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Cryptonomicon: Among the Bitcoin maximalists

harpers.org

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Re: Cryptonomicon: Among the Bitcoin maximalists

#111

Post by [deleted] »

kragen wrote: post #89
horsawlarway wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find you utterly un-compelling. And I say that as someone who has literally spent hundreds of bitcoin at one of the ONLY points in bitcoin's history when it was primarily used as a genuine medium of exchange (silk road). Simple example - show me a method of handling reconciliation of fraud/contract dispute for bitcoin that doesn't fall back on the legal systems of those government systems you're so happy to rail ag…

I bet you wish you hadn't spent those hundreds of bitcoin, don't you? As I said in the last post I linked, Bitcoin handles a few billion dollars a year in cross-border remittances, largely to family members in Venezuela; this suggests that it's keeping several million people alive. I hear there are still darknet markets around, too. So there are current uses as a genuine medium of exchange that are very significant.…

[deleted]

Re: Cryptonomicon: Among the Bitcoin maximalists

#112

Post by quickthrowman »

Hendrikto wrote: post #34
Melio wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just 100 years old. It's over 1000 years old and it evolved from nothing to what we have. It's very weird that you ignore history like this. You should read up on Spain, silver, gold, china and tons of other history regarding tender. What we have with fiat is your very well working monolith fine tuned over centuries while everyone who wants to make money of of you tells you why their Nanoservice with securit…

Gold and silver coins are not fiat though.

Right, and basing the supply of currency on the amount of two metal elements we can mine out of the ground is insane.

Re: Cryptonomicon: Among the Bitcoin maximalists

#113

Post by calumetregion »

frankbreetz wrote: post #94
ephbit wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The distinction between store of value and speculation is rather fuzzy IMO. Is putting money into gold for savings (because an actual savings bank account currently not only loses money in real but even in nominal terms) speculation as well?

How does a bank account lose money in nominal terms? You get paid interest

Have you heard of negative interest rates? This is so real that it is real.

Also real: the wild "insanity" that is the picture painted by the writer of this Harper's piece is also exactly the same "insanity" that is present in, well, everything that involves the US dollar.

Money is so tenuous worldwide at this stage that entire central bank policy is designed so that you won't want to keep it anyway. You must spend! We really are jacked directly into the machine. It's pretty wild if you compare it to just a blip ago, historically.

Re: Cryptonomicon: Among the Bitcoin maximalists

#114

Post by klodolph »

kragen wrote: post #89
horsawlarway wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find you utterly un-compelling. And I say that as someone who has literally spent hundreds of bitcoin at one of the ONLY points in bitcoin's history when it was primarily used as a genuine medium of exchange (silk road). Simple example - show me a method of handling reconciliation of fraud/contract dispute for bitcoin that doesn't fall back on the legal systems of those government systems you're so happy to rail ag…

I bet you wish you hadn't spent those hundreds of bitcoin, don't you? As I said in the last post I linked, Bitcoin handles a few billion dollars a year in cross-border remittances, largely to family members in Venezuela; this suggests that it's keeping several million people alive. I hear there are still darknet markets around, too. So there are current uses as a genuine medium of exchange that are very significant.…

> I bet you wish you hadn't spent those hundreds of bitcoin, don't you?

I don’t know if you realize just how disturbing and manipulative this sounds.

Re: Cryptonomicon: Among the Bitcoin maximalists

#115

Post by naveen99 »

Animats wrote: post #21

That's a great read. What's striking, in his description of the conference, is the total lack of any connection to real world activity. None of these people seem to be trying to get enough Bitcoin together to build a steel mill or a wafer fab or a smartphone factory or, indeed, any kind of startup that does something. Bitcoin is expected to somehow generate wealth without actually doing anything that generates revenu…

Language is somehow expected to generate wealth without actually generating any revenue. All it’s good for is moving ideas from person to another, or uttering promises…

Math is somehow expected to generate wealth without generating any revenue. Some of it is not even rational, real, or computable.

Re: Cryptonomicon: Among the Bitcoin maximalists

#116

Post by StanislavPetrov »

horsawlarway wrote: post #71
kragen wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As it turns out, moving money from one group to another† is pretty useful in modern society. It's really all that money is good for, after all. Some of my comments from the last week and a half about what Bitcoin is good for: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30469595 when your country's central bank suspends electronic cash transfers, suspends the foreign exchange market, limits cash withdrawals, and prohibits th…

I find you utterly un-compelling. And I say that as someone who has literally spent hundreds of bitcoin at one of the ONLY points in bitcoin's history when it was primarily used as a genuine medium of exchange (silk road). Simple example - show me a method of handling reconciliation of fraud/contract dispute for bitcoin that doesn't fall back on the legal systems of those government systems you're so happy to rail ag…

>Simple example - show me a method of handling reconciliation of fraud/contract dispute for bitcoin that doesn't fall back on the legal systems of those government systems you're so happy to rail against.

There are some people who would much rather trust the government with total control over their money, and there are some people who would much rather take responsibility for their money even if that means the government isn't there to swoop in and save them if they are foolish enough to be swindled or entrust money to someone who defrauds them. In a free society, people would be able to choose whether to incur the risks associated with the government or the risks associated with total control over their own finances. It is very telling that adherents for government control seek to eliminate this choice at the point of a gun.

Re: Cryptonomicon: Among the Bitcoin maximalists

#117

Post by igorkraw »

ephbit wrote: post #84
igorkraw wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Show me one company that "does things with bitcoin" that 1. does things which aren't already solved for cheaper using standard finance (for example, splitwise makes splitting bills easier, there are disposable credit card solutions, within crypto multi-sig accounts for the masses could be one idea) 2. is not just enabling other people to do something with crypto or building out the "doing something with crypto" capab…

> 3. Is profitable or generates organic revenue (i.e., has customers actually using their product and paying them for it) Does an e-mail provider accepting payment in bitcoin count?

Fails number 1

Re: Cryptonomicon: Among the Bitcoin maximalists

#118

Post by jmstfv »

uoaei wrote: post #98
waffle_maniac wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Bitcoin Donations To Ukrainian Army Surpass $4 Million" https://archive.is/9YTVe

Ukrainian army is provably infested with neo-Nazis. Right-libs gonna right-lib.

What the hell are you on about?!

Re: Cryptonomicon: Among the Bitcoin maximalists

#119

Post by jmstfv »

shralpmeister wrote: post #24
invalidOrTaken wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To those of us who are far-right, Christian, and have noticed the lack of distinction that seems to be applied between say, David Duke, and Chris Rufo, this is not the takedown-by-association you seem to think it is.

It was not intended as a take down. Thanks for clarifying. It's becoming clearer that Bitcoin is the "currency" of the far right. For those of us who consider this ideology abhorrent and counter to the ideals of a free and democratic society it's good to have that out on the table and on full display.

Bitcoin is neutral.

It will be used by people and groups you like and dislike. And the great thing is that neither you nor anyone else can do anything about it.

Re: Cryptonomicon: Among the Bitcoin maximalists

#120

Post by youarethebest »

oh_sigh wrote: post #76
youarethebest wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Grass-fed animals unaffected. Easy to get if you actually look and are willing to support regenerative farms in order to obtain the best nutrition possible. I suggest researching into how animals turn grass into nutrients and the difference between crops for human consumption and grass.

Does the guy in OPs statement only eat grass-fed animals? Isn't the source of the grass important? If it is grown in a wild field, maybe it will have all its natural nutrients. But if it is grown as a crop, or on a field under repeated heavy grazing, isn't that just as bad as what is happening to the human crops? Also, if the guy is going out of his way to only eat the best, most expensive beef, because corn-fed beef…

I believe he does most of the time. Most people in the carnivore diet are moving to grass fed, otherwise they would be cornivores.

Grass from cows has nature's fertilizer. Good ol shit that replenishes nutrients in the soil.

Welcome to sustainable/regenerative farming.

Because meat has everything humans need? Why eat pesticide and low quality "food" when you don't have to?

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