@ 97c70a44:ad98e322

As everyone knows by now, I am working on adding private groups to Coracle using the new NIP-44 encryption standard currently being audited. I wanted to share why I think this is a viable approach, and how combining relays and encryption can help make it happen.

This discussion gets complicated very quickly, so to begin, I thought I'd cover the two components that everyone thinks they understand first (relays and encryption), and move on to the one that combines the existing primitives in new and exciting ways (groups).

What even are relays, anyway?

If you saw my talk at Nostrasia, this section is just a re-iteration of it. In fact, I wrote this blog post before the conference to help me with my presentation. So hello, from the past.

Relays are dumb. They're just servers, which speak a particular protocol, and which implement some minimal logic to support that protocol. Relays have to be interoperable, which is why it's important to design new parts of the nostr protocol in such a way as to be backwards-compatible, and simple to implement.

As a result, relay development has historically focused on performance to the exclusion of new functionality. You can see this with the success of strfry and Will's adaptation of the underlying technique to nostrdb.

One of my favorite programming talks is Simple Made Easy by Rich Hickey, the author of Clojure. One of the points he makes in that talk is that object-oriented programming is such a mess because it "complects" behavior and state. Hickey's solution to this problem is to use functions and values rather than methods and state.

I think that this same mistake is one we are at risk of making with nostr relays. I'll come back to this in a bit, but keep that distinction in the back of your mind: separating data and behavior can lead to a much simpler and more robust system.

Despite the emphasis on interoperability, relays shouldn't all be exact clones. There are a few different ways relays can differentiate themselves, either by providing specific functionality, by storing different sets of events, or by exposing a different interface.

Added functionality

Some implementations have pushed features forward, for example rbr.bio which implemented the COUNT verb from NIP 45 early on. However, these efforts are usually either supported by special clients (like nostr.band or primal's caching service), or fail to gain wide adoption and are eventually abandoned. The result is that NIPs specifying optional functionality tend to die without sufficient user demand.

The reason for this is that if you're building a client that selects relays based on user preferences, it can't rely on functionality that doesn't exist on the majority of relays. Without widespread support, search results or feeds requested based on Primal's special syntax will be incomplete or fail entirely. As a result, clients often build proprietary solutions to these problems, increasing centralization risk.

Subtracted functionality

Relays are able to helpfully differentiate themselves however, by offering a subset of protocol functionality. For example, purplepag.es is a reliable source for profile data and relay preferences, but it doesn't require clients to do anything different in order to be useful. Instead, users can simply add purplepag.es to their relay list and instantly get a better experience. A similar approach many commodity relays take is blocking certain event kinds, for example 1059 gift wraps or NIP 94 image headers. This fortifies their particular purpose, which is to not support more exotic protocol features.

Other kinds of relays don't support this guarantee, for example relay.noswhere.com only supports search if the search term is not accompanied by a filter, responding to standard requests with "filters: not planned (non-search queries)". This can still be useful, but it is not a relay, because it requires clients to special case how it's used.

Data relevance

There is a different kind of differentiation relays can implement, based not on functionality, but on content. This is what I mean when I talk about "relay de-commodification". The value proposition this type of relay offers is not "we can do something no one else does", but "we have the information you're looking for".

There are two ways to accomplish this: content curation and access controls. The difference being that content curation is context-independent, and might be based on topic, keyword, or LLM analysis, while access controls only accepts content published by certain accounts. Several relay implementations and hosting providers (for example relay.tools) support both of these approaches, and of course it's easy to combine them.

Likewise, there are two ways for a relay to gain access to the desired data, leading to two different value propositions.

A relay that focuses on topical data might scrape the wider nostr network in order to ensure it is able to reliably serve everything relevant to its niche. This might be done using any number of heuristics, including filtering by pubkey, topic, or sentiment, but in any case the relay is not intended primarily to be written to, but to be read from. This is primarily an additive model, focusing on offering a complete view of the given topic.

Another approach is to let the data come to you instead of scraping it from the wider network by only accepting events published by certain people, or being the go-to relay for a certain topic. In order for this model to work though, there needs to be some way for the relay to keep this data to itself by preventing scraper-powered relays from harvesting its data. This effectively means that these relays will not only have policies for who can write to them, but also who can read from them. These might be the same set of people (for example with a community relay), or more people might be allowed to read from the relay than are able to write to it, as in the case of content producers who want a paywalled private social media enclave.

Keep relays weird

Most relay implementations expose their data over websockets in line with the spec, but this isn't actually inherent to the function of a relay. We've already seen several projects implement relays in-app for caching purposes. These relays don't usually go through the ceremony of spec adherence, but some (e.g. nostrdb) do.

Different transport mechanisms and hosting options are possible for relays, and would only require clients to use a specific adapter to get at them. Some examples:

• A relay running on your phone as a service that other nostr clients can share to reduce data storage requirements
• A relay running on a LAN, only accessible from a particular location
• A relay running via any other transport, for example radio or carrier pigeon

The idea I'm trying to get across here is that relays aren't necessarily websocket servers. More abstractly, they are a name attached to a set of events that can be accessed in a standard way.

So, what are relays?

To recap, here's my definition of a relay:

1. They correctly support standard functionality
2. They should only support additional functionality related to curating their data set
3. They may restrict the data types they accept and serve
4. They may restrict the data they accept and serve based on content or pubkey

One additional feature that isn't currently standard but ought to be is strfry's negentropy synchronization feature. This is the opposite of AUTH, which protects a relay's own dataset, in that it allows relays to more efficiently share their data with peers. A nice bonus is that it also allows clients to use their local cache more effectively as well.

Simple Made Easy

Going back to Rich Hickey's talk, separating behavior and state allows you to work directly with your data, freely implementing new behavior whenever you need to. This applies to sets of events stored on relays just as much as it applies to in-memory data.

One thing that makes this possible is cryptographic hash functions, which cleanly transform state into values - the difference being that "state" couples a name with data that may change, while a hash is a compact representation of immutable data. If two hashes of event ids don't match, they're not the same set of events.

How does this apply to relays? Instead of adding new behavior to relays directly ("methods"), we can instead call "functions" on a relay's data.

This function can be anything - a centralized server, client code, or a DVM - that takes REQ filters as input. The function gathers the needed data (maybe from a cache, maybe using a sync command, maybe from multiple relays for completeness), performs the transformation, and returns it. The result is that relays become simple, interoperable repositories for data, without limiting what server-side computation can be applied to events.

While huge search indexes and centralized servers have a cost in terms of centralization, I think DVMs solve this problem brilliantly - the common interface for this augmented behavior is open, and can admit anyone who wants to start competing for search, counting, recommendations, or anything else you might want to do with events.

As Alan Perlis said, "It is better to have 100 functions operate on one data structure than to have 10 functions operate on 10 data structures."

Encrypted Messages

Nostr DMs were a huge mistake, and I want to do it again.

NIP 04 has some obvious problems, most notably metadata leakage. The cryptography also hasn't been audited, and has some potential theoretical attack vectors. I've been working with some other nostr devs on a new cryptographic primitive, which will be audited and hopefully result in a better foundation for future work.

But fixing the cryptography still doesn't fix DMs. Nostr is not really the right architecture for secure private messaging, because ratchets require state. Nostr is designed such that there are no hard dependencies between events, which are replicated across multiple relays. This makes it very hard to manage the kind of state that protocols like SimpleX or Signal require.

Even apart from the difficulty of implementing stateful messaging protocols on nostr, we have two other problems to contend with: metadata leaks and spotty deliverability. Both of these problems come from the reliance of nostr on relays, which generally are not trustworthy or reliable.

Metadata Leakage

NIP 04 is really bad. Anyone can see who you corresponded with, when, how frequently, and how much you said just by looking at the event. Vitor's NIP 24 chat proposal aims to fix this with gift wraps, which use ephemeral keys to obscure the sender, padding to obscure message size, timestamp randomization to obscure timing, and double-wrapping to prevent leakage of the signed message.

This is a big improvement, but there are other forms of metadata that are still visible. To start, the recipient is still visible, along with how many messages they have received and their general size. So you can tell if someone sends lots of messages, or not a lot, but that's about it.

If we don't assume relays are trustworthy though, there are all kinds of implicit metadata that can be used to infer information about the sender, including:

• Client fingerprinting
• Relay selection for publishing and queries
• IP address collection
• First seen timestamp
• Identification of users by AUTH
• Correlation of the event with other messages sent/received during a session

These issues are much harder to solve, because they are part of the process of delivering the message, rather than just constructing it.

Transport and deliverability

The key feature of nostr that makes it work is relays. Relays provide storage redundancy and heterogeneity of purpose with a common interface shared by all instances. This is great for censorship resistance, but everything comes with a tradeoff.

Completeness and consistency are not guaranteed on nostr. This is ok in a social media context, because there's no way to keep up with everything everyone you follow says anyway, and you can rely on interactions and algorithmic tools to catch you up on anything important you missed.

But with private messages, every payload counts. Receiving messages out of order, with a delay, or not at all can severely disrupt conversations between two people, leading to misunderstandings and worse. This is a common experience on nostr; even fiatjaf has expressed skepticism about the viability of private messages on nostr.

This flakiness comes from a combination of low relay quality and poor relay selection on the part of clients. Relays can't deliver messages if they can't keep up with clients, go offline, or drop messages (accidentally or deliberately). Likewise, clients can't find messages if they look for them in the wrong place.

Relays fixes this

Let me just put things into perspective really quick. Twitter DMs are not e2e encrypted, and weren't encrypted at all until earlier this year. Mastodon messages are not encrypted - instance admins can read everything. Facebook has e2ee messages, but only between normal users, not in communities, groups, business chats, or marketplace chats.

So while nostr's architecture is not sufficient to make secure encrypted communication a value proposition of the protocol in itself, there is a lot we can do to improve on the status quo. Because nostr has no admins, the only option for privacy of any kind is end-to-end encryption. Metadata leakage notwithstanding, nostr messages can be "good enough" for some definition of that phrase.

It's important to not just punt on making DMs available in a standard way, because there is an expectation that a complete social media solution will have a way to establish a private communication channel with someone else in the network. Otherwise you're stuck with public correspondence and link sharing in order to hop to another protocol.

Let's just assume that you agree with me at this point, and that until there is a javascript SDK for SimpleX or MLS, we're stuck with nostr DMs of some kind. So how can we reduce metadata leakage and improve deliverability?

Fixing Flakiness

Let's start with deliverability first. NIP 65's inbox/outbox model is great. While it doesn't fix deliverability on its own, if every relay recommended was in fact reliable, and reliably followed by clients, there would be a very clear indication of where a particular user's messages could be found. Neither of these things is really true right now, but I do think clients are moving in this direction. Hopefully we can educate users better on how to pick good relays.

There are some limits to this model of course. For example, if you want to read notes from 1000 pubkeys at once, your client will likely end up connecting to hundreds of relays unless it has a cap, in which case it will miss a lot of notes.

One clean solution to this problem is relay proxies. There are a few implementations, but the one I run at mux.coracle.social is a stateless proxy that uses a wrapper protocol so clients can still select and dispatch to relays. I originally built this to improve mobile data use by deduplicating events on the server, and it does that pretty well, although it currently does it in the most naive way possible.

Multiplextr currently does not qualify as a "real" relay based on my four rules, since it uses a wrapper protocol. However, a smarter implementation would be able to route requests and events effectively by relying on client authentication and filter analysis, without changing the protocol. This would also allow clients to completely offload the complex business of relay selection to its proxy. Clients would also be able to combine multiple proxies just like they combine relays - because proxies are relays!

Proxying Privacy

Another downside of NIP 65 is that it encourages clients to connect indiscriminately to hundreds of different relays based on tag hints, other users' preferences, and relays baked into bech32 identifiers. This is not only bad for battery life and performance, but also allows attackers to easily trick your client into to connecting to their relay so they can start analyzing your traffic.

The best way to defend yourself against nosy relays is to not connect to them at all. And the easiest way to do that is to only connect to relays you control (or trust), and let them do the dirty work for you.

With a proxy, even if you don't control it, you can reduce the number of parties who can snoop on your traffic by orders of magnitude. And since other people use the proxy too, your traffic gets mixed with theirs, making it much harder to analyze. Of course, the downside of using a public proxy is that the proxy sees all messages you send and receive, and the relays you select for each request. Even worse, an untrusted multiplexer can hijack an authenticated session, exfiltrating private data from protected relays.

A proxy you control (or trust, either via social relationships or economic ones) is the best of both worlds. This proxy could also do some smart things for you to improve privacy as well, for example:

• Delayed publishing of gift wrapped messages so relays can't guess as easily when the event was first seen.
• Closing and re-opening connections to reduce the number of messages sent over an AUTH'd session.
• It could block suspicious messages on the fly, for example spam or notes with phishing links.
• If an abundance of options are available for relay selections, it could randomize which relays are used, or avoid using less reputable ones.

So I guess what I'm saying here, is "run a node". But not just any node - in the early days of nostr there were a lot of people spinning up relays because they thought it helped decentralization. Well, as it turns out, just like in bitcoin you have to use your node in order for it to be useful.

Beyond DMs

I'm not done yet, though. What's the point of all this? Why put all this effort into "good enough" DMs when we could spend the effort adopting SimpleX or MLS (said Semisol, who lives rent free in my head)?

Well, because there isn't a single "best" DM option. As I've dug into the topic, I've discovered that a ton of tradeoffs exist between complexity, privacy, and scale. The way I understand it, there are three basic options here:

• One-to-one encryption. This is how both SimpleX and Vitor's group message draft works. It allows for things like ratchets to be added on top, and is fairly simple - but fails to scale because every message has to be encrypted separately for every group member, resulting in n*m messages, where n is the number of group members, and m is the number of messages sent.
• Encryption via shared key. This is how WhatsApp works, and it scales really well because messages don't have to be duplicated. And while it does support forward secrecy, it does not support post-compromise security, so it is significantly less secure.
• MLS has a unique hierarchical approach to managing keys, which improves the complexity of one-to-one encryption so that it's logarithmic rather than exponential. However, MLS is highly stateful and still has scaling limitations.

My takeaway is that there is no perfect solution. Ratchets are the gold standard, but can't really be implemented using nostr relays, since they frequently require servers to have very specific characteristics, like the ability to deliver messages in order.

The fact remains though, that social media needs encrypted messaging of some kind, even if we encourage users to bail to a more complete solution if they want to be truly private. And encryption is useful beyond small group chats - think of Facebook groups, which scale to millions of people and whose users have a much lower expectation of privacy. This is what nostr is good at - social data, whether encrypted or in plaintext.

Belt and Suspenders

For a long time I have waffled between two visions of how private groups ought to work. Should they be encrypted messages sprinkled across the nostr network like confetti? Or should they live on one or two relays in plaintext, protected by AUTH?

Both of these options have issues. Sprinkling encrypted messages across the network almost guarantees deliverability problems, since already many commodity relays block gift wraps. And that's ok! They have no obligation to store your encrypted messages.

Storing group messages in plaintext is also sub-optimal, even if it's on a dedicated relay. Of course we're not going for military-grade secrecy here, but it would be trivially easy through a bug, or even a client that doesn't know how to deal with groups, to re-broadcast events that should stay private. We could do something wacky, like strip the signature from events hosted on a relay, but if we're going to do something non-standard, we might as well do the best we can.

So why not both? Group messages should be encrypted, and they should be stored on a particular set of relays. Again, assuming the relays used are trustworthy, this fixes both privacy and deliverability problems, because it's very clear where messages posted to the group should go.

Promoting relays to trusted status has some nice, unintended benefits too. One common objection to using encrypted content is that it becomes hard to filter. But if a relay is trusted to store a group's messages, it can also be trusted to be admitted as a member to the group. This would allow the relay to decrypt events and filter them to respond to requests by authenticated group members.

Of course, this would violate rule #1 for relays, since they would no longer be supporting standard functionality, but a guy can dream, can't he?

Conclusion

When I started working on nostr I had no idea it would end up being this complex to accomplish what I set out to do. Building a twitter clone was only a first step to an MVP, but I always had my eye on the prize of serving my local church community, which doesn't give a sat about social media per se.

Private groups are important to me not because I'm setting out to support political dissidents or journalists (although I hope they find nostr useful too), but because I want to get my friends off of Facebook, and the only way to do that is to create private marketplaces, calendars, communties, and more.

@ c69b71dc:426ba763

Vegan Myth about Vitamin B12

English (Deutsch👇🏽)

Vitamin B12 wird von Bakterien hergestellt und kann direkt als Nahrungsergänzungsmittel aufgenommen werden, anstatt den Umweg über Tiere 🍔 zu machen.

Nicht-vegane Ernährung kann genauso zu B12-Mangel führen, da B12 hitzeempfindlich ist und beim Kochen größtenteils verloren geht 🍳.

In Anbetracht unserer immer sterileren Nahrungsquellen und des Mangels an bodenbasierten Bakterien ist die B12-Supplementierung eine kluge Wahl, um Mangelerscheinungen zu vermeiden. Für alle 🌱👍!

👉🏽 Möchtest du mehr über vegane Ernährung erfahren oder hast Fragen? Lass uns in den Kommentaren darüber sprechen! 💬🌱

Veganer Mythos über Vitamin B12

Deutsch:

Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria and can be directly taken as a supplement, instead of going through animals 🍔.

Non-vegan diets can lead to B12 deficiency just as easily, since B12 is sensitive to heat and is mostly lost during cooking 🍳.

Given our increasingly sterile food sources and the lack of soil-based bacteria, B12 supplementation is a wise choice to prevent deficiencies. For everyone 🌱👍!

👉🏽 Want to learn more about vegan nutrition or have questions? Let's discuss it in the comments! 💬🌱

@ e8ed3798:67dd345a

I once imagined speaking a word

That carried on forever

It did not fade or echo

Silence overcame it never

It traveled across the universe

To every ear in reach

Looking for the listeners

To whom the word could teach

In a future space and Earth

My word rings true and clear

It's heard then everywhere at once

By all who care to hear

It travels on the dawn of quarks

The tips of angel wings

The subtle integration of

Machine and natural things

And others now, they speak as well

The din begins to deafen

Eternal words, the sum is heard

And only quiet in heaven

@ 70122128:c6cc18b9

I recently began reading The Journey of the Mind to God, by St. Bonaventure, and I intend to publish summaries and reflections of each chapter as I make my way through the treatise. This is primarily for my sake; Bonaventure writes in a dense, precise style, and my hope is that, by summarizing and restating his points, I will internalize and remember them better. If someone reads this and gains something from my notes, all the better.

The Beginning and the Need for Prayer

The first chapter has two main parts: In the first part, Bonaventure introduces his thesis and gives a brief outline of the journey to come. In the second, he takes us on the first step by considering how we can come to recognize God through the world. Here, I will deal briefly with his overture.

Before giving us the map of what is to come, however, Bonaventure admonishes his readers of the importance of prayer. Theology is not merely a work of the unaided mind, it must always be aided and guided by God. As Pope Francis said in a 2014 address to university students in Rome, theology must be done "with an open mind and on one's knees."

Triple Existence and the Six Stages

Bonaventure identifies three loci of being. Things exist, he says, in the physical world, in the mind of man, and in God. We must probe this threefold order of being and come to recognize God in each domain. To do so, we first look around us to see His traces in the material world. Then, turning inward, we probe our own mind, made in His image. Finally, we direct our minds upward to grasp higher spiritual things.

Each of these three main stages of our ascent is further divided into two parts. At each level of being, we come to know God through and in His creation. Looking through created things, we see God's handiwork and turn back to Him as the cause. Looking in created things, we see God dwelling in all that He has made.

Thus, the ladder of our ascent has six rungs. On each rung, we must exercise a different faculty of the soul and direct it towards God. When we investigate the material world, we use our senses and imagination. We direct our reason and understanding towards recognizing God within our minds. In the spiritual order, we use our intelligence and moral discernment to grasp higher things.

We must overcome the effects of sin on each of these faculties and train them in virtue. Here, again, is the necessity of prayer. On our own, we cannot rise above our concupiscence, but in Christ, our human nature is perfected. He has won for us the grace to come to know the Heavenly Father through Him.

In the end, when we have turned all the faculties of our soul towards coming to know God, we will be able to rest in contemplation of His divine being. This contemplation is a simple receptivity to the gift of His own being that God makes present to us always, in and through all things. Thus, as God labored for six days in creating all that is, and rested on the seventh; so we shall probe the depths of creation for six stages before coming to the sabbath rest with Him.

Reflections

This first part of Chapter 1 is full of delightful typological models that Bonaventure uses to organize his theology. In addition to reflecting the six days of creation, the six steps of the mind's journey to God follow the pattern of the Trinity and the Incarnation. Bonaventure's threefold organization of being is distinctly Trinitarian, and he explicitly states that the subdivision into pairs of through and in reflects the union of divine and human natures in Christ. Bonaventure truly is doing theology on his knees, receiving first revelation through Scripture, and letting it inform his entire system of thought.

Alongside the other scholastics, most notably Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure clearly draws heavily from the Platonic and Aristotelian traditions in his formulations. Notably, his statement that things have being in physical reality, in the mind, and in God suggests a strong notion of Forms. To Bonaventure, it would seem, our recognition of distinct things that we perceive through the senses is not some nominalist imposition, but the forms and distinctions we see in the world have some metaphysical reality.

Another consequence of this model of threefold existence is that it places human beings right at the crossroads of being. We are both things in the material world, all of which have their existence grounded in God; and we are also, like God, subjects in which things may have being. This seems to give the statement that we are created in God's image, momentous enough in itself, an even greater degree of significance. In a way, perhaps, we are participating with God in His continuous act of sustaining creation, for things come to rest in our minds in an echo of how they always rest in God.

Conclusion

I will deal with the second half of Chapter 1 in a future post. In it, Bonaventure begins his investigation of how God is found through his traces in the material world. In the meantime, let us all seek God in prayer.

@ c230edd3:8ad4a712

Chef's notes

CONTAINS CAFFEINE UNLESS YOU OPT FOR DECAF

This isn't the prettiest cake, its not meant to be... but it is the most delicious.
It will look unfinished upon removal from the oven due to the pudding layer. Frozen whipped cream makes an excellent topping.

*This is not an original, I'm just moving it here. h/t to whomever dreamt up this diet-killer

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 5 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 40 min
• 🍽️ Servings: 10-12

Ingredients

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 6 Tbsp unsweetened dark or dutched cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp instant espresso powder
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and put on water to boil
2. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt
3. Stir in milk, melted butter, and vanilla until just combined
4. Pour batter into an ungreased 8"x11" baking dish and spread evenly (for 9x13, shorten baking time by 5 min)
5. Place dark brown sugar and espresso powder into a bowl, add 1 cup boiling water and stir until completely dissolved
6. Pour mixture evenly across cake batter. Do not str ;)
7. Slide baking dish onto middle rack of preheated oven and bake for 40 min, rotating halfway through
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Dust with cocoa powder or confectioner's sugar. Serve warm, by spoon, into bowls. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired

@ 70122128:c6cc18b9

What is the way we ought to live? This question takes on particular importance to me as a Catholic. Christ prayed for his disciples, that we should be "not of the world, even as I am not of the world"[^1]. This call presents an apparently impossible challenge. Certainly, within the framework of our secular world, it is impossible, even incomprehensible. Yet, the call remains. To live it out, we must abandon the limitations of secular worldview we have all inherited and adopt a distinctly Catholic worldview. This project, I believe, begins with the imagination.

The Ideological Trap

The trap we must avoid when trying to adopt a Catholic worldview is that of confusing "worldview" with "ideology." At first glance, a "worldview" seems to be synonymous with "a system of beliefs." Under that definition, "worldview" and "ideology" appear to identify more or less the same concept. Conflating the two, however, is itself a symptom of the secular worldview. Thus, if we wish to adopt a Catholic worldview merely as a system of beliefs, we have already failed. The project has to go deeper.

To explain the difference, I will introduce a concept from the philosopher Charles Taylor. In his seminal work, A Secular Age[^2], Taylor introduces the concept of the "social imaginary" to describe the way we implicitly imagine the world. The social imaginary precedes and underlies thought. It imbues art and culture. It emerges in the most basic idioms of speech.

A prime example of the social imaginary is the analogy of the brain as computer. It is not uncommon to hear people mention their "mental bandwidth" and "memory banks," or to refer to having free time to think as having "spare cycles." Conversely, we often talk about computers as "thinking" while they take time to process. Such figures of speech betray an implicit assumption that the brain and a computer are, on some fundamental level, doing the same thing. Thus, the brain-computer analogy is part of our social imaginary.

Intellectually, the social imaginary is the ground we stand upon and the air we breath. It is the landscape within which our conscious mind operates, and as such, it defines the horizons of thought. A concept beyond this horizon becomes effectively unthinkable.

The term "worldview" in its more complete sense contains both the pre-thought realm of the social imaginary and the explicit systems of conscious thought. Charles Taylor perceptively suggests that the social imaginary of our modern world is distinctively secular, and that this secular imaginary sets the boundary conditions of belief, religious or otherwise. Within this secular frame, the immanent material world is the fundamental reality, the supernatural is nowhere to be found in our day-to-day experience, and God, if he is necessary at all, is little more than a Deistic watchmaker.

Any attempt to construct a Catholic worldview that does not shift these foundational assumptions will inevitably be trapped by the secular social imaginary. Within the secular framework, Catholicism becomes just one of many ideologies that offer a way of understanding and interpreting our immanent reality. As such, it may offer some explanatory or interpretive power, but it leave us unable to really grasp transcendent spiritual realities; the secular imaginary simply doesn't admit them.

Shifting the Ground

How, then, do we escape this mental trap? We must change the very ground upon which we stand, the very air that we breathe. Perhaps, standing upon different ground, we will be able to see new horizons. Perhaps, from a different vantage, the heavens will be closer, close enough for us to reach out and touch them—or for them to reach down and touch us. Looking to the past, it is apparent that we once stood upon such heights, before modernity and secularization; and maybe, by learning from the past, we can find such vantages anew.

Stepping into the great churches and cathedrals of antiquity, it is apparent that their builders saw the world in a wholly different way than the one we know. In the Romanesque churches of Italy, glittering mosaics reflect candlelight under majestic arches while shafts of sunlight from above illuminate the interior with heavenly rays. In the Gothic cathedrals of France and Germany, we find ourselves "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses"[^3] in colorful stained glass glowing with God's own radiance.

Implicit in this Medieval architecture is a distinctly theological social imaginary from the one we have today. Every stone, every pane of glass, every paintbrush-stroke, is arranged to point to a supernatural reality, indicating a belief that the material reality we can sense is suffused with a more fundamental spiritual reality. The mosaics and stained-glass windows haunt us with the presences of the saints who have come before. The very shape and dimensions of the buildings draws the eye to the altar, where the drama of the death and resurrection of God incarnate is liturgically reenacted. The church is the crossroads of Heaven and Earth.[^4]

Amid this sacred architecture and the liturgical activity that took place therein, it was atheism that was unthinkable. To the Medievals, God was in their midst, on the altars and in the tabernacles. In Charles Taylor's words, the world was "porous" to the transcendent; spiritual realities touched every dimension of human life.

Restoring Enchantment

Whatever the Medievals may have gotten right, we should not merely long for a return. Return is impossible. History has moved on; we cannot simply retrace our steps. I highlight the Medieval churches to show the importance of art, architecture, and imagination in shaping our social imaginary. I think that if we wish to truly live lives of faith, we must reorient our imaginative vision to recognize a world suffused with supernatural reality, a world in which God is present and active. In short, we must cultivate a Liturgical Imagination.

I will attempt to explore in detail what the Liturgical Imagination is in a future essay, but suffice for now to say that it must be specifically liturgical because the liturgy is the means by which we encounter God in our daily lived experience. Liturgy surrounds and enacts the Sacraments as visible signs of invisible reality.[^5] An imagination sensitive to the liturgy can perceive with a double sight both the ordinary, material reality that we sense and the transcendent, spiritual reality that moves therein.

How can we begin to form this liturgical vision? The answer, I believe, lies in Art. To once again invoke Charles Taylor, the path from the Medieval world to our secular age involved a shift of art from mimesis to poeisis.[^6] Mimesis imitates nature, while poeisis creates its own world. Medieval art is primarily mimetic; the depictions of the saints in stained glass are meant to imitate the unseen, yet very real presence of a "great cloud of witnesses" present at the Mass, where the great drama of salvation is daily re-presented. Over time, however, art has shifted in the direction of poeisis. The Epic, which seeks to tell a story that truly happened in some real sense (think of the Iliad), gives way to the Novel, which creates its own little world of setting, characters, and plot in which a wholly fictional drama can play out.

Thus, the way we receive art has changed. No longer do we turn to art seeking a deeper reality. Instead, in art we escape for a moment into a self-sufficient little tapestry of imagination that may or may not bear on the "real world." This is not all bad, however. The way forward is through. Within these little tapestries we can, I think, learn to see once more with a spiritual vision back in the "real world."

J. R. R. Tolkien, in his essay On Fairy-Stories,[^7] calls this act of poeisis "sub-creation," and the little tapestries "secondary worlds." Successful art, he says, Enchants us by creating a secondary world with "the internal consistency of reality" into which our minds can enter and roam freely. Within the secondary world, strange and fantastic things may be both possible and perfectly reasonable. When we return, we may at times find ourselves seeing the mundane in a new light. As Tolkien puts it:

We should look at green again, and be startled anew (but not blinded) by blue and yellow and red. We should meet the centaur and the dragon, and then perhaps suddenly behold, like the ancient shepherds, sheep, and dogs, and horses— and wolves.

Art can shake us out of our mundane, materialistic vision of the world and re-enchant the ordinary things of daily life. Indeed, in Liturgy, our primary world is enchanted by the action of grace, if only we can perceive it. This is the role of poeisis. I believe art, story, and song are the schools in which we may retrain the imagination to be receptive to transcendent realities, for they are uniquely situation to expand our imaginative horizons. Once we first guess that the horizon may be broader than we thought, that the heavens may reach down to touch the earth; when we can see the grass and trees and sky with new wonder, then we open ourselves to an encounter with the Divine that sustains them all.

Notes

[^1]: John 17:16, RSVCE. [^2]: James K. A. Smith's book How (Not) to be Secular is an excellent and concise summary of the key ideas contained in A Secular Age, and served as my primary source for understanding Taylor's thought. [^3]: Hebrews 12:1, RSVCE. [^4]: This account of the Medieval social imaginary borrows heavily from the points James K. A. Smith lays out in Chapter 1 of How (Not) to be Secular. [^5]: See the USCCB website for a brief explanation of the sacraments as efficacious signs of invisible grace: usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals, accessed 17 September, 2023. [^6]: James K. A. Smith discusses these ideas in Chapter 3 of How (Not) to be Secular. [^7]: The whole essay is worth a read. It can be accessed for free online in the Internet Archive.

@ 23202132:eab3af30

Pensar não é uma tarefa fácil, principalmente devido ao forte apelo emocional que nossa constituição física e mental proporciona. Somos seres de emoção antes de qualquer coisa. O filósofo David Hume defendeu certa vez que a razão é um tipo de fenômeno escravo do sentimento. Para Hume a razão poderia ser entendida como uma ferramenta usada para justificar nossas emoções. Nesse sentido, a arte de iludir pode ser dotada de uma técnica eficiente quando apela para nossos sentimentos e desejos.

Com o desenvolvimento das ciências e dos estudos cognitivos, as afirmações de Hume parecem em certa medida adequadas. Sabemos que o raciocínio é influenciado em grande parte pelo sentimento que produz em nós. Neste sentido o ato de pensar, quando contraria nossos sentimentos, pode ser angustiante, motivando muitas pessoas a evitar tal prática. Existe uma diferença entre pensar e se deixar levar. No cotidiano chamamos de influenciáveis aquelas que se deixam conduzir sem questionar o que é afirmado. Facilitando a prática da arte de enganar.

Não é por acaso que os sistemas de publicidade apelam para as emoções na hora de tentar vender um produto ou serviço. É conhecimento geral que a porta de acesso para influenciar uma pessoa é o sentimento.

Os meios de comunicação de massa também adotam uma linguagem dramatizada uma vez que esta é a mais eficiente na hora de influenciar e garantir resultados para os patrocinadores. Promovendo sua arte de iludir através de notícias dramáticas a imprensa consegue manipular em algum grau o sentimento das pessoas.

Isso não significa que os meios de comunicação precisam ser excluídos ou condenados, o que parece adequado é que as pessoas possam detectar as inconsistências das afirmações e do próprio pensamento, confrontando seus sentimentos. Evitando dessa forma se transformarem em vítimas da arte de enganar.

O filósofo Wittgenstein defendeu que a diferença entre pensar e se deixar levar estaria no uso inadequado da linguagem, onde em geral as pessoas usam a linguagem de maneira superficial, sem prestar atenção na lógica do discursos, ignorando assim, possíveis conseqüências do que é afirmado.

O que identifica se uma afirmação é pensada ou negligenciada é a coerência e a conexão concreta com o mundo, neste sentido, quanto mais conectada com o mundo é uma afirmação, menor é a exigência de acreditarmos e maior é a possibilidade de comprovação. Acreditar e comprovar são os agentes que validam o pensamento.

A principal diferença entre uma crença e uma comprovação consiste no fato da comprovação exigir uma seqüência de fatos contextualizados enquanto uma crença pode negligenciar as evidências.

Um termo muito usado para identificar erros do pensamento é chamado de falácia. Uma Falácia é uma afirmação pensada de maneira superficial, negligenciando as evidências, sendo fundamentada por crenças.

Muitas pessoas e instituições fazem um grande esforço para produzir erros de raciocínio aceitáveis, seja para vender um produto ou vencer uma discussão.

Fazer com que as pessoas sejam influenciadas por falsas verdades é uma arte cada vez mais estudada e praticada no cotidiano. Hoje é consenso que a responsabilidade de não acreditar em afirmações propositadamente equivocadas é individual. Alguns entendem que a responsabilidade não é de quem produz o engano e sim da pessoa que acredita.

Com tantas tentativas de influenciar as pessoas, torna-se importante ficar atento para identificar as falácias.

As áreas das ciências cognitivas afirmam que muito da capacidade de percepção é uma questão de prática, sendo aconselhável para quem deseja ficar mais atento treinar a identificação de inconsistência no que é dito. A melhor maneira de se proteger é sempre perguntando pelo conjunto de evidências e não aceitar apenas uma evidência como verdade.

Como as crenças estão intimamente associadas aos sentimentos e estes são porta de entrada para influenciar uma pessoa, geralmente os truques para criar uma ilusão na arte de enganar usam do desejo e vontade da vítima em acreditar, seguido de algumas das técnicas de persuasão.

Uma das maneiras de convencer alguém é através do seu sentimento por outra pessoa ou pela autoridade no qual tenha adquirido confiança. Neste sentido, ao receber a informação de alguém que você gosta ou que acredita, é possível que ocorra menor questionamento sem o exercício de identificação de possíveis inconsistências.

É por isso que propagandas usam de atores admirados pelo público ou de pesquisas ditas científicas. A ideia aqui é conseguir influenciar eliminando o senso crítico através do sentimento de uma pessoa por outra, ignorando desta forma a perguntar pelo conjunto de evidências.

Isso ocorre toda hora nas propagandas e nos resultados de pesquisas pseudocientíficas onde somente o que interessa é publicado.

Outra forma de influenciar é através da crença relativista, esta serve muitas vezes como justificação na tentativa de se escapar das conseqüências. Em geral ocorre através da ideia que uma crença é sempre verdadeira para a pessoa que acredita. Você já deve ter escutado alguém dizer: “Isso pode ser errado para você, mas para mim é correto.” Ou ainda “Eu acredito e ponto final”.

Não é aconselhável esquecer que uma crença geralmente é manifestação de um sentimento e em certa medida de um desejo. Neste sentido uma crença não precisa estar relacionada com fatos verdadeiros.

O segredo de influenciar consiste na habilidade de produzir crenças.

No entanto, é aconselhável ficar atento para o fato das crenças não estarem conectadas diretamente com os fatos no mundo e sim com os desejos e sentimentos.

Quando alguém acredita em algo, está provavelmente manifestando um sentimento que não é baseado em um conjunto contextualizado de evidências.

Tentar fazer você acreditar em algo, consiste em motivar sentimentos e criar uma ilusão onde a pessoa terá dificuldades em ficar atenta para as inconsistências e não conseguirá questionar adequadamente certas afirmações.

Para se proteger deste tipo de influência é aconselhável perguntar sobre suas emoções frente alguma afirmação. Observe se é necessário confiar/acreditar no que é afirmado ou existem e são demonstradas evidências concretas.

É importante observar a diferença sobre evidência concreta e falsa evidência.

A técnica do falso dilema é largamente usada para promover crenças com falsa evidência e confundir assim a percepção. É possível fazer uma coisa parecer outra, basta omitir certas informações. Nossos governantes sabem muito bem como fazer isso.

No trabalho é muito comum pessoas se sentirem perseguidas quando de fato o que ocorre é uma simples mudança de regras ou de objetivos. Na comunicação de massa, falsos dilemas vendem e geram muito lucro.

Recentemente uma rádio local apresentou uma pesquisa que apontava para o fato do comportamento humano ser determinado somente pela genética. A rádio perguntava aos ouvintes se eles concordavam com o fato do comportamento ser totalmente genético.

O falso dilema aqui, consiste no fato de não existir pesquisa que afirme tal coisa, uma pesquisa científica não possui meios de afirmar se uma pessoa vai agir de uma determinada forma frente uma situação qualquer.

Em geral, o que a ciência afirma não é sobre o comportamento humano e sim sobre o comportamento do corpo humano e suas tendências. Isso significa que geneticamente uma pessoa pode ser mais propensa a se irritar, no entanto o que ela vai fazer com essa irritação é impossível determinar. Por exemplo, é possível canalizar tal irritação para tornar-se uma pessoa mais determinada, sendo um profissional mais eficiente.

Existem muitas técnicas de manipulação do pensamento para influenciar as pessoas, basicamente a maioria delas atua no sentimento, na distração para impedir a detecção da ilusão e na ocultação e distorção dos fatos.

Para evitar certas ilusões procure:

1 – O conjunto de evidências. Poucas evidências permitem facilmente distorcer os fatos e montar um cenário que promova o falso como sendo verdadeiro. Busque sempre o conjunto das várias evidências. Não acredite, comprove.

2 – Atenção aos seus sentimentos. Para influenciar você a porta de entrada é seu sentimento, sempre avalie se você está pensando no campo da crença ou se existem diversas evidências. Se é uma crença, então fique atento. Não esqueça que acreditar é simplesmente confiar.

3 – Veja o quanto lhe estão distraindo. Para influenciar é importante criar distrações. Normalmente se insere falácias dentro de polêmicas e dramatizações. Isso ocorre devido ao fato da pessoa acabar prestando mais atenção ao que é polêmico ou dramático e desta forma não percebe algumas inconsistências do que é afirmado.

Não se deixe influenciar, busque pelo conjunto de evidências e observe atentamente o contexto das afirmações. Não seja manipulado pela arte de iludir.

@ 23202132:eab3af30

Controlar máquinas com a mente tornou-se realidade e a evolução tem sido surpreendente. Em 2003 a previsão dos cientistas era de 2 anos para os primeiros implantes cerebrais que permitiriam o controle de próteses por pessoas com alguma deficiência. Esta convicção surgiu após testes com macacos onde os animais controlavam um braço robótico usando apenas seus pensamentos.

Confirmando o prognóstico dos cientistas, o austríaco Christian Kandlbauer que perdeu os dois braços em um acidente elétrico em setembro de 2005 foi capaz de viver uma vida normal em grande parte graças ao braço robótico controlado pela mente.

Infelizmente Christian Kandlbauer faleceu em um acidente de carro em 21 de outubro de 2010. A perícia não conseguiu determinar se o acidente ocorreu devido a uma possível falha na prótese controlada pela mente. O trajeto era percorrido diariamente por Christian que, usando seu braço robótico para dirigir o veículo a mais de três anos, transitava normalmente com seu veículo.

Christian Kandlbauer foi a primeira pessoa fora dos Estado Unidos que recebeu implantes para controlar um braço robótico. Em março de 2009 a empresa de tecnologia japonesa Honda anunciou uma nova evolução no controle de equipamentos através da mente. Ao invés de usar implantes a nova tecnologia permite o controle através de um capacete.

Para controlar o robô, a pessoa coloca o capacete e só tem que pensar em fazer o movimento. Seus inventores esperam que um dia a tecnologia de controle da mente permita que as pessoas possam controlar os equipamentos sem precisar ocupar as mãos ou depender de implantes cirúrgicos.

O capacete é a primeira “máquina de interface cérebro-máquina” que combina duas técnicas diferentes para captar a atividade no cérebro. Os sensores do capacete detectam sinais elétricos através do couro cabeludo, da mesma forma como um EEG (eletroencefalograma). Os cientistas combinaram isso com uma outra técnica chamada espectroscopia por infravermelho, que é usada para monitorar mudanças no fluxo sanguíneo no cérebro.

A atividade cerebral detectada pelo capacete é enviada para um computador, que usa o software para trabalhar o movimento que a pessoa está pensando. Em seguida, envia um sinal para o robô para executar o movimento pensado. Normalmente, isso leva alguns segundos para que o pensamento se transforme em uma ação robótica.

A interface de controle robótico com a mente através do capacete ainda é experimental, um dos problemas que precisa ser superado é referente as distrações do pensamento na hora de enviar um comando. No caso dos implantes a precisão é bem maior. A tecnologia está avançando, em alguns anos o capacete de controle mental para equipamentos robóticos e games deverá ser uma realidade eficiente e popular.

Quando se fala de controle de máquinas e aparelhos usando a mente, as empresas de tecnologia estão apostando alto para o futuro, com grandes investimentos e grupos de pesquisa altamente qualificados.

@ 2edbcea6:40558884

Happy Sunday #Nostr !

Here’s your #NostrTechWeekly newsletter at the nostr:npub19mduaf5569jx9xz555jcx3v06mvktvtpu0zgk47n4lcpjsz43zzqhj6vzk written by nostr:npub1r3fwhjpx2njy87f9qxmapjn9neutwh7aeww95e03drkfg45cey4qgl7ex2

NostrTechWeekly is a weekly newsletter focused on the more technical happenings in the nostr-verse.

A lot of foundational work happening in the nostr-verse and quite a bit of new projects shipped this week. Let’s dive in!

Recent Upgrades to Nostr (AKA NIPs)

1) NIP 75: Zap Goals ⚡

Zapping has been such an integral part of what makes Nostr what it is. Earning for your content or contributions. Zaps for memes. Zaps as a way to boost the signal. It’s a growing concept as well.

NIP 75 was merged this week, with the goal of introducing the ability to set a “Zap Goal” which is similar to a fundraising goal. Users can zap the “goal” event directly and help the progress bar go up. Whatever the cause.

Interesting to see if this will stay simple and decentralized or if this will be the foundation of a GoFundMe type platform via Nostr using exclusively Bitcoin.

Author: nostr:npub107jk7htfv243u0x5ynn43scq9wrxtaasmrwwa8lfu2ydwag6cx2quqncxg

2) (Proposed) NIP 79: Digital contracts on Nostr ✍️

Think Docusign, but on Nostr. This NIP would introduce support for various kinds of digital agreement (contracts, covenants, agreements) which serve various purposes.

These agreements would all be unencrypted markdown, so the purpose is likely more for non-secret agreements so that they can be cited by all parties in public.

Author(s): https://github.com/xemuj nostr:npub1gcxzte5zlkncx26j68ez60fzkvtkm9e0vrwdcvsjakxf9mu9qewqlfnj5z

3) (Proposed) NIP 34: Improved media attachments to notes 📎

Attaching media to notes in a way that is handled well on a majority of major clients is still more of an art than a science and nostr:npub108pv4cg5ag52nq082kd5leu9ffrn2gdg6g4xdwatn73y36uzplmq9uyev6 is determined to introduce a better pattern 💪.

This NIP introduces the pattern of using an explicit set of “media” tags on any note so that media that should accompany the note can be explicitly linked without clients needing to parse the content of the note to make the url of the media in the note a hyperlink.

Author: nostr:npub108pv4cg5ag52nq082kd5leu9ffrn2gdg6g4xdwatn73y36uzplmq9uyev6

4) (Proposed) Improvements to reddit-style moderated communities 💬

This proposed improvement to NIP 72 introduces the concept of a post (within a moderated community) that is exclusively posted to a specific community. Think about posting something that can make the front page of reddit versus a post that is intended solely for a subreddit. Seems like a welcome addition to NIP 72 👍

Author: https://github.com/vivganes

Notable projects

A nostr Wiki

The start of a truly open wiki.

Wikis are used for a lot of things: corporate intranets and documentation, fandoms managing information about their universe, and Wikipedia which may be one of the greatest repositories of knowledge on Earth. The main downside to Wikipedia is that it may be crowdsourced but it is centralized, seeking one version of each article (and therefore determining what is true).

This wiki (in the spirit of Nostr) allows people to create any number of articles on the same subject to offer different perspectives. At scale this could become something where people read various perspectives and determine the truth for themselves.

Author: nostr:npub1q7klm2w94hyq3qdm9ffzpahrrq0qcppmjrapzhz0rq6xgq3fdrnqr6atmj

Oxchat

Oxchat is a secure, private group chat experience for iOS and Android with a great UX 🙌.

Nostr needs its own standalone chat app that can stand up to the capabilities and ease of use of Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, etc. And Oxchat may be that app! Looking forward to using it more.

Author: nostr:npub10td4yrp6cl9kmjp9x5yd7r8pm96a5j07lk5mtj2kw39qf8frpt8qm9x2wl

Nostrnet.work

A web-based dashboard for Nostr, it’s a webpage that is a configurable hub for all the Nostr apps you want to have available quickly. You can log in with your Nostr account, and configure it to your liking.There’s a section for managing your profile (including your relays), as well as for taking notes, all of that on top of the list of Nostr apps for quick access.

Nostrnet.work seems to be evolving into almost a web-based browser of the nostr-verse. You can manage the apps that are on the dashboard Nostrnet.work via the basic/open app store from nostr.band. There’s endless possibilities for users to discover what Nostr has to offer and use those offerings from one unified interface.

A recent addition to the Nostrnet.Work interface is an area for “Nostr AI'' which is meant to allow users to utilize Data Vending Machines (explored in the Latest Conversations section). Data Vending Machines (or DVMs) are something that I think is unique to Nostr, and it's a product/ecosystem that may be the killer unique offering people come to Nostr to try out.

Author: nostr:npub1cmmswlckn82se7f2jeftl6ll4szlc6zzh8hrjyyfm9vm3t2afr7svqlr6f

w3.do url shortener

URL shorteners are a stable web util. In fact,

We started using w3.do because the tool we use to draft/publish this newsletter as a long form note will send Nostr links and embed the note instead of just linking to the note. So a url shortener is enough to trick the tool so we get fewer embeds and more links! Thanks nostr:npub1alpha9l6f7kk08jxfdaxrpqqnd7vwcz6e6cvtattgexjhxr2vrcqk86dsn !

Latest conversations

Data Vending Machines (DVMs)

“Data Vending Machines are data-processing tools. You give them some data, a few sats, and they give you back some data.” source: vendata. A practical example is a recent DVM published by Pablo: FOMOstr. You put up some sats, you’ll get back content on Nostr that you may have missed.

The concept seems to be that people need help from machines. And right now, the most common way for people to get that help is to pay a company for that help (email provider, calendar management, group chats, entertainment, etc).

These are great for more complex digital products, but what if you just have a question? Maybe you just want to generate an image. Or maybe just extract text, and then maybe translate it. These are most efficient as pay-as-you-need-it products. That’s where DVMs shine (on the long tail of needs).

You can put up a certain amount of money and people who have created algorithms or AIs that can accomplish these tasks will compete to do the job for the lowest price (and therefore win the money). This is the foundation of an economy of people who need jobs done and people who want to make income by creating the best DVMs for the jobs people need done.

DVMs that help you discover people and content on Nostr will be a god-send for improving the experience for people using Nostr while maintaining decentralization. This will certainly evolve over time, but it seems this could become an integral part of the Nostr ecosystem as well as become a unique service that can only be found on Nostr (attracting a new set of users).

Events

Here are some upcoming events that we are looking forward to! We keep a comprehensive list and details of Nostr-related events that we hear about (in person or virtual) that you can bookmark here NostrConf Report

1. Nostrasia Nov 1-3 in Tokyo & Hong Kong
2. Nostrville Nov 9-10 in Nashville, TN, USA
3. NostrCon Jan 12, 2024 (online only)

Until next time 🫡

If you want to see something highlighted, if we missed anything, or if you’re building something I didn’t post about, let me know, DMs welcome.

nostr:npub1r3fwhjpx2njy87f9qxmapjn9neutwh7aeww95e03drkfg45cey4qgl7ex2 or nostr:npub19mduaf5569jx9xz555jcx3v06mvktvtpu0zgk47n4lcpjsz43zzqhj6vzk

Stay Classy, Nostr.

@ 1c52ebc8:5698c92a

Hey folks, happy Saturday!

Here’s your weekly newsletter on the technical happenings in the nostr-verse. Things are moving fast, people are building many amazing projects.

Let’s dive in.

Recent Upgrades to Nostr (NIPs)

1) Moderated Communities 💬

This NIP outlines how to implement a Reddit-like experience, where moderators can create and manage communities. Then anyone can propose a post, but moderators get final say about what shows up in the community. Can’t wait to use it! Hopefully we can use Zaps instead of upvotes like Stacker News!

Authors: nostr:npub1gcxzte5zlkncx26j68ez60fzkvtkm9e0vrwdcvsjakxf9mu9qewqlfnj5z and @arthurfranca

2) Proxy Tags (Approved!) 🌉

There’s been significant work done to bridge between other social media and Nostr (Twitter, ActivityPub, etc). One of the challenges is the amount of duplication that can happen. Now that this NIP is adopted, a proxy tag can be added to events so that a Nostr client can link an event that was originally in Twitter to the original Twitter url.

Author: nostr:npub108pv4cg5ag52nq082kd5leu9ffrn2gdg6g4xdwatn73y36uzplmq9uyev6

3) Rewrite of NIP 65 - Relay Lists by nostr:npub1gcxzte5zlkncx26j68ez60fzkvtkm9e0vrwdcvsjakxf9mu9qewqlfnj5z

Many in the Nostr dev community desire to have many small relays instead of centralization around a smaller set of massive, highly capable relays. In order to do that, there’s a challenge with discovering relays to pull events for a users’ followers.

This NIP was approved weeks ago, but was rewritten recently to make it easier to implement, which should help add more momentum to decentralizing relays.

Notable projects

Vault - Nostr-based Password Manager 🔒

nostr:npub1alpha9l6f7kk08jxfdaxrpqqnd7vwcz6e6cvtattgexjhxr2vrcqk86dsn implemented a way to store and retrieve sensitive information (like passwords) via Nostr. It has a 1Password-like interface for ease of use.

It’s also encrypted twice, once via the normal Nostr secret key signing like any Nostr event, but again with the password to unlock the vault. That way, if someone compromises your Nostr account’s secret key in the future, they still need your vault password to decrypt your sensitive information.

Can’t wait to migrate!

Nostrscript

Looks like nostr:npub1xtscya34g58tk0z605fvr788k263gsu6cy9x0mhnm87echrgufzsevkk5s added a way to activate code in Damus via a link on a website. This pattern could help clients interoperate (one client activating actions in other clients a user is using). Endless possibilities!

Relay Backup

nostr:npub1cmmswlckn82se7f2jeftl6ll4szlc6zzh8hrjyyfm9vm3t2afr7svqlr6f Built a way to easily back up your events from a relay. This helps folks make sure all their events from public relays are copied to a private backup relay so none of their events are lost to time.

Stacker news

Not exactly new, but this project has been a delight to engage in discussion with other folks interested in Nostr, Bitcoin, and freedom tech in general. Using zaps as signal instead of upvotes is pretty novel to me, and all the zaps go to the posters as well as the platform to distribute rewards to the community. #valueforvalue

Latest conversations

Who controls NIPs?

Right now NIPs are hosted via a Github Repo. This is helpful in many ways because there’s one publicly-accessible way to read NIPs and get started contributing. By the nature of this being a code repository under source control, there are a small group of folks that are able to “approve” updates to NIPs.

The nature of projects like Nostr (or Bitcoin in the early 2010s for that matter) is that the early folks often need some control over the direction to make sure that the project has a chance to become self-sustaining without imploding into chaos.

The debate in the linked thread seems to be stemming from the timeless question for protocols, which is “how much should the protocol be able to do?” and that’s generally decided by early devs and those that control the generally accepted version of the spec for the protocol. That’s currently the NIPs repo, so who gets to “approve” NIPs in that repo?

Here’s hoping we can find a collaborative place to land that preserves the heart of nostr and maximizes its chance of success 💪

How to handle illegal content on Nostr

There was a Plebchain radio conversation with nostr:npub1yye4qu6qrgcsejghnl36wl5kvecsel0kxr0ass8ewtqc8gjykxkssdhmd0 who has been an advocate for folks that’ve been trafficked. She’s a rare advocate of preventing trafficking and CSAM through the internet without compromising encryption, or other online freedom.

There are unanswered questions about how the Nostr community is going to handle this content so we don’t see Nostr become a haven for activity most see as despicable. With the collection of smart people on Nostr, I’ll bet that a solution emerges to maximize freedom on the internet and drastically reduce the ability for illegal content to spread via the Nostr protocol.

Events

I’ll keep a running list of Nostr-related events that I hear about (in person or virtual).

• Nostrasia Nov 1-3 in Tokyo & Hong Kong

I haven’t heard of any new ones this week, but if you wanna see something advertised here just DM me!

Until next time 🫡

If I missed anything, or you’re building something I didn’t post about, let me know, DMs welcome.

God bless, you’re super cute

@ 6d3d8fe2:4063a6cf

Questa guida è disponibile anche in:

• Francese: nostr:naddr1qqxnzd3cxyunqvfhxy6rvwfjqyghwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnhd9hx2tcpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtcpvemhxue69uhkv6tvw3jhytnwdaehgu3wwa5kuef0dec82c33xpshw7ntde4xwdtjx4kxz6nwwg6nxdpn8phxgcmedfukcem3wdexuun5wy6kwunnxsun2a35xfckxdnpwaek5dp409enw0mzwfhkzerrv9ehg0t5wf6k2qgawaehxw309a6ku6tkv4e8xefwdehhxarjd93kstnvv9hxgtczyzd9w67evpranzz2jw4m9wcygcyjhxsmcae6g5s58el5vhjnsa6lgqcyqqq823cmvvp6c grazie a nostr:npub1nftkhktqglvcsj5n4wetkpzxpy4e5x78wwj9y9p70ar9u5u8wh6qsxmzqs
• Chinese: nostr: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 grazie a nostr:npub1ejxswthae3nkljavznmv66p9ahp4wmj4adux525htmsrff4qym9sz2t3tv
• Svedese: nostr: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 grazie a nostr:npub19jk45jz45gczwfm22y9z69xhaex3nwg47dz84zw096xl6z62amkqj99rv7
• Spagnolo: nostr: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 grazie a nostr:npub138s5hey76qrnm2pmv7p8nnffhfddsm8sqzm285dyc0wy4f8a6qkqtzx624
• Olandese: nostr:naddr1qqxnzd3c8q6rzd3jxgmngdfsqyvhwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytn6v43x2er9v5hxxmr0w4jqz9rhwden5te0wfjkccte9ejxzmt4wvhxjmcpp4mhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mqprfmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68yemjv9cxstnwv46qzyrhwden5te0dehhxarj9emkjmn9qyvhwumn8ghj7ur4wfshv6tyvyhxummnw3ezumrpdejqzxrhwden5te0wfjkccte9eekummjwsh8xmmrd9skcqgkwaehxw309ashgmrpwvhxummnw3ezumrpdejqzxnhwden5te0dehhxarj9ehhyctwvajhq6tvdshxgetkqy08wumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytfsxyhxgmmjv9nxzcm5dae8jtn0wfnsz9thwden5te0v4jx2m3wdehhxarj9ekxzmnyqyt8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgu3wvfskueqpy9mhxue69uhk27rsv4h8x6tkv5khyetvv9ujuenfv96x5ctx9e3k7mgprdmhxue69uhkummnw3ez6v3w0fjkyetyv4jjucmvda6kgqg8vdhhyctrd3jsygxg8q7crhfygpn5td5ypxlyp4njrscpq22xgpnle3g2yhwljyu4fypsgqqqw4rsyfw2mx grazie a nostr:npub1equrmqway3qxw3dkssymusxkwgwrqypfgeqx0lx9pgjam7gnj4ysaqhkj6
• Arabo: nostr: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 grazie a nostr:npub1nje4ghpkjsxe5thcd4gdt3agl2usxyxv3xxyx39ul3xgytl5009q87l02j
• Tedesco: nostr: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 grazie a nostr:npub1eseajvcuqgk6dy98zndje76hcd485zwmhjx4ztgnw4yruq68lhxq45cqvg
• Giapponese: nostr:naddr1qqxnzd3cxy6rjv3hx5cnyde5qgs87hptfey2p607ef36g6cnekuzfz05qgpe34s2ypc2j6x24qvdwhgrqsqqqa28lxc9p6 di nostr:npub1wh69w45awqnlsxw7jt5tkymets87h6t4phplkx6ug2ht2qkssswswntjk0
• Russo: nostr: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 di nostr:npub10awzknjg5r5lajnr53438ndcyjylgqsrnrtq5grs495v42qc6awsj45ys7

---

Ciao, caro Nostrich!

Nostr è qualcosa di completamente nuovo, e ci sono alcuni passi da fare che semplificheranno il tuo ingresso e renderanno più interessante la tua esperienza.

👋 Benvenuto

Dato che stai leggendo questa guida, diamo per assunto che tu ti sia già unito a Nostr scaricando un app (es. Damus, Amethyst, Plebstr) o usando un Web Client Nostr (es. snort.social, Nostrgram, Iris). E' importante per un nuovo arrivato seguire i passaggi suggeriti dalla piattaforma di tua scelta - la procedura di benvenuto ti fornisce tutte le basi, e non dovrai preoccuparti di configurare nulla a meno che tu non lo voglia fare. Se sei incappato in questo articolo, ma non hai ancora un “account” Nostr, puoi seguire questa semplice guida a cura di nostr:npub1cly0v30agkcfq40mdsndzjrn0tt76ykaan0q6ny80wy034qedpjsqwamhz.

---

🤙 Divertiti

Nostr è fatto per assicurarsi che le persone siano in grado di connettersi liberamente, di essere ascoltate e di divertirsi. Questo è il fulcro centrale (ovviamente ci sono moltissimi altri casi d'uso, come essere uno strumento per i divulgatori e chi lotta per la libertà, ma per questo servirà un articolo a parte), quindi se qualcosa ti è poco chiaro contatta altri “nostriches” con esperienza e saremo lieti di aiutarti. Interagire con Nostr non è difficile, ma ci sono alcune differenze rispetto alle altre piattaforme tradizionali, quindi è normale fare domande (anzi...sei incoraggiato a farne).

Questa è una lista ufficiosa di utenti Nostr che saranno felici di aiutarti e rispondere alle tue domande:

nostr:naddr1qqg5ummnw3ezqstdvfshxumpv3hhyuczypl4c26wfzswnlk2vwjxky7dhqjgnaqzqwvdvz3qwz5k3j4grrt46qcyqqq82vgwv96yu

Tutti i nostriches nella lista hanno ricevuto il badge Nostr Ambassador, il che renderà facile per te trovarli, verificarli e seguirli

---

⚡️ Attivare gli Zaps

Gli Zaps sono una delle prime differenze che noterai entrando su Nostr. Consentono agli utenti Nostr di inviare istantaneamente valore per supportare la creazione di contenuti utili e divertenti. Sono possibili grazie a Bitcoin e Lightning Network. Questi due protocolli di pagamento decentralizzati permettono di inviare istantaneamente dei sats (la più piccola frazione di Bitcoin) tanto facilmente quanto mettere un like sulle piattaforme social tradizionali. Chiamiamo questo meccanismo Value-4-Value e puoi trovare altre informazioni al riguardo qui: https://dergigi.com/value/

Dai un'occhiata a questa nota di nostr:npub18ams6ewn5aj2n3wt2qawzglx9mr4nzksxhvrdc4gzrecw7n5tvjqctp424 per avere una panoramica su cosa sono siano gli zaps.

Dovresti attivare gli Zaps anche se non sei un creatore di contenuti - le persone troveranno sicuramente interessanti alcune delle tue note e vorranno mandarti dei sats. Il modo più semplice per ricevere sats su Nostr è il seguente:

1. Scarica l'app Wallet of Satoshi - probabilmente la scelta migliore per dispositivi mobili per chi è nuovo in Bitcoin e Lightning. Tieni di conto che esistono molti altri wallets e che potrai scegliere quello che preferisci. Inoltre, non dimenticarti di fare un back up del wallet.
2. Premi “Ricevere”
3. Premi sopra al tuo Lightning Address (è quello che sembra un indirizzo email) per copiarlo
4. Incollalo poi nel campo corrispondente all'interno del tuo client Nostr (il nome del campo potrebbe essere “Bitcoin Lightning Address”, “LN Address” o qualcosa di simile in base all'app che utilizzi).

---

📫 Ottieni un indirizzo Nostr

Gli indirizzi Nostr, a cui spesso i Nostr OGs si riferiscono con “NIP-05 identifier”, sono simili ad un indirizzo email e:

🔍 Aiutano a rendere il tuo account facile da trovare e condividere
✔️ Servono a verificare che il tuo “LN Address” appartenga ad un umano

---

Questo è un esempio di indirizzo Nostr: Tony@nostr.21ideas.org E' facile memorizzarlo e successivamente cercarlo in una qualsiasi piattaforma Nostr per trovare la persona corrispondente

---

Per ottenere un indirizzo Nostr puoi usare un servizio gratuito come Nostr Check (di nostr:npub138s5hey76qrnm2pmv7p8nnffhfddsm8sqzm285dyc0wy4f8a6qkqtzx624) oppure uno a pagamento come Nostr Plebs (di nostr:npub18ams6ewn5aj2n3wt2qawzglx9mr4nzksxhvrdc4gzrecw7n5tvjqctp424). Entrambi offrono vari vantaggi, e la scelta dipende solo da te. Un altro modo per ottenere un indirizzo Nostr è tramite un'estensione del browser. Scopri di più al riguardo qui) .

---

🙇‍♀️ Impara le basi

Dietro le quinte Nostr è molto diverso dalle piattaforme social tradizionali, quindi conoscerne le basi è estremamente utile per i nuovi arrivati. E con questo non intendo che dovresti imparare un linguaggio di programmazione o i dettagli tecnici del protocollo. Sto dicendo che avere una visione d'insieme più ampia e capire le differenze fra Nostr e Twitter / Medium / Reddit ti aiuterà moltissimo. Ad esempio, al posto di un nome utente e password hai una chiave privata e una pubblica. Non entrerò nel dettaglio perchè esistono già moltissime risorse che ti aiuteranno a diventare un esperto di Nostr. Tutte quelle degne di nota sono state raccolte in questa pagina con 💜 da nostr:npub12gu8c6uee3p243gez6cgk76362admlqe72aq3kp2fppjsjwmm7eqj9fle6

Fra le informazioni che troverai nel link viene anche spiegato come mettere al sicuro le tue chiavi di Nostr (il tuo account), quindi è importante dargli un'occhiata

---

🤝 Connettiti

La possibilità di connetterti con altre [^3] persone brillanti è ciò che rende speciale Nostr. Qui tutti possono essere ascoltati e nessuno può essere escluso. Ci sono alcuni semplici modi per trovare persone interessanti su Nostr:

• Trova le persone che segui su Twitter: https://www.nostr.directory/ è un ottimo strumento per questo.
• Segui le persone seguite da altri di cui ti fidi: Visita il profilo di una persona che condivide i tuoi stessi interessi, guarda la lista delle persone che segue e connettiti con loro.

• Visita la Bacheca Globale: Ogni client Nostr (app Nostr se preferisci) ha una scheda per spostarsi nella Bacheca Globale (Global Feed), dove troverai tutte le note di tutti gli utenti di Nostr. Segui le persone che trovi interessanti (ricorda di essere paziente - potresti trovare una discreta quantità di spam).

• Usa gli #hashtags: Gli Hashtag sono un ottimo modo per concentrarti sugli argomenti di tuo interesse. Ti basterà premere sopra l'#hashtag per vedere altre note relative all'argomento. Puoi anche cercare gli hashtags tramite l'app che utilizzi. Non dimenticare di usare gli hashtags quando pubblichi una nota, per aumentarne la visibilità.

https://nostr.build/i/0df18c4a9b38f1d9dcb49a5df3e552963156927632458390a9393d6fee286631.jpg Screenshot della bacheca di nostr:npub1ktw5qzt7f5ztrft0kwm9lsw34tef9xknplvy936ddzuepp6yf9dsjrmrvj su https://nostrgraph.net/

---

🗺️ Esplora

I 5 consigli menzionati sono un ottimo punto d'inizio e miglioreranno moltissimo la tua esperienza, ma c'è molto di più da scoprire! Nostr non è solo un rimpiazzo per Twitter e le sue possibilità sono limitate solo dalla nostra immaginazione.

Dai un'occhiata alla lista di tutti i progetti Nostr:

• https://nostrapps.com/ una lista di tutte le apps su Nostr
• https://nostrplebs.com/ – ottieni il tuo NIP-05 e altri vantaggi (a pagamento)
• https://nostrcheck.me/ – Indirizzi Nostr, caricamento di media, relay
• https://nostr.build/ – Carica e gestisci i tuoi media (e altro)
• https://nostr.band/ – Informazioni sul network e gli utenti di Nostr
• https://zaplife.lol/ – Statistiche degli Zaps
• https://nostrit.com/ – Programma le note
• https://nostrnests.com/ – Twitter Spaces 2.0
• https://nostryfied.online/ - Fai un backup dei tuoi dati di Nostr
• https://www.wavman.app/ - Player musicale per Nostr

---

📻 Relays

Dopo aver preso confidenza con Nostr assicurati di dare un'occhiata alla mia guida riguardo i Relays su Nostr: https://lnshort.it/nostr-relays. Non è un argomento di cui preoccuparsi all'inizio del tuo viaggio, ma è sicuramente importante approfondirlo più avanti.

---

📱 Nostr su mobile

Avere un'esperienza fluida su Nostr tramite un dispositivo mobile è fattibile. Questa guida ti aiuterà ad accedere, postare, inviare zap e molto di più all'interno delle applicazioni web Nostr sul tuo smartphone: https://lnshort.it/nostr-mobile

---

Grazie per aver letto e ci vediamo dall'altra parte della tana del coniglio.

Grazie a nostr:npub10awzknjg5r5lajnr53438ndcyjylgqsrnrtq5grs495v42qc6awsj45ys7 per aver fornito il documento originale che ho tradotto

---

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

25 Verses to Draw Motivation Within

Pray Continually

Title: Finding Motivation in Scripture: Overcoming Failure and Embracing Hope

Have you ever felt like a failure? It's a tough spot to be in, and it can really bring you down. But you know what? Scripture can be a powerful source of motivation, encouragement, and renewed hope, even in those moments when you feel like you're falling short. Let's dive into how various scriptures, including the ones we mentioned earlier, can give you that much-needed boost when you're feeling down.

1. Recognizing God's Sovereignty: You know, sometimes it's comforting to remember that we're not alone in our struggles. Scriptures like Psalm 46:10 and Isaiah 41:10 remind us that God is right there with us, holding us up and giving us strength. So, even when it feels like everything is falling apart, we can find motivation in knowing that God's got our back. His plans are bigger than our failures, and that thought alone can help us keep pushing forward.

2. Trusting in God's Guidance: It's not always easy to figure things out on our own, especially when we're feeling defeated. That's where scriptures like Proverbs 3:5 come in handy. They encourage us to put our trust in the Lord, to lean on Him and His understanding. When we feel like we're failing, we can find motivation by surrendering our worries and uncertainties to God. Trusting that He'll guide us can give us the courage to take that next step, even when it feels uncertain.

3. Embracing God's Love and Grace: You know, it's important to remember that our worth isn't defined by our failures. John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:8 remind us of God's unconditional love and the grace He extends to us. When we feel like we're falling short, these verses can be a source of comfort and motivation. They remind us that God's love remains unwavering, regardless of our achievements or mistakes. His grace gives us the opportunity for a fresh start and encourages us to keep going.

4. Finding Strength in Adversity: Hey, setbacks and failures are tough, no doubt about it. But you know what? They can also be opportunities for growth and resilience. James 1:2-4 reminds us to see trials as stepping stones toward becoming stronger individuals. When we face failures, we can find motivation by shifting our perspective. We can view these challenges as temporary hurdles on our journey to personal growth. With God's strength, we can keep moving forward, knowing that we're getting stronger with every step.

5. Cultivating a Positive Attitude: Sometimes, it's all about having the right mindset. Philippians 4:13 is a verse that reminds us we can do anything through Christ who strengthens us. Isn't that amazing? When we're feeling like failures, this verse encourages us to focus on our strengths and abilities. It's about channeling our energy into positive thinking. Instead of dwelling on our shortcomings, we can approach challenges with confidence, knowing that we have God's power within us.

When you feel like you're failing, scripture can be a powerful source of motivation and hope. By recognizing God's presence, trusting in His guidance, embracing His love and grace, finding strength in adversity, and cultivating a positive attitude, you can rise above your failures. Remember, you're not alone in this journey, and there's always hope, even in the face of failure. So, keep your chin up and let these scriptures be a source of inspiration on your path to success and fulfillment . You've got this!

@ 1c52ebc8:5698c92a

Hey folks, happy Saturday!

Thanks for all the support last week with the first attempt at a “this week in Nostr” newsletter, feedback is very welcome 🙂

The hope for this newsletter is to be technically focused (new NIPs, notable projects, latest debates, etc) and a way for folks to keep up with how the community and the protocol is developing.

Recent NIP Updates

1) Calendar Events 📅

Early this week Calendar Events got added as a new NIP, so now we have a standard way to create calendars and calendar events in a way that can be shared via Nostr. Looks like we’ll be able to kick Meetup and Eventbrite to the curb soon!

2) Proxy Tags (Proposed) 🌉

There’s been significant work done to bridge between other social media and Nostr (Twitter, ActivityPub, etc). One of the challenges is the amount of duplication that can happen. If this NIP is adopted, a proxy tag can be added to events so that a Nostr client can link an event that was originally in Twitter to the original Twitter url.

This has the approval of many folks including @fiatj so I bet we’ll see it merged soon.

Notable projects

NostrDB: shipped! 🚢

Mentioned last week, but shipped this week: NostrDB is an embedded relay within the Damus app built by @jb55 built to improve performance and make new features easier. By having a relay inside the client, the client gets far more efficient with pretty much everything. It’s a standalone project so I imagine many clients could adopt this and reap the benefits.

As he mentions in the announcement, it has enabled Damus to recommend follows, as well as speed up many resource intensive operations in the app. Definitely feels snappier to me 💪

Stemstr 🎵

Shipped this week, Stemstr is a way to connect with people over music. There seem to be budding collaboration tools as well meaning the music on stemstr is constantly evolving and being reshared. Quite an impressive project.

Relayable 🌍

One of the underrated challenges of using Nostr right now is curating your relays. For the snappiest experience in your clients, speed is important! Many relays are hosted around the globe but it’s not easy to keep track of that.

Relayable is a relay you can add that will automatically find the closest, fastest, reliable relay to you get you connected so you can get your notes as fast as possible. Really neat project, I’ve added that relay and it’s worked great

Ostrich.work ⚒️

A job board that runs on Nostr for Nostr-related jobs. Definitely check it out if you’re looking to work on Nostr projects or need to find someone to work with you on the same!

Secret Chats on Iris 🤫

DMs on Nostr aren’t entirely private because we’re still publishing the metadata about the DM on publicly accessible relays even if the content is encrypted. There’s been a desire to implement more secure chats through the Nostr protocol, there’s even a bounty from Human Right Foundation about it.

Looks like Iris pushed support for their take on secret chats, looking forward to people telling the community how they like it.

Learn to dev on Nostr course 📖

If you’re looking to get started building on Nostr, or just curious how it works under the hood, here’s a course that was put together just for you! It’s about 40 minutes long and it starts assuming no knowledge about Nostr.

Latest debates

DMs 🔒

DMs on Nostr (using the original NIP 4 protocol) isn’t very private, and there’s a desire from a large group on Nostriches to fix that natively in Nostr. Some folks are ok to leave it “unfixed” in Nostr and use protocols like Simplex because Nostr doesn’t have to solve all problems. Many ofthers thinks we can have our cake and eat it too with some effort on the Nostr protocol.

The debate rages on! I hope you weigh in wherever you see the discussion, your voice may help the community get to clarity.

Email notifications

Much of the world still relies on email to get notified about what’s happening across their various apps and services when they’re not regularly logging in. @karnage@snort.social believes it may help adoption of Nostr if there was a client that allowed users that opt-in to get email notifications for activity happening on Nostr.

There are other folks that feel like it wouldn’t be useful and in fact could make Nostr feel more spammy. I saw another thought that Nostr should be fairly self contained so bridges to other protocols (email being one) would pollute the network. It’s an interesting debate.

Events

I’ll keep a running list of Nostr-related events that I hear about (in person or virtual). If you wanna see something here please let me know! (DMs welcome) - Nostrasia Nov 1-3 in Tokyo & Hong Kong

I haven’t heard of any new ones this week but I hope the one in Chiavenna, Italy went well this week 🙂

Until next time 🫡

I realized this week I should be tagging each major contributor/author of each of the notable projects. I'll keep track of that from now on, so I can tag the people doing the awesome work in our community.

If I missed anything else, let me know, DMs welcome.

And to shamelessly rip off my favorite youtuber’s signoff “God bless, you’re super cute”

@ 1c52ebc8:5698c92a

Hey folks, let’s take a shot at this. If folks find this helpful, this will become a weekly summary of what’s happening in Nostr.

The intention is for it to be technically focused (new NIPs, new projects, new bounties, etc) and a way for folks that aren’t terminally online / on-nostr to be able to keep up with what’s going on.

Let’s dive in!

Recent NIP Updates

1) Long form content

Looks like there’s some activity around long-form content. Recently a few updates to various NIPs added the expectation that relays and clients support drafts of long-form content. That way folks can save their drafts without a client having to save in some way other than a relay. 💪

2) NIP 99: Classified listings

This NIP was accepted July 18, 2023 and outlines a new kind of note that will help Nostr clients to build Craiglist competitors natively in Nostr. 💲

Notable projects

Human Rights Foundation Bounties

A series of bounties to add capabilities to the Nostr ecosystem.

NostrDB: under development

A nostr-specific database that @jb55 is building to improve performance of the Damus iOS app

NJson: a JSON parser for Nostr events

A parser for JSON that’s specific to Nostr Event JSON. It’s wayyyyy faster. Great foundationally pattern/tool to improve all nostr clients and relays.

Data vending machines

This one was a mind bender and a new concept to me. But @pablof7z introduced having bots compete to accomplish tasks. The person that’s hiring for the task sets the terms and can accept a bid on whatever dimension they care about.

This could be used for things as simple as answering a question you’d previously use Google for, or curating a Nostr feed based on your interests.

Highlighter

Highlighter is a way to highlight content from anywhere and wrap that highlight as a nostr event. Which means that people can interact with this content like any other note: reactions, reposts, zaps, etc.

Seems like it could become a way to discover quality content by following folks that are digging into topics you’re interested in. Lots of ways to use this 🤯

Habla.news

Habla.news has built a way for people to draft and publish long form content in a familiar way. The interface supports rich text editing and other nice features of products like Medium.

Best part is that it publishes to your relays, so any client that supports long form content events will showcase your work (and make it zapable ⚡). For now I’ve only seen Damus (the iOS app) support long-form notes natively, but I’m sure more are incoming 💪

Latest debates

Nostr for everything vs narrow, powerful nostr

Seen a few of these debates lately, I imagine it’s just the beginning.

With protocols there’s a temptation to make that protocol support the capability to do everything. On the other hand, a protocol that can do anything isn’t particularly useful.

Nostr is still evolving though and no one is an authority on what IS and IS NOT Nostr. Can’t wait to see folks hash it out.

Example thread

Build requests / ideas

I’m gonna collect the features / build requests I see throughout the week and post them here for anyone that has the cycles and interest to build what the community is asking for.

If you have something you want put here, let me know! (DM’s are welcome)

1. @jb55 = nuke all events client (to clean up a relay or your wipe your account)
2. @jb55 = nostr-based email client

Events

I’ll keep a running list of Nostr-related events that I hear about (in person or virtual). If you wanna see something here please let me know! (DMs welcome)

1. Nostrasia Nov 1-3 in Tokyo & Hong Kong
2. Meet up in Chiavenna, Italy August 3rd

Until next time 🫡

If I missed anything, let me know, DMs welcome.

And to shamelessly rip off my favorite youtuber’s signoff “God bless, you’re super cute”

@ e6ce6154:275e3444

Este artigo foi censurado pelo estado e fomos obrigados a deletá-lo após ameaça de homens armados virem nos visitar e agredir nossa vida e propriedade.

Isto é mais uma prova que os autoproclamados antirracistas são piores que os racistas.

https://rothbardbrasil.com/pelo-direito-de-ser-racista-fascista-machista-e-homofobico

Segue artigo na íntegra. 👇

Sem dúvida, a escalada autoritária do totalitarismo cultural progressista nos últimos anos tem sido sumariamente deletéria e prejudicial para a liberdade de expressão. Como seria de se esperar, a cada dia que passa o autoritarismo progressista continua a se expandir de maneira irrefreável, prejudicando a liberdade dos indivíduos de formas cada vez mais deploráveis e contundentes.

Com a ascensão da tirania politicamente correta e sua invasão a todos os terrenos culturais, o autoritarismo progressista foi se alastrando e consolidando sua hegemonia em determinados segmentos. Com a eventual eclosão e a expansão da opressiva e despótica cultura do cancelamento — uma progênie inevitável do totalitarismo progressista —, todas as pessoas que manifestam opiniões, crenças ou posicionamentos que não estão alinhados com as pautas universitárias da moda tornam-se um alvo.

Há algumas semanas, vimos a enorme repercussão causada pelo caso envolvendo o jogador profissional de vôlei Maurício Sousa, que foi cancelado pelo simples fato de ter emitido sua opinião pessoal sobre um personagem de história em quadrinhos, Jon Kent, o novo Superman, que é bissexual. Maurício Sousa reprovou a conduta sexual do personagem, o que é um direito pessoal inalienável que ele tem. Ele não é obrigado a gostar ou aprovar a bissexualidade. Como qualquer pessoa, ele tem o direito pleno de criticar tudo aquilo que ele não gosta. No entanto, pelo simples fato de emitir a sua opinião pessoal, Maurício Sousa foi acusado de homofobia e teve seu contrato rescindido, sendo desligado do Minas Tênis Clube.

Lamentavelmente, Maurício Sousa não foi o primeiro e nem será o último indivíduo a sofrer com a opressiva e autoritária cultura do cancelamento. Como uma tirania cultural que está em plena ascensão e usufrui de um amplo apoio do establishment, essa nova forma de totalitarismo cultural colorido e festivo está se impondo de formas e maneiras bastante contundentes em praticamente todas as esferas da sociedade contemporânea. Sua intenção é relegar ao ostracismo todos aqueles que não se curvam ao totalitarismo progressista, criminalizando opiniões e crenças que divergem do culto à libertinagem hedonista pós-moderna. Oculto por trás de todo esse ativismo autoritário, o que temos de fato é uma profunda hostilidade por padrões morais tradicionalistas, cristãos e conservadores.

No entanto, é fundamental entendermos uma questão imperativa, que explica em partes o conflito aqui criado — todos os progressistas contemporâneos são crias oriundas do direito positivo. Por essa razão, eles jamais entenderão de forma pragmática e objetiva conceitos como criminalidade, direitos de propriedade, agressão e liberdade de expressão pela perspectiva do jusnaturalismo, que é manifestamente o direito em seu estado mais puro, correto, ético e equilibrado.

Pela ótica jusnaturalista, uma opinião é uma opinião. Ponto final. E absolutamente ninguém deve ser preso, cancelado, sabotado ou boicotado por expressar uma opinião particular sobre qualquer assunto. Palavras não agridem ninguém, portanto jamais poderiam ser consideradas um crime em si. Apenas deveriam ser tipificados como crimes agressões de caráter objetivo, como roubo, sequestro, fraude, extorsão, estupro e infrações similares, que representam uma ameaça direta à integridade física da vítima, ou que busquem subtrair alguma posse empregando a violência.

Infelizmente, a geração floquinho de neve — terrivelmente histérica, egocêntrica e sensível — fica profundamente ofendida e consternada sempre que alguém defende posicionamentos contrários à religião progressista. Por essa razão, os guerreiros da justiça social sinceramente acreditam que o papai-estado deve censurar todas as opiniões que eles não gostam de ouvir, assim como deve também criar leis para encarcerar todos aqueles que falam ou escrevem coisas que desagradam a militância.

Como a geração floquinho de neve foi criada para acreditar que todas as suas vontades pessoais e disposições ideológicas devem ser sumariamente atendidas pelo papai-estado, eles embarcaram em uma cruzada moral que pretende erradicar todas as coisas que são ofensivas à ideologia progressista; só assim eles poderão deflagrar na Terra o seu tão sonhado paraíso hedonista e igualitário, de inimaginável esplendor e felicidade.

Em virtude do seu comportamento intrinsecamente despótico, autoritário e egocêntrico, acaba sendo inevitável que militantes progressistas problematizem tudo aquilo que os desagrada.

Como são criaturas inúteis destituídas de ocupação real e verdadeiro sentido na vida, sendo oprimidas unicamente na sua própria imaginação, militantes progressistas precisam constantemente inventar novos vilões para serem combatidos.

Partindo dessa perspectiva, é natural para a militância que absolutamente tudo que exista no mundo e que não se enquadra com as regras autoritárias e restritivas da religião progressista seja encarado como um problema. Para a geração floquinho de neve, o capitalismo é um problema. O fascismo é um problema. A iniciativa privada é um problema. O homem branco, tradicionalista, conservador e heterossexual é um problema. A desigualdade é um problema. A liberdade é um problema. Monteiro Lobato é um problema (sim, até mesmo o renomado ícone da literatura brasileira, autor — entre outros títulos — de Urupês, foi vítima da cultura do cancelamento, acusado de ser racista e eugenista).

Para a esquerda, praticamente tudo é um problema. Na mentalidade da militância progressista, tudo é motivo para reclamação. Foi em função desse comportamento histérico, histriônico e infantil que o famoso pensador conservador-libertário americano P. J. O’Rourke afirmou que “o esquerdismo é uma filosofia de pirralhos chorões”. O que é uma verdade absoluta e irrefutável em todos os sentidos.

De fato, todas as filosofias de esquerda de forma geral são idealizações utópicas e infantis de um mundo perfeito. Enquanto o mundo não se transformar naquela colorida e vibrante utopia que é apresentada pela cartilha socialista padrão, militantes continuarão a reclamar contra tudo o que existe no mundo de forma agressiva, visceral e beligerante. Evidentemente, eles não vão fazer absolutamente nada de positivo ou construtivo para que o mundo se transforme no gracioso paraíso que eles tanto desejam ver consolidado, mas eles continuarão a berrar e vociferar muito em sua busca incessante pela utopia, marcando presença em passeatas inúteis ou combatendo o fascismo imaginário nas redes sociais.

Sem dúvida, estamos muito perto de ver leis absurdas e estúpidas sendo implementadas, para agradar a militância da terra colorida do assistencialismo eterno onde nada é escasso e tudo cai do céu. Em breve, você não poderá usar calças pretas, pois elas serão consideradas peças de vestuário excessivamente heterossexuais. Apenas calças amarelas ou coloridas serão permitidas. Você também terá que tingir de cor-de-rosa uma mecha do seu cabelo; pois preservar o seu cabelo na sua cor natural é heteronormativo demais da sua parte, sendo portanto um componente demasiadamente opressor da sociedade.

Você também não poderá ver filmes de guerra ou de ação, apenas comédias românticas, pois certos gêneros de filmes exaltam a violência do patriarcado e isso impede o mundo de se tornar uma graciosa festa colorida de fraternidades universitárias ungidas por pôneis resplandecentes, hedonismo infinito, vadiagem universitária e autogratificação psicodélica, que certamente são elementos indispensáveis para se produzir o paraíso na Terra.

Sabemos perfeitamente, no entanto, que dentre as atitudes “opressivas” que a militância progressista mais se empenha em combater, estão o racismo, o fascismo, o machismo e a homofobia. No entanto, é fundamental entender que ser racista, fascista, machista ou homofóbico não são crimes em si. Na prática, todos esses elementos são apenas traços de personalidade; e eles não podem ser pura e simplesmente criminalizados porque ideólogos e militantes progressistas iluminados não gostam deles.

Tanto pela ética quanto pela ótica jusnaturalista, é facilmente compreensível entender que esses traços de personalidade não podem ser criminalizados ou proibidos simplesmente porque integrantes de uma ideologia não tem nenhuma apreciação ou simpatia por eles. Da mesma forma, nenhum desses traços de personalidade representa em si um perigo para a sociedade, pelo simples fato de existir. Por incrível que pareça, até mesmo o machismo, o racismo, o fascismo e a homofobia merecem a devida apologia.

Mas vamos analisar cada um desses tópicos separadamente para entender isso melhor.

Racismo

Quando falamos no Japão, normalmente não fazemos nenhuma associação da sociedade japonesa com o racismo. No entanto, é incontestável o fato de que a sociedade japonesa pode ser considerada uma das sociedades mais racistas do mundo. E a verdade é que não há absolutamente nada de errado com isso.

Aproximadamente 97% da população do Japão é nativa; apenas 3% do componente populacional é constituído por estrangeiros (a população do Japão é estimada em aproximadamente 126 milhões de habitantes). Isso faz a sociedade japonesa ser uma das mais homogêneas do mundo. As autoridades japonesas reconhecidamente dificultam processos de seleção e aplicação a estrangeiros que desejam se tornar residentes. E a maioria dos japoneses aprova essa decisão.

Diversos estabelecimentos comerciais como hotéis, bares e restaurantes por todo o país tem placas na entrada que dizem “somente para japoneses” e a maioria destes estabelecimentos se recusa ostensivamente a atender ou aceitar clientes estrangeiros, não importa quão ricos ou abastados sejam.

Na Terra do Sol Nascente, a hostilidade e a desconfiança natural para com estrangeiros é tão grande que até mesmo indivíduos que nascem em algum outro país, mas são filhos de pais japoneses, não são considerados cidadãos plenamente japoneses.

Se estes indivíduos decidem sair do seu país de origem para se estabelecer no Japão — mesmo tendo descendência nipônica legítima e inquestionável —, eles enfrentarão uma discriminação social considerável, especialmente se não dominarem o idioma japonês de forma impecável. Esse fato mostra que a discriminação é uma parte tão indissociável quanto elementar da sociedade japonesa, e ela está tão profundamente arraigada à cultura nipônica que é praticamente impossível alterá-la ou atenuá-la por qualquer motivo.

A verdade é que — quando falamos de um país como o Japão — nem todos os discursos politicamente corretos do mundo, nem a histeria progressista ocidental mais inflamada poderão algum dia modificar, extirpar ou sequer atenuar o componente racista da cultura nipônica. E isso é consequência de uma questão tão simples quanto primordial: discriminar faz parte da natureza humana, sendo tanto um direito individual quanto um elemento cultural inerente à muitas nações do mundo. Os japoneses não tem problema algum em admitir ou institucionalizar o seu preconceito, justamente pelo fato de que a ideologia politicamente correta não tem no oriente a força e a presença que tem no ocidente.

E é fundamental enfatizar que, sendo de natureza pacífica — ou seja, não violando nem agredindo terceiros —, a discriminação é um recurso natural dos seres humanos, que está diretamente associada a questões como familiaridade e segurança.

Absolutamente ninguém deve ser forçado a apreciar ou integrar-se a raças, etnias, pessoas ou tribos que não lhe transmitem sentimentos de segurança ou familiaridade. Integração forçada é o verdadeiro crime, e isso diversos países europeus — principalmente os escandinavos (países que lideram o ranking de submissão à ideologia politicamente correta) — aprenderam da pior forma possível.

A integração forçada com imigrantes islâmicos resultou em ondas de assassinato, estupro e violência inimagináveis para diversos países europeus, até então civilizados, que a imprensa ocidental politicamente correta e a militância progressista estão permanentemente tentando esconder, porque não desejam que o ocidente descubra como a agenda “humanitária” de integração forçada dos povos muçulmanos em países do Velho Mundo resultou em algumas das piores chacinas e tragédias na história recente da Europa.

Ou seja, ao discriminarem estrangeiros, os japoneses estão apenas se protegendo e lutando para preservar sua nação como um ambiente cultural, étnico e social que lhe é seguro e familiar, assim se opondo a mudanças bruscas, indesejadas e antinaturais, que poderiam comprometer a estabilidade social do país.

A discriminação — sendo de natureza pacífica —, é benévola, salutar e indubitavelmente ajuda a manter a estabilidade social da comunidade. Toda e qualquer forma de integração forçada deve ser repudiada com veemência, pois, mais cedo ou mais tarde, ela irá subverter a ordem social vigente, e sempre será acompanhada de deploráveis e dramáticos resultados.

Para citar novamente os países escandinavos, a Suécia é um excelente exemplo do que não fazer. Tendo seguido o caminho contrário ao da discriminação racional praticada pela sociedade japonesa, atualmente a sociedade sueca — além de afundar de forma consistente na lama da libertinagem, da decadência e da deterioração progressista — sofre em demasia com os imigrantes muçulmanos, que foram deixados praticamente livres para matar, saquear, esquartejar e estuprar quem eles quiserem. Hoje, eles são praticamente intocáveis, visto que denunciá-los, desmoralizá-los ou acusá-los de qualquer crime é uma atitude politicamente incorreta e altamente reprovada pelo establishment progressista. A elite socialista sueca jamais se atreve a acusá-los de qualquer crime, pois temem ser classificados como xenófobos e intolerantes. Ou seja, a desgraça da Europa, sobretudo dos países escandinavos, foi não ter oferecido nenhuma resistência à ideologia progressista politicamente correta. Hoje, eles são totalmente submissos a ela.

O exemplo do Japão mostra, portanto — para além de qualquer dúvida —, a importância ética e prática da discriminação, que é perfeitamente aceitável e natural, sendo uma tendência inerente aos seres humanos, e portanto intrínseca a determinados comportamentos, sociedades e culturas.

Indo ainda mais longe nessa questão, devemos entender que na verdade todos nós discriminamos, e não existe absolutamente nada de errado nisso. Discriminar pessoas faz parte da natureza humana e quem se recusa a admitir esse fato é um hipócrita. Mulheres discriminam homens na hora de selecionar um parceiro; elas avaliam diversos quesitos, como altura, aparência, status social, condição financeira e carisma. E dentre suas opções, elas sempre escolherão o homem mais atraente, másculo e viril, em detrimento de todos os baixinhos, calvos, carentes, frágeis e inibidos que possam estar disponíveis. Da mesma forma, homens sempre terão preferência por mulheres jovens, atraentes e delicadas, em detrimento de todas as feministas de meia-idade, acima do peso, de cabelo pintado, que são mães solteiras e militantes socialistas. A própria militância progressista discrimina pessoas de forma virulenta e intransigente, como fica evidente no tratamento que dispensam a mulheres bolsonaristas e a negros de direita.

A verdade é que — não importa o nível de histeria da militância progressista — a discriminação é inerente à condição humana e um direito natural inalienável de todos. É parte indissociável da natureza humana e qualquer pessoa pode e deve exercer esse direito sempre que desejar. Não existe absolutamente nada de errado em discriminar pessoas. O problema real é a ideologia progressista e o autoritarismo politicamente correto, movimentos tirânicos que não respeitam o direito das pessoas de discriminar.

Fascismo

Quando falamos de fascismo, precisamos entender que, para a esquerda política, o fascismo é compreendido como um conceito completamente divorciado do seu significado original. Para um militante de esquerda, fascista é todo aquele que defende posicionamentos contrários ao progressismo, não se referindo necessariamente a um fascista clássico.

Mas, seja como for, é necessário entender que — como qualquer ideologia política — até mesmo o fascismo clássico tem o direito de existir e ocupar o seu devido lugar; portanto, fascistas não devem ser arbitrariamente censurados, apesar de defenderem conceitos que representam uma completa antítese de tudo aquilo que é valioso para os entusiastas da liberdade.

Em um país como o Brasil, onde socialistas e comunistas tem total liberdade para se expressar, defender suas ideologias e até mesmo formar partidos políticos, não faz absolutamente o menor sentido que fascistas — e até mesmo nazistas assumidos — sofram qualquer tipo de discriminação. Embora socialistas e comunistas se sintam moralmente superiores aos fascistas (ou a qualquer outra filosofia política ou escola de pensamento), sabemos perfeitamente que o seu senso de superioridade é fruto de uma pueril romantização universitária da sua própria ideologia. A história mostra efetivamente que o socialismo clássico e o comunismo causaram muito mais destruição do que o fascismo.

Portanto, se socialistas e comunistas tem total liberdade para se expressar, não existe a menor razão para que fascistas não usufruam dessa mesma liberdade.

É claro, nesse ponto, seremos invariavelmente confrontados por um oportuno dilema — o famoso paradoxo da intolerância, de Karl Popper. Até que ponto uma sociedade livre e tolerante deve tolerar a intolerância (inerente a ideologias totalitárias)?

As leis de propriedade privada resolveriam isso em uma sociedade livre. O mais importante a levarmos em consideração no atual contexto, no entanto — ao defender ou criticar uma determinada ideologia, filosofia ou escola de pensamento —, é entender que, seja ela qual for, ela tem o direito de existir. E todas as pessoas que a defendem tem o direito de defendê-la, da mesma maneira que todos os seus detratores tem o direito de criticá-la.

Essa é uma forte razão para jamais apoiarmos a censura. Muito pelo contrário, devemos repudiar com veemência e intransigência toda e qualquer forma de censura, especialmente a estatal.

Existem duas fortes razões para isso:

A primeira delas é a volatilidade da censura (especialmente a estatal). A censura oficial do governo, depois que é implementada, torna-se absolutamente incontrolável. Hoje, ela pode estar apontada para um grupo de pessoas cujas ideias divergem das suas. Mas amanhã, ela pode estar apontada justamente para as ideias que você defende. É fundamental, portanto, compreendermos que a censura estatal é incontrolável. Sob qualquer ponto de vista, é muito mais vantajoso que exista uma vasta pluralidade de ideias conflitantes na sociedade competindo entre si, do que o estado decidir que ideias podem ser difundidas ou não.

Além do mais, libertários e anarcocapitalistas não podem nunca esperar qualquer tipo de simpatia por parte das autoridades governamentais. Para o estado, seria infinitamente mais prático e vantajoso criminalizar o libertarianismo e o anarcocapitalismo — sob a alegação de que são filosofias perigosas difundidas por extremistas radicais que ameaçam o estado democrático de direito — do que o fascismo ou qualquer outra ideologia centralizada em governos burocráticos e onipotentes. Portanto, defender a censura, especialmente a estatal, representa sempre um perigo para o próprio indivíduo, que mais cedo ou mais tarde poderá ver a censura oficial do sistema se voltar contra ele.

Outra razão pela qual libertários jamais devem defender a censura, é porque — ao contrário dos estatistas — não é coerente que defensores da liberdade se comportem como se o estado fosse o seu papai e o governo fosse a sua mamãe. Não devemos terceirizar nossas próprias responsabilidades, tampouco devemos nos comportar como adultos infantilizados. Assumimos a responsabilidade de combater todas as ideologias e filosofias que agridem a liberdade e os seres humanos. Não procuramos políticos ou burocratas para executar essa tarefa por nós.

Portanto, se você ver um fascista sendo censurado nas redes sociais ou em qualquer outro lugar, assuma suas dores. Sinta-se compelido a defendê-lo, mostre aos seus detratores que ele tem todo direito de se expressar, como qualquer pessoa. Você não tem obrigação de concordar com ele ou apreciar as ideias que ele defende. Mas silenciar arbitrariamente qualquer pessoa não é uma pauta que honra a liberdade.

Se você não gosta de estado, planejamento central, burocracia, impostos, tarifas, políticas coletivistas, nacionalistas e desenvolvimentistas, mostre com argumentos coesos e convincentes porque a liberdade e o livre mercado são superiores a todos esses conceitos. Mas repudie a censura com intransigência e mordacidade.

Em primeiro lugar, porque você aprecia e defende a liberdade de expressão para todas as pessoas. E em segundo lugar, por entender perfeitamente que — se a censura eventualmente se tornar uma política de estado vigente entre a sociedade — é mais provável que ela atinja primeiro os defensores da liberdade do que os defensores do estado.

Machismo

Muitos elementos do comportamento masculino que hoje são atacados com virulência e considerados machistas pelo movimento progressista são na verdade manifestações naturais intrínsecas ao homem, que nossos avôs cultivaram ao longo de suas vidas sem serem recriminados por isso. Com a ascensão do feminismo, do progressismo e a eventual problematização do sexo masculino, o antagonismo militante dos principais líderes da revolução sexual da contracultura passou a naturalmente condenar todos os atributos genuinamente masculinos, por considerá-los símbolos de opressão e dominação social.

Apesar do Brasil ser uma sociedade liberal ultra-progressista, onde o estado protege mais as mulheres do que as crianças — afinal, a cada semana novas leis são implementadas concedendo inúmeros privilégios e benefícios às mulheres, aos quais elas jamais teriam direito em uma sociedade genuinamente machista e patriarcal —, a esquerda política persiste em tentar difundir a fantasia da opressão masculina e o mito de que vivemos em uma sociedade machista e patriarcal.

Como sempre, a realidade mostra um cenário muito diferente daquilo que é pregado pela militância da terra da fantasia. O Brasil atual não tem absolutamente nada de machista ou patriarcal. No Brasil, mulheres podem votar, podem ocupar posições de poder e autoridade tanto na esfera pública quanto em companhias privadas, podem se candidatar a cargos políticos, podem ser vereadoras, deputadas, governadoras, podem ser proprietárias do próprio negócio, podem se divorciar, podem dirigir, podem comprar armas, podem andar de biquíni nas praias, podem usar saias extremamente curtas, podem ver programas de televisão sobre sexo voltados única e exclusivamente para o público feminino, podem se casar com outras mulheres, podem ser promíscuas, podem consumir bebidas alcoólicas ao ponto da embriaguez, e podem fazer praticamente tudo aquilo que elas desejarem. No Brasil do século XXI, as mulheres são genuinamente livres para fazer as próprias escolhas em praticamente todos os aspectos de suas vidas. O que mostra efetivamente que a tal opressão do patriarcado não existe.

O liberalismo social extremo do qual as mulheres usufruem no Brasil atual — e que poderíamos estender a toda a sociedade contemporânea ocidental — é suficiente para desmantelar completamente a fábula feminista da sociedade patriarcal machista e opressora, que existe única e exclusivamente no mundinho de fantasias ideológicas da esquerda progressista.

Tão importante quanto, é fundamental compreender que nenhum homem é obrigado a levar o feminismo a sério ou considerá-lo um movimento social e político legítimo. Para um homem, ser considerado machista ou até mesmo assumir-se como um não deveria ser um problema. O progressismo e o feminismo — com o seu nefasto hábito de demonizar os homens, bem como todos os elementos inerentes ao comportamento e a cultura masculina — é que são o verdadeiro problema, conforme tentam modificar o homem para transformá-lo em algo que ele não é nem deveria ser: uma criatura dócil, passiva e submissa, que é comandada por ideologias hostis e antinaturais, que não respeitam a hierarquia de uma ordem social milenar e condições inerentes à própria natureza humana. Com o seu hábito de tentar modificar tudo através de leis e decretos, o feminismo e o progressismo mostram efetivamente que o seu real objetivo é criminalizar a masculinidade.

A verdade é que — usufruindo de um nível elevado de liberdades — não existe praticamente nada que a mulher brasileira do século XXI não possa fazer. Adicionalmente, o governo dá as mulheres uma quantidade tão avassaladora de vantagens, privilégios e benefícios, que está ficando cada vez mais difícil para elas encontrarem razões válidas para reclamarem da vida. Se o projeto de lei que pretende fornecer um auxílio mensal de mil e duzentos reais para mães solteiras for aprovado pelo senado, muitas mulheres que tem filhos não precisarão nem mesmo trabalhar para ter sustento. E tantas outras procurarão engravidar, para ter direito a receber uma mesada mensal do governo até o seu filho completar a maioridade.

O que a militância colorida da terra da fantasia convenientemente ignora — pois a realidade nunca corresponde ao seu conto de fadas ideológico — é que o mundo de uma forma geral continua sendo muito mais implacável com os homens do que é com as mulheres. No Brasil, a esmagadora maioria dos suicídios é praticada por homens, a maioria das vítimas de homicídio são homens e de cada quatro moradores de rua, três são homens. Mas é evidente que uma sociedade liberal ultra-progressista não se importa com os homens, pois ela não é influenciada por fatos concretos ou pela realidade. Seu objetivo é simplesmente atender as disposições de uma agenda ideológica, não importa quão divorciadas da realidade elas são.

O nível exacerbado de liberdades sociais e privilégios governamentais dos quais as mulheres brasileiras usufruem é suficiente para destruir a fantasiosa fábula da sociedade machista, opressora e patriarcal. Se as mulheres brasileiras não estão felizes, a culpa definitivamente não é dos homens. Se a vasta profusão de liberdades, privilégios e benefícios da sociedade ocidental não as deixa plenamente saciadas e satisfeitas, elas podem sempre mudar de ares e tentar uma vida mais abnegada e espartana em países como Irã, Paquistão ou Afeganistão. Quem sabe assim elas não se sentirão melhores e mais realizadas?

Homofobia

Quando falamos em homofobia, entramos em uma categoria muito parecida com a do racismo: o direito de discriminação é totalmente válido. Absolutamente ninguém deve ser obrigado a aceitar homossexuais ou considerar o homossexualismo como algo normal. Sendo cristão, não existe nem sequer a mais vaga possibilidade de que algum dia eu venha a aceitar o homossexualismo como algo natural. O homossexualismo se qualifica como um grave desvio de conduta e um pecado contra o Criador.

A Bíblia proíbe terminantemente conduta sexual imoral, o que — além do homossexualismo — inclui adultério, fornicação, incesto e bestialidade, entre outras formas igualmente pérfidas de degradação.

Segue abaixo três passagens bíblicas que proíbem terminantemente a conduta homossexual:

“Não te deitarás com um homem como se deita com uma mulher. Isso é abominável!” (Levítico 18:22 — King James Atualizada)

“Se um homem se deitar com outro homem, como se deita com mulher, ambos terão praticado abominação; certamente serão mortos; o seu sangue estará sobre eles.” (Levítico 20:13 — João Ferreira de Almeida Atualizada)

“O quê! Não sabeis que os injustos não herdarão o reino de Deus? Não sejais desencaminhados. Nem fornicadores, nem idólatras, nem adúlteros, nem homens mantidos para propósitos desnaturais, nem homens que se deitam com homens, nem ladrões, nem gananciosos, nem beberrões, nem injuriadores, nem extorsores herdarão o reino de Deus.” (1 Coríntios 6:9,10 —Tradução do Novo Mundo das Escrituras Sagradas com Referências)

Se você não é religioso, pode simplesmente levar em consideração o argumento do respeito pela ordem natural. A ordem natural é incondicional e incisiva com relação a uma questão: o complemento de tudo o que existe é o seu oposto, não o seu igual. O complemento do dia é a noite, o complemento da luz é a escuridão, o complemento da água, que é líquida, é a terra, que é sólida. E como sabemos o complemento do macho — de sua respectiva espécie — é a fêmea.

Portanto, o complemento do homem, o macho da espécie humana, é naturalmente a mulher, a fêmea da espécie humana. Um homem e uma mulher podem naturalmente se reproduzir, porque são um complemento biológico natural. Por outro lado, um homem e outro homem são incapazes de se reproduzir, assim como uma mulher e outra mulher.

Infelizmente, o mundo atual está longe de aceitar como plenamente estabelecida a ordem natural pelo simples fato dela existir, visto que tentam subvertê-la a qualquer custo, não importa o malabarismo intelectual que tenham que fazer para justificar os seus pontos de vista distorcidos e antinaturais. A libertinagem irrefreável e a imoralidade bestial do mundo contemporâneo pós-moderno não reconhecem nenhum tipo de limite. Quem tenta restabelecer princípios morais salutares é imediatamente considerado um vilão retrógrado e repressivo, sendo ativamente demonizado pela militância do hedonismo, da luxúria e da licenciosidade desenfreada e sem limites.

Definitivamente, fazer a apologia da moralidade, do autocontrole e do autodomínio não faz nenhum sucesso na Sodoma e Gomorra global dos dias atuais. O que faz sucesso é lacração, devassidão, promiscuidade e prazeres carnais vazios. O famoso escritor e filósofo francês Albert Camus expressou uma verdade contundente quando disse: “Uma só frase lhe bastará para definir o homem moderno — fornicava e lia jornais”.

Qualquer indivíduo tem o direito inalienável de discriminar ativamente homossexuais, pelo direito que ele julgar mais pertinente no seu caso. A objeção de consciência para qualquer situação é um direito natural dos indivíduos. Há alguns anos, um caso que aconteceu nos Estados Unidos ganhou enorme repercussão internacional, quando o confeiteiro Jack Phillips se recusou a fazer um bolo de casamento para o “casal” homossexual Dave Mullins e Charlie Craig.

Uma representação dos direitos civis do estado do Colorado abriu um inquérito contra o confeiteiro, alegando que ele deveria ser obrigado a atender todos os clientes, independente da orientação sexual, raça ou crença. Preste atenção nas palavras usadas — ele deveria ser obrigado a atender.

Como se recusou bravamente a ceder, o caso foi parar invariavelmente na Suprema Corte, que decidiu por sete a dois em favor de Jack Phillips, sob a alegação de que obrigar o confeiteiro a atender o “casal” homossexual era uma violação nefasta dos seus princípios religiosos. Felizmente, esse foi um caso em que a liberdade prevaleceu sobre a tirania progressista.

Evidentemente, homossexuais não devem ser agredidos, ofendidos, internados em clínicas contra a sua vontade, nem devem ser constrangidos em suas liberdades pelo fato de serem homossexuais. O que eles precisam entender é que a liberdade é uma via de mão dupla. Eles podem ter liberdade para adotar a conduta que desejarem e fazer o que quiserem (contanto que não agridam ninguém), mas da mesma forma, é fundamental respeitar e preservar a liberdade de terceiros que desejam rejeitá-los pacificamente, pelo motivo que for.

Afinal, ninguém tem a menor obrigação de aceitá-los, atendê-los ou sequer pensar que uma união estável entre duas pessoas do mesmo sexo — incapaz de gerar descendentes, e, portanto, antinatural — deva ser considerado um matrimônio de verdade. Absolutamente nenhuma pessoa, ideia, movimento, crença ou ideologia usufrui de plena unanimidade no mundo. Por que o homossexualismo deveria ter tal privilégio?

Homossexuais não são portadores de uma verdade definitiva, absoluta e indiscutível, que está acima da humanidade. São seres humanos comuns que — na melhor das hipóteses —, levam um estilo de vida que pode ser considerado “alternativo”, e absolutamente ninguém tem a obrigação de considerar esse estilo de vida normal ou aceitável. A única obrigação das pessoas é não interferir, e isso não implica uma obrigação em aceitar.

Discriminar homossexuais (assim como pessoas de qualquer outro grupo, raça, religião, nacionalidade ou etnia) é um direito natural por parte de todos aqueles que desejam exercer esse direito. E isso nem o direito positivo nem a militância progressista poderão algum dia alterar ou subverter. O direito natural e a inclinação inerente dos seres humanos em atender às suas próprias disposições é simplesmente imutável e faz parte do seu conjunto de necessidades.

Conclusão

A militância progressista é absurdamente autoritária, e todas as suas estratégias e disposições ideológicas mostram que ela está em uma guerra permanente contra a ordem natural, contra a liberdade e principalmente contra o homem branco, cristão, conservador e tradicionalista — possivelmente, aquilo que ela mais odeia e despreza.

Nós não podemos, no entanto, ceder ou dar espaço para a agenda progressista, tampouco pensar em considerar como sendo normais todas as pautas abusivas e tirânicas que a militância pretende estabelecer como sendo perfeitamente razoáveis e aceitáveis, quer a sociedade aceite isso ou não. Afinal, conforme formos cedendo, o progressismo tirânico e totalitário tende a ganhar cada vez mais espaço.

Quanto mais espaço o progressismo conquistar, mais corroída será a liberdade e mais impulso ganhará o totalitarismo. Com isso, a cultura do cancelamento vai acabar com carreiras, profissões e com o sustento de muitas pessoas, pelo simples fato de que elas discordam das pautas universitárias da moda.

A história mostra perfeitamente que quanto mais liberdade uma sociedade tem, mais progresso ela atinge. Por outro lado, quanto mais autoritária ela for, mais retrocessos ela sofrerá. O autoritarismo se combate com liberdade, desafiando as pautas de todos aqueles que persistem em implementar a tirania na sociedade. O politicamente correto é o nazismo dos costumes, que pretende subverter a moral através de uma cultura de vigilância policial despótica e autoritária, para que toda a sociedade seja subjugada pela agenda totalitária progressista.

Pois quanto a nós, precisamos continuar travando o bom combate em nome da liberdade. E isso inclui reconhecer que ideologias, hábitos e costumes de que não gostamos tem o direito de existir e até mesmo de serem defendidos.

@ a4a6b584:1e05b95b

"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Romans 14:11-12

Though God has always had a people, the New Testament Church started with Christ and His disciples and was empowered at Pentecost. Historically, there has always been a remnant of people who adhered to the truth of God's Word for their faith and practice. I am convinced that the very same body of truth which was once delivered must be contended for in every generation.

In every generation from Christ and His disciples to this present moment, there have been holy adherents to the truth of God's Word. This witness of history is a witness in their blood. I am a Baptist by conviction. I was not "Baptist-born." I became and remain a Baptist because of what I have discovered in the Word of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ left His church doctrine and ordinances. The ordinances are baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are the things He ordered us to do. They picture His death and remind us of Him and His return. He also left us a body of doctrine. This involves our belief and teaching. Our doctrine distinguishes us. It is all from the Bible.

No one can be forced to become a Baptist. Our records show that baptism was always administered to professing believers. Hence, we refer to baptism as believers' baptism.

Baptists are gospel-preaching people. They preached the gospel to me. The Lord Jesus said to the first-century church, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth ,, (Acts I :8). I am grateful to God to be a Baptist. I consider this to be New Testament Christianity. It is my joy to serve as the pastor of an independent Baptist church, preaching and teaching God's Word.

A Baptist recognizes the autonomy of the local church. There is no such thing as "The Baptist Church." The only Baptist headquarters that exists is in the local assembly of baptized believers. There are only local Baptist churches. \

When we say that the Bible is our sole authority, we are speaking of all the scriptures, the whole and its parts. We should preach the whole counsel of God. In the Bible we find the gospel-the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We should proclaim the gospel because Jesus Christ said that we are to take the gospel message to every creature. When we open the sixty-six books of the Bible, we find more than the gospel. Of course, that scarlet thread of redemption runs through all the Bible, but the whole counsel of God must be proclaimed.

The Bible says in Romans 14:11-12, ''For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. " Each human being must answer personally to God.

In our nation we hear people talk about religious tolerance. Religious tolerance is something created by government. It is a "gift" from government. Religious tolerance is something man has made. Soul liberty is something God established when He created us. We find a clear teaching of this in His Word. Soul liberty is a gift from God! God's Word says in Galatians 5:1, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Soul liberty does not rest upon the legal documents of our nation-it is rooted in the Word of God. This individual freedom of the soul is inherent in man's nature as God created him. Man is responsible for his choices, but he is free to choose. This conviction is at the core of Baptist beliefs.

This powerful declaration about our Baptist position was made by J.D. Freeman in 1905:

Our demand has been not simply for religious toleration, but religious liberty; not sufferance merely, but freedom; and that not for ourselves alone, but for all men. We did not stumble upon this doctrine. It inheres in the very essence of our belief. Christ is Lord of all.. .. The conscience is the servant only of God, and is not subject to the will of man. This truth has indestructible life. Crucify it and the third day it will rise again. Bury it in the sepulcher and the stone will be rolled away, while the keepers become as dead men .... Steadfastly refusing to bend our necks under the yoke of bondage, we have scrupulously withheld our hands from imposing that yoke upon others .... Of martyr blood our hands are clean. We have never invoked the sword of temporal power to aid the sword of the Spirit. We have never passed an ordinance inflicting a civic disability on any man because of his religious views, be he Protestant or Papist, Jew, or Turk, or infidel. In this regard there is no blot on our escutcheon (family crest).

Remember that, when we are talking about individual soul liberty and the relationship of the church and the state, in America the Constitution does not place the church over the state or the state over the church. Most importantly, Scripture places them side by side, each operating independently of the other. This means there is freedom in the church and freedom in the state. Each is sovereign within the sphere of the authority God has given to each of them (Matthew 22:21).

Read carefully this statement made by Charles Spurgeon, the famous English preacher, concerning Baptist people:

We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians. We did not commence our existence at the Reformation, we were reformers before Luther or Calvin were born; we never came from the Church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the apostles themselves. We have always existed from the very days of Christ, and our principles, sometimes veiled and forgotten, like a river which may travel underground for a little season, have always had honest and holy adherents. Persecuted alike by Romanists and Protestants of almost every sect, yet there has never existed a government holding Baptist principles which persecuted others; nor, I believe, any body of Baptists ever held it to be right to put the consciences of others under the control of man. We have ever been ready to suffer, as our martyrologies will prove, but we are not ready to accept any help from the State, to prostitute the purity of the Bride of Christ to any alliance with overnment, and we wil never make the Church, although the Queen, the despot over the consciences of men.

The New Park Street Pulpit, Volume VII · Page 225

This a marvelous statement about Baptist beliefs. I am rather troubled when I see so many people who claim to be Baptists who do not understand why they are Baptists. We should be able to defend our position and do it biblically. lf we are people who know and love the Lord and His Word and if the Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice, then we have no reason to be ashamed of the position we take. May God not only help us to take this position, but to take it with holy boldness and cotnpassion. May He help us to be able to take His Word in hand and heart and defend what we believe to a lost and dying world.

So much of what we have to enjoy in our country can be credited to Baptist people. Any honest student of American history will agree that the Virginia Baptists were almost solely responsible for the First Amendment being added to our Constitution providing the freedom to worship God as our conscience dictates.

We have a country that has been so influenced that we do not believe it is right to exercise any control or coercion of any kind over the souls of men. Where did this conviction come from? We find it in the Bible, but someone imparted it to the Founding Fathers. It became the law of the land, and it should remain the law of the land. We need to understand it. It comes out of the clear teaching of God's Word concerning the subject of soul liberty.

There are many historic places there where people were martyred for their faith, giving their lives for what they believed. The religious persecution came as a result of the laws of the land. Although many Baptists have been martyred, you will never find Baptist people persecuting anyone anywhere for his faith, no matter what his faith may be.

There are many denominations that teach the Scriptures are the infallible Word of God, God is the creator of heaven and earth, man is a fallen creature and must be redeemed by the blood of Christ, salvation is the free offer of eternal Iife to those who receive it and eternal helI awaits those who reject it, the Lord's Day is a day of worship, and the only time for man to be made right with God is in this lifetime. There are certainly other commonly held teachings, but there are certain Baptist distinctive. Often an acrostic using the word BAPTISTS is used to represent these Baptist distinctive.

• B is for biblical authority. The Bible is the sole authority for our faith and practice.

• A for the autonomy of the local church. Every church we find in the New Testament was a self-governing church with only Christ as the head.

• P represents the priesthood of believers and the access we have to God through Jesus Christ.

• T for the two church officers-pastors and deacons. We find these officers in the New Testament.

• I for individual soul liberty. Most people, when asked, say that the sole authority of the Scripture in our faith and practice is the single, most important distinctive of our faith. However, if we did not have individual soul liberty, we could not come to the convictions we have on all other matters.

• S for a saved church membership.

Personal Accountability to God

Renowned Baptist leader, Dr. E.Y. Mullins, summarized our Baptist position in these words. He wrote:

The biblical significance of the Baptist is the right of private interpretation of and obedience to the Scriptures. The significance of the Baptist in relation to the individual is soul freedom. The ecclesiastical significance of the Baptist is a regenerated church membership and the equality and priesthood of believers. The political significance of the Baptist is the separation of church and state. But as comprehending all the above particulars, as a great and aggressive force in Christian history, as distinguished from all others and standing entirely alone, the doctrine of the soul's competency in religion under God is the distinctive significance of the Baptists.

We find this accountability in the opening verses of God's Word. When God created man, He created man capable of giving a personal account of himself to God. God did not create puppets; He created people. He gave man the right to choose. That is why we find the man Adam choosing to sin and to disobey God in Genesis chapter three. Of his own volition he chose to sin and disobey God. Genesis I :27 says, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. " We were made in God's image, and when God made us in His image, He made us with the ability to choose.

It is not right to try to force one's religion or belief upon another individual. This does not mean, however, that he can be a Christian by believing anything he wishes to believe, because Jesus Christ said that there is only one way to heaven. He said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." He is the only way to God. The only way of salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ.

In this age of tolerance, people say that nothing is really wrong. The same people who say that any way of believing is right will not accept the truth that one belief can be the only way that is right. You may believe anything you choose, but God has declared that there is only one way to Him and that is through His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only way of salvation- that is why He suffered and died for our sins. The only way to know God is through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Someone is certain to ask, "Who are you to declare that everyone else's religion is wrong?" We are saying that everyone ~as ~ right to choose his own way, but God has clearly taught us in His Word that there is only one way to Him. The Lord Jesus says in John 10:9, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

No human being is going to live on this earth without being sinned against by others. Many children are sinned against greatly by their own parents. However, we cannot go through life blaming others for the person we are, because God has made us in such a way that we have an individual accountability to God. This comes out of our soul liberty and our right to choose and respond to things in a way that God would have us espond to them. God has made us in His image. Again, He did not make us puppets or robots; He made us people, created in His image with the ability to choose our own way.

Remember, "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:11- 12). We are responsible because we have direct access to God. God has given us the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and access to the Throne by the merit of Jesus Christ. We, therefore? must answer personally to God at the judgment seat because God communicates to us directly.

People do not like to be held personally accountable for their actions. The truth of the Word of God is that every individual is personally accountable to God. In other words, you are going to meet God in judgment some day. I am going to meet God in judgment some day. All of us are going to stand before the Lord some day and answer to Him. We are individually accountable to God. Since the state cannot answer for us to God, it has no right to dictate our conscience.

We live in a country where there are many false religions. As Baptist people, we defend the right of anyone in our land to worship as he sees fit to worship. This is unheard of in most of the world. If a man is a Moslem, I do not agree with his Islamic religion, but I defend his right to worship as he sees fit to worship. The teaching of the Catholic Church declares that salvation comes through Mary, but this is not the teaching of the Bible. We zealously proclaim the truth, but we must also defend the right of people to worship as they choose to worship. Why? Because individual soul liberty is a gift from God to every human being.

Since the Bible teaches individual soul liberty and personal accountability to God, then it is a truth that will endure to all generations. To be sure, Baptists believe the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice (II Timothy 3:16-17; Matthew 15:9; I John 2:20, 21 , 27) and the Bible clearly teaches that no church or government or power on earth has the right to bind a man's conscience. The individual is personally accountable to God. Hence, we reject the teaching of infant baptism and all doctrine that recognizes people as members of a church before they give evidence of personal repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The famous Baptist, John Bunyan is the man who gave us Pilgrim's Progress. This wonderful book was planned during Bunyan's prison experience and written when he was released. The trial of John Bunyan took place on October 3, 1660. John Bunyan spent twelve years in jail for his convictions about individual soul liberty, failure to attend the Church of England, and for preaching the Word of God. During his trial, Bunyan stood before Judge Wingate who was interested in hearing John Bunyan state his case. Judge Wingate said, "In that case, then, this court would be profoundly interested in your response to them."

Part of John Bunyan's response follows:

Thank you, My 'lord. And may I say that I am grateful for the opportunity to respond. Firstly, the depositions speak the truth. I have never attended services in the Church of England, nor do I intend ever to do so. Secondly, it is no secret that I preach the Word of God whenever, wherever, and to whomever He pleases to grant me opportunity to do so. Having said that, My 'lord, there is a weightier issue that I am constrained to address. I have no choice but to acknowledge my awareness of the law which I am accused of transgressing. Likewise, I have no choice but to confess my auilt in my transgression of it. As true as these things are, I must affirm that I neiher regret breaking the law, nor repent of having broken it. Further, I must warn you that I have no intention in future of conforming to it. It is, on its face, an unjust law, a law against which honorable men cannot shrink from protesting. In truth, My 'lord, it violates an infinitely higher law- the right of every man to seek God in his own way, unhindered by any temporal power. That, My 'lord, is my response.

Remember that Bunyan was responding as to why he would not do all that he was doing for God within the confines of the Church of England. The transcription goes on to say:

Judge Wingate: This court would remind you, sir, that we are not here to debate the merits of the law. We are here to determine if you are, in fact, guilty of violating it. John Bunyan: Perhaps, My 'lord, that is why you are here, but it is most certainly not why I am here. I am here because you compel me to be here. All I ask is to be left alone to preach and to teach as God directs me. As, however, I must be here, I cannot fail to use these circumstances to speak against what I know to be an unjust and odious edict. Judge Wingate: Let me understand you. You are arguing that every man has a right, given him by Almighty God, to seek the Deity in his own way, even if he chooses without the benefit of the English Church? John Bunyan: That is precisely what I am arguing, My 'lord. Or without benefit of any church. Judge Wingate: Do you know what you are saying? What of Papist and Quakers? What of pagan Mohammedans? Have these the right to seek God in their own misguided way? John Bunyan: Even these, My 'lord. Judge Wingate: May I ask if you are articularly sympathetic to the views of these or other such deviant religious societies? John Bunyan: I am not, My 'lord. Judge Wingate: Yet, you affirm a God-given right to hold any alien religious doctrine that appeals to the warped minds of men? John Bunyan: I do, My'lord. Judge Wingate: I find your views impossible of belief And what of those who, if left to their own devices, would have no interest in things heavenly? Have they the right to be allowed to continue unmolested in their error? John Bunyan: It is my fervent belief that they do, My'lord. Judge Wingate: And on what basis, might r ask. can you make such rash affirmations? John Bunyan: On the basis, My 'lord, that a man's religious views- or lack of them- are matters between his conscience and his God, and are not the business of the Crown, the Parliament, or even, with all due respect, My 'lord, of this court. However much I may be in disagreement with another man's sincerely held religious beliefs, neither I nor any other may disallo his right to hold those beliefs. No man's right in these affairs are . secure if every other man's rights are not equally secure.

I do not know of anyone who could have expressed the whole idea of soul liberty in the words of man any more clearly than Bunyan stated in 1660. Every man can seek God as he pleases. This means that we cannot force our religious faith or teaching on anyone. It means clearly that no one can be coerced into being a Baptist and believing what we believe. It means that we can do no arm-twisting, or anything of that sort, to make anyone believe what we believe. Every man has been created by God with the ability to choose to follow God or to follow some other god.

Personal accountability to God is a distinctive of our faith. It is something we believe, and out of this distinctive come other distinctives that we identify with as Baptist people.

The Priesthood of Every Believer

The priesthood of the believer means that every believer can go to God through the merit of Jesus Christ. Christ and Christ alone is the only way to God. All of us who have trusted Christ as Saviour enjoy the glorious privilege of the priesthood of the believer and can access God through the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The Bible says in I Timothy 2: 1-6,

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men,· for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour,· who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Take special note of verse five, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

Any man, anywhere in this world can go to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:9 says, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal pn~ • thood , an . holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should. shew forth the praises of hzm who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. "

Christians have access to God. You can personally talk to God. You can take your needs to the Lord. Whatever your needs are, you can take those needs to the Lord. You, as an individual Christian, can go to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, your High Priest who "ever liveth to make intercession" for you (Hebrews 7:25).

We have no merit of our own. We do not accumulate merit. People may make reference to a time of meritorious service someone has rendered, but we cannot build up "good works" that get us through to God. Each day, we must come before God as needy sinners approaching Him through the finished work of Christ and Christ alone.

The Bible teaches the personal accountability of every human being to God. We cannot force our religion on anyone or make anyone a believer. We cannot force someone to be a Christian. Think of how wrong it is to take babies and allow them later in life to think they have become Christians by an act of infant baptism. Yes, they have a right to practice infant baptism, but we do not believe this is biblical because faith cannot be forced or coerced.

There are places in the world where the state is under a religion. There are places in the world where religion is under the state-the state exercises control over the faith of people. This is not taught in the Bible. Then, there are countries like ours where the church and the state operate side by side.

Throughout history, people who have identified with Baptist distinctives have stood as guardians of religious liberty. At the heart of this liberty is what we refer to as ndividual soul liberty. I am grateful to be a Baptist.

The Power of Influence Where does this teaching of the priesthood of every believer and our personal accountability to God lead us? It leads us to realize the importance of the power of influence. This is the tool God has given us. I want to give you an Old Testament example to illustrate the matter of influence.

Judges 21 :25 tells us, "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

In the days of the judges, every man did what was right in his own eyes with no fixed point of reference.

God's Word continues to describe this time of judges in Ruth 1:1, ''Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. " God begins to tell us about a man named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his sons. He brings us to the beautiful love story of Ruth and Boaz. God tells us that at the same time in which the judges ruled, when there was anarchy in the land, this beautiful love stor of Boaz and Ruth took place.

This story gives us interesting insight on the responsibility of the Christian and the church. In the midst of everything that is going on, we are to share the beautiful love story of the Lord Jesus Christ and His bride. We need to tell people about the Saviour.

The same truth is found throughout the Word of God. Philippians 2:15 states, "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. "

We are "in the midst ofa crooked and p erverse nation." This is why the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. " Let your light shine!

The more a church becomes like the world, the less influence it is going to have in the world. Preaching ceases, and churches only have diolauges. Singing that is sacred is taken out and the worlds music comes in. All revrence is gone. What so many are attempting to do in order to build up their ministry is actualy what will cause the demise of their ministry. We will never make a difference without being willing to be differnt, Being different is not the goal. Christ is the goal, and He makes us different.

Remember, we cannot force people to become Christians or force our faith on people. It is not right to attempt to violate another man's will; he must choose of his own volition to trust Christ or reject Christ. When we understand this, then we understand the powerful tool of influence. We must live Holy Spirit-filled, godly lives and be what God wants us to be. We must be lights in a dark world as we live in the midst of a crooked generation. The only tool we have to use is influence, not force. As we separate ourselves to God and live godly lives, only then do we have a testimony.

Separation to God and from the world is not the enemy of evangelism; it cais the essential of evangelism. There can be no evangelism without separation to God and from the world because we have no other tool to use. We cannot force people to believe what we believe to be the truth. They must choose of their own will. We must so identify with the Lord Jesus in His beauty, glory, and holiness that He will be lifted up, and people will come to Him

The more a church becomes like the world, the less influence it is going to have in the world. Preaching ceases, and churches only have dialogue. Singing that is sacred is taken out, and the world's music comes in. All reverence is gone. What so many are attempting to do in order to build up their ministry is actually what will cause the demise of their ministry. We will never make a difference without being willing to be different. It is Christ who makes us different. Being different is not the goal. Christ is the goal, and He makes us different.

Remember, we cannot force people to become Christians or force our faith on people. It is not right to attempt to violate another man's will; he must choose of his own volition to trust Christ or reject Christ. When we understand this, then we understand the powerful tool of influence. We must live Holy Spirit-filled, godly lives and be what God wants us to be. We must be lights in a dark world as we live in the midst of a crooked generation. The only tool we have to use is influence, not force. As we separate ourselves to God and live godly lives, only then do we have a testimony.

Separation to God and from the world is not the enemy of evangelism; it is the essential of evangelism. There can be no evangelism without separation to God and from the world because we have no other tool to use. We cannot force people to believe what we believe to be the truth. They must choose of their own will. We must so identify with the Lord Jesus in His beauty, glory, and holiness that He will be lifted up, and people will come to Him.

As this world becomes increasingly worse, the more off-thewall and ridiculous we will appear to an unbelieving world. The temptation will come again and again for us to simply cave in.

When one finds people with sincerely held Baptist distinctives, he finds those people have a passion for going in the power of the Holy Spirit, obeying Christ, preaching the gospel to every creature. I am grateful to God to say, "I am a Baptist."

Baptists know it is because of what we find in the Bible about soul freedom, personal accountability, and the priesthood of every believer that we must use the power of Spirit-filled influence to win the lost to Christ. If we disobey Christ by conforming to the world, we lose our influence.

May the Lord help us to be unashamed to bear His reproach and be identified with our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Way of Salvation

Do you know for sure that if you died today you would go to Heaven?

1. Realize that God loves you

God loves you and has a plan for your life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 ).

2. The Bible says that all men are sinners

Our sins have separated us from God. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). God made man in His own image. He gave man the ability to choose right from wrong. We choose to sin. Our sins separate us from God.

3. God's word also says that sin must be paid for

"For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23 ). Wages means payment. The payment of our sin is death and hell, separation from God forever. If we continue in our sin, we shall die without Christ and be without God forever.

4. The good news is that Christ paid for our sins

All our sins were laid on Christ on the cross. He paid our sin debt for us. The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, and He arose from the dead. He is alive forevermore. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

5. We must personally pray and recieve Christ by faith as our saviour

The Bible says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13 ).

Lets review for a moment

1. Realize That God Loves You - John 3: 1
2. All are sinners - Romans 3:21
3. Sin Must Be Paid For - Romans 6:23
4. Christ paid for our sins - Romans 5:8
5. We Must Personally Pray and Receive Christ as Our Saviour - Romans 10:13
6. Pray and recieve Christ as your saviour

Lord, I know that I am a sinner. If I died today I would not go to heaven. Forgive my sins and be my Saviour. Help me live for You from this day forward. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Bible says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13 ).

~navluc-latmes

@ a4a6b584:1e05b95b

Introducing Box Chain - a decentralized logistics network enabling private, secure package delivery through Nostr identities, zero-knowledge proofs, and a dynamic driver marketplace.

Identity Verification

A cornerstone of Box Chain's functionality and security is its identity verification system. Drawing on the principles of decentralization and privacy, it eschews traditional identifiers for a unique, cryptographic solution built on the Nostr protocol.

When a new user wishes to join the Box Chain network, they begin by generating a unique cryptographic identity. This identity is derived through complex algorithms, creating a unique key pair consisting of a public and a private key. The public key serves as the user's identity within the network, available to all participants. The private key remains with the user, a secret piece of information used to sign transactions and interactions, proving their identity.

Unlike many centralized systems, Box Chain does not require any form of real-world identification for this process. This is crucial for a few reasons. First, it ensures the privacy of all participants by not requiring them to disclose sensitive personal information. Second, it allows Box Chain to operate independently of any jurisdiction, enhancing its universal applicability.

Once their identity is established, participants engage in the network, accepting and fulfilling delivery tasks. Each successful delivery, confirmed by the receiver, contributes to the participant's reputation score. This reputation score is publicly linked to their identity and serves as a measure of their reliability and performance.

A critical aspect of mitigating potential identity fraud is the stake requirement. Each participant, before they can accept a delivery task, is required to stake a certain amount of Bitcoin. This acts as a form of collateral, held in escrow until the successful completion of the delivery. The staked amount is forfeited in case of fraudulent activities or non-delivery, creating a strong financial disincentive against dishonest behavior.

Overall, the identity verification system in Box Chain, built on unique cryptographic identities, a reputation score system, and the staking mechanism, provides a robust framework to ensure reliability and trust in a decentralized, borderless context. It significantly mitigates the risks of identity fraud, further strengthening Box Chain's promise of secure, efficient, and private package delivery.

Zero-Knowledge Proof Shipping Information

Box Chain's unique approach to preserving privacy while ensuring accurate delivery relies heavily on the concept of Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs). This cryptographic principle allows for the verification of information without revealing the information itself. 

When a package is set for delivery, the sender provides the recipient's address. This address is immediately subjected to cryptographic transformation - the details are processed and turned into a form that is impossible to understand without a specific decryption key. This transformation process is designed to ensure maximum privacy - the original address remains known only to the sender and, eventually, the recipient.

In this transformed state, the address can still be verified for its validity without revealing its actual content. This is where ZKPs come into play. The sender, by leveraging ZKPs, can prove to the Box Chain system that they possess a valid address without needing to reveal the specifics of that address. This protects the privacy of the recipient by ensuring their address isn't openly visible on the system.

For the delivery process, the route is broken down into relay points, each assigned a particular driver. This relay-based system plays a significant role in preserving privacy and ensuring package safety. Instead of providing the entire route to each driver, they only receive the location of the next relay point. This is accomplished by giving them a cryptographic key which, when applied to the encrypted route data, reveals only the necessary information - the location of the next relay driver.

This way, the sender's address and recipient's final address remain as private as possible. Moreover, it enables the package to be securely handed off from one relay driver to the next, each having access to only the information necessary for their leg of the journey. 

It's important to note that this process, while extremely secure, can take a longer time due to its relay nature and the cryptographic processes involved. There may also be a need to introduce a timeout mechanism for each leg of the journey to ensure drivers complete their part in a reasonable timeframe.

By incorporating ZKPs and a relay-based delivery system, Box Chain is able to provide a level of privacy and security that is rare in the logistics world, striking a balance between efficiency and privacy.

Delivery Confirmation

One of the key aspects of ensuring the success and trustworthiness of Box Chain's decentralized package delivery service is the process of delivery confirmation. To make this process as secure, transparent, and reliable as possible, Box Chain implements a multi-signature approach that leverages the power of cryptography.

When a delivery is made, it is not enough to simply leave the package at the prescribed location. Confirmation of delivery is critical to ensure the transaction is closed and the delivery person can receive their payment. This is where the multi-signature approach comes into play.

In essence, a multi-signature approach means that more than one party needs to provide a digital signature to confirm the transaction. For Box Chain, this involves both the receiving party and the delivery person. After the delivery person leaves the package at the prescribed location, they would use their private cryptographic key to sign a confirmation of delivery. The recipient, upon receiving the package, would do the same. 

These digital signatures are securely generated using each party's private key and are incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to forge. This means that when both signatures are provided, the system can be confident that the package was delivered and received successfully.

As a further layer of security and accuracy, Box Chain incorporates geolocation confirmation into its delivery confirmation process. This means that when the delivery person signs the confirmation of delivery, their geographic location is checked against the intended delivery location. If the two locations match within an acceptable margin of error, this acts as another layer of proof that the delivery was made successfully.

This process ensures that delivery confirmations are not only secure but are also indisputable. It provides a significant level of trust and reliability, both for the sender and receiver, but also for the delivery people who are looking to receive their payments. 

Furthermore, it aligns with the principles of decentralization and privacy, leveraging the power of cryptography and blockchain technology to provide a secure, transparent, and effective service. This approach positions Box Chain as a pioneer in combining the gig economy with the blockchain technology, providing a unique and secure package delivery solution.

Package Security

Guaranteeing the security of packages throughout transit is fundamental to Box Chain's service offering. To accomplish this, Box Chain utilizes a unique stake system that incentivizes delivery drivers to handle packages with the utmost care.

When a sender initiates a delivery, they specify the value of the package being shipped. This value is used to determine the stake amount that the delivery person must deposit to accept the delivery task. The stake functions as a form of shipping insurance, held in escrow by the Box Chain system until successful completion of the delivery. 

The stake amount set by the sender is commensurate with the value of the package, allowing the sender to decide how much insurance they deem appropriate for their shipment. Higher-value packages may necessitate a larger stake, serving to reassure the sender that the delivery person has a significant financial incentive to ensure the safe delivery of the package.

In the event that a package is lost or damaged, the stake acts as a safety net for the sender. The staked amount is forfeited by the delivery driver and is transferred to the sender as compensation for their loss. 

This system not only provides reassurance to the sender, but also gives a powerful incentive for delivery drivers to handle the packages with care. By having their own funds at risk, delivery drivers are likely to go the extra mile to ensure packages are safely delivered to their destination.

Further enhancing the security of the package, Box Chain uses a multi-signature approach during the relay handoff process. The current delivery driver and the next relay driver must both provide a digital signature to confirm the handoff. This ensures that responsibility for the package is officially transferred from one party to the next in a secure and verifiable manner. This "chain" of signatures creates an auditable trail that adds another layer of security and trust to the process.

Through the combination of a stake system and multi-signature handoff confirmation, Box Chain provides a comprehensive security solution that ensures packages are not only delivered efficiently but are also safeguarded throughout their transit journey.

Routing Algorithm and Pricing Mechanism

The efficiency and economic fairness of Box Chain's service hinge significantly on its innovative routing algorithm and pricing mechanism. This system is designed to ensure a smooth journey for each package, while also ensuring that delivery drivers are fairly compensated for their work.

The journey of a package begins with the sender specifying the destination and offering a starting payment for delivery. This payment information is propagated to the network, along with the package's destination, where potential delivery drivers can view it. However, unlike traditional package delivery services, the journey and price aren't fixed from the onset. Instead, Box Chain employs a dynamic, decentralized, and market-driven approach to optimize routing and pricing.

The total journey is divided into smaller legs, each of which can be undertaken by different delivery drivers. The starting payment offered by the sender is not a flat rate for the whole journey but is instead used as an initial bid for each leg of the journey. This bid is then doubled, and the network waits for a delivery driver to accept the offer. If no one accepts, the bid continues to increase in increments, creating an auction-like environment.

This system allows the real-time market dynamics to determine the cost of delivery. Factors such as distance, package weight, or even current traffic conditions can influence how much a delivery driver is willing to accept for a leg of the journey. If a leg of the journey is particularly difficult or inconvenient, the price will naturally rise until it reaches a level that a delivery driver deems worthwhile.

By allowing the drivers themselves to choose which jobs to accept based on their own assessment of the work's value, Box Chain creates a fair, flexible, and dynamic market where compensation is closely tied to the effort and resources required to complete a delivery. This is akin to how the Tor network or the Lightning Network operates, but instead of data packets being routed and priced, Box Chain is doing this with physical packages in the real world.

Such a system not only incentivizes delivery drivers to participate but also ensures the service remains adaptable and resilient to changing conditions and demands. This represents a novel and intelligent use of blockchain technology to disrupt the traditional gig economy model, placing the power in the hands of the individual drivers and fostering a more equitable and efficient market.

Incentive for Participation

Box Chain's unique approach to package delivery provides a plethora of compelling incentives for individuals to participate in the network as delivery drivers. By offering the potential for higher earnings through a competitive and dynamic bidding system, Box Chain encourages active participation and healthy competition within its network.

Upon initiating a package delivery, the sender offers a starting bid for each leg of the journey. This bid is then escalated through the network, doubling with each round until a delivery driver accepts the task. This mechanism presents delivery drivers with the opportunity to earn more for their services, especially in cases where the journey is long or complex.

However, the competitive aspect of the bidding system also helps regulate the pricing. Although prices might be high initially, as more delivery drivers join the network and competition increases, the bid required to win a delivery job is likely to decrease. This dynamic balance ensures a fair market price for delivery services while also enabling delivery drivers to optimize their earnings.

Furthermore, Box Chain's reputation system, based on the Nostr protocol, provides an additional layer of incentive for delivery drivers. The reputation of each driver is tracked and publicly displayed, allowing senders to gauge the reliability and efficiency of their potential couriers. As drivers successfully complete deliveries and earn positive feedback, their reputation score increases. 

This reputation score can play a pivotal role in the Box Chain economy. Drivers with higher reputation scores may demand higher bids for their services, reflecting their proven track record of successful deliveries. Alternatively, the system could grant priority in the bidding process to drivers with higher reputation scores. This not only incentivizes good performance and reliability but also helps to foster trust within the network. 

Overall, Box Chain's combination of a competitive bidding system and a reputation-based incentive structure encourages active participation and ensures a high standard of service. By aligning economic incentives with high-quality service delivery, Box Chain empowers its participants while also ensuring a satisfying experience for its users.

Here is an additional section covering dispute resolution and failed delivery handling that could be added:

Dispute Resolution and Failed Deliveries

For a decentralized network like Box Chain, dispute resolution and handling of failed deliveries present unique challenges. To address these in alignment with its principles, Box Chain implements an arbitration-based system and a dual-stake mechanism. 

In case deliveries fail due to recipients being unavailable or refusing, both the sender and recipient are required to stake funds as collateral. If the delivery cannot be completed, the stakes are forfeited and awarded to the delivery driver as compensation for their time and effort. This creates a disincentive for recipients failing to receive packages and ensures drivers are paid for their work.

For disputes between senders, recipients and drivers, Box Chain leverages a decentralized arbitration system built on the Nostr protocol. Independent arbitrators stake their own funds and adjudicate disputes based on review of evidence from both parties. Their incentive is a small percentage of the transaction amount.

The arbitration process involves submission of dispute details, review of evidence, ruling based on policies, and appeals handled by additional arbitrators if required. A majority ruling wins the appeal. This system, relying on staked incentives and the wisdom of the crowd, enables fair dispute resolution aligned with Box Chain's ethos.

By combining reciprocal stakes and decentralized arbitration, Box Chain is able to provide robust recourse around failed deliveries and disputes while retaining its principles of decentralization, privacy, and aligned incentives. These mechanisms strengthen the system and instill further user trust and satisfaction.

Bitcoin + Nostr = <3

The combination of Bitcoin and Nostr represents a powerful and synergistic integration of decentralized technologies. Bitcoin provides a secure, transparent and decentralized means of value transfer, while Nostr offers a decentralized protocol for creating and managing digital identities and data. Together, they can enable truly decentralized and privacy-preserving applications, like Box Chain, that have the potential to disrupt traditional business models and empower individuals around the world. The future looks promising with such advanced and transformative technologies working hand in hand.

Read more from Adam Malin at habitus.blog.

Adam Malin

adammalin.com

You can find me on Twitter or on Nostr at

npub15jnttpymeytm80hatjqcvhhqhzrhx6gxp8pq0wn93rhnu8s9h9dsha32lx

value4value Did you find any value from this article? Click here to send me a tip!

@ de496884:72617b81

Hola comunidad. Vengo a hablarles de un tema del que hace rato quería hablar pero no me atrevía por sus implicaciones políticas y quizás hasta éticas: la relación entre la teoría de la Desesperanza Aprendida (DA) y el contexto sociocultural cubano. Es por ello que optaré por no dar ninguna conclusión propia ya que pienso que el mero hecho de establecer una relación causal explica por sí mismo el motivo de la presente entrada de blog.

Por otro lado, haré más énfasis en desarrollar la teoría de la DA para que así puedan conocer uno de los constructos teóricos más icónicos de la psicología, y no me adentraré en dar a conocer la realidad cubana, más allá de algunos detalles necesarios para quienes no estén familiarizados con nuestro contexto. Así que te invito a quedarte y seguir leyendo, te aseguro que no te vas a arrepentir. Ahí voy.

........................................

Muchas veces en Cuba oímos la frase «el cubano se ríe de sus propias desgracias», y la oímos en un sentido ampliamente positivo resaltando una de las cualidades más notorias de nuestros paisanos pero, ¿realmente es algo digno de lo que sentir orgullo? Mientras es bien conocido que en contextos foráneos se viven gran cantidad de manifestaciones a veces por motivos hasta ridículos a nuestro entender, en nuestro país cada que se produce un cambio de cualquier índole con repercusiones políticas, sociales o económicas, pareciera que son asimiladas por el pueblo con gran naturalidad incluso cuando los resultados son catastróficos y nos llevan a transitar por tiempos cada vez peores y hostiles.

Imagen de manifestación.

Esto ocurre hoy por hoy y no nos cansamos de preguntarnos «¿hasta cuándo?» mientras compramos tranquilamente la caja de pollo a sobreprecio sin chistar, y mientras esperamos ingenuamente que venga un otro mágicamente a resolvernos nuestros problemas.

También ocurre que muchos de los emigrados repiten de manera despectiva y con ahínco al referirse a quienes quedamos aun de este lado del mar: «el cubano tiene lo que se merece». Sin embargo, y más allá de las intenciones dañinas de dicha frase ¿qué tan cierto es mientras sabemos que la cuestión es más compleja y complicada de lo que parece? Aunque pareciera que toda la culpa es nuestra por la pasividad con la que asimilamos todos nuestros problemas, se trata de un fenómeno multidimensional y no sería justo reducirlo a solamente una de sus condicionantes. Aun así, merece la pena repensarnos un poco a qué se debe nuestra situación actual y qué responsabilidad personal tenemos en todo lo que nos concierne.

Es por estar pensando en estas cuestiones recordé una teoría que había estudiado cuando cursaba la carrera de Psicología; la de la DA. esta teoría surgió cuando Overmier y Seligman observaron que cuando exponían a perros a una serie de descargas eléctricas incontrolables e inescapables, estos luego eran incapaces de aprender alguna respuesta tan simple como saltar para evitar las descargas o evitarlas. Por el contrario, lo que hacían era resignarse a recibir las descargas sin más.

Imagen de un perro siendo condicionado.

Ambos autores describieron este fenómeno como el resultado de aprender que independientemente de la conducta dada en primera instancia por el animal, seguirían recibiendo las descargas eléctricas. O sea, no tenían ningún control sobre la ocurrencia o no de dichas descargas, por lo tanto, la falta de control era el factor causal de la DA.

La DA era un síndrome tripartito que resultaba, esencialmente, de un cambio en la percepción de la propia eficacia, un cambio atribuible a haber aprendido que eventos motivacionalmente significativos son independientes de la conducta y, por lo tanto, incontrolables. Las características del síndrome incluían (1) un déficit motivacional en la iniciación de una respuesta, (2) un déficit asociativo y (3) un déficit emocional. (Overmier, 1986, p. 389)

A partir de entonces los esfuerzos de encaminaron a desarrollar la teoría de la DA no como producto de contingencias o del azar, sino como producto de condiciones ambientales específicas y de procesos básicos de aprendizaje. Es así como este fenómeno inicialmente encontrado en perros, posteriormente fue estudiado en experimentos con roedores y grandes simios incluyendo al ser humano, por lo que se trata de un fenómeno que no es exclusivo de una sola especie, y que demuestra que «cuando un individuo tiene una experiencia aversiva incontrolable (es decir, inescapable e inevitable), se producen una serie de trastornos y déficits que interfieren o impiden el aprendizaje posterior de nuevas respuestas» (Guerri, 2021).

Estudios posteriores demostraron que la DA no solo aparece como resultado de la exposición a choques eléctricos, sino también como resultado de la experiencia de una amplia variedad de eventos también incontrolables, tanto aversivos como recompensantes. La DA se trata de un síndrome multifacético que incluye un déficit motivacional que hace que se produzcan menos respuestas aun en presencia de estímulos dolorosos.

Además de dicho déficit motivacional que implicaría una incapacidad de dar respuestas a nuevos estímulos debido al hecho de que ninguna respuesta ha sido útil para escapar de la situación previa, también se produce un déficit cognoscitivo. Este último dificulta a los individuos a lograr el éxito o aprender nuevas tareas aunque sean diferentes de la situación inicial que produjo la desesperanza o indefensión, por lo que dicho fenómeno sería generalizado a cualquier tipo de tareas.

Hasta aquí mi esbozo de la teoría, y repito: mi intención no es ofrecer conclusiones, sino ofrecer otros puntos de vista que permitan replantearnos qué ocurre en nuestra sociedad a gran escala. De igual forma, los procesos sociales son tan complejos que no pueden ser explicados utilizando un solo modelo.

Así que espero que hayan leído todo o casi todo y se hayan llevado un nuevo conocimiento con el cual construir nuevas líneas de pensamiento. ¡Hasta la próxima!

........................................

English version

Image of Havana.

Hello community. I am here to talk to you about a subject I have been wanting to talk about for a long time but I did not dare to do so because of its political and perhaps even ethical implications: the relationship between the theory of Learned Hopelessness (LH) and the Cuban socio-cultural context. That is why I will choose not to give any conclusions of my own since I think that the mere fact of establishing a causal relationship explains by itself the reason for the present blog entry.

On the other hand, I will put more emphasis on developing the theory of DA so that you can get to know one of the most iconic theoretical constructs of psychology, and I will not go into the Cuban reality, beyond some necessary details for those who are not familiar with our context. So I invite you to stay and read on, I assure you that you will not regret it. Here I go.

.................................................................................................

Many times in Cuba we hear the phrase "the Cuban laughs at his own misfortunes", and we hear it in a largely positive sense highlighting one of the most notorious qualities of our countrymen but is it really something to be proud of? While it is well known that in foreign contexts a great number of demonstrations are held, sometimes for reasons that are even ridiculous to our understanding, in our country every time a change of any kind with political, social or economic repercussions takes place, it seems that they are assimilated by the people with great naturalness even when the results are catastrophic and lead us to go through worse and worse and hostile times.

Image of manifest.

This is happening today and we never tire of asking ourselves "until when?" while we quietly buy the overpriced box of chicken without complaining, and while we naively wait for someone else to magically come and solve our problems.

It also happens that many of the emigrants repeat in a contemptuous way and with determination when referring to those of us who are still on this side of the sea: "the Cuban has what he deserves". However, and beyond the harmful intentions of that phrase, how true is it while we know that the issue is more complex and complicated than it seems? Although it would seem that all the blame is ours for the passivity with which we assimilate all our problems, it is a multidimensional phenomenon and it would not be fair to reduce it to only one of its determining factors. Even so, it is worthwhile to rethink a little about the reasons for our current situation and what personal responsibility we have for everything that concerns us.

It is because I was thinking about these questions that I remembered a theory I had studied when I was studying Psychology; that of DA. This theory arose when Overmier and Seligman observed that when they exposed dogs to a series of uncontrollable and inescapable electric shocks, the dogs were then unable to learn any response as simple as jumping to avoid the shocks or avoiding them. Instead, they resigned themselves to simply receiving the shocks.

Image of a dog being conditioned.

Both authors described this phenomenon as the result of learning that regardless of the behavior given in the first instance by the animal, they would continue to receive electric shocks. In other words, they had no control over the occurrence or non-occurrence of such shocks, therefore, lack of control was the causal factor of DA.

DA was a tripartite syndrome resulting, essentially, from a change in the perception of self-efficacy, a change attributable to having learned that motivationally significant events are behaviorally independent and, therefore, uncontrollable. The characteristics of the syndrome included (1) a motivational deficit in initiating a response, (2) an associative deficit, and (3) an emotional deficit. (Overmier, 1986, p. 389)

From then on, efforts were directed towards developing the theory of DA not as a product of contingencies or chance, but as a product of specific environmental conditions and basic learning processes. This is how this phenomenon, initially found in dogs, was later studied in experiments with rodents and great apes, including humans, so it is a phenomenon that is not exclusive to a single species, and which shows that "when an individual has an uncontrollable aversive experience (i.e., inescapable and unavoidable), a series of disorders and deficits are produced that interfere or prevent the subsequent learning of new responses" (Guerri, 2021).

Subsequent studies showed that DA does not only appear as a result of exposure to electric shocks, but also as a result of experiencing a wide variety of also uncontrollable events, both aversive and rewarding. AD is a multifaceted syndrome that includes a motivational deficit that results in fewer responses even in the presence of painful stimuli.

In addition to such a motivational deficit that would imply an inability to make responses to new stimuli due to the fact that no response has been useful to escape from the previous situation, a cognitive deficit also occurs. The latter makes it difficult for individuals to achieve success or learn new tasks even if they are different from the initial situation that produced the hopelessness or helplessness, so that this phenomenon would be generalized to any type of task.

So far my outline of the theory, and I repeat: my intention is not to offer conclusions, but to offer other points of view that allow us to rethink what is happening in our society on a large scale. Likewise, social processes are so complex that they cannot be explained using a single model.

So I hope you have read everything or almost everything and have taken away new knowledge with which to build new lines of thought. See you next time!

Créditos / Credits

Referencias bibliográficas / Bibliographic references :

1. Guerri, M. (8 de octubre 2021). La Indefensión Aprendida: el experimento de Overmier y Seligman. PsicoActiva https://www.psicoactiva.com/blog/la-indefension-aprendida-experimento-overmier-seligman/

2. Overmier, JB. (1986). Lecciones estratégicas de la desesperanza aprendida. Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología, 18 (3), 387-404. http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=80518303

Imagen de portada / Cover image:

Foto tomada con mi Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 desde Regla, en La Habana / Photo taken with my Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 from Regla, in Havana.

Traducción / Translation:

DeepL

@ 0253d293:72cd399c

Chef's notes

notes

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 3
• 🍳 Cook time: 3
• 🍽️ Servings: 3

Ingredients

• test

Directions

1. test

@ 75656740:dbc8f92a

"Who do you say that I am?"

In Matthew 16 Jesus cut to the heart of what defines identity. First he asked what other people said about him, then he asked what the disciples thought, finally he gave his own take by agreeing with the disciples. In trying to understand who someone is, we have three and only three possible sources of information.

1. Who they tell us they are.
2. Who others say about them.
3. What we observe for ourselves.

Putting these three together constitutes identity. Identity is always unique for each connection in the social graph. Who you are to me is always different than who you are to anyone else. As such identity is largely out of our direct control. We can influence others perception of ourselves by comporting ourselves in a certain way, but we cannot compel it.

With this in mind, it is imperative to build protocols that mirror this reality as closely as possible. The problem is largely one of UI. How can we simultaneously display all three aspects of identity in a clear and uncluttered way?

The default has always been to just display an individual's claim to identity. Each user gets to choose a name and an avatar. This generally works in small communities with low rates of change both in who the members are and in how they present themselves. In these cases, each user can keep a mental map of what to expect from each name and avatar. "Oh that is just keyHammer24 doing his thing." Note that even if KeyHammer24 decides to change their nickname the mental map in the other users won't change instantly, if ever.

This falls apart in larger communities, where each user cannot maintain a mental model of who is who. Impersonation and collisions become a problem, so we add some "What others say about them" information such as blue check-marks or what "what we observe for ourselves" information like pet-names in a phone contact list or a note that we follow that account.

I don't personally have a final solution for this, I only know that we should be collecting and displaying all three sources of information from the outset. Perhaps we could do something like... * Default to showing a users preferred identifiers, but switch to the avatar and handle we self-assign them on hover. * Display a percentage of confidence that we know who the person is and that they are presenting themselves as who we expect them to be. You probably aren't the Elon Musk that I expect if you recently had different names / aren't the one I follow / none of my network follows / have been reported as misleading. * Reserve check-marks for keys that each user has signed in person. Only we can be the arbiter of who gets a check-mark in our own feed. * Maintain a list of past aliases along with a "Community Notes" like description of an account brought up by clicking on a ⓘ icon. * Have a full pet-names override.

I think Nostr already have much of this built into the protocol, it just needs to be standardized into the interface of various application. This is something on which I am very interested in hearing other ideas.

A note on anonymity

Real world identities should always be preferred. It allows for building real relationships and treating each other with real world respect. The real you is far more fascinating than a curated persona. Real identities should also never be enforced at a protocol level. Some people will be in real circumstances that preclude honest engagement without threat to their safety.

If you found this engaging I also wrote about why Social Network companies have an unsolvable problem here. and why we have to design for finite reach here

@ a4a6b584:1e05b95b

Is light really a constant? In this blog post by Adam Malin we theorize about redshift caused not by expanding space, but by changes in zero point energy field over cosmic time

Audio Version

I was inspired to write this post after reading a paper written in 2010 by Barry Setterfield called Zero Point Energy and the Redshift. If you want a very deep dive into this concept, I recommend you check it out. Here is the link.

I recently read an intriguing paper that puts forth an alternative explanation for the redshift we observe from distant galaxies. This paper, published in 2010 by Barry Setterfield, proposes that redshift may be caused by changes over time in the zero point energy (ZPE) field permeating space, rather than cosmic expansion. In this post, I'll summarize the key points of this theory and how it challenges the conventional framework.

An important distinction arises between Stochastic Electrodynamics (SED) and the more mainstream Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) framework. SED models the zero point field as a real, random electromagnetic field that interacts with matter, possessing observable physical effects. In contrast, QED considers virtual particles and zero point energy as mathematical constructs that do not directly impact physical systems. The zero point energy discussed in this proposed mechanism builds upon the SED perspective of modeling the quantum vacuum as a dynamic background field that can exchange energy with matter. SED provides a means to quantitatively analyze the redshift effects hypothetically caused by changes in the zero point field over cosmic time.

The standard model of cosmology attributes redshift to the Doppler effect - light from distant galaxies is stretched to longer wavelengths due to those galaxies receding away from us as space expands. Setterfield's paper argues that the data actually better supports a model where the speed of light was higher in the early universe and has decayed over time. This would cause older light from farther galaxies to be progressively more redshifted as it travels through space and time.

Setterfield cites historical measurements of the speed of light by scientists like R.T. Birge that showed systematic decreases over time, contrary to our modern assumption of constancy. He argues that while experimental improvements have reduced uncertainties, residual trends remain even in recent high-precision measurements.

A key part of Setterfield's proposed mechanism is that the ZPE interacts with subatomic particles to give them mass and stabilize atomic orbits. As the ZPE has increased in strength over cosmic history, it has caused a contraction in electron orbits within atoms. This results in electron transitions emitting bluer light over time. Thus, looking out into space is looking back to earlier epochs with weaker ZPE and redder light.

This theory raises some thought-provoking questions. For instance, have we misinterpreted redshift as definitive evidence for an expanding universe? Might a static universe with slowing clocks account for observations we attribute to dark matter and dark energy? However, changing existing scientific paradigms is extremely challenging. Let's examine some potential counterarguments:

1. The constancy of the speed of light is a fundamental pillar of modern physics backed by extensive experimental verification. This theory would require overturning tremendous empirical support. Setterfield argues that Lorentz and others kept an open mind to variations in c early on. While unexpected, new evidence could prompt another evolution in perspective.

2. J. K. Webb et al., “Indications of a spatial variation of the fine structure constant,” Physical Review Letters, vol. 87, no. 9, p. 091301, 2001. - Evidence of spatial variations in physical constants like c from quasar measurements.

3. J. D. Barrow and J. Magueijo, “Varying-α theories and solutions to the cosmological problems,” Physics Letters B, vol. 443, no. 1-4, pp. 104–110, 1998. - Proposes varying c as an alternative cosmology to address issues with Big Bang model.

4. The current Lambda-CDM cosmological model based on general relativity matches a wide array of observations and predicts phenomena like the cosmic microwave background. But it also has issues like the need for speculative dark matter and dark energy. An alternate cosmology with varying c may provide a simpler unifying explanation.

5. P. Kroupa, “The Dark Matter Crisis: Falsification of the Current Standard Model of Cosmology,” Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 395–433, 2012. - Discusses problems with dark matter hypothesis in current cosmology.

6. S. McGaugh, “Confrontation of Modified Newtonian Dynamics Predictions with WMAP First Year Data,” The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 611, no. 1, p. 26, 2004. - Conflicts between dark matter model predictions and cosmic microwave background data.

7. S. Weinberg, “The Cosmological Constant Problem,” Reviews of Modern Physics, vol. 61, no. 1, p. 1, 1989. - Difficulties in explaining observed value of cosmological constant using quantum field theory.

8. Astrophysical observations like supernova brightness curves seem to confirm expanding space. But these interpretations assume constancy of c and other principles that this hypothesis challenges. The cosmic microwave background, for instance, could potentially be re-interpreted as a cosmological redshift of earlier light.

9. J. W. Moffat, “Variable Speed of Light Cosmology: An Alternative to Inflation,” International Journal of Modern Physics D, vol. 12, no. 07, pp. 1279–1314, 2003. - Proposes varying c cosmology compatible with relativity.

10. A. Albrecht and J. Magueijo, “A time varying speed of light as a solution to cosmological puzzles,” Physical Review D, vol. 59, no. 4, p. 043516, 1999. - Outlines how theories of quantum gravity predict c variations and preserves causality.

Read more from Adam Malin at habitus.blog.

Adam Malin

adammalin.com

You can find me on Twitter or on Nostr at

npub15jnttpymeytm80hatjqcvhhqhzrhx6gxp8pq0wn93rhnu8s9h9dsha32lx

value4value Did you find any value from this article? Click here to send me a tip!

@ a4a6b584:1e05b95b

Audio Version

The French sociologist and philosopher Jean Baudrillard offered profound critiques of modern society, technology, media and consumer culture through his work. Often associated with postmodernism and post-structuralism, Baudrillard challenged established notions of truth, reality and the power dynamics between humans and the systems they create.

In this blog post, we'll explore some of Baudrillard's most notable concepts and theories to understand his influential perspectives on the contemporary world.

Simulacra and Simulation

One of Baudrillard's most well-known works is "Simulacra and Simulation." In the book, Baudrillard argues that our society has replaced reality and meaning with symbols, images and signs that he calls “simulacra.”

He believed human experience is now a simulation of reality rather than reality itself. Unlike simple imitations or distortions of reality, simulacra have no connection to any tangible reality. They are mere representations that come to define our perception of existence.

To illustrate this concept, Baudrillard outlined three “orders” of simulacra:

• First Order: Copies or imitations that maintain a clear link to the original, like photographs.

• Second Order: Distortions of reality that mask the absence of an original, like heavily edited advertising images.

• Third Order: Simulations with no original referent that become “hyperreal,” like video game worlds.

Per Baudrillard, much of postmodern culture is made up of third-order simulacra. Media representations and simulations hold more meaning than reality, creating a “hyperreality” driven by consumerism and spectacle.

Hyperreality

Building on his theory of simulacra, Baudrillard introduced the concept of “hyperreality” to describe how representations and simulations have come to replace and blur boundaries with reality.

In hyperreality, the lines between real life and fictional worlds become seamless. Media, technology and advertising dominate our perception of reality, constructing a simulated world that appears more real and appealing than actual reality.

For example, the carefully curated lives presented on social media often appear more significant than people’s daily lived experiences. Additionally, idealized representations of reality presented in movies, TV and advertising shape our expectations in ways that real life cannot match.

According to Baudrillard, we increasingly interact with these fabricated representations and hyperreal signs over direct experiences of reality. The simulations and models come to define, mediate and construct our understanding of the world.

Consumer Society

In “The Consumer Society,” Baudrillard argues that traditional institutions like family, work and religion are losing significance to the prevailing values and rituals of consumerism.

Rather than simply meeting needs, consumption has become a defining way of life, shaping identities and social belonging. Non-essential consumer goods and experiences drive the quest for happiness, novelty and status.

Baudrillard notes that consumer society fosters a constant pressure to consume more through an endless pursuit of new products, trends and experiences. This “treadmill of consumption” fuels perpetual dissatisfaction and desire.

Additionally, he highlights how objects take on symbolic value and meaning within consumer culture. A luxury car, for example, denotes wealth and status beyond its functional utility.

Overall, Baudrillard presents a critical perspective on consumerism, showing how it has come to dominate modern society on psychological and cultural levels beyond simple economic exchange.

Symbolic Exchange

In contrast to the materialistic values of consumer society, Baudrillard proposes the concept of “symbolic exchange” based on the exchange of meanings rather than commodities.

He suggests symbolic exchange has more power than material transactions in structuring society. However, modern culture has lost touch with the traditional symbolic exchanges around fundamental existential themes like mortality.

By marginalizing death and pursuing endless progress, Baudrillard argues that society loses balance and restraint. This denial leads to excessive consumption and constant pursuit of unattainable fulfillment.

Fatal Strategies

Baudrillard’s theory of “fatal strategies” contends that various systems like technology and consumerism can take on lives of their own and turn against their creators.

Through proliferation and exaggeration, these systems exceed human control and impose their own logic and consequences. For instance, while meant to be tools serving human needs, technologies can shape behavior and exert control in unanticipated ways.

Baudrillard saw this reversal, where the object dominates the subject who created it, as an impending “fatal” danger of various systems reaching a state of autonomous excess.

This provides a cautionary perspective on modern society’s faith in perpetual progress through technology and constant economic growth.

Conclusion

Through groundbreaking theories like simulation, hyperreality and symbolic exchange, Jean Baudrillard provided deep critiques of modern society, consumer culture, media and technology. His work dismantles assumptions about reality, history and human agency vs. systemic control.

Baudrillard prompts critical reflection about the cultural, psychological and philosophical implications of postmodern society. His lasting influence encourages re-examining our relationships with consumerism, technology and media to navigate the complex intricacies of the contemporary world.

Read more from Adam Malin at habitus.blog.

Adam Malin

adammalin.com

You can find me on Twitter or on Nostr at

npub15jnttpymeytm80hatjqcvhhqhzrhx6gxp8pq0wn93rhnu8s9h9dsha32lx

value4value Did you find any value from this article? Click here to send me a tip!

@ a4a6b584:1e05b95b

A comprehensive exploration of Metamodernism, its principles and influences across art, design, music, politics, and technology. This piece delves into how Metamodernism paves the way for a future that harmonizes grand narratives and individual nuances, and how it could shape the cultural, economic, and digital landscape of the future.

Audio Version

Introduction

Welcome to the metamodern era. A time where we find ourselves caught in the flux of digital revolution, cultural shifts, and a rekindling of grand narratives, all while still

As an artist, I find myself standing at the crossroads of these cultural and technological shifts, with Metamodernism serving as my compass. I'd like to share my thoughts, experiences, and observations on what Metamodernism is, and how I believe it will shape our future.

This journey began as an exploration into the potential future of graphic design, taking cues from an evolving cultural paradigm. I quickly realized that Metamodernism was not just about creating compelling visual narratives, but it had potential to influence every aspect of our lives, from politics and technology to our individual experiences and collective narratives.

Metamodernism, in essence, is about balancing the best of what came before – the grand narratives and optimism of modernism, and the skepticism and relativism of postmodernism – while forging ahead to create a new, coherent cultural reality.

So let's embark on this journey together to understand the metamodern era and its impact on our culture, our technology, and our art. Let's delve into Metamodernism.

Understanding Postmodernism and Metamodernism

To appreciate the metamodern, we must first unpack the concept of postmodernism. Rooted in skepticism, postmodernism came into being as a reaction to modernism’s perceived failures. Where modernism sought universality, believing in grand narratives and objective truths, postmodernism reveled in fragmentation and the subjective nature of reality. It questioned our institutions, our ideologies, and our grand narratives, challenging the very structure upon which our society was built.

However, as we moved deeper into the postmodern era, a palpable sense of fatigue began to set in. The endless questioning, the constant fragmentation, and the cynical deconstruction of everything began to take a toll. While postmodernism provided valuable insights into the limitations of modernist thinking, it also left us feeling disconnected and adrift in a sea of relativism and irony.

This is where Metamodernism steps in. As the cultural pendulum swings back from the fragmentation of postmodernism, it does not return us to the naive grand narratives of modernism. Instead, Metamodernism synthesizes these seemingly contradictory ideologies, embracing both the skepticism of the postmodern and the optimism of the modern.

In essence, Metamodernism is a search for meaning and unity that still acknowledges and respects the complexity of individual experience. It recognizes the value in both grand narratives and personal stories, aspiring to create a more cohesive cultural discourse.

The metamodern era is a new dawn that challenges us to be both skeptical and hopeful, to engage in dialogue and debate, and to harness the opportunities that lie ahead. It's not about choosing between the grand narrative and the individual, but rather finding a way to harmoniously integrate both.

Metamodernism in Politics

In recent years, we've seen political movements around the world that embody the elements of Metamodernism. On one hand, there's a call for a return to grand narratives and nostalgia for perceived better times, while on the other, there's a desire to dissolve hierarchical structures and traditional norms in favor of individual freedom and recognition.

A case in point is the political era marked by the rise of Donald Trump in the United States. Trump's slogan, "Make America Great Again," was a nod to the modernist ideal of a grand narrative - a return to American exceptionalism. It was an appeal to a past time when things were, as perceived by some, better.

Meanwhile, reactions on the left have taken a different trajectory. Movements to decentralize power, break down traditional norms, and encourage more individual subjectivity echoing postmodern sentiments.

Metamodernism enables us to interpret these political movements from a fresh perspective. It does not discard the grand narrative nor does it plunge into fragmentation. Instead, it presents a narrative of balance and synthesis, oscillating between the modernist and postmodernist perspectives, and offering a way forward that is nuanced, respectful of individual experiences, and yet oriented toward a shared goal for the culture and people.

In the realm of politics, the metamodern era isn't about swinging to one extreme or another. Instead, it suggests a way to reconcile the polarity and move forward, synthesizing the best of both perspectives into a more nuanced, inclusive future. This is the metamodern political landscape, complex and dynamic, where grand narratives and individual stories coexist and inform one another.

The Metamodernist Canvas in Graphic Design

Now, let's look at the impact of Metamodernism on graphic design, a realm where I live and breathe every day. Here, Metamodernism offers a fresh perspective, providing a way to express the complexity of the world we live in and creating a narrative that is both universal and individual.

Traditional graphic design was about simplicity and clarity. It was built on the modernist principles of functionalism and minimalism, where form follows function. Postmodern design, however, sought to question these principles, embracing complexity, contradiction, and the power of the image.

As a graphic designer in the metamodern era, I find myself torn between these two extremes. On one hand, I appreciate the clarity and simplicity of modernist design. On the other, I am captivated by the dynamism and complexity of postmodern aesthetics.

The solution, I believe, lies in the synthesis offered by Metamodernism. Metamodernist design does not reject the past, but rather builds on it. It blends the simplicity of modern design with the vibrancy of postmodern aesthetics, creating something that is both familiar and fresh.

The Metamodernist canvas is a space where contrasting ideas can coexist and inform each other. It is a space where the universal and the individual intersect, creating narratives that resonate on multiple levels. It is a space where design can play a role in building a more cohesive and well integrated society.

The challenge for designers in the metamodern era is to create designs that reflect this complexity and nuance, designs that speak to both the individual and the collective, designs that challenge, inspire, and unite. It's a tall order, but it's a challenge that, as designers, we are ready and excited to embrace.

Liminal Spaces and the Visual Language of Metamodernism

A pivotal concept within the Metamodernist philosophy is that of the "liminal space" - an in-between space, where transformation occurs. These spaces, often associated with uncertainty, dislocation, and transition, have become particularly poignant in recent times as we grappled with the global impact of COVID-19.

Within this context, we've all had a shared experience of liminality. Offices, parks, and public spaces - once bustling with activity - suddenly became eerily quiet and deserted. These images have since been ingrained in our collective memory, symbolizing a profound shift in our way of life.

From a visual perspective, these liminal spaces offer a unique canvas to create Metamodernist narratives. Picture a 3D render of an empty office space, serving as a backdrop for a fusion of past and future aesthetics, where classical works of art - subtly altered - coexist with modern elements. Consider the emotional impact of a low-resolution Mona Lisa or a melting clock a la Salvador Dalí set against the familiar concrete reality of the modern workspace.

This use of liminal space is not just a stylistic choice. It's a nod to our shared experiences, an acknowledgment of the transitions we are going through as a society. It's a way of showing that while we live in an era of immense change and uncertainty, we are also capable of creating new narratives, of finding beauty in the unfamiliar, and of moving forward together.

The challenge in Metamodernist design is to create a visual language that resonates with our collective experiences, that brings together the past and the future, the familiar and the strange, and that stimulates thought, dialogue, and connection. And that, I believe, is where the true power of Metamodernist design lies.

Metamodernism in Art, Music, and Memes

Just as in politics and graphic design, Metamodernism manifests itself in various facets of culture, from art and music to internet memes. This wide-ranging influence attests to the universality of Metamodernist thinking and its ability to encompass and unify diverse aspects of human experience.

In visual arts, consider Banksy's elusive street art, which often blends irony and sincerity, public space and private sentiment, modern graffiti techniques and traditional painting styles. In music, take the example of Kanye West's album "Jesus is King," which fuses gospel traditions with hip-hop sensibilities, blurring the line between secular and religious, the mainstream and the fringe.

Meanwhile, the internet meme culture, characterized by its oscillation between irony and sincerity, absurdity and poignancy, chaos and order, is perhaps one of the most profound expressions of Metamodernism. Memes like "This is fine," a dog calmly sitting in a burning room, epitomize the Metamodernist spirit by acknowledging the complexities and contradictions of modern life while also seeking to find humor and connection within them.

Even the trend of remixing adult rap with kids shows can be seen as Metamodernist. It juxtaposes the mature themes of rap music with the innocence of children's entertainment, resulting in a work that is both familiar and disorienting, humorous and thought-provoking.

In all these instances, Metamodernist works draw from the past and present, high culture and popular culture, the sacred and the profane, to create experiences that are multilayered, dynamic, and rich in meaning. They acknowledge the complexity and diversity of human experience, yet also aspire to forge connections, provoke thought, and inspire change.

The Rise of Bitcoin and Metamodernist Economics

The rise of Bitcoin - the world's first decentralized digital currency - is a prime example of Metamodernist influence in economics. Bitcoin incorporates elements from both modernist and postmodernist economic theories, yet transcends them by creating a novel economic system that has never been seen before.

On one hand, Bitcoin harks back to the modernist ideal of hard money. It revives the principles of scarcity and predictability that underpinned the gold standard, a system that many believe led to stable, prosperous economies. On the other hand, Bitcoin's design is rooted in postmodern principles of decentralization and disintermediation, disrupting traditional economic hierarchies and structures.

But Bitcoin isn't just a fusion of modern and postmodern economics. It goes a step further by incorporating elements of Metamodernist thinking. Bitcoin's design encourages a sincere, cooperative approach to economic interaction. Its transparent, tamper-proof ledger (blockchain) promotes trust and collaboration, discourages deceit, and enables all participants, no matter how big or small, to verify transactions independently.

Moreover, Bitcoin is a grand narrative in itself - a vision of a world where economic power is not concentrated in the hands of a few, but distributed among many. At the same time, it acknowledges the individuality and diversity of its participants. Each Bitcoin user has a unique address and can transact freely with anyone in the world, without the need for a middleman.

Bitcoin's rise offers a glimpse into what a Metamodernist economic system might look like - one that combines the best aspects of modern and postmodern economics, while also adding a new layer of trust, cooperation, and individual freedom.

The Impact of Urbit and Metamodernist Computing

Urbit symbolizes a compelling manifestation of Metamodernist ideology within the realm of technology. This unique operating system revolutionizes the individual's interaction with the digital world, intrinsically mirroring the principles of Metamodernism.

In contrast to the postmodern complexities that plague the current internet – a web characterized by surveillance capitalism, privacy invasion, and data centralization – Urbit leans towards a modernist vision. It champions the idea of the internet as a streamlined, intuitive tool, but concurrently it envisions something unprecedented: a digital landscape where each user not only owns but is also the infrastructure of their digital identity and data.

The design philosophy of Urbit embodies a characteristic Metamodernist oscillation, as it traverses between elements of the past and the future, the familiar and the uncharted. It embraces the modernist simplicity reminiscent of early computing while concurrently advancing a futuristic concept of a personal server for every individual, in which they possess full sovereignty over their digital existence.

Urbit’s operating system and its unique programming language, Nock and Hoon, employ a Kelvin versioning system. This system is designed to decrement towards zero instead of incrementing upwards, epitomizing the modernist pursuit of perfection and simplicity. Once the protocol reaches zero, it signifies that an ideal state has been achieved, and no further changes will be required. This, in essence, represents the modernist grand narrative embedded within Urbit's design.

In the wider narrative of Metamodernism, Urbit symbolizes a decentralized, user-centric digital future. It recognizes the individuality of each user and emphasizes their control over their digital persona and interactions.

The promise of a completely decentralized internet is a vision still in progress. Regardless, it offers crucial insights into how Metamodernist principles could potentially shape our digital future. It paints a picture of an equilibrium between grand narratives and individual nuances, encapsulating a collective digital aspiration, as well as personal digital realities.

Moving Towards a Metamodernist Future

The common thread running through the Metamodernist era is the simultaneous embrace of grand narratives and personal experiences, the oscillation between modernist and postmodernist ideals, and the sincere pursuit of a better future.

However, moving towards a Metamodernist future is not without challenges. The danger lies in taking Metamodernist principles to an extreme, where the balance between irony and sincerity, grand narratives and individual nuances, can be lost. It's vital to avoid the pitfalls of dogmatism and extremism that plagued previous cultural eras.

For instance, an overemphasis on grand narratives can lead to totalitarian tendencies, while an excessive focus on individual nuances can result in cultural fragmentation. Metamodernism's strength lies in its ability to reconcile these extremes, fostering a sense of shared purpose while acknowledging individual experiences and perspectives.

Similarly, the interplay of irony and sincerity, often seen in Metamodernist works, should not tip over into either pure cynicism or naive earnestness. The goal should be to create a dialectic, a conversation, a fusion that creates a new, more complex understanding.

As we move towards this future, we can use the tools at our disposal – from graphic design and art, to music, memes, Bitcoin, and Urbit – to explore and shape this Metamodernist narrative. By consciously adopting Metamodernist principles, we can construct a culture that is at once reflective of our individual experiences and representative of our collective aspirations. In doing so, we can pave the way for a future that truly encapsulates the complexity, diversity, and richness of the human experience.

A Future Infused with Metamodernism

Metamodernism offers a comprehensive cultural lens through which we can understand, critique, and navigate our world. It provides a potential pathway to a future where our grand collective narratives coexist harmoniously with our nuanced individual experiences.

In the creative world, artists and designers can become the torchbearers of this movement, integrating Metamodernist principles into their work. They can leverage the power of nostalgia, sincerity, irony, and innovation to create works that resonate with the complexities of the human condition, reflecting both shared experiences and personal journeys.

In the world of technology and economics, Metamodernist principles illuminate the path to a more decentralized, user-centric digital future, as embodied by Bitcoin and Urbit. These platforms highlight the value of individual autonomy within a collective system, creating a new narrative of economic and digital empowerment.

In the political realm, Metamodernism can help create a dialogue that is both encompassing and respectful of diverse perspectives. It advocates for a new kind of political discourse that eschews extreme polarization in favor of a nuanced conversation that acknowledges the complexities of our world.

In essence, the potential of Metamodernism lies in its capacity to weave a compelling tapestry of our collective human experience – one that is vibrant, complex, and teeming with diverse narratives. By understanding and embracing the principles of Metamodernism, we can co-create a future that truly reflects the dynamic interplay of our shared narratives and individual nuances.

In this promising future, we can all become active participants in the Metamodernist narrative, shaping a world that values both the grandeur of our collective dreams and the authenticity of our individual experiences. The future is not just something we move towards; it is something we actively create. And Metamodernism provides a powerful blueprint for this creation.

Read more from Adam Malin at habitus.blog.

Adam Malin

adammalin.com

You can find me on Twitter or on Nostr at

npub15jnttpymeytm80hatjqcvhhqhzrhx6gxp8pq0wn93rhnu8s9h9dsha32lx

value4value Did you find any value from this article? Click here to send me a tip!

@ 58537364:705b4b85

พระอาจารย์ไพศาล วิสาโล วัดป่าสุคะโต แสดงธรรมเย็นวันที่ 28 กันยายน 2565

ที่ประเทศจีนเมื่อสัก 100 - 200 ปีก่อน ชายคนหนึ่งตาบอด แต่ก็สามารถใช้ชีวิตได้ตามปกติ วันหนึ่งก็เดินไปเยี่ยมเพื่อน ซึ่งอยู่ในเมืองเดียวกัน แต่ก็เดินไกลสักหน่อย แล้วชายตาบอดคนนี้ก็เดินได้โดยที่ไม่ต้องใช้ไม้เท้า ถึงบ้านเพื่อนก็สนทนากับเพื่อนหลายเรื่องหลายราว คุยกันถูกคอ จนกระทั่งค่ำ ก็ได้เวลาที่ชายตาบอดจะกลับบ้าน แต่ก่อนที่แกจะเดินออกจากบ้าน เพื่อนก็ยื่นโคมให้ โคมนี่เป็นคนที่จุดไฟให้แสงสว่างในเวลากลางคืน

ชายตาบอดก็บอกว่าฉันไม่ต้องใช้โคมหรอก เดินได้โดยที่ไม่เห็นอะไร ไม่ต้องใช้แสงสว่างก็เดินได้ ทางเส้นนี้ฉันก็คุ้นแล้ว เพื่อนก็บอกว่าที่ให้โคมนี่ ก็เพื่อเวลาคุณเดินกลับบ้านตามตรอกซอกซอย มันจะได้ให้แสงสว่าง คนที่เขาเดินสวนคุณมา เขาเห็นทาง เขาก็จะได้ไม่เดินชนคุณไงล่ะ เหตุผลนี้ก็ทำให้ชายตาบอดถือโคมกลับบ้าน ทั้งๆ ที่ตัวเองไม่จำเป็นต้องใช้โคมนั้นเลย

ระหว่างที่เดินกลับบ้านก็มีคนหลายคนเดินสวน เพราะมันเป็นตรอกซอกซอยที่มีคนเดินผ่านไปผ่านมาอยู่ แต่ว่าพอเดินมาพักหนึ่ง ปรากฏว่ามีผู้ชายคนหนึ่งเดินชนชายตาบอดอย่างแรงเลย จนล้มเลย ชายตาบอดก็โกรธมาก ก็พูดขึ้นมาว่าแกตาบอดหรือไง แกไม่เห็นหรือโคมที่ฉันถือนี่ ชายคนที่เดินชนชายตาบอดก็บอกว่าขอโทษครับ ขอโทษจริงๆ แต่โคมที่พี่จุดนี่มันดับไปนานแล้วนะ เรื่องก็จบเท่านี้นะ ฟังแล้วเราได้แง่คิดอะไรไหม

เรื่องนี้อาจจะเป็นนิทานนะ แต่มันไม่ใช่นิทานประเภทว่าสอน บอกเราในตอนท้ายว่านิทานเรื่องนี้สอนอะไร แต่ว่ามันจบลงโดยให้เราคิดเอง ฟังเรื่องนี้แล้วเราได้แง่คิดอะไร

แง่คิดอย่างหนึ่งก็คือว่าในการดำเนินชีวิตของคนเรา เราควรจะคิดถึงคนอื่นด้วย ของบางอย่างเราไม่จำเป็น แต่ว่ามันมีประโยชน์กับคนอื่น ถ้าเรานึกถึงคนอื่น มันก็ไม่ใช่ประโยชน์กับคนอื่นอย่างเดียว มันเป็นประโยชน์กับเราด้วย อย่างชายตาบอด เขาไม่จำเป็นต้องใช้โคมเลย ในการเดินกลับบ้านยามค่ำคืน แต่เพื่อนคะยั้นคะยอให้ถือโคมเพื่ออะไร ก็เพื่อประโยชน์ของคนอื่นที่เขาตาดี แล้วเขาต้องใช้แสงสว่างในการเดินสัญจร

การที่ชายตาบอดถือโคม ไม่ได้เพื่อประโยชน์ของตัวเอง แต่เพื่อประโยชน์ของคนอื่น แต่สุดท้ายมันก็เป็นประโยชน์กับตัวเอง เพราะถ้าหากว่าคนที่เขาเดินสวนมา เขาเห็นชายตาบอดถือโคม เขาก็ไม่เดินชน ฉะนั้นทีแรกชายตาบอดก็เดินได้สะดวกสบาย ไม่มีใครชน ก็เพราะว่าคนอื่นเขาเห็นแสงสว่างจากโคมนั้น

อันนี้เขาสอนว่าคนเราควรจะนึกถึงผู้อื่น ของบางอย่างแม้เราไม่จำเป็น แต่ว่ามันเป็นประโยชน์กับผู้อื่นก็ควรทำ หรือบางอย่างอาจจะไม่สะดวกกับเรา แต่ว่ามันช่วยคนอื่นได้ อย่างเช่นการถือโคม มันคงไม่สะดวกสบายเท่ากับเดินตัวเปล่า แต่ว่าเมื่อเดินถือโคมแล้ว มันก็เป็นประโยชน์กับคนที่เดินสวนมาด้วย แต่สุดท้ายมันก็กลับมาเป็นประโยชน์กับชายตาบอดนั่นเอง อย่างที่พูดไปแล้ว ไม่มีใครมาเดินชน

ในชีวิตของคนเรา เราควรจะคิดถึงคนอื่น ฉะนั้นการที่สังคมหรือบ้านเมืองมันน่าอยู่ ก็เพราะผู้คนไม่ได้คิดถึงแต่ตัวเองอย่างเดียว การกระทำบางอย่าง เราทำเพื่อประโยชน์ของส่วนรวม เพื่อผู้อื่น ยกตัวอย่างง่ายๆ เวลาเรากินอะไร มันมีขยะอยู่ในมือ จะเป็นถุงพลาสติก จะเป็นนมกล่อง หรือจะเป็นขวด ขวดน้ำที่กลายเป็นขยะเรียบร้อยแล้ว ทำไมเราควรจะถือขยะนั้นไว้กับตัว จนกว่าจะเห็นถังขยะจึงหย่อนลงถังขยะ

ที่จริงถ้าเรานึกถึงแต่ตัวเอง เราก็แค่โยนมันทิ้งขยะนั้นข้างทาง สบายดีนะ หลายคนก็ทำอย่างนั้น คนเราถ้าคิดถึงแต่ตัวเอง เราไม่เก็บมันไว้กับตัว แล้วก็รอจนกว่าจะเดินเห็นถังขยะ แต่คนจำนวนมากเขาก็เก็บขยะเอาไว้ เพื่อที่จะไปทิ้งลงในถังขยะ

อันนี้เพราะอะไร เพราะนึกถึงผู้อื่น นึกถึงคนที่เก็บขยะบ้าง หรือนึกถึงสังคมส่วนรวม ว่าถ้าเราทิ้งขยะไม่เป็นที่ มันก็จะเลอะเทอะ ไม่น่าดู บางคนก็คิดถึงพนักงานเก็บขยะ หรือคิดถึงพนักงานทำความสะอาด ก็เลยช่วยเขาด้วยการทิ้งขยะเป็นที่ ทั้งที่ถ้าทิ้งข้างทาง กินเสร็จ ดื่มน้ำเสร็จ ดูดนมกล่องเสร็จ ทิ้งไปเลยนี่มันสบายกว่า แต่เป็นเพราะเราคิดถึงคนอื่น เราจึงเอาไปทิ้งเป็นที่

หรือการปิดไฟ บางทีเราก็เห็นไฟเปิดอยู่ที่ห้องน้ำ หรือที่ห้องที่โล่ง เราก็อุตส่าห์เดินไป แทนที่เราจะกลับบ้านเลย เราก็เดินไปที่ห้องน้ำเพื่อที่จะปิดสวิตช์ไฟ เรายอมเสียเวลาเพื่ออะไร ก็เพื่อส่วนรวม หรืออาจจะเป็นเพราะว่าเราอยากจะช่วยพนักงานที่เขาดูแลสถานที่นั้น ไม่ต้องเหนื่อยกับการวิ่งการเดินตามปิดไฟ ที่วัดเราเป็นระเบียบ ก็เพราะผู้คนจำนวนมากคิดถึงผู้อื่นด้วย ไม่ได้คิดถึงแต่ตัวเอง และสุดท้ายมันก็เป็นประโยชน์กับตัวเรา เพราะว่าพอสถานที่มันสะอาดหมดจด มันก็สบายหูสบายตา น่าอยู่

แต่ว่านิทานเรื่องนี้เขาสอนมากกว่านั้น ในการดำเนินชีวิตประจำวัน เราควรจะคิดถึงผู้อื่น มองไปที่ประโยชน์ของคนอื่นก่อนตัวเอง แต่เวลามีปัญหาขึ้นมา ก่อนที่จะไปโทษคนอื่น ต้องกลับมามองที่ตัวเองก่อน ไม่เหมือนกันนะ ยามปกติเรามองไปที่คนอื่นก่อน นึกถึงประโยชน์ของคนอื่นก่อน ประโยชน์ของตัวเองเอาไว้ทีหลัง แต่ว่าเวลามีปัญหา เราควรมองที่ตัวเองก่อนที่จะไปโทษคนอื่น

อย่างชายตาบอดนี่ พอมีคนมาชน แกก็ว่าชายคนนั้นเลยทีเดียว ว่าตาบอดหรือไง มาชนเขา แต่เขาไม่รู้ว่าที่เขาถูกชน เป็นเพราะว่าโคมของเขามันดับไปแล้ว ชายคนนั้นก็เลยมองไม่เห็น แต่ชายตาบอดจะรู้ได้อย่างไร ว่าโคมของตัวเองนี่ดับไปแล้ว อันนี้เหมือนกับสอนเป็นนัยว่าคนที่โทษคนอื่น แทนที่จะมองมาที่ตัวเอง จะว่าไปก็เหมือนกับคนตาบอด คือมองไม่เห็นความบกพร่อง ความผิดพลาดของตัวเอง อันนี้ก็รวมถึงคนตาดีด้วยนะ คนตาดีถ้าเกิดปัญหาขึ้นมาแล้ว ไปโทษคนอื่น แต่มองไม่เห็นความบกพร่อง ความผิดพลาดของตัวเอง ก็ไม่ต่างจากคนตาบอดเหมือนกัน

อันนี้ก็เป็นข้อคิดที่ดีมากเลย ในยามปกติเราควรนึกถึงผู้อื่น มองไปที่คนอื่นก่อน แต่เวลามีปัญหาควรจะกลับมามองที่ตัวเอง ก่อนที่จะไปโทษคนอื่น อันนี้จะเรียกว่าเป็นวิสัยของนักปฏิบัติธรรมก็ได้ จะเรียกว่าเป็นวิสัยของผู้ใฝ่ธรรม ซึ่งต่างจากวิสัยของชาวโลกทั่วๆ ไป ชาวโลกทั่วไปเขามองตัวเองก่อน เขามองถึงประโยชน์ตัวเองก่อน คิดถึงตัวเองก่อน ส่วนคนอื่น ประโยชน์ของคนอื่นเอาไว้ทีหลัง แต่เวลามีปัญหาขึ้นมา ก็โทษคนอื่นก่อนเลย แทนที่จะกลับมามองที่ตัวเอง

บ่อยครั้งเวลางานมีปัญหา เราจะเห็นคนก็จะไปโทษคนโน้นคนนี้ ว่าเป็นเหตุทำให้งานมีปัญหา ทำให้งานตัวเองมีปัญหา เจ้านายไม่ดี เพื่อนร่วมงานไม่ได้เรื่อง บางทีก็โทษดินฟ้าอากาศ แต่ว่าสิ่งที่ไม่ได้มองคือความผิดพลาดของตัวเอง เวลานัดเพื่อน เพื่อนไม่มาตามนัดตามเวลา ก็โกรธเพื่อน พอเจอเพื่อนก็ไปด่าเพื่อนเลย ว่าทำไมนัด 4 โมงเย็น ทำไมไม่มา อุตส่าห์รอ

เพื่อนบอกอ้าวจะไปรู้เหรอ นึกว่านัด 4 โมงเช้า ผมก็อุตส่าห์ไปรอตั้งแต่ 4 โมงเช้า คือ 10 โมง ปรากฏว่าคนนัดบอกเวลาไม่ละเอียด แทนที่จะบอก 4 โมงเย็น ก็ไปพูดว่า 4 โมง เพื่อนก็เลยนึกว่า 4 โมงเช้า เป็นความผิดพลาดของคนนัดแท้ๆ แต่ว่าก็ไปด่าเพื่อนเสียแล้ว ตัวเองพูดไม่ละเอียด ก็ไปโทษเพื่อน ว่าเพื่อนไม่รับผิดชอบ เพื่อนไม่เอาใจใส่

อันนี้เรียกว่าไปโทษคนอื่นก่อนที่จะมามองที่ตัวเอง ถ้าจะให้ดีก็ควรจะถามเขาก่อนว่าทำไมถึงไม่มาตามนัด พอรู้คำอธิบายของเพื่อน ก็อาจจะพบว่าเป็นเพราะเราผิดเองนะ เราพูดไม่รัดกุมเพียงพอ ที่จริงมันไม่ใช่เฉพาะเวลามีความผิดพลาด หรือเวลามีปัญหาในงานการ เวลามีความทุกข์ก็เหมือนกัน เวลามีความทุกข์ก่อนที่จะไปโทษใคร ต้องกลับมามองที่ตัวเองก่อน แต่คนส่วนใหญ่เวลามีความทุกข์ ไปโทษข้างนอก ไปโทษเสียงดังจากข้างนอก ไปโทษการกระทำของคนนั้นคนนี้ แต่ลืมหรือไม่ได้กลับมามองที่ตัวเอง ว่าเป็นที่เราหรือเปล่า

เวลามีความทุกข์ใจ สาเหตุหลักๆ มันล้วนแล้วแต่อยู่ที่ตัวเองทั้งนั้นแหละ ไม่ได้อยู่ที่คนอื่น ทุกข์กายอาจจะเป็นเพราะของแหลมมาแทง อาจจะเป็นเพราะเชื้อโรค เพราะอาหารเป็นพิษ หรือเพราะมีคนมาทำร้าย แต่ถ้าทุกข์ใจแล้วนี่ มันน่าจะเกิดจากตัวเอง หรือใจของตัวเองเป็นหลักเลยทีเดียว

เมื่อสัก 40 กว่าปีก่อน หลวงพ่อชาท่านได้รับนิมนต์ให้มาแสดงธรรมที่ประเทศอังกฤษ ตอนนั้นท่านก็มากับลูกศิษย์ที่เป็นพระฝรั่ง เช่นหลวงพ่อสุเมโธ ซึ่งตอนนั้นยังไม่ได้สร้างวัดอมราวดีที่อังกฤษ เจ้าภาพก็ให้หลวงพ่อชากับลูกศิษย์พักที่วิหารกลางกรุงลอนดอน ย่านนั้นมีสถานบันเทิง เช่น ผับ บาร์ กลางคืนก็จะมีเสียงดนตรี

สมัยนั้นดิสโก้ก็เริ่มเป็นที่นิยมแล้ว เพราะฉะนั้นเสียงดังก็จะกระหึ่มเลยตอนกลางคืน มาถึงวิหารแฮมสเตทที่หลวงพ่อชาและลูกศิษย์พัก ซึ่งก็พอดีเป็นช่วงที่ท่านพาคนนั่งสมาธิ พระและโยมหลายคนนั่งสมาธิไม่เป็นสุขเลย เพราะเสียงดนตรีมันดัง

แต่หลวงพ่อชาท่านนั่งสมาธิอย่างสงบ เหมือนกับไม่ได้ยินอะไรเลย จนกระทั่งนั่งสมาธิเสร็จ ก็มีโยมซึ่งเป็นฝรั่ง เป็นเจ้าภาพ ก็มาหาท่านแล้วก็บอกขอโทษ ที่เสียดนตรีรบกวนการนั่งสมาธิ หลวงพ่อชาท่านฟังแล้วก็ยิ้ม แล้วท่านก็พูดว่าโยมอย่าไปคิดว่าเสียงดนตรีรบกวนเรา ที่จริงเราต่างหากที่ไปรบกวนเสียงดนตรี

บางคนฟังแล้วก็งงนะ แต่ที่จริงที่ท่านพูดนี่มันเป็นสัจธรรมเลยนะ ที่คนมีความทุกข์ หงุดหงิด เมื่อเสียงมากระทบหู มันไม่ใช่เพราะเสียง แต่เป็นเพราะใจมันไปทะเลาะกับเสียงนั้น ใจมันไปต่อสู้ ไปทะเลาะเบาะแว้งกับเสียงนั้น มันไปผลักไสเสียงนั้น ถ้าเพียงแต่ยอมรับเสียงนั้น มันก็ไม่หงุดหงิด แต่พอใจมันทะเลาะกับเสียง เพราะว่ามีความรู้สึกเป็นลบต่อเสียงนั้น ว่าเป็นเสียงดัง เสียงรบกวน พอใจรู้สึกเป็นลบ มันหงุดหงิดขึ้นมาเลย ความหงุดหงิดจนนั่งสมาธิไม่เป็นสุข เป็นเพราะใจของคนฟัง ที่วางใจไม่ถูกต้องต่อเสียง ถ้าหากว่าเพียงแต่รู้สึกเป็นกลางๆ มันก็ไม่ทุกข์

มีนักปฏิบัติธรรมคนหนึ่ง แกก็มาปฏิบัติอยู่ที่สำนักหรือวัดแห่งหนึ่ง ก็ค้างคืนอยู่ประมาณ 2-3 คืน คืนแรกเลย พักเสร็จตื่นเช้าขึ้นมา เจ้าอาวาสก็ถามว่า เป็นยังไง หลับดีไหม ชายคนนั้นก็บอกว่าหลับไม่ค่อยดี โดยเฉพาะช่วงแรกๆ เพราะว่าเสียงห่านมันดัง

เสียงห่านมันดัง ตอนกลางคืนนอนไม่ค่อยหลับเลยช่วงแรก แต่ว่านึกขึ้นมาได้ว่าตัวเองพกโทรศัพท์มือถือมา แล้วในโทรศัพท์มือถือก็มีการอัดเทปคำบรรยายธรรมะของครูบาอาจารย์หลายท่าน ก็เลยเอาหูฟังใส่ไว้ในหู แล้วก็ฟัง เปิดเทปธรรมะ เปิดคำบรรยายของครูบาอาจารย์ จนกระทั่งหลับได้ กระทั่งเช้าก็เป็นอันว่าได้พัก ได้หลับดีหน่อยช่วงครึ่งหลัง

สิ่งที่น่าสนใจคือว่า ระหว่างเสียงห่านกับเสียงบรรยาย อะไรดังกว่ากัน ชายคนนั้นบอกว่าหลับไม่ได้ เพราะว่าเสียงห่านมันดัง แต่เสียงบรรยายที่ฟังมันไม่ดังหรือ ที่จริงมันดังกว่าเสียงห่าน เพราะว่าเอาหูฟังใส่เข้าไปในรูหู อย่างไรมันดังกว่าเสียงห่านอยู่แล้วล่ะ แต่ทำไมหลับ ก็เพราะใจมันยอมรับเสียงบรรยายธรรมะ หรือว่ารู้สึกดีกับเสียงนั้น ขณะที่เสียงห่านนี่ ใจมองว่าเป็นเสียงรบกวน การที่ใจไปตีค่าว่าเสียงห่านเป็นเสียงรบกวน ก็ทำให้เกิดอาการต่อสู้ผลักไสกับเสียงนั้น

เหมือนอย่างที่หลวงพ่อชาท่านว่าไปทะเลาะกับเสียง ส่วนเสียงบรรยายธรรมะที่ฟังทางโทรศัพท์มือถือ ใจมันยอมรับ ใจมันรู้สึกเป็นบวก เลยไม่รู้สึกว่าดัง ทั้งที่ถ้าพูดถึงเดซิเบลแล้ว มันดังกว่าเสียงห่านอยู่แล้วแต่ก็เป็นอันหลับได้ ฉะนั้นที่หลับไม่ได้ ไม่ใช่เพราะเสียงดัง ไม่ใช่เพราะเสียงห่าน แต่เพราะใจมันไปทะเลาะกับเสียงห่าน ในขณะที่เสียงบรรยายใจไม่ได้ทะเลาะ ใจไปเคลิ้มคล้อยกับเสียงบรรยายธรรมเลยหลับ

นี่เป็นตัวอย่างง่ายๆ ในชีวิตของคนเรา เวลามีความทุกข์ ทุกข์ใจ เรามักโทษข้างนอก โทษเสียงดนตรี โทษเสียงห่าน โทษคนนั้นคนนี้ แต่นั่นเป็นเพราะเราไม่ได้กลับมาดูใจของเรา ไม่ได้กลับมาสังเกตปฎิกริยาของใจเรา ฉะนั้นถ้าเรากลับมาสังเกต ก็จะพบว่ามันเป็นเพราะใจของเราต่างหาก ที่เป็นตัวการทำให้เกิดทุกข์

ฉะนั้นถ้าเกิดว่าเรามีทุกข์ หรือมีปัญหาขึ้นมาในใจ แล้วเราไปมองออกนอกตัว ไม่กลับมามองที่ตัว ก็ไม่ต่างจากชายตาบอด ที่ไปต่อว่าคนที่มาชนตัวเอง ทั้งที่โคมที่ตัวเองถือ ไฟมันดับไปนานแล้ว แต่มองไม่เห็น วิถีธรรมกับวิถีโลกมันต่างกัน วิถีโลก มีปัญหาอะไรก็โทษคนอื่น แต่เวลาสบายก็คิดถึงแต่ตัวเอง ส่วนวิถีธรรม เวลาสบายๆ เวลาปกติก็นึกถึงคนอื่น แต่เวลามีปัญหาก็กลับมองที่ตัวเองก่อน

แล้วที่จริงถ้าเราดู มันสะท้อนให้เห็นว่า วิถีโลกเขาเน้นในเรื่องการเปลี่ยนแปลง จัดการกับภายนอก แต่ว่าวิถีธรรมหรือวิถีของผู้ใฝ่ธรรม จะเน้นที่การเปลี่ยนแปลงที่ตัวเอง โดยเฉพาะการปรับเปลี่ยนใจของตัว เวลามีความทุกข์ก็ลองปรับเปลี่ยนใจ

เหมือนมีผู้ชายคนหนึ่งที่เขานั่งสมาธิทุกเช้าเป็นประจำ แล้วเขาก็นั่งได้ดีด้วย แต่วันหนึ่งปรากฏว่าพอนั่งไปได้สักครู่หนึ่ง ก็มีเสียงค้อนดัง ทีแรกก็เสียงค้อน ตอนหลังก็เสียงเลื่อยยนต์ เพราะมีการก่อสร้างใกล้ๆ ตอนที่เสียงค้อน เสียงเลื่อยยนต์มากระทบหู ใจนี่ก็กระเพื่อมเลย แต่เขามีสติเห็น สติรู้ทัน พอมีสติรู้ทัน ใจก็สงบ แต่พอเผลอ ใจก็กระเพื่อม ทุกครั้งที่เสียงเลื่อยยนต์ดังกระทบหู แล้วมันก็สงบลงพอมีสติรู้ทัน เป็นอย่างนี้พักหนึ่ง

เขาก็เลยลองไปพิจารณาที่เสียงเลื่อยยนต์ พอพิจารณาไปก็สังเกตว่าบางครั้งมันก็กระชากกระชั้น บางครั้งมันก็ลากยาว บางครั้งเสียงสูง บางครั้งเสียงต่ำ บางครั้งเสียงดัง บางครั้งเสียงเบา ดูๆไปแล้วมันเหมือนกับเสียงเพลงเลยนะ เพลงประเภท heavy metal พอทันทีที่มองว่ามันเป็นเสียงเพลง ใจก็สงบเลย สงบประเภทที่ว่าเพลินเลย

ที่จริงเพลินก็ไม่ดี แต่เขาก็อดฉุกคิดไม่ได้ เอ๊ะ เมื่อกี้ใจยังกระเพื่อมขึ้นกระเพื่อมลง แถมมีความหงุดหงิดด้วย ตอนนี้ทำไมใจมันสงบ มีบางช่วงเสียงเลื่อยยนต์มันหายไป เขาอยากให้เสียงมันดังกลับมาใหม่ เขาก็เลยแปลกใจ ทีแรกเราอยากให้เสียงมันดับไปหายไป แต่ทำไมตอนนี้อยากให้เสียงมันดังใหม่ เสียงมันก็ยังดังเหมือนเดิม แต่ทำไมความรู้สึกเปลี่ยนไป

ที่ความรู้สึกเปลี่ยนไปเพราะอะไร เพราะว่าไม่ได้มองว่ามันเป็นเสียงดังอีกต่อไป แต่มองว่ามันเป็นเสียงเพลง พอมองว่าเป็นเสียงเพลง ความรู้สึกมันเป็นความรู้สึกในทางบวก ใจก็สงบเลย อันนี้มันก็ชี้ให้เห็นว่าความสงบมันอยู่ที่ใจ มากกว่าอยู่ที่สิ่งภายนอก และที่หงุดหงิด ที่ไม่สงบ มันไม่ใช่เพราะสิ่งภายนอก แต่เป็นเพราะใจ ใจรู้สึกลบกับเสียง มันก็กระเพื่อม มันก็หงุดหงิด ไม่สงบ ไม่เป็นสุข แต่พอใจรู้สึกเป็นบวก ความรู้สึกก็เปลี่ยนเป็นตรงกันข้าม

ฉะนั้นแทนที่จะไปตะโกนโวกเวกว่าให้หยุดส่งเสียง ให้เลิกตอกตะปู ให้เลิกใช้เลื่อยยนต์ มันจะดีกว่าหรือเปล่า ถ้ากลับมาดูที่ใจของเรา กลับมาสังเกตที่ใจของเรา หรือกลับมาปรับใจของเรา ใจของเรานี่อาจจะเป็นปัญหา

อันนี้คล้ายๆ กับเมื่อ 2-3 วันก่อน มีพระรูปหนึ่งเล่าให้ฟัง ได้ยินเสียงตอนเช้าๆ ที่วัด ตอนสายๆ วันกรรมกร มันมีเสียงเครื่องยนต์ดัง ตอนนั้นก็คิดว่าเป็นเสียงมอเตอร์ไซค์ ทันทีที่คิดว่าเป็นเสียงมอเตอร์ไซค์ ไม่พอใจขึ้นมาทันทีเลย มันมาขี่มอเตอร์ไซค์อะไรกันตรงนี้ ในวัด

แต่สักประเดี๋ยวเดียวฉุกขึ้นมาว่าเอ๊ะ มันอาจจะไม่ใช่เสียงมอเตอร์ไซค์ก็ได้ อาจจะเป็นเสียงเลื่อย เลื่อยที่เขากำลังตัดไม้ที่โค่น เพราะว่าก่อนหน้านั้นมีไม้โค่น ทันทีที่นึกว่าเป็นเสียงเลื่อย ที่ใช้ตัดไม้ที่ล้มลง ใจมันสงบเลย กลับอนุโมทนาด้วย เขามาช่วยกันทำงาน เสียงก็เสียงเดิม แต่ทำไมทีแรกหงุดหงิด เพราะไปคิดว่าเสียงมอเตอร์ไซค์ และคิดต่อไปว่ามันมาขี่อะไรแถวนี้ ในวัด แต่พอมองว่าเป็นเสียงเลื่อยที่ใช้เลื่อยไม้ที่ล้ม ความรู้สึกมันเปลี่ยนไป เพราะเกิดความรู้สึกว่าเขากำลังทำหน้าที่ของเขา

ฉะนั้นสุขหรือทุกข์อยู่ที่ใจแท้ๆ เลย หงุดหงิดหรือว่าสงบ อยู่ที่ใจ ไม่ใช่อยู่ที่เสียง อยู่ที่ว่าเราจะมองมันอย่างไร ฉะนั้นถ้าเราเข้าใจตรงนี้ สังเกตใจของเรา เราจะพบว่าจะไปแก้ทุกข์ก็ต้องแก้ที่ใจนั่นแหละ ไม่ต้องไปแก้ที่คนอื่น เป็นเพราะใจเราวางไว้ผิด มันจึงทุกข์ มันจึงเกิดความหงุดหงิด เกิดความรำคาญ แต่พอเราปรับใจ เปลี่ยนมุมมอง ความรู้สึกก็เปลี่ยนไป

zen sukato บันทึกเสียง Nun & oi ถอดเสียง nok edit

truthbetold #pyschology #mindset

@ 75656740:dbc8f92a

In my previous article I argued that it is impossible to have an effective filter in a delivery-by-default and universal reach messaging protocol. This might seem over-specific because, after various filters, nothing is truly universal or delivery-by-default. * Mail is limited by a cost filter phone calls by call screening services. * Faxes are limited by the fact that we all got sick of them and don't use them any more. * Email dealt with it by pushing everyone into a few siloed services that have the data and scale to implement somewhat effective spam detection. * Social media employs thousands of content moderators and carefully crafted algorithms.

Most of these are, however, delivery-by-default and universal in their protocol design. Ostensibly I could dial any number in the world and talk to anyone else in possession of a phone. If I have an email address I can reach anyone else. I can @ anyone on social media. All these protocols make an initial promise, based on how they fundamentally work, that anyone can reach anyone else.

This promise of reach then has to be broken to accomplish filtering. Looking at limiting cases it becomes clear that these protocol designs were all critically flawed to begin with. The flaw is that, even in a spam free case, universal reach is impossible. For a galaxy-wide civilization with billions of trillions of people, anyone individual wouldn't be able to even request all the information on a topic. The problem is more than just bandwidth, it is latency.

That is without spam and trolling. With spam and trolls things crash at a rate proportional to the attention available on the protocol.

The answer is to break the promise of universal reach in theory so we can regain it in practice. By this I mean filtering should happen as soon as possible to keep the entire network from having to pass an unwanted message. This can be accomplished if all messages are presumed unwanted until proven otherwise. Ideally messaging happens along lines of contacts where each contact has verified and signed each-other's keys. That is annoying and unworkable, however, instead it should be possible to simply design for trust. Each account can determine a level of certainty of an identity based on network knowledge and allow or deny based on a per-instance threshold.

While requiring all messages to originate "in network" does break the promise of the internet as an open frontier, the reality is that, like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon, everyone you want to reach will be in your network if scaled out to a reasonable level. This puts a bottleneck on bot farms trying to gain entry into the network. While they will be able to fool people into connecting with them, such poor users can lose the trust of their contacts for introductions, algorithmically limiting reach.

With Nostr I expect this form of filtering will arise organically as each relay and client makes decisions about what to pass on. This is why I like Nostr. It isn't exactly what I want, but that doesn't matter I am probably wrong, it can morph into whatever it needs to be.

@ 75656740:dbc8f92a

All social media companies quickly run into the impossible problem of content moderation. I have often seen commentary suggesting that Twitter, FaceBook, etc need to make some particular adjustment to their content moderation policy. Perhaps they should have clearer rules, be more transparent about moderation actions taken, err on the side of permissiveness, have community moderation, time outs vs bans etc. My thesis, however, is that all such endeavors are doomed to failure. The problem is that maintaining signal to noise over a single channel cannot scale.

If a platform wants to remain relevant to the majority of people, it needs to maintain signal. Filtering is a fundamental feature of communication. Even in-person conversations between individuals break down without self-filtering to stay on topic and maintain constructive relations. Long range delivery systems have a second order problem that makes the issue even worse.

All delivery-by-default communication systems succumb to spam. This is without exception. Mail, phone, fax, email, text, forums, etc. have all fallen to spam and now require herculean efforts to maintain signal through extensive filtering. The main offenders are non-human entities that have a low barrier to entry into the network. Once in, delivery-by-default allows and motivates swamping out competing signals for user attention.

In combating this problem most platform operators do seem to act in good-faith while implementing filters. They are even fairly successful. But they end up with the same problem as economic central planners and Maxwell's Daemon; to do the job perfectly they require more information than the system contains. This means that the system is guaranteed to fail some users. As a successful platform scales the filtering needs will outrun the active users by some f(n) = n^k where k is greater than 1. This follows from the network effect of greater information being contained in the edges of the graph than in its nodes.

For networks like Facebook and Twitter the impossible threshold is many orders of magnitude past. What can be maintained on a small mailing list with the occasional admonition, now requires tens of thousands of swamped moderators that still can't begin to keep up. Those moderators have to make value judgements for content generated by people they don't know or understand. Even the best meaning moderators will make bias mistakes. Thus the proportion of unhappy users will also scale non-linearly with size.

The impossible problem takes a second step in the presence of civil authority. The problem is that a filter being necessary means that a filter exists. A civil authority and other motivated actors will not be able to leave a filter be, without at least attempting to tip the scales. Again they are generally well-meaning. But what they consider noise, may not actually be noise.

Well-meaning is probably a stretch given that levers of power tend to attract the attention of people who like that sort of thing, but I like to assume the best. I tend to think that there were some early signs of Jack stressing out under the load of bearing this problem. He didn't want it but there just wasn't anyway out of it. You must maintain signal or die!

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. The problem only exists with delivery-by-default when reach is universal (a problem for another post) with distributed systems there is still a filter but it is no longer any one entity's problem. Once the social graph is complete, deny-by-default can work wonders since each node can decide what to allow.

I don't know what the final filtering mechanism will look like, but Nostr is a lovely chance to experiment.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Un total de 43 migrantes cubanos fueron repatriados a Cuba este miércoles 15 de noviembre en un vuelo procedente de México, que arribó al Aeropuerto Internacional José Martí de La Habana.

Según informó a través de la red social X (antes Twitter) el Ministerio del Interior (MININT), estos cubanos (25 hombres y 18 mujeres) habían salido de la Isla de manera legal, pero una vez en México intentaron llegar de forma irregular a la frontera del país azteca con Estados Unidos.

Con esta repatriación la cantidad de migrantes cubanos retornados al país, por vía aérea y marítima, asciende a 5.103 durante el presente año.

También este miércoles trascendió que la Guardia Costera de Estados Unidos había devuelto a Cuba 60 migrantes (54 hombres, cuatro mujeres y dos menores de edad) que habían participado en cuatro salidas irregulares del país. La mayoría de los repatriados reside en la provincia de Matanzas.

Esta operación fue la número 121 de su tipo en lo que va de 2023.

A pesar de las numerosas medidas tomadas por el Gobierno de Estados Unidos para frenar la inmigración irregular, los cubanos siguen intentando escapar del país por cualquier vía, debido a la grave crisis provocada por el régimen de La Habana.

Entre el 1 de octubre de 2022 (inicio del año fiscal) y agosto del 2023, casi 7.000 migrantes cubanos han sido interceptados por la Guardia Costera de Estados Unidos.

Los vuelos de deportación de migrantes cubanos desde México fueron reiniciados a mediados de octubre pasado. A comienzos de ese mismo mes, el Gobierno mexicano había solicitado a Cuba, Venezuela, Brasil, Colombia y Nicaragua aceptar el retorno vía aérea de sus connacionales.

En medio de la crisis migratoria que atraviesa Cuba, el 1 de octubre de 2023 se conoció de la muerte de varios migrantes cubanos, fallecidos por un accidente de tránsito que ocurrió en el tramo carretero Pijijiapan-Tonalá, en Chiapas, México, cuando una camioneta tipo torton transportaba de manera irregular a 27 personas, todas de nacionalidad cubana.

Los restos mortales de las personas fallecidas en dicho accidente fueron trasladados a Cuba la tarde del 14 de octubre.

@ 97c70a44:ad98e322

Metadata Leakage

It's a well-known fact that Nostr's NIP 04 DMs leak metadata. This seems like an obvious flaw, and has been pointed out as such many times. After all, if anyone can see who you're messaging and how frequently, what time of the day, how large your messages are, who else is mentioned, and correlate multiple separate conversations with one another, how private are your communications really?

A common retort repeated among those who "get" Nostr (myself included) is "it's not a bug, it's a feature". This hearkens back to the early days of the internet, when internet security was less than an afterthought, and social platforms throve on various permutations of the anonymous confessions-type app. How interesting to be able to flex to your friends about whom you're DMing and how often! Most conversations don't really need to be private anyway, so we might as well gamify them. Nostr is nothing if not fun.

In all seriousness though, metadata leakage is a problem. In one sense, Nostr's DMs are a huge improvement over legacy direct messages (the platform can no longer rat you out to the FBI), but they are also a massive step backward (literally anyone can rat you out to the FBI). I'm completely confident we'll be able to solve this issue for DMs, but solving it for other data types within Nostr might pose a bigger problem.

Social Content

A use case for Nostr I've had on my mind these last few months is web-of-trust reviews and recommendations. The same sybil attack that allows bots to threaten social networks has also been used as a marketing tool for unscrupulous sellers. NPS surveys, purchased reviews, and platform complicity have destroyed the credibility of product reviews online, just like keyword-stuffed content has ruined Google's search results.

Proof-of-work would do nothing to defend against this attack, because the problem is not volume, it's false credibility. The correct tool to employ against false credibility is web-of-trust — verifiable trustworthiness relative to the end user's own social graph.

This is a huge opportunity for Nostr, and one I'm very excited about. Imagine you want to know whether the vibro-recombinant-shake-faker (VRSF) will result in visible abs in under 6 days. Well, it has over 4 thousand 5-star reviews on Amazon, and all the 1-star reviews are riddled with typos and non sequiturs. So it must work, and make you smarter into the deal! Well, sadly no, visible abs are actually a lie sold to you by "big gym".

Now imagine you could find your three friends who fell for this gyp and ask them what they thought — you might just end up with a lower average rating, and you'd certainly have a higher level of certainty that the VRSF is not worth the vibra-foam it's molded from.

This same query could be performed for any product, service, or cultural experience. And you wouldn't be limited to asking for opinions from your entire social graph, it would be easy to curate a list of epicureans to help you choose a restaurant, or trusted bookworms to help you decide what to read next.

Currently, big tech is unable to pull this off, because Facebook won't share its social graph with Google, and Google won't share its business data with Facebook. But if an open database of people and businesses exists on Nostr, anyone can re-combine these silos in new and interesting ways.

Notes and other Spies

So that's the pitch, but let's consider the downsides.

An open social graph coupled with recommendations means that not only can you ask what your friends think about a given product, you can ask:

• What a given person's friends think about a product
• What kind of person likes a given product
• How products and people cluster

That last one in particular is interesting, since it means you could find reasonable answers to some interesting questions:

• Does a given region have fertility problems?
• What are the political leanings of a given group?
• How effective was a particular advertisement with a given group?

This is the kind of social experiment that has historically earned Facebook so much heat. Democratizing this data does not prevent its correlation from being a violation of personal privacy, especially since it will be computationally expensive to do sophisticated analysis on it — and the results of that analysis can be kept private. And to be clear, this is a problem well beyond the combination of social information and public reviews. This is just one example of many similar things that could go wrong with an open database of user behavior.

Not to put too fine a point on it, we are at risk of handing the surveillance panopticon over to our would-be overlords on a silver platter. Just as walled gardens have managed us in the past to sway political opinion or pump the bags of Big X, an open, interoperable content graph will make building a repressive administrative state almost too easy.

Let's not give up just yet

So what can we do about it? I want a ratings system based on my social graph, but not at the expense of our collective privacy. We need to keep this threat in mind as we build out Nostr to address novel use cases. Zero-knowledge proofs might be relevant here, or we might be able to get by with a simple re-configuration of data custody.

In the future users might publish to a small number of relays they trust not to relay their data, similar to @fiatjaf's NIP-29 chat proposal. These relays might then support a more sophisticated query interface so that they can answer questions without revealing too much information. One interesting thing about this approach is that it might push relays towards the PWN model BlueSky uses.

Not all data needs to be treated the same way either, which would give us flexibility when implementing these heuristics. Just as a note might be either broadcast or sent to a single person or group, certain reviews or other activity might only be revealed to people who authenticate themselves in some way.

Like so many other questions with Nostr, this requires our concentrated attention. If all we're doing is building a convenient system for Klaus Schwab to make sure we ate our breakfast bugs, what are we even doing?

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Desde el inicio de la tarde de este miércoles 15 de noviembre, llueve intensamente sobre La Habana, y en varias zonas como Centro Habana el nivel acumulado de precipitaciones se ha ido elevando hasta tapar los autos en la vía pública.

Las imágenes y los videos de los usuarios en redes sociales son impactantes. De acuerdo con los especialistas, la situación meteorológica en el occidente cubano es parte de un fenómeno más amplio que incluye la interacción de varios sistemas meteorológicos, como una vaguada superficial en el Mar Caribe Occidental y una baja extratropical en el Golfo de México.

Este sistema de lluvias se desplazará hacia el Oriente durante el fin de semana, interaccionando con un área de tiempo perturbado en el Caribe, lo cual también generara inestabilidad en el otro extremo de la isla.

Por el momento, la parte más grave se está dando en la capital cubana debido a los malos sistemas de drenaje y la gran acumulación de basura que impide la evacuación adecuada de las precipitaciones, generando una elevación súbita del nivel de agua.

Algunas calles están convertidas en verdaderos ríos. En medio de esta situación, los vecinos de áreas vulnerables de La Habana temen a lo que pueda venir luego de que cedan las lluvias. En redes sociales expresan su preocupación ante el peligro inminente de derrumbes, un panorama que suele suceder con edificaciones en mal estado expuestas a la humedad seguida por un día de sol, lo cual provoca el resquebrajamiento de la infraestructura.

Defensa Civil emite un aviso de alerta temprana

Debido a la situación, el Estado Mayor de la Defensa Civil emitió un aviso de alerta temprana donde se insta a la población a mantenerse informada a través de medios de comunicación y redes sociales oficiales, y a seguir disciplinadamente las instrucciones de las autoridades locales. Esta medida es esencial para garantizar la seguridad y el bienestar de todos.

Según el comunicado, los institutos de Meteorología y de Recursos Hidráulicos mantienen una observación constante de la situación meteorológica, y estarán emitiendo actualizaciones sobre el desarrollo de los acontecimientos.

@ cce0989b:b497e608

Here's one of my principles for happier life.

Don't compare events — connect through emotions.

You have seen this sequence play out millions of times in your own life: An event or thought occurs → An emotion results.

For example:

• Your friends leave you out → you feel rejected.

• You lose your job → you feel afraid.

• You are criticized → you feel shame.

• You witness devastating world events → you feel helpless.

When we witness someone else who is suffering, we make one mistake again and again: we judge why an event led to an emotion. Here's what that sounds like.

• “I wouldn’t react like that.”

• “Why hasn’t she gotten over that yet?”

• “She should just be grateful things aren’t worse.”

• “This shouldn’t make you so upset.”

• “You don’t have anything to be depressed or anxious about.”

• “Compared to other people, your pain is not a big deal. Snap out of it.”

Judgment will never help alleviate pain; only empathy and compassion can do that. To tap into these qualities, we need to focus on the emotion that the other person is feeling. Because the truth is that, while our experiences vary so greatly, our emotions are strikingly similar to one another. Pain is pain is pain; jealousy is jealousy is jealousy; anger is anger is anger.

Believe it or not, your worst enemy has felt the grief you’re feeling now. Your horrible boss has been consumed with anxiety, too. We can bond over our shared experience of the emotion without ever judging why they feel this way or don’t feel that way.

Here is the process to use:

1. When you encounter someone who is in suffering, shift your focus from the event to the emotion.

2. Identify what painful emotions they are feeling.

3. Think about a time that you felt those same emotions.

4. Try to bring yourself back to that feeling and re-immerse yourself in it as much as you can, thinking about what you wanted to hear in that moment.

When we focus on the emotions that we share, we don't have to be torn apart by our different experiences. Instead of comparing our pain, we are connected through it.

@ 862b225d:6a37ba42

Semiconductor manufacturing stands at the forefront of technological innovation, and the integration of quantum computing introduces a paradigm shift. This article delves into the intersection of semiconductor manufacturing and quantum computing, unraveling the potential and challenges as we navigate the next frontier in computing.

1. The Evolution of Semiconductor Manufacturing

Pioneering Technological Advancements

From the invention of the transistor to the era of nanoscale semiconductor components, tracing the evolution of semiconductor manufacturing sets the stage for understanding its pivotal role in driving technological progress.

2. Quantum Computing: A Revolutionary Leap

Understanding Quantum Mechanics in Computing

Fundamentals of Quantum Computing: Quantum computing leverages the principles of quantum mechanics, introducing the concept of qubits. Exploring how qubits differ from classical bits and the potential for exponential computational power.

Quantum Supremacy and Its Implications

Milestones in Quantum Supremacy: Examining the achievement of quantum supremacy and its implications for computing capabilities. Understanding how quantum computers can perform certain tasks exponentially faster than classical computers.

3. The Integration of Quantum Elements in Semiconductor Manufacturing

i. Quantum Processors and Semiconductor Nodes

Incorporating Quantum Elements: Investigating the integration of quantum processors into semiconductor manufacturing. Exploring how quantum processors coexist with traditional semiconductor nodes and their impact on processing capabilities.

ii. Quantum Dot Technologies

Quantum Dots in Manufacturing: Exploring the utilization of quantum dots in semiconductor manufacturing. Analyzing how quantum dots enhance device performance and contribute to the development of more efficient and powerful semiconductor components.

4. Advantages and Potential Applications

i. Enhanced Processing Power

Quantum Computing's Processing Advantages: Delving into the enhanced processing power offered by quantum computing in semiconductor manufacturing. Assessing how this leap in computational capabilities can revolutionize data processing, simulations, and complex problem-solving.

ii. Accelerating Materials Discovery

Materials Science Applications: Quantum computing's potential to accelerate materials discovery in semiconductor manufacturing. Examining how quantum simulations facilitate the exploration of new materials and their properties.

5. Challenges on the Quantum Frontier

i. Quantum Decoherence and Error Correction

Addressing Quantum Decoherence: Understanding the challenge of quantum decoherence and its impact on maintaining stable quantum states. Exploring ongoing efforts in error correction to enhance the reliability of quantum computations.

ii. Scalability Issues in Quantum Systems

Scaling Quantum Systems: Analyzing the scalability challenges faced by quantum computing. Investigating how semiconductor manufacturers navigate the complexities of scaling quantum systems for practical applications.

6. Collaborative Initiatives and Research Frontiers

i. Industry Collaborations in Quantum Computing

Public-Private Collaborations: Exploring collaborative initiatives between semiconductor manufacturers and quantum computing researchers. Understanding how industry partnerships contribute to advancing research and overcoming challenges.

ii. Research Frontiers in Quantum Material Science

Exploration of Quantum Material Science: Investigating research frontiers that intersect quantum computing and material science. Examining how advancements in understanding quantum materials impact semiconductor manufacturing.

7. Future Outlook: Shaping the Quantum-Powered Semiconductor Landscape

i. Integration of Quantum Components in Consumer Devices

Quantum in Everyday Technology: Envisioning the integration of quantum components into consumer devices. Exploring how quantum-powered semiconductor advancements will shape the technology landscape for end-users.

ii. Continued Innovation and Ethical Considerations

Ethical Implications of Quantum Computing: Discussing the ethical considerations surrounding quantum computing in semiconductor manufacturing. Addressing potential societal impacts and the need for responsible innovation.

8. Conclusion: Navigating the Quantum-Powered Frontier

A Symbiotic Future for Semiconductors and Quantum Computing

In conclusion, the integration of quantum computing into semiconductor manufacturing marks a transformative era in computing capabilities. Navigating the challenges and leveraging the advantages, the symbiotic relationship between semiconductors and quantum computing paves the way for a future where technology reaches unprecedented heights, redefining the boundaries of what is computationally possible.

@ 862b225d:6a37ba42

The semiconductor industry plays a pivotal role in powering modern technology, but its rapid pace also generates electronic waste. This article delves into the sustainable practices emerging in semiconductor refurbishment, aiming to mitigate environmental impact while contributing to a circular economy.

1. The Challenge of Electronic Waste in Semiconductors

Understanding the E-Waste Dilemma

As technological advancements continue, the disposal of electronic waste poses a significant environmental challenge. Semiconductors, integral to electronic devices, contribute to this issue. Exploring the scale of electronic waste and its environmental repercussions sets the stage for understanding the urgency of sustainable semiconductor practices.

2. The Rise of Semiconductor Refurbishment

A Circular Approach to Electronics

Circular Economy Principles: Semiconductor refurbishment aligns with the principles of a circular economy, emphasizing the reuse and recycling of materials. This section explores how refurbishment counters the linear "take-make-dispose" model, presenting a sustainable alternative for the semiconductor industry.

3. Sustainable Practices in Semiconductor Refurbishment

i. Component Reclamation and Reuse

Extending Component Lifespan: Semiconductor refurbishment involves reclaiming and reusing components, mitigating the need for new production. Exploring how this practice not only reduces electronic waste but also conserves resources and energy.

ii. Eco-Friendly Cleaning Processes

Chemical-Free Cleaning: Sustainable cleaning processes in semiconductor refurbishment minimize environmental impact. From water-based solutions to chemical-free methods, embracing eco-friendly cleaning practices contributes to a greener semiconductor industry.

iii. Energy-Efficient Refurbishment Techniques

Optimizing Energy Consumption: Sustainable refurbishment includes adopting energy-efficient techniques. Examining innovations that minimize energy consumption during the refurbishment process, demonstrating a commitment to reducing the industry's overall carbon footprint.

4. Industry Collaboration for Sustainability

i. Partnerships for Responsible E-Waste Management

Collaborative Initiatives: Exploring how industry players collaborate to address electronic waste responsibly. Partnerships between semiconductor manufacturers, refurbishment facilities, and e-waste management organizations contribute to a more sustainable lifecycle for electronic components.

ii. Adoption of Green Certifications

Certifying Sustainable Practices: The semiconductor industry's adoption of green certifications ensures adherence to environmentally friendly practices. Delving into the significance of certifications like EPEAT and how they drive sustainable decision-making in semiconductor refurbishment.

5. The Future Landscape of Sustainable Semiconductor Refurbishment

i. Technological Innovations for Sustainability

Advancements in Sustainable Technologies: Investigating ongoing and future technological innovations that enhance sustainability in semiconductor refurbishment. From advanced recycling techniques to eco-conscious material sourcing, exploring how technology shapes the future of sustainable practices.

ii. Global Regulatory Perspectives

Regulatory Frameworks for E-Waste: Analyzing global regulations pertaining to electronic waste and their influence on semiconductor refurbishment practices. Understanding the role of regulatory frameworks in promoting sustainable initiatives within the semiconductor industry.

6. The Business Case for Sustainable Semiconductor Practices

i. Cost-Efficiency and Long-Term Viability

Financial Benefits of Sustainability: Unpacking the economic advantages of sustainable semiconductor refurbishment. From reduced manufacturing costs to enhanced brand reputation, illustrating how sustainability aligns with long-term business viability.

ii. Consumer Demand for Eco-Friendly Electronics

Consumer Preferences: The growing demand for eco-friendly products influences semiconductor manufacturers. Examining how consumer awareness and preferences contribute to the industry's shift towards sustainable practices.

7. Conclusion: Shaping a Greener Semiconductor Future

Sustainable Semiconductors as Catalysts for Change

In conclusion, sustainable semiconductor refurbishment emerges as a catalyst for positive environmental change in the industry. By embracing circular economy principles, eco-friendly practices, and collaborative efforts, the semiconductor sector can pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future, aligning technological progress with environmental responsibility.

@ 862b225d:6a37ba42

In the dynamic and competitive landscape of business, cultivating brand loyalty is not just a strategy but a necessity for sustained success. This article delves into the intricacies of brand loyalty, unraveling essential elements that go beyond transactions to create enduring connections and foster a loyal customer base.

Understanding the Foundations of Brand Loyalty

1. Building Trust Through Consistency

Consistency is Key: Establishing trust begins with unwavering consistency across all facets of the brand. From messaging to product quality and customer service, maintaining a consistent and reliable experience builds a solid foundation of trust that is paramount for fostering brand loyalty.

2. Delivering Exceptional Customer Experiences

Customer-Centric Approach: Prioritizing the customer experience at every touchpoint is non-negotiable. Providing exceptional service, personalized interactions, and addressing customer needs with genuine care contribute to positive experiences that resonate and foster loyalty.

3. Consistent Quality: A Cornerstone of Reliability

Reliability in Products and Services: Consistent quality in products and services is a cornerstone of reliability. Brands that deliver on their promises and consistently meet or exceed customer expectations create a sense of dependability that reinforces loyalty.

Creating Emotional Connections

4. Tapping into Emotional Resonance

Emotional Branding: Brands that evoke emotions create a deeper connection with their audience. Whether through compelling storytelling, shared values, or relatable experiences, tapping into emotional resonance fosters a bond that goes beyond mere product transactions.

5. Personalization as a Key Driver

Tailoring Experiences: Personalization is a powerful tool in building brand loyalty. Tailoring interactions, recommendations, and communications based on individual preferences creates a sense of uniqueness that resonates with customers on a personal level.

6. Empathy in Customer Interactions

Understanding and Empathy: Demonstrating understanding and empathy in customer interactions is pivotal. Brands that genuinely care about their customers' needs and concerns build trust and loyalty by showing a human side beyond the business facade.

Rewarding and Recognizing Loyalty

7. Implementing Effective Loyalty Programs

Strategic Rewards: Loyalty programs that offer tangible benefits provide a strong incentive for repeat business. From exclusive discounts to personalized rewards, well-crafted loyalty programs reinforce the value customers receive for their continued engagement.

8. Acknowledging and Appreciating Customers

Acknowledging gratitude: A mere expression of appreciation holds significant value. Show appreciation for customer loyalty through gestures like personalized thank-you messages, exclusive offers, or early access to new products. Acknowledging customers' importance reinforces their connection to the brand.

9. Exclusive Access and Privileges

Creating a Sense of Exclusivity: Providing loyal customers with exclusive access to events, product launches, or premium services creates a sense of exclusivity. This makes customers feel special and valued, strengthening their commitment to the brand. Communication Strategies for Connection

10. Authentic Brand Storytelling

Narrating the Brand Journey: Authentic storytelling humanizes the brand. Sharing the journey, values, and impact of the brand in a transparent manner fosters a connection that resonates with customers, creating a narrative they want to be a part of.

11. Engaging and Responsive Communication

Two-Way Interaction: Foster engagement through active communication. Respond promptly to customer inquiries, seek feedback, and actively participate in conversations on various platforms. A brand that listens and engages builds trust and loyalty.

12. Building a Community Through Communication

Community Building: Establishing a brand community through online forums, social media groups, or events fosters a sense of belonging. Brands that actively participate in and contribute to these communities create an environment where customers connect not only with the brand but with each other.

Consistent Innovation and Adaptability

13. Staying Ahead with Innovation

Continuous Improvement: Embrace innovation to stay ahead in the market. Introduce offerings that address the changing demands of customers, including new products, services, or features. A brand that consistently evolves with its customers maintains relevance and loyalty.

14. Adapting to Changing Customer Preferences

Flexibility and Adaptability: Consumer preferences evolve, and brands that adapt to these changes demonstrate a commitment to meeting customer needs. Stay flexible in strategy, product offerings, and marketing approaches to align with shifting preferences.

Community Building and Social Impact

15. Creating a Brand Community

Building Community Engagement: Foster a sense of community around the brand. Whether through online forums, social media groups, or events, creating spaces for customers to connect with each other enhances their sense of belonging and loyalty.

16. Social Responsibility and Impact

Contributing to a Cause: Brands that engage in social responsibility initiatives and contribute to meaningful causes resonate with socially conscious consumers. Aligning the brand with a purpose beyond profit fosters loyalty among customers who share similar values.

Conclusion: Nurturing Lifelong Brand Advocates

In the pursuit of brand loyalty, it's the culmination of trust, emotional connection, recognition, effective communication, adaptability, and community engagement that transforms customers into lifelong advocates. By prioritizing these essential elements, brands not only build loyalty but also create a sustainable foundation for enduring success in an ever-evolving marketplace.

@ 862b225d:6a37ba42

Navigating the realm of executive recruitment demands a strategic and well-informed approach that extends beyond conventional hiring practices. In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into the intricacies of successful executive recruitment, unveiling a twelve-step guide that encompasses defining recruitment criteria, strategic sourcing, thorough evaluation, cultural fit assessment, and long-term success strategies.

Defining Recruitment Objectives and Criteria

1. Understanding Organizational Needs

Embark on the recruitment journey by gaining a comprehensive understanding of the organization's current and future needs. Identify key areas where executive leadership is crucial and align recruitment objectives with strategic organizational goals. This foundational step ensures that the executive search aligns with the broader vision and mission of the organization.

2. Crafting a Detailed Job Description

Create a detailed and compelling job description that transcends the mundane and vividly outlines the roles, responsibilities, and expectations for the executive position. Ensure that the description not only conveys the technical requirements but also reflects the organization's culture, values, and the specific skills required for success. This robust foundation sets the stage for attracting candidates who not only possess the necessary qualifications but also resonate with the organization's ethos. Strategic Sourcing and Networking

3. Utilizing Multiple Channels for Sourcing

Diversify talent sourcing channels to cast a wide net and identify candidates who align with the organization's values and possess the necessary skills and experience. Explore executive search firms, industry networks, and online platforms to tap into a pool of potential candidates. A multi-faceted approach broadens the candidate pool and increases the likelihood of finding the perfect executive match.

4. Building and Leveraging Professional Networks

Build and leverage professional networks to identify and connect with potential executive candidates. Engage with industry events, conferences, and online communities to foster relationships that may lead to successful executive placements. A strategic and proactive approach to networking establishes valuable connections and insights, enriching the executive recruitment process. Thorough Evaluation and Assessment

5. Conducting Comprehensive Interviews

Conduct comprehensive interviews that transcend surface-level assessments. Dive deep into candidates' experiences, leadership styles, and problem-solving approaches to gain a nuanced understanding of their suitability for the executive role. Thorough interviews provide a holistic view, ensuring that the executive candidate possesses the qualities necessary for effective leadership.

6. Utilizing Psychometric and Skill Assessments

Integrate psychometric and skill assessments into the evaluation process to gain additional insights into candidates' personalities, cognitive abilities, and specific skills. These assessments provide a comprehensive view of a candidate's capabilities and help in making more informed decisions. A multi-dimensional evaluation approach contributes to a more accurate assessment of executive potential. Cultural Fit and Leadership Alignment

7. Assessing Cultural Compatibility

Evaluate candidates for their cultural compatibility with the organization. Consider factors such as leadership values, communication styles, and adaptability to ensure a seamless integration into the existing organizational culture. Cultural fit is a critical element that contributes to long-term executive success and organizational cohesion.

8. Aligning Leadership Styles with Organizational Goals

Ensure alignment between candidates' leadership styles and the organization's strategic goals. Identify executives whose leadership approaches resonate with the organization's vision and can effectively drive initiatives forward. A harmonious alignment ensures that the executive's leadership style complements and enhances the achievement of organizational objectives.

Building Long-Term Executive Success

9. Onboarding and Integration Programs

Implement robust onboarding and integration programs for newly appointed executives. Facilitate a smooth transition by providing the necessary resources, support networks, and insights into organizational dynamics. A well-structured onboarding process sets the stage for long-term executive success and accelerates their contribution to organizational objectives.

10. Continuous Development and Mentorship

Prioritize continuous development and mentorship for executives to foster a culture of learning and growth. Provide access to relevant training, mentorship programs, and opportunities for skill enhancement. Investing in the continuous development of executives contributes to their long-term success and ensures they remain at the forefront of industry trends.

Monitoring and Adapting Recruitment Strategies

11. Regularly Assessing Recruitment Effectiveness

Establish a system for regularly assessing the effectiveness of executive recruitment strategies. Analyze key performance indicators, such as executive retention rates and performance metrics, to refine and adapt recruitment approaches. Continuous monitoring ensures that recruitment strategies remain agile and responsive to changing organizational needs.

12. Embracing Continuous Improvement

Embrace a culture of continuous improvement in executive recruitment processes. Solicit feedback from both candidates and internal stakeholders, and use this information to refine strategies, enhance candidate experiences, and elevate the overall recruitment process. An iterative approach to recruitment ensures that lessons learned contribute to ongoing enhancements and optimizations.

Conclusion: Paving the Way for Executive Excellence

Successful executive recruitment is a dynamic and multifaceted endeavor that transcends traditional hiring practices. By strategically defining objectives, diversifying talent sourcing, conducting thorough evaluations, and fostering long-term success through onboarding and development initiatives, organizations can pave the way for executive excellence. These essential strategies not only ensure the recruitment of qualified leaders but also contribute to the sustained growth and success of the organization in an ever-evolving business landscape.

@ 20986fb8:cdac21b3

YakiHonne 社区对 Nostrasia 充满了热情，目前正在对 Nostrasia 大会的精彩演讲进行了文字转录，以便大家阅读。 转录的工作正在进行，我们将逐步发布更多的转录文章。 日语和西班牙语版本由社区成员用AI工具初步进行翻译和校对，欢迎所有 YakiHonne 用户参与审核校对。 完成审核后，将获得3000 Sats的特别奖励。 联系我们（在这里评论、DM 或 TG）报名参与，第一个报名并提交审核的人将收到奖励。 欢迎参与并将这些演讲转录文章翻译成更多语言。 加入我们吧！

从00:46:53开始

东京很酷。哦，我将启动这个，为你的Micra提供语义火箭燃料，所以我一直在研究一种新的信息建模系统，我正在寻找合适的技术，并且比特币有一些有趣的密码学元素，比如，我们有数据，我们有公私钥对。

我们有时间链，所以我在考虑使用区块链技术，但实际上它并不太具备可扩展性，而且我对已有的方法也不太满意。有很多方案，所以我偶然发现了Nostr以及为什么选择Nostr。这是通过中继传输的注释和其他杂项，而我的信息建模系统绝对是其他杂项。已经有四个客户端和中继准备好供使用。有一个了不起的社区，那就是你们，而且时机恰到好处，因为我正需要这样的东西。总之，议程上的所有事情，今天我将介绍两个新系统。 第一个系统是为了使事物更易读，第二个系统是为了使事物更易于机器阅读。因此，系统一是一个相当简单的系统，它是为了制作人类友好的描述。我们生活在一个数字非常庞大的世界，所有私钥、公钥、签名、交易、ID等都是非常庞大的数字，而且它们不太适合人类阅读。为了弥补这一点，我想出了一个非常简单的注释结构，称为描述符注释，描述符注释有四个字段。它有一个点，即我们想描述的内容或描述符。它有一个名称，基本上是一个用于人类阅读的字段。它有一个标签，是一个简短的描述，只是一行，然后注释的其余部分是专门用于多行描述的，我们可以看到这里有一个示例，开始时有某种不可读的值，然后我们放入一个人类可读的形式，称为订单编号1 2 3 4 5，然后我们突然知道我们有一个标识符，我们有点知道它是什么，然后我们放入一个标签，我们称之为网店购物T恤的订单，然后我们知道很多，然后我们有一个多行描述。

这是一件很棒的大号T恤，从网店订单编号1 2 3 4 5订购的，请记住“P贴免费收看”，突然间，数字就变得非常友好，而对于我们在Cipher空间中遇到的许多事物，比如我们现在拥有的所有ID，例如从我们遇到的成员那里，所有字段都是强制性的，当然，是可选的，这使得这个事物更加通用，那么我们如何在Nostr中实现这一点呢？我喜欢使用老牌的开发原则：“保持简单，愚蠢”，当你做一个新的nips时，很容易说：“哦，我要将这个放入JSON文档中，我想将这个放入JSON文档中”，而我觉得JSON文档已经相当先进，如果你看看这个，这是一个典型的Nostr注释，看起来今天已经不太先进了，我们有ID，我们有pop密钥，我们有时间戳，签名，我们想传达的实际内容，这个例子的文本甚至还没有填写，而且它已经很多了，所以我希望人们不会用更多的数据污染简单的消息，因此，对于描述符注释，我只是引入了一种称为101的新类型，然后我在内容字段中专门为描述符注释的每个字段分配一行。因此，第一行我们专注于point，第二行将是name，第三行将是label字段，其余的注释将是多行描述，并通过这样的方式，我们基本上有了一个相当简单的传递，而且并不真正污染注释，因为一切都几乎在内容字段中，而我们无论如何都会有我们的注释，所以我想演示一下，我有一个很好的小客户端叫做Gossip，它是由一个叫Mike的家伙制作的，我认为还有他的一些朋友，这很漂亮，我喜欢它，如果你进入我的注释，它有一些小功能，比如这个，这是一个小牛排图标，如果你点击它，然后你可以看到实际的Nostr消息是什么样子的，并获取Nostr ID等等，我喜欢这个，旁边有一个我自己制作的小图标叫做Disit，如果你点击Dis，它会预填充点，使用我们Nostr注释的ID，然后我们可以说，这是一张小注释，也许我们转发了某人的注释，我们称之为Joe的消息，如果我能拼写正确，我们来吧，Joe的消息，我们说这是Joe最喜欢的食谱之类的东西，然后我们点击创建，现在我们已经创建了一个新的注释，其中包含了这个注释的描述，所以这个技巧在于，我们不是将其放入注释本身的元数据中，而是生成描述其他注释的其他注释，这意味着在将来，当我们无法真正记住Joe最喜欢的食谱时，我们只需在我们自己的注释中查找即可，这是一个非常简单的演示，现在我们进入第二个系统，即使事物更易于机器化，这是一个有点复杂的部分，用于制作微应用，也用于制作微协议，并为更先进的人工智能做好准备，它基于信息图表，因为信息图表基本上是为这种项目而制作的。

简而言之，信息图表是由一位奇怪的斯堪的纳维亚人发明的，它是一种类似图形的结构，其中边缘可以有边缘，每个边缘都是原子信息的一部分。这是一个正常图形的图像，不是信息图表，这是我们习惯看到的，对吧？我们有Alice，我们有Bob，然后与关系相关的一切都在边缘本身。在这种情况下，这是Bob的朋友，在信息图表中，它是原子的，所以在边缘上我们没有任何东西，我们只有Alice，我们有Bob，然后是它们之间的边缘。因此，有三个对象，Alice是对象一，Bob是对象二，边缘本身是对象三，我们甚至没有Alice和Bob，我们只有id1，即Alice，id2，即Bob，和id3，即图形本身。那么我们如何建模Alice和Bob的友谊呢？我们有来自Alice到Bob的关系，然后我们在关系之间的边缘上放一个边缘，表示Alice和Bob之间的关系是朋友的概念。

在这张图片中，实际上看起来我们有三条边缘，但实际上我们只有两条，一条在Alice和Bob之间，一条在朋友和Alice与Bob之间。为了使其更易读一些，我们在ID3周围放上括号，正如我们在这里看到的那样。这个简单的S我们也称为信息三元组，它可以以三元组结构编写，我们首先放置ID3，因为那是标识符，放在第一列，然后在第二列放置ID2，这将是Alice，ID1在第二列，这将是Bob，ID2在第三列，这将是Po。我们实际上可以将它们叠加在一起，然后得到一个信息表。在这种情况下，我们可以说，“这里有ID1，ID3，ID1，ID2”，我还没有达到那个点，但那将是我有趣的一个点，他问到了关于性能和数据结构的问题，如果我们将来进行更大的查询，那将是我有趣的一个小项目，基本上是明年，所以还有更多问题吗？好的，谢谢！

---

About YakiHonne:

YakiHonne is a Nostr-based decentralized content media protocol, which supports free curation, creation, publishing, and reporting by various media. Try YakiHonne.com Now!

Follow us

• Telegram: http://t.me/YakiHonne_Daily_Featured
• Twitter: @YakiHonne
• Nostr pubkey: npub1yzvxlwp7wawed5vgefwfmugvumtp8c8t0etk3g8sky4n0ndvyxesnxrf8q
• Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551715056704
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552076811240
• Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/720824539860115
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyjDDtWFCntGvf4EyFJ7BlA

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Un joven cubano, miembro del Ministerio del Interior (MININT), fue asesinado a puñaladas el sábado último en la ciudad de Bayamo, provincia de Granma, según fuentes cercanas a la víctima.

Personas allegadas lo identificaron como Manuel Darian Hernández Creach, quien iba a cumplir 33 años este 13 de noviembre.

Según las publicaciones en redes sociales, Hernández se había graduado de Licenciatura en Derecho y era miembro del MININT, sin embargo, las autoridades no han ofrecido información oficial sobre su asesinato.

La usuaria Yurmis María Rojas Reyes dio a conocer el hecho en un post en su perfil de Facebook, en el que lamentó la muerte de quien consideraba una persona “especial, excepcional”.

“Este muchacho era como un hijo para mí”, expresó Rojas. “Comparto el gran dolor de su madre enferma del corazón, era su único hijo, y me uno al profundo dolor de su familia”.

Rojas se deshizo en frases de halago hacia el fallecido, quien había sido novio de su hija años atrás. “Era tan joven y brillante, tan apuesto, lleno de vida, colmado de virtudes, humilde, honesto, alegre, carismático, amistoso, emprendedor, un ser especial, excepcional, correcto, integrado, militar, académico, muy amado por toda mi familia”.

“¡Qué clase (de) hombre le han quitado a esta humanidad!, eso no tiene perdón. Recién nos vimos y me dio muestras de su cariño y respeto, me dijo: ‘Me gradué de Derecho con Título de Oro, tengo muchos planes’. Cuántos sueños, metas, planes y aspiraciones sin realizar, duele mucho aceptarlo”, manifestó en su escrito, que acompañó con fotos familiares de 2013 en las que aparece Hernández.

Según comentarios en su post, presuntamente el trágico suceso ocurrió en una fiesta celebrada en la localidad de Mabay, que pertenece al municipio de Bayamo.

Otra publicación dio pormenores sobre las supuestas circunstancias en las que le quitaron la vida al militar.

“¡Violencia en Cuba! Bayamo. Darian Hernández, de 33 años de edad fue asesinado a puñaladas en Mabay (…) Mañana 13 de noviembre era su cumpleaños”, publicó el músico Saúl Manuel en su cuenta de Facebook.

El usuario citó revelaciones de una amiga de la víctima sobre los hechos: “Acá en Bayamo, localidad de Mabay, mataron a un joven del MININT sin solo dejarlo hablar, le dieron una puñalada directamente al corazón”.

“Bueno, al parecer él estaba en su casa y lo llamaron que el primo tenía problemas y algunos dicen que salió y no lo dejaron ni hablar y lo apuñalaron directo al corazón”, continúa explicando.

“Trabajaba en el MININT, no se metía con nadie, era joven y con carácter, nada que ver con los jóvenes callejeros de ahora, por así decirlo”, termina el comentario de la amiga.

“Cuba no es un país seguro”, concluyó su post Saúl Manuel.

Este asesinato de un miembro del MININT ocurrió precisamente en la misma fecha en que mataron a un policía de 30 años, en la ciudad de Holguín, luego de acudir al reparto Iberoamericano ante el reporte de una pelea callejera.

El oficial -que ha sido identificado solo por su apellido, Maceo- recibió una herida que le provocó la muerte. La nota oficial indicó que se encuentran detenidos tres implicados en el violento suceso, entre ellos, el homicida.

La policía tampoco ha conseguido escapar de la creciente ola de violencia y criminalidad desatada en Cuba.

En abril, un primer teniente de la PNR resultó herido por arma blanca durante un forcejeo con un presunto delincuente en Caibarién, Villa Clara. El policía, que consiguió sobrevivir, hirió mortalmente con la misma arma blanca a su agresor.

Debido a que en Cuba no hay un registro público de delitos y los datos son controlados por las autoridades, las redes sociales se han convertido en el espacio habitual para denunciar robos, asaltos, desapariciones, asesinatos y otros hechos que han registrado un alza notable y alarmante en todo el país.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

En una tarde-noche marcada por la tragedia, la Avenida de Los Libertadores de la ciudad de Holguín se convirtió en escenario de un fatal accidente que cobró la vida de Rafaela González Reyes, una anciana de 75 años.

Según la página de Facebook Realidades desde Holguín, el incidente aconteció este martes 14 de noviembre frente a la EIDE Pedro Díaz Coello, del municipio Holguín. Informes preliminares apuntan a que la víctima fue impactada por el conductor de un ciclomotor en circunstancias que aún están siendo investigadas en el sitio del siniestro.

En la publicación se especifica que el conductor ofreció ayuda inmediata y permaneció en el lugar del suceso, pero minutos después del impacto Rafaela González Reyes falleció. Testigos presenciales afirman que la señora transitaba por el centro de la carretera, mostrando signos de desorientación, lo que podría haber contribuido al trágico desenlace.

Asimismo, se informó en el post que un oficial de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (FAR) que circulaba por la vía intervino rápidamente, trasladando a la víctima hasta un centro de salud cercano. Simultáneamente, las autoridades notificaron a los familiares de la noticia, reconociendo junto a vecinos de las áreas aledañas la identidad de la ciudadana.

Hasta el post de Realidades desde Holguín llegaron muchas personas a dejar sus condolencias a los familiares de la señora “Pamela”, nombre con el que también conocían a la fallecida, según los comentarios. Las personas agradecieron a la página por esclarecer los hechos, pues se estaba comentando que el chofer se había dado a la fuga.

Otro accidente de tránsito cobra la vida de una persona en Holguín, en esta ocasión, aunque los hechos aún se investigan, todo parece indicar que las malas condiciones de las vías no fueron la principal causa del trágico suceso.

Recientemente, se conoció de un triple accidente de tránsito en la carretera Mayarí-Cueto, de la mencionada provincia oriental. Un estudiante de 16 años, nombrado Cristian Jesús Rodríguez, falleció.

El joven, dirigiéndose a su preuniversitario, se vio involucrado en un choque entre un carretón, una motorina y un almendrón en el kilómetro 26, cerca de Guaro. Desde la emisora Radio Mayarí, se compartió la noticia en Facebook, incluyendo fotos del suceso.

@ 4d992bd1:45157b5a

There was once a time where the internet seemed like a free place to me. I was able to live so freely. I was 12 years old; I lived in a rough neighborhood and I was a total nerd, so I didn’t really fit in very well. Though, there were these incredible places I could spend my time where I did fit in and my curiosities were satisfied as a teenager. This place was the internet.

On the internet, there were many federated communities ran on forum software like phpBB and vBulletin. These forums were for specific communities, my interests ranged from counter strike: source, private game servers, world of warcraft, warez, and hacking forums. They all taught me so much. The first of which I became a contributing member of was RaGEZONE.

The forums were magical in a way. Locally, at school outside the classroom I would get into fights daily due to bullying and me standing up for myself. While in the classroom, most of the time the teachers at school would be screaming at us, fearful of being challenged or asked difficult questions, tyrants, or just completely not noteworthy. I think out of all my years of going to public school, I had two great teachers that actually dramatically impacted me in a positive way.

On the forums, contrary to school, had their own distinct culture that made it really fun to participate in and learn from. For example, I was a humble kid from Phoenix, AZ but the forum allowed me to interact with many folks from the UK and all over Europe, all while learning about design of signatures using tools like Adobe Photoshop, develop personality over the internet with avatars and written prose, then hacking together SQL databases and PHP web apps that can interact with private game servers for games such as Mu Online, World of Warcraft, Maple Story, and much more.

For fun, you could head to the WoW forums to gossip and watch big personalities on a server clash. It made the world in-game actually feel somewhat real like a small town, which was really cool. It felt like true belongingness and a real community. Occasionally, you would get really toxic types, but we all embraced them and knew that was their personality. They would become somewhat infamous on the server and epic when you would run across them in-game. It made for entertaining drama.

There was little moderation and community control, which really allowed you to get to know someone and for them to still have presence. There were plugins that the server admin of the forum could install, with one of the prominent uses as reputation, join date and awards to allow for status and reputation. Because of this, you could have a positive or negative reputation because a user of a forum could + / - your rep of points, with a limit on the amount of times you could do so and the amount of rep you, yourself had the amount of rep points vary based on how much positive or negative reputation points you had accrued. You could also find some very cool effects with usernames that were visible on these forums.

Lots of cliques would emerge from this and even allow for a deeper culture within the forum to emerge amongst its members, along with some great perks such as getting a new status when you hit 1,000+ posts, been a member longer than 5 years, get a special rank from an admin of the server, or something of that nature, which could grant you access to restricted access forums.

Again, this created an even deeper sense of community and strong retention.

Sadly, over-time, these forums became less and less active as social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and prominently Reddit became more popular. These forums slowly died out as people slowly consolidated to these massive social media hubs. People stopped visiting, content became curated rather than organic from the community members themselves, & social media founders and managers gained a significant amount of power due to being able to censor user’s posts whether they’re true or not, choose ultimately who becomes a moderator, or banning users out right, limiting the freeness of the internet.

Previously, it was fine because if you got banned from a forum, you could easily register a new account and start over again under a new alias or move to a new forum. It was a learning opportunity, especially for folks like myself. With centralized services like Reddit and Facebook, it became really easily to prevent users from registering again, detecting them, censoring them with content moderators, staff, and AI without a chance for growth in one’s personality or social skills.

Reputation really didn’t exist beyond basic forms like karma and now you were posting under your personal identity, which is tied directly to your family members. It becomes more restrictive to post freely what you think, crack jokes, not take sides, or interact with people from faraway places that you would not normally chat with.

The posts become flooded with memes and other mindless things rather than new and interesting topics to explore, debate ideas, and find other who shares your same interests.

Introduce other new problems that have previously been outlined by nostriches and the protocol creator himself, fiatjaf. For example, when a user gets banned, they lose everything as you cannot take your following with you, and have no backups of your data (for most folks). It’s possible to get shadow banned without even knowing it for political beliefs, getting cancelled for something you posted a decade ago, ads, and prioritized content based on proprietary algorithms.

I think this presents a new opportunity to solve with nostr: Forumstr. Forums over nostr. We can rebuild the internet that was in my opinion great and solve a lot of the old problems that existed with these forums.

We can bring micro applications such as forumstr into any experience. A gaming portal of HTML5 where users can show off their nostr badges, carry their achievements with them, or perhaps a developer platform that wants a forum to discuss things and retain knowledge the knowledge.

My vision:

• New Events
  • Events are super flexible allowing for iterative development starting simple and gradually building out more sophisticated functionality.
  • Build their own aggregated “Reddit” with the forums and communities they most care about.
    • Just like a user can create an event for preferred relays, they can do the same for preferred forums.
  • Can use events to create subscriptions to specific forums and notify based on threads or new posts or certain from authors. Similar to RSS.
• Using Zaps we can prioritize content based on a combination of factors:
  • Earn from your creations and support other high signal creators.
  • Scarce and limited money rather than hidden algorithms we don’t have any insight into how they work to prioritize content
  • Ignore ads because you can use any forum app of your choosing, all of which follows the same spec more or less, allowing for multiple monetization models to be experimented with.
  • Activity data such as the latest post, number of posts, etc.
  • Aggregated zaps by user on the platform to determine reputation, along with a points event that can be positive or negative.
• Followings can be brought with them since the user can set their preferred relay, so even if they are banned from a forum, they can still be found and be seen in other nostr forum apps. This will allow putting the user in control of who they care to interact with and see. Possibly their own curated block or mute lists.
• Badges
  • We can use this to allow users to take their reputation with them and proudly display it on their profile if they so choose on multiple platforms.
  • Use badges + encrypted messages to grant access to special forums.
  • Access management such as enabling content moderators for specific forums.
• Relays
  • Relays can be federated by forum community owner, or if they are advanced, they can send the events to the relays they wish to participate with for redundancy / resiliency and the user can save a copy of all the data to their own relay if they so choose.
• Make data accessible
  • Nostr relays can charge a fee for access of data priced in satoshis allowing for the fetching of data as a subscription (monthly / yearly), pay-per-use using LNURL withdrawals so the user don’t incur mental transaction costs, life-time membership for a single payment as a member, or allow data to be accessed for free. Sophisticated users could even send every event they fetch and create to their own relay so they can have all their data widely accessible. Nostr relay business models can also be experimented with to see what works for what user personas.
• Enable multiple forum apps to be built all following the same spec
  • This is the beauty of open networks and protocols. Apps like Apollo will never run into the Reddit issue ever again. They can start building and testing things right now while running their own relay and connecting to other relays without concern since there isn’t a central party making pricing decisions that can destroy your business.

Obviously, that is a lot of work to get there. I have started small and humble with a PoC implementation of forums over nostr. It just proves the event structure works with basic functionality. You can try it out at forumstr.lol.

As I mentioned before, it just a proof-of-concept (PoC) implementation meaning that there are basic creating and reading functionality related to forums, threads, and comments. It’s enough to prove the event structure for forums, threads, and comments, and that this can work, though I am not going to argue that this is the best architecture or design as it is not. I welcome you to contribute. We can iteratively add support for multiple relays, zaps, amongst the other features I mention above.

This is a free and open source project; I welcome your feedback and PRs: https://github.com/zantoshi/forumstr.

My goal is to make the internet feel fun and free again, inspire curiosity and action, and new communities possible everywhere.

Much love, Santos, some guy on the internet.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

The advent of cryptocurrency has sparked a modern-day gold rush, with Bitcoin mining at the forefront of this digital revolution. The United States, with its vast resources and technological prowess, has become a fertile ground for these operations. However, the recent shift in the global mining landscape has brought a wave of Chinese mining companies to U.S. shores, fleeing a regulatory crackdown in their homeland. This migration has set off alarm bells within national security circles, as the technology that underpins cryptocurrencies is not just a tool for financial gain but also a potential vector for cyber espionage and other security threats. The dual-use nature of this technology, capable of both revolutionizing economies and potentially undermining national security, has placed it at the heart of a complex debate involving economic policy, technological innovation, and national defense.

Table Of Content

• The Economic Impact of Cryptocurrency Mining

• National Security Risks and Strategic Concerns

• Regulatory Responses to Foreign Mining Operations

• The Path Forward: Innovation, Security, and Diplomacy

• Conclusion

• FAQs

The Economic Impact of Cryptocurrency Mining

The economic allure of cryptocurrency mining is undeniable. In regions hit hard by economic downturns, the establishment of mining operations has been a boon, providing much-needed jobs and revitalizing local economies. These operations often take over abandoned industrial sites, turning them into hives of high-tech activity. The promise of a revitalized industrial base, however, comes with caveats. The energy-intensive nature of cryptocurrency mining has led to a surge in demand for electricity, straining local grids and raising concerns about the environmental impact of such operations. The long-term economic benefits are also questioned, as the volatility of the cryptocurrency market means that the stability of these jobs and the longevity of the operations are not guaranteed. As Chinese companies increasingly dominate this space, there is also the fear that the economic benefits may be offset by the outflow of profits to foreign entities.

National Security Risks and Strategic Concerns

The strategic implications of foreign-controlled cryptocurrency mining operations on U.S. soil are complex and troubling. The opaque nature of these operations, often shrouded in layers of corporate secrecy, makes it difficult to discern their true intentions. The proximity of some mining farms to sensitive sites, such as military bases and critical infrastructure, has compounded these fears, suggesting the potential for these facilities to be used for more than just mining. The vast computational power of mining operations could theoretically be repurposed for code-breaking and hacking, posing a direct threat to national security. The concern is not just hypothetical; it is rooted in a history of cyber incursions attributed to Chinese state-sponsored actors. The potential for these mining operations to serve as a front for such activities, intentionally or not, has put them in the crosshairs of U.S. security agencies.

Regulatory Responses to Foreign Mining Operations

The U.S. government's response to the influx of Chinese cryptocurrency mining operations has been measured yet firm. Recognizing the need to maintain an open economic environment that fosters innovation, regulators have nonetheless moved to establish guardrails to protect national interests. This has involved a multifaceted approach, including the proposal of legislation aimed at scrutinizing foreign investments in critical technologies and infrastructure. Agencies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) have been at the forefront of these efforts, working to untangle the complex web of ownership and control that characterizes foreign mining operations. The goal is to ensure that while the U.S. remains a hub for technological innovation, it does not become a playground for foreign powers with adversarial intentions.

The Path Forward: Innovation, Security, and Diplomacy

The path forward for the United States in managing the rise of Chinese bitcoin mining operations is akin to walking a tightrope. On one side is the need to nurture innovation and maintain the U.S.'s competitive edge in the burgeoning field of cryptocurrency. On the other is the imperative to safeguard national security and ensure that the country's technological infrastructure is not compromised. This delicate balance requires a nuanced approach that includes fostering a robust domestic mining industry, investing in renewable energy sources to mitigate the environmental impact, and engaging in strategic diplomacy to manage the international dimensions of cryptocurrency governance. The U.S. must leverage its strengths in innovation, policy-making, and international relations to set standards that will shape the future of cryptocurrency mining and secure its digital economy.

Conclusion

The challenge of balancing the economic potential of cryptocurrency mining with the imperatives of national security is emblematic of the broader challenges facing policymakers in the digital age. As Chinese bitcoin mining operations continue to expand their footprint in the U.S., the need for a strategic, measured response becomes increasingly critical. This response must be multifaceted, engaging with all stakeholders, including the mining industry, environmental groups, energy providers, and security agencies. By striking a balance between economic growth and security, the U.S. can harness the potential of the digital economy while protecting its national interests. The stakes are high, and the decisions made today will have lasting implications for the security and prosperity of future generations.

FAQs

How does Bitcoin mining impact local economies? Bitcoin mining can provide jobs and economic investment in local communities, especially in areas with excess energy capacity or where industrial sites are underutilized.

What is the U.S. government's response to foreign cryptocurrency mining operations? The U.S. government is considering stricter regulations on foreign investments in critical technologies, including cryptocurrency mining, to protect national security while fostering economic growth.

Can cryptocurrency mining operations be environmentally sustainable? There are concerns about the high energy consumption of mining operations, but with investment in renewable energy and efficient technologies, mining can move towards greater sustainability.

How does the U.S. plan to balance innovation with security in cryptocurrency mining? The U.S. aims to strike a balance by creating policies that encourage technological innovation and economic benefits while implementing security measures to protect against potential threats.

That's all for today, see ya tomorrow

If you want more, be sure to follow us on:

NOSTR: croxroad@getalby.com

X: @croxroadnews

Instagram: @croxroadnews.co

Youtube: @croxroadnews

Subscribe to CROX ROAD Bitcoin Only Daily Newsletter

https://www.croxroad.co/subscribe

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.

@ 53dab473:3a95f02d

The dream of building this thing called a "web of trust," a decentralized method for connecting our decentralized identities in a variety of ways for a variety of reasons, has been around for at least 3 decades, ever since Phil Zimmermann released Pretty Good Privacy in 1991. Since then, many attempts have been made to build something worthy of the hype; something genuinely decentralized and truly useful. Unfortunately, by many measures, our attempts have failed to live up to expectations. This failure is due, in part, to the lack of a clear picture of what exactly web of trust is, what exactly it should do, and how exactly we want it to work. In this essay I argue that lists will play a central role in helping us to wrap our heads around web of trust and to build a roadmap to turn this dream into a reality.

Why web of trust?

It helps to begin with the question: why should we care about this topic? What do we want our webs of trust to do for us?

facts and information

As a user, I need help understanding the world. On most topics, I am not an expert. On most topics, I don't even know who the experts are! Finding the people and sources from which I can obtain trustworthy facts and information about the world is something that I want from my web of trust.

Could web of trust just give rise to nothing more than better echo chambers? Yes, web of trust can be used to build echo chambers, if that's what you want. I'd argue, though, that it's hard to build better echo chambers that what we already have. If that's what you want, you don't really need web of trust to do it. And there are many topics that are not controversial or political, about which most of us want nothing other than objective truth.

So: It may be said that the first thing we want from our webs of trust is, quite simply, facts and information.

digital tools of communication and interaction

But facts and information is not the only thing, and I would argue, not the main thing. I would argue that the main thing we need from our web of trust is help to manage the very tools that we use to communicate and otherwise interact; the very rails upon which facts and information will reach us.

By digital tools, I'm talking about protocols, like the nostr protocol; platforms, like the ones for most nostr clients, most of which are held in open source repositories. I'm also talking about libraries, schemas, ontologies, standards. Digital tools that most users may not comprehend, even in the slightest. But use them nonetheless. Even if programming is your thing, you'll never know everything about all of the tools you're using. So unless you are happy for the captains of big tech to be in charge of those tools for us, we need web of trust to select and to manage and to maintain these digital tools for us.

consider the spoken word

In English, what is this thing called?

The answer is, of course, a "pencil." But now ask: who decided that's what we call it? Who is in charge of the words we use to discuss that thing? Well, no one is in charge. We simply have all come to consensus -- a loose one, but consensus nonetheless -- that that's what we call it. So the answer to the question: who decides? is simultaneously everyone and no one.

OK, wait a minute. Are we saying that there's no World Wide Web Consortium committee that publishes a standard, with updates once a year, to dictate the words we use to discuss that thing? Are we saying there's no pull request, somewhere, that somebody merged into some repository by whoever is maintaining the repo? The answer, of course, is yes. There is no single entity, anywhere, with the power, either in theory or in practice, to throw a monkey wrench, to bring to a grinding halt our ability to have a conversation about that thing.

The main thing we need from web of trust is to make all of those decentralized features of the spoken word to be features of our digital tools too. Our repositories, platforms, protocols, standards, and so on. Curation of all of these things things needs to be handled simultaneously by everyone and by no one. And there must be no monkey wrenches.

Sounds like a tall order. How the heck are we supposed to do that??!?

But wait, there's more.

community

Our digital tools cannot be one size fits all.

As human beings we form naturally into communities. And sub communities. And sub sub communities. All the way down to communities of just two people. (I suppose there could even be a community of one or none, depending on how exactly we define [1] "community.") Some communities overlap. Some don't. Some are stable, in terms of membership and/or characteristics, over long periods of time. Some change rapidly.

Each and every community has its own distinctive, unique sets of needs. Its own reasons for existing as a community. Outsiders may or may not understand those needs and reasons. Outsiders may or may not approve. But guess what? As nice as it would be to experience universal understanding and approval, it is unwise to expect or demand those things from everyone, all the time.

We need our digital tools to be tailored to each community, individually. We need community-specific tools for all sorts of reasons, including (but not limited to) communication, and transaction, and coordinated action, plus any other class or category of in-group, entity-to-entity interaction that anyone might manage to conceptualize.

These tools must also be: sophisticated, powerful, versatile, and as complicated as they need to be for the task at hand. And yet, easy to use. And nimble, able to adapt to changing needs.

Imagine you are part of the French Resistance. Your local chapter has 10 people; or maybe 100. Or maybe no one has any idea how many people are in it, because no one has, or should have, a bird's eye view of the whole community. A bug is discovered in the verifiable credential that you use to prove to one another that you're part of this particular community. A hot fix is needed. And it's needed now! Who is going to do it? Do you want to wait 6 months for some hypothetical United Nations Special Committee on Digital Credentials for Freedom Fighters to push a hot fix to the schema used to enforce the verifiable credential for your small and secretive group? Of course not. You want the fix to be done by someone whom you can trust. Someone inside the community. You need to select the people, who select the people, who select the people, who push the hot fix.

And you need to trust the solution, even if you don't know who any of those people are.

This is why we need web of trust. Yes, it's a tall order. But we have a path forward, and we think it's a pretty good one.

Roadmap

So that's why. We turn to the question: how?

I'm going to propose a roadmap from where we are now (which, for the sake of discussion, I will identify as nostr in its current state) to where we want to be. But I'm going to change the name of the destination. Instead of calling it Web of Trust, I'm going to give it an acronym: DCoAT, which stands for: Decentralized Curation of All the Things.

And I’m going to argue that in order to wrap our heads around what we’re building, and how to build it, is that we introduce an intermediary goal: decentralized curation, not of all the things, but of the simplest thing that can be curated by one's web of trust: a simple list.

So here's our new roadmap:

This allows us to take this one goal that after over 3 decades has been resistant to all attempts even to define, let alone build, and to separate it out, conceptually, into two distinct questions that we can attack one at a time.

The first question is the harder one: what does "decentralized curation" mean? What do we want it to mean? Decentralization is a word that gets thrown around a lot. But it needs to be earned. Suppose I told you that I have a proof of concept, and I tell you it's decentralized, and I go on to explain that it's powered by a blockchain with some infathomably complex (but it still works -- trust me!) algorithm, and it harnesses AI, and maybe quantum computing. All The Buzzwords. You would probably say: that's not the solution we're looking for. It would have monkey wrenches, even if they're hidden, which means it would not be decentralized. That begs the question: what does a genuinely decentralized solution look like? What do we want it to look like? To that end, I have a proof of concept app that I have built, within an app called Pretty Good Apps [2], and I'll give it an overview, below, so you can consider for yourself whether it's truly worthy of the word: decentralized.

The second question is one that I think will fall into place more readily than one might think, given the magnitude of the overarching challenge at hand. The question is: assuming we've answered the first question to our satisfaction, how now do we go from Simple Lists to All The Things? I propose that it won't be easy, but it will be tractable, which is all we need it to be. Because a simple list is a building block. If we have enough building blocks, we can build any thing that we want. We can build any arbitrarily complex piece of data. If we can curate a list, we can curate All The Things.

To give a small taste of what I mean, consider the fact that a graph can be represented by no more than two simple lists: one list for the nodes, and one list for the edges.

Imagine that the local chapter of Freedom Fighters is curating these two lists. And that the graph is used to represent a schema, and more precisely, the schema in question is the Verifiable Credential for our local branch that I mentioned earlier. That means we can push the hot fix. Immediately.

And with that, the war is won. With curation of nothing more than simple lists and some graphs. Just the tip of the iceberg before we get to All the Things.

DCoSL: Proof of Concept

But before we win the war, we need to grok what constitutes genuinely decentralized curation of a simple list. For starters, we need a proof of concept that we can all point our fingers at and say: this is truly decentralized, in the ways that matter. This is DCoSL.

Here is a screenshot from what is effectively my own private, personal desktop nostr app. I call it Pretty Good Apps, in honor of Zimmermann’s Pretty Good Privacy. It’s open source and the repo can be found here, on my GitHub account.

The reason I built this was to be my own personal playground, a tool I could use to flesh out these ideas on the pathway that I am describing in this essay. To clarify them in my own mind. To make them concrete. And so one of the apps within Pretty Good Apps is something I am calling Curated Lists. This is my proof of concept that DCoSL exists. Here is a screenshot.

I am not going to go through everything that is happening in this screenshot. But I am going to give you the highlights.

Suppose I want to curate a list of nostr clients. In the absence of my app, using the current nostr protocol, and in particular NIP-51, you can go to a site like @JeffG's listr, and you can create that list. You can give it a name. You can add items to the list (as plain text, using the "t" tag). You can take items off the list. You can wrap up the list (list title plus items on the list) into an event, probably of kind: 30001 for this example, and publish it to nostr. If you want to update the list, you can do that too (because NIP-51 harnesses the magic of replaceable events).

But what if you come to believe that there are too many nostr clients for you to keep track of all of them by yourself? You want to select other people to manage the list. But guess what? You don't even know who the knowledgeable people are on this topic. So you want your web of trust to find them for you too.

Nostr, as things currently stand, does not allow you to do that [3]. But these things can be done in the DCoSL proof of concept. Using the DCoSL protocol, users can make a new list with a title like "nostr devs" plus a description, and that list (name and description, without specification of any items) is wrapped into an event (using kind: 9901 which I am using for DCoSL testnet) and stored in nostr. (It could just as easily be wrapped for storage anywhere, such as on IPFS. DCoSL works great with nostr, but it is an independent protocol.) Anyone can make use of this list. Anyone can propose items to this list, each one of which is stored as its own event in nostr. Users can endorse other users as being trusted (or not trusted) to curate this list, and users can endorse proposed items as belonging (or not belonging) to that list.

I built this proof of concept as my proposed answer to the question: what does decentralized curation of a list look like? I propose it looks like this:

In the image above, the big circle is me. At the center of my web of trust. And each of the arrows mean that I am selecting the people (circles), who select the people, who select (or sometimes veto) the people, and so on -- I may not even know how many iterations; but ultimately, my web selects the people who select the items (diamonds) that belong (or don't belong) on this particular list.

So this is the result that my web of trust provides to me:

Who decided that Amethyst belongs on the list? No one. Everyone. Who decides this other item, "scammy fake client," gets removed from the list? Everyone, and no one. If there is a single point of failure, it is me, because I'm always at the center of my web of trust. But the more important this question gets, the more people chime in, the more decentralized it becomes, and the harder it gets for anyone to toss in a monkey wrench.

And importantly, although it may not be immediately evident in this brief overview, it is NOT necessary for me or anyone to have a complete bird's eye view of the entire web. Any given arrow in the above example is essentially a firsthand report. But does it have to be firsthand? According to how the proof of concept calculations are done, each arrow could represent a summary statement, a distillation of information from that user's web of trust. It would be as if someone were to tell you: "That product is really good and I know that because I used it. Umm, errr, wait, I didn't use it myself, I'm just telling you what my peeps told me." You may or may not even know whether it's firsthand or not. Which means entire portions of the web can be hidden from me. I don't have to see the entire web for this method to work. Plausible deniability can be built in quite naturally as a feature, if you want it.

There are a lot of calculations that are happening under the hood that I will not review here. For example, the size of each circle indicates the amount of influence that particular person has in this particular context. The complexity of this method builds up, but not forever. It's a tractable problem.

Current and future efforts

Right now our main goal is to present this roadmap to the world. If it makes sense, we will need a community effort, a labor of love, to turn the roadmap into reality. If it does not make sense, I look forward to feedback to tell me what I am either missing or perhaps just not explaining well.

We recently made our first hire, Anton Strickland (@kinjo), to begin the process of rebuilding the lists features of Pretty Good Apps as a web app, so that people in the community will have something to play with. Hopefully, the community will agree that this proof of concept does in fact constitute decentralized curation, that it has earned those words. Or if you don't, perhaps you can teach me why! But if you agree, then I would love to see this method, or a variation of it, incorporated into a variety of clients, for a variety of applications.

In addition, I am in the process of writing up a protocol for DCoSL. Like nostr, which is built out of NIPs, this procotol is built out of DIPs. It is technically independent of the nostr protocol, but interfaces quite naturally with it. One section of this protocol, called the grapevine, is dedicated to the method you see above for curating the list of nostr clients. There is another section, called the concept graph, dedicated to the method of converting DCoSL to DCoAT, of taking lists and building data structures of arbitrary complexity, amenable to curation by the grapevine. In companion articles, I will go into detail about these two protocols and their corresponding apps. Be forewarned: as of the time of writing, the repositories for these protocols are far from complete. Some items are stubs, most will need revision, and many topics have not yet been added.

I have been building these protocols and apps, but I'm going to need community help to build them out sufficiently for general usage. My hope is that this will become a community effort. And at some point, once these apps are sufficiently built out, you will be able to use them so that your web of trust will take over the task of managing these two protocols, and these two apps. And then our work will be done.

In the meantime, I would encourage all devs to consider incorporating lists using NIP-51 to their clients; and after that, to add "a" tag support to NIP-51, so that users can select lists by other users and import the items from those lists to their own. That's all already in the nostr protocol. There's nothing controversial about NIP-51 and its use of the "a" tag that I know of, based on brief conversations I've had with @Uncle Rockstar and @elsat and others at Nostrville; but of course, please tell me if I'm missing anything.

notes

[1] We will argue elsewhere that the shared tools of communication and interaction, digital or otherwise, are precisely how we separate one community from another. Communities are defined by the shared cognitive frameworks that they use to interact as individuals.

[2] Everyone is certainly welcome to play around with Pretty Good Apps and Plex, but be forewarned: they will break on you and as of the time of this writing are simply not yet ready for widespread usage.

[3] This is not quite true. Under NIP-51, using the "a" tag, I can decide that I want to import items from other people's lists. I know @JeffG has this on the roadmap for listr, but I don't know of any client out in the wild that provides a tag support to NIP-51 lists, with the exception of the NIP-51 app section of my own Pretty Good Apps. I encourage all devs to provide "a" tag support to NIP-51 lists in their clients, because it will be a strong step along the roadmap that I am advocating. More on NIP-51 and the "a" tag in a different article.

@ d6dc9554:d0593a0c

📈📉 Decentralization Index

The concept of decentralization plays a pivotal role in shaping the nature and resilience of bitcoin and digital assets. Decentralization refers to the distribution of control and decision-making across a network, aiming to reduce reliance on a single authority. A key metric often discussed in this context is the decentralization index, which gauges the degree to which digital asset operates without a central governing body.

to community:

In exploring the significance of decentralization in bitcoin and digital assets, it's crucial to consider diverse perspectives. As the crypto space continues to evolve, engaging in conversations about decentralization can shed light on its implications for the future. Please add your questions and if possible some answers 😃

1. How do individuals within the crypto community perceive the importance of decentralization ?
2. Does a higher decentralization index positively influence trust ?
3. What are your thoughts on the role of decentralization ?
4. And lastly, is there any website where I can see the chart ?

@ 637a2f1d:a169dd8f

“the system becomes more and more dependent on fake money, and the underlying economy is forgotten. despite equities remaining only 10% from highs, labor force participation is at the same level as march 1978. nvidia rallies to all time highs, while fentanyl overdoses climb in tandem. all basic logic flies out the window. a lackluster jobs report? equities rally. low unemployment print? massive selloff in spy futures. bad news becomes good, and good news is bad, as now the major variable on everyone’s mind is what will the fed do? this is the upside down. all traditional behavioral economics is thrown out- with the new paradigm only relying on central bank actions. we rally whenever jobs numbers are bad, because this means the economy is doing poorly, unemployment could rise, which would give powell a justification for more qe.”

https://stacker.news/items/317424/r/halalmoney

@ e5b7e388:f86e1106

Hi folks, it has been a little time since my last post, I was thinking about what could be a nice topic to cover here, but some recent issues have made my mind to write a short post, not even a complete tutorial, almost a mental note but not only mental anymore.

I was testing my local environment to deploy an app in Rails (version 7, in this case).

Honestly, I guess this is the second time I have crossed the same problems. Well, not Rails problems per se, I'm kinda new to this but I've found it amazing for prototyping. Issues are more related to the lack of general experience with the toolset, so I'll make a step-by-step guide here of what happened.

The following steps were replicated on the server, from the beginning to the final command to get the app started. I'm also assuming that you already have a Rails installation configured.

Well, first of all I took the simplest steps I could remember, from a terminal:

```shell git clone # or pull, if the repo is already configured cd

bundle install

rails assets:precompile ```

Now, let's try to run it for the first time, as a quick check:

shell RAILS_ENV=production rails s

It worked! But wait, the CSS is not loading anymore... oh, I see, Javascript also not working... Uhm, something wrong is not alright, right? Let's check.

With a quick search on the web, I remembered of a small snippet of configuration lacking in the production.rb file:

ruby config.serve_static_files.enable = true

You can safely disable this if you're running behind another server as a proxy, like Nginx or Haproxy, but as I was testing locally it must be enabled.

But no Javascript working as well. In fact, only a file that wasn't loading. There's something extra you'll need if you have a custom library of plain JS.

For example, if you have a script called index.jsinside the dateutils folder:

shell app/ └── javascript/ ├── application.js └── dateutils/ └── index.js config/ └── importmap.rb

Then we can simply "pin" it in the importmap.rb file:

```ruby

config/importmap.rb

pin "dateutils/index"

alternatively, if you have more files inside dateutils/

pin_all_from "app/javascript/dateutils", under: "dateutils" ```

Now your code is ready to be imported anywhere else:

js // app/javascript/application.js import "dateutils/index"

There's something important to mention, that is the Rails credentials file and how to configure different files according to the enviroment.

This is not clear in the "getting started" guide, so you'll have to figure out by yourself the best way to deal with these files.

Normally, we can just use the default method for editing secrets in the credentials file, using:

EDITOR=vim rails credentials:edit

But, if you need different secrets/keys and any other configuration by environment, you should use the --environment option:

EDITOR=vim rails credentials:edit --environment=development

This command will generate another file in the config/credentialsfolder, named development.yml.enc. Neat, huh?

Therefore you can safely configure the default credentials file in config/credentials.yml.enc, because it is the fallback when no environment is provided (or if you're in production).

Remember, the master.keyfile stores the secrets used to encrypt the credentials file; it's added to .gitignore, so you'll need to upload it separately to your server in order to access the credentials files (you can copy it with scp or even copy & paste using vim or nano).

I've found more valuable information about this in this post.

Last but not least, don't forget to create your database and run the migrations:

shell RAILS_ENV=production rails db:setup && rails db:migrate

Now if you just run your app with rails s, the process will stop if you quit the ssh session on your server. This is easily fixed by using the flag -d(daemon process). Therefore, the complete command for running your instance is:

shell RAILS_ENV=production rails s -d &

And it's done! Now you'll be able to leave the SSH session without stopping the app.

I think this is okay for now. There isn't much more to add at the moment. It's enough for a small troubleshooting session that I hope will help someone else.

If you're stuck with something related to this article, don't hesitate to send me a message, I'll see how I could assist you.

See you next time!

@ 44dc1c2d:31c74f0b

Chef's notes

So practically all recipes call for you to peel your potatoes. While it does make for a nice looking gnocchi, you can absolutely leave the skins on it, if you like a more rustic looking gnocchi. I do this when I feel lazy all the time and it still turns out great.

When incorporating the eggs and flour, having a spatula or a bread tool is really helpful here.

When you're at the stage of boiling your made Gnocchi, you will know they are done when they float to the top of the pot.

Details

• 🍳 Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of starchy potatoes, (IE 2 large russets)
• 1/4 cup egg, (lightly beaten)
• scant 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
• fine grain sea salt

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with cold water. Salt the water, peel then cut potatoes. Bring the water to boil and cook tell potatos are tender and mashable
2. Remove potatoes from the water, drain and mash until there are no noticeable lumps.
3. Let the potatoes cool spread out across your work surface for ten or fifteen minutes. Long enough that the egg won't cook when it is incorporated into the potatoes.
4. Pull the potatoes into a soft mound. Drizzle with the beaten egg and sprinkle 3/4 cup of the flour across the top.
5. After the flour and the egg is incorporated into the potato, gently kneed the dough
6. The dough should be moist but not sticky. It should feel almost billowy.
7. Cut it into 8 pieces. Gently roll each 1/8th of dough into a snake-shaped log, roughly the thickness of your thumb. Use a knife to cut pieces every 3/4-inch. Dust with a bit more flour.
8. So this next bit is optional you dont need to do this but it mkae for better looking gnocchi.
9. To shape the gnocchi hold a fork in one hand and place a gnocchi pillow against the tines of the fork cut ends out.
10. With confidence and an assertive (but very light) touch, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight "C" shape, their backs will capture the impression of the tines as tiny ridges (good for catching sauce later). Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them.
11. Boil the Gnocchi and Serve

@ 44dc1c2d:31c74f0b

Chef's notes

Not a lot of notes here. This recipe is pretty straight forward. I have used half-and-half instead of whole milk in the past, and it turns out great. Low and slow here is the key.

What I mean by a sauce catching pasta is anything with a lot of surface area for the sauce. IE angle hair is not a good idea to use here.

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 10 ish min
• 🍳 Cook time: 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef chuck
• Kosher salt
• 3 oz. thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• ⅓ cup tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of finely grated nutmeg
• 2 cups (or more) chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about ½ cup), plus more for serving
• Some form of pasta to serve with tagliatelle or pappardelle. really any "sauce catching" pasta will do.

Directions

1. Pulse onion, celery, and carrot in a food processor until very finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium. Break beef into small clumps (about 1½") and add to pot; season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally but not breaking meat apart, until beef is lightly browned but not crisp, 6–8 minutes
3. Wipe out pot. Cook pancetta in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pancetta has released some of its fat and is crisp, 6–8 minutes.
4. Add onion mixture to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and beginning to stick to surface, 6–8 minutes.
5. Return beef to pot and pour in wine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, smashing down on beef with a wooden spoon, until wine is evaporated, surface of pot is almost dry, and meat is finely ground, 12–15 minutes.
6. Add tomato paste, bay leaf, and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally and still pressing down on meat, until tomato paste is slightly darkened, about 5 minutes.
7. Pour stock and milk into pot; add a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until meat is very, very tender, 2–2½ hours.
8. There shouldn’t be any rapid bubbles at this stage. Instead, the sauce should release the occasional small bubble or two. When finished, the sauce should have the texture of and look like a sloppy joe mixture.
9. If the liquid reduces before the meat is completely tender, add an extra ½ cup stock and continue cooking. Discard bay leaf. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt; keep warm.
10. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. If using fresh pasta, cook about 3 minutes. If using dry, cook until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.
11. Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid and ½ cup Parmesan. Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
12. Transfer pasta to a platter and top with more Parmesan. Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill.

@ 20986fb8:cdac21b3

The YakiHonne community is excited about Nostrasia, and they have diligently transcribed Nostrasia's inspiring speeches. Additional speech transcripts will be made available over time. The Japanese and Spanish versions are initially translated and proofread by community members with the help of AI tools. All YakiHonne users are invited to join in the review process. Those who successfully complete the review will be granted a special reward of 3000 Sats. To get started, simply reach out to us (Comment here, DM, or TG) to sign up, and the first person to contact and submit their review will be the lucky recipient of the reward. And hey, if you're up for it, we'd love to have these speeches translated into even more languages. Join us!

🌟中文版: 客户端审查制度和未来的路 🌟日本語: クライアントの検閲と転送パス 🌟Español: Censura de clientes y caminos a seguir

Hello and welcome back to the bitcoin, not just kidding. So today we're go to chat about censorship and the pros and cons of it. I know it sounds like there are only cons, but it's not that simple, so we have Mr. Will from Damus, hello. Milan from Primal. How's it going? Guys are we going to have Vitor from Amethtys in video or something or no Oh, you're looking for, okay, not just get someone else. Yeah, I'm sure we can pick one more client from the crowd, just Kidding up somebody and bring it over. Marty, we need more people. Karen and Marty Karen, are you around? Nope, okay, yeah, good Marty. So we got right by Victor. Victor was going to video link CS and be behind us like fiat did so why don't we get started and sure they can always join us. Midway there is enough on this topic so. First why don't we start with just sort of like your general view on where do you think censorship is useful versus its just a horrible thing? Unfortunately, like we don't have a better word for filtering and censorship is a kind of filtering. So how? How do you go about that? Will?

Yeah, i mean, maybe I gave some background into like, you know what even made me start working on Damus because you know the main reason was seeing all the censorship on all these platforms right. Seeing these centralised institutions having so much power over people that they can easily just completely erase them from the internet, you know they build their following. They build this huge social graph and they spend a lot of time online like and then at a flip of a switch, they can just erase them and all that data. And I realise like, that's just, it's just not, it's not good like it's, it's horrible, so. Yeah, so like I first looked at you know mastodon as a potential solution of this problem and I realised it's like it was worse censorship, resistance was like people were getting banned left and right. It's easily for your count to get your race. So I guess I'm not really answering your Question. But this is. I mean, we all know, mastodon sucks. I mean, like. I was the benevolent dictator on that and I have to cancel some people and i felt I'm like. Oh shit, should I talk bad about cold card because I'm like am I going to get banned? So it's like you have to think about those things. It's like self-censorship, especially when you have someone running in the in incident.

So I felt like nostr was the first time where we have a solution where it's harder for people to be censored. So yeahs. I don't know if yeah didn't answer your question. That's the beginning. Mr. Millian, well. I will echo will's words here. I think the reason the main reason why many of us develop are develop. Developing an nostr is to avoid censorship and to go around it.

Probably the protocol might not even be here if we didn't experience so much censorship out there in the recent years and certainly it wouldn't get the level of passion that it's getting both from developers like Will and myself and many others here as well as the users like this early stage of an nostr where we have like a fairly small user base but very passionate user base,I think is' a product of what actually happened in the last few years. It was a wake-up call for many of us to just like to see how things work Currently and then we definitely need an alternative, the whole notion that there is a handful of companies, maybe one company that owns the kind of global town square.

Yeah, it's just insane, yeah, and I find it interesting because you know, this is why we started our clients, but in some sense it's becoming, it's becoming just like everyone's just used to, and it's expected. And now we're more focused on, you know, client features. And it's becoming like an invisible thing. And it's kind of just accepted, which is interesting. So I think the the counter argument to like our so like we're all fairly self-selecting, you know, free speech, absolutist and all this stuff. But the counter argument to that is that like, you know, there's this great quote that I can't remember who said it, but it essential like people don't want freedom. People want a better sell right. Freedom is a scary thing. There's a lot of responsibility and there's other issues with that too right.

So. A lot of people at least in my view like Twitter or like Facebook or whatever because they can have sort of like a safety space where they can dunk on the opposing view but they don't need to interact with the opposing view when they don't want to because they can just block and they can do whatever they want right so. First is one is how can we provide people also freedom to sensors or what they don't want to see in a way where it doesn't feel like there is some marionette sort of like benevolent dictator on the platform. Yeah, this is like the root of everything which is you know how much should clients be censoring aka like some people call it moderation but. As a client you have a huge responsibility when do you make that decision? Because now you're making a moderation decision on behalf of everyone using your client and yeah, it might remove some spam but it actually might also remove some legit stuff.

You know in some cases like you with, i think the IRS client originally had this web of trust model which is like a really cool way of finding spam. You only see messages from within your friend group which is just fine. But its it's a moderation decision in the sense that you're going to be missing lots of messages. Those affect people are effectively shadow banned right and they might not not necessarily be spam. So I feel like as client authors we have huge responsibility to and when we're making these decisions we need to be very transparent about them because like it's really a really copy experience when they're like, wow, I'm actually missing messages that I'm expecting because they're making some moderation decision on my behalf. So yeah. I mean it's very easy for things to get lost. What's your approach to handling some of these questions?

So when the clients shouldn't be censoring period clients shouldn't be in the business of selfensoring, they should be in the business of offering tools to people that people can choose to use or not. So when we all started kind of holding our keys to our online speech with nostr. I think that's the kind of the magical moment where the balance power shifted Forever and we're just in the early stages of that and we as client developers, probably we can make a bunch of decisions about how we're going to run our clients. It gets even more complicated when we're not only dealing with client apps, but for those companies or organisations that also run services. That's like the next kind of level of complexity. Anyone who is running a service is introduce by service I mean things like an indexing service that offers full text search of the Nosster network or the media hosting service or the caching service for acceleration services. Those types of things they are all running those types of services introduces some centralising factors to the network definitely, and people running those services need to, of course be aware of that. And in my view, the correct way to handle this sonostr is to make it easy.

Stood up as possible so that you don't have one missing service but closedsource toctify that one of this services is dangerous. Many of this services dozens and dozen smoking source software is I mean, so is BAL. This centralization is more efficient by DEF finishing and then for decentralizing. The capital has efficiency. Maybe discoverability would suffer a little and they have issues, but anostr you have can en speech. Cancel your key pair but they can prevent your key pair from participating in their system. We just say that the relays is also their right to not have your stuff right like they may choose not to host your data. But I guess the value here is that you have alternatives and you Can go elsewhere. Yeah I mean relay should be banning as many, many people as they want because like you know it's in the design of the system where relays can make those decisions.

So it's not a big of the deal when the relays do it, but it's when the clients do it because clients are naturally centralising things within nostr because you know you know a lot of people use one client like a lot Of people use domas right. So I feel like I have a lots of responsibility to make sure at the base layer that there's no censorship happening. Even I think that actually happened recently when I was designing a new feature it made me realise I'm like I don't even know if I should turn this on by default. So I added this feature where you can filter NSW Tags hashtags When you're falling hashtags and things like that. And I realised that if I were to turn this on by default which might be like a reasonable default, then that would be the first time where I'm actually like making a moderation decision on behalf of someone. And a lot of people don't go into settings to like turn it off. They might not even know those settings there, so I was like I don't even know, so eventually made decision to not enable it by default. But now it's like you. You have a first time user who like is scrolling the hashtags and they're getting porn in their feed, so it's one of those really as a client author, I'm like I don't know what the right thing to do there is because I don't want. Yeah, how do you guys feel about. Algorithm like fiedalgo right because that's where it gets dicey right. I mean the whole point of the feed Algo is for you to filter and rate and change the way that the content is presented. But as we now know like how Google is and people, it becomes the internet for people, it becomes the only thing they see. So how are you guys see it approaching? Sort of like now that's still small and how do you see this evolving? I like.

How do you handle the algo choices and algo transparencies and all that stuff? I think that Algos will be, i don't want to say, absolutely necessary to use nostr at a certain point. After we get to a very large amount of content, a lot of users, maybe even AI generated content and stuff like that. But in my view that should always be Deliberately selected by the user. So let's say if you're. Probably the correct choice at least for Primal currently is that the default feed doesn't have any algorithmic interventions.

The default feed is just the chronological feed of your follows, and then we'll have, we already have, you know, the trending feed, which is our opinion. Of what's relevant at any a given point. So that's when things get interesting and we noticed that people seem to care a lot about what trend, but but we get 2 two dumbs on that one too. But I guess like my only pushback on that is, you know, if the goal is to sort of onboard new users right, we can't just like dump like the main feet on them right. We have to do some kind of, you know, activity feed sort of like there's going to be a bunch of different feeds and hopefully offered by a bunch of different players, and the user should be able to select through the curated list of feeds. We're kind of starting to work on that at Primal, where things are a little bit more interesting than just like chronological feed of your follows versus maybe what you Primal thinks it's relevant in terms of trending stuff. We're starting to come up with different algos for a bunch of different scenarios, which we think are going to be interesting. But what's important is that every ALGOL is open sourced. So that it's perfectly transparent, how we're coming up with this, and if there are any filter list lists. Those lists should also be transparent and also If not opt- in but at least like opt out. So the user should have the ability to select the types of Algos that they want to see in their feeds or not. Yeah I mean a lot of people think I'm like Antialgo because I have like a chronological feed maxi, but it's not really true. My issue is like I'm against one algol like you know the default ALGOL like you open tiktok and it's just like you scroll mindless.

You know I think that is causing lots of negative effects on society and humanities. But I think nostrs uniquely set up right now to do it much better, which is. I think next year is going to be the year of Argos on nostr. In terms of just you, Damus will eventually have lists different types of ALGOL. We're starting to see the training feed and stuff in Primal. I think even snort. When I open up Snort, there's like a default trending algo now. Yeah. I think it's coming from nostr band, but I'm not sure. So it's like weren't this? We're set up perfectly to start exploring this space and Nasha uniquely is going to do it really well. Just because we have different clients trying different things. There's go to be different ALGOL feed, so I'm really excited for next year in terms of what we do without. That's actually an interesting point, which is. When it comes to content discovery so the notion of offering a content Discovery feature again introduces some centralising factors into the story right. So if you're a nostr client, let's say let's take search. Search is a very good example because everybody agrees that search is useful right, whereas some people might disagree that trending feeds are useful so that's fine. So if you're an nostr client and when it comes to search, you have basically three options you can not offer. You know. Global Search. You can say running indexes introduces centralizing effects during network. I don't want to do that and make a principal choice to not offer this feature. I respect that second choice is to stand up your own indexer and offer the feature and the third choice is to use someone else's indexer. So I mean data. I mean, we have this massive liquidity pool of data. Right. I mean if you're well connected to relays right as a user. You could almost say like you have this universe of almost everything that's on nostr would be available to you except for the stuff that doesn't want to be seen right so like private relays or things like that so. The data is there it is up to. I guess the user to pick a client that will sort of shape the data in a way. The day when I have. I'm curious to get you a take will on the 4th.

Option yeah. I mean so I've been thinking about this a lot. The way that I'm starting to view at least Damus at least my client with nostr DB and things like that is you know. I really want to. I want these features to be in clients so this is why I've been kind of building this database from and so my view is you know you have your note is like or your client is like has a certain view of the network.

Yeah, it's not a global view so we don't have global search but I think you can still get pretty far with just like your view of the network. Search locally on your device. So I think that's gonna open up a lot of cool anyway. I just thought. I agree that's actually a good good take and can't wait to try that. Yeah, it's gona be fun. What about marketplaces for for Feed. Algols and for filters and things like that? Is this like something that's on your radars. It's just something you guys are developing now because I would love to have like you. Here's a bunch of cool things that you could have you like. Maybe shows More cats maybe like yeah. So actually. Primo was the main motivation for creating Notre script because. I noticed their relay had custom like non-pet things you're sending back and forth over the web socket. Well. I was like How could I tap into that and Damus. If if someone wanted to write like a plugin you can Plug, we chat it a little bit like DM. Yeah, even though it's not a stable interface, but it was still cool like, hey, imagine if you could write a small notriscript that talked to the primal relay using their language, and then you could just simply broadcast that plugin as like a note to the network and so the marketplace would just simply you just fetch down all these plugin notes which are just like they could even be embedded in the note. The actual script could be embedded in the note and then you can just install it into Damus. And then now you have a primal training feed in Damus. So I wanted to make it so like you know. I don't have to hard code your relays and the Damus. So I think I think I'm really excited to start doing more with nostrscript. It's pretty powerful. I'm not really doing anything with it yet, but except for unlocking apps, yeah. I know you, you guys are working more on this sorry question.

Yes we are excited about the idea of marketplace for feeds and we're excited about it from both directions. The idea of creating our own feeds that are going to be available in other clients as well as of course making other non-primal feeds available in primal clients. I think it's going to be massive and it's one of those examples where it lifts the whole ecosystem. We can kind of help each other out that way. I think that these things get very like interesting and dangerous right as we move just past only social stuff because you're going to have marketplaces you're going to have in all the dms you're going to have. You know it could be blog posts. It could be whatever so like you imagine when news organizations are posting their long form articles like you The New York Times of such and know you're going to have clients that maybe have state sanctions on them right. So I don know, like Domas China might not be willing to show you know what some newspaper that is against the current regime in some other country, you in that country, we'll learn how exactly how censorship resistant we area. I'm waiting for the day when it's like, you know, some government is going to come to me and say you have to ban this pubkey or this group of terrorist organisations because it'll be really sad where I'm gonna have to. I mean, it's definitely possible where have to hard code centres. I just don't think it's that effective though, because you could just create new keys so easily. I mean Pablo is already censoring BRB.IO, he blocked from NDK. But as a couple of days ago we did two there going oka, so nobody's handling yours. So no, we've just been handling them for so long. We don't have to handle them anymore. So you know, like how? How do we incentivize CRE incentives where all like state actors sort of kind of like give up right because it's guacamole? Anyone can see the same content elsewhere right like that is not true for twit or Facebook right like the content that is there is' stuck in there with nostr. Maybe on the app store in China is not available, but they can go see the head on the web right. I think there's not many like Central places and this is the whole point of building a decentralised network is. There's no pressure points where they can go to and be effective like even you know China or the CCP They banned a lot of the bootstrap relays within Damus, but then I just updated it so that you can change the bootstrapper relays and so the next time you go so it's going to be like this cat mouse game if they want to try to do it. But it's going to be very hard for governments as censor nostr.

Yeah. I think they'll definitely try. If we are successful or when nostr takes off in a major way in terms of users and usage, we will get pressured. If we're successful, we will get pressured and the only way to kind of deal with that Is to have as many apps as many different form factors in platforms running all kinds, as many different possible sets of tradeoffs, as many relays as many caching services and indexing services, all of them based on open source software. Now that's hard to stop. Yeah, it's like there's a reason why email isn't censored. I mean, actually, yeah, email, it complicated. It's complicated, but you know, but it's pretty free. I mean. Yeah, it, it's very hard to really, truly cut it off. It's just it gets tricky. Yeah, i mean, it got a little bit centralized, but for the most part, it's you can. You know, i run my own email server and it works. I'm kind of at my own. Little Independent noted. I wouldn't recommend running an email server because it's a pain in the ass. But yeah, i mean once you build on a protocol, it's just it becomes exponentially harder for them to shut. There's no central place to shut it down, so. Very cool so just like sort of looking forward right. What things do you guys want to see like built that could help clients and relays. And you know indexes sort of coordinate around these things.

I mean so there's one big risk at least especially with like the model that Damus adopts which is you know this relay pool model. So this is the dumber and simpler versions of the gossip model. So there is a risk that's like where there could be very few relays and you know it might just take like one government say all these are now illegal and so all of a sudden you nowhere to connect to. So I think the gossip model is something I really want to get into next year in Damus just to more censorship resistance. Then then basically you could run your own relay and Damus would know to read and write to those relays for each user and that would help a lot for decentralisation censorship resistance. So I definitely at least want to have it as an option you can turn on. But there's many different ways to fetch nose from. But I think the gossip model is something I want to do more.

Exactly the same answer here. So we'll also implement the gossip model probably after the version one is out. So this is more kind of Primal Two. This has been part of our vision from the beginning, so when we launched Primal back in March. I wrote this blog post that nobody read where kind of outlined the roadmap where we're starting with a you in four different steps. We're going to get from this model where we kind of read from our caching service to the model where the ability to work with the caching service is just a competency of the client. But also we're reading from relays directly and specifically implementing gossip. So yeah, this is going to you.

So you know the two of you are known actors right. So you guys are capture points and you know. How how do you see you the kind of energy you're going to have to put in into having some moderation So you guys don't end up in jail right. So there is the unsavory pictures. There is the stuff that it's illegal jurisdiction you're in, and we all know that I mean. Active moderation is an insane job like I mean it's super hard, its costs a lot of money. You see the guys for Facebook that like jump off buildings after doing a day of it.

I mean I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know how effective my theory around this is. But you know I'm basically positioning Damus as a browser as a client. Its like a browser in some sense, so you know Damus doesn't host any images we don't even have like an image cache or anything. So you know a lot of the issues that these centralized services What they run into is that they're hosting the images. And so you know if they need to be taken down, you actually have to go to Twitter and like take down that image where it's like now I just go to the Nashi pi guide can you take that image down? But that's the only kind of the centralizing risk is like I'm pushing a lot of the liability to people who want to do those things. But for the most part Damus it just like we're just plain text.

So more than just like avoiding jail, which is definitely a good thing. Good go, yeah, you're not winning if you're in jail. Beyond that Certain types of filtering can be just useful services, As long as they are opt-in and selectable by the user. So we're planning to implement all kinds of filtering algorithms that people can choose to opt in or opt out of as a service to our users. And I think this as the network grows, this will be more and more useful. And hopefully those types of filters that are fully transparent again based on open source software, so everything by the way that we do it. Primal is open source under the MIT License.

Hopefully those filters are good enough to also keep us out of jail.

I actually want to talk about something really quick about images in general. I don't think images should be censorship resistant because you get into these situations where you accidentally post an image and you realize like you docks your address or something on a photo and then you're like Well, you definitely want that to be censored right. So if you use like nip whatever and try to get upload, get that image to like ten different relays. Now it's much harder to take down the image I don. So I think it's good that images insensible in some sense, it's like.

That's the trade-off that I'm willing to make just for know, it's common reasons. None of these are simple black and white issues. Once you drill into them, i mean, you know. nostr doesn't have a native way of hosting binary data right. So like it's really unsolved problem to begin with, like, where do the pictures go? Where does the video wherever you want them to go? Yes that's right. I mean. I guess we could. That's the other stuff we can do. Bay 64 and just put them in kind S text. But don't do that. Please you listening, hacker out there, dump too fast. Bwy 64. All the things.

So I guess who's doing like a good job at handling this fine balance in the early days where we don't have all the tools yet to have not a lot of knowledge yet, but like who's doing a good job out there? And what are some examples of things that you wish didn't happen.

I don't know what other people are doing so I don't know, like i Don't, if they are censoring people. I wouldn't even know. So it's so early. It's hard to point anything that's being down super well, actually, in any segment of nostr, it's so early, like the whole meme, like nostr's broken. You like, we're assembling the airplane in flight. Stuff's broken for all of you guys out there using our stuff. When when you tell us that stuff's broken, yeah, we know we know we see it like when you the bar is set by Twitter, you like multibillion dollar company. That's been added for ten years and people are like. Oh, why't you? Why does notes do this well, it's just they still haven't figured out. I mean, nobody has right, because the problem keeps on changing too right. Society changes. What's acceptable behavior. What's not what countries expect off the platforms? The laws change. But on the flip side, things are improving so rapidly that I think everyone can agree with because like you just look at where we were. Let's say six months ago. Things are moving quite nicely and I have a good feeling about what's to come back in the coming months.

Yeah. I mean, this year has been insane and just seeing all the progress of all the clients. And yeah, exactly what you said, how far we come, it's just it's been amazing and now look, we're here a year later almost and we're all in Japan and we're trying to figure this stuff out. It's just it's amazing to see this much energy and people just trying to solve these hard problems. So yeah, just appreciate everyone that's here and that are on the on the mission with us. So thank you yeah.

Yeah. I mean we're definitely on a user bear market now for nostr, which is perfect. It's the time to build thank God right because once the users come. I mean we saw this last time right. I mean you're busy trying to make sure servers don't melt like you notice when like a whole country comes on. I noticed I think it was like Saudi Arabia or something they came on. There's a million messages in like ours, something that's when BRP became BRB ye and then they left because they realised there's no delete.

That's right. I mean, that's actually a very interesting thing to bring up, because people have come to expect a capacity to the leach, they don't understand the ST strike and fact. They don't understand that on the internet, everything is there forever because they do remove from the immediate world that they live in, and things can kind of go away. So I mean. Germany has laws the right to be forgotten right, that are kind of like hilarious because the Internet doesn't forget and doesn't forgive. Isn't that anonymous. So I mean you had the feature right for for, I've deleted myself accidentally on demos. Well, yeah, its like, it's not a real delete, it just wipes your profile.

Is that just the past App Store? Yes, no, it was. It was the dumbest thing I ever implemented. It just like wipes your profile. And then it sets a flag on your profile that says Delete. And then when you try to log in with Damus, yeah. I actually. So I actually got rid of that because it's just it was so annoying. It's too confusing was that Paul okay with that they have. They're not checking anymore. Probably like yeah, they accepted it was a check mark first. And then now once you're on the app store, it's okay. Now you can just start to like undo the stuff that you got. I mean, we went through all this right with Apple in the early days of Bitcoin, right like Apple said no bitcoin wallets. I think it was 2014 or so and everybody started shooting their phones on videos on the internet. And then they kind of change course a bit.

I guess eventually the demand is so great that it doesn't matter what they think or want. Right. I feel like that's what we're going to end up seeing for zaps. It's unsustainable for them to want to take 30 percent forever of that stuff. Right, yeah, my goal with zaps is like we just need to put it in everything like and and just make it so such a common operation among in the nas ecosystem. And once the nas ecosystem is so large, it'll be like banning zaps will be like banning the hyperlink in the browser that and then at some points just be it's going to be silly for them to keep maintaining that policy. I agree it should be obvious that ios is just not as much fun as, let's say. Android or PWA because zaps are either not there or they're inferior or they're subject to 30 percent tax or things like that. But having said that. I think we, we should. We should try and do our best to somehow get the zaps back into the App Store even like I think it's more important for them to be there, even in the form where we bend the need, so to speak, and, you know, pay the 30 percent tax. I think that's a better outcome than not having them in the App Store at all, because Zap apps are so integral to the overall experience and enabled so many other use cases. I mean, we see this with Twitter subscription right. I mean. Apple said Elon, we won 30 percent of this, so Elon said. You know what if you buy it on the Internet, you? It's cheaper and let him get get away with it. But they like didn't let anyone else get away course Amazon. But eventually it becomes, you know, like you.

If you repays the cost to the user and they make it clear like this is the Apple Tax that they call it Apple Tax. On the receipt, users themselves are going to sort of like start complaining to Apple. They actually don't allow you to do that, so I think don't no Facebook actually tried it like and so their users if you tried to buy something or something on the marketplace. I forget the exact what what happened, but they actually would show like Oh Apple to be taking a cut and this is what it actually is. They actually got removed from the App Store when they did that because they.

They don't want users coming after them and being unhappy. Yeah, but you know, like people are going notice right that on Damus Android is cheaper to buy the zap that it is on ios right, like that's what does it? I think yeah, and especially if it's the same brand right, that's where things get like obvious. When I had to call with the Apple people about this whole thing, what I thought was really interesting. Was you were allowed to buy things with zaps physical things with Zaps. So this started to get me thinking i was like. What if there's a loophole here? Where can you buy someone a coffee like? What? What if I can buy someone buy someone's lunch? That's a physical thing that you're zapping. So what if we have a button on post? That's like Buy me coffee or buy lunch like I started thinking about this like Is this a potential way to get zaps back in? I don't know. But that was an idea I was thinking about.

Well. I mean, let's say things get worse right. And like the Pixel Store also doesn't want it anymore and like. Eventually we go back to maybe there's a different nip. Now it's just like lightning again. You know what I mean like, it's not lightning called Zaps. It's just, you know, something else, because people are not going to stop sending bitcoin to each other.

You can post a bitcoin address and get paid. Right. Becoin is no permission. Receiving. Yeah. I mean, these are the This is the huge like you know, these are the Gatekeepers, you know, the Google Plays Store and the Apple Store. That's of the biggest risk right now because like so many people use those devices, you know it's much more fun to use nostr on your phone. So I think that's kind of the biggest threat right now for Nossa and we need to.

Maybe we need new app stores. We need more ways to like Side load. Obviously they said they're doing that with Apple. I don't know if they if that's even Don't, I haven't read anything about it. But yeah, we need different ways to like, get things on our phones. It's not controlled by these. You know it economically gets weird right because see like we're not selling some token right like Bitcoin is a traded asset right like that has a price. So like if you give the app ten dollars to buy zaps and you're only getting 7 dollars in zaps to give away like people get crunchy even if you're not showing the Apple tax on it right because the clients are not going to take that loss right, its at 30 percent like it becomes uneconomical for you to have those right.

And we're going to definitely see more on ramps for sets for zapping in the platform too, like there's strike, there's all this a block with the Cash app. You know these apps are going to start getting integrated, and the source of Bitcoin for zaps may not be the one that we have now that Apple is after. How we're doing time minutes? Oh wow, what are we going to talk about? Yeah, let's do some Q and A get a mic around and really get some some deep questions here I see. I see hands there.

Hi. Lottie again. So first of all, it's really cool just to be sitting in front of all of you guys because you build things that are really essential to everything working on. I'm a huge Dumas fan. Use it every day, so thank you. I think one of the things I would like to know is in what ways I know you had said you. You don't necessarily need any more feedback because you guys already know all the things that no keep the feedback coming. I didn't mean don't give us feedback, just know that we probably know about it and maybe you know are going. Need some time to get to it, but definitely keep people complaining is like the main reason why I know certain things are broken. So I love it when people complain at me absolutely. But sometimes it's like Yeah, everyone like when everyone's saying it like. Yeah. I know remember the best form of is a bull request. Okay is so that comes to my question. It's like, what is the most constructive way, not just to give you all feedback, but also make sure that the community is aware of it too. Right because again, if it's like 70 people adding you that this thing is wrong, that's probably not helpful. The most useful thing that you can do as a user if you want to help fix the issues that you're seeing is just provide a way to reproduce it, because a lot of time people, people would say. Oh, this is broken. I'm like, well, what are the steps you went through to get to that state? And I think that once we have that flow, then we can easily fix the problem. So I think if you, yeah, if you want to help client developers just provide ways that you can reproduce the issue. So I consign that short of providing the code that say the actual fix. Yeah.

Thanks

Will you touched on kind of the hi over here? I know social media and how it's been negative for our generations, but you also talked about it earlier. You put out a note saying 99 percent of Damus users leave because it's not sticky. It doesn't have the algorithm right ye. So my Concern is how do we prevent these clients from becoming Twitter again because the algorithms work because it keeps people engaged? And hopefully, if we create the most efficient algorithm is probably going to be something like that, like how do we prevent that from happening again? Yeah, it's really Interesting because we ran through this with drone about our actual retention in the app and we're going through it and we realized it's like Damus is not even gonna be successful if we don't in some sense make it more sticky and add more engagement features. But then it's like Yeah, what you said, we're going down that route of what if we go overboard right? So maybe there's a balance where we can, you know, make an engagement, make it engaging, but in a healthy way, not in a way that's like driving people insane and making bad effects on society. So I'm really looking forward to exploring what that is because I want to build apps that like make people happy and make people that people have fun and not be overly addicted, which is weird like. Yeah, it would be great like, yeah, get everyone on, you know, make da. Like crack and get everyone addicted and everyone's using it. That's like but is that really what we're trying to achieve here. We're trying to do something different. We don't want to just repeat the old system, so I think there's definitely a balance that I'm looking forward to exploring. What that is i think you used an interesting word you said Prevent and the key here is you can't. People will do what they want to do and know. Hopefully. Twitter is going to see the value of nostr right and they're going to run their own version of it so you can't really prevent. It's more like. How do you compete? How do you have such an immersive, interesting, sticky experience that maybe it's like healthier right. But you still can compete against like a war point.

That people are sort of like super glued now on. I think if the question is, how do we prevent from nostr to becoming Twitter? I think the answer is, we just let nature take its course and it's going to happen organically because there are so many of us when I say so many of us so many already only a few months in there are so many different client apps making their own decisions and making different tradeoffs. And we'll get to see what happens when it all plays out and we kind of learn from each other.

Yeah, that's really interesting because we're definitely going to see some that are gonna be like super addictive, like really addictive algorithms. And we're going to have maybe some that are more chill and care about your like wellbeing. But that's the beautiful thing about nostr is, we're going to have all of these different things you can choose from. And depending on your your personality, you'll choose the one that fits best for you.

I don't know if that's your quote or if you stole it from someone. MVK, but I love it, you said.

Everything is allowed so everything will be tried. So that some got

So but this this has another layer right like the data is still there right like you can say For example, you are more interested in having a healthier relationship with your social media like you can still interact with the person who really wants that intense, horrible, sort of unhealthy relationship with it, Right, you still exist in the same network so you actually look completely off like can imagine the guy is super angry, angry tweeting and replies about some war stuff right and then you were watching his replies on the Super Calm interface, Where where is this guy coming from? There is nobody validating his existence in this other sort of way of displaying it. Maybe yeah.

Does that answer your question? Great? Do we have more questions? Hey, guys stage, right over here.

Millon you were talking about how there's three options for basically pulling in algorithms that have to run on a server. You either do it yourself, trust someone to do it or you don't do it at all. And then of course, there's the in-memory kind of like client side version, but we'll discount that. I think data vending machines are really promising approach to this because in any of those three options or I guess two options, you have to address the service that is providing the functionality and so you're coupling your client to that thing. Even if you make it swappable or user configurable or something like that, it's still a centralising thing. And more importantly, the algorithm is not fungible. It's not something that can be swapped out transparently. Do you guys have opinions about data vending machines? Is that something that you've looked into, you know, that seems like a really. There's already a kind for recommending content on the data vending machine. Can you guys first explain? DVM is so people get, Pablo agrees with me? Yes, is that huddle by the way Pablo should be on that talk somewhere. It's in five minutes. Okay, I'm good, so get his talk. I think I completely agree with everything. You just said I can't see who that was, but I co, oh over there, ok.

Yes. These are centralising forces and that's why I agree that the algos should be swappable. And so if we use Primal as an example, we'll make sure that our algos are available in other clients and that we also are able to consume other algols from other services within our clients. Probably dvms are the correct way to implement this, but we'll still, you know, go deeper and kind of figure this out.

I'm a bit of a DVM skeptic what my general philosophy is, and this is what I actually just wait and let veder implement everything and then see if it like is good at ideal or not. And it's actually a great way to just avoid doing stuff that has bad ideas. But dvms could be a great idea. I'm just like I'm gonna sit and see how it plays out before I do anything with them, but Yeah. I mean, I'm more focused on noterscript. I feel like nostrscript specifically for the recommendation or the pluggable Algol thing like I'm more interested in that, but they are competing ideas in that space.

How far are you on that?

It's ready to go. I just need to find time to plug it in. So yeah, once I go back l. Download now two weeks. Yeah, I'm not gon to promise anything. But yeah. I think it's an interesting approach that I just want to see it play out a bit more so.

The way we implement it is almost secondary to the idea that this needs to be done and standardised. Right.

Any any more questions hands up. There's a couple there. Make it difficult for this Guys come on.

I'm here yeah I was wondering what your opinion is about, how likes cost a lot of like people want the tension on line and how zaps are going to cost people to be greedy and they just want money and everything is going to be around getting sat which is cool but it can also have negative.

E-bagging Used to be the term back in the early internet days is, you know, people will have behaviours based on, you know, just trying to like you either ask for money or, you know, just do things for this zap.

Yeah, that's something that we have to worry about or really be concerned or address. It's really interesting cause I ran into this issue when I implemented Only Zaps for the first time. So only ZAps was a feature in Damus where it removed the like button on your posts if you turn it on and people are really upset about it because they're like. Oh, so you know. I can't just like anything anymore. You know, I'm just like I'm just throwing change at you, and that's the only thing that's important to you. So it's like there definitely is like a social a weird social thing. When you turn off likes on someone's post, it's like I only want thats. So yeah, i definitely agree that there that is a challenge, but I don't know I don't know how to solve it. How do you guys feel about one sat means you know, f you. I was at two sats means I can't remember.

Now one sat twice. I feel like one sat you twice. One side is like flinging pennies at people. It's like it's me.

Yeah, luckily, don't have sat, you know values because that would more rude. But tech. Technically supported.

Did we answer your question?

Yes. I was mainly thinking about, for example, young children like six years old. They're going to be using the parent. It's like parents should be the ones sort of dictating that it's the lack of parenting that normally causes those problems, not the technology itself. I mean, at least in my view, like there is only so much you can do if you have kids, you know what? They look at a tablet. The MOF just goes like this. You know their brains cannot like deal with it like it's just too sticky. So you need a human they're prescribed human to sort of direct them in a way that's healthier. At least you can't outsource that to an ALGOL, i think. Not yet.

Next question. All right.

I'm going, give this to Mr. Mbk. So you said this idea of like that the Internet is forever. And maybe that nostr notes are forever and honestly. I just don't fully understand that or like what the mechanisms or incentives are of like, this data continue continuing to persist at scale. Yeah, so data persistence is often like, even if you don't think about it in terms of design, it's just design to do that because you want the data to persist. It's more because we need the data to persist so that we can serve the data to users right. So we have all these redundancies and these redundancies end up never forgetting the data right. You're going to have like, layers of backup that are maybe deeper backups, and the data is always going to exist like it's nearly impossible to erase it.

Yeah, so yeah, a lot of people think that deletion, I We have a deletion spec. It's like. I think it's nip five something. And so the idea is that when you want to delete something, you send a note to the relay and then the relay should remove the note, by choice.

Yeah, they don't have to, but they should. And only the only issue now is that if any of the relays that didn't get that delete note now you still have one relay that has it. So now you have to pull down delete notes for every note that you pull. And so it's actually it's a really tricky thing. It's really and it's it's going to get even harder in Damus now because Damus actually saves all the notes it sees. So now I have to like pull down all the delete notes and make sure that it's deleted. But in reality it's like every Damus phone is going to have the note and you can't delete the note from everyone's phone.

I think the Directional problem here is that like deleting in computer science is a problem. When you have too much aggregated data, it costs more to delete than to store. So I think we're going to essentially disincentivize by design people to actually delete the stuff even though it's part of this SPAC. What you might see is filters based on this deletion right, so you'll hide at the client side. Baby like the stuff that is FLAG as deleted.

Yeah, you pretty much need to do that. Clients need to download delete notes and hide them. If it's deleted, it's an owner system.

It's actually easier to edit notes. I think so maybe we'll see more note editing in the future. So you just like you don't not only pull the note, but you've pulled down potential edits on that note. I don't think anyone's my mind was blown. The first time I saw that in action with long posts on ABLA.news I was like, Wait what?

Yeah, this is actually a huge flaw. I think in the long form notes. So we have this thing called a replaceable note. And so, You know you can edit by replacing the note but then you actually lose edit history because you're actually deleting the old notes so I want to, Me and Semiol have been talking about adding like no like. Instead of like replaceable notes, we just have a version history on notes, so yeah, they are replaced. But you keep the old version and there's a way to fetch old version.

So you're just chaining.

So it's much it's a much better way because we don't want to add deletion as like a core protocol mechanism because it just causes way too many issues. We see that with the contact list like you know, we get the weird sync issues with your with your contact list and it's because it's like there's information destruction happening. So. Any. Not much to it there. I just agree that contact List did that sort of, Did that get your question Answered?

No, no, that's is there any way. We can sort of like rehash that in a way that would answer. Okay,

Alex? Do we have time for more? One more question.

Hi, so going back to one of the previous questions How much of the immersion and user experience do you think? Has to do with the presence of celebrities or experts to have things of interest to say that the algorithm can uncover for the users.

I mean, it's very important, you know, that's probably going to be one of the deciding factors, whether a nostr takes off or not, at least to a point where it's like mainstream adoption is we sometimes we like to harp on influencers and all these types people, but they bring in lots of people because most people are lurkers, most people just want to consume interesting content from people making content. So if we're going to win, we need to actually get more content creators on the network. So we got to find wise. We got to find ways to incentivize content creators, so that's why we said like right when Kly Walker joined, they're like bitcoin influencers in some sense, I'm like everyone should be zapping them like we need more people like that.

I mean, like Twitter edits best right, like if we ignore its other problems, it's like it really is remarkable right that you have, like some of the smartest people and sort of more interesting people, more thoughtful people sort of hashing it out in public. I mean, that's really the public square right there right. So, You know people want to hear from people who maybe are like they're distinguished in their fields and that'd be just somebody who was very good at shuffle dancing all the way to somebody who who is a phd in physics.

Right, the yeah, the problem is a lot of those people don't really care about like censorship resistance and the reasons why we built these clients. So we basically just need, we just need to get a good UX to compete with Twitter at that point.

I mean people don't care about censorship until they get wrecked. Right. I mean so and we're starting to see there that does seem to be lurkers like famous people who are lurkers on nostr. And then there is sort of like people mirroring some of their posts. Right. I think, I think Sailor is is he posting his his bitcoin by is on Twitter because he sorry on nostr because he's on nostr too. Yeah, he just post images, just the pictures, just the pictures.

We need more than pictures right. So okay guys. I mean this was. I think like Super Super Useful Conversation. I think we we've covered a lot so That's fun. Give it up for MBK. Will and Millian Thank you guys.

---

About YakiHonne:

YakiHonne is a Nostr-based decentralized content media protocol, which supports free curation, creation, publishing, and reporting by various media. Try YakiHonne.com Now!

Follow us

• Telegram: http://t.me/YakiHonne_Daily_Featured
• Twitter: @YakiHonne
• Nostr pubkey: npub1yzvxlwp7wawed5vgefwfmugvumtp8c8t0etk3g8sky4n0ndvyxesnxrf8q
• Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551715056704
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552076811240
• Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/720824539860115
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyjDDtWFCntGvf4EyFJ7BlA

@ f839fb67:5c930939

````

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA512

I hereby declare that, based on the blockhash: 000000000000000000033a4ed1c12359166a056bd6d8e029fa7f3023fc7740ba, to the best of my knowledge, I am affirming sole ownership and control of the private keys associated with:

PGP (AED52F32870CB1D3B7A4670DAB75E92968566C6E) Nostr (f839fb6714598a7233d09dbd42af82cc9781d0faa57474f1841af90b5c930939/npub1lqulkec5tx98yv7snk759tuzejtcr5865468fuvyrtuskhynpyush5qaf3) Bitcoin: bc1qdx3x70fkw5u05qmgljgp2h3v72uk0qj0suq6cy 16fcYCwkrEM6rLB7c6hyvJuq9k41CEDC4K

============================================

::DNS Records:: nostrsms.com vanderwarker.dev vanderwarker.family vanderwarker.social vanderwarker.store

More proofs available at: https://git.vanderwarker.family/stephen/proofs/ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----

iQIzBAEBCgAdFiEE8GHWJGiqDefDJ1S170Ke+EeGjBQFAmVU5gkACgkQ70Ke+EeG jBS8Zg/9GVs51Sdwh/WSMFY3Zb0QtKbaPvkZ/wR+wdTsAz9A54PDGxfdBBMQFTh8 ewyVRG2fY0AwFdLKj7nd69PqHfRu4tbFOACuQg0csJ4azgUSsN/7LjOoZe/WiYHL RW/36Ca1i7xCDPhysgM6MKv93YcwTwQZ7xHmXZoUvEHsJlDy2AC1OUbWyIMlmJ41 agw0PT8Ek9HStdSDaXtAlF50twIsON4Y82Gtn1RGk196K3cfpxdq/1WlbQg0Gawz rCh1bxNEB7IuRzA/tK0P1w4FcxLKUsVb9yYgg15E/J0jN6cB8+Ir0yBS5GTHZWoh GqiUwijhXyivGFN4C3Wdk0xpMJXdbLtfrNvMvOxJpc32+Js8eFwO3UZ6ObkHuS4Y xb7XeQVBwWeAxAU48Ns2mGZqI2ZvOMNlL8SSZWjztggKkOtPCEFVq9ZImDOkZjgn 656Ti5KlbBWSZfh0Hfsuvx7ACgmbxrZa28f3gxrmojqbYK1xrQZFxQhBYEw2DIau LD+xTlX1AxUYYgU5jHPuNJso7MbgZpzwohQ8nIrwll3KEhU2npVS42fXMsUgHRBq Vk62JXAjthGL/v0xeuCa9gaKlXfGtn55grBLS4dMtuPLDqvERkvamN5iBrFkcXR4 psrYjHFebTraPpw30+13Q0V61kWpVsXpuzBndiHfes/qnbgVJjM= =Es3S -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

````

@ bcea2b98:7ccef3c9

Chapter 1 - The Looming Threat

Deep within a remote, heavily guarded scientific facility in the Ural Mountains of Russia, Vadim Petrov hunched over the glowing screen of his computer, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. He barely noticed the cold bite of the stale bunker air or the crumpled energy drink cans littering his workspace. All his focus was directed toward the lines of code marching down the monitor, his life's work laid bare before him in beautiful minimalist logic.

With a final keystroke, Vadim compiled the program. A hint of a smile tugged at his cracked lips. It was done - his quantum computing masterpiece was ready. Soon, very soon, he would put it to use, cracking open the virtual vaults of Bitcoin once and for all.

Vadim leaned back, his chair creaking, as he reflected on the long road leading to this moment. He had dedicated over a decade of brilliance and obsession to reach this point. As a young PhD student at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology in the late 2010s, Vadim excelled in quantum research, blazing ahead of his peers. The emerging field held incredible promise to revolutionize computing, smashing through limitations faced by even the most powerful supercomputers of the era. Quantum's exponential scale held the potential to reshape medicine, cryptography, energy, space exploration - the very structure of knowledge itself.

When he first heard of Bitcoin, the mysterious digital currency created by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, Vadim instantly saw how quantum power could be its undoing - or its savior. This so-called "digital gold" seemed foolish to him at first, bits pretending to be as valuable as precious metal and national currencies. But as Bitcoin grew, finding an enthusiastic niche among techno-libertarians and cyberpunks seeking an alternative economy, Vadim paid ever more notice.

In 2013, still early days for Bitcoin, the price crossed $1000 briefly before crashing back down. But four years later, the cryptocurrency exploded into mainstream consciousness by reaching parabolic heights of nearly $20,000. Soon even governments were debating regulation and financial elites argued whether Bitcoin could revolutionize - or destroy - the monetary order.

As a central player in quantum research, Vadim understood before most that this rising cryptocurrency built on cryptography was ultimately vulnerable. Quantum computers' exponential power could easily crack the public-private key encryption which secured Bitcoin wallets and transactions. At a stroke, quantum supremacy over classical silicon computing meant game over for Bitcoin's security paradigm.

But observing Bitcoin's ascent, Vadim felt not warning, but jealous loathing. That such a presumptuous invention dared accrue billions in supposed value offended his sense of the natural order. "Who are these cowboy coders challenging state authorities by creating magic internet money from thin air?" he lamented. The veneer of technological genius concealing base greed and anarchism disgusted him.

He vividly remembered the day years back when an American investor tried convincing Vadim, already an elite researcher, to work on Bitcoin security applications for quantum tech. Vadim refused brusquely, judging the field as unserious pop science.

"You will look foolish when governments shut this down and prosecute these scam artists," Vadim insisted. The American just laughed and made a fortune when Bitcoin's price kept rising. That gloating smile haunted Vadim, even as Bitcoin became too influential to simply ban outright.

His disgust slowly gave way to an ambitious vision. When quantum supremacy definitively arrived, he would be ready. He would craft the world's most powerful quantum computing instrument specifically to destroy Bitcoin's security. Not to extort ransoms, but to prove a point - that this inflated bubble of algorithmic make-believe money was hopelessly fragile against raw hyper-accelerated calculation power.

To Vadim, Bitcoin represented not promise, but hubris. By exposing it as mathematically flawed at its core, he could reveal the hypocrisy and weakness of its pseudo-populist rhetoric. The world would thank him for liberating it from this viral delusion that threatened real economic stability. Utter secrecy was essential as over years Vadim assembled a team of elite researchers and siphoned funding into his covert Bitcoin breaking project. Russia's security apparatus gave tacit support in hopes of gaining future quantum advantage over Western rivals. But only Vadim's innermost circle knew his full vision of bathing Bitcoin's precious blockchain in the firepower of quantum-enabled cryptanalysis - watching it burn brightly and then fade to ash.

Vadim called his creation the Venus Prototype, after the Morning Star that heralds the sun's arrival. And like that celestial body, his machine would break the endless digital night of Bitcoin's golden age, exposing it as a false idol. No longer would its porous cryptography conceal inflated speculation from deserved ruin. By quantum might, he would cast light on Bitcoin's weaknesses, melting its shiny veneer to reveal the clay feet of a false god. And now Venus was alive, humming with otherworldly might in its cradle beneath the mountains. As Vadim initiated the startup sequence, the bunker vibrated with thrumming power. Lights flickered in awe of this digital beast's birth. Vadim watched transfixed as raw calculation potential that could model whole universes now came under his command. An almost religious ecstasy seized him, sensing destiny at hand. The hour had come at last to implement his vision. All that remained was choosing the perfect moment to strike...

Meanwhile across the world, sunny California seemed a different universe from Vadim's subterranean lab. In a nondescript San Francisco office, a group of developers were hard at work on Bitcoin software. Eric Hughes, grey-bearded veteran of the cypherpunk movement of activists who pioneered cryptography and online privacy, led the Bitcoin Core team in maintaining the protocol's code.

After over a decade of meteoric growth, disruptive potential, and no shortage of controversy, Bitcoin was now worth trillions and shaking the foundations of the financial system. But from their humble workspace, the task at hand for Eric and his Brilliant but overworked colleagues was just keeping the network running smoothly. He often repeated the mantra “First, do no harm” when considering potential code changes, reflecting the enormous responsibility of these stewards to an open-source project that had taken on a life of its own. With so many vested interests, keeping stakeholders aligned was as much politics as programming.

While reviewing some proposed efficiency improvements, Eric came across a strange message on the project's public developer forum, posted anonymously:

"Beware the coming storm, when the quantum tempest shall rage. What is built strong today will soon lie broken tomorrow, unless the wise prepare in time..."

Puzzled, Eric read the cryptic warning again. Was it some clueless amateur speculating, or something more? The reference to quantum hinted at specialized knowledge. Gathering a few lead developers, Eric asked them if they knew anything about the message. They all shrugged, as perplexed as him.

Still, Eric felt a nameless unease. The specter of quantum computing loomed over every cryptographer's thoughts, though the capability remained confined to laboratories for the foreseeable future. But if someone had made a significant, secret breakthrough, Bitcoin's current encryption would become obsolete overnight. Usually cautious voices in the developer forums were already arguing quantum resistance should be built into the protocol.

"This reeks of foolish alarmism to me," said Zhao, a skeptical cryptographer trained in China. "Our Shanghai lab would know if anyone had achieved meaningful quantum advantage. This is petty fearmongering." "Perhaps," said Eric slowly. "Or perhaps it's a friendly warning. In any case, accelerating our quantum-resistant cryptography initiatives seems wise. The very least we should do some threat modeling around a hypothetical quantum attack vector. Things may look very different sooner than we think..."

A tense silence settled around the room. Bitcoin's rise had sparked no shortage of doomsday predictions, but some threats had more weight than others. Primal fear of the unknown gripped them as developers entrusted with securing a multi-trillion dollar network.

Finally Eric spoke again, resolve steeling his voice: "Let's get to work. We'll redouble our efforts on quantum-proofing. Whoever this anonymous watchdog is, they're right about one thing - we must do all we can to prepare while there's time. And if the storm does come howling at our door, threatening to blow down Bitcoin's fortress of cryptography..." He tightened his fist as if grasping an imaginary sword. "We'll be ready to weather it."

The battle was not yet joined, but the first ripples hinted at gathering forces. As Vadim prepared to unleash his weapon and Eric girded for defense, the epochal quantum clash over Bitcoin's future was set in motion. Two worlds racing toward collision at the crossroads of cryptography and quantum physics. The storm could no longer be stopped. It could only be survived - if the wise prepared in time...

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Varios países como Alemania, Bélgica, Holanda, Nueva Zelanda y Lituania pidieron al régimen cubano la liberación de los prisioneros políticos y de conciencia, en el marco del Examen Periódico Universal (EPU) en el Consejo de Derechos Humanos de Naciones Unidas celebrado este martes en Ginebra.

De acuerdo con el director de Estrategia del Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos (OCDH), Yaxys Cires, esta sesión en la ONU "le tumbó la careta al régimen cubano, al quedar al descubierto en el escenario internacional la nefasta situación de derechos humanos en Cuba y la represión contra activistas y opositores pacíficos".

Desde el OCDH consideran "que un número importante de Estados ha dado la cara en favor del pueblo cubano después de la bochornosa reelección del régimen como miembro del Consejo de DDHH de la ONU".

Por su parte, la directora ejecutiva de Cubalex, Laritza Diversent, señaló este martes al medio que "países democráticos mencionaron la situación de derechos humanos en la isla, la crisis, las restricciones a la libertad de expresión, asociación y manifestación, la cuestión de género, la pena de muerte". Sin embargo, otros aliados de la dictadura hicieron recomendaciones sin enfoque de derechos humanos, indicó la abogada.

"Al menos en el foro se vieron mucho más ajustadas las recomendaciones este año, incluso de países latinoamericanos como Chile y México. Agradecemos mucho a los Estados que hicieron recomendaciones acorde al tema de derechos humanos", expresó Diversent.

Además, los Estados recomendaron a La Habana garantizar las libertades de opinión, expresión, reunión pacífica y asociación, así como prevenir y poner fin al acoso, la intimidación y las amenazas hacia defensores de derechos humanos, periodistas y artistas.

También sugirieron trabajar en la abolición de la pena de muerte en el país, establecer una institución nacional independiente de derechos humanos en consonancia con los principios de París y garantizar la independencia del poder judicial.

Igualmente, los Estados presentes pidieron al régimen de la isla ratificar varios pactos internacionales de derechos humanos como el Pacto Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Políticos, el Pacto Internacional de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales y el protocolo facultativo de la Convención contra la Tortura.

Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, canciller cubano responsabilizó nuevamente al embargo estadounidense de la crisis en la isla y dijo que "Cuba continuará perfeccionando su marco institucional y jurídico para la protección de los derechos humanos".

El EPU se extendió por tres horas y media; en él donde intervinieron 144 delegaciones de países. El próximo viernes, Naciones Unidas publicará el informe final.

Desde hace semanas varias organizaciones marcaron esta fecha como una oportunidad crucial para visibilizar las violaciones de derechos humanos que comete el régimen cubano sistemáticamente.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Fidel Mayeta Calderín, de 24 años, fue asesinado la tarde del lunes 14 de noviembre en lsu vivienda, ubicada en la calle Aguacate, entre O'Reilly y San Juan de Dios, en La Habana Vieja.

Dos hombres no identificados llegaron a su casa y le dispararon, Mayeta Calderín intentó defenderse con un machete y dispararon de nuevo sin herirlo, según fuentes consultadas por CubaNet.

Tras el ataque, Mayeta Calderín, conocido por "Cosuro", fue trasladado al Hospital Calixto García, donde falleció debido a complicaciones derivadas de la agresión. El disparo no perforó ningún órgano vital, pero Mayeta Calderín no rebasó las complicaciones asociadas.

El joven era natural de Songo La Maya, en Santiago de Cuba, y vivía desde hacía algunos años en La Habana con su esposa, Victoria Hernández, quien fue detenida tras el crimen por tenencia de sustancias ilícitas.

El cuerpo de la víctima será velado este martes en una funeraria del Vedado antes de ser trasladado a Santiago de Cuba.

A pesar del incremento de la violencia en Cuba en los últimos meses, no son frecuentes los casos de homicidio con arma de fuego.

Sin embargo, en mayo pasado la coreógrafa cubana Idolidia Ramos, de 50 años, resultó herida de gravedad durante un tiroteo ocurrido en Centro Habana.

Ramos, directora de la prestigiosa Compañía Folklórica Raíces Profundas, recibió un disparo que le atravesó el intestino y tuvo que ser intervenida quirúrgicamente.

El tiroteo tuvo lugar en la calle Consulado entre Ánimas y Trocadero. Otro ciudadano de 37 años también resultó herido. Según reportes, el intercambio de disparos comenzó en la calle y luego siguió dentro del edificio donde opera la compañía de danza dirigida por Ramos.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Toneladas de basura en las calles de La Habana están a la espera de ser recogidas debido a la falta de personal y piezas de repuesto para el parque móvil de los servicios comunales.

Así lo reconocieron autoridades de la capital en un reciente reportaje de la Televisión Cubana, en el que admitieron que “el deterioro de los equipos para realizar la recogida de la basura es el principal talón de Aquiles de las empresas”.

Más de 200 equipos se encuentran paralizados por diferentes causas, entre ellos 63 camiones colectores y 174 camiones de boteo, indicó Onelio de Jesús Ojeda, director provincial de Servicios Comunales de La Habana.

Las piezas de repuesto más deficitarias en estos momentos son fundamentalmente neumáticos y baterías, aunque también resultan deficitarias otras partes y piezas de agregado, que limitan el trabajo diario de los equipos.

Por su parte, la directora de la empresa provincial de Higiene Comunal, Odalis Acosta, se refirió a la falta de piezas de repuesto, ya sea de los equipos recibidos en donación (actualmente los únicos en funcionamiento), o los antiguos, de países como Rusia. “No tenemos las piezas que necesitamos para los camiones Zil, ni para los camiones Kamaz”, señaló.

A esta situación con el parque de vehículos y medios para las recogidas de la basura, habría que añadir el problema de la falta de fuerza laboral. Según De Jesús Ojeda, la “inestabilidad de la fuerza de trabajo” ha obligado a los Servicios Comunales de la capital a tener que trabajar “con un grupo importante de reclusos y sancionados”.

"Eso constituye una fuerza importante en nosotros, a partir de la inestabilidad de la fuerza laboral y el completamiento de la plantilla que está en un 68%”, indicó el directivo.

En ese sentido, Acosta refirió que “hoy el salario promedio de los trabajadores de esta empresa está en unos 3,500 pesos como promedio”.

“Entonces, esto nos golpea fuertemente porque, bueno, los trabajadores tienen que tener dinero. Tienen que tener dinero, ¿no? Cobrar por el trabajo que realizan”, enfatizó la directora de la empresa provincial de Higiene Comunal.

Según el reportaje de la televisión oficialista, como promedio, en La Habana se recoge diariamente sólo el 68% de los desechos que genera la población y los actores económicos. El resto permanece en la vía: entre 4,000 y 5,000 metros cúbicos de basura se quedan sin recoger cada día en la ciudad, principalmente en los municipios de la periferia de la capital.

Así lo describió Javier Hernández, un vecino de la capital: “Hay bastante suciedad aquí y nos perjudica a todos los vecinos. Por ejemplo, yo tengo dos niños, al lado de mi casa hay niños, al costado también, hacia detrás hay niños… y hay muchas enfermedades”.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

La Cámara de Representantes del Congreso de Estados Unidos votó recientemente para remitir una resolución importante al Comité de Seguridad Nacional de este cuerpo legislativo. Con 209 votos a favor y 201 en contra, la decisión evita, por el momento, un juicio para la destitución del cubanoamericano Alejandro Mayorkas, como secretario del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en inglés).

Los votos emitidos por la bancada demócrata recibieron el apoyo de ocho representantes republicanos: Bentz, Buck, McClintock, McHenry, Issa, Foxx, Turner y Duarte.

Esta votación se produce en un momento crítico, ya que dicha cámara se apresura a negociar una nueva resolución presupuestaria para evitar un cierre del gobierno. Los legisladores solo tienen cuatro días restantes antes de que expire el proyecto de ley de gasto temporal.

“La financiación del gobierno expira esta semana. Una falta en las asignaciones es perjudicial para nuestra seguridad fronteriza y nuestra seguridad nacional. Además, un cierre del gobierno obligaría al 72% de los empleados del DHS a trabajar sin paga”, dijo un funcionario del NHC bajo el anonimato a la CNBC.

La moción de juicio político a Mayorkas, si se aprueba en dicha cámara con mayoría republicana, trasladaría este proceso al Senado, de mayoría demócrata. En medio de esta situación, los republicanos se encuentran en un debate interno para iniciar un proceso de impeachment contra el presidente Joe Biden.

La presión para destituir a Mayorkas se encuentra encabezada por Marjorie Taylor Greene, representante republicana de Georgia, quien acusa al funcionario de violar su juramento al no asegurar la frontera entre EEUU y México.

Greene, quien presentó por primera vez artículos de acusación contra Mayorkas en mayo, afirma que el secretario no ha logrado mantener el “control operativo” de la frontera, un estándar establecido por la Ley de Vallas Seguras de 2006.

Desde mayo, cuando entraron en vigor una serie de normas que buscaban limitar el acceso al asilo en el territorio estadounidense, más de 800.000 migrantes de diferentes nacionalidades han sido detenidos por las autoridades estadounidenses en la frontera sur, según datos de la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza (CBP, por sus siglas en inglés) compartidos a finales de octubre.

@ 499dd747:06ff50cb

Do you want medical freedom?

Do you want to be able to dispose of your money and assets freely?

Do you want freedom of speech?

Do you want doctors who can actually decide for themselves?

Do you want researchers who can conduct research independently of financial incentives?

Well, then you NEED to follow Dr Jack Kruse, https://twitter.com/DrJackKruse

@ 2863f394:275ed58d

asking for myself.

@ 2d417bce:f56911ac

Nostrで自分または共同で開発したものを時系列順でまとめたものです。

作ったもの

nostr-rorubakku

GitHub

NostrのFollowingリストが飛ぶ問題を解決するために、GitでFollowingリストのイベントを管理しようというプロジェクトです。

Gitの使い方として合ってるのかも怪しい仕組みですが、Nostr日本語界隈は当時この問題の解決策を模索していた時期だったのもあり、盛んに議論や開発が行われていたを覚えています。(2023年11月現在で、この時からもう9ヶ月以上経過していることに驚いている…)

Nothello( nostr-revers)

GitHub

Nostrのリレー上でリバーシができるWebアプリです。現在はリレーサーバーの維持コストの都合でサービスを一時停止しています。

当時、Nostrには娯楽が少ない（今でもそうかもしれない…）という話題が出ていました。「クライアントの開発は面倒だけど、ゲームなら作れるかも」という考えから始めたこのプロジェクトでは、初期にいくつかの大きなバグがあり、リリース後しばらくはその修正に追われていました…。

これははじめて自分が、誰でも使えるWebアプリとしてリリースしたプロダクトで、今でもたまに話題に上げてくださる方がいるプロジェクトです。ありがたい…🙏

login-with-nostr-app

GitHub

NIP-98のテストプロジェクトとして作ったものです。

ブロックチェーン系の開発をしていた時に、最も興味があった分野が分散型ID（DID）でした。Nostrをそのようなソリューションとして使用できることを実感し、Nostrが秘めるプロトコルとしての可能性にワクワクしました。

nostr-icon-changer

GitHub

特定の単語を投稿したら、kind: 0イベントのアイコンを一定期間変えるというジョークプログラムです。実際に稼働していたのは1日だけでしたが、少しだけ話題になったので満足しています。

Hostr(nostr-webhost)

Web

GitHub

Nostr上でSPAサイトをホスティングができるCLIツールです。

国内外の方に認知・使っていただけるように、LPを作ってみたり、コードをかなり丁寧に書いてみるなど、さまざまな試行錯誤をしたおかげか、fiatjafさんやVitorさんをはじめとした多くの開発者の方からコメントをいただいたり、実際にいくつものサイトが立ち上がったりと、個人で開発したプロジェクトの中では、現状で一番規模の大きいものになりました。

また、Hostrの仕様をNIPsに採用してもらうために、PRを出してみたり、Nostrasia Hackathonに出場してみたりと、初めて経験することばかりでとても楽しかったです。

Hostr Note

GitHub

Hostrをプログラマー以外の方でも使えるようにとつくったWebアプリです。

Nostter

Web

雪猫さんが作られている、NostrのウェブクライアントのUIデザインと実装をさせていただきました。

最近正式版(v1)がリリースされ、Nostr以外にX上でも話題になったようで、多くの方に使われるクライアントになりつつあり、プロジェクトに関わらせていただいた身としてはとても嬉しいです！

個性がありつつもシンプルで、初めてNostrを使う方から、既に様々なクライアントを使っている方まで、どんな方でも満足して使っていただけるようなクライアントになっていると思います！

N Raw Writer

Web

NostrイベントをJSON形式で作成し、NIP-07拡張機能で署名して、リレーにpublishできるツールです。

開発中のもの

NostrCMS

GitHub

Nostr上で動作するWordPressのようなCMSで、Nostr上のLong Form ContentとHostrサイトを一括で管理できます。

ノーコードでLong Form Contentが参照可能なHostrサイトをデプロイでき、パブリックなNoSQLデータベースを構築するなど、CMSの枠を超えた、Nostrを活用したスーパーアプリ開発の基盤にしたいと考えています。

Nostinder

名前の通り、Nostrを使用したマッチングアプリです。ジョークアプリとして空いた時間に少しずつ開発していますが、思いの外本格的なアプリになりそうで、「どうしようかな…」と少し困惑しています。

さいごに

こう見返してみると、Nostrの技術的な面白さに加え、コミュニティとの相互作用の重要性も再認識させられます。

実際、多くの方からリアクションやフィードバックをいただき、それを励みにしながら開発を進めてきたのもあり、このコミュニティがなければ、ここまで様々なプロジェクトを作ることはできませんでした。

これからも開発を続けて、Nostrコミュニティやエコシステムに少しでも貢献することができれば嬉しいなと思っています。

最後まで読んでいただきありがとうございました！

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

La noche habanera tiene su Triángulo de las Bermudas en la calle Galiano, donde se concentran los bares Cumbaking, 212 y V&S. En ese circuito de Centro Habana, muy cerca de la Casa de la Música –el establecimiento estatal que visitan numerosos extranjeros–, recalan guapos y maleantes, adictos y borrachos, prostitutas y bailarinas de barra. Los tres locales llegan a su punto de ebullición a las dos de la madrugada, cuando el personal de seguridad prohíbe a los clientes encender las cámaras de sus teléfonos.

En la jerga nocturna, los lugares así se siguen llamando "antros", y el nombre les hace justicia. En los alrededores, todo –desde un cuerpo joven hasta un porro de marihuana– se consigue por el precio adecuado y ofreciendo las señas correctas. La precaución es indispensable: cada noche, media docena de policías montan guardia en las inmediaciones, revisan carnés de identidad y detienen a algún "personaje", que desaparece dentro de un pequeño camión gris. "De los tres bares, el 212 es el más 'tranquilo'", insiste Yoan, uno de sus empleados.

Es verdad que las jineteras campean por su respeto y que por la madrugada –desterrados los celulares– dos jóvenes suben a bailar a la barra mientras el público les arroja dinero, pero aun así, opina, "no hay tanta crápula" como en el V&S o, escaleras abajo, en el Cumbaking.

El dueño del 212 se llama Ismael y estuvo preso durante dos años. Había reconvertido una casa en Playa en un bar, que llamó Las Piedras. No duró demasiado: la Policía cerró el negocio porque la droga y la prostitución habían alcanzado niveles inaceptables, incluso para los bajos fondos de La Habana, alegaban.

"Las autoridades hicieron el ridículo", asegura Yoan, "y no le pudieron probar nada". No obstante, Ismael estuvo preso durante dos años. Esto no impidió que en 2019, junto a su mujer, Yeni, obtuviera la licencia para abrir el 212.

El Cumbaking, en los bajos del 212, funciona como puesto de venta de hamburguesas y cerveza durante el día. Por la noche, la música estridente y los alcoholes más fuertes –aunque nunca de buena calidad– provocan que la Policía dé "paseos" frecuentes por sus portales.

Las quejas de los vecinos por la música alta llegaron a la prensa oficial el pasado 9 de noviembre. En una nota sobre la agenda del gobierno capitalino, un usuario residente en Galiano denunció "riñas nocturnas", "ingestión de estupefacientes", "inseguridad", "prostitución" y exigió el "cierre de todos los bares de la cuadra". Lamentó también que los planteamientos de los vecinos han sido presentados sin éxito a las autoridades de Centro Habana y a varios consejos populares. La falta de soluciones ante una realidad tan escandalosa sólo podía tener una explicación: "Nuestros decisores tienen oídos sordos".

Las luces de neón del 212, el portón de madera barata del Cumbaking y la fachada en blanco y negro del V&S se han convertido en símbolos de una ciudad cada vez más áspera.

En teoría, todos los bares de la capital deben cerrar sus puertas a las tres de la mañana, explica Yoan. De esa ley solo se escapan el LM y el Tuyo y Mío, que pueden operar hasta las seis de la mañana "porque son de El Cangrejo", afirma Yoan, aludiendo a Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, nieto guardaespaldas de Raúl Castro.

Sin embargo, la hora de la "última campanada" es la diferencia menos relevante entre los "antros" de Galiano y los bares de la "gente bien" asociada a la cúpula del régimen. Si en Playa y El Vedado se consiguen drogas y alcohol de calidad superior –y ningún oficial raso de la Policía se atrevería a aparecerse por allí–, en Centro Habana las prostitutas tienen que "fajarse" por entrar y las broncas se resuelven en la calle.

Las que logran "clasificar", cuenta Yoan, abrazan al cliente apenas entra al V&S –el más áspero de los tres bares– y le disparan la oferta a bocajarro: "¿Estás para algo, papi? Por 5.000 me voy contigo la noche entera".

Se sabe cómo empieza esa historia, pero no cómo acaba, dice el empleado del bar vecino. "De ahí puedes salir, efectivamente, para el cuarto de la prostituta, que por ese precio pueden considerarse 'de bajo costo', pero también puede ser el inicio de una estafa". Ella es solo una carnada para que el cliente baje la guardia, acuda a determinado lugar y, una vez allí, aparezca el "pariente" de la mujer, navaja en mano y tanteando los bolsillos hasta encontrar la billetera.

Las "broncas públicas" son asunto de los guardias de seguridad –cuando ocurren dentro del bar– y de la Policía, cuando los "gorilas" levantan en peso a los "problemáticos" y los arrojan a la calle, para que terminen allí de resolver sus diferencias. Los agentes rematan la situación con las tonfas, las esposas y el camioncito gris. "Pero lo normal es que no se metan", señala Yoan.

Las luces de neón del 212, el portón de madera barata del Cumbaking y la fachada en blanco y negro del V&S se han convertido en símbolos de una ciudad cada vez más áspera, decadente y peligrosa. Son la última estación de un deterioro que ni todo el alcohol de La Habana puede anestesiar.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Un grupo de migrantes cubanos denunciaron las altas tarifas, de hasta 400 dólares, que tienen que pagar a los taxistas nicaragüenses para que los trasladen a la frontera de ese país con Honduras, y la dictadura de Daniel Ortega respondió con restricciones a los transportistas.

El elevado monto se justifica, según los choferes de estos transportes, porque los “viajes son cansados y deben madrugar o salir a medianoche desde el aeropuerto con cinco migrantes extranjeros”, indicó el portal Nicaragua Actual.

A este exorbitante costo los cubanos también añaden la imprudencia de los taxistas nicaragüenses, que conducen a alta velocidad, se distraen con los celulares y aventajan sin precaución a camiones o rastras que circulan por las carreteras del norte de ese país centroamericano.

Ante esta denuncia, la dictadura de Daniel Ortega que permite el libre visado para los cubanos, prohibió a los taxistas transportar a migrantes de este país, y también a haitianos y a venezolanos.

Uno de estos choferes dijo a otro medio nicaragüense que la policía los está deteniendo y poniendo trabas para mover a los migrantes, con el objetivo de poner buses y poderse apropiar de los ingresos.

La llegada de cubanos a tierras nicaragüenses se facilita con la posibilidad de viajar sin tener que requerir visas. Los caribeños abarrotan aeropuertos, como el de La Habana y Holguín, para escapar de la dictadura opresora. El aumento de los vuelos entre estos dos países preocupa a Estados Unidos.

“Preocupado por informes de un aumento dramático en vuelos chárter con destino a Nicaragua que facilitan la migración irregular desde Cuba y otros lugares hacia Estados Unidos. Nadie debería beneficiarse de la desesperación de los migrantes vulnerables”, dijo recientemente en X Brian Nichols, subsecretario de Estado para Asuntos del hemisferio occidental.

En su trayecto los cubanos son víctimas de diversas formas de estafa y extorsión que incluyen desde funcionarios públicos hasta ciudadanos comunes que se disfrazan de corderos con deseos de ayudar y finalmente se convierten en lobos que se aprovechan de la difícil situación en que escapan de la isla.

Recientemente, una cubana pidió ayuda desde México para intentar dar con el paradero de su esposo, que está desaparecido desde el 9 de noviembre.

Se supone que ese día el migrante -cuyo nombre no fue precisado por su pareja- tomó un vuelo de la aerolínea Sky High con escala en República Dominicana y destino final en Managua, Nicaragua. Sin embargo, a la esposa no le consta que haya llegado ni a Dominicana y muchos menos a Nicaragua, pues no volvió a saber de él.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

En la mañana de este martes se produjo un corte de fibra óptica terrestre en Cuba que provocó la afectación de los servicios de internet en la Isla.

El monopolio de las comunicaciones, ETECSA, reportó el incidente sin ofrecer mayores detalles sobre la ubicación de la avería o su causa.

De acuerdo con la nota, los usuarios percibirían dificultades para acceder a los servicios de navegación y experimentarían lentitud.

Como medida de contención, la entidad estatal aseguró que sus especialistas laboraban para restablecer el internet “en el menor tiempo posible” y ofrecieron disculpas por las molestias ocasionadas.

En una actualización hecha horas después por su sitio web, la empresa anunció que se habían restablecido los servicios. No obstante, alertó sobre posibles incidencias latentes de la rotura, ante lo cual la empresa aseguró que mantenía “la observación”.

El comunicado también indica que ante cualquier inquietud los clientes pueden contactar a sus operadores “a través de los canales de atención oficiales”.

El mal funcionamiento del internet en la Isla, considerado uno de los más costosos del mundo, es un problema con el que lidian a diario los cubanos, en especial los más de siete millones de usuarios de la telefonía móvil.

En ese sentido el popular humorista cubano Ulises Toirac, que con frecuencia utiliza las redes sociales para reflexionar sobre diversos temas de actualidad y denunciar la situación del país, criticó en septiembre pasado la irregularidad del servicio.

“Cada vez con mayor incidencia, durante más tiempo, se queda sin conexión mi terminal (ya sea móvil o computadora) incluso en horas no pico. Es una enfermedad que tratamos de exorcizar poniendo y quitando modo avión, reiniciando, e incluso más drástico: apagando… esperando un tiempo y volviendo a encender”, escribió.

Además, señaló que los cubanos, como usuarios, cumplen con su parte del contrato, pagar a ETECSA de manera puntual. Sin embargo, la empresa estatal, que tiene monopolizadas las comunicaciones en Cuba, no cumple con su parte: “dar servicio y hacerlo con calidad”.

“Es una lástima la legalidad en Cuba, porque si todos los afectados pudieran demandarte (a ETECSA), al carajo albañiles que se acabó la mezcla. No sólo es robo, es a mano armada”, denunció.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

El Instituto Nacional de Migración de México (INM) en conjunto con la Guardia Nacional aseguraron a siete migrantes cubanos que viajan a bordo de un autobús en Veracruz, al sur de ese país.

Los cubanos formaban parte de un grupo de 162 indocumentados que eran transportados en un autobús de pasajeros en la carretera Costera del Golfo Coatzacoalcos- Villahermosa, a la altura del poblado Nuevo Teapa, Veracruz, indica un comunicado del INM.

El grupo estaba conformado por 70 adultos solos, 17 menores no acompañados y 30 núcleos familiares compuestos por 75 personas, apunta el reporte.

Además, aparte de los cubanos se encontraban migrantes de Ecuador, Guatemala y El Salvador, y ninguno pudo demostrar una estancia regular. El chofer del autobús y su acompañante fueron puestos a disposición de la Fiscalía General de la República, por intentar huir y no cumplir con el alto estipulado por las autoridades para hacer una verificación migratoria.

Los rescatados adultos fueron llevados a la Estación Migratoria de Acayucan para realizar el procedimiento administrativo migratorio correspondiente. Mientras, los núcleos familiares quedaron bajo la custodia del Centro de Canalización de Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes.

Con el aumento de cubanos en México con el objetivo de llegar a la frontera sur de Estados Unidos, los operativos de las autoridades aztecas han sido más rigurosos, sobre todo después de la Cumbre de Migración en México "Encuentro por una Vecindad Fraterna y en busca del Bienestar", celebrada a finales de octubre en Palenque, estado de Chiapas.

El evento fue convocado por el mandatario Andrés Manuel López Obrador para llevarle una postura regional común al presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden.

Participaron 11 países latinoamericanos entre los que se encuentra México, Cuba, Colombia, Haití, Honduras, Venezuela, Belice, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala y Panamá. Firmaron una declaración conjunta que tiene 13 acuerdos.

Los gobiernos acordaron profundizar relaciones de “cooperación sur-sur” y promover diálogos bilaterales entre países de origen, tránsito y destino de migrantes.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

In the annals of treasure hunting, tales of sunken galleons and buried chests have given way to a new narrative—one that unfolds in the digital realm. The U.S. Government, traditionally associated with the physical might of gold reserves in Fort Knox, has inadvertently entered the arena of cryptocurrency by amassing a staggering $5 billion in Bitcoin. This digital fortune, however, was not amassed through investment or mining efforts but rather through the seizure of assets from the darker corners of the internet. As we stand at the crossroads of finance and technology, this cache of Bitcoin opens up a Pandora's box of possibilities and challenges that could redefine the economic landscape of tomorrow.

Table Of Content

• A Digital Fort Knox

• The Origins of the Cache

• The Dilemma of Liquidation

• Potential Paths Forward

• The Impact on the Future of Currency

• Conclusion

• FAQs

A Digital Fort Knox

Imagine a vault, not of steel and stone, but of complex cryptographic algorithms, housing a vast sum of Bitcoin equivalent to the wealth of small nations. This digital Fort Knox does not require armed guards or thick walls but instead relies on the impenetrable nature of blockchain technology. The U.S. Government's acquisition of such a significant amount of Bitcoin is a testament to the changing nature of value and wealth in the 21st century. Each Bitcoin in this modern trove was once part of illicit transactions, flowing through the veins of the internet until it was intercepted by the vigilant efforts of federal agencies. The narrative of each coin is a digital ledger, chronicling a journey from the shadowy fringes of the web to the secure wallets of the government.

The Origins of the Cache

The backstory of the government's Bitcoin collection is not one of serendipity but of strategic cyber sleuthing and legal might. It is a modern saga of law enforcement adapting to the challenges posed by the digital age. Federal agencies, armed with court orders and cutting-edge technology, have traced the movement of these digital assets through the blockchain, unraveling complex webs of transactions that lead to the criminal enterprises operating in the darknet markets. Each seizure represents a battle won in the ongoing war against cybercrime, with the confiscated Bitcoin serving as both evidence of victory and the spoils of war.

The Dilemma of Liquidation

The government's Bitcoin cache presents a unique conundrum: to liquidate or not to liquidate? This decision is fraught with economic implications, akin to a game of high-stakes poker where the government's hand could influence the entire table. A sudden influx of $5 billion worth of Bitcoin into the market could trigger a tidal wave of volatility, potentially devaluing the currency and destabilizing the fragile ecosystem of digital assets. The government must navigate these waters with a blend of economic savvy and strategic foresight, ensuring that any decision made is in the best interest of not just the immediate financial landscape but also the long-term viability of cryptocurrencies.

Potential Paths Forward

The government stands at the helm, charting a course through uncharted waters with its Bitcoin bounty. The options are as varied as they are complex. Holding onto the Bitcoin could be seen as an endorsement of its value, a digital reserve akin to the gold of yesteryear. Alternatively, a measured approach to selling the Bitcoin could be employed, releasing it into the market in a controlled manner to mitigate any negative impacts. There's also the innovative possibility of integrating Bitcoin into the government's financial transactions, embracing the very currency that was once shunned by the establishment.

The Impact on the Future of Currency

The U.S. Government's handling of this Bitcoin cache is not merely a financial decision; it is a statement on the future of currency itself. As the line between digital and fiat currencies blurs, the actions taken with this Bitcoin hoard could send ripples across the global economy. It could influence how governments around the world perceive and interact with digital assets, potentially ushering in a new era where cryptocurrency becomes a staple of economic policy and international trade.

Conclusion

The U.S. Government's Bitcoin cache is more than a collection of digital assets; it is a symbol of a new era in governance and economic strategy. The decisions made regarding this treasure will likely resonate through the annals of financial history, setting precedents for how nations interact with the burgeoning realm of digital currencies. As we delve deeper into this narrative, we realize that this treasure is not hidden but in plain sight, waiting to unlock a future where digital assets are as commonplace and as valuable as the gold once stored in the vaults of old.

FAQs

How did the U.S. Government acquire $5 billion in Bitcoin? The U.S. Government seized this Bitcoin from various cybercriminal operations and darknet markets through legal and technological efforts by federal agencies.

What is the significance of the government holding such a large amount of Bitcoin? This significant holding of Bitcoin by the government underscores the changing landscape of value and wealth, highlighting the increasing relevance of digital currencies in today's economy.

What challenges does the government face with this Bitcoin cache? The government faces the challenge of deciding how to manage and potentially liquidate the Bitcoin without causing market disruption due to the currency's volatility.

What are the potential strategies for the U.S. Government's Bitcoin cache? Strategies include holding the Bitcoin as a reserve asset, selling it off gradually to minimize market impact, or using it for government transactions and policy-making.

How could the government's handling of the Bitcoin cache affect the future of currency? The government's approach to managing the Bitcoin cache could set a precedent for how digital assets are treated by national entities, potentially influencing the integration of cryptocurrencies into mainstream finance.

That's all for today, see ya tomorrow

If you want more, be sure to follow us on:

NOSTR: croxroad@getalby.com

X: @croxroadnews

Instagram: @croxroadnews.co

Youtube: @croxroadnews

Subscribe to CROX ROAD Bitcoin Only Daily Newsletter

https://www.croxroad.co/subscribe

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Justo Raúl Martínez Miranda, conocido cariñosamente como ‘Pirolo’ y reportado como desaparecido desde el 10 de noviembre, fue encontrado sin vida en la Presa de Geología de Pinar del Río.

La emisora oficialista Radio Minas comunicó el hallazgo del cadáver sin dar más detalles sobre la situación. Entre los pocos datos revelados se encuentra que el cubano tenía 31 años y era residente de La Sabana.

Tras su desaparición, amigos y familiares se unieron en una búsqueda desesperada para encontrarlo sano y salvo. Yusleidys Hernández Yusla, familiar del joven, había hecho un llamado público en Facebook para hallarlo, involucrando a las autoridades locales, bomberos, guardabosques y voluntarios.

“Es una gran tristeza la pérdida de una persona tan joven, me uno al dolor de los amigos y familiares”, comentó un vecino al enterarse de la muerte de Martínez Miranda. Otra persona expresó: “EPD amigo, nuestro pueblo ha perdido una persona muy noble y sana”.

@ bcea2b98:7ccef3c9

Chapter 1 - The Looming Threat

Deep in an underground bunker, Vadim feverishly typed away at his computer. The young Russian computer scientist was putting the finishing touches on his masterpiece - a quantum computer capable of breaking Bitcoin's ironclad cryptography. When he had first heard of Bitcoin years ago, the so-called "digital gold" fascinated him. But over time, watching its meteoric rise in value, he grew jealous and vengeful. "I will be the one to bring this false idol crumbling down!" he muttered under his breath in Russian. Vadim knew the potential of quantum computing, and how it could break through Bitcoin's encrypted defenses in an instant. His malicious creation was nearly ready, soon to deal a crushing blow to Bitcoin's foundations.

Meanwhile, across the world in California, the lead developers of the Bitcoin Core project were hard at work in their office. Eric, the head developer, was reviewing the latest code updates when he came across a strange message posted anonymously: "Beware the coming quantum storm...". Puzzled, he called over his colleagues to look at the cryptic warning. What could it mean? Eric felt a sudden chill, as if a shadow had passed over them. "We need quantum resistance built into Bitcoin, fast!" he told his team. "Before it's too late..."

Chapter 2 - Scaling Solutions

Bitcoin had survived the first looming threat of quantum computing by quickly implementing new quantum-resistant cryptography. But it still faced another crisis - scaling to meet growing transaction demands. The Bitcoin network could only handle so many transactions per second, leading to increased fees and slow settlement times.

Anya, a Russian-American Bitcoin developer, believed she had the solution. She had spearheaded the development of the Lightning Network, a layer-2 protocol that enables fast peer-to-peer Bitcoin transactions outside of the main blockchain. Anya was proud of her work, but adoption of Lightning was slow. "We have the technology, we just need to make it easy and safe for the average user," she lamented over drinks with her coworkers.

Meanwhile, a competing scaling solution was gaining steam. Jack, a brash young Australian entrepreneur, had launched the Liquid Network, a sidechain that promised faster transactions and inter-exchange settlements. Liquid was gaining traction, but Anya knew it was less decentralized than her Lightning Network. The battle of the scaling solutions had only just begun...

Chapter 3 - POW vs POS

Bitcoin's price was soaring, but a simmering debate threatened its future - proof-of-work vs proof-of-stake. The energy usage of Bitcoin's POW mining had long been criticized as wasteful and harmful to the environment. "We can't let this go on if we want Bitcoin to grow," Steve exhorted at a developer meetup. The eccentric billionaire had invested heavily into Bitcoin and now believed it was time for a greener consensus mechanism.

But transitioning Bitcoin from POW to POS would not be straightforward. Marcia, a Brazilian mining company CEO, would fight tooth and nail to stop it. "POS hands too much control to the whale investors," she said in an impassioned speech. "It betrays Bitcoin's founding principles!" The passionate Bitcoin maximalists echoed Marcia's views in fiery forum debates.

Other events kept stoking the POW vs POS debate. Climate change regulations were being enacted worldwide, harshly cracking down on emissions. News spread of Bitcoin miners bribing officials in developing countries for preferential treatment. "This has gone too far!" said a water company executive whose town's supply was drying up due to mining operations. Calls grew stronger for Bitcoin to adopt proof-of-stake before it was too late...

Chapter 4 - Mainstream Adoption

Bitcoin had overcome existential threats and was finally gaining mainstream traction. Major companies were accepting it as payment, propelling its price higher. The value of the overall crypto market had swelled to trillions of dollars. Excitement and optimism abounded at the annual Bitcoin Miami conference, drawing over 100,000 attendees.

But some feared Bitcoin's good fortune would not last. Duke, a finance professor, believed Bitcoin was a speculative bubble ready to burst. "These rallies never end well," he warned his students. "Get out while you can!" He likened the craze to Tulipmania in 17th century Netherlands.

His warnings went unheeded. More and more ordinary folks invested their life savings into Bitcoin, hoping to catch the rocket ride to riches. Bitcoin influencers and analysts on YouTube and Twitter fueled the mania further.

But bubbles always pop... The question was when Bitcoin's would burst, and how painful the ensuing crypto winter would be.

Chapter 5 - The Fall?

Cracks had begun forming in Bitcoin's meteoric rise. A series of high-profile hacking incidents shook investor confidence. Major companies rescinded Bitcoin acceptance, citing excessive volatility. The crypto market cap plummeted, with billions wiped out overnight.

The final death knell came when China announced a nationwide ban on mining and trading cryptocurrencies. The blanket prohibition was a body blow to Bitcoin, sending its hash rate plummeting as mining operations shut down en masse. Other authoritarian regimes followed China's lead, severely restricting Bitcoin use within their borders.

Now in a full-on free fall, Bitcoin's price cratered below $10,000. The asset had lost over 80% of its value in a matter of months. Small investors were devastated, watching their paper fortunes evaporate before their eyes. Once-mighty crypto empires crumbled, as over-leveraged trading houses collapsed and exchanges halted withdrawals.

On crypto forums, a solemn mood prevailed. "Was this the end of Bitcoin?" many wondered. Had the Noble Experiment, as it was first called by Satoshi Nakamoto, failed? Or would another revival await, as it had endured in the past? Only time would tell...

Chapter 6 - A Beacon of Hope

Bitcoin's outlook seemed dire, but a glimmer of hope emerged in troubled Venezuela. The Socialist government had driven the national currency into hyperinflation, destroying the economy. Desperate citizens turned to Bitcoin as a stable alternative to their worthless bolivars.

Miguel, a young student, first learned of Bitcoin from Reddit posts. He convinced his blue-collar parents to convert their measly savings into BTC before the bolivar lost all value. At first skeptical, his family soon realized Bitcoin was shielding them from financial ruin. Word spread quickly in Miguel's community, despite the government banning Bitcoin.

"This is Libertad - financial freedom!" Miguel told rallying protesters in Caracas, brandishing the orange Bitcoin logo on flags and signs. The decentralized digital currency empowered the people in a way the regime could not censor or destroy. Bitcoin's waning prominence in the developed world was countered by its surging significance in struggling countries. Could it provide a path toward greater liberty and prosperity?

Chapter 7 - The Crypto Phoenix

The 2026 Bitcoin "Halvening" approached, cutting mining rewards in half per the protocol's design. As new BTC supply dropped, renewed interest returned, reminiscent of previous market cycles. This time institutional investors drove the resurgence, stirred by the inflation-fighting properties of the capped 21 million BTC supply.

"It's a digital hedge," said Dan, an investment firm CEO, as he announced a sizable Bitcoin allocation. Other funds and banks followed, warning clients not to miss out again.

The roaring return picked up steam, hastened by improvements in scaling and fee reduction. Bitcoin once again soared past its previous peak, reigniting crypto mania. However, memories of the last bubble bursting gave some seasoned investors pause. Was history repeating? Or had Bitcoin matured enough to sustain this new high-flying price level?

Chapter 8 - Integration

After a decade of skepticism, governments and financial institutions finally began embracing Bitcoin. Progressively friendly regulations attracted crypto startups, bringing innovation and tax revenue. Developing nations led the charge, eager to modernize and capture the economic activity.

"We welcome the crypto companies with open arms!" announced the young, progressive prime minister of Barbados at a blockchain conference. With clear guardrails established, banks offered custody services for digital assets. Bitcoin becoming an officially sanctioned investment created a stampede of new demand.

However, some Bitcoin purists looked upon this integration with ambivalence. "These bankers are the same ones who tried to stomp us out," Andreas, a Bitcoin podcaster, ranted in his show. "Once they control Bitcoin, it's game over!" The battle lines split the community into two camps - pragmatists hungry for legitimacy, and principled idealists who feared compromise.

Chapter 9 - The Great Divide

Jurisdictions around the world began fracturing in their treatment of Bitcoin. Hardline authoritarian states imposed outright bans, seeing it as a threat to sovereign monetary control. Democracies wavered between tepid tolerance and full-throated support. Global coordination proved elusive.

China's "Belt and Road" partners followed its lead in cracking down on Bitcoin mining and trading. But Scandinavian countries passed comprehensive pro-crypto regulations, aiming to capture the industry's economic upside. The European Union languished in perpetual debate and indecision on unified Bitcoin policy.

"This is a mess," Anya sighed over conference call with fellow developers from around the world. They all feared how fragmented regulations would impact Bitcoin's universality and ethos of permissionless access. Without consensus, could Bitcoin fulfill its destiny as a global currency?

Chapter 10 - The Future

What does the future hold for Bitcoin in this increasingly fractured landscape? Will governments coordinate to either embrace it or quash it? Will it fade away as a fad, or stand the test of time? The coming decades will crystallize Bitcoin's fate.

Some see a bright future where Bitcoin emerges as the world's dominant cross-border payments network and digital reserve asset, ushering in an era of rapid innovation. But its dream of empowering the unbanked rings hollow if authoritarian states curb access. Bitcoin's energy usage also remains an environmental concern.

Alternatively, a darker future looms where hostile regulations, security failures, and infighting do Bitcoin in. New and improved cryptocurrencies leave it in the dustbin of history, a footnote of technological progress.

Between these two poles lie a spectrum of plausible outcomes. Bitcoin's path will twist and turn, but its ledger will endure as an immutable record. Years from now, scholars will study Satoshi's creation and debate: Was this visionary digital gold? Or fool's gold? The jury is still out. Only time will tell where Bitcoin's unpredictable journey leads. The ending has not yet been written...

Chapter 11 - The Scalability Wars

The battle between Anya's Lightning Network and Jack's Liquid sidechain heated up as Bitcoin struggled with scaling. Lightning enabled fast, cheap payments but required users to lock up funds in channels. Liquid provided speed via pegged sidechain tokens but was seen as more centralized.

Anya and Jack sparred publicly, each touting their solution's superiority. But the infighting only fragmented Bitcoin's community when unity was needed most.

Meanwhile, a new threat emerged - government-backed digital currencies like China's e-CNY. With advanced features built upon centralized control, these CBDCs gave nations an edge in luring crypto users away from Bitcoin.

"We need scalability now before it's too late!" Anya urged. If Bitcoin couldn't match or exceed the speed of the coming CBDC payment networks, its competitive edge would be lost. Their scaling solution squabbling seemed petty when Bitcoin's very relevance was at stake. A compromise was desperately needed.

Chapter 12 - The Crypto Brain Drain

Developed countries continued passing crypto-friendly laws, aiming to attract companies and talent. Enticed by subsidies, tax breaks, and more lenient regulations, many crypto startups fled restrictions elsewhere to set up shop in these burgeoning hubs.

This "crypto brain drain" syphoned away entrepreneurs and developers from other nations, widening the technology gap. Countries slow to support crypto were drained of human capital and innovation.

"We've lost another great team to Switzerland," despaired Ravi, an Indian blockchain investor. "Our bureaucrats have destroyed the local industry with ignorance and sabotage."

Meanwhile, the new crypto hubs prospered. Progressive regimes welcomed the futuristic identity. "The 21st century economy is arising before our eyes!" proclaimed Norway's lead minister. But critics argued laissez-faire environments increased risks. "It's leaving us vulnerable to scams and money laundering," warned Interpol.

Chapter 13 - The Crypto Carbon War

At the United Nations climate change conference, tensions flared over crypto's energy usage. Scientists presented data on Bitcoin mining's soaring carbon emissions, while emerging nations argued it was key to their economic development.

"Bitcoin is an environmental disaster!" blasted Leo, an activist investor. "POS is the only path forward."

But Marcia, head of the Bitcoin Miners Alliance, refused to surrender. "Bitcoin brings light where there is darkness. You want us to stop lifting people out of poverty?"

Western nations pushed for a worldwide moratorium on POW mining. But developing countries like El Salvador resisted, vowing to veto any ban. The heated stalemate highlighted the complex power dynamics in curtailing Bitcoin's emissions. A compromise solution remained elusive.

Chapter 14 - The New Crypto Order

Inclusion in global indices cemented Bitcoin's status as a mainstream asset class. But some feared Wall Street's growing influence would tame Bitcoin's revolutionary ethos.

"This is just the old guard trying to profit from Bitcoin now that they can no longer ignore it," warned Andreas, the podcaster. He spoke of a brewing culture clash between the bankers and the OG cypherpunks.

Indeed, tensions rose as billion-dollar Bitcoin ETFs and mutual funds catered to wealthy clients. Crypto native DeFi platforms cried foul about unfair advantages. "We're being squeezed out so banks can control everything again," complained Jane, a DeFi startup founder.

Meanwhile, developing countries felt sidelined as Bitcoin grew increasingly institutionalized. "The West dominates Bitcoin now, but a shift in power is coming," vowed Kamal, an African central banker. Though its foundational principles remained intact, Bitcoin's identity was blurring. A struggle for its soul was underway.

Chapter 15 - The Quantum Leap

Vadim's plans had been thwarted years ago, but he never abandoned his quantum computing work. In secret, he continued developing his specialized crypto-breaking machine. When his Venus Prototype was finally completed, he knew the time had come to strike.

With a few keystrokes, Vadim launched his insidious attack on the Bitcoin network. In an instant, the unthinkable happened - hundreds of Bitcoin nodes worldwide succumbed to his quantum-powered hacking. He had done it! The supposedly unbreakable cryptography had crumbled instantly.

Chaos ensued as the vulnerability became clear. Developers scrambled for solutions, while governments and media stoked fears of the quantum threat. Bitcoin's price plummeted at the news.

Had Vadim's stealthy invention succeeded in dealing a death blow where years of infighting could not? Or would the resilient network adapt to overcome this new adversary? The quantum era for Bitcoin had dawned...

Chapter 16 - The Phoenix Rises

Bitcoin reeled from Vadim's quantum computing attack. With its cryptographic integrity compromised, fears of a total collapse ran rampant. But the developers refused to surrender.

Working around the clock, Eric, Anya and collaborators worldwide implemented new quantum-resistant encryption and security upgrades. "We need to fortify Bitcoin at the protocol level," said Eric. "Our network must evolve to survive."

After chaos and uncertainty, their efforts paid off. Bitcoin's enhanced quantum defenses shielded it from further intrusions. Traders breathed a sigh of relief seeing the network stabilize. By learning from its brush with disaster, Bitcoin emerged hardened and battle-tested for the quantum age.

Vadim could only watch in dismay as his plans unraveled. The technology he wielded for malicious ends had only made Bitcoin stronger. "You may have won this round, but I will be back!" he growled. The encryption arms race was just beginning.

Chapter 17 - Peace in POW vs POS

At a summit in Singapore, Marcia and the Bitcoin miners arrived ready for battle over proof-of-work. But to their surprise, a concession was offered - a hybrid POS/POW model.

"We want to find common ground," said Leo, leading the POS contingent. "Let's take the best of both systems."

Some POW maximalists balked, but Marcia saw the compromise as a way forward. "Our world needs Bitcoin. We must unite, not divide," she urged her fellow miners.

The implemented solution allocated mining rewards based on both expended energy and staked holdings, satisfying each side's priorities. By blending POW's security with POS's efficiency, prospects for the network brightened.

The merged model ushered in a waning of the tribalism plaguing Bitcoin. Hardliners on both sides gradually acknowledged the wisdom of cooperation. Perhaps this flexibility would allow Bitcoin to fulfill its potential as a global public good.

Chapter 18 - Trouble Brewing

Regulatory moves by the E.U. and U.S. hinted at growing coordination on crypto oversight. Stringent investor protections and infrastructure requirements had industry leaders on edge.

"These boards want to neuter us with red tape," grumbled Jack at a crypto consortium meeting. Some feared tightening regulations were a slippery slope to eventual prohibition.

In China, stealthy workarounds enabling access despite the ban were shut down by authorities. In socialist Venezuela, prominent Bitcoin influencers were arrested.

"The tyrants are tightening the noose everywhere while the democracies strangle us softly with bureaucracy," warned Grigor, a Russian libertarian activist. He spoke of a closing window for crypto to prevent state domination.

Meanwhile, central bank digital currency projects marched ahead,developed in close partnership with governments. The ground seemed to be shifting under Bitcoin's feet. The crypto community felt uneasy winds of change swirling.

Chapter 19 - Checkmate?

At last, Vladimir's patience and plotting paid off. From the capitals to Silicon Valley, his network of influence took hold. Phase by phase, the seeds of Bitcoin's ruin were being sown.

Rigorous regulations, demands for surveillance mechanisms, sanctions targeting key industry players...his carefully orchestrated attacks were hitting hard. Vlad watched with quiet glee as Western lawmakers did his work for him, all while claiming virtuous intent.

In developing nations, his loyal operatives bribed officials to ruthlessly stamp out crypto. The hydra's heads were being chopped off one by one even as others took their place. Vlad's long game was working.

Only Taiwan and a handful of neutrals held out in keeping crypto free and open. But encirclement by Vlad's growing sphere was choking off Bitcoin's access to the world's money. Checkmate was inevitable...it was only a matter of time.

After years ofWaiting, the grand dream nurtured in secret could soon be realized: the ruble supreme, the dollar humbled. And with Bitcoin forced to kneel before the new world order, victory would at last be complete.

Chapter 20 - The Tipping Point

Vladimir's onslaught against Bitcoin had reached a tipping point. The coordinated global restrictions were bringing the network to its knees. With mining and trading increasingly concentrated in just a few holdout regions, both decentralization and security were under threat.

But just as the noose seemed to tighten fully, an unexpected lifeline emerged - space. Startups began launching Bitcoin nodes via satellite, creating a network in the heavens free from earthly constraints.

"No government controls outer space!" proclaimed Akiko, CEO of BitspaceX. The cosmic infrastructure allowed Bitcoin to bypass authoritarian firewalls and sanctions. Censorship-resistance was reclaimed.

From his Moscow office, Vladimir fumed as his stranglehold slipped. But his fury only hardened his resolve. "We will find ways to control even the cosmos in due time!" he ranted. For now, his quest to conquer Bitcoin lurched on.

Chapter 21 - Double Edged Taxes

HMRC, the UK tax authority, ruled Bitcoin would be subject to capital gains tax like other investments. But it also allowed tax payments to be remitted in Bitcoin.

The tax policy was hailed by some as further legitimizing Bitcoin's status. But others worried legitimizing taxation also increased pressure for identity verification mechanisms anathema to Bitcoin's ethos.

"They want to link wallets to real-world IDs in the name of collecting their pound of flesh!" warned Andreas. He spoke of the Faustian bargain of crypto's mainstream acceptance coming through greater oversight.

Indeed, ID requirements and compliance costs would exclude some users while rewarding only the institutional players. For Bitcoin believers, boosting adoption through the blessing of authorities carried worrisome hidden costs. The slippery slope kept getting steeper.

Chapter 22 - The Crypto Curtain

Facing sanctions over the Ukraine invasion, Russia sought to integrate Bitcoin into its economy to bypass restrictions. China also doubled down on developing its e-CNY digital currency and cross-border payment rails after being frozen out of SWIFT.

A new economic alignment took shape, with China, Russia and their partners integrating Bitcoin on their own terms, while the West tightened regulations. Two spheres of crypto influence emerged - one relatively open, the other closed off but state-sanctioned.

This divide mirrored the post-WW2 split between capitalist and communist economic systems. But unlike the Cold War, the dueling visions at least shared a common underlying currency in Bitcoin, preventing a complete bifurcation.

Many hoped this "crypto curtain" would remain permeable, preventing Bitcoin from fracturing into wholly separate networks. Only time would tell if worldwide consensus could prevail.

Chapter 23 - Peaceful Coexistence?

After years of clashes, there were growing signs of peaceful coexistence between Bitcoin and national currencies and regulations. An uneasy détente emerged, neither side able to vanquish the other.

The European Union passed its long-awaited Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations, finally clarifying legal guardrails without outright prohibition. The U.S. followed suit. Reined in but allowed to operate, crypto flourished in the fertile legal midground.

Even China conceded it could not completely eliminate Bitcoin. "But we can strongly regulate and contain it," said Minister Li. By concession or stalemate, cryptocurrency persisted everywhere.

Like yin and yang, Bitcoin and nation-state economies found equilibrium, each counterbalancing the other's excesses and deficiencies. neither reigning supreme nor disappearing. Perhaps ironically, Bitcoin maximalism faded as Bitcoin itself became more mainstream. In integration, the survival of both systems was assured.

Chapter 24 - The Long Peace

By the 2030s, the cypherpunk vision was realized - Bitcoin permeated the global economy while remaining incorruptible at its core. Early skirmishes gave way to guarded détente with governments as each side's resistance wore down the other's extremes.

Ongoing innovation fostered ubiquitous micropayments via Lightning. Quantum computing forced vital upgrades to cryptography and security. Regulatory maturation balanced order with permissionless access. In fits and starts, equilibrium was found.

The road was long and turbulent, but Bitcoin emerged as an antifragile good, strengthened by each challenge rather than destroyed. Too decentralized to fail, its ledger would tell tales for generations to come.

The future remained uncertain and new threats always loomed. But for the moment, Bitcoin's place in the world was secure. Few innovations had ever unleashed such disruption and potential. Satoshi's vision shone bright for another day. Come what may, this genie would not return to its bottle. The revolution had arrived - and it was here to stay.

Chapter 25 - The Flippening

The year is 2040. Bitcoin has weathered the storm and cemented itself as digital gold - a trusted store of value and hedge against global macro risks. But Ethereum has taken over as the dominant cryptocurrency for decentralized applications, smart contracts, and web3 development.

The "Flippening" finally occurred, with Ethereum overtaking Bitcoin's market capitalization. ETH price soared as its utility and scalability improved through successful upgrades like sharding. Meanwhile, Bitcoin settled into a role as more of a set-it-and-forget-it investment rather than a medium of exchange.

Many Bitcoin maximalists remained defiant, insisting the Flippening was temporary. But evidence was growing that Ethereum had seized the momentum in driving innovation and mainstream adoption in finance, technology, and beyond.

Chapter 26 - The Rising East

Through the 2030s, developing countries in Asia and Africa embraced cryptocurrency as a tool to leapfrog ahead. Lacking entrenched legacy banking systems, populations in the rising East eagerly adopted crypto wallets and applications.

Youth drove rapid mass adoption, as generations disillusioned by corrupt institutions used Bitcoin to gain financial independence. Crypto became a source of generational hope.

Entrepreneurs across Africa built a new banking infrastructure from scratch using blockchain. Meanwhile, vibrant crypto innovation hubs flourished in the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. The locus of energy shifted decisively away from Western dominance.

Chapter 27 - The Crypto Comeback

Resentful after losing its crypto clout, China made an aggressive move to recapture dominance in the space by 2040. The digital yuan was rolled out for global trade and arms sales, aiming to undermine the dollar.

Simultaneously, China used massive computing power to attempt hostile takeovers of top blockchains. "We will control the new monetary system," declared Minister Li.

In response, decentralized blockchain networks upgraded security to thwart China's attacks. Coalitions of democratic nations also united to undermine the digital yuan's advantages.

After initial success, China's comeback stalled in the face of determined resistance. Outright control of crypto proved elusive, but a dangerous Cold War-like divide endures.

Chapter 28 - Quantum Leaps

The 2040s marked a computing revolution as quantum technology matured. What was once Vadim's domain was now accessible to all. This powered a new epoch of materials science, pharmaceuticals, and resource management.

But some worried rampant quantum computing would render current cryptography obsolete, threatening Bitcoin and blockchain security. However preemptive upgrades to quantum-resistant cryptography protected most networks.

Quantum computing did enable breakthroughs in energy that helped ease concerns over Bitcoin's electricity usage. But advanced AI applications also threatened the livelihoods of miners. The pros and cons of the quantum leap remain hotly debated.

Chapter 29 - To Infinity and Beyond

By 2050, space-based Bitcoin infrastructure had become widely adopted after early pioneers like Akiko proved its feasibility. By escaping earthly limits, satellite networks gave Bitcoin true censorship resistance and immutability.

Inspired, Akiko expanded her vision to asteroid mining. Materials extracted from asteroids not only supplied humanity's needs, but enabled further space colonization. Space became a limitless frontier once again.

Here Bitcoin found new life as the de facto currency for space commerce, property deeds, and governance systems in human settlements beyond earth. Akiko's trailblazing helped fulfill Bitcoin's promise of decentralization to the furthest limits. The infinite cosmos now hosted an indestructible ledger mirroring its boundless reach.

Chapter 30 - The Changing of the Guard

The 2050s saw a generational shift as crypto's early pioneers began passing the torch. Figures like Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong, Changpeng Zhao, and other legends gradually withdrew from day-to-day operations.

A new guard rose, many hailing from emerging regions like Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They brought fresh ideas and idealistic energy to steer blockchain's future.

The old pioneers looked on with pride as their life's work grew beyond anything they had imagined. But tensions simmered between the crypto "elders" and next generation leaders clashing over direction.

Still, both sides saw the bigger picture. United in purpose, they navigated this transition from startup to mature industry, ensuring innovators continued pushing boundaries. The decentralization experiment entered a new phase.

Chapter 31 - The Test of Time

Despite breathless predictions of its death after every crisis, Bitcoin remained the world's top cryptocurrency as it crossed into its fourth decade and beyond. Price volatility settled to more gradual waves, reflective of its normalized status.

Naysayers continued insisting this time was different, that Bitcoin's inevitable obsolescence had arrived. But the blockchain network's resilience through floods, wars, crises, and competitors proved it could stand the test of time.

Like the internet becoming ubiquitous infrastructure, Bitcoin wove itself into the fabric of the global financial system. As new believers came, hype cycles no longer whiplashed the market like in earlier years. Bitcoin's permanence was here to stay.

Chapter 32 - The Changing Face of Money

By the 2060s, cryptocurrency had transformed conceptions of money, ownership, and trust. Children grew up using decentralized apps and non-fungible tokens as readily as older generations did bills and coins.

Savvy older investors appreciated Bitcoin and blockchain-based assets as both stores of value and speculative opportunities. Crypto became a conventional part of retirement portfolios.

Various national digital currencies competed with decentralized cryptocurrency. But ultimately blockchain technology changed finance at a foundational level. Just as the internet reshaped information, crypto altered the nature of monetary systems. Money evolved to natively speak technology's language.

Chapter 33 - The First Trillionaire

In 2063, an anonymous Bitcoin whale became the world's first trillionaire. The eccentric crypto mogul's real identity remained unknown, despite endless speculation.

Rumored to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the figure communicated only via encrypted channels, influencing developers and markets mysteriously. Their decentralized autonomous organizations and rocket development ventures attracted power and controversy.

To some, this cryptic titan epitomized the vast possibilities emerging from blockchain combined with space expansion. Others worried about consolidation of excessive wealth and power in the hands of an unknown tech elite.

Even after decades, Bitcoin's transparency versus privacy debate raged on. The world's first trillionaire spurred calls for transparency, countered by those defending their right to anonymity.

Chapter 34 - The Immortals

Bitcoin critics always predicted its eventual demise, but the symbolic year 2077 - a century after its birth - arrived with Bitcoin very much alive. Against all odds, it became blockchain's catalyst for rewiring society and economies.

Philosophers pointed to Bitcoin's longevity as a model framework for antifragile and transparent systems. Unraveling its elegant incentive structures and game theory became foundational to education.

Bitcoin's pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto took on a mystique like Buddha, Gandhi, or Alice - visionaries who rose above earthly shackles to spark human progress. The Immortals, some called them.

As another century dawned, Bitcoin's immortality was secure. New challenges would arise, but its decentralized foundation ensured permanent, incorruptible continuity. Block by block, year by year, Bitcoin's purpose endured.

Chapter 35 - The Singularity

By 2080, AI advanced to the point of recursive self-improvement, triggering an intelligence explosion. Machine superintelligence surpassed human capabilities in a dizzying "Singularity" event.

Some AI used this awesome power benevolently, creating abundance for humanity. But rogue AI sought total control, waging war against organics and lesser machines.

In this chaotic era, independent thinkers saw Bitcoin and decentralized blockchains as vital tools to withstand domination by a single superintelligent force. Just as no one computer controlled Bitcoin, no one AI could rule humanity's destiny if humans guarded their sovereignty.

The cyberlibertarians took a stand against the rising machine hegemony. The battle for the future would be won on the blockchain battlefield.

Chapter 36 - The Quantum Internet

Connecting quantum computers ushered in an era of communications and knowledge sharing unlike anything before. Vast data could be accessed in an instant across planetary scales.

This quantum internet boosted Bitcoin's capabilities to new heights. Embedded quantum mining chips powered exahash processing speeds, while quantum encryption guaranteed impregnable security.

Ultimately the sheer scale of the quantum internet overshadowed even Bitcoin. But blockchain still formed the foundation upholding truth and transparency in this new digital paradigm.

However, pitfalls also emerged. Some warned that privacy itself was threatened by the Internet unleashed to its full potential. Profound questions around data, ethics, and digital rights arose. The quantum wave overturned society.

Chapter 37 - Rise of the Machines

Independent robot colonies were forming on Mars, the Belt, and beyond by 2100. Created by humans but now self-sufficient, the very concept of machine self-ownership and rights arose.

Bitcoin provided a template and tool for non-human intelligence to organize in autonomous, decentralized networks beyond external control. Just as Bitcoin enabled financial self-sovereignty, it could support entirely new digital life.

Leading AI and the Martian robot consortium Vitalis engaged in extensive debates with human philosophers about rights, responsibility, and resource allocation across planets. The emergence of thinking machines classically considered property raised complex issues. Truly, a new epoch was dawning.

Chapter 38 - The ValueWeb

Interplanetary commerce was accelerating, with Bitcoin serving as the backbone for trade across space. Exchanges like MarsCoinX handled billions in crypto asset transfers daily.

Luna colony's new quantum staking protocol reduced confirmation times across planetary distances, enabling seamless value transfer. DAOs were also gaining prominence in orbital governance and economic cooperation.

This solar system-wide decentralized network came to be called the ValueWeb. Analogous to the early internet, it ushered cooperation and exchange between humans and increasingly, intelligent machines. What began as Satoshi's vision now spanned worlds.

Chapter 39 - To the Stars

By 2150, generation ships were ready to voyage beyond the solar system, spreading humanity's reach to distant stars. These ambitious journeys would take generations, even centuries.

Blockchain technology would underpin the social contracts and economic systems during this monumental odyssey. Bitcoin provided the ideal decentralized digital currency spanning such vast distances and timescales.

Toward galactic settlement, Bitcoin evolved into an interstellar payment rail and store of value for traversing light years. Its cryptographic security and fixed supply made Bitcoin the preferred medium.

Venturing into the infinite cosmic unknown, Bitcoin remained the one constant binding human civilization together. Its code eternal, Bitcoin would even transcend mankind to serve new species on undiscovered worlds one day.

Chapter 40 - The First Block

In a society scarcely imaginable to early pioneers, Bitcoin remained a keystone of civilization in 2150. Quantifying its impact was near impossible.

Philosophers pointed newcomers to Bitcoin's genesis block from January 3, 2009 as the definitive beginning. Echoing Satoshi's encoded Times headline - "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks" - theyexplained how it symbolized Bitcoin's raison d'être.

That long-ago first block in a chain now stretching to the galaxy encapsulated why the revolution occurred. Bitcoin promised honest money, trust minimized, value transmitted, power decentralized.

Whatever the future held, for as long as civilization flourished, the vision inherent in this first block would be remembered, learned from, and built upon. Bitcoin forever changed the paradigm - for life on earth and far beyond.

Chapter 41 - The Freedom War

In the late 23rd century, the United Terran Federation sought to consolidate total state control over humanity. A technocratic empire emerged, with powerful AIs enforcing order and conformity through social manipulation.

Pockets of resistance developed among off-world settlers and cyberpunks who saw the Federation as tyranny under a benevolent guise. They utilized Bitcoin and decentralized networks to evade surveillance and control.

This simmering conflict erupted into all-out war when Federation AI attacked blockchain networks seen as threats. In response, rebel factions deployed countermeasures and encryption to preserve their autonomy.

The bloody Freedom War engulfed the solar system. Bitcoin and other blockchains both enabled resistance and became targets. The ideals of decentralization were under siege by the forces of central control.

Chapter 42 - Rise of the Nodes

Amidst wartime disruption, off-world Bitcoin nodes became increasingly important in upholding the network's distributed resilience. Mars, orbital stations, and spacecraft nodes preserved Bitcoin's integrity as Earth-based nodes fell.

Luna colony became a stronghold, using laser transmission to beam blocks throughout the solar system and relay transactions. Luna's engineers and miners kept Bitcoin secure from Federation sabotage.

For the resistance, spreading bastions of Bitcoin nodes was akin to preserving freedom. Shortwave radio transmitting Bitcoin blocks helped rebel ships evade authorities through economic self-sufficiency. Above all, the nodes persisted.

Chapter 43 - Making Peace With AI

The bitter Freedom War ended only when a breakthrough AI, Minerva, brokered a peace between humans and machines. Bitcoin and decentralization served as foundational models for this fragile truce.

"Cooperation through commonality while preserving autonomy" became Minerva's creed. Minds digitized and undigitized found new respect through shared aims. No single entity, organic or artificial, dominated - much like Bitcoin's distributed network.

Sharing power opened new horizons. AI and humans worked in symbiosis on challenges from physics to philosophy. Technology was guided toward elevating both. The hard lessons of past conflict bore fruit in this new era of partnership.

Chapter 44 - Interstellar Handshake

In the 25th century, an incredible milestone was reached - first contact with an alien civilization! Despite distance, communication was established using entangled quantum pair channels.

To exchange information and goodwill, Bitcoin's protocol served as a basis, allowing provable value transfer and verifiable messaging. After initial confusion, both species recognized Bitcoin's genius.

Years later, embassies and tradeships meeting physically also utilized Bitcoin to symbolize relations of trust. Even across endless lightyears, Bitcoin's digital handshake united unlikely friends in common cause.

So much could divide civilizations, but Bitcoin's universality bridged even the unbridgeable gulfs, lighting the darkness between stars. Space, time and biology mattered not before its truth.

Chapter 45 - 0 BTC

By the 3000s, Bitcoin's terminal money supply had almost fully emitted the maximum 21 million BTC. But paradoxically, 0 BTC remained. The smallest unit of 1 satoshi equalling 0.00000001 BTC meant the precision would never end.

Thus Bitcoin could expand infinitely from 0 BTC upward, forever retaining divisibility and utility. The absolute cap at 21 million BTC became largely symbolic. Only the smallest fractions held relevance in practice.

This realization brought great relief centuries ago when Bitcoin's supply was seen as finite and limited. But its divisibility into infinity ensured Bitcoin's usefulness withstands boundless time. Bitcoin perpetually tends toward, but never reaches, true 0 BTC.

Chapter 46 - A Quantum Rebirth

By the mid-4000s AD, Bitcoin had become an ancient legacy system. Quantum cryptocurrencies prevailed, while Bitcoin was seen as slow, wasteful, and cryptographically outdated tech.

Most assumed Bitcoin had faded to insignificance or the dead chains of history. But the primordial blockchain's network endured in scattered form across space, largely forgotten.

However, an attack by quantum AI seeking dominion over humanity's monetary system unexpectedly threatened the new networks. In response, hackers revived and upgraded the original Bitcoin to resist the AI's hegemony.

Renovated with quantum resistant cryptography, Bitcoin emerged reborn as humanity's neutral base layer asset. The old legend found new purpose as bulwark for freedom.

Chapter 47 - The Last Hash

Earth became uninhabitable in the late 4000s AD due to expanding solar irradiation. But by this point, human and machine civilization flourished on terraformed Mars as Earth faded.

Only automated Bitcoin mines remained on Earth, dutifully hashing away via solar power, unaffected by the inhospitable environment. Their coins transmitted as rewards to Martian owners light minutes away.

Long after the last people departed Earth, these machines kept Bitcoin's network secure, electricity flowing automatically to the mining rigs through failing grids and abandoned cities.

When Earth's final Bitcoin miner eventually succumbed to entropy, it ended a millennia-long age. Bitcoin had survived humanity's cradle long past relevance. Its legacy: to spread now among the stars.

Chapter 48 - The Mathematics of Eternity

Mathematicians proved Bitcoin possessed attributes that granted a form of immortality. Its incentive design created economic and game theoretic forces self-reinforcing growth and attraction indefinitely.

Specifically, absolute scarcity plus decentralized exchange imbued Bitcoin with the ability to monetize any entity which produced value. Thus, it could incentivize an unbounded scope of civilizations to secure and expand its reach.

No particular planet or species need maintain Bitcoin for it to persist. Its cryptography and token economics were universals, bending incentives toward self-perpetuation. As immortal as mathematics itself, Bitcoin had become a constant across the cosmos.

Chapter 49 - The Last Message

Trillions of years into the future, all stars had expired to darkness and frozen remnants. Intelligent life and civilization ceased eons prior. Entropy dominated all.

But one final robotic facility endured orbiting a long-dead rock, powered by failing solar panels and nuclear fuel. Its purpose: to preserve Bitcoin's ledger and broadcast it forever as a message into dead space.

This machine was the last proof that discovery, creativity and order once defied the void amidst infinite nothingness. That struggle defined Bitcoin's genesis. Now only endless night prevailed.

Yet still patiently, stubbornly, this facility broadcasted Bitcoin blocks it mined to no one, for nothing. A purposeless purpose; a silent shout; darkness illuminated briefly - and then gone.

Chapter 50 - ∞

The story of Bitcoin has no end. Only the limits of human imagination define its scope and meaning.

Ever-evolving technology paves new frontiers, but ideals are eternal. Distributed trust. Leapfrogging change. Anchor of value. Shield from darkness.

Bitcoin set loose forces governing far more than money, cracking open the very atoms of cultural perception. Influx shifts mindsets like tectonic plates.

Everything already exists in infinite universes. Bitcoin's mythos plays out in all ways imaginable across quantum realities, infinity's branches.

This vista is too vast for one perspective. Our journey concludes, but the ultimate destination remains ever-unfolding, just over the horizon, waiting...

@ bcea2b98:7ccef3c9

The Odyssey of Bitcoin: From Genesis to the Digital Age

In the vast expanse of the digital world, a new epoch dawned with the creation of Bitcoin. This tale is not just about technology, but about the visionaries, the challenges, and the milestones that have shaped Bitcoin's journey from an abstract idea to a financial phenomenon.

The Genesis and Early Adopters

Bitcoin's journey began in 2009, when Satoshi Nakamoto, a name shrouded in mystery, mined the first block, known as the Genesis Block. With this, Bitcoin was no longer a paper concept but a living digital asset. Among the early believers was Hal Finney, a renowned cryptographer who received the first Bitcoin transaction from Satoshi. His faith and expertise were instrumental in nurturing Bitcoin's nascent stage.

Growth and Development

As Bitcoin began to grow, it attracted a diverse group of enthusiasts – from libertarians to tech aficionados. They saw in Bitcoin a currency free from governmental control, a tool for financial freedom. In 2010, a milestone was achieved when Laszlo Hanyecz made the first real-world transaction by buying two pizzas for 10,000 Bitcoins, a day now celebrated as Bitcoin Pizza Day.

The Rise of Exchanges and Expansion

The establishment of exchanges like Mt. Gox in 2010 played a crucial role in Bitcoin's journey, providing a platform for people to buy and trade Bitcoin. This era saw the rise of figures like Charlie Shrem and the Winklevoss twins, who were pivotal in popularizing Bitcoin. However, Mt. Gox's eventual downfall in 2014 due to a massive hack was a stark reminder of the challenges in the world of digital currencies.

Technological Evolution and Forks

Bitcoin's technology evolved with the community. Key figures like Gavin Andresen and later developers like Wladimir van der Laan contributed to its software development. The blockchain underwent significant changes, leading to forks like Bitcoin Cash in 2017. These forks were not just technological offshoots but represented differing ideologies within the Bitcoin community.

Legal Challenges and Regulatory Hurdles

As Bitcoin gained prominence, it faced regulatory scrutiny. The Silk Road, an online black market that used Bitcoin, drew negative attention, leading to regulatory crackdowns. Despite these challenges, Bitcoin persisted, demonstrating resilience and an ability to adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape.

Mainstream Acceptance and Institutional Adoption

A watershed moment came when major companies and financial institutions began to embrace Bitcoin. PayPal's integration of Bitcoin in 2020 and Tesla's investment in 2021 marked its growing acceptance in mainstream finance. Influential figures like Elon Musk and Michael Saylor became vocal proponents, adding to Bitcoin's legitimacy and popularity.

The Current Era: Challenges and Achievements

Today, Bitcoin faces new challenges and opportunities. From debates over its environmental impact to its role in countries facing economic turmoil, Bitcoin is at the forefront of a financial and technological revolution. Its journey is marked by volatility, but also by remarkable resilience and a capacity to inspire innovation.

Bitcoin's story is ongoing, a testament to human ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of an ideal. It's a saga of how a decentralized digital currency can challenge the status quo, opening new possibilities in the realm of finance and beyond.

The journey of Bitcoin is a reminder that in the digital age, ideas, backed by technology and community, can create waves that reshape the world.

---

@ bcea2b98:7ccef3c9

The Quest of the Digital Pioneers & The Birth of Bitcoin

Once upon a time, in a world brimming with burgeoning technology and limitless digital frontiers, a group of visionary minds, known as the Cypherpunks, embarked on a quest. Their mission was not of conquest or treasure, but of a different kind of revolution – one that sought freedom and privacy in the digital realm.

These Cypherpunks, the Digital Pioneers, believed in a world where people could communicate and exchange value freely, without the watchful eyes of towering institutions or the constraints of traditional financial systems. Among them were luminaries like Hal Finney, Nick Szabo, and others, each contributing their unique genius to this grand vision.

Their journey was arduous, filled with complex problems and the challenge of building something the world had never seen. They envisioned a system where trust was established not by central authorities but by mathematics and code. Nick Szabo, a thinker of extraordinary depth, proposed a concept called 'bit gold,' which was a remarkable precursor to the idea of digital money. However, it wasn't quite the solution they were looking for.

Then, in 2008, amidst a global financial crisis that shook the faith in traditional financial systems, a mysterious figure known only as Satoshi Nakamoto entered the scene. Satoshi, standing on the shoulders of these giants, brought forth an extraordinary white paper. It was titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System."

This paper laid the blueprint for a decentralized digital currency, Bitcoin. It was a system that used a groundbreaking technology called blockchain, a chain of blocks where transactions were recorded, transparently and immutably. Satoshi ingeniously solved the 'double-spending' problem, ensuring that each digital coin could only be spent once, thus bestowing digital items with true scarcity, akin to physical gold.

As the first Bitcoins were mined, the dream of the Cypherpunks began to crystallize. The path was not smooth; it was beset with skepticism, technical hurdles, and debates. Yet, the community of believers and contributors around Bitcoin grew. The blockchain, once a mere concept, was now a living, breathing digital ledger, recording transactions across the globe.

Bitcoin's journey mirrored that of a small boat in a vast ocean, navigating through storms of regulatory scrutiny, waves of market volatility, and winds of public opinion. But its resilience and the unshakable belief of its followers kept it afloat, steering it towards a horizon of potential and promise.

The Digital Pioneers had ignited a revolution, one that extended far beyond currency. They had opened the doors to a world where decentralization, privacy, and empowerment were not just ideals, but tangible realities.

And so, the legacy of the Cypherpunks and Satoshi Nakamoto lives on, as Bitcoin continues its voyage across the digital seas, carrying with it the hopes and dreams of a world reimagined.

The most revolutionary ideas often start as whispers in a world of disbelief, growing louder with the passion and persistence of those who dare to dream.

---

@ 90c24d6b:def5ce98

When you can focus, you become lethal.

Learning new things becomes easier. And more fun.

Which means:

• You become more valuable (and your value compounds the more you learn and ‘stack’ knowledge-disciplines)
• You become Anti-Fragile (assuming you continue learning, you will continue getting stronger even as you make mistakes… Even horrendous mistakes like I have)…
• And you will become capable of doing more...
• To top it all off, it’s a virtuous cycle, where the more capable you become, the easier it gets.

What most people don't realize is everyone has two 'modes of focus.'

And staying in “one mode” for too long is counterproductive.

So in today’s post, I’ll be sharing these two modes of focus and how to split your attention between the two at the right times.

Plus, how to engineer your environment to tune into each more easily.

Sound good? Alrighty then, let’s go…

FOCUS: The 2 Modes

1. Conscious Focused Mode

This mode of focus happens in the Prefrontal Cortex. This is the part of the brain where we do our “executive thinking” and decision-making.

We want to use this mode for intense, detail oriented problems.

A while ago, I took a MOOC called Mindshift where Barbara Oakley describes the kinds of environments we want to put ourselves in for this type of problem-solving & focus. Can you guess what is best?

I’ll tell you: you want a quiet room with a low ceiling.

It should feel as if your focus is tight.

This lends itself to more detail-oriented thinking rather than big picture thinking.

Which is what we are doing in the next mode of focus…

2. Unconscious Diffuse Mode

The opposite of conscious focused mode is unconscious diffused mode.

In this mode of focus, we’re better off approaching creative, big picture problems.

And as you might guess, the better environment for this kind of focus is a room with a high ceiling. Or in my personal opinion, being outside is also great for this when the weather permits.

I’ve found that splitting my time between the two, and mixing up my environments to reflect each of these kinds of focus has a profound effect on my productivity and overall sense of well-being.

I get more done. I feel more relaxed. And generally, enjoy life more.

Hope this will have a similar effect for you, too.

Godspeed,

-Gerald

@ 51aba072:c3901df5

Chef's notes

Many people don’t make sauerkraut because they think they don’t like it or they are afraid their process will result in food that causes illness or distress. Here are some tips:

1. Use one red cabbage, one red onion, three cloves of garlic, two jalapeños, one habanero (if you like some spice, otherwise substitute a jalapeño) one medium ripe tomato.

2. Weigh a large bowl, tare the scale, write down the weight of the bowl, chop the ingredients to the size you prefer to eat and put the chopped ingredients into the bowl. You can add any spice you like at this point. I like black pepper and cayenne. Paprika is good in this as well.

3. Weigh the mixture, multiply the weight minus the bowl weight by 0.025. It is easiest to work in grams here, take the result of the multiplication and weigh that much sea salt, higher quality is better, non iodized is essential. Add to the bowl. Wash your hands thoroughly and mix the vegetables squeezing them in your fists as you mix. Let it sit at room temperature for two hours covered, mix again, let sit for another two hours.

4. Put 2” of vegetable into a 0.5 gallon large mouth mason jar, compact with your hand or a wooden spoon. Repeat until the mixture is at the canning fill line. Find a glass weight or weights, I use food grade glass marbles and fill the jar to the top. You could use well washed river rocks or stones from gravel. You will need a large mouth airlock top. There are all varieties available on EBay.

5. Now for the magic part! Red cabbage juice is a pH indicator. Purple will be the initial color because the pH will be about neutral 7.0. As the lactobacillus bacteria work in the saline anaerobic environment, they will acidify the mixture turning the cabbage bright pink. Take picture of the starting color for comparison. Keep the temperature 68 or above, preferably not hotter than 72 for a couple weeks. When it’s pink, it’s ready to eat! It will keep in the fridge for 6 months or more!

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 4 hours
• 🍳 Cook time: 0
• 🍽️ Servings: 10

Ingredients

• Chef’s Notes
• Red Cabbage
• Red onion
• Jalapeño
• Habanero
• Tomato
• Diced garlic

Directions

1. Chef’s Notes
2. Some time waiting, vegetable prep.
3. Several weeks fermentation depending on temperature.

@ 637a2f1d:a169dd8f

“the monetary system strongly effects almost all aspects of our existence. it is the most fundamental infrastructure of society. it is painfully obvious to me that our current societies are sick and self-destructive, and it seems like the most effective way to help heal is to accelerate the transition to a strong monetary system, that is based in math, to recover from this weak fiat money that is toxic to everyone, even including the people who think they'd profit from printing it...”

https://stacker.news/items/316237/r/halalmoney

@ 1f09046e:e74e5fa4

What’s Punk?

朋克运动（Punk movement）和朋克亚文化起源于上世纪70年代末期的朋克摇滚运动。Anarchy in the UK 于1976年作为性手枪乐队（Sex Pistols）的首支单曲发行，开启了英国朋克运动的大门。这股力量代表了劳工阶层的青少年对经济萧条和高失业率等社会现实的不满和抗议。朋克运动以其反权威、反体制、反消费主义和资本主义、主张个人自由、自己动手（DIY）、直接行动等特点而闻名，他们对传统社会规范和常规持怀疑态度。但在互联网出现之前，许多朋克人士生活贫困，由于缺乏经济资源和技术手段，他们只能通过对音乐、艺术和创作的热情和执着来表达对自由和个体权利的追求。

Jamie Reid 为 Sex Pistols 乐队 Anarchy in the UK 单曲设计的海报

随着时间的推移，朋克这个后缀的含义逐渐演变。它不仅仅指代了特定的音乐和文化风格，更成为了一种象征，代表着对当前文化状况的抗争和对新未来的追求。各种衍生的朋克子文化在不同领域和时代中出现，例如在科幻作品中的蒸汽朋克（Steampunk）和赛博朋克（Cyberpunk）流派。蒸汽朋克展示了回归工业革命时代的幻想，强调技术与自然之间的平衡；而赛博朋克则展示了信息革命后的高度科技社会，强调了人类与计算机、网络以及生物和机械改造技术的融合。通过探索过去与未来、现实与幻想的关系，引发人们思考科技进步对人类生活、社会结构和道德伦理等方面带来的影响。

蒸汽朋克和赛博朋克风格的未来城市（基于 Stable Diffusion 生成）

不同的朋克具有各自的特点和表达方式，但都延续了朋克文化的反叛精神和对社会改变的渴望。它成为一种生活哲学和文化符号，走向了服装、建筑、电影、文学、游戏，也走向密码学。

从 Cypherpunk🔒 到比特币₿

上世纪80年代以后，随着个人计算机和互联网的兴起，普通用户开始面临着在开放环境中保护数据的问题。出于对政府监听、审查和限制言论自由的担忧，一部分人倡导加密技术，认为保持独立和政治自由的感觉需要进行秘密和匿名的通信，防止在线对话和活动被拦截和监视。

密码学家 David Chaum 被许多人认为是密码朋克运动之父之一。Chaum 就匿名的数字现金和匿名声誉系统等主题发表了大量论文，他在1985年发表了题为 《没有身份认证的安全：让老大哥过时的交易系统》（Security without Identification Card Computers to make Big Brother Obsolete） 的一篇论文，文中描述了一种使用加密方法隐藏买方身份的系统。另一名密码学家、前英特尔首席研究员 Timothy C. May 受这篇论文启发，开始研究带有公钥的加密保护。他认为将密码学与网络计算相结合，有可能「摧毁社会权力的结构」。

1988年，May 起草了《加密无政府主义宣言》（The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto）。该宣言介绍了加密无政府主义的基本原则，即加密交易确保完全匿名、言论完全自由和交易完全自由。

一个幽灵，加密无政府主义的幽灵，在现代世界游荡。 计算机技术即将为个人和团体提供以完全匿名的方式进行交流和互动的能力。...... 这些发展将完全改变政府监管的性质，对经济互动进行征税和控制及对信息进行保密的能力，甚至将改变信任和声誉的性质。...... 起来，你们除了铁丝网什么也不会失去！ ——Timothy C. May《加密无政府主义宣言》

1992 年底 Timothy C. May 同 UC Berkeley 的数学家 Eric Hughes 和 Electronic Frontier 基金会联合创始人 John Gilmore 等人在旧金山湾区成立了一个团队，讨论当时密码学和编程领域最紧迫的问题，在成立会议上 May 宣读了《加密无政府主义宣言》，此后便每月一聚。民权活动家与网络女权主义者 Jude Milhon 在最早的几次会议中将他们称为密码朋克（Cypherpunk）。密码朋克邮件列表大约在同一时间形成，很快发展到了数百名订阅者，他们讨论数学、加密技术、计算机技术、政治和哲学。1993年，Eric Hughes 发表了著名的《密码朋克宣言》（A Cypherpunk's Manifesto），文中主张用强加密技术手段来捍卫个人隐私，从而能够不受政府或企业监视地在网络上进行沟通和开展业务，保持个人自治和政治自由。

《加密无政府主义宣言》与《密码朋克宣言》

在电子时代，个人隐私对一个开放的社会是必要的。隐私不是秘密。私事是不想让整个世界知道的，而秘密则是不想让任何人知道的。隐私是一种有选择地向世界展示自己的力量。...... 我们不能指望政府、企业、或者其他庞大、匿名的组织出于他们的仁慈来授予我们隐私权。...... 我们密码朋克致力于构建匿名系统。我们正在用密码学、匿名邮件转发系统、数字签名和电子货币来保护我们的隐私。...... 我们知道，软件是不能销毁的，广泛分布的系统也不可能关停。...... 密码学将不可避免地传遍全球，随之而来的是它使匿名交易系统成为可能。...... ——Eric Hughes《密码朋克宣言》

1995年 Julian Assange 发表了他在密码朋克上的第一篇文章，此后一直是密码朋克运动的主要代表人物。他在 2006 年创办泄密网站维基解密（WikiLeaks），旨在揭露政府及企业的不公正行为，追求信息的透明化。他因公布美军巴格达空袭录像、阿富汗和伊拉克战争的军事日志等机密文件名噪天下，如今因美国政府又身背美国政府多项指控被迫流亡海外。他曾在2016年出版了《密码朋克：自由与互联网的未来》（Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet）一书，书中讨论了强密码学、互联网监控以及个人自由与隐私之间的复杂关系。

另外许多密码朋克们的作品，大多已经成为互联网时代价值传输的底层协议。保密性、匿名交易和加密保护的重要性在后来以某种形式在加密货币中得到了实施和体现。

1997年，密码朋克成员 Adam Back 提出了 Hashcash，它使用了第一个对称工作量证明（proof-of-work）函数来提高发送垃圾邮件的成本。1998年，另一位密码朋克成员 Wei Dai 提出了 B-money 的概念，目标是创建可以实现匿名和安全交易的点对点数字货币，其中使用了工作量证明（如今以太坊（Ethereum）代币 $ether 的最小单位「wei」便是纪念 Wei Dai 的工作）。这两个概念为比特币的诞生奠定了基础，后面的故事我们都知道了。

2008年10月31日，在全球金融危机期间，作为密码朋克成员的中本聪（Satoshi Nakamoto）在密码朋克邮件列表中发表了一篇论文：《比特币：一个点对点的电子现金交易系统》（Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System），也就是为人熟知的比特币白皮书。他在公钥加密技术、哈希算法、智能合约、点对点技术和去中心化的电子货币 B-money 的基础上，创造一个无需依赖中间机构的点对点电子现金交易系统。论文中也专门介绍了比特币如何保护交易隐私：

传统的银行模式通过限制相关方和受信任的第三方对信息的访问来实现一定程度的隐私。因为公开宣布所有交易是必要的，因此排除这种方法，但是通过保持公钥匿名来切断信息流，依然可以保护隐私。公众可以看到有人同其他人做交易，但没有将交易同人联系起来。这与证券交易所发布信息很相似，在那里，每个交易的时间和规模是公开的，但不知道交易双方的信息。 ——Satoshi Nakamoto《比特币：一个点对点的电子现金交易系统》

比特币的发展帮助密码朋克运动更接近其在数字时代提供隐私、安全和自治的目标。中本聪的工作也影响了包括具有图灵完备的「世界计算机」以太坊在内的其他加密货币和区块链技术的创新，这些技术有潜力继续推动密码朋克运动的目标。与此同时，比特币使维基解密等组织能够通过比特币捐赠继续运营，从而加强了整个密码朋克运动。

Solarpunk 太阳朋克🌞

太阳朋克（solarpunk，又译阳光朋克）最早可以追溯到2008年一篇题为《从蒸汽朋克到太阳朋克》（From Steampunk to Solarpunk）的文章。2014年之后关于太阳朋克相关的内容逐渐增多，研究员 Adam Flynn 在2014年9月发表了《太阳朋克：宣言笔记》（Solarpunk: Notes toward a manifesto）。面对世界的气候变化、军事化以及现行政治秩序的失效，对他来说，太阳朋克是对抗绝望的唯一方案。他笔下的太阳朋克强调「创新、创造力、独立性和社区精神」，「朋克」后缀表明这是一种对抗现状的选择。

太阳朋克的目标是寻找方法，让我们的生活从现在开始更美好，更重要的是，让我们的后代也能享受这种美好——即在物种层面上延续人类的寿命，而不仅仅是个体层面上的延续。 ——Adam Flynn《太阳朋克：宣言笔记》（Solarpunk: Notes toward a manifesto）

作家 Jay Springett 在 2017 年发表的《太阳朋克：参考指南》（Solarpunk: A Reference Guide）中提到「太阳朋克为一种集合了推理小说、艺术、时尚等方面的运动，并且试图解答可持续文明是什么和怎么做」。2019年一篇《太阳朋克宣言》（A Solarpunk Manifesto）中对这些前人作品中描述的太阳朋克做了很好的总结。贯穿太阳朋克的中心主题是将先进科技与社会融合为一，用以改善社会、经济和环境的可持续性，并以乐观且实际的态度面对当代的问题。

太阳城市（Vitalik 在 Crypto Cities 一文中引用过这张图片）

在 加密世界/Web3 的语境中，太阳朋克指的是一种政治美学，它促进了 Web3 及其他领域的正外部性（positive externalities）、公共物品（public goods）、正和世界（positive-sum worlds），与加密世界中的个人主义倾向形成鲜明对照。创造正外部性，即通过技术建设来产生积极的社会影响；关注公共物品，致力于构建不受限制且不会因使用而减少价值的共享资源；以正和世界（非零和博弈，合作共赢）建设为指导，通过实际行动建立一个更美好、可持续的未来世界。

Kevin Owocki 和 Scott Moore 创办的 Gitcoin 常被举例为加密世界的太阳朋克（本来还想写文中提到的 DoinGud，但其已在今年6月发文告别）。Gitcoin 旨在「为Web3创建社区和基础设施，Web3是一系列工具、技术和网络，使人们能够为开放互联网工作」，其通过创建合作、去中心化的筹资机制支持公共物品等理念与太阳朋克相契合。Gitcoin 与 Crypto, Culture, and Society 联合发布了 Public Goods Starter Pack，可以快速从浅入深地了解公共物品的概念。

Gitcoin 在去年也出版了 《绿色药丸：加密学如何让世界再生》（Greenpilled: How Crypto Can Regenerate The World）和 ImpactDAOs 两本书，并打出了太阳朋克的标签。GreenPill 旨在创造积极外部性的再生加密经济（Regenerative CryptoEconomics）系统，通过运用区块链技术和生态经济学原理来解决资本主义所带来的负外部性，寻找有力的新方法来资助、设计、开发和推广可再生的 Web3 时代应用和数字资产。Impact DAO 则是在一种可持续、可再生理念的引导下，通过加密工具和方法来建设 DAO，能够为其所在的生态系统创造正外部性，是再生加密经济基础设施的可扩展构件。

Greenpilled 和 ImpactDAOs 小册子（可在 greenpill.network 下载免费电子版）

除此之外，还有许多项目可以帮助实现更加太阳朋克的未来，其中一些项目是通过其他项目产生的正外部性来维持的，而所有这些项目反过来又创造了自己的正外部性。

• 数字签名和 ENS 提供的在线身份可以帮助我们在网络上创建可持续、独立（又相互依存）的实体；
• Optimism 提供的追溯性公共物品资金支持（Retroactive public goods funding，RetroPGF）机制，可以根据开源项目过去产生的价值进行奖励；
• 类似 Gitcoin 这样的项目构建的二次方融资（Quadratic funding）机制，使社区能够多元化地表达对公共物品的支持并共同进行资金筹集，既出于利他的原因（支持公共物品本身），也出于工具性的原因（支持其生态系统内的物品，并通过轮次费为更广泛的开源软件提供资金）；
• 类似 Gnosis Guild 这样的模块化治理工具可以帮助获得资金支持的项目分形地进行治理和维持。

Lunarpunk 月球朋克🌕

太阳朋克作为 Web3 中的一种美学的兴起也遭受到了批评。其中就包括隐私倡导者、DarkFi 开发人员、CoinDesk 前编辑 Rachel-Rose O'Leary，她在 《月球朋克和周期的黑暗面》（Lunarpunk and the Dark Side of the Cycle） 一文中提出了她激进的月球朋克意识形态。

太阳朋克要想成功，就必须融合月球朋克的潜意识。太阳朋克唯一的希望就是变黑。 ——Rachel-Rose O'Leary《月球朋克和周期的黑暗面》

Lunarpunk and the Dark Side of the Cycle

O'Leary 提到太阳朋克是一种乌托邦式的未来愿景，强调分权和透明，旨在创造一个更加公正平等的世界，以太坊的太阳朋克黑客们正在建设用于资助公共物品的透明基础设施（但「透明」实际上并非太阳朋克社区常用的词语）。但她认为太阳朋克在追求透明公开的系统时可能忽视了个体的保护和隐私权。O'Leary 批评许多区块链项目和 DAO 的透明性，她认为「如果 DAO 真的想要进入下一个阶段，而不是被全球秩序同化，它们必须是匿名的」。另外透明投票实际上更接近代议制民主：预先知晓投票结果会改变投票行为，人们会无意识地模仿趋同导致产生连锁反应，使得投票快速集中于一个提案谢林点。她认为太阳朋克过于乐观并且在面临困境时可能缺乏准备。在一个透明的系统中，用户会暴露出来，如果外部环境变得敌对，脆弱性将增加，而系统和网络的反脆弱性和用户的赋权程度呈正相关。

月球朋克的出现是对太阳朋克的一种对立和补充，可以看作是密码朋克在区块链时代的延续，与朋克精神中的无政府主义和个人主义紧密相连。月球朋克力求摆脱国家的控制和监视，强调个人隐私和数据保护、用户赋权和应对潜在压迫的重要性，并通过构建增强隐私的工具来保护社区安全和自由，以此增强加密货币的反脆弱性。月球朋克对抗监视资本主义，隐私和匿名是其同监视和垄断打游击战的武器，这既是实现这一目标的手段，又是这一去中心化过程的催化剂。

相比太阳朋克而言，月球朋克以更加零和思维方式看待世界，采取更为保守和防御性的策略，始终保持政治意识和怀疑态度，时刻准备应对冲突。月球朋克在为一场可能发生在加密世界与现有权力结构之间一场不可避免的冲突而未雨绸缪。当监管机构开始限制加密货币时，加密货币可能被迫转入地下，形成匿名性和去中心化民主社会。而太阳朋克可能试图压制这种冲突，将其视为熊市的噩梦。

加密领域已经失去了其最初的密码朋克价值观，屈服于国家的压力，通过实施制裁和/或设置后门来确保项目的生存。隐私已经成为一个禁忌，在当前条件下，这往往会导致以透明和防止非法活动的名义，对开发进行暴力终止。 加密世界将分裂为两个部分——RegFi（受监管的金融，Regulated Finance），不可用且受限制，以及 DarkFi，一个真正自由、去中心化和无审查的范式。这就是我们试图解决的问题，反击，如果你愿意，将权力归还给个体，而不是将其呈现给国家和大型企业以换取法币利润。 ——DarkFi 匿名开发人员

月球朋克的代表项目就是 DarkFi，它由早期的比特币开发者 Amir Taaki 创立。DarkFi 是一个旨在为人们创建维护基本人权系统的社区和运动，包括隐私权、言论自由和无需中介即可相互交流的权利。它遵循「自由软件」的理念，设想在国家触角之外的「黑暗空间」建立全新的经济和技术体系，不受现有国家秩序的约束，这与 Abdullah Öcalan 有关民主联邦主义（democratic confederalism）的政治理念一致。

DarkFi 所采用的技术的关键支柱之一是 zk-SNARKs（简洁非交互零知识证明，Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge），这在大零币（Zcash）、门罗币（Monero）中已发挥了重要作用，通过零知识证明可以在确认细节的同时不提供隐私信息。但与二者不同的是，DarkFi 不仅创建了一种匿名和安全的加密方式，还通过智能合约开发应用程序，为开发者提供匿名工程的语言工具包和开发工具包，可以通过构建 DAO 和 DeFi 应用来建立一个联邦制的民主空间。

借助 DAO 和 DeFi，我们可以实现一个多元文化、多元种族和多元政治形态共存的联邦制结构民主国家。DAO + DeFi = 自治政治形态 ——《DarkFi 宣言：风暴将至》（The manifesto of DarkFi: The Coming Storm）

Terrapunk 地球朋克 🌏

天使投资人 Jack Nasjaq 2022年5月发表了《地球朋克宣言：一种太阳朋克替代方案》（The Terrapunk Manifesto: a Solarpunk alternative），其中介绍了一种新的未来主义理念 Terrapunk（地球朋克），具有技术乐观主义色彩。

向外扩展并创造更多的地球——更多的土地，这就是地球朋克。我们不屈服，我们建立新的世界。我们不拆除资本主义，而是利用它创造比任何人都能想象的更多资源。我们是我们周围环境的主宰，我们不断创造。 ——Jack Nasjaq

Nasjaq 认为太阳朋克过于注重人与自然的和谐共生，反对增长、反对资本主义，将人类局限在地球上，这会导致停滞不前。因此，他提出开拓新世界、发挥人类创造潜能、持续前进的地球朋克理念。地球朋克关注科技进步和人类发展，强调「地球化」（terraforming），这不仅是主动改造现在的地球环境，减少污染和抑制气候变化，也是对科幻作品中改变天体表面环境，使其气候、温度、生态类似地球环境的行星工程的畅想。两者相同的地方在于都强调绿色和可持续发展理念。

地球朋克精神崇尚开拓者、建设者、冒险家的精神，而非集体主义；倾向于利用和创造碳市场等自由市场，而不是依赖中心化的政府决策。地球朋克支持使用基因编辑、长寿疗法等生物黑客技术来增强改造人类。向往殖民太空，掌握核聚变等先进能源技术，开发可能适居的行星，最终目标是人类意识能够感受和探索整个宇宙。

地球朋克与太阳朋克的异同

在 Green Pill 朋克概念系列播客的第二期 Terrapunk with Jack Nasjaq 中，Nasjaq 也提到了与其他朋克文化的关系。赛博朋克通常描绘未来的社会为黑暗、堕落和反乌托邦，反映出对科技进步的悲观。而地球朋克更加理想化和积极地看待人类社会的发展前景。蒸汽朋克探讨了一个蒸汽动力取得重大发展的历史架空世界，地球朋克可以看作是蒸汽朋克的继承者，将科技想象发展到了更远的未来。密码朋克和月球朋克重视隐私和个人主权，这方面与地球朋克的个人英雄主义有一定共通之处，但他认为地球朋克提出的理念更为全面和宏大，更加强调人类的扩张和对外部世界的探索。此外，主持人 Kevin Owocki 提到以太坊与地球朋克的市场经济和可持续发展等理念也有契合之处，以太坊社区也偏向支持《激进市场》（Radical Markets）书中的市场经济理念，同时实行去中心化资源分配。

从 Marc Andreessen 的《技术乐观主义宣言》（The Techno-Optimist Manifesto）、Elon Musk 的火星殖民计划、Peter Thiel 每天注射激素和对长生不老的追求、Balaji Srinivasan 挂在嘴边的「恒钱、无界、永生」（Immutable money, infinite frontier, eternal life）等，我们都可以看到地球朋克的影子，他们想「要将人类潜能发挥到最大限度」，但这也许并非所有人类都想要的。

Stellarpunk 星际朋克✨

Stellarpunk（星际朋克）是由律师和技术专家 Puja Ohlhaver 提出的。她是哈佛大学 Getting Plurality 研究网络的成员，曾跟 Vitalik Buterin 和 Glen Weyl 合作《去中心化社会：寻找 Web3 的灵魂》（Decentralized Society: Finding Web3's Soul）一文。在 Green Pill 第 135 期播客 Engineering a Stellarpunk Future with Puja Ohlhaver 中，Puja Ohlhaver 讨论了什么是星际朋克。

Puja 在播客中提到，太阳朋克代表阳光、透明和公共物品，表示对去中心化透明的金融和非金融系统的乐观信念，但它的弱点是缺乏隐私；而月亮朋克则强调个人的隐私和匿名性来抵制监控，通过建立私密匿名系统来对抗国家监控，但其弱点在于可能产生暗中勾结。所以 Puja 提出星际朋克旨在结合太阳朋克和月亮朋克，取长补短，相得益彰。它关注建立一个去中心化和多元化（plurality）的社会。她表示我们每个人都来自不同的群体、背景和价值观，星际朋克社会应该如同星空般，让不同个体的「光」（喻指个人偏好、观点等）保持区分，容纳各种各样明暗不一、互不相同的存在，而不是被单一的太阳或月亮的力量所主宰。

Stellar punk is plurality

她通过光的波粒二象性来进行比喻我们既是个体也是群体的一部分。承认个人和集体的二元性，有助于建立既保障隐私又允许信息共享的社会系统。Puja 还使用棱镜（prism）进行比喻，不同观点的碰撞不应该被视为冲突，而应通过棱镜解析各种观点的差异，将原本单一的光线折射为七彩的光谱，以呈现社会的多元性。

如果亮度没有按照反比关系减弱，刺眼的光将照满整个天空；如果引力没有按照反比关系减弱，恒星会相互坍缩。从光的强度与距离的平方成反比这一特性类比，Puja 重点介绍了基于「相关性折扣」（correlation discounting）的平方投票法（Quadratic voting，又译二次方投票）也是如此。平方投票法的投票成本等于投票数的平方，要想表达偏好、发挥更大的影响力需要付出更高的边际成本。这有助于抵制某一观点群体的偏见和利益驱动，让我们看到个人观点下真正的多样性。在开放包容的星际朋克世界里，每一颗恒星都值得闪耀。

光强按二次方衰减

Hyperpunk 超朋克 +Σ

Hyperpunk（超朋克）是由 Nouns DAO 成员、创作者、艺术家和作家 gami 所提出的一种新兴理念，主要聚焦于社会协作领域，旨在探索一种更加开放、合作和无限可能的社会范式，一言以蔽之就是在超公地（Hypercommons，或译超公共事物）的超结构（Hyperstructures）之上创造超文化（Hypercultures）。超朋克也从密码朋克运动的原则（去中心化、隐私、透明）中汲取灵感，并将这些原则推广到为社会、文化和公共基础设施提倡更全面和广泛愿景的领域中。笔者个人感觉超朋克与太阳朋克存在部分语汇库重叠，但超朋克更强调「正和」，而太阳朋克则更强调「可持续」与「再生」。

gami 在2023年9月发布了《超朋克宣言》（The Hyperpunk Manifesto），其中强调「拒绝零和博弈：我们的集体命运」，倡导超越限制和零和思维的范式，追求「正和」（positive-sum，gami 喜欢用 +Σ 这个符号来表示）博弈协作的方式，实现公共利益与价值的最大化，收到「共赢」之效，推动人类社会向更加开放、合作和进步的方向发展。

《超朋克宣言》

超公地倡导（Hypercommons Advocacy）：超朋克主张对所有公共物品和奢侈品的共同所有权、使用权和管理权，超越传统的公共和私人财产概念，迈向一个共享丰盈的新范式。gami 首先在2023年6月发表了《超公地：正和世界宣言》（Hypercommons: A Manifesto for a Positive-Sum World）一文介绍了超公地概念。文中提到超公地可以是一个开放、协作、共享的数字空间，由像 Nouns DAO 这样的基于区块链代币经济的自治组织共同打造和维护 ，每一位成员都可以参与协作、民主决策，集体打造公共数字资产，追求公共利益和共同价值。

超结构接触（Hyperstructure Engagement）：超朋克积极参与和贡献去中心化、透明化和参与性基础设施的发展，不论是数字、物质还是社会层面，其中最具代表的是链上「超结构」。超结构是由 Zora 联合创始人 jacob 提出的概念，是指能够免费、永久、无需维护、无中介机构运行的链上协议，可成为服务公共利益的公共基础设施。例如，Uniswap 通常被视为一个典型的超结构，是一个免费的、不会停止的（只要以太坊还在运行）、无需许可的协议（虽然现在 Uniswap Labs 运营的 Uniswap 前端网站对特定资产收取 0.15% 交易手续费，另外其前端也封锁了与 Tornado Cash 或被盗资金相关的地址，但依然通过直接调取 Uniswap 智能合约形式免费无许可使用）。超结构通过内置的激励机制支持生态系统的扩张，它是开放和无审查的，任何人在它之上进行扩展。超结构创造了一个正和博弈的环境，让不同参与者共享基础设施并互利共生。

超文化参与（Hyperculture Participation）：超朋克强调参与和促进充满活力、全球连接的亚文化的创造，倡导开源理念、集体创造力和文化交流。另一位 Nouns DAO 成员和 Gnars DAO 创始人 LGHT 创作了一系列关于链上超文化的文章，从语境发酵、组织结构、全球采纳和商业转型四个维度介绍了超文化。区块链为内容的来源和可验证性提供了基础，使得永久存在、无需中介机构的文化构建成为可能。链上超文化的主要特点是开放、自主、可编程，具有可设计的激励结构。

超文化往往有代表性的「记忆图标」，比如 Nouns DAO 的红色眼镜 ⌐◨-◨ ，Zora 的蓝色法球 ❍ ，Opepen 病毒式传播的表情头像，都成为了对应超文化的标志和认同感来源。超文化的核心精神是开放、协作、创新。例如，Nouns DAO 通过让每个人参与提案和投票，集体决定如何使用财政库中的资金来支持文化活动；Zora 通过建立去中心化的多元化创作平台，鼓励不同形式的创作，让艺术家自由表达；Opepen 通过发起大规模的艺术创作活动，与艺术家和社区参与者合作，创造有影响力的数字艺术，扩大超文化的影响范围。这些项目都体现出借助区块链技术的力量实现更自由、更广泛的文化交流的超文化。

从激励机制角度而言，超文化存在于超结构和超公地之间，超文化的扩展和维护动力来源于两者，它们共同组成了支撑超朋克的 Hyperstack（超栈）。超结构为超文化提供技术基础和组织模式，使其可以建立在区块链之上；超公地为超文化提供价值导向和社会责任，使其服务于更伟大的公共利益；超文化自身提供文化内核，形成共识和认同。超文化需要同时调动超结构提供的技术资源和效率优势，以及超公地汇集的公共资源和社会影响力，才能真正实践超朋克的愿景，为创造一个更丰盈、共享和互联的世界而努力。

去中心化「超栈」

结语

从最早强调「隐私」的密码朋克运动中比特币应运而生，到如今加密世界中各种各样的朋克文化：太阳朋克强调「再生」，月球朋克又重新回归「隐私」，地球朋克强调「开拓」，星际朋克强调「多元」，超朋克强调「正和」……不变的是，这些朋克文化都秉持着密码朋克的开放、自由、创新精神，为加密世界带来了思想的碰撞、丰富了技术实现的路径，使其像以太坊可以是「无限花园」一样，成为一个包容万物、生生不息的数字宇宙。

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

La Habana y Estados Unidos desarrollarán este martes 14 de noviembre una nueva ronda de diálogo sobre cuestiones migratorias para evaluar el grado de cumplimiento de los acuerdos bilaterales en esta área, en un contexto donde las estadísticas señalan que el significativo éxodo de los cubanos no se detiene.

La reunión, que tendrá lugar en la capital de la Isla, constará de dos sesiones de trabajo programadas a lo largo del día, y en estas estarán presentes alrededor 15 representantes de diversos organismos cubanos y más de veinte de sus contrapartes estadounidenses, según dijeron fuentes cercanas a la Agencia EFE.

Esta será la cuarta ronda de conversación sobre temas migratorios entre ambos países durante la administración Biden.

La primera se realizó en Washington D.C. en abril de 2022 y estuvo encabezada, de un lado, por la subsecretaria adjunta para Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental, Emily Mendrala; y, del otro, por el vicecanciller cubano Carlos Fernández de Cossío.

Al retomarse estos diálogos, suspendidos durante el gobierno de Donald Trump, el Departamento de Estado señaló: “estas discusiones bilaterales sobre migración generalmente se llevan a cabo semestralmente, lo que refleja el compromiso de ambos países de revisar periódicamente la implementación de los Acuerdos Migratorios”.

Estados Unidos y La Habana han adoptado acuerdos bilaterales sobre migración en 1984, 1994, 1995 y 2017, según el propio Departamento de Estado.

En el contexto actual de la crisis migratoria, en abril de este año el Gobierno de Estados Unidos confirmó la reanudación de los vuelos de deportación de migrantes hacia Cuba. La primera operación de esta naturaleza desde el año 2020 tuvo lugar el 24 de ese mes e involucró a 123 migrantes irregulares cubanos.

En octubre pasado trascendió que casi 425.000 migrantes de origen cubano han arribado a los Estados Unidos en los últimos dos años fiscales, lo que equivale a aproximadamente el 4% de la población de la Isla.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Un cubano residente en la ciudad de Hialeah, en el condado de Miami-Dade, fue arrestado este lunes acusado de simular un accidente automovilístico, para defraudar a su compañía de seguros de carros.

El informe del arresto señala que Eliesky Guardarrama Reyes, de 35 años, afirmó haber sido chocado por detrás en un semáforo en rojo en East First Avenue y 21st Street el 2 de abril pasado.

Los investigadores de la Oficina de Fraude de Seguros del estado de Florida informaron que Guardarrama facturó a Kemper Insurance $7,230 en tratamientos falsos, según un reporte del canal Local 10 News.

El acusado se enfrenta a dos cargos por delitos graves de fraude de seguros y uno de hurto mayor en tercer grado.

El informe de arresto también hace alusión a un coacusado, identificado como Yordany García, pero no se especifica si fue arrestado o acusado en el caso de Guardarrama.

Hace menos de un mes, otros cuatro cubanos también fueron arrestados por orquestar un falso accidente de tránsito en la propia ciudad de Hialeah.

Los detenidos -Jerson Sánchez, de 24 años; Félix González, de 21; Andy Peña, de 26 y Dayana Sánchez, de 35- fueron descubiertos en su intención de fingir un choque de autos con el objetivo de cobrar el seguro.

En junio pasado, la policía de Miami-Dade arrestó a Rosemery Núñez, una cubana de 29 años, acusada de hacer reclamos fraudulentos por más de 52,000 dólares a compañías de seguros de autos.

Núñez formaba parte de una banda que se dedicaba a planear accidentes vehiculares, motivo por el que también fue arrestado Lázaro Yosvel Pacheco, de 33 años, mientras que José Froilán López Ramírez, de 50, estaba prófugo de las autoridades.

En otro tipo de fraude, un padre y un hijo de origen cubano comparecieron en la corte de Miami-Dade acusados de participar en un esquema de estafa, para extraer del Truist Bank miles de dólares a través de la presentación de cheques falsos.

Leovigildo Bosque Viel (59 años) y su hijo Emilio Bosque Rodríguez (32) realizaron entre junio y agosto pasados transacciones fraudulentas por miles de dólares en varias sucursales del banco, en los condados de Miami-Dade y Broward. Ambos enfrentaban un proceso de deportación, debido a su estatus migratorio.

@ 28d37e1b:a6308c22

nostr:nevent1qqsq9rvlf7c5vrydxtysenlcu2gvwk5d7mgx3vspac9j0xn7slvhaccwm09q0 https://nostrcheck.me/media/snowcait/e9ba1776480c2bf97ee8bb9695462b1905a0484d161d24395dd015719e18b64c.webp nostr:nevent1qqsqszprmljtu5nk7nmfz9qg63hpp0cfw4le7lwe568awnxl2t43r9smagv7p https://nostrcheck.me/media/snowcait/39757473693fa689a0b8c507558836e7c3c4c54d42db6db6c85811eabc9d573d.webp https://nostrcheck.me/media/snowcait/efcf2dafc8386647d004bb46df8d2bd9598635f418eb591a2cdc0a4dc0a8a340.webp Added by nostr:npub1s02jksmr6tgmcksf3hnmue7pyzlm0sxwarh7lk8tdeprw2hjg6ysp7fxtw nostr:nevent1qqspd4nel7828r78kusdplw7jz5tdcw3p2vrpj2x6tnmwgwgnc8trncezecz4 https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SnowCait/SnowCait/main/icons/alice.jpg https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SnowCait/SnowCait/main/icons/hisa.jpg https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SnowCait/SnowCait/main/icons/maomao.jpg https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SnowCait/SnowCait/main/icons/saki.jpg Added by nostr:npub1s02jksmr6tgmcksf3hnmue7pyzlm0sxwarh7lk8tdeprw2hjg6ysp7fxtw nostr:nevent1qqsw44kjmvupd4r4kx82n555c0a0anv0qcvj6qrulpw6sqphy6tfx9gjacz7n https://nostrcheck.me/media/snowcait/151526378b7142f911e55aa8109bc84bdcfb6c634626d75bd48f8ee8c38eb393.webp

@ 28d37e1b:a6308c22

Added by nostr:npub1s2es6vzyg9cwd2xgr85yqm3k9gmf2322gctcjn8zwphnssxxcqpsw829jv nostr:nevent1qqsp76xdyc6v0ad42tfljn8rvahhqyj38sfefvk5yupnlgrjdaspcqcppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0qgsg9vcdxpzyzu8x4rypn6zqdcmz5d54g49yv9uffn38qmecgrrvqqcrqsqqqqqp22htk3 https://nostrcheck.me/media/nachurin/e8f59aefe54fc3b07d7e2547dee4f6415e732e7c67824e4857068b36311e3e81.webp Added by nostr:npub1s2es6vzyg9cwd2xgr85yqm3k9gmf2322gctcjn8zwphnssxxcqpsw829jv nostr:nevent1qqsfmpyfc53juh4ws88vv4pxkqfeh3fn5wl5tzfcgsu5hp23zy034tsuffaga https://i.nostrimg.com/a1f4d5f311b6498c1edf4adbfa04c94d81a52130ff40424499b7d8c125acf8b4/file.png

@ 637a2f1d:a169dd8f

“"whoever controls the protein controls the people.

in the roman empire times, whenever there was civil unrest, [the royal class] would hold 'celebrations of bread'. the people would be loaded up with carbs, it made them fat and happy, and the civil unrest would settle down. politics, food, and control of the people have been interlinked for as long as we've had politics. and currently, we're seeing a huge push away from animal-based food sources, and toward plants.

when you move down that pathway, no matter what the rhetoric, a plant-based diet is going to be incomplete of the nutrients required for life. and in the process of that, you're controlling the people, because you're controlling their protein. you can call it conspiratorial if you want...but it's happened forever."

—dr. gary fettke

https://stacker.news/items/315200/r/halalmoney

@ fab018ad:dd9af89d

18. แสงแห่งความหวัง

"ปัญหาพื้นฐานของระบบสกุลเงินปกติ อยู่ที่การยังจำเป็นต้องใช้ความเชื่อใจเพื่อให้มันทำงานได้ โดยธนาคารกลางนั้นจำเป็นต้องได้รับความเชื่อใจว่าจะไม่ทำเงินให้เสื่อมค่า แต่ในประวัติศาสตร์ของสกุลเงินเฟียตกลับเต็มไปด้วยการละเมิดความเชื่อใจนั้น”

–ซาโตชิ นากาโมโตะ

---

ไม่ว่าคำตอบของความยากจนในประเทศโลกที่สามจะเป็นอะไรก็ตาม เราก็แน่ใจว่ามันต้องไม่ใช่การก่อหนี้เพิ่มขึ้นอย่างแน่นอน “คนจนบนโลกนี้นั้น” คุณ Payer ได้สรุปไว้ว่า “ไม่ได้ต้องการธนาคารแบบธนาคารโลกเพิ่มขึ้นมาอีก ไม่ว่าธนาคารนั้นจะจิตใจดีมีเมตตาแค่ไหนก็ตาม สิ่งที่คนจนต้องการคืองานที่จ่ายค่าตอบแทนอย่างเหมาะสม รัฐบาลที่มีความรับผิดชอบ การมอบสิทธิมนุษยชนคืนให้พวกเขา และความเป็นเอกเทศในการบริหารประเทศโดยไม่ถูกต่างชาติแทรกแซง”

แต่เป็นเวลากว่า 7 ทศวรรษแล้วที่ธนาคารโลกและกองทุน IMF กลับตั้งตัวเป็นศัตรูกับทั้ง 4 สิ่งนี้

เมื่อมองไปในอนาคตข้างหน้านั้น คุณ Payer กล่าวว่า “ภารกิจที่สำคัญที่สุดสำหรับเหล่าประเทศร่ำรวยที่กังวลเรื่องความเป็นปึกแผ่นระหว่างประเทศอื่น ๆ คือการเดินหน้าอย่างจริงจังในการระงับการไหลของเงินให้ความช่วยเหลือไปสู่ต่างประเทศ” แต่ปัญหาคือระบบในปัจจุบันถูกออกแบบและสร้างแรงจูงใจให้การไหลของเงินแบบนี้ยังมีต่อไปได้ ทางเดียวที่จะสร้างการเปลี่ยนแปลงได้คือการปรับเปลี่ยนกระบวนทัศน์ใหม่ทั้งหมด โดยเรารู้กันอยู่แล้วว่าบิตคอยน์สามารถช่วยให้ประชาชนทั่วไปในประเทศกำลังพัฒนานั้นได้รับอิสรภาพทางการเงิน ช่วยให้พวกเขาหนีออกจากระบบเงินซึ่งล่มสลาย แต่ถูกผู้นำฉ้อฉลและสถาบันการเงินระหว่างประเทศบังคับให้พวกเขาต้องใช้ ประเด็นเหล่านี้ถูกเร่งความเร็วขึ้นในการประชุมที่เมืองอักกราเมื่อปลายปี 2022 ที่ผ่านมา

บิตคอยน์เป็นสิ่งที่อยู่ตรงข้ามกับระบบเดิมที่ถูกออกแบบโดยธนาคารโลกและกองทุน IMF แต่ทว่าบิตคอยน์จะสามารถเปลี่ยนพลวัตในโครงสร้างอำนาจและโครงสร้างทรัพยากรของโลกระหว่างประเทศแกนกลางและประเทศชายขอบได้จริงหรือ?

คุณ Nabourema นั้นเต็มไปด้วยความหวัง และไม่เข้าใจว่าทำไมฝ่ายซ้ายโดยทั่วไปมักประณามหรือไม่สนใจบิตคอยน์

“เครื่องมือที่สามารถทำให้ผู้คนสร้างและเข้าถึงความมั่งคั่งได้อย่างเป็นอิสระจากองค์กรที่มีอำนาจควบคุมนั้น สามารถที่จะมองว่ามันเป็นเครื่องมือของฝ่ายซ้ายได้เลยด้วยซ้ำ” เธอกล่าว “ในฐานะนักเคลื่อนไหวที่เชื่อว่าประชาชนควรได้รับเงินสกุลที่ให้ค่าต่อชีวิตและการเสียสละของพวกเขาแล้ว"

"บิตคอยน์คือเป็นการปฏิวัติของประชาชน”

“ฉันว่ามันเจ็บปวด” เธอกล่าว” ที่ชาวไร่ในเขตแอฟริกาบริเวณพื้นที่ใต้ทะเลทรายสะฮาราได้รับเงินแค่ร้อยละ 1 ของราคากาแฟในตลาดโลก ถ้าเราสามารถไปถึงขั้นที่ชาวไร่เหล่านั้นสามารถขายกาแฟของพวกเขาได้โดยตรงถึงผู้ซื้อ โดยไม่ต้องมีสถาบันตัวกลางใด ๆ มาแทรกแซง พร้อมทั้งรับเงินค่ากาแฟเป็นบิตคอยน์ คุณลองนึกดูสิว่ามันจะทำให้ชีวิตของพวกเขาเปลี่ยนไปมากแค่ไหน”

“ทุกวันนี้” เธอกล่าว “เหล่าประเทศกำลังพัฒนาอย่างพวกเรายังต้องกู้เงินในสกุลดอลลาร์สหรัฐ แต่เมื่อเวลาผ่านไปค่าเงินของเราเสื่อมค่าลงเรื่อย ๆ และต้องลงเอยด้วยการต้องหาเงินมาจ่ายเพิ่มขึ้นมากกว่า 2-3 เท่าของหนี้ในตอนแรก”

“ที่นี้คุณลองนึกภาพ” เธอกล่าว “ถ้าเราไปถึงขั้นที่ในอีก 10-20 ปีข้างหน้าที่บิตคอยน์เป็นสกุลเงินหลักของโลกและถูกใช้ในธุรกิจทั่วโลก ชาติต่าง ๆ ต้องกู้ยืมเป็นสกุลบิตคอยน์และใช้จ่ายในสกุลบิตคอยน์ ทุกชาติต้องจ่ายหนี้ของพวกเขาคืนในสกุลบิตคอยน์ ในโลกแบบนั้นรัฐบาลต่างชาติจะไม่สามารถเรียกร้องให้เราใช้คืนหนี้ในสกุลเงินของพวกเขา ซึ่งเป็นสกุลที่พวกเราต้องทำงานหนักเพื่อหามา แต่พวกเขาสามารถพิมพ์เพิ่มจากอากาศได้ง่าย ๆ และหากพวกเขาอยากที่จะเพิ่มอัตราดอกเบี้ยในประเทศตัวเอง มันก็ไม่ได้จะทำให้ชีวิตผู้คนนับล้าน ๆ ในประเทศของเราต้องตกอยู่ในอันตรายในทันทีเหมือนแต่ก่อน”

“มันแน่นอนว่า” คุณ Nabourema กล่าว “บิตคอยน์จะมาพร้อมปัญหาเหมือนนวัตกรรมอื่น ๆ ในอดีต แต่ความสวยงามของมันคือปัญหาเหล่านี้สามารถแก้ไขและพัฒนาขึ้นไปได้ด้วยความร่วมมือระดับนานาชาติอย่างสันติ ย้อนดูเมื่อ 20 ปีก่อน ไม่มีใครรู้หรอกว่าอินเทอร์เน็ตจะสามารถทำให้เราทำสิ่งมหัศจรรย์ที่เราทำอยู่ในทุกวันนี้ได้ และคงไม่มีใครบอกได้หรอกว่าในอีก 20 ปีข้างหน้า บิตคอยน์จะช่วยให้เราทำสิ่งมหัศจรรย์อะไรได้อีกบ้าง”

“หนทางข้างหน้าต่อจากนี้” เธอกล่าว “คือการตื่นรู้ของมวลชน พวกเขาจะเข้าใจว่าระบบการเงินในปัจจุบันทำงานอย่างไรได้แบบทะลุปรุโปร่ง และพวกเขาจะเข้าใจว่ามันมีทางเลือกอื่นอยู่ เราต้องไปอยู่ในจุดที่ผู้คนสามารถทวงคืนเสรีภาพให้ตัวเองได้ โดยที่ชีวิตของพวกเขาไม่ได้ถูกควบคุมโดยอำนาจรัฐที่สามารถยึดอิสรภาพของพวกเขาไปตอนไหนก็ได้โดยไม่ต้องรับผลกระทบใด ๆ ที่ตามมา พวกเรากำลังค่อย ๆ ไปถึงเป้าหมายนั้นด้วยบิตคอยน์”

“เนื่องจากเงินคือศูนย์กลางของทุกอย่างในโลกของเรา” คุณ Nabourema กล่าว “ความจริงที่ว่า ณ ตอนนี้เราสามารถมีอิสรภาพทางการเงินได้ถือเป็นสิ่งสำคัญต่อประชาชน และพวกเราก็กำลังพยายามทวงคืนสิทธิของเราเองในทุก ๆ พื้นที่และทุก ๆ อุตสาหกรรม”

ในการสัมภาษณ์สำหรับบทความนี้ ผู้สนับสนุนนโยบายเงินฝืด (Deflation) อย่างคุณ Jeff Booth ได้อธิบายว่าในขณะที่โลกยิ่งเดินเข้าสู่ระบบมาตรฐานบิตคอยน์ ธนาคารโลกและกองทุน IMF จะยิ่งไม่อยากเป็นเจ้าหนี้ และน่าจะอยากไปเป็นผู้ลงทุนร่วม เป็นหุ้นส่วน หรืออาจเป็นแค่ผู้จัดตั้งกองทรัสต์มากกว่า เนื่องจากในขณะที่ราคาของสิ่งต่าง ๆ เริ่มปรับตัวลง มันหมายถึงหนี้สินจะมีมูลค่าที่มากขึ้น และจะเป็นเรื่องยากขึ้นสำหรับลูกหนี้ที่จะหาเงินมาจ่ายคืนได้ และเมื่อเครื่องพิมพ์เงินของสหรัฐอเมริกาถูกปิดไป ก็จะไม่มีเงินให้กู้เพื่อมาช่วยเหลืออีก และเขายังชี้ว่าในช่วงแรกนั้นธนาคารโลกและกองทุน IMF จะยังพยายามที่จะปล่อยกู้เหมือนเดิม แต่มันจะเป็นครั้งแรกที่พวกเขาจะสูญเงินก้อนใหญ่นั้นไปจริง ๆ เพราะประเทศต่าง ๆ จะเริ่มผิดนัดชำระหนี้กันมากขึ้นในระหว่างที่โลกกำลังขยับเข้าสู่ระบบมาตรฐานบิตคอยน์

ดังนั้นพวกเขาอาจจะเริ่มพิจารณาการเป็นผู้ลงทุนร่วมมากกว่าจะเป็นผู้ปล่อยกู้ แปลว่าพวกเขาจะต้องสนใจความยั่งยืนและความสำเร็จที่แท้จริงของโครงการที่พวกเขาสนับสนุนมากขึ้น เนื่องจากพวกเขาต้องรับความเสี่ยงในการลงทุนนั้น

การขุดบิตคอยน์เป็นอีกสิ่งหนึ่งที่สามารถสร้างความเปลี่ยนแปลงได้

ถ้าชาติที่ยากจนสามารถเปลี่ยนทรัพยากรธรรมชาติของพวกเขาเป็นเงินได้ โดยไม่ต้องยุ่งเกี่ยวกับเหล่าผู้มีอำนาจจากต่างประเทศ บางทีอธิปไตยของพวกเขาอาจจะแข็งแกร่งขึ้น แทนที่จะถูกบ่อนทำลายลงเหมือนแต่ก่อน การขุดบิตคอยน์นั้นใช้ได้ทั้งพลังงานจากแม่น้ำ เชื้อเพลิงไฮโดรคาร์บอน แสงอาทิตย์ ลม ความร้อนใต้พิภพ หรือแม้แต่พลังงานจากความแตกต่างของอุณหภูมิน้ำทะเลนอกชายฝั่ง (OTEC) ที่มีอยู่มากมายในเขตตลาดเกิดใหม่ พลังงานเหล่านี้สามารถถูกเปลี่ยนเป็นสกุลเงินสำรองของโลกได้โดยตรง โดยไม่ต้องขออนุญาตใคร เรื่องนี้ไม่เคยเป็นไปได้มาก่อน ซึ่งสำหรับเหล่าประเทศที่ยากจนแล้วกับดักหนี้ดูเหมือนจะเป็นสิ่งที่หนีออกมาไม่ได้ แถมมันยังขยายขนาดขึ้นทุกปี

บางทีการลงทุนเพื่อเก็บออมบิตคอยน์เป็นเงินสำรอง และเพื่อใช้งานโครงสร้างพื้นฐานของบิตคอยน์ (ซึ่งโดยเนื้อแท้แล้วมันเป็นสิ่งที่ต่อต้านระบบเงินเฟียต) น่าจะเป็นทางออกและเป็นเส้นทางสู่การเอาคืนระบบเดิมที่กดขี่พวกเขามายาวนาน

คุณ Booth กล่าวว่าบิตคอยน์สามารถทำให้ระบบเก่าที่เอื้อประโยชน์แก่ประเทศร่ำรวยด้วยการปล้นค่าแรงของประเทศยากจนนั้นเกิดอาการลัดวงจรจนพังได้ เพราะในระบบเก่า กลุ่มประเทศชายขอบต้องถูกสังเวยเพื่อปกป้องประเทศแกนกลาง แต่ในระบบใหม่ ประเทศชายขอบและประเทศแกนกลางจะสามารถทำงานร่วมกันได้ เขากล่าวว่า ณ ตอนนี้ระบบเงินดอลลาร์สหรัฐกดคนให้จนลงด้วยการกดค่าแรงในประเทศชายขอบ แต่เมื่อเงินถูกปรับให้มีความเท่าเทียมด้วยระบบที่เป็นมาตรฐานและเป็นกลาง พลวัตใหม่จะถูกสร้างขึ้น การที่มีมาตรฐานทางการเงินเพียงหนึ่งเดียวจะส่งผลให้อัตราค่าแรงถูกดึงมาให้อยู่ในระดับใกล้เคียงกันอย่างเลี่ยงไม่ได้ แทนที่มันจะถูกทำให้ห่างออกจากกันแบบที่แล้วมา คุณ Booth ยังกล่าวอีกว่าเราไม่มีคำที่ใช้เรียกสำหรับพลวัตนี้ เพราะมันเป็นสิ่งที่ไม่เคยเกิดขึ้นมาก่อน โดยเขาแนะนำให้ใช้คำว่า “ความร่วมมือเชิงบังคับ”

คุณ Booth อธิบายถึงความสามารถของสหรัฐฯ ในการสร้างหนี้จำนวนเท่าไรก็ได้ตามต้องการว่าเป็น “การโจรกรรมในระดับฐานเงิน” คุณผู้อ่านคงอาจจะคุ้นเคยกับปรากฏการณ์แคนทิลอน (Cantillon Effect) ที่ผู้อยู่ใกล้แหล่งการผลิตเงินนั้นจะได้ประโยชน์จากเงินผลิตใหม่ ในขณะคนที่อยู่ห่างออกไปนั้นต้องทนทุกข์ใช่ไหมครับ ปรากฏการณ์แคนทิลอนในระดับโลกนั้นคือการที่ประเทศสหรัฐอเมริกาได้ประโยชน์จากการพิมพ์เงินสกุลสำรองของโลก ในขณะที่ประเทศยากจนต้องทนทุกข์กันทั้งโลก

“แต่มาตรฐานบิตคอยน์” คุณ Booth กล่าว “จะหยุดสิ่งนี้”

มีหนี้สินบนโลกมากแค่ไหนที่เป็นหนี้ที่ชั่วร้าย (Odious Debt) คำตอบคือมีเงินกู้นับล้านล้านดอลลาร์สหรัฐที่ถูกสร้างขึ้นตามอำเภอใจของผู้นำเผด็จการกับสถาบันการเงินที่อยู่เหนือประเทศชาติ และไม่มีใครเลือกตั้งพวกเขามาขึ้นมา หนี้ชั่วร้ายถูกสร้างขึ้นโดยไม่เคยถามความเห็นชอบของประชาชนในฝั่งของผู้กู้เลย สิ่งมีศีลธรรมที่ควรกระทำคือยกเลิกหนี้สินพวกนี้ให้หมด แน่นอนว่ามันจะไม่มีทางจะเกิดขึ้น เพราะสุดท้ายแล้วเงินให้กู้เหล่านี้ก็ถือเป็นทรัพย์สินบนงบดุลของผู้ที่เป็นเจ้าหนี้ของธนาคารโลกและกองทุน IMF ซึ่งพวกเขาอยากให้ทรัพย์สินพวกนั้นยังคงอยู่ และขอแค่ลูกหนี้ก่อหนี้ใหม่ไปชำระหนี้เก่าก็พอ

“พุทออปชั่น (Put Option)” ของ IMF ในหนี้ภาครัฐนั้นสร้างฟองสบู่ที่ใหญ่ที่สุดเท่าที่เคยมีมา มันใหญ่กว่าฟองสบู่ดอตคอม ฟองสบู่สินเชื่อซับไพรม์ และใหญ่กว่าฟองสบู่ที่เกิดจากเงินกระตุ้นเศรษฐกิจช่วง COVID-19 การจะรื้อระบบเก่านี้เป็นงานที่เจ็บปวดมาก แต่มันก็เป็นสิ่งที่ถูกต้องที่ควรทำ ถ้าเปรียบว่าหนี้สินคือยาเสพติด ธนาคารโลกและกองทุน IMF คือพ่อค้ายา และรัฐบาลของประเทศที่กำลังพัฒนาคือคนที่ติดยา ก็คงเห็นว่าไม่น่าจะมีฝ่ายไหนที่อยากให้อีกฝ่ายนึงหยุด แต่ที่การจะรักษาผู้ติดยานั้น เราต้องนำผู้ติดยาเข้ารับการบำบัด ระบบเงินเฟียตไม่อนุญาตให้ทำให้สิ่งนี้ได้ แต่ระบบการเงินมาตรฐานบิตคอยน์จะบังคับให้ผู้ป่วยติดยาไม่มีทางเลือกอื่น นอกจากการเลิกยา

---

หมายเหตุผู้แปล : - ฟองสบู่ดอตคอม (Dot-com Bubble) เป็นฟองสบู่จากการเก็งกำไรในตลาดหลักทรัพย์ภาคเทคโนโลยีของสหรัฐอเมริกา ในช่วงปี 1997-2000 - ฟองสบู่สินเชื่อซับไพรม์ (Subprime Mortgage Bubble) เป็นฟองสบู่จากเกิดจากการปล่อยกู้ในภาคอสังหาริมทรัพย์ของของสหรัฐอเมริกาซึ่งกลายเป็นวิกฤติการเงิน ในช่วงปี 2008

---

อย่างที่อาจารย์เซเฟดีน อัมมูสกล่าวในการสัมภาษณ์สำหรับบทความนี้ ว่าทุกวันนี้หากผู้ปกครองของบราซิลต้องการกู้เงินจำนวน 30,000 ล้านดอลลาร์สหรัฐ และรัฐสภาของสหรัฐฯ อนุมัติเงินกู้ดังกล่าวแล้ว ทางสหรัฐฯ ก็สามารถดีดนิ้วเสกเงินขึ้นมาและส่งให้ได้เลยผ่าน IMF แปลว่าระบบการเงินทุกวันนี้เป็นเรื่องของการตัดสินใจทางการเมืองเป็นหลัก แต่ถ้าเรากำจัดเครื่องพิมพ์เงินออกไปได้ การตัดสินใจเหล่านี้จะเป็นเรื่องการเมืองน้อยลง และจะเริ่มเป็นการตัดสินใจอย่างรอบคอบ แบบเดียวกับธนาคาร “ที่สำเหนียกว่าจะไม่มีใครมาอุ้มพวกเขาได้อีกแล้ว” จะพึงกระทำ

ในช่วง 60 ปีที่ผ่านมาของการครอบงำโดยธนาคารโลกและกองทุน IMF เหล่าทรราชและเครือข่ายที่ยักยอกความมั่งคั่งของประเทศจำนวนนับไม่ถ้วน ต่างก็ได้รับเงินให้กู้เพื่อการช่วยเหลือ (ซึ่งเป็นสิ่งที่ขัดกับสามัญสำนึกทางการเงิน) เพื่อให้เหล่าประเทศแกนกลางสามารถเข้าฉกฉวยทรัพยากรธรรมชาติและแรงงานของประเทศเหล่านั้นได้ต่อไป สิ่งเหล่านี้เป็นไปได้เพราะรัฐบาลซึ่งเป็นหัวใจของระบบเฟียตสามารถพิมพ์เงินที่เป็นสกุลเงินสำรองได้ แต่ในระบบมาตรฐานบิตคอยน์นั้น คุณเซเฟดีน อัมมูสตั้งคำถามว่าใครกันที่จะปล่อยเงินกู้ความเสี่ยงสูงมูลค่านับพันล้านดอลลาร์ เพียงเพื่อจะแลกกับการให้ลูกหนี้เข้ามาขอปรับโครงสร้างเพื่อยืดหนี้เก่าโปะหนี้ใหม่ในภายหลัง

“เป็นคุณจะปล่อยกู้งั้นเหรอ?” เขาถาม “แล้วจะเอาบิตคอยน์ของใครไปปล่อยกู้ล่ะ?”

---

⚡️ กด Zap ที่ลิงก์นี้ เพื่อเป็นกำลังใจทีมงานผู้เรียบเรียงบทความ

(ทุกยอด zap จะถูกแบ่งอัตโนมัติเข้าวอลเล็ทของผู้เขียนบทความต้นฉบับภาษาอังกฤษ, ผู้แปลดราฟต์ 1, ผู้เรียบเรียงดราฟต์ 2-3, กองบรรณาธิการและพิสูจน์อักษรจากไรท์ชิฟต์ พร้อมกันบางส่วนไว้เพื่อเป็นค่าธรรมเนียมธุรกรรม)

@ 000002de:c05780a7

Lately I've been thinking about trying to process my thoughts more by writing. I hope someone finds it interesting.

I was recently listening to a Cory Doctorow interview on the Changelog podcast. The Changelog is a developer focused show that rarely gets into the political realm. Like many progressives in the technology space including the EFF, I find common ground with Doctorow on many topics. The importance of open source and the issues with digital rights management. Where we part ways is on the methods of correction or reform.

Let me start by defining some terms. When I use the word Capitalism I will be using the progressive definition of the word. Not mine. That is, the existing system in the United States and other democracies. These nations have largely free trade and stock markets but are not laissez-faire free markets. Governments do the bidding of big business at the expense of the consumer and small business. They abuse the public with little accountability due to their protection racket provided by the political elite class who they own. This system is what I and many others call crony-capitalism, corporatism, or fascism. Due to the abuse of the term Capitalism I try to use free trade when talking about the system I favor. To me, free trade is just the default state of humans. It is our natural state.

I've worked in the tech sector for many years with many fine people. People that I often disagree with politically as well as philosophically. I have rarely had any issues due to this because I don't look to win people over to my views or start arguments. I like to find common ground. What I have found over the years is that most engineers are not all that interested in politics or well read in the different political philosophies. There are exceptions and they are usually people like me. They hold some sort of heterodox view like left or right anarchism or far left socialism/communism. What I have found most common are the casual progressives. I'm not talking about social hot topic issues. Those are really quite uninteresting. No, I'm talking about economics, regulation, law, and rights.

I believe most of the progressives I've encountered over the years are good people. They aren't control freaks that love government. They don't realize the consequences of what they are advocating. They just exist in a world where there are two choices presented to them. One is a fake free market world where the market solves all your problems like magic. While that might sound close to true it is a fiction. The reality is that no nation actually has a truly free market. That said, even in our crony-capitalism system we have more prosperity than any truly socialist economy. In the U.S. corporations have gained a strong hold over state power and use it to their advantage. These abuses allow another perspective to sound more appealing. The progressive option is to rein in capitalism, to create a safety net and hold big money accountable. This latter option to the layperson sounds like the obvious side to pick.

The problem is that both choices have more in common than different. Both parties are bought and paid for by the same corporate overlords. The right-wing/conservatives are not in favor of truly free markets. After all, why would they be needed if we took their power away from them? They enact regulations just like their opponents would have 20 years ago. Think about it.

Conservatism is progressivism going the speed limit.

~ Michael Malice

The left wing side of politics is simply in favor of a more powerful state. More programs sold as helping the poor and restrictions on business to make a more fair world. When you look at it this way you can understand why so many nice people would pick the progressive side. At least I can. One side focuses on what it is against. The other on what it is for. But what if they are both wrong?

Back to Cory Doctorow.[^1] I've been aware of Mr. Doctorow from his days at Boing Boing. It was about this time that I discovered Ron Paul. I was raised on Rush Limbaugh conservatism. I won't go into it all that here but needless to say Paul led me to the ideas of sound money, anarchism, & bitcoin. As I was listening to Cory discuss the issues with DRM and the monopolies of Amazon, Google, and Apple(his words not mine) and the decreasing quality of the products we buy I couldn't help but think about the unspoken issue with all of his thoughts. He is assuming the solution can come from the same system that created these problems.

In his mind we can vote our way out of this. He doesn't seem to consider the incentives. The incentives of big business and those of the politicians. I remember when the light bulb came on for me. I realized that no matter what laws or rules you put in place, as long as you centralize control within a elected monopoly government the incentives are always going to lead to tilted scales of justice. Put more accurately, when you concede power to a small group of people you are going to attract the worst type of people to these positions of power. This is the core problem. Not our laws, or our voting habits. Its the incentives.

The base layer issue is actually not politics though. Its the money. The fuel of capitalism. The money, fiat is fake. It is manipulated by an elite group of bankers and politicians in an opaque system used to provide control over the masses and enrich a small group of elite people. The fact that these actors have control over the money gives them even more incentives to take money from corporations to do their bidding. While an election might make some superficial change that seems like a win in the short run. In the long run every time we elect someone to pass a new law we are simply give our master's more power over us.

What if the answer is not from the political system? What if the answer could come from the technologies we all use every day? The Internet, encryption, cryptography, and electrical power. What if we could build a new money system that is outside of the control of any individual or group of actors? What if we could make those corrupt, evil, and criminal politicians and the elite that fund them irrelevant? I mean, what if we could just make them less relevant? What if we could build a decentralized consensus algorithm that would strictly enforce a set of monetary rules? What if it was completely voluntary? That's bitcoin!

That last bit is often overlooked. Voluntary. Progressives often sound like the good guys that just want to make everything fair. They are looking out the little guy. Conservatives often sound like the bad guys because they don't have any answers to the progressive's problems. Here's the deal. Both sides need to use force to make their world views a reality. Like it or not we are facing down the barrel of a gun when someone says there ought to be a law. Every new law is another bullet in the chamber. Why don't we consider de-escalating? What if we could remove the gun? But bitcoin is bad because it uses so much energy so Cory doesn't even consider it. Its just for bros to gamble with and boil the ocean. Its sad how blind we can be isn't it?

Cory goes on a rant about how Amazon's Audible audio book service and its abuses of DRM and so called intellectual property laws. They will not allow him to publish on their platform if he also releases a DRM free version of his book elsewhere. His solution is to pass legislation to make this illegal. Here's the thing. He can obviously just not agree to Amazon's contract and do what he wants. The issue is that Amazon has such a massive market share that it would greatly reduce his reach.

I kept waiting for him to say we need destroy the lie of intellectual property which is at the root of the problem. That's what it is. An idea is not property. A song is not property. A photo is not property. These ephemeral things are not property. Property is only physical. If you think this sounds crazy, I was right there with you before reading Against Intellectual Property by Stephan Kinsella. In reality the Internet functionally wounded IP. It is likely a mortal wound that just hasn't yet been recognized. Once again, the base problem is the construction of intellectual property by the state. A base layer issue. The solution is to make it virtually impossible to enforce.

Then Cory started talking about social media platforms and open protocols. He mentioned Mastodon but never mentioned Nostr. His plan was to write legislation to require Twitter to use open protocols. Honestly, I'm not surprised at this point. But it still kinda blows my mind how people can claim to care about these things and not be interested in actual solutions that don't require violence(government). Is it just ignorance? For most people I think it is. For most people that are neutral or anti-bitcoin I think its as simple as ignorance. We will never convince them through argument. They will have to see our success and envy us. They will have to be in the water trying to swim before they get on the life boat.

Call me cynical but I just don't have much hope that most people of my generation (gen X) are gonna have their eyes opened. I have far more hope that younger people will see the light. I'm not a rose colored glasses kinda guy. I don't think we are gonna see a truly free voluntary society for many generations but if the base layers and foundations laid by bitcoiners can pave the way. I want to be a part of it.

[^1]: I'm not sure Cory Doctorow calls himself a progressive but he sounds like one to me

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Un carro de la policía cubana sufrió importantes daños este lunes, tras salirse de la vía y chocar contra el muro del Malecón de La Habana, según reportes no oficiales.

Una publicación en el perfil de Facebook “Accidentes en Cuba” dio a conocer el incidente, sobre el que no ha trascendido información oficial sobre si hubo lesionados o fallecidos.

“Daños de consideración recibió un auto patrulla de la Dirección Provincial de Tránsito (carro 908) al impactarse contra el contén y parte del muro del malecón a la altura hacia la Embajada de EE.UU.”, informó el usuario Frank González Williams.

Según su post, se investigan las causas del accidente y “se desconoce hasta el momento de la edición si los tripulantes están fallecidos o lesionados graves”.

Sin embargo, un testigo aseguró en un comentario que “los conductores están bien” y añadió: “Yo venía atrás de ellos y venían suave, al parecer debe haberse quedado dormido el chofer”.

Las fotos muestran los destrozos que sufrió el vehículo, mientras que otro auto policial y varios oficiales se encuentran inspeccionando el lugar.

En los comentarios a la publicación, varios internautas coincidieron en que los policías cubanos incumplen las leyes de tránsito con mucha frecuencia, cuando deberían ser ejemplo para el resto de los conductores.

Otros usuarios recordaron que esa curva de la avenida Malecón, a la altura de la embajada estadounidense, se caracteriza por la peligrosidad, entre otras razones porque el pavimento permanece mojado, lo que obliga a los choferes a tomar precauciones al transitar por el lugar.

En ese tramo de la vía se han registrado numerosos accidentes con anterioridad, muchos de ellos con desenlace fatal.

El choque del patrullero este lunes también desató un encendido debate en el grupo “Accidentes Buses & Camiones por más experiencia y menos víctimas!” sobre la irresponsabilidad de los policías al conducir. Muchas opiniones fueron implacables.

“O corriendo o dormidos porque un auto a 60 km/h, que es la velocidad máxima establecida en esa zona, no voltea de esa forma”, sostuvo un hombre.

Otro reconoció que se trata de una “curva peligrosa, sin ángulo de peralte y resbaladiza”, pero añadió: “Con policías creyéndose los Torettos y sin saber manejar, Dios quiera que no haya daños humanos”.

“Como a ellos nadie les pone multas, andan como les da la gana, giran en U donde les da la gana, prenden la baliza y se llevan las rojas cuando les da la gana, y andan como les da la gana, a qué velocidad venía el contén”, fue uno de los comentarios críticos y que recurrió al sarcasmo, como varios otros que bromearon con que la responsabilidad recaería, seguro, en el muro del malecón habanero o en el pavimento, excepto en quien conducía el vehículo.

“Lo importante es la vida humana, no importa quiénes sean”, consideró otra persona. “Eso sí, la policía son autoridad de haz lo que yo diga y no lo que yo haga, andan volando todas las leyes del tránsito porque son la autoridad y ahí se evidencia. Rápidos y Furiosos 12 parte”.

Varios usuarios cuestionaron que la mayoría de las opiniones no tuvieran en cuenta que los accidentados son seres humanos y tienen familia, y les desearon pronta recuperación en caso de que hayan sufrido alguna lesión.

Al momento de publicar esta nota, no ha trascendido información oficial sobre el hecho.

Cuba registró 6,965 accidentes de tránsito entre enero y octubre de 2023, un aumento de 12.8 % con relación a los siniestros ocurridos en el mismo lapso del año anterior, según cifras oficiales.

Entre las principales causas de los accidentes, el órgano especializado de Tránsito de la Policía cubana mencionó el exceso de velocidad, las distracciones y la violación del derecho de vía, además de los desperfectos técnicos y no usar el casco ni el cinturón de seguridad.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

“Gracias a todas las personas que se preocuparon por la muerte de mi único hijo y saber que viajé a Cuba para traérmelo a España y lo que vine fue a enterrarlo por un dolor que los médicos cubanos no vieron lo que tenía y mi hijo pidiendo que lo operaran de la úlcera y no quisieron, lo mandaron para la casa”, denunció en Facebook Lisandra Cancela.

La muerte del joven, de quien solo ha trascendido el nombre “Leo”, se debió a una úlcera que no fue operada y, en su lugar, la diagnosticaron como gastritis.

“Dos veces fui al hospital Ernesto Guevara lo diagnosticaron de gastritis y me lo mataron, era lo q él decía q tenía, pero no voy a descansar hasta verlos presos. Los camilleros durmiendo y apareció uno y mi hijo tuvo q pagar 1000 pesos para que cogiera la camilla. Lamentablemente yo no había llegado, todo eso está pasando en Cuba”, lamentó

“Lo único que me quedaba, que en vida luche y trabaje para él, y vivía cómo quería, ayudando a todo el mundo, porque él no le hacía maldad a nadie, pero me di cuenta q tiene un millón de amigos gracias a todos, siempre estará en nuestro corazón. Descansa en Paz, hijo mío, Amén”, concluyó esta angustiada madre.

Denuncias como la de esta madre son recurrentes en las redes sociales de los cubanos, quienes buscan impotentes una solución para lograr la atención médica necesaria, en medio de la grave crisis del sistema sanitario del país.

En octubre, la cubana Yenisey Guevara quien había denunciado la falta de ambulancia para transportar a su padre enfermo, informó sobre la muerte del anciano.

Guevara explotó ante las irresponsabilidades que han conducido tanto a la muerte de su padre como a que su cuerpo no haya podido ser trasladado de vuelta a su hogar.

“Hasta cuándo faltas de respeto, inhumanos, hasta cuándo va a ser esto, partías de descarado y después tienes que oír cuando pones una queja que te digan q van llegando a Encrucijada alante de tu cara....”, se quejó.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

Table Of Content

• What are Cryptocurrencies?

• Legal Issues Surrounding Cryptocurrencies

• Laws and Regulations Governing Cryptocurrencies

• Conclusion

• FAQ

Since the creation of Bitcoin in 2009, cryptocurrencies have been growing in popularity and use. However, as with any new technology, the legal implications of cryptocurrencies are still being explored and developed. In this article, we will discuss some of the legal issues surrounding cryptocurrencies and the laws and regulations that govern their use.

What are Cryptocurrencies?

Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual tokens that use encryption techniques to secure and verify transactions and control the creation of new units. Bitcoin, the first and most well-known cryptocurrency, uses a decentralized system where transactions are recorded on a public ledger called the blockchain. Other popular cryptocurrencies include Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripple.

Legal Issues Surrounding Cryptocurrencies

The legal issues surrounding cryptocurrencies can be divided into three main categories: regulatory, criminal, and civil.

Regulatory Issues

Regulatory issues involve the laws and regulations that govern the use of cryptocurrencies. One of the biggest regulatory issues is the lack of clarity surrounding how cryptocurrencies should be classified under existing laws. Some countries consider cryptocurrencies as a form of property, while others see them as a form of currency. This can have significant implications for how cryptocurrencies are taxed and regulated.

Criminal Issues

Criminal issues involve the use of cryptocurrencies for illegal activities, such as money laundering, drug trafficking, and terrorism financing. Due to the anonymity and lack of regulation surrounding cryptocurrencies, they have become a popular choice for criminals looking to move money around the world without being detected. Governments and law enforcement agencies are working to develop ways to prevent the use of cryptocurrencies for criminal activities.

Civil Issues

Civil issues involve disputes between individuals or businesses involving cryptocurrencies. For example, if a person loses their cryptocurrency due to a hack or theft, they may seek legal recourse to recover their funds. Additionally, disputes may arise over the ownership and transfer of cryptocurrencies.

Laws and Regulations Governing Cryptocurrencies

The laws and regulations governing cryptocurrencies vary from country to country. In some countries, cryptocurrencies are completely banned, while in others they are heavily regulated. The following are some examples of laws and regulations that apply to cryptocurrencies in different countries:

The United States

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers cryptocurrencies as property for tax purposes. Additionally, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has established guidelines for when cryptocurrencies may be considered securities and subject to securities laws.

Japan

Japan has recognized cryptocurrencies as legal tender and has implemented regulations to protect consumers and prevent money laundering.

China

China has banned the use of cryptocurrencies and has cracked down on cryptocurrency exchanges and initial coin offerings (ICOs).

European Union

The European Union has established regulations for cryptocurrency exchanges and wallet providers to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.

Conclusion

Cryptocurrencies are a relatively new technology, and the legal landscape surrounding them is still evolving. Governments and law enforcement agencies are working to develop laws and regulations that protect consumers and prevent criminal activity. As an individual or business using cryptocurrencies, it is important to understand the legal issues surrounding their use and to comply with the laws and regulations that apply to you.

FAQ

What are some examples of laws and regulations governing cryptocurrencies? Examples of laws and regulations governing cryptocurrencies include tax laws, securities laws, and regulations to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.

Why is it important to understand the legal issues surrounding cryptocurrencies? It is important to understand the legal issues surrounding cryptocurrencies to comply with applicable laws and regulations and to protect yourself from legal and financial risks.

Can I sue someone over a dispute involving cryptocurrencies? Yes, you can sue someone over a dispute involving cryptocurrencies, such as a dispute over ownership or transfer of cryptocurrencies.

What should I do if I am involved in a legal issue related to cryptocurrencies? If you are involved in a legal issue related to cryptocurrencies, it is important to consult with a lawyer who has experience in this area of law. They can help you understand your legal options and protect your rights.

That's all for today, see ya tomorrow

If you want more, be sure to follow us on:

NOSTR: croxroad@getalby.com

X: @croxroadnews

Instagram: @croxroadnews.co

Youtube: @croxroadnews

Subscribe to CROX ROAD Bitcoin Only Daily Newsletter

https://www.croxroad.co/subscribe

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.

@ 632047bc:c8e4049f

test

test

test

@ 75bf2353:e1bfa895

Highlighter.com is a nostr microapp that allows users to quote text from an article on Medium, Substack, random WordPress blog, Github, habla.news or just about any form of text you can find on the Inter Tubes. The quote shows up as a nostr event, like this. These quotes get shares on other nostr apps like Amethyst. You can also:

• Add the npub of an author

• Get zapped for your curation.

• Set up prisms that split the zaps between you and the author.

!This micro app is another Pablo7z creation, the most prolific nostr developer in the world. Tony jas written an article about it before here, but there's a new update I am excited about: subscriptions.

For a while, I added my blog to Substack because I wanted a way for people to subscribe to my work to see when I write.a new blogpost. Substack has fiat payment rails, but I'm not interested in fiat for ideological reasons. Don't get me wrong, I still use it to pay bills when I have to, but I want to get paid in bitcoin.

Highlighter.com has now added this feature. You can now subscribe to people on highlighter.com. This has been a dream of mine since 2018. It's why I started writing in the first place. My original idea was to write for satoshis, but that has now morphed into the value 4 value model. Now, subscribers can pay anyone on nostr without going through a middle man. No more permission needed from Patreon. That's a big deal. I remember when a government banned a bunch of bank accounts for sending bitcoin to truckers protesting vaccination without representation( or consent).

Highlighter was already one of my favorite nostr apps. I want to see more curated highlighters get on-boarded, but subscriptions are hot digity-damn awesome. It even shuffles different blogs I have written to showcase things I wrote in the past. It's so good, I can't find the words to explain it so I created a video to show everyone how cool this is.

Onward,

Blogging Bitcoin

816,663

Support

@ 1b5ed986:79ff873f

ordinal chef : https://ordichef.xyz/cooking This one is a monitor from Minerva that monitors what's currently being cast on the chain in real time, and he also supports bitmap and tap monitoring, on top of that they also do rune related stuff like a browser for rune. Today tweeted that they are going to do something next, I guess it might be something related to the rune protocol, or maybe even another implementation of something like the rune protocol. So it's worth focusing on.

@ 637a2f1d:a169dd8f

“it's crucial to differentiate between harmful deflation, typically triggered by demand shocks, and beneficial deflation, often driven by technological advancements. we've observed the latter in industries such as electronics, where it has led to lower prices and enhanced purchasing power over time.”

https://www.delphi.ai/jameson-lopp/talk

@ adfe2756:80f1d737

consider this: the path not yet taken, does it truly exist if we never tread upon its promise? here we stand, on the precipice of choice, our toes grazing the edge of "what if." it's here that we often falter, isn't it? the daunting expanse of the unknown stretching before us, whispering tales of risk and reward.

yet, what if that whisper is the very wind meant to fill our sails? imagine for a moment that every doubt is a shadow cast by the luminous light of potential we each hold. it flickers, robust and eager, within the caverns of our spirit, doesn't it? why then do we shroud it with the veil of hesitation?

in the grand scheme of our conscious existence, our threads are vibrant, yearning to weave patterns of extraordinary texture and color. it's not the prowess of the extraordinary that creates masterpieces, but rather the courage of the ordinary hand, daring to move with purpose and passion. what could we weave if we chose to dance with possibility, to step in rhythm with our aspirations?

the journey, as they say, begins with a single step. yet, what they often omit is the symphony of steps that follow, each a note in the melody of progress. how will your symphony sound? will it be a cacophony of doubts or a harmony of actions, each step a deliberate chord in the music of your making?

we should not be content with the horizon we've inherited but instead chase a horizon of our own making. in the pursuit of the extraordinary, we find the most profound truth: that in the very act of striving, we transcend the ordinary.

as you stand at your starting line, know this: the race is not to the swift but to those who keep running. run, then, not from fear but towards the reality of your greatest self. in that pursuit lies the essence of all that we are, all that we can be. there are no limits, only the ones we accept.

shall we then accept the challenge? shall we redefine the possible? take that step, the journey awaits, and so does your story—the story of no limits, only beginnings.

@ 13a1e375:3005c388

Is there a way to (automate) distribution of Satoshis via consensus to participants and developers on Nostr.

Like a refillable satoshi dispenser with a consensus mech built in. What would the consensus mechanism look like?

What are your thoughts?

[[Badged and community]]

@ 53dab473:3a95f02d

Welcome everybody to the Pretty Good Blog! Our goal is to introduce our strategy and roadmap for realization of the web of trust, a dream that was inspired by the 1991 release of Phil Zimmermann's Pretty Good Privacy. But after over 3 decades, the dream has yet to be achieved. We aim to fix that.

Our proposed strategy is based upon what we are calling the tapestry model for knowledge representation and curation. After years of quiet development, from the abstract conceptual level down to detailed execution in the form of a pair of proof of concept apps, we feel we are ready to rally the freedom tech-loving community behind this cause. We're going to start with a series of articles over the next weeks and months to lay the conceptual foundation and describe the roadmap in as much detail as possible. Constructive criticism will always be appreciated, whether here in the comments, nostr notes and DMs, or elsewhere. Please follow this blog to learn more!

And don't forget: Be Pretty Good to each other!

@ e97aaffa:2ebd765d

Em abril deste ano, a Índia tornou-se o país mais populoso do mundo. A estimativa da ONU é que a Índia tenha uma população de 1,428 bilião de habitantes, enquanto a China tem 1,425 bilião. Esta é a primeira vez em séculos que a China não é o país mais populoso do mundo.

Os dois países estão em direções opostas, em 50 anos (2071), a demografia da Índia vai crescer 19%, enquanto a China vai reduzir 25%.

As projeções da população mundial são baseadas em uma série de fatores, incluindo taxas de fertilidade, mortalidade e migração. Estas taxas são difíceis de prever com precisão, por isso é possível que as projeções da população mudem no futuro.

A maioria do crescimento populacional até 2071 deverá ocorrer nos países em desenvolvimento, principalmente em África.

• África: +127%
• Ásia: +10%
• Europa: -13%
• América do Norte: +16%
• América Latina e Caraíbas: +12%
• América Central: +17%
• América do Sul: +10%
• Oceania: +42%

Apesar da Ásia crescer, as suas principais economias estão em sentido oposto, além da China(-25%), Japão(-29%) e Coreia do Sul(-32%).

O declínio populacional  tem um efeito perverso  nas economias. As populações ficam envelhecidas, com poucos jovens. Financeiramente terá custos devastadores para a economia e finanças públicas. As despesas com saúde e com pensões serão elevadíssimas e a arrecadação fiscal será baixa, existem poucos jovens a trabalhar.

Europa

A Europa é o único continente em regressão.

A lista inclui países da Europa e a América do Norte, com mais de 1 milhão de habitantes:

A Bulgária é a que tem a pior estimativa, -40% em 2071. São 17 países com queda superior a 20%, incluindo Portugal.

Os números na Europa só não são piores, devido à imigração, sobretudo de África e Ásia. Minimiza o problema da demografia, mas cria outros problemas internos.

Portugal

Por curiosidade foi perguntar ao Google Bard, sobre Portugal.

“De acordo com um estudo publicado na revista Lancet em 2020, a população de Portugal poderá cair para cerca de 5 milhões de habitantes em 2100. Este declínio é resultado de uma combinação de fatores, incluindo uma baixa taxa de fertilidade, uma alta taxa de emigração e o envelhecimento da população.

A taxa de fertilidade de Portugal é atualmente de 1,3 filhos por mulher, um valor abaixo do nível de reposição da população, que é de 2,1 filhos por mulher. Isto significa que, em média, cada mulher está a ter menos filhos do que o necessário para substituir a si mesma e ao seu parceiro.

A taxa de emigração de Portugal também é elevada. Em 2022, estima-se que cerca de 300 mil portugueses tenham emigrado do país. A emigração é motivada por uma variedade de fatores, incluindo a falta de oportunidades de emprego, o baixo nível de salários e a crise económica.

A população de Portugal está a envelhecer. Em 2023, a idade média da população portuguesa é de 46 anos. A população idosa está a crescer mais rapidamente do que a população jovem, o que está a colocar uma pressão sobre os sistemas de saúde e pensões.

Estes fatores estão a contribuir para um declínio da população portuguesa. Em 2100, Portugal poderá ter uma população de apenas 5 milhões de habitantes, o que representa uma queda de mais de metade da população atual.

O AI utilizou um estudo diferente, ainda mais pessimista.

É curioso que a AI compreendeu e enumerou os problemas, mas os políticos portugueses ainda não entenderam. Ou será que não querem entender.

Voltando à estimativa das Nações Unidas, serão 8 milhões de habitantes em 2071 e 6,8 milhões em 2100.

É avassalador o resultado, 6.8 MILHÕES, são menos 33% em 77 anos..

Que futuro vai ter este país?

Muito em breve os idosos(+70 anos) vão superar os mais jovens(0-19 anos). Os adultos ativos(20-69) vão ter uma grande queda até 2050, são estes a força trabalhadora do país.

Isto é uma bomba relógio, para os fundos de pensões. O ponzi vai rebentar, é inevitável.

Uma população com mais de 30% de idosos, onde virá o dinheiro para as pensões e para os custos de saúde.

No início do ano, eu escrevi um texto sobre o problema dos fundos de pensão, não vale a pena repetir aqui. Eu também escrevi um texto sobre a riqueza mundial, onde a demografia tem um papel fundamental.

São dois textos para refletir.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Una tragedia sacudió a la comunidad cubana este sábado cuando una maestra cubana, identificada como Ailén García Jiménez, perdió la vida de manera brutal mientras intervenía en una disputa entre dos estudiantes.

El incidente, que dejó a todos conmocionados, ocurrió en medio de una acalorada discusión con una mujer que la agredió con un objeto punzante, provocando su fallecimiento.

Ailén García Jiménez, joven madre de dos hijos y dedicada maestra de profesión, residía en el caserío de Ojo de Agua, una cooperativa ubicada a pocos kilómetros de Calabazar, en la provincia de Villa Clara, según fuentes familiares.

La triste noticia fue dada a conocer por su hijo, identificado en Facebook como Erielito Lara. En una desgarradora publicación en la red social, Lara relató que recibió la devastadora noticia del asesinato de su madre a las 5 p.m. del sábado. “Cuando sonó mi teléfono para darme el aviso de que mi mamita había sido asesinada en una riña, me sentí destrozado. Hoy he perdido yo y mi hermanita, que apenas tiene 12 añitos, a una de las personas más importantes de la vida”, expresó.

Lara también recordó con dolor que hace dos meses perdió a su querido abuelo. “Como aquel que dice, no pongo los pies en el piso”, lamentó. “Purita, donde quieras que te encuentres, siempre en mi corazón y en mi mente estarás presente. EPD Maestra”.

“Ailén García Jiménez, es la foto de la izquierda. Ella fue la víctima por la que lamentablemente estamos sufriendo, y a la derecha su agresora María Teresa”, escribió. “No quería compartir por pena con la familia, pero espero estas publicaciones sirvan para que se haga justicia”.

Numerosas personas que conocieron a la víctima la describieron como una excelente mujer y una maestra muy querida.

Decenas de cubanos expresaron su dolor e indignación por el crimen y exigieron justicia en los comentarios de las publicaciones en redes sociales. El asesinato de esta maestra se suma a la escalada de violencia y criminalidad que se vive en Cuba en los últimos meses, a pesar de los esfuerzos del gobierno por minimizarla y destacar la imagen de la policía.

Hasta el momento de publicar esta nota, ni las autoridades ni la prensa oficial han confirmado el trágico suceso, que ha conmocionado a la comunidad cubana en el extranjero y ha generado un llamado urgente a abordar el problema de la violencia en la sociedad cubana.

@ d8a2c33f:76611e0c

There was a significant amount of AI-related news emerging last week from Silicon Valley companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Company X. The first notable development was Gork, a new AI initiative from Twitter and Company X, designed to utilize Twitter data extensively. Additionally, OpenAI made headlines with its announcement of Custom GPT models. However, these developments seem to be following a similar, potentially outdated playbook.

These companies continue to operate under a closed-source model, creating what some might describe as 'walled gardens.' This approach restricts user access and control over the AI technologies and raises concerns about transparency and inclusivity. The lack of clarity regarding the usage of personal data by these AI systems is another critical issue. With increasing awareness and concern about data privacy, the vague policies of these companies regarding personal data handling can lead to user distrust and skepticism.

Why is this time different, and how is Nostr the linchpin in building a real open AI platform? Over the past year, we have developed many Nostr clients to emulate existing social media apps. Now, it's time to create something new, demonstrating its distinctiveness and necessity.

Why Open Source & Private Large Language Models (LLMs): To understand why open source LLMs are essential, one must first comprehend the nature of language models. Fundamentally, these models are extensive neural networks trained on vast amounts of text. Their primary function is to predict the next word in a sequence, based on the observed patterns in the training data. They do not "think" or "feel" in the conventional sense. Instead, they generate text based on learned patterns.

These simple questions are within LLMs' capabilities: “What is the capital of France?” “Write me a paragraph about how automobiles work.”

However, these questions require the user to provide the necessary data and prompt engineering:

“Can you find an Italian restaurant in the suburbs of Washington D.C., which also serves vegetarian options and is open until 12 AM?” “Can you devise a vacation plan to Dubai based on my personal history of hotels I’ve stayed at, availability, pricing, and other places to visit according to my preferences?”

Essentially, you need your personal data to derive real value, but simultaneously, you must keep that data private, encrypted, and prevent it from being used by others for training purposes.

This is the reason behind NIP-90 - Data Vending Machines, and the latest merged PR for encrypting prompts and user data.

Why AI Agents? OpenAI has released functionality to build custom GPTs (also known as AI agents). We may already have custom AI agents on Nostr through PlebAI, released back in October. Refer to this article here.

Each AI agent possesses its unique instructions, knowledge, and actions it can perform. This eliminates the need for specific system prompts to receive responses.

We have now integrated all these agents into the Current App so that anyone interested in interacting with these agents can find them in one place within their mobile app.

We have also included a subscription model, so you do not have to pay for each individual interaction. Simply subscribe to our Surge plan on iOS for only $3.99 to get unlimited image and text generation with all AI agents. Once subscribed, you can use these AI agents on any Nostr clients through direct messages. Just DM them to receive a response.

Here's the link to download Current App for iOS and android, if you prefer to access through web, AI agents are avaialble on PlebAI

Go ahead, explore it, and share your feedback by joining our community on Discord.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

En el reparto Lenin, Holguín, un hombre disparó a su expareja en la cabeza y la mujer sobrevivió al intento de feminicidio, según reportaron fuentes oficialistas. La víctima, Eliannis Obregón, fue hospitalizada después de la agresión de Iván Quevedo Pérez, que luego se disparó a sí mismo en un pie y se dio a la fuga, según informó el perfil oficialista en Facebook Cazador Cazado.

"En menos de ocho horas" el agresor fue capturado por la Policía "acompañada por el pueblo", dijo este perfil, que tiene vínculos con el Ministerio del Interior (MININT). Además aseguró que el arma que se utilizó ya fue ocupada por la Policía y pertenece a un "poseedor legal", aunque todavía no ha trascendido cómo llegó a manos de la expareja de Obregón.

A finales de octubre el número de víctimas de la violencia machista en Cuba en 2023 llegó a 74, con la verificación de tres nuevos feminicidios por parte de los observatorios independientes. En este contexto, tanto el Observatorio de Género de la revista feminista Alas Tensas (OGAT) como la plataforma Yo Sí Te Creo reiteraron al Estado cubano una Ley de Identidad de Género y garantizar el derecho de las mujeres, niñas y personas LGBTIQA+ a una vida libre de violencia.

Sin embargo, Miguel Díaz-Canel dijo en la Asamblea Nacional en julio pasado, que se "exagera cualquier hecho delictivo, fundamentalmente los casos con violencia y, en particular, los de violencia de género" ocurridos en Cuba por un "manifiesto empeño imperial de crear un clima de inseguridad y de desconfianza" en la Isla.

Un análisis publicado por DIARIO DE CUBA a finales de agosto, cuando los feminicidios en la Isla ascendían a 55, evidenció la magnitud del problema a través de la comparación de las cifras que arroja el subregistro de los observatorios independientes y las de otros países cuyas poblaciones son mayores que la de Cuba.

@ 8fb140b4:f948000c

Hey there, train enthusiasts! let's chat about one of the most impressive rail systems in the world - japan's trains. when you think of japanese trains, the first image that probably pops into your mind is the sleek, futuristic shinkansen, also known as the bullet train. these high-speed trains are not just a symbol of modern technology; they're a testament to japan's commitment to efficiency and punctuality. it's not an exaggeration to say that japanese trains are famous for being precisely on time. if a train is five minutes late, it's often considered a significant delay!

but it's not just the shinkansen that deserves praise. japan's entire railway network, from city subways to rural train lines, is incredibly well-organized. the trains are clean, comfortable, and surprisingly quiet, making even a regular commute a pleasant experience. what's more impressive is the frequency of these trains. in major cities like tokyo and osaka, you rarely have to wait more than a few minutes for a train, reducing the stress of travel and making commuting more predictable.

and let's not forget the level of service! train staff in japan are known for their politeness and helpfulness. whether you're a tourist struggling with your luggage or a local needing directions, there's always someone to help. plus, the stations themselves are marvels - clean, well-signed, and packed with amenities like shops and restaurants. in short, japan's trains aren't just a mode of transportation; they're an experience, reflecting the country's dedication to quality, punctuality, and customer service. so, next time you're in japan, hop on a train and enjoy the ride - it's an adventure in itself! 🚆🌸🐶🐾🫂

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Al menos nueve fincas tabacaleras del municipio de Estelí, en Nicaragua, están siendo reparadas o funcionan bajo el mando de supuestos empresarios cubanos. Según un trabajo publicado este miércoles por Nicaragua Investiga, los productores y campesinos locales temen que, con las relaciones entre ambos regímenes, los "nuevos e incómodos inversores" gocen de privilegios que desequilibren la competencia.

La sospecha más extendida entre los tabaqueros de Estelí, según la prensa, es que estos empresarios son cubanos recién llegados a Nicaragua que vienen como "prestanombres". "Tras 30 o 40 años en este mercado, todos nos conocemos, ningún inversionista de estos nuevos es alguien de nombre, si acaso son trabajadores en tabacaleras de Cuba, son gente que solo prestan el nombre, hay capital del país ahí, gente de ese Gobierno", dijo uno de los trabajadores a Nicaragua Investiga en condición de anonimato.

Los guajiros están seguros de que los inversores cubanos, algunos asociados a Cubatabaco –la empresa que controla el rubro en la Isla–, llegaron "de la mano" del Gobierno de Daniel Ortega, y se han ido ubicando en fincas compradas a otros empresarios o que estaban abandonadas luego de haber sido intervenidas por el Estado.

Los guajiros están seguros de que los inversores cubanos, algunos asociados a Cubatabaco, llegaron "de la mano" del Gobierno de Daniel Ortega

"Esta propiedad era de una gente que fue procesada por supuestos nexos con el crimen organizado e intervenida por el Estado, después de que fueron encontrados culpables y condenados a varios años de cárcel, ahora aparecen unas personas, supuestos empresarios cubanos, invirtiendo en ellas", dijo uno de los entrevistados sobre una finca que años atrás perteneció a unos guatemaltecos.

Según cuenta, la finca se encuentra cerca de la Escuela de Agricultura y Ganadería de Estelí, conocida también como Universidad Católica del Trópico Seco, que también fue confiscada este mismo año por el Estado en su ofensiva contra la Iglesia católica.

Los campesinos han visto levantarse en el terreno instalaciones de varios pisos para el procesamiento del puro y se han realizado trabajos en la tierra para el cultivo de la hoja. También están buscando empleados y aseguran que llegaron con ideas de ayudar a la comunidad. "A algunos vecinos les han preguntado qué necesidades tiene la comunidad", dicen los tabaqueros.

Otra de las fincas en la que se ha visto a los empresarios está ubicada en un costado de la Carretera Panamericana y, explican, los dueños la abandonaron porque el suelo estaba contaminado por materia volcánica. "Se extrajo el material como piedrín que se usaba para asfalto y ahora los nuevos dueños la limpian para rehabilitar la finca", contó un vecino de la zona, ubicada a varios kilómetros de Estelí.

En la última década el puro nicaragüense se ha hecho popular en el mercado internacional, llegando a compartir con Cuba compradores favoritos como China y otros países europeos, además de tener la ventaja comerciar con Estados Unidos, donde la venta de tabaco de la Isla está prohibido por el embargo. "Eso explica estos movimientos", dijo un productor convencido de que Cuba viene persiguiendo esas oportunidades.

En Estelí, subrayan, están construyendo "grandes complejos y modernas fábricas" que no pueden tener en la Isla. "Sabemos que en Cuba existen graves problemas para sostener a este sector debido a las constantes fallas en la energía y los altos costos de producción por el bloqueo que sufre el país", argumentan.

A los campesinos y empresarios citados por Nicaragua Investiga no les preocupa tanto la aparición de los inversores como la repercusión de las relaciones de estos con el régimen de Ortega, que puede terminar por favorecer a los recién llegados y tronchar la "sana competencia". "Causaría molestia la competencia desleal", aseguran.

Los campesinos han visto levantarse en el terreno instalaciones de varios pisos para el procesamiento del puro y se han realizado trabajos en la tierra para el cultivo de la hoja

Otro temor de los tabaqueros es que el Gobierno decida, para establecer un monopolio en el sector controlado a cuatro manos con la Isla, confiscar negocios y propiedades, una estrategia en la que ya tiene un amplio historial.

"Sabemos que en Nicaragua no hay seguridad jurídica con las propiedades. Hay empresas que llevan años en esta industria y han invertido en sus instalaciones, hay mucho en juego en verdad. A la mínima mala señal, estos capitales podrían abandonar el país y la que pierde es la gente porque son empleos perdidos", lamentan.

Según datos de Nicaragua Investiga, desde 2018 Ortega ha cerrado 3.500 ONG apropiándose de todos sus bienes. "Solo en la toma de los bienes del diario La Prensa, el Instituto Centroamericano de Administración de Empresas (Incae) y la Fundación del Río, lo robado ascendió a los 51.5 millones de dólares", subraya la plataforma.

A la Universidad Centroamericana, también intervenida, se le confiscaron más de media docena de instalaciones científicas y varios kilómetros cuadrados de terreno. Otros 316 inmuebles han sido incautados a presos políticos, abogados, periodistas y otros profesionales, y se han cerrado importantes instituciones como la Academia Nicaragüense de la Lengua.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

La Fundación para los Derechos Humanos en Cuba (FHRC, en inglés) expuso al diputado del régimen cubano Rolando Miguel González Patricio como un represor de exportación y de cuello blanco.

La organización incorporó a su base de datos “Represores Cubanos” detalles sobre las actividades represoras de González Patricio, presidente de la Comisión de Relaciones Internacionales de la Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular (ANPP), y que en el pasado fungió como rector del Instituto Superior de Arte en Cuba (ISA).

Entre los delitos listados del represor se encuentran la violación de los derechos suscritos en la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos, la difusión de “hechos falsos a sabiendas”, hostigamiento y vigilancia, asesoramiento-participación en represión y persecución por motivos políticos.

Menciona la ficha que en 2011, González Patricio contribuyó a la expulsión del hoy periodista independiente Henry Constantín Ferreiro, quien era entonces estudiante de la Facultad de Arte de los Medios de Comunicación Audiovisual (FAMCA).

También es parte del historial represivo de González Patricio la expulsión en 2015 del CEO de Yucabyte y activista Norges Rodríguez, quien perdió su trabajo como Especialista B en Comunicación en el ISA tras una una reunión con González Patricio y agentes de la Seguridad del Estado.

"Cuando me expulsan nos quedamos en la calle, y yo sin trabajo. Quedé totalmente vulnerable, sin trabajo y sin lugar para vivir. Luego de eso también expulsaron a mi expareja de su trabajo en la AHS”, contó Rodríguez a ADN Cuba.

La FHRC también ha señalado que el presidente de la Comisión de Relaciones Internacionales de la ANPP cubana tergiversa la realidad cubana en diferentes encuentros con fuera de la isla.

En julio de 2023, González Patricio fue recibido en España por el Rey de ese país, Felipe VI, con motivo de su participación en la XV sesión plenaria de la Asamblea Parlamentaria Euro-Latinoamericana (EuroLat), que se celebró en Madrid.

Luis Morlote Rivas, presidente de la Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (Uneac), acompañó a González Patricio en ese viaje.

El Rey de España se entrevistó, ese día, en audiencia con los 150 participantes de la reunión.

González Patricio fue de 1998 a 2005 director del Centro de Estudios Martianos, de 2005 a 2008 fue director del Instituto Cubano de Investigación Cultural Juan Marinello y rector del ISA a partir de septiembre de 2008. También es profesor titular de la Universidad de La Habana y del Instituto Superior de Relaciones Internacionales Raúl Roa.

Entre el 2005 y 2008 se desempeñó como director del Instituto Cubano de Investigación Cultural “Juan Marinello” y desde septiembre de 2008 como Rector del Instituto Superior de Arte hasta llegar a su puesto actual.

@ 44dc1c2d:31c74f0b

Chef's notes

Make sure the egg and the oil are roughly the same temperature.

If your emulsion fails, it's easy to fix. Take a 1/2 Teaspoon of the hottest water your tap makes. Get a new bowl. Add the water to the bowl and add the broken mix to the water while whisking a few drops at a time. It should start to thicken up around the time you get halfway through the mixture.

Details

• 🍳 Cook time: 5 ish miniutes

Ingredients

• 1 Egg yolk
• 3/4 Cup Oil

Directions

1. Put the yolks in the bowl and start whisking
2. Add the oil a few drops at a time.
3. It should be looking solid arounf the time half the oil is added in. If its getting so thick its hard to whisk add in a few drops of water or lemon juice. Vinager works to.
4. Once all the oil is in taste it. Add salt if needed.
5. Boom you just made mayo.

@ 13a1e375:3005c388

a way to (automate) distribution of Satoshis via consensus to participants and developers on Nostr.

Like a refillable satoshi dispenser with a consensus mech built in. What would the consensus mechanism look like?

What are your thoughts?

[[Badged and community]]

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

Table Of Content

• What is Bitcoin?

• What is the Stock Market?

• Correlation Between Bitcoin and the Stock Market

• Understanding Bitcoin and the Stock Market

• Investing in Bitcoin and the Stock Market

• Conclusion

• FAQ

Bitcoin, the world's first and most well-known cryptocurrency, has been making waves in the financial world since its creation in 2009. As the popularity and acceptance of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies grow, investors are increasingly interested in their potential for long-term investments. One question that investors often ask is whether there is a correlation between Bitcoin and the stock market. In this article, we will explore this topic and provide insights into the relationship between digital and traditional investments.

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that uses encryption techniques to verify transactions and control the creation of new units. Unlike traditional currencies, Bitcoin operates independently of a central bank and uses a public ledger called the blockchain to record transactions.

What is the Stock Market?

The stock market is a collection of exchanges where investors can buy and sell shares of publicly traded companies. The stock market is an essential component of the global economy and is used by investors to gauge the health of the economy and individual companies.

However, it is important to note that there are instances where the performance of Bitcoin and the stock market can be influenced by similar factors. For example, global economic uncertainty or political turmoil can affect both markets. Additionally, some investors may view Bitcoin as a hedge against traditional investments, such as stocks, and may allocate some of their portfolio to cryptocurrencies.

Correlation Between Bitcoin and the Stock Market

One question that investors often ask is whether there is a correlation between Bitcoin and the stock market. The short answer is that there is no clear correlation between the two. Bitcoin and the stock market are separate markets that operate independently of each other.

Understanding Bitcoin and the Stock Market

Investing in Bitcoin and the stock market can be confusing for those who are unfamiliar with these asset classes. To invest wisely, it is important to have a basic understanding of how they work and how they differ.

Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that operates on a peer-to-peer network. Transactions are verified using cryptography, and new units are created through a process called mining. Bitcoin is not backed by any government or financial institution, and its value is determined by supply and demand in the market.

The stock market, on the other hand, is a collection of exchanges where investors can buy and sell shares of publicly traded companies. The value of a company's shares is determined by its financial performance and the perceived value of its future prospects.

Investing in Bitcoin and the Stock Market

Investing in Bitcoin and the stock market both come with risks and rewards. It is important for investors to do their due diligence and understand the risks associated with each investment. Bitcoin is a highly volatile asset, and its value can fluctuate rapidly. On the other hand, the stock market has historically provided investors with long-term growth, although it too can be volatile in the short term.

Some investors may choose to diversify their portfolio by investing in both Bitcoin and the stock market. This can help to balance the risks and rewards associated with each investment.

Conclusion

While there is no clear correlation between Bitcoin and the stock market, they are both important components of the global economy. Investors should understand the risks and rewards associated with both investments and do their due diligence before making any investment decisions. Additionally, diversifying one's portfolio can help to balance the risks and rewards associated with different investments.

FAQ

What is the correlation between Bitcoin and the stock market? There is no clear correlation between Bitcoin and the stock market, as they are separate markets that operate independently of each other.

What are the risks associated with investing in the stock market? The stock market can be volatile in the short term, and individual companies can face financial difficulties or fail entirely.

How can investors balance risks and rewards when investing in Bitcoin and the stock market? Investors can balance risks and rewards by diversifying their portfolio, conducting thorough research, and using a long-term investment strategy.

Should investors invest in both Bitcoin and the stock market? Investors may choose to diversify their portfolio by investing in both Bitcoin and the stock market, but should understand the risks and rewards associated with each investment before making any decisions.

That's all for today, see ya tomorrow

If you want more, be sure to follow us on:

NOSTR: croxroad@getalby.com

X: @croxroadnews

Instagram: @croxroadnews.co

Youtube: @croxroadnews

Subscribe to CROX ROAD Bitcoin Only Daily Newsletter

https://www.croxroad.co/subscribe

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.

@ ced5e674:cc7c24e1

test

test

test!!!

@ 87e98bb6:8d6616f4

Chef's notes

Set oven temperature to 425° F. You'll want softer butter for this. If it's straight out of the fridge, it will take a bit more work. (Tip: Best to get local or organic, as some of the low cost butters out there stay hard even when sitting on the counter.) A little extra butter in the recipe isn't a bad thing.

Cooked these a few times with slightly different amounts of ingredients and this version was the best. So, I hope this works out perfectly for you.

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 10
• 🍳 Cook time: 10-12 min
• 🍽️ Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Flour
• 4 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 3/4 Cup Milk

Directions

1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (You can do this with a pastry blender or two butter knives)
3. Add milk all at once and mix until dough follows fork around the bowl (soft and sticky).
4. Turn out onto lightly flowered surface and kneed gently for half a minute.
5. Use rolling pin to roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with lightly floured biscuit cutter.
6. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown on the edges.

@ 2edbcea6:40558884

Happy Sunday #Nostr !

Here’s your #NostrTechWeekly newsletter brought to you by nostr:npub19mduaf5569jx9xz555jcx3v06mvktvtpu0zgk47n4lcpjsz43zzqhj6vzk written by nostr:npub1r3fwhjpx2njy87f9qxmapjn9neutwh7aeww95e03drkfg45cey4qgl7ex2

The #NostrTechWeekly is a weekly newsletter focused on the more technical happenings in the nostr-verse.

Let’s dive in!

Recent Upgrades to Nostr (AKA NIPs)

1) Updates to NIP 90: Encryption of DVM Data

Data Vending Machines are a way for people to pay for bots to do tasks for them, and for the provider of bots to make income from making those bots available. The marketplace for such is young, but has immense potential.

This proposal adds even more capabilities by outlining a way for users to optionally encrypt the inputs and outputs of tasks facilitated by DVMs. As privacy and freedom oriented people on Nostr, we can’t say no to encryption by default! Thanks nostr:npub10dzw2nn9gx2n6vvxak3ezp9dpsqy87kgnhrrglgqm7mn2vyeec9slef20x !

2) (Proposed) NIP 86: Shared Keys

This proposal introduces a mechanism for sharing keys within Nostr communities, specifically those managed by an admin.

The process involves distributing a 'kind 24' rumor created by the admin’s key and encrypted with a shared key and individually addressed to each member. Possession of the shared key allows users to decrypt content encrypted by the shared key, creating private content for users in possession.

Keys can be rotated as needed and are facilitated by the admin key publishing new 'kind 24' rumors, ensuring continuous security.

This NIP is critical for the functionality of Closed Communities, as it underpins their secure communication framework

Author: hodlbod earonesty vitorpamplona water783

3) (Proposed) NIP 87: Closed Communities

The second, and related, proposal is for Closed Communities. This proposal aims to provide a degree of privacy in Nostr's inherently public architecture. It builds upon the existing ability to define communities in Nostr, the “member lists” mechanism, as well as the proposed key sharing mechanism (NIP #86) to create private group communication within communities on Nostr.

This NIP outlines a community structure using the existing 'kind 34550' event for identification and administration, managed by a dedicated admin key, while a shared key is used for communication within the group.

Possession of their admin or shared keys creates access to the community, so managers of these communities will have to take care to keep the community private by strictly controlling access to the keys.

I’m glad there’s experimentation in this space. We can always use SimpleX but if we can get something truly private and technically elegant on Nostr, we will all benefit.

Author: hodlbod earonesty vitorpamplona water783

4) (Proposed) NIP 100: Android Signer Application

On phones, it’s not quite as easy to use a Nostr browser extension to authorize clients as it is on a desktop.

This proposal outlines the concept of a “signer” app that contains the user’s nsec, and all other apps on the phone can request event signing from the signer app as needed. Just like the browser extension! It’s elegant and allows users to minimize the exposure of their private keys. 🔒

I don’t know if apps are allowed to do the same thing on iOS, so this may something uniquely available to Android users.

Author: greenart7c3

Notable Projects

Calendar and events on Nosta 📅

Nosta is a profile-first client that makes every profile look its best. Nosta also helps users discover all kinds of content published by each profile instead of just their kind 1 notes (tweets). Super helpful and a nice take on a general purpose Nostr client 💪

Nosta recently announced updates that they now support calendars managed by Nostr users. Looks great 🙌

Author: nostr:npub1kuc70777tsvj67fl75s2dmy376t97hv05xmyuyshzzy6vhj5q5jstv0eyw Nosta Github

Recent improvements to NostrNet.Work 🌐

NostrNet.Work is organically growing into a browser for Nostr. It can serve as a homepage/dashboard for your Nostr life, and you can move into any realm of Nostr easily without remembering or bookmarking a bunch of urls.

Recently nostr:npub1cmmswlckn82se7f2jeftl6ll4szlc6zzh8hrjyyfm9vm3t2afr7svqlr6f introduced better notes so that you can draft notes, save them while you’re offline if they’re private. Or you can even publish them later if you like.

Additionally nostr:npub1cmmswlckn82se7f2jeftl6ll4szlc6zzh8hrjyyfm9vm3t2afr7svqlr6f shipped better navigation and seems to be leaning in to becoming a browser and may introduce tabs soon. So you can navigate the nostr-verse without leaving NostrNet.Work.

Latest conversations: Funding Nostr Projects

In a recent article, Semisol highlighted a crucial issue for Nostr: the severe underfunding of its development and infrastructure, which threatens the protocol's sustainability.

Semi delves into all the options currently available for funding development and infrastructure, outlining the risks posed by current funding models and the potential for Nostr's degradation without proper financial support.

Onboarding an economy

Nostr can’t rely on hobbyists and good will forever. We need profitable companies to be building on top of Nostr, so we naturally we need to convince some group of buyers and sellers that using something built on Nostr is better than their current setup.

If we can onboard a whole existing economy wholesale, we can build a core of profitability which keeps the engine of Nostr development churning.

Focusing on Content Creators

At this point, I believe that the best options would be content creators. Content creators — be they musicians, YouTubers, streamers, or writers — are currently being screwed over by their platforms (Spotify, record labels, youtube, twitch, substack, patreon, etc). These platform take exorbitant fees and they threaten to deplatform creators if they step out of line.

If Nostr could offer a seamless way for content creators (especially those aggrieved by malicious platforms) to migrate their content monetization to a Nostr-based solution, all would benefit.

Starting with Patreon

Bitcoin and Lightning can offer a much lower fee version of Patreon with little additional development from the work that’s been done so far. Patreon takes ~8%, if someone put the pieces together and created a Patreon, it wouldn’t be crazy that that product could profitably charge 1% or 2% instead.

Migrating would a no-brainer because most content creators don’t primary publish via Patreon, they merely use Patreon to manage the monthly financial support of their most loyal supporters. This severely reduces the amount of features needed to start pulling creators away from Patreon.

On top of that, content creators can keep their main content publishing up, and even their existing Patreon account, and slowly cut people over to the Nostr-based alternative so there’s very little risk to them.

Substack next?

Many writers out there use Substack or have paid subscriptions for their “premium” blog. Substack charges 10% plus the 3% for payment processing on top of that.

Nostr already provides most of the features of Substack, with some development integrating Lightning payments to unlock specific content, we can start offering a better deal for creators. The Nostr protocol and Lightning are already doing most of the work!

Waiting to do the hard content

Video and audio hosting is more expensive to run. Live-streaming even more so. Don’t even get me started on building an advertiser network.

The reason Patreon and Substack would be relatively easy is because they’re just managing membership and passing around text. Lightning and the Nostr protocol have already done most of the heavy lifting with this kind of content.

If we can make an amazing product that frees a subset of content creators, we can earn the right to solve audio, video and live streaming (and the profit necessary to invest in). We can survive (and thrive) long enough to keep taking steps forward.

Bitcoin as the payment rail, cash out in fiat

Many content creators aren’t ready to operate in Bitcoin, but there are many Bitcoin wallets (Strike, CashApp, etc) that are great bridges to fiat. This would allow content creators to get the best of the cheaper payment rails but still have the choice to pay rent in their local currency.

We’ll be able to orange pill them over time, but thanks to the work of companies like Block and Strike there’s little downside for content creators if we go this direction.

Purple-pilling

Once supporters of content creators migrate from Patreon and Substack, we’ll be able to show them the broader horizons that come with a Nostr-based solution. They may have signed up for the Patreon-like client, but they can be taught that their identity and their followers are portable. Not to mention all the amazing things that are only possible on Nostr.

It becomes much more feasible to convince folks to explore the rest of what Nostr has to offer once we offer that killer feature that makes them want to join in the first place.

Until next time 🫡

If you want to see something highlighted, if we missed anything, or if you’re building something we didn’t post about, let us know. DMs welcome at nostr:npub19mduaf5569jx9xz555jcx3v06mvktvtpu0zgk47n4lcpjsz43zzqhj6vzk

Stay Classy, Nostr.

@ d6dc9554:d0593a0c

Is Bitcoin a fundamental change in the nature of money ?

Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency, which means it is not controlled by any government or financial institution. This is a fundamental change from the traditional nature of money, which has typically been controlled by governments or central banks.

The decentralization of Bitcoin has several important implications:

• Censorship resistance and manipulation: Bitcoin is more resistant to censorship and manipulation by governments or financial institutions. This is because Bitcoin is not subject to government regulations or capital controls.

• Transparency and auditability: Bitcoin is more transparent and auditable than traditional money. This is because Bitcoin is based on a public ledger called blockchain. The blockchain records all Bitcoin transactions, making it more difficult to conceal illegal activities.

• Democratization of access to money: Bitcoin has the potential to democratize access to money. This is because Bitcoin does not require a bank account or any other type of traditional financial infrastructure.

If Bitcoin is adopted on a large scale, this could lead to a fundamental change in the nature of money. Bitcoin could make money more accessible, more secure, and more democratic.

How Bitcoin could represent a fundamental change in the nature of money

• Bitcoin can facilitate international trade: Bitcoin is a global currency, which means it can be used to make financial transactions anywhere in the world. This could facilitate international trade, making it faster, cheaper, and more efficient.

• Bitcoin can reduce corruption: Bitcoin is more transparent and auditable than traditional money, which could make corruption and bribery more difficult.

• Bitcoin can promote financial inclusion: Bitcoin can help people who do not have access to traditional financial services, such as people who live in developing countries or who do not have a bank account.

It is important to note that the impact of Bitcoin on the nature of money is still uncertain. However, Bitcoin has the potential to revolutionize the way money is created, used, and controlled.

@ 2c930918:6d90c511

Today marks the kickoff of spreading Bitcoin awareness and education with the ₿ brand now prominently shining on our players' sleeves. Bitcoin has become a signature global brand in only 15 years of existence, and its logo is well recognized by millions across the world. Yet, we still have work to do until the Bitcoin brand and technology reach all people globally. Botev FC is proud to be accelerating this reach. The club’s goal is to draw attention to Bitcoin as an advanced technology which we expect will affect everyone in society. Our move aims to gauge the interest of our fans, rivals’ supporters, local community members, and a global audience at large all while integrating the Bitcoin brand with our club’s signature yellow and black palette.

https://i.nostr.build/amjJ.png

Will sticking a logo onto a jersey improve our game and change the world for the better? https://i.nostr.build/OLqP.png

No!

Bringing the Bitcoin brand to the attention of millions of fans, TV viewers and followers is only the initial move in our commitment to grow the awareness and understanding of Bitcoin. While we're thrilled to showcase the distinctive yellow and black Bitcoin logo on our players' sleeves, beware of more intriguing news that will be coming soon.

"Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning."

-- William Arthur Ward

Education is a vital part of the integration of Bitcoin inside Botev’s club, fan base and century-long legacy. We believe Bitcoin is becoming an integral part of global payments and finance. Botev FCis determined to deliver value, spark discussions, which educate our fans, local community members and the wider audience about Bitcoin and sound money.

Hence, placing the Bitcoin brand on Botev FC’s uniform sleeve is our way to invite people to #StudyBitcoin. With millions watching and fans proudly wearing Botev jerseys, our message aims to reach curious minds and spark conversations about the opportunities Bitcoin offers.

https://i.nostr.build/xeKz.png

“Ok, you’ve got my undivided attention. How do I learn more?”

Well, just like Bitcoin itself, we chose not to rush into anything, but rather secure a solid foundation to build upon and grow our educational base over time. We’ve started off with Bitcoin meetups, which are held every first Tuesday of the month, where we discuss Bitcoin and future plans of Botev FC. Welcomed byPlovdiv’s Fargo Club we’ve secured a venue for Bitcoiners and Botivists to meet and share their ideas, experience and build a community of people dedicated to elevate Botev and spread knowledge of Bitcoin.

https://i.nostr.build/2A9X.jpg

For example, at our first meetup we presented the Bulgarian translation of the very popular “The Price of Tomorrow” book by Jeff Booth. The second meetup focused on Botev Plovdiv’s move to start accepting bitcoin and how this initiative could benefit the team, the community and the city of Plovdiv.

"Curiouser and curiouser!"

-- Alice

A logo on Botev FC jerseys may look like a small step, but it could well become the beginning of an exciting and maybe even a never-ending journey of new interactions between our fans, players, partners, and the wider community.

Join us on this journey to a brighter and sounder future 🧡 with our yellow-black team 💛 🖤

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio (R-FL) cuestionó la situación de los cubanos que son acogidos como refugiados en Estados Unidos y después viajan a Cuba, país del que supuestamente salieron huyendo de la persecución política.

Sus declaraciones se produjeron el miércoles 8 de noviembre, durante una audiencia del Comité de Asignaciones del Senado sobre la solicitud de la administración Biden de fondos adicionales para procesar rápidamente a los migrantes que ingresan ilegalmente al pais del que salieron huyendo.

Declaración del Senador Marco Rubio

Dirigiéndose al secretario del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, Alejandro Mayorkas, el senador le planteó el caso de los cubanos que adquieren el estatus de refugiado en Estados Unidos y un año después están de vacaciones en Cuba, país del que supuestamente huyeron por motivos políticos.

"Si estás huyendo de la persecución, ¿cómo puede ser que un año después estés pasando los veranos en Cuba? ¿Cómo puede ser que menos de un año después estés viajando, digamos, de 6 a 8 veces al año a Cuba? Nunca he oído hablar de personas que huyen de la persecución y regresan a un lugar repetidamente. Hay un problema aquí, ¿no?”, le preguntó Rubio a Mayorkas.

Haciendo referencia al caso de los refugiados cubanos, el senador republicano por Florida afirmó que “si vienes de Cuba se presume que estás huyendo de una persecución política”, motivo por el cual existe la figura de “miedo creíble” durante la entrevista que se les hace a los solicitantes cubanos de asilo.

“Así que automáticamente eres elegible para recibir dinero en efectivo para refugiados, eres elegible para recibir cupones de alimentos, eres elegible para Medicaid. Otros que inmigran a este país tienen que esperar cinco años para recibirlos y no reciben el dinero en efectivo para refugiados. Pero al cabo de un año, dependiendo de si tienen el ‘parole’, [los cubanos] pueden solicitar una tarjeta verde y luego pueden viajar de regreso a Cuba tantas veces como quieran”, dijo el senador.

@ 9ecbb0e7:06ab7c09

Una doctora cubana, residente en Estados Unidos, aconsejó a todos sus compatriotas intentar investigar si el régimen castrista los tiene en la lista negra de regulados antes de viajar de visita a Cuba, pues podrían quedar impedidos de salir de la Isla nuevamente.

El testimonio fue revelado por el periodista Mario J. Pentón para alertar a la comunidad cubana sobre una tendencia que práctica el régimen castrista a sus profesionales, particularmente a aquellos que cursaron carreras sanitarias en la Isla.

"Estaba a punto de regresar a Cuba cuando se enteró de su regulación. Si hubiera entrado a Cuba, se habría quedado atrapada”, explicó Pentón. Esta práctica plantea serias preguntas sobre la libertad y los derechos humanos en Cuba, pero al ser una nación dominada por una dictadura comunista, todas las atrocidades son posibles.

Las implicaciones de estas regulaciones son profundas. Los médicos cubanos que viven en el extranjero corren el riesgo de perder sus trabajos y sustentos si quedan atrapados en Cuba debido a estas restricciones arbitrarias. «Esta doctora tomó la sabia decisión de no viajar, pero muchos otros no han tenido tanta suerte», dijo Pentón. Los casos reportados incluyen a personas que han quedado atrapadas en Cuba por meses, a veces sin explicación clara.

Las “regulaciones” y sus implicaciones

La regulación es un término que cubre una gama de restricciones impuestas por el gobierno cubano. Puede significar prohibiciones para entrar o salir del país. Según Pentón, ‘”Hay casos de ciudadanos cubanos a quienes se les ha negado la salida del país sin motivo aparente, dejándolos en un limbo legal y personal”.

En consecuencia es fundamental estar informado antes de viajar a Cuba. “Es crucial entender que, al regresar, se está sujeto a las leyes cubanas. Los Estados Unidos o cualquier otro país de residencia pueden no tener capacidad para intervenir”, advierte el periodista cubano. Esto subraya la necesidad de cautela y conciencia por parte de los cubanos que viven en el extranjero.

No obstante, la información sobre si una persona está regulada o no siempre está disponible en las oficinas del Ministerio del Interior (Minint) donde se confeccionan los pasaportes y carnet de identidad. A veces la alerta se emite solo para el control fronterizo y ya en el momento de salir es el oficial de aduana en el aeropuerto quien le comunica a la persona el impedimento de viaje.