4 ms·

What if we unplug the Internet?

icebraining 13y ago
The it can't be made to work, as per the post you're replying to.
AndrewBissell 13y ago
Positing extremely radical, society destabilizing measures like "unplugging the internet" does not lend much credence to the idea that Bitcoin can be controlled. There may be other less drastic ways, of course, like leaning on ISPs to choke off blockchain traffic or something. I'm sure the bigger, scummier ones like Verizon and Comcast would even jump at the opportunity to curry more favor with the government in exchange for rent-seeking opportunities down the road. But it seems to me that these half-measures would just accelerate the rush to develop alternatives and detours around such roadblocks. "Shut down the internet" is not a serious idea.
- BlackDeath3 13y ago
  It seems to not be as prevalent an issue around here as it is other places, so I'll throw out a friendly reminder: Don't Feed The Trolls. These posts consist of little more than one-line insults. Leave it alone.
  - williamcotton 13y ago
    Honestly I didn't even realize I was trolling until I slowed down and gauged the responses from everyone. I'm honestly just worked in to a bit of a stressed out frenzy here in San Francisco... ...and I'm taking a break from this bullshit. No more HackerNews for me... it is driving me, and I think a bunch of other people, batshit insane... I'm also looking forward to getting out of SF for a couple of weeks and hopefully not hearing anyone talk about fucking Bitcoins or Google busses or Seasteading...
    - BlackDeath3 13y ago
      Interesting. I feel like the only person around here who isn't in the thick of it in Silicon Valley. Hacker News is it for me, as far as that is concerned. Take a breath. Look around. Maybe you're doing great things down there, maybe you aren't, but chances are that nothing is as big of a deal as you're making it. I know that I'm really nobody in any position to say this, but I will do it anyway. Relax.
    - MrMan 13y ago
      Get out of SV. Get out of SFCA. There is more to life than greed. Hacker News is a refuge of scoundrels seeking to enrich themselves and/or corroborate their lack of humanity.
- williamcotton 13y ago
  And how is "BitCoin is a mathematical fact of the universe" a serious idea? And how is Bitcoin itself not an "extremely radical, society destabilizing measure"?
  - Zigurd 13y ago
    Bitcoin is a "mathematical fact" just like what we currently believe are unbreakable cryptography systems. The two are strongly related. Can't have one without the other, and can't avoid having cryptocurrencies if you have strong encryption. So Stross's argument quickly moves from economics to freedom of speech: The only way to really eradicate cryptocurrencies is to make use of strong encryption outside of government-supervised uses a crime.
cwp 13y ago
That's even harder than banning BitCoin.

The it can't be made to work, as per the post you're replying to.

Positing extremely radical, society destabilizing measures like "unplugging the internet" does not lend much credence to the idea that Bitcoin can be controlled. There may be other less drastic ways, of course, like leaning on ISPs to choke off blockchain traffic or something. I'm sure the bigger, scummier ones like Verizon and Comcast would even jump at the opportunity to curry more favor with the government in exchange for rent-seeking opportunities down the road. But it seems to me that these half-measures would just accelerate the rush to develop alternatives and detours around such roadblocks. "Shut down the internet" is not a serious idea.

BlackDeath3 13y ago
It seems to not be as prevalent an issue around here as it is other places, so I'll throw out a friendly reminder: Don't Feed The Trolls. These posts consist of little more than one-line insults. Leave it alone.
- williamcotton 13y ago
  Honestly I didn't even realize I was trolling until I slowed down and gauged the responses from everyone. I'm honestly just worked in to a bit of a stressed out frenzy here in San Francisco... ...and I'm taking a break from this bullshit. No more HackerNews for me... it is driving me, and I think a bunch of other people, batshit insane... I'm also looking forward to getting out of SF for a couple of weeks and hopefully not hearing anyone talk about fucking Bitcoins or Google busses or Seasteading...
  - BlackDeath3 13y ago
    Interesting. I feel like the only person around here who isn't in the thick of it in Silicon Valley. Hacker News is it for me, as far as that is concerned. Take a breath. Look around. Maybe you're doing great things down there, maybe you aren't, but chances are that nothing is as big of a deal as you're making it. I know that I'm really nobody in any position to say this, but I will do it anyway. Relax.
  - MrMan 13y ago
    Get out of SV. Get out of SFCA. There is more to life than greed. Hacker News is a refuge of scoundrels seeking to enrich themselves and/or corroborate their lack of humanity.
williamcotton 13y ago
And how is "BitCoin is a mathematical fact of the universe" a serious idea? And how is Bitcoin itself not an "extremely radical, society destabilizing measure"?
- Zigurd 13y ago
  Bitcoin is a "mathematical fact" just like what we currently believe are unbreakable cryptography systems. The two are strongly related. Can't have one without the other, and can't avoid having cryptocurrencies if you have strong encryption. So Stross's argument quickly moves from economics to freedom of speech: The only way to really eradicate cryptocurrencies is to make use of strong encryption outside of government-supervised uses a crime.

cwp 13y ago

That's even harder than banning BitCoin.