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Launch HN: Dharma (YC S17) an open protocol for borrowing/lending cryptoassets

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Re: Launch HN: Dharma (YC S17) an open protocol for borrowing/lending cryptoassets

#21

Post by RightMillennial »

malvosenior wrote: post #15
romgrk wrote: post #12

`dharma` is the term we buddhists use to designate the (sacred) teachings of Buddha. Would you use `Coran` or `Bible` to name your project? Probably not. It would have been a good idea to take more time to reflect on your choice of name.

There are a ton of products named “The X Bible” where X = photoshop, c++, whisky... I don’t think it’s particularly controversial but then again I’m not a Christian.

In general, no, we don't find it offensive. The word "bible" is simply from the Greek word for book or books.

Re: Launch HN: Dharma (YC S17) an open protocol for borrowing/lending cryptoassets

#24

Post by manishsharan »

romgrk wrote: post #12

`dharma` is the term we buddhists use to designate the (sacred) teachings of Buddha. Would you use `Coran` or `Bible` to name your project? Probably not. It would have been a good idea to take more time to reflect on your choice of name.

Thank you for voicing your uneasiness with the name. Dharma in Hinduism connotates ""right way of living". I am aghast that what is sacred to us reduced to a marketing tag line.

Couldn't these people look up wikepedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma , to realize this name for a crypo app is not going to go well ? Or are they intentionally tone deaf ?

Re: Launch HN: Dharma (YC S17) an open protocol for borrowing/lending cryptoassets

#25

Post by indiafoodie »

schaefer wrote: post #9

Nadav, "Dharma" is widely recognized as the term to denote the teachings of Buddha. I feel the use of the term in this new context is cultural misappropriation. Would you care to address that concern with your thoughts on the topic?

Not the author here, but Dharma has several other meanings in Indian languages. A predominant one is virtue, righteousness, and duty.

I hardly think of this usage as cultural misappropriation; just loanwords from a different language.

Re: Launch HN: Dharma (YC S17) an open protocol for borrowing/lending cryptoassets

#27

Post by indiafoodie »

hapnin wrote: post #16
romgrk wrote: post #12

`dharma` is the term we buddhists use to designate the (sacred) teachings of Buddha. Would you use `Coran` or `Bible` to name your project? Probably not. It would have been a good idea to take more time to reflect on your choice of name.

I'm also a Buddhist (a savaka, technically). I have no issues with the name. If the name causes one person to learn what the Dharma is and to stop harming themselves and others, that's a great thing. It looks like a cool project too.

This.

Re: Launch HN: Dharma (YC S17) an open protocol for borrowing/lending cryptoassets

#28

Post by flatline »

hapnin wrote: post #16
romgrk wrote: post #12

`dharma` is the term we buddhists use to designate the (sacred) teachings of Buddha. Would you use `Coran` or `Bible` to name your project? Probably not. It would have been a good idea to take more time to reflect on your choice of name.

I'm also a Buddhist (a savaka, technically). I have no issues with the name. If the name causes one person to learn what the Dharma is and to stop harming themselves and others, that's a great thing. It looks like a cool project too.

The main things that give me pause are (a) unadorned use of the word out of context and (b) the general level of scamminess I associate with crypto projects.

Re: Launch HN: Dharma (YC S17) an open protocol for borrowing/lending cryptoassets

#29

Post by indiafoodie »

manishsharan wrote: post #24
romgrk wrote: post #12

`dharma` is the term we buddhists use to designate the (sacred) teachings of Buddha. Would you use `Coran` or `Bible` to name your project? Probably not. It would have been a good idea to take more time to reflect on your choice of name.

Thank you for voicing your uneasiness with the name. Dharma in Hinduism connotates ""right way of living". I am aghast that what is sacred to us reduced to a marketing tag line. Couldn't these people look up wikepedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma , to realize this name for a crypo app is not going to go well ? Or are they intentionally tone deaf ?

Speaking as another Indian, I am not offended at all.

Re: Launch HN: Dharma (YC S17) an open protocol for borrowing/lending cryptoassets

#30

Post by nowarninglabel »

Congrats on getting to this point! Been following Dharma closely for a little while now as we (Kiva) have an interest in trying to increase financial inclusion and decrease lending costs for the world's poor and have been hoping Dharma may end up being one piece to the future of our work.

Could you possibly speak to how you intend to enable KYC (Know Your Customer) / AML (Anti-Money Laundering) to work with Dharma? The best bet so far has seemed to be trying to incentivize it through providing automatic fees to external parties to perform these actions and holding the money in escrow until it goes through. However, it would be great if you could share if you'll have discussed this problem at all.

I'd love a world where we didn't have to deal with KYC & AML, but we do, and the sooner we figure out how to make it work in an efficient and inexpensive manner for the world's poor, the sooner we can reach the UN Sustainable Development goals around financial inclusion.

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