5 ms·

This, so much. People were getting icky a few years ago when I said I was working in crypto, as it if was below what a geek should aspire to - but it felt so mu

by 1996 6y ago

This, so much. People were getting icky a few years ago when I said I was working in crypto, as it if was below what a geek should aspire to - but it felt so much better than the alternative: I was providing something people were asking for, nothing else. There was no ads or engagement issues. I feel sad for all the people who have golden handcuffs (vesting, lifestyle) at a FANG job, basically selling dopamine hits and eyeball time - up to enabling murder in this case. I have very little morals on principles. I copied mine from someone I know: I will not work for the mob / organized crime ie what use violence against people, and that is true in all of its extensions: so that includes the government, the military, and any company that is deeply involved in business with them. Highly suggested for personal happiness!

ChrisLomont 6y ago
Lots of crypto burns incredible amounts of electricity, adding to climate change, which also will lead to a lot of deaths. Maybe lots of tech is nuanced.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- yowlingcat 6y ago
  Okay, well let's engage that nuance then. Is that climate change intrinsic to the concept of crypto or just an implementation detail? Conversely, is addiction intrinsic to the concept of engagement optimization, or just an implementation detail? You could theoretically make arguments both ways, but I think that practically speaking, high burn is an implementation detail for crypto (and one that's actively being deprecated) whereas addiction is an indelible part of the concept of engagement optimization.
yowlingcat 6y ago
Appreciate this perspective. There are a lot of issues with the space of crypto that I can think of, but the truth is (especially with the past year or two), it's increasingly one of the few spaces that holds some kind of positive hope for technology which I can think of. I'm considering moving into the space myself, workwise. Are there any complaints you have about the space compared to other spaces you've worked in? It seems like you're pretty happy in the medium to long-term with your decision, which I think says a lot.
- 1996 6y ago
  > Are there any complaints you have about the space compared to other spaces you've worked in? The first time you go to an after party with colleagues and someone innocently says to you "Want some cocaine?", it can be surprising. But if you can keep your head cool, you realize it's just a bunch of rich people who enjoy the good life and genuinely want to share the good things. Then you get rich too and you get along much better! So no complaints, just be ready for some funny experiences at first :) Now, if you genuinely want to get in, you need to learn. Install a BTC, BCH or DOGE full node (because they are essentially the same software, except DOGE is cheaper ATM), get some coins, make transactions. Then do the same with a Monero client. Do some transfer of fiat to DOGE, then find a website to convert that to XMR. Understand the processes and the risks - when you can get defrauded and how. Once it's done, try some mining: CPU mining with XMR is still accessible, and will teach you the ropes. Then it's time to move to DEFI: install an ethereum full node, get some ETC (cheaper than ETH and essentially the same thing like DOGE/BCH/BTC). Do a few transfers and try to write smart contracts - an oracle is something nice to play with. Try to interact with other chains - there's WBTC but a lot of other ways too! Once you're done with all this, you will have a better idea of the main areas in the field: payments and custody (BTC), mining, defi. These are the basis. Make some offline wallets to keep a few coins of each (you can check the prices on the likes of cryptomarketplot.com) and find a company to apply to. The field is so new that nobody really expects some experience, and having played with all the basic technology will open doors.
  - yowlingcat 6y ago
    Sorry, I don't mean from a complete beginners perspective. I'm pretty familiar with how crypto works -- I've held some crypto for a while (not large quantities mind you, but enough here and there to develop the curiosity in the first place). I meant more along the lines of, I've never considered making it my full-time job before by working at company focused on crypto, and what I'm curious about is what things you like about working in the field and what things you may not. For example, my friends that work in the field have mentioned that for better and worse, there's the double edged sword of evangelism which can be very positive in so far as people are really enthusiastic about its positive potential. But it can also backfire because there's sometimes tunnel vision that can come from a lack of adequate skepticism and reasoning from first principles with respect to legacy finance. I guess that's along the line of questioning which I was curious about from your end. Sorry for being so vague!
alisonkisk 6y ago
How could you say working in crypto isn't enabling organized crime? Ransomware attacks on hospitals killed more people than drone strike using app location data. Ross Ulbricht used crypto to build a criminal empire and to try to murder people.

by 1996 6y ago

ChrisLomont 6y ago

Lots of crypto burns incredible amounts of electricity, adding to climate change, which also will lead to a lot of deaths. Maybe lots of tech is nuanced.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
yowlingcat 6y ago
Okay, well let's engage that nuance then. Is that climate change intrinsic to the concept of crypto or just an implementation detail? Conversely, is addiction intrinsic to the concept of engagement optimization, or just an implementation detail? You could theoretically make arguments both ways, but I think that practically speaking, high burn is an implementation detail for crypto (and one that's actively being deprecated) whereas addiction is an indelible part of the concept of engagement optimization.

yowlingcat 6y ago

Appreciate this perspective. There are a lot of issues with the space of crypto that I can think of, but the truth is (especially with the past year or two), it's increasingly one of the few spaces that holds some kind of positive hope for technology which I can think of. I'm considering moving into the space myself, workwise. Are there any complaints you have about the space compared to other spaces you've worked in? It seems like you're pretty happy in the medium to long-term with your decision, which I think says a lot.

1996 6y ago
> Are there any complaints you have about the space compared to other spaces you've worked in? The first time you go to an after party with colleagues and someone innocently says to you "Want some cocaine?", it can be surprising. But if you can keep your head cool, you realize it's just a bunch of rich people who enjoy the good life and genuinely want to share the good things. Then you get rich too and you get along much better! So no complaints, just be ready for some funny experiences at first :) Now, if you genuinely want to get in, you need to learn. Install a BTC, BCH or DOGE full node (because they are essentially the same software, except DOGE is cheaper ATM), get some coins, make transactions. Then do the same with a Monero client. Do some transfer of fiat to DOGE, then find a website to convert that to XMR. Understand the processes and the risks - when you can get defrauded and how. Once it's done, try some mining: CPU mining with XMR is still accessible, and will teach you the ropes. Then it's time to move to DEFI: install an ethereum full node, get some ETC (cheaper than ETH and essentially the same thing like DOGE/BCH/BTC). Do a few transfers and try to write smart contracts - an oracle is something nice to play with. Try to interact with other chains - there's WBTC but a lot of other ways too! Once you're done with all this, you will have a better idea of the main areas in the field: payments and custody (BTC), mining, defi. These are the basis. Make some offline wallets to keep a few coins of each (you can check the prices on the likes of cryptomarketplot.com) and find a company to apply to. The field is so new that nobody really expects some experience, and having played with all the basic technology will open doors.
- yowlingcat 6y ago
  Sorry, I don't mean from a complete beginners perspective. I'm pretty familiar with how crypto works -- I've held some crypto for a while (not large quantities mind you, but enough here and there to develop the curiosity in the first place). I meant more along the lines of, I've never considered making it my full-time job before by working at company focused on crypto, and what I'm curious about is what things you like about working in the field and what things you may not. For example, my friends that work in the field have mentioned that for better and worse, there's the double edged sword of evangelism which can be very positive in so far as people are really enthusiastic about its positive potential. But it can also backfire because there's sometimes tunnel vision that can come from a lack of adequate skepticism and reasoning from first principles with respect to legacy finance. I guess that's along the line of questioning which I was curious about from your end. Sorry for being so vague!

alisonkisk 6y ago

How could you say working in crypto isn't enabling organized crime? Ransomware attacks on hospitals killed more people than drone strike using app location data. Ross Ulbricht used crypto to build a criminal empire and to try to murder people.