3 ms·

It peeves me a lot to see virtual currencies described as being "worth" something in a USD or some other real currency equivalent. By the same token, why isn't

by maxaf 9y ago

It peeves me a lot to see virtual currencies described as being "worth" something in a USD or some other real currency equivalent. By the same token, why isn't open source code described as being worth a certain amount of money? I think we can all agree that useful code that powers much of today's enterprise - entirely gratis, too! - is actually worth a lot more than some imaginary string of bits that gets traded back and forth for arbitrary sums of money.

trisimix 9y ago
Not to short sighted people that only care about money
- maxaf 9y ago
  I'd flag your comment for resorting to ad hominem in a civilized discussion forum, but HN won't let me flag a response to my own comment. Instead, I suggest you spend your youthful fervor on reading a few articles from a range of media outlets on the negative effects that virtual currencies have on the environment. I won't expound on this further, as the linked articles do admirably in this department. https://newrepublic.com/article/146099/environmental-case-bitcoin https://newrepublic.com/article/146099/environmental-case-bi... https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/27/bitcoin-mining-consumes-electricity-ireland https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/27/bitcoin-m... http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/07/technology/bitcoin-energy-environment/index.html http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/07/technology/bitcoin-energy-en... https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/bitcoin-pollution-environment-electricity-robots/ https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/bitcoin-pollution-e... https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/12/2/16724786/bitcoin-mining-energy-electricity https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/12/2/1672478...
  - avg_dev 9y ago
    pretty sure he was agreeing with you
mcherm 9y ago
> It peeves me a lot to see virtual currencies described as being "worth" something in a USD or some other real currency equivalent. By the same token, why isn't open source code described as being worth a certain amount of money? If we called it "code currency" and touted the ability to use open source to buy and sell things then I think people WOULD compare it to preexisting currencies. Instead, open source code is touted as a replacement for proprietary code, and we often hear people making comparisons such as "Gimp vs Photoshop" or "Linux vs MacOS". The dollar-value for cryptocurrencies is because they are CURRENCIES.
- maxaf 9y ago
  A thing can't be called a currency until and unless normal people like myself can use the thing to obtain things such as: * shelter * food * ammunition * education for the children As it stands, the craze of virtual currencies is merely a distraction from important issues, not to mention a waste of electricity and mindshare.
- drngdds 9y ago
  The dollar value for cryptocurrency is because they can be owned in a meaningful sense (having private keys) and people are willing to give you money if you transfer ownership to them. There's no equivalent sense of ownership for open source software.
drngdds 9y ago
>why isn't open source code described as being worth a certain amount of money? The value of a cryptocurrency is just how much money people are paying for it.

by maxaf 9y ago

trisimix 9y ago

Not to short sighted people that only care about money

maxaf 9y ago
I'd flag your comment for resorting to ad hominem in a civilized discussion forum, but HN won't let me flag a response to my own comment. Instead, I suggest you spend your youthful fervor on reading a few articles from a range of media outlets on the negative effects that virtual currencies have on the environment. I won't expound on this further, as the linked articles do admirably in this department. https://newrepublic.com/article/146099/environmental-case-bitcoin https://newrepublic.com/article/146099/environmental-case-bi... https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/27/bitcoin-mining-consumes-electricity-ireland https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/27/bitcoin-m... http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/07/technology/bitcoin-energy-environment/index.html http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/07/technology/bitcoin-energy-en... https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/bitcoin-pollution-environment-electricity-robots/ https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/bitcoin-pollution-e... https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/12/2/16724786/bitcoin-mining-energy-electricity https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/12/2/1672478...
- avg_dev 9y ago
  pretty sure he was agreeing with you

mcherm 9y ago

> It peeves me a lot to see virtual currencies described as being "worth" something in a USD or some other real currency equivalent. By the same token, why isn't open source code described as being worth a certain amount of money? If we called it "code currency" and touted the ability to use open source to buy and sell things then I think people WOULD compare it to preexisting currencies. Instead, open source code is touted as a replacement for proprietary code, and we often hear people making comparisons such as "Gimp vs Photoshop" or "Linux vs MacOS". The dollar-value for cryptocurrencies is because they are CURRENCIES.

maxaf 9y ago
A thing can't be called a currency until and unless normal people like myself can use the thing to obtain things such as: * shelter * food * ammunition * education for the children As it stands, the craze of virtual currencies is merely a distraction from important issues, not to mention a waste of electricity and mindshare.
drngdds 9y ago
The dollar value for cryptocurrency is because they can be owned in a meaningful sense (having private keys) and people are willing to give you money if you transfer ownership to them. There's no equivalent sense of ownership for open source software.

drngdds 9y ago

>why isn't open source code described as being worth a certain amount of money? The value of a cryptocurrency is just how much money people are paying for it.