
Taun suggested multi-lock accounts, but I didn't like that because it sounds like we are "locking" where in actuality the accounts are already locked and we are "unlocking".
I was also thinking of "branched accounts" because that is a nice allegory back into nature. A branch always starts off as one piece and then splits in the 2 or 3 or 4 or x pieces, each piece being separate from the next, but all connected back to each other from the first.
Also in business each "branch" is the same part of a larger company, but also independent.
I don't think signing is completely new to users outside of the cryptosphere. It's not like cryptographic signing is the only signing there is.
You have to put your signature on many things like checks and contracts but in that case it's your name written by you that makes the signature. So a multi-signature account is clearly something that needs more than one signature. Like a shared account does already in the real world out there. And non-crypto people are using it everyday.
I don't think this is going to be a problem.
Just do Multiple-Signature instead of Multi-Sig and we'll be fine.
i said to family that nem has mutli-signature accounts now and they knew pretty much straight away that that meant more than one person required to sign off on transactions… i dont think it will be an issue either…
Fair enough. The problem I think arises from the term "multisig" which, I would think for someone first hearing it, would not conjure up any thoughts of multi-signature right away. If it is written out as "multi-signature" I think it would alleviate a lot of the misunderstanding.
Honestly, I think we can do just fine educating people about all the "advanced" features of NEM and cryptocurrency in general if we have an easy to follow tutorial built into the wallet for first time users. I think this will be a must for V1 but of course not present at launch currently. If we can have an on-screen demonstration of how to perform basic tasks in NEM this should help users who are completely new to NEM (and cryptocurrency in general) get started quickly and easily. This will also be lightyears ahead of anything any other cryptocurrency currently has in terms of usability and beginner help AFAIK.
I agree: "multi-signature account" should work! Any more thoughts?
I'm fine with multi-signature accounts. It is better than multisig.
Just another idea: "multi-confirmation account"
Just another idea: "multi-confirmation account"
IMHO not a good idea because it leads to ambiguity of the term confirmation.
Multi-sig accounts are kind of like a consensus account because all parties must agree. I'm not sure how to phrase that though.
Hello.
What about:<br />Secure shared account:<br /><br />single account shared between multiple users that requires each user to <br />approve (sign) every single outgoing transaction.<br />
but I still think that "multi-user account" is misleading, because it is not true that multiple users are needed.
;)
but I still think that "multi-user account" is misleading, because it is not true that multiple users are needed.
;)
Yeah that true actually one user can impersonat multiple users so
"secure shared account" -> single account shared between multiple accounts that requires each account to
approve (sign) every single outgoing transaction from the shared account.
so name is the same explanation is different
or here are some more:
secure fragmented account
puzzle account :D
baaah don't know any more! :)
I started to collect the proposals in the first post.
multi-deal account
Joint is also a cannabis product 
But I will add it to the list.