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I still think it’s mostly people who knew about bitcoin early and decided not to buy it.

hiimtroymclure 6y ago
This is how I read things as well. so much jealousy. I stop reading any btc criticism at the endless climate impact/criminal activity discussions. Of all the things that impact climate change, this is the offender we decide to focus on? Of all the ways criminal activity is facilitated, this is currency we focus on? Such a brilliant technology seems lost on HN because people are jealous they missed the boat.
- kd913 6y ago
  It consumes the amount of electricity comparable to nations whilst limited to 300k transactions. It is a massive enabler of corruption and crime. This whilst offering almost nothing back in return In terms of low-hanging fruit of things to hate, yes this should be pretty damn high on the list. This is as a person who originally mined coins in 2011.
- the_gastropod 6y ago
  Let's dive in: > Of all the things that impact climate change, this is the offender we decide to focus on? Whataboutism... > Of all the ways criminal activity is facilitated, this is currency we focus on? Also whataboutism... > Such a brilliant technology seems lost on HN because people are jealous they missed the boat. What's so brilliant about it? And you're really projecting here re: the jealousy...
  - hiimtroymclure 6y ago
    Starting with 'Lets Dive in" and only using 1 word made me lol. Then only word being 'whataboutism'... which is an infinite loop of an argument. Literally the same as saying "I know you are but what am I". And clearly I'm on the crypto train. Why would I be projecting jealousy? That I secretly wanted to off the crypto train? lol
ghastmaster 6y ago
That makes sense. If they did not deem it viable then, and their minds have not changed, then they should not deem it viable now.
hdsj 6y ago
Early is subjective too. Anyone who heard about it before 2020 is probably kicking themselves a little. I imagine most inexplicably angry HN posters first read about it before 2015 (missing out on at least 100x profit; $10k -> $1M).
- rawtxapp 6y ago
  Now they are gonna miss the 50k->1M, so need to stop it at all costs.
epx 6y ago
I kind of regret not buying when it was worth US$ 2 (actually it was not easy to buy with money, back then). Whatever happened after US$ 1000 is out of my preoccupations. I had the chance to participate on a Ponzi scheme once, in 1993. I declined because I could not accept the idea of getting quick money knowing that 7 every 8 people would lose money.
munificent 6y ago
Everyone seeks a narrative that makes them the moral protagonist. If you see a group of people describing something you yourself participate in as environmentally and economically destructive, you have to choose a framework in which to process that information. Some options are: 1. Sure it has some, ahem, negative externalities and I am somewhat bad for participating. But all of those people are just as compromised as me and they're only mad because they didn't get in first. I am no worse than them. If anything, I'm at least honest about my position. 2. They are right, I am selfishly participating in something that benefits me at the expense of the world. The problem with 2 is that acknowledging and wanting to be morally correct forces you to change your behavior. So 1 is an easy pick. But that doesn't imply that it's correct.
- camjohnson26 6y ago
  Maybe but isn't it just as likely that people choose behavior they morally agree with? I have no strong feelings on Bitcoin right now, but I'd examine both arguments and choose to buy or not based on which side seemed stronger. If I chose to buy people could say I changed my beliefs to match my behavior, but really I chose my behavior to match my beliefs. Same if I chose not to buy.
  - munificent 6y ago
    > Maybe but isn't it just as likely that people choose behavior they morally agree with? Yes, but that moral interpretation is based on the framework they use to contextualize the behavior. Is cutting down a tree moral? Well, if it was a fire hazard next to an orphanage, maybe. If it was endangered and you were going to sell it for personal gain, probably not.

This is how I read things as well. so much jealousy. I stop reading any btc criticism at the endless climate impact/criminal activity discussions. Of all the things that impact climate change, this is the offender we decide to focus on? Of all the ways criminal activity is facilitated, this is currency we focus on? Such a brilliant technology seems lost on HN because people are jealous they missed the boat.

kd913 6y ago
It consumes the amount of electricity comparable to nations whilst limited to 300k transactions. It is a massive enabler of corruption and crime. This whilst offering almost nothing back in return In terms of low-hanging fruit of things to hate, yes this should be pretty damn high on the list. This is as a person who originally mined coins in 2011.
the_gastropod 6y ago
Let's dive in: > Of all the things that impact climate change, this is the offender we decide to focus on? Whataboutism... > Of all the ways criminal activity is facilitated, this is currency we focus on? Also whataboutism... > Such a brilliant technology seems lost on HN because people are jealous they missed the boat. What's so brilliant about it? And you're really projecting here re: the jealousy...
- hiimtroymclure 6y ago
  Starting with 'Lets Dive in" and only using 1 word made me lol. Then only word being 'whataboutism'... which is an infinite loop of an argument. Literally the same as saying "I know you are but what am I". And clearly I'm on the crypto train. Why would I be projecting jealousy? That I secretly wanted to off the crypto train? lol

ghastmaster 6y ago

That makes sense. If they did not deem it viable then, and their minds have not changed, then they should not deem it viable now.

hdsj 6y ago

Early is subjective too. Anyone who heard about it before 2020 is probably kicking themselves a little. I imagine most inexplicably angry HN posters first read about it before 2015 (missing out on at least 100x profit; $10k -> $1M).

rawtxapp 6y ago
Now they are gonna miss the 50k->1M, so need to stop it at all costs.

epx 6y ago

I kind of regret not buying when it was worth US$ 2 (actually it was not easy to buy with money, back then). Whatever happened after US$ 1000 is out of my preoccupations. I had the chance to participate on a Ponzi scheme once, in 1993. I declined because I could not accept the idea of getting quick money knowing that 7 every 8 people would lose money.

munificent 6y ago

Everyone seeks a narrative that makes them the moral protagonist. If you see a group of people describing something you yourself participate in as environmentally and economically destructive, you have to choose a framework in which to process that information. Some options are: 1. Sure it has some, ahem, negative externalities and I am somewhat bad for participating. But all of those people are just as compromised as me and they're only mad because they didn't get in first. I am no worse than them. If anything, I'm at least honest about my position. 2. They are right, I am selfishly participating in something that benefits me at the expense of the world. The problem with 2 is that acknowledging and wanting to be morally correct forces you to change your behavior. So 1 is an easy pick. But that doesn't imply that it's correct.

camjohnson26 6y ago
Maybe but isn't it just as likely that people choose behavior they morally agree with? I have no strong feelings on Bitcoin right now, but I'd examine both arguments and choose to buy or not based on which side seemed stronger. If I chose to buy people could say I changed my beliefs to match my behavior, but really I chose my behavior to match my beliefs. Same if I chose not to buy.
- munificent 6y ago
  > Maybe but isn't it just as likely that people choose behavior they morally agree with? Yes, but that moral interpretation is based on the framework they use to contextualize the behavior. Is cutting down a tree moral? Well, if it was a fire hazard next to an orphanage, maybe. If it was endangered and you were going to sell it for personal gain, probably not.