Is Bitcoin the most dangerous open source project ever?

#1

Post by jasonmcalacanis » Sun, May 15, 2011, 9:55 PM UTC

Is Bitcoin the most dangerous open source project ever?
launch.is

Re: Is Bitcoin the most dangerous open source project ever?

#2

Post by hugh3 » Sun, May 15, 2011, 10:07 PM UTC

Oh fuck, Calicanis is on the bitcoin-promotion train now.

Now here's a note to the other bitcoin article-spammers. Watch Calcianis and learn. He's done everything right for memetically engineering the kind of article that gets upvoted.

1. He's asked a provocative question, the kind which makes people want to argue with it ("Why no, I'd say that such-and-such is the most dangerous open source project ever").

2. He's used attention-grabbing words like "dangerous" and geek-friendly terms like "open source".

3. And almost the entire article is made up of point-form lists. Everybody loves point-form lists.

Re: Is Bitcoin the most dangerous open source project ever?

#3

Post by bradpineau » Sun, May 15, 2011, 10:14 PM UTC

hugh3 wrote: post #2

Oh fuck, Calicanis is on the bitcoin-promotion train now. Now here's a note to the other bitcoin article-spammers. Watch Calcianis and learn. He's done everything right for memetically engineering the kind of article that gets upvoted. 1. He's asked a provocative question, the kind which makes people want to argue with it ("Why no, I'd say that such-and-such is the most dangerous open source project ever"). 2. He's u…

I think it's a great article.

Re: Is Bitcoin the most dangerous open source project ever?

#4

Post by jasonmcalacanis » Sun, May 15, 2011, 10:14 PM UTC

hugh3 wrote: post #2

Oh fuck, Calicanis is on the bitcoin-promotion train now. Now here's a note to the other bitcoin article-spammers. Watch Calcianis and learn. He's done everything right for memetically engineering the kind of article that gets upvoted. 1. He's asked a provocative question, the kind which makes people want to argue with it ("Why no, I'd say that such-and-such is the most dangerous open source project ever"). 2. He's u…

1. Why so angry? 2. Calacanis is how my name is spelled. 3. It's just one person's opinion--but a well informed one.

Why not spend your time reading the piece and pushing the discussion forward based on merit?

best j

Re: Is Bitcoin the most dangerous open source project ever?

#5

Post by jasonmcalacanis » Sun, May 15, 2011, 10:16 PM UTC

bradpineau wrote: post #3

hugh3 wrote: post #2

Oh fuck, Calicanis is on the bitcoin-promotion train now. Now here's a note to the other bitcoin article-spammers. Watch Calcianis and learn. He's done everything right for memetically engineering the kind of article that gets upvoted. 1. He's asked a provocative question, the kind which makes people want to argue with it ("Why no, I'd say that such-and-such is the most dangerous open source project ever"). 2. He's u…

I think it's a great article.

I am a great writer, yes. :-)

Seriously, let's break this down:

a) I hear about a trend

b) I read everything I can find about it

c) I have two full-time analysts read everything on it and talk to 10 people.

d) I have 30+ producers of my show do research

e) I host a podcast with the lead developers

f) I read a ton of comments and listen to the feedback on the show

g) I write a piece two weeks later after taking it all in.

Yep, I just did 100+ hours of research on the top and put out a link-baiting piece. :-)

Re: Is Bitcoin the most dangerous open source project ever?

#6

Post by avolcano » Sun, May 15, 2011, 10:18 PM UTC

Completely unrelated to this site, but did anyone else panic and think their monitor was covered in smudges while reading this site? Worst background ever: http://launch.is/storage/launch_bg.jpg

Re: Is Bitcoin the most dangerous open source project ever?

#7

Post by bradpineau » Sun, May 15, 2011, 10:24 PM UTC

jasonmcalacanis wrote: post #5

bradpineau wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's a great article.

I am a great writer, yes. :-) Seriously, let's break this down: a) I hear about a trend b) I read everything I can find about it c) I have two full-time analysts read everything on it and talk to 10 people. d) I have 30+ producers of my show do research e) I host a podcast with the lead developers f) I read a ton of comments and listen to the feedback on the show g) I write a piece two weeks later after taking it all…

Outside of members of the bitcoin project, Jason is probably the most qualified to write a bitcoin article. As he states above, he definetly did the research.

Re: Is Bitcoin the most dangerous open source project ever?

#8

Post by angusgr » Sun, May 15, 2011, 10:24 PM UTC

If you're left wanting a high-level technical explanation, the Wikipedia page seems to be a decent one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin#Technology

(Answered some fairly obvious questions I was left with after reading like "how do they aim to stop someone from spending the same coin everywhere and then disappearing before anyone else notices?")

Re: Is Bitcoin the most dangerous open source project ever?

#9

Post by [deleted] » Sun, May 15, 2011, 10:25 PM UTC

avolcano wrote: post #6

Completely unrelated to this site, but did anyone else panic and think their monitor was covered in smudges while reading this site? Worst background ever: http://launch.is/storage/launch_bg.jpg

[deleted]

Re: Is Bitcoin the most dangerous open source project ever?

#10

Post by bradpineau » Sun, May 15, 2011, 10:25 PM UTC

avolcano wrote: post #6

Completely unrelated to this site, but did anyone else panic and think their monitor was covered in smudges while reading this site? Worst background ever: http://launch.is/storage/launch_bg.jpg

"Completely unrelated". Yep, it sure is.