From Job Applications to Smart Contracts: The Evolution of "Applying" - SWORMBS

The verb "Apply" signifies the action of making a formal request or putting something into operation. In the context of digital interactions and smart contracts, "Applying" can represent a verifiable action of submitting data, requesting access, or initiating a process that leads to a defined outcome.

**Use Cases for the "Apply" Primitive:**

• **Job Applications:** An individual applies for a job, submitting qualifications and personal data.
• **Loan Applications:** A user applies for credit, providing financial history and consent for checks.
• **Permit Requests:** A business applies for a license or permit from a regulatory body.
• **Software Patching:** A system applies a security patch or software update.
• **Smart Contract Initiation:** A party applies a set of conditions to a smart contract, triggering its execution upon fulfillment.
• **Resource Allocation:** A system applies for computational resources within a decentralized network.

When "Apply" is captured as a verifiable primitive, it creates an immutable record of an intention or action. This is crucial for auditing, compliance, and building trust in automated systems, ensuring that an "application" was indeed made by a specific entity at a specific time.

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From Catalog Orders to Smart Contracts: The Evolution of "Ordering"

"Ordering" once meant flipping through a physical catalog, making a phone call, or visiting a shop in Montevarchi to request a product or service. The 3rd Industrial Revolution brought online forms, but the 4IR and the digital era have radically re-packaged "ordering" into an automated, often invisible, and globally interconnected digital act, fundamentally altering our relationship with procurement and fulfillment.

In the Web 2.0 era, the "packaging" for "ordering" became the e-commerce checkout process. This streamlined procurement, enabling global access to goods and services. Human behavior during this period involved selecting items, filling out digital forms, and tracking shipments through centralized platforms. While more efficient, these systems were still controlled by the vendor, with trust placed in their fulfillment capabilities and data security. The act of ordering was still a conscious, explicit human action, digitally mediated.

Today, the digital "packaging" of "ordering" has diversified beyond traditional goods. We now "order" cloud computing resources programmatically, "order" data streams for AI analysis, or "order" autonomous agents to perform tasks. Automated systems can "order" supplies based on inventory levels, or smart contracts can "order" the release of funds upon completion of a service. The underlying "packaging" involves API calls, automated workflows, and a shift towards just-in-time procurement driven by algorithms.

The future of "ordering" on the decentralized web brings unprecedented transparency and verifiability to every request. Through blockchain technology, an "order" action can be immutably recorded, providing a verifiable audit trail of requests and fulfillments. Decentralized marketplaces allow peer-to-peer ordering without intermediaries, shifting trust from centralized entities to the transparent, auditable code of smart contracts. Behaviorally, this cultivates a preference for verifiable, transparent procurement processes and a deeper understanding of digital supply chains.

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