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As a tech enthusiast on a forum heavily populated by people interested in disrupting aspects of the world through technology, you are missing a big, big boat he

As a tech enthusiast on a forum heavily populated by people interested in disrupting aspects of the world through technology, you are missing a big, big boat here. And I'm not even referring to the possible investment opportunity - rather just the opportunity to watch with open eyes as some of the foundational facets of human society are disrupted. I find the anti-BTC tone of the discussion here very disappointing but also very interesting (I can't figure it out except through intellectual arrogance). I offer the perspective: you hold a set of deeply held assumptions that are being actively questioned and poked at by this technology. The level of your reasoning is not up to the task of understanding what happens, even long after the disruption has happened. I recommend investing in education on this topic. A recent podcast episode worth listening to: https://www.whatbitcoindid.com/podcast/what-is-bitcoin https://www.whatbitcoindid.com/podcast/what-is-bitcoin

rossjudson 6y ago
The consequences of bitcoin have not been sufficiently questioned and poked at. Society allows the exchange of bitcoin for real currency. Bitcoin enthusiasts (at least until they are victimized) view the scams, crimes, and damage enabled by Bitcoin as externalized costs (borne by those who are "not up to the task of understanding", which is generally not something you should write immediately after complaining about "intellectual arrogance"). The cost of a Bitcoin speculator's "freedom" is paid by others. Real currency and banking systems actively try to prevent fraud and crime. Bitcoin is...whatever the exact opposite of that is. It exists only to be itself -- provably so.
- janoside 6y ago
  You are clearly more confused, and entrenched in the status quo, than the comment I was originally responding to. I'm not sure why the "air quotes" around the word "freedom", but it reeks of mockery. And therein lies the philosophical divide that clearly separates us: free association and trade between free individuals is the moral ideal of any economic system (yes, also the freedom to speculate and to get scammed); by contrast a system of power management and control for the sake of "preventing fraud and crime" (by the way, you might want to do some research about the efficacy of prevention of the systemic tools you exalt) is a system of masters and slaves. Bitcoin is foundation for the clearest example of the former in existence, and its properties resist influences pushing toward the latter. https://medium.com/@breedlove22/masters-and-slaves-of-money-255ecc93404f https://medium.com/@breedlove22/masters-and-slaves-of-money-...
spoopyskelly 6y ago
Even HN mouth breathers can spot a pyramid scheme.

rossjudson 6y ago

The consequences of bitcoin have not been sufficiently questioned and poked at. Society allows the exchange of bitcoin for real currency. Bitcoin enthusiasts (at least until they are victimized) view the scams, crimes, and damage enabled by Bitcoin as externalized costs (borne by those who are "not up to the task of understanding", which is generally not something you should write immediately after complaining about "intellectual arrogance"). The cost of a Bitcoin speculator's "freedom" is paid by others. Real currency and banking systems actively try to prevent fraud and crime. Bitcoin is...whatever the exact opposite of that is. It exists only to be itself -- provably so.

janoside 6y ago
You are clearly more confused, and entrenched in the status quo, than the comment I was originally responding to. I'm not sure why the "air quotes" around the word "freedom", but it reeks of mockery. And therein lies the philosophical divide that clearly separates us: free association and trade between free individuals is the moral ideal of any economic system (yes, also the freedom to speculate and to get scammed); by contrast a system of power management and control for the sake of "preventing fraud and crime" (by the way, you might want to do some research about the efficacy of prevention of the systemic tools you exalt) is a system of masters and slaves. Bitcoin is foundation for the clearest example of the former in existence, and its properties resist influences pushing toward the latter. https://medium.com/@breedlove22/masters-and-slaves-of-money-255ecc93404f https://medium.com/@breedlove22/masters-and-slaves-of-money-...

spoopyskelly 6y ago

Even HN mouth breathers can spot a pyramid scheme.