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The opening paragraphs are very frustrating for a software developer to read, because it assumes a very technologically ignorant perspective that might beg simi

The opening paragraphs are very frustrating for a software developer to read, because it assumes a very technologically ignorant perspective that might beg similar questions like "What IS a website" and having the asker be annoyed by having you describe the features of a website. At the end of the day, it is a series of electrical on and off switches stored in one or several computers. Is the value of websites indistinguishable from a bunch of batteries just because its form can't be meaningfully distinguished from a battery to a drunk 12th century techno illiterate in a tavern? To explain what a bitcoin actually is to people utterly ignorant and skeptical of how information stored on hardware works sounds like an exercise that can be left to the writer, they may have to spend the rest or their lives explaining every bit of tech to every layman. What is a book after all? Dead trees stained with ink? What intrinsic value does that hold? If someone were to ask stubbornly the value of any book, I'd be similarly disinclined to spend the time explaining that as well. Like with TVs and cell phones and plumbing, lay people will stop asking or caring about "What is bitcoin" once you can give a functional answer of "You can buy a house with it". Explaining what it actually is to people that obtuse will not get one any closer to that point anyway, so I'm not sure what the value is. The cycle for the next wave of technology whose final purpose and form baffles the general public will continue on and on, this is just a season we're in, like all the ones before.

nixpulvis 5y ago
> The opening paragraphs are very frustrating for a software developer to read, because it assumes a very technologically ignorant perspective that might beg similar questions ... It's an allegory. I see no problem here.
MathYouF 5y ago
I don't think anyone else was confused by this, but I'll endeavour to clarify for you. The allegory the writer of the article used is meant to reflect the same perspective of people in the modern day world and the rest of my comment pretty effortlessly transitions to discussing the limitations of those modern day peoples abilities to understand technical subjects. The frustration refers to the task given of explaining tech to the willfully tech illiterate. The first few paragraphs I reference clearly move from the allegorical to the concrete modern day person whose perspective I refer to as frustrating. I also do offhandedly refer to the allegory to make a passing reference to the article and show that the allegorical character isn't that different from the modern day target audience of the author. The rest of the article explores explaining crypto a frustratingly tech ignorant modern person. I think that context would be clear to anyone who even skimmed a good part of the article. You should consider reading the thing people are discussing before leaving a short derailing comment about it.

nixpulvis 5y ago

> The opening paragraphs are very frustrating for a software developer to read, because it assumes a very technologically ignorant perspective that might beg similar questions ... It's an allegory. I see no problem here.

MathYouF 5y ago

I don't think anyone else was confused by this, but I'll endeavour to clarify for you. The allegory the writer of the article used is meant to reflect the same perspective of people in the modern day world and the rest of my comment pretty effortlessly transitions to discussing the limitations of those modern day peoples abilities to understand technical subjects. The frustration refers to the task given of explaining tech to the willfully tech illiterate. The first few paragraphs I reference clearly move from the allegorical to the concrete modern day person whose perspective I refer to as frustrating. I also do offhandedly refer to the allegory to make a passing reference to the article and show that the allegorical character isn't that different from the modern day target audience of the author. The rest of the article explores explaining crypto a frustratingly tech ignorant modern person. I think that context would be clear to anyone who even skimmed a good part of the article. You should consider reading the thing people are discussing before leaving a short derailing comment about it.