@ 52b4a076:e7fad8bd

What is NIP-05 really?

If you look at the spec, it's a way to map Nostr public keys to DNS-based internet identifiers, such as name@example.com.

If you look at Nostr Plebs:

It's a human readable identifier for your public key. It makes finding your profile on Nostr easier. It makes identifying your account easier.

If you look at basically any client, you see a checkmark, which you assume means verification.

If you ask someone, they probably will call it verification.

How did we get here?

Initially, there was only one client, which was (kind of) the reference implementation: Branle.

When it added support for NIP-05 identifiers, it used to replace the display name with the NIP-05 identifier, and it had to distinguish a NIP-05 from someone setting their display name to a NIP-05. So they added a checkmark...

Then there was astral.ninja and Damus: The former was a fork of Branle, and therefore inherited the checkmark. Damus didn't implement NIP-05 until a while later, and they added a checkmark because Astral and other clients were doing it.

And then came new clients, all copying what the previous ones did... (Snort originally did not have a checkmark, but that changed later.)

The first NIP-05 provider

Long story short, people were wondering what NIP-05 is and wanted it, and that's how Nostr Plebs came to be.

They initially called their service verification. Somewhere between January and February, they removed all mentions to verification except one (because people were searching for it), and publicly said that NIP-05 is not verification. But that didn't work.

Then, there were the new NIP-05 providers, some understood perfectly what a NIP-05 identifier is and applied the correct nomenclature. Others misnamed it as verification, adding confusion to users. This made the problem worse on top of the popular clients showing checkmarks.

(from this point in the article we'll refer to it as a Nostr address)

And so, the scams begin

Spammers and scammers started to abuse Nostr addresses to scam people: - Some providers has been used by fake crypto airdrop bots. - A few Nostr address providers have terminated multitude of impersonating and scam identifiers over the past weeks.

This goes to show that Nostr addresses don't verify anything, they are just providers of human readable handles.

Nostr addresses can be proof of association

Nostr addresses can be a proof of association. The easiest analogy to understand is email:

jack@cash.app -> You could assume this is the Jack that works at Cash App.

jack@nostr-address-provider.example.com -> This could be any Jack.

What now?

We urge that clients stop showing a checkmark for all Nostr addresses, as they are not useful for verification.

We also urge that clients hide checkmarks for all domain names, without exception in the same way we do not show checkmarks for emails.

Lastly, NIP-05 is a nostr address and that is why we urge all clients to use the proper nomenclature.

Signed:

• Semisol, Nostr Plebs (semisol@nostrplebs.com)
• Quentin, nostrcheck.me (quentin@nostrcheck.me)
• Derek Ross, Nostr Plebs (derekross@nostrplebs.com)
• Bitcoin Nostrich, Bitcoin Nostr (BitcoinNostrich@BitcoinNostr.com)
• Remina, zaps.lol (remina@zaps.lol)
• Harry Hodler, nostr-check.com (harryhodler@nostr-check.com)

@ 78733875:4eb851f2

"The computer can be used as a tool to liberate and protect people, rather than to control them," as Hal Finney wrote so presciently 30 years ago.[^fn-hal]

The goal of OpenSats is to help build the tools that Hal alluded to. Tools that liberate and protect, rather than systems that control and oppress. Many tools still have to be built. Many tools still need to be improved. However, "the universe smiles on encryption," as Assange so aptly put it.[^fn-assange]

We believe that freedom tech is what carries this smile forward, which is why we are delighted to announce grants for over a dozen projects in the bitcoin & lightning ecosystem.

[^fn-hal]: Hal Finney: Why remailers... (November 1992)

[^fn-assange]: Julian Assange: A Call to Cryptographic Arms (October 2012)

The following open-source projects were selected by the OpenSats board for funding:

• Payjoin Dev Kit
• Bolt12 for LND
• Splicing
• Raspiblitz
• Labelbase
• BTCPay Server
• ZeroSync
• Mutiny Wallet
• next-auth Lightning Provider
• Cashu
• lnproxy
• Blixt Wallet

Let's take a closer look at each to understand their goal and how it aligns with the OpenSats mission.

---

Payjoin Dev Kit

Payjoin brings privacy to bitcoin without changing the way you're used to using it. Payjoin transactions look no different from normal activity on-chain, so they boost everyone's privacy, even those who don't payjoin, and foil chain surveillance.

Payjoin is easy to integrate and falls back to working defaults where it isn't supported, but it can only take off when senders and receivers include standard payjoin support in their software. Payjoin Dev Kit makes it easy for wallet developers to integrate BIP 78 standard payjoins everywhere, having working reference integrations for Bitcoin Core, LND, and BDK.

Repository: github.com/payjoin
License: MIT

Bolt12 for LND

Bolt12 brings a new invoice format, enabling static invoices (offers) as well as recurring payments. It adds support to receive payments in a lightning-native way without using a web server. It also uses Blinded Paths to disguise the destination of a node both when fetching the invoice and when paying. This improves privacy and, therefore, security for the receiver of the payment.

Consequently, Bolt12 makes it much easier to receive and send payments without any third-party infrastructure in a native-lightning way. Static invoices make donations and recurring payments much easier.

Repository: lightningnetwork/lnd
License: MIT

Splicing

Splicing is the ability to resize Lightning channels on-the-fly, giving users of the Lightning Network many additional benefits that were not intuitively obvious at first. Splicing scales Lightning by removing a fundamental limitation. Removing this limitation increases fungibility and lowers blockspace usage, an important step towards maturing the Lightning network and enabling the onboarding of millions, and ultimately billions, of people.

Repository: ddustin/splice
License: BSD-MIT

Raspiblitz

Raspiblitz is a do-it-yourself node stack that allows you to run a Lightning Node together with a Bitcoin Core full node on your Raspberry Pi. While the Raspberry Pi is the most common hardware running this particular software, it was developed to support multiple hardware platforms and can run on bare metal servers too.

The open-source project was started in 2018 as part of a Lightning hackathon in the German Bitcoin space. Since then, it has grown to over 150 contributors and 2000 stars on GitHub. The software integrates dozens of services and tools via its plugin system and sports advanced features like touchscreen support, channel autopilot, backup systems, DynDNS, SSH tunneling, and more.

Repository: raspiblitz/raspiblitz
License: MIT

Labelbase

Labelbase is a label management service for Bitcoin transactions and addresses. It provides features for adding labels, importing and exporting labels, and offers a public API for integration with wallets and existing workflows.

Labelbase supports BIP-329, a format for unifying label data. The goal of the project is to offer a convenient solution for managing labels associated with Bitcoin transactions and addresses across wallets and other tools. By providing a unified label management interface, Labelbase enhances the user experience, improves privacy, and promotes better organization and understanding of Bitcoin transactions.

Repository: Labelbase/Labelbase
License: MIT

BTCPay Server

BTCPay Server is a free, open-source & self-hosted bitcoin payment gateway that allows self-sovereign individuals and businesses to accept bitcoin payments online or in person without added fees.

At its core, BTCPay Server is an automated invoicing system. Merchants can integrate the software with their website or shop, so customers are presented with an invoice upon checkout. The status of the invoice will update according to settlement, so merchants can fulfill the order at the appropriate time. The software also takes care of payment refunding and bitcoin management alongside many other features.

Repository: btcpayserver/btcpayserver
License: MIT

ZeroSync

While ZeroSync is still at an early stage, its promise is to allow verification of Bitcoin's chain state in an instant. It offers compact cryptographic proofs to validate the entire history of transactions and everyone's current balances.

The first application is to "zerosync" Bitcoin Core in pruned mode. The long-term vision for ZeroSync is to become a toolbox for custom Bitcoin proofs.

Repository: zerosync/zerosync
License: MIT

Mutiny Wallet

Mutiny Wallet is a web-first wallet capable of running anywhere, providing instant onboarding and platform censorship resistance. It is self-custodial, privacy-focused, user-friendly, and open-sourced under the MIT license.

The wallet has a strong focus on privacy, scalability, and accessibility. In addition to features that you would expect a regular lightning wallet to have, the team is working to incorporate Nostr-related features into the wallet, such as a feed of friends' Zaps, native Zap sending and receiving, a lightning subscription specification for services such as nostr relays, and a P2P DLC marketplace. The team's goal is to provide users with a seamless experience, combining the power of Bitcoin and Lightning with social media in a way that matches the Bitcoin ethos.

Repository: MutinyWallet
License: MIT

next-auth Lightning Provider

The goal of this project is to implement an authentication provider for next-auth, an authentication provider for the popular open-source framework NextJS. The next-auth framework has nearly 500k weekly downloads and powers the authentication of many modern web, mobile, and desktop apps. Having a plug-and-play Provider for Lightning makes integration easier and more attractive for developers.

Repository: jowo-io/next-auth-lightning-provider
License: ISC

Cashu

Cashu is a Chaumian ecash system built for bitcoin that brings near-perfect privacy for users of custodial bitcoin applications. A Cashu ecash mint does not know who you are, what your balance is, or who you're transacting with. Users of a mint can exchange ecash privately, without anyone being able to know who the involved parties are.

Payments are executed without anyone able to censor specific users. There are multiple implementations of the Cashu protocol. Popular open-source wallets are Cashu Nutshell, Cashu.me, and Nutstash.

Repository: cashubtc/cashu
License: MIT

lnproxy

lnproxy is a simple privacy tool that empowers users of custodial Lightning wallets with better payment destination privacy and sovereign node runners with enhanced receiver privacy. lnproxy works like a "poor man's" rendezvous router, providing privacy for users without taking custody of their funds. The project encompasses an LNURL-style protocol specification and a collection of open-source implementations of lnproxy clients and a relay.

Repository: lnproxy/lnproxy
License: GPL 3.0 & MIT

Blixt Wallet

Blixt is a non-custodial wallet for bitcoiners who want to give Lightning a try. It runs on Android, iOS, and macOS. It is easy to use and straightforward to set up, making it a user-friendly option to get started with Lightning.

Blixt uses LND and Neutrino under the hood, directly on the phone, respecting your privacy. The wallet does not use any centralized servers for doing transactions. Channels are opened automatically on the user's behalf, making it easy to get up and running on Lightning.

Repository: hsjoberg/blixt-wallet
License: MIT

---

In addition to the software projects listed above, three educational initiatives were selected for funding:

• Bitcoin Education in Nigeria is an initiative started and led by Apata Johnson. Apata's project aims to educate youths on bitcoin and the opportunities it brings for the people living in the rural areas of Nigeria.
• 21 Ideas is a project that aims to bring quality Bitcoin education to Russian citizens. Tony and others have been working for many years on translations, original material, and hands-on tutorials for beginners. We believe that education is paramount to proper Bitcoin use, and localization is paramount for everyday citizens to properly grasp the importance as well as the novel concepts of bitcoin.
• CoreDev.tech is organizing recurring developer events, which are all about bringing devs together so that they can hack on Bitcoin Core and related software.

---

We received hundreds of applications in the last couple of months, which is a fantastic signal and something we are delighted about. Some applications are still being reviewed by the OpenSats board, as we try our best to assess feasibility, alignment, and potential impact of each project. We will announce additional grants as applications pass our grant selection process.

Unfortunately, we were unable to fund all of the proposals that were sent to us. Please don't hesitate to apply again in case your application was rejected this time around. The applicant pool was very competitive, which is a great thing to see in and of itself.

Grants for the projects above are funded by contributions to the Bitcoin General Fund. Our operations as well as our grant programs are made possible by generous donors like you. If you want to help fund the Bitcoin ecosystem, please donate to the Bitcoin General Fund.

Our team is screening applications constantly, and we will announce new grants and funding opportunities as they arise. If you are working on an open-source project in and around bitcoin, and you think your work is aligned with the OpenSats mission, please apply for funding.

@ 32092ec1:8e9fd13a

Bitcoin maximalism, to many, has evolved from a belief that bitcoin is the only crypto asset worth owning to a belief that bitcoin is the only asset worth owning. In addition, many observe that those who declare themselves to be bitcoin maximalists have also declared their allegiance to many other lifestyle choices. This was well articulated by Jameson Lopp in his blog post “A History of Bitcoin Maximalism.”

While some (myself included for a while) embrace the title of bitcoin maximalist, perhaps out of spite given that it was originally intended to be a derogatory term, I eventually have decided to reject it. While I do not own any other crypto assets, and I do believe that bitcoin offers the best risk adjusted investment across many asset classes, it is not, nor could it ever realistically be, my only investment. Due to the ambiguity of the definition of a “bitcoin maximalist” to some, even the fact that I have equity in my primary residence may call into question my status as a bitcoin maximalist. Although most people likely agree that this point of view is nonsensical, I feel that it is also completely pointless to take the time to defend the purity of my “bitcoin maximalism;” and so, I reject it. In place of the bitcoin maximalist label, I hereby declare myself to be a truth maximalist.

The truth is that 99% of non-bitcoin crypto assets are completely worthless; specifically, what I mean is that they literally add zero net positivity to humanity. The remaining 1% of non-bitcoin crypto assets may indeed serve some limited improvements to existing systems or other alternative benefits; however, these crypto assets are also, in my opinion, already highly over valued given the magnitude of the problems they are intending to solve. Most of the incremental improvements offered by cryptos are related to marginally improving systems based on fiat money and the banking industry both of which bitcoin intends to largely obsolete and are still net negative to humanity and designed to syphon wealth from the powerless to the powerful.

I do believe that open source, decentralized, cryptographic solutions will play additional roles in society and offer an opportunity to disrupt many existing centralized solutions. However, most of these solutions will not be investable assets, just as the internet itself is not an investable asset.

I believe it also to be true that investment properties intended for yield generation come with a host of additional costs and risks that are rarely properly accounted for when assessing the value of these assets. After accounting for the probability weighted costs of evictions, seizures, taxes, maintenance, inflation, and loan interest, I find it difficult to justify these investments over bitcoin held in self-custody.

Many other investable assets that simply sit on a bank’s balance sheet (e.g., stocks, bonds, etc.) can easily be seized if any number of three letter agencies decided that you should not have these assets. This can be done with no due process and does not require any in depth investigation to determine the validity of their claims. I believe that the probability of these types of seizures is much higher for known bitcoiners who are also critical of the government and the media, especially if current financial systems begin to collapse and/or if bitcoin’s value dramatically increases.

Beyond seizure of your individual assets, as the world begins to divest from the highly inflated store of value assets listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ due to seizure risks at the sovereign level, the risk of extreme inflation adjusted devaluation of your portfolio should also be considered. Compounding this risk is the opportunity cost associated with the fact that some of the wealth that may be withdrawn from the US stock market is also likely going to flow into bitcoin. These risks are rarely accounted for or quantified when determining the value of a stock portfolio in contrast to simply holding bitcoin in self-custody.

My opinions on these matters are common among bitcoiners who are largely labeled bitcoin maximalists. However, the title of truth maximalist also fits nicely when trying to counter some of the softer points made in Lopp’s blog post mentioned above. My thesis is that most people who have adopted the bitcoin maximalist “lifestyle” choices have done so as a result of their quest for truth, not as a result of their desire to virtue signal their status as bitcoin maximalists.

The truth is that a carnivore diet is much healthier than governments, media and academia would like you to believe (disclosure: I have never tried a carnivore diet)

The truth is that weightlifting is more beneficial than cardio to overall health (disclosure: I am not into weightlifting)

The truth is that traditional gender roles are beneficial to mental health (disclosure: although my wife is a full-time, stay-at-home mom, my marriage is far from perfect).

The truth is that extreme consequences from greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere are extrapolatory and predictions have historically failed miserably (disclosure: I do not think there is zero risk of extreme disasters from excessive levels of carbon in the atmosphere).

The truth is that seed oils are terrible for you (disclosure: I have ingested seed oils since discovering this).

The truth is that COVID vaccines pointlessly add risk to healthy people and children (disclosure: I received two doses of the COVID vaccine prior to realizing this truth and my wife still disagrees with me on this).

The truth is that natural health solutions are often more beneficial than big pharma would like you to believe (disclosure: I have not used any exotic natural remedies).

The truth is that modern art and architecture is garbage (disclosure: this is only a personal opinion).

The Truth is that Jesus Christ died on a cross and ascended into Heaven in order to save the world from sin (disclosure: although I have always been a Christian, over the last year or so I have dedicated a significant amount of time researching this and so far, everything is supporting this to be literally true and much more easily believable than you might think).

Maybe you disagree with some of these things that I have determined to be true. But let me ask, have done your own research? What is your basis for a counter argument to any of these truths? Did you verify or are you trusting someone else’s opinion? If you are trusting someone else’s research, did you investigate their credibility or determine if they have significant biases? Certainly, my opinions on the topics listed above not always based on exhaustive independent research, but I did approach each with skepticism and did not always believe these things with conviction prior to looking into them. I think any bitcoiner would agree that if you are trusting fiat funded academia, government organizations or mainstream media, you may need to do more research.

The truth is that I will continue to seek the truth and I will encourage others to do the same. The truth is that I welcome new information and listening to opinions that counter my beliefs. When choosing to have strong conviction in minority opinions about the truth, it is extremely valuable to be able to articulate and refute the points that are contrary to your beliefs. It is also important to be able to change your mind when presented with sufficient evidence against your opinion. This is what it means to be a truth maximalist. It just so happens that the truth is that bitcoin is the only crypto asset worth investing in. Don’t believe me? Prove it.

786973

@ 82341f88:fbfbe6a2

There’s a lot of conversation around the #TwitterFiles. Here’s my take, and thoughts on how to fix the issues identified.

I’ll start with the principles I’ve come to believe…based on everything I’ve learned and experienced through my past actions as a Twitter co-founder and lead:

1. Social media must be resilient to corporate and government control.
2. Only the original author may remove content they produce.
3. Moderation is best implemented by algorithmic choice.

The Twitter when I led it and the Twitter of today do not meet any of these principles. This is my fault alone, as I completely gave up pushing for them when an activist entered our stock in 2020. I no longer had hope of achieving any of it as a public company with no defense mechanisms (lack of dual-class shares being a key one). I planned my exit at that moment knowing I was no longer right for the company.

The biggest mistake I made was continuing to invest in building tools for us to manage the public conversation, versus building tools for the people using Twitter to easily manage it for themselves. This burdened the company with too much power, and opened us to significant outside pressure (such as advertising budgets). I generally think companies have become far too powerful, and that became completely clear to me with our suspension of Trump’s account. As I’ve said before, we did the right thing for the public company business at the time, but the wrong thing for the internet and society. Much more about this here: https://twitter.com/jack/status/1349510769268850690

I continue to believe there was no ill intent or hidden agendas, and everyone acted according to the best information we had at the time. Of course mistakes were made. But if we had focused more on tools for the people using the service rather than tools for us, and moved much faster towards absolute transparency, we probably wouldn’t be in this situation of needing a fresh reset (which I am supportive of). Again, I own all of this and our actions, and all I can do is work to make it right.

Back to the principles. Of course governments want to shape and control the public conversation, and will use every method at their disposal to do so, including the media. And the power a corporation wields to do the same is only growing. It’s critical that the people have tools to resist this, and that those tools are ultimately owned by the people. Allowing a government or a few corporations to own the public conversation is a path towards centralized control.

I’m a strong believer that any content produced by someone for the internet should be permanent until the original author chooses to delete it. It should be always available and addressable. Content takedowns and suspensions should not be possible. Doing so complicates important context, learning, and enforcement of illegal activity. There are significant issues with this stance of course, but starting with this principle will allow for far better solutions than we have today. The internet is trending towards a world were storage is “free” and infinite, which places all the actual value on how to discover and see content.

Which brings me to the last principle: moderation. I don’t believe a centralized system can do content moderation globally. It can only be done through ranking and relevance algorithms, the more localized the better. But instead of a company or government building and controlling these solely, people should be able to build and choose from algorithms that best match their criteria, or not have to use any at all. A “follow” action should always deliver every bit of content from the corresponding account, and the algorithms should be able to comb through everything else through a relevance lens that an individual determines. There’s a default “G-rated” algorithm, and then there’s everything else one can imagine.

The only way I know of to truly live up to these 3 principles is a free and open protocol for social media, that is not owned by a single company or group of companies, and is resilient to corporate and government influence. The problem today is that we have companies who own both the protocol and discovery of content. Which ultimately puts one person in charge of what’s available and seen, or not. This is by definition a single point of failure, no matter how great the person, and over time will fracture the public conversation, and may lead to more control by governments and corporations around the world.

I believe many companies can build a phenomenal business off an open protocol. For proof, look at both the web and email. The biggest problem with these models however is that the discovery mechanisms are far too proprietary and fixed instead of open or extendable. Companies can build many profitable services that complement rather than lock down how we access this massive collection of conversation. There is no need to own or host it themselves.

Many of you won’t trust this solution just because it’s me stating it. I get it, but that’s exactly the point. Trusting any one individual with this comes with compromises, not to mention being way too heavy a burden for the individual. It has to be something akin to what bitcoin has shown to be possible. If you want proof of this, get out of the US and European bubble of the bitcoin price fluctuations and learn how real people are using it for censorship resistance in Africa and Central/South America.

I do still wish for Twitter, and every company, to become uncomfortably transparent in all their actions, and I wish I forced more of that years ago. I do believe absolute transparency builds trust. As for the files, I wish they were released Wikileaks-style, with many more eyes and interpretations to consider. And along with that, commitments of transparency for present and future actions. I’m hopeful all of this will happen. There’s nothing to hide…only a lot to learn from. The current attacks on my former colleagues could be dangerous and doesn’t solve anything. If you want to blame, direct it at me and my actions, or lack thereof.

As far as the free and open social media protocol goes, there are many competing projects: @bluesky is one with the AT Protocol, nostr another, Mastodon yet another, Matrix yet another…and there will be many more. One will have a chance at becoming a standard like HTTP or SMTP. This isn’t about a “decentralized Twitter.” This is a focused and urgent push for a foundational core technology standard to make social media a native part of the internet. I believe this is critical both to Twitter’s future, and the public conversation’s ability to truly serve the people, which helps hold governments and corporations accountable. And hopefully makes it all a lot more fun and informative again.

💸🛠️🌐 To accelerate open internet and protocol work, I’m going to open a new category of #startsmall grants: “open internet development.” It will start with a focus of giving cash and equity grants to engineering teams working on social media and private communication protocols, bitcoin, and a web-only mobile OS. I’ll make some grants next week, starting with $1mm/yr to Signal. Please let me know other great candidates for this money.

@ be318ab6:dd25a806

Howdy y'all,

This is the Ramble #001

I was gifted extra spare time (layoffs), and I'm excited to put it into learning about some of the new exciting things swirling around us at an ever-accelerating speed & also about the good old ever-useful manual skills, which are disappearing almost at the same rate.

The focus will be on anti-fragility tools and skills. I'll be touching on the the topics of Nostr, AI, Bitcoin, Privacy and self-sufficiency skills like woodworking or food production. I'll include any building just for the sake of it (I get more value myself and motivation to do more of it if I can show off something tangible, I guess). It's not gonna be the most frontier-breaking r0ckstar knowledge, but it will humbly keep moving forward one step at the time along with my selfish pursuit of improving my knowledge and skills along these vectors. I also won't avoid some rants about the insane corruption in our Money and all the downstream problems it brings.

Why?

1. Why having a blog? * I want to practice my writing. Not to challenge the AI, but just to better remember the learnings, and to clarify & structure my thoughts. * The public record forces accountability on me. I want to commit to a habit of writing a few posts per week.

2. Why it's on Nostr? * When dozens of the smartest and most honest individuals I respect flock to this like a bunch of crazy birds, it's something I don't want to miss out on, and I want to get intimately familiar with the tech. * It's an uncensorable protocol that allows you to own your data and can re-architect many broken things on the current web. * Easy for me to push my tip jar in y'alls faces and see if anyone gets any real value out of this * And, I just wanted to play with it. Some clients still might be buggy, but the speed of development and improvements is lightning miles away from anything I've seen before.

I'll probably write some intro to NOSTR next time around; but in the meantime Gigi will help you out at nostr-resources.com

3. Why including the offline skills and tools? * Humans are not meant to stare into screens all day. * I see there's one of the most competitive edges for the next 10 years.

And, that's about it. I'm really excited about days and weeks, and will have some fun. If you have read all down here, thank you and PV to you!

PS.

---

Resources/Inspiration for this issue: * Marty's Bent - duh! * BloggingBitcoin - How To Start A Blog Today

@ aa55a479:f7598935

Nostrica is the shit.

@ 634bd19e:2247da9b

かけるのこれ？ 日本語入力の取り扱いイベントがおかしいw

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

📣 Novidade: Funcionários da CVM são clientes de plataforma de Tech!

Recentemente, foi revelado que alguns funcionários da Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) são clientes de uma plataforma de tecnologia. Essa descoberta levanta questões interessantes sobre o relacionamento entre os reguladores do mercado financeiro e as empresas de tecnologia.

A CVM é responsável pela fiscalização e regulamentação do mercado de valores mobiliários no Brasil. Descobrir que alguns de seus próprios funcionários estão utilizando uma plataforma de tecnologia traz à tona debates sobre potenciais conflitos de interesse e a confidencialidade dos dados envolvidos.

Essa situação destaca a importância de um escrutínio rigoroso e imparcial para garantir a integridade e a transparência nas operações dos reguladores financeiros. Além disso, ressalta a necessidade de uma governança sólida e políticas internas claras para prevenir possíveis conflitos de interesse.

Se você está interessado em saber mais sobre essa revelação e suas implicações, recomendamos a leitura completa do artigo no seguinte link: Leia a notícia aqui.

Acompanhe as últimas notícias do mundo da tecnologia e do mercado financeiro em nosso blog e fique por dentro dos acontecimentos mais relevantes!

📚🔍 Leia a notícia aqui.

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

📣 Últimas notícias! A SMU Investimentos acaba de lançar seu novo token de investimento! 🚀

A SMU Investimentos, uma renomada empresa do setor financeiro, anunciou o lançamento de seu mais novo token de investimento. Esse token oferece uma oportunidade emocionante para investidores e entusiastas das criptomoedas, permitindo-lhes participar de projetos de alto potencial no mercado.

O novo token da SMU Investimentos foi projetado para proporcionar uma experiência de investimento única e fácil de usar. Ele utiliza a tecnologia blockchain para garantir a segurança e a transparência das transações, proporcionando confiança aos investidores.

Através desse token, os investidores poderão acessar uma variedade de projetos de investimento cuidadosamente selecionados pela SMU Investimentos. Esses projetos abrangem diferentes setores, como tecnologia, energia renovável, saúde e muito mais. Além disso, o token permite aos investidores participar de votações e tomar decisões coletivas sobre os projetos.

Se você está interessado em saber mais sobre essa novidade empolgante da SMU Investimentos, leia a notícia completa aqui: leia a notícia.

Não perca a oportunidade de estar na vanguarda dos investimentos com a SMU Investimentos! 💼💰 Leia a notícia e descubra como esse novo token pode impulsionar suas estratégias de investimento.

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

📢 Novidade no mundo da tecnologia! 🌐📱

📰 As telenovelas e o futebol estão prestes a se unir à era digital! Um artigo recente explora como essas duas paixões brasileiras estão se adaptando às novas tecnologias e plataformas de streaming. 🎥⚽

📺 Descubra como as telenovelas, famosas por suas tramas envolventes e personagens marcantes, estão conquistando seu espaço no universo online. Através de serviços de streaming e plataformas digitais, os fãs agora têm acesso fácil e rápido aos seus programas favoritos a qualquer momento e em qualquer lugar.

⚽ Além disso, saiba como o futebol está se aproximando dos fãs por meio de conteúdo exclusivo e interativo. Desde transmissões ao vivo até experiências imersivas em realidade virtual, os torcedores têm acesso a uma variedade de recursos digitais para mergulhar ainda mais no mundo do esporte mais popular do Brasil.

🔍 Quer saber mais sobre essa tendência emocionante? Leia o artigo completo aqui: Telenovelas e Futebol estão prestes a entrar na era digital!

📖 Não perca essa oportunidade de conhecer as inovações que estão transformando a maneira como desfrutamos de nossas telenovelas favoritas e acompanhamos o futebol. Fique por dentro das últimas novidades tecnológicas!

TechNewsBR #Telenovelas #Futebol #Tecnologia #Streaming #Inovação

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

📢🌐👥 Novidades Tecnológicas: A Tron DAO inicia tour de construção!

A Tron DAO, uma organização descentralizada autônoma, está dando início a um emocionante tour de construção! A equipe está trabalhando duro para desenvolver soluções inovadoras no ecossistema Tron. Com um foco no aprimoramento da tecnologia blockchain e na criação de uma comunidade mais forte, a Tron DAO está determinada a impulsionar o crescimento e a adoção da Tron.

Este tour de construção oferece aos entusiastas da Tron uma oportunidade única de acompanhar os bastidores e ficar por dentro das iniciativas mais recentes da Tron DAO. Você poderá descobrir os novos projetos em desenvolvimento, interagir com os membros da equipe e explorar o progresso alcançado até o momento.

Se você está interessado em blockchain, tecnologia Tron e no futuro do ecossistema, não perca a oportunidade de ler a notícia completa sobre o tour de construção da Tron DAO. Você encontrará todos os detalhes e atualizações sobre essa iniciativa emocionante neste link: Leia a notícia aqui

Fique por dentro das últimas inovações e junte-se à Tron DAO nessa jornada de construção e crescimento!

TronDAO #Blockchain #Tecnologia #Inovação #TourDeConstrução #Tron

🔗 Leia a notícia aqui

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

🔐🌐 Hackers chineses invadem o governo: O que você precisa saber!

Recentemente, uma notícia alarmante abalou o mundo da segurança cibernética. Hackers chineses conseguiram invadir os sistemas do governo, desencadeando preocupações sobre a segurança nacional e a proteção de informações sensíveis.

Neste artigo exclusivo, exploramos os detalhes dessa invasão e seus possíveis impactos. Discutimos as táticas utilizadas pelos hackers, as vulnerabilidades exploradas e as medidas que estão sendo tomadas para mitigar os danos.

A invasão destaca a importância crescente da segurança cibernética e a necessidade de protegermos nossos sistemas contra ataques cada vez mais sofisticados. Além disso, ela nos lembra da importância de uma cooperação internacional eficaz para combater ameaças cibernéticas.

Se você está interessado em entender melhor o que aconteceu e como essa invasão pode impactar o cenário global, leia a notícia completa aqui: Link para a notícia

Proteger nossas infraestruturas digitais é uma responsabilidade coletiva. Esteja informado e tome medidas para se proteger online!

SegurançaCibernética #HackersChineses #InvasãoGoverno

@ 50c59a1c:6b0a027e

"Kill every buffalo you can! Every dead buffalo is an Indian gone."

Near the end of the 19th century, this was the stated goal of the US government. At the time large swaths of Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado were still controlled by the Comanche, the last great Indian nation of the American Plains. The Comanche were brutal in their methods of war, and had absorbed many of their enemies well before the Europeans arrived. They had been successful at beating back the Mexican and Spanish armies and were confident they could do it again.

They were decentralized. They could navigate their territory more effectively, and could survive longer in the inhospitable areas of the high plains. They knew where to find water and where to hide. The Comanche owned and controlled thousands of horses, which made them wealthy. They were better horsemen than their enemies and could hit a target from 50 yards while riding at full speed. They had ways of fighting and terrorizing the encroaching frontiersmen that instilled fear in their enemy. No other nation had been able to defeat them, but they failed to recognize their greatest weakness. Their dependence on the buffalo.

The buffalo's value among the Plains tribes, was priceless. Experts estimate that 60 million Buffalo freely grazed and cultivated the land. For centuries, they provided the people with everything from fly swatters to shelters. The native tribes followed the herds and only killed what they needed. Since the Buffalo were life-givers, the people carefully maintained a balance, never overkilling for sport, and only hunted for sustenance.

Generals William T. Sherman and Philip Sheridan believed that if the government could eradicate the Buffalo, the Indians would have no choice but to give up. He was quoted as saying, "Take away anything essential for the survival of a people, and they will surrender. As long as the Buffalo roamed the Plains, so did the Indians." In a fifty-five-year period, from 1830-1885, soldiers, hunters, and settlers killed more than 40 million Buffalo.

The annihiliation of the buffalo led to the subjugation of the Comanche. They became wards and dependants of the state. They were moved onto reserves and their ways of living were not permitted. They were not allowed to hunt, and were forced to farm. They could not leave their reserve without permission, and were often provided with food that was not edible. The nations were broken and defeated, but this was still not enough. The government needed to destroy a generation. They needed to kill the Indian in every child.

"Kill the Indian in every child"

Residential schools were the means by which this task was undertaken. Children were taken from their homes and were taught that their beliefs were evil. That they were savages. They were meant to feel worthless, and were taught to hate who they once were. Through an instutional system of abuse and "re-education" the goal was to eradicate a culture of freedom, so that it could be replaced with one of servitude and obedience. The last of these schools in Canada was closed in 1996.

"Kill the liberty, control the man"

Like the first nations of the Great Plains, we are in a battle for the right to choose what kind of life we want to live. Our battle is not one that will be fought out in the open. We will not see the faces of our enemies. Today, our warriors are developers. Their horses are their hardware, their minds are their bows, and their code are their arrows. The protocols they build are the ancient paths that have always existed in the physical world. The paths that connect individuals, who freely transact in ideas and value, where their reputations are the most important currency. Reputations built upon their ideas, rather than their identities.

These paths are used to connect and protect our community. These paths guide us towards shelter, sustenance, and community. They enlighten, entertain, and enrich. Our communities are built on the values we share. Freedom, openness, critical thought, and the inherent right to challenge the ideas of others. It is our job as individuals to protect these paths, to promote these paths, and to welcome newcomers and refugees from the old system.

Like the Comanche, the protocols and networks we build have weaknesses. They have points of failure that can be exploited. We have dependencies, just as the Comanche were dependent on the buffalo. Those in power have been relentless in their attempts to starve us into submission. They have attacked our networks through policies related to energy, self custody, KYC, and privacy. Great technical minds and efforts have been devoted to protecting our "buffalo". Bitcoin has been tested many times and has proven itself to be resilient, but they will continue to poke and prod until they find our "buffalo".

Luckily, I don't believe our children will have to undergo the same overt physical and mental abuse of residential schools. However, we need to ask ourselves what values are being instilled in our children? Are they being taught to value privacy? Are they being taught to value freedom of expression, without fears of being canceled? Are they being taught how economies function, or the misery communism has caused throughout the world? Are they being taught to demand control over their data, to be free, and sovereign, or are they being indoctrinated into a state where they are passive participants in a system predicated on dependency? Are they being taught to put in the work to create and build things of value, or are they being taught to sell themselves in the most "clickable" way to garner attention and eyeballs. The more extreme and abhorrant the act, the more successful one can be.

If you want to know what the goals of those in power are, observe how they treat their children. Listen to what they are being taught. Dictators and the purveyors of tyranny know that if they want to control the future, they need to control the children. We are just begining to wake up to the fight for control over the values and beliefs that are taught to our children. The values and beliefs that will be fought over, well after we are dead.

We can not underestimate what those in power are prepared to do, and we can not ignore their ability to convince others to do the same. 60 million buffalo once roamed the great plains of North America, which were followed and hunted by a nation of warrios, who were resilient and self sufficient. They were sovereign, they land and weapons, but their enemies had bigger weapons.

Our warriors are stronger, our protocols are better, our communities are fortified by a system of truth, but we need to be ready for the battles that lay ahead. It is our stories, our ideas, and our ability to communicate that will win this war, because we are all on the reserve now.

@ 4320138a:dd24131e

test

@ a8d525f8:eba07693

When I retired from performing in (roughly) 2007, I did so mostly because it demanded a degree of shameless self-promotion and narcissist-like expression that didn't jive with me. The constant "look at me" mode (like I was still 5 years old) that I believed was the key to success was wearing me out. In this way my "career" as a performer was over before it started.

It's not that I'm not comfortable on stage, or speaking to a crowd. I've done so many times and I've (mostly) enjoyed it. I am, after all, not entirely without a desire for (some) attention. But it matters to me the way in which I attain it. If I receive attention, or money, or praise for something I've produced that others value, great. If I have to go out of my way to create awareness of the things I put out there, then are they worth sharing in the first place? Is there value in them?

And from the flip side, if no more than 3% of my followers on social media see my post unless I navigate the gauntlet of post optimization, is the platform worth fucking with?

And this is what is so attractive about the V4V model of a platform like Nostr (couple with Bitcoin, of course). The feedback is direct, not directed (algorithmically or otherwise). I don't feel beholden to the gimmicky and disingenuous methods of promotion and hashtag labyrinthine escapades that have emerged from the user-as-product social media platforms we've come to know.

I'm but a humble artist, among millions, doing their thing. An individual with the undying courage to spend as much of their time doing something fulfilling (to them) with the wildly optimistic wish to find enough of an audience to make it self-sustaining. And do to so in a way that doesn't result in having to settle or suffer. That balancing act is, arguably, in itself a work of art.

In the end, I just want a simple, direct way to announce to those that care to hear it, "I made a thing. Here it is." Beyond that, it comes down to whether I believe in my art enough to let it speak for itself.

The era being ushered in, supported by fresh ideologies around self-sovereignty and liberty etc., excites me. I'm here for it. It feels to me like a zeitgeist moment--one that was absent at the turn of the century when I first launched my career in entertainment. For the first time in a long time it feels like the macro environment isn't completely out to drown me (and those like me) whose values and desires fall somewhat off the beaten path.

@ a367f9eb:0633efea

In 2014, videos circulated online of Bitcoiners shooting their iPhones with high-powered rifles.

Apart from some sweet target practice, the purpose of the demonstration (in typical American fashion) was to protest a wave of “delisting” of Bitcoin wallet apps in its App Store. This included popular wallets like Blockchain.info, Coinbase, and many others.

Screen capture via Ryan’s Range Report

At the time, smartphones were an integral part of the Bitcoin experience, but not fully necessary. At the time, I remember not updating the phone in order to keep the wallet (which I used as my hot wallet), but doing most of my Bitcoin activity on my computer.

I had another option, and I used it. Thousands of others did the same, or they fully moved to Android phones.

Fast forward to 2023 and experiences on both iPhone and Bitcoin apps have remarkably improved. There are now hundreds of fully functional Bitcoin on-chain and lightning wallets that exist in iOS stores, while Apple Pay, Apple’s own financial rail, can now be found within thousands of apps that offer in-app payments.

Since that winter of 2014, Apple seemed to have softened its stance on apps for sending and receiving Bitcoin.

But that narrative changed when an iOS app for the new decentralized messaging protocol Nostr, called Damus, began getting rejections from App Store updates in June 2023.

Launched in January 2023, Damus has served as a very popular Nostr client for iOS and MacOS users, combining the soft, friendly UX of Apple with the sleek and uncensorable Bitcoin-native awesomeness of messaging on Nostr.

Over the past few weeks, Damus developer and founder William Casarin, also known as jb55, has revealed that App Store moderators demanded that zapping (sending small amounts of sats over lighting for individual users’ posts) be curtailed in order to comply with Apple’s policies on “payment for content.” JB55's Tweet Rather than being able to zap a Nostr note 5,000 sats for being witty or funny, the compromise would stipulate that zapping can only happen on direct profiles rather than individual note events.

While it’s not the end of the world, it does bring to an end the beautiful marketplace of likes and value swapping on individual posters’ notes on Damus on iOS.

This is not a problem for Android nostr apps that implement zaps, nor any nostr web client where you’re free to zap your heart away (snort.social, primal.net, etc.)

But it does reveal the larger battle Apple is mounting against those that challenge its financial (wallet) walled garden it has spent years developing.

As many Apple users are aware, Apple Pay has now become a standard for most services and apps that allow payments, including at retailers in-store.

Apple Pay works through the “Wallet” app, where users can upload their credit cards, bank accounts, or debit cards, and pay using NFC technology at any PayPass terminal.

It’s incredibly convenient for those who don’t want to carry batches of credit cards with them, and that’s kind of the point. The Wallet app also scrambles the actual number of your credit card at the point of sale, so it offers a layer of protection as opposed to physical cards.

Apple, much like Elon Musk’s X.com plans for Twitter’s financial ecosystem, wants its users and developers to use their own payment rails where they can control the infrastructure. Plus, they can reap the benefits of all that financial data and the 30% cut that comes with any in-app purchase.

That 30% cut taken by Apple for in-app spending has been the focus of several high-profile antitrust lawsuits in the U.S., including Epic Games, the makers of the popular game Fortnite (who ultimately lost).

It also became the target of several U.S. Senators who introduced the “Open App Markets Act” to allow third-party app stores to exist alongside native App Stores — a direct shot at Apple. The EU’s own legislation will require sideloading of apps in the next version, so all this may not even be applicable to EU Apple users.

While the wheels of governments and courts will be incredibly slow, and likely make the situation even worse, there are some bright spots.

For one, Bitcoiners already have a rich and competitive ecosystem to choose from. Whether on Android devices (especially on GrapheneOS or CalyxOS), progressive web apps that run in the browser, the web itself, or via noncustodial lightning wallet connecting apps like Zeus, there are ways Bitcoiners can route around the roadblocks Apple is erecting.

For Apple’s sake, it’s quite clear why they want to maintain their financial walled garden and why Bitcoin, for the moment, isn’t compatible with that vision.

But in this circumstance, Apple should absolutely see the opportunity of allowing in-app purchases with Bitcoin.

Rich, western countries with liberal democracies make up the vast majority of Apple Pay users. Folks are willing to pay hundreds of dollars for iPhones and likely still will regardless of the walled garden.

But the developing world, where Android reigns supreme, there is still an opportunity to allow innovation at the base layer with both cheaper iPhones and a more open ecosystem. Rather than dealing with just one financial system, they’ll have to deal with dozens. That may compel Apple — through market forces — to soften their stance.

Or perhaps not.

Whether through Voice, meaning via complaints to Apple’s developers from users and developers, or via Exit, with millions of Bitcoiners opting for Android devices, Apple should know that the Bitcoin protocol is here to stay and they will have to bend at some point.

Bitcoin is the internet’s native currency, and its openness will create yet more value for millions as they continue to engage with the network.

If Apple wants to prioritize its own fiefdom, then Bitcoiners will just have to do as we always do: route around it and find a solution. How else will we fix the money?

Best,

Yaël

(Originally published on Fix The Money)

@ 56aab2df:8e62e6f0

Test

@ bcea2b98:7ccef3c9

Once upon a time, in the realm of digital currencies, there emerged a revolutionary concept known as Bitcoin. As this new form of decentralized money gained popularity, it faced its first major trial—the advent of a phenomenon called a hard fork. Join me as we delve into the fascinating tale of the first Bitcoin hard fork and the impact it had on the cryptocurrency landscape.

In the early days of Bitcoin, the community was united under a common vision. However, as with any passionate endeavor, differing viewpoints and divergent ideas began to emerge. It was during this time that a rift appeared, and the stage was set for the first-ever Bitcoin hard fork.

The year was 2010, and Bitcoin was still in its infancy. Its potential to disrupt traditional financial systems was gaining attention, but challenges lay ahead. A group of individuals, known as miners, were the guardians of the Bitcoin network, validating transactions and securing its integrity.

Among these miners was a visionary named Jeff Garzik. Garzik, intrigued by the possibilities of Bitcoin's development, proposed a change to the Bitcoin protocol. He believed that increasing the block size—the virtual container that holds transactions within the blockchain—would enable faster and more efficient transactions, fostering greater scalability and widespread adoption.

This proposal, however, ignited a heated debate within the Bitcoin community. On one side stood those who championed the change, arguing that larger blocks would enhance the network's capabilities. On the other side were the proponents of the status quo, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the integrity and decentralization of the original Bitcoin protocol.

Unable to reconcile their differences, the community found itself at a crossroads. And so, on August 1, 2010, the Bitcoin blockchain experienced its first-ever hard fork, leading to the creation of a new cryptocurrency known as Bitcoin Cash (BCH). This momentous event marked a significant turning point in the history of digital currencies.

Bitcoin Cash retained the core principles of its predecessor but introduced a larger block size, allowing for more transactions to be processed per block. This change was embraced by some as a solution to Bitcoin's scalability challenges, while others viewed it as a departure from the original vision of a decentralized digital currency.

The hard fork sparked both excitement and controversy within the cryptocurrency community. It ignited a flurry of discussions, debates, and predictions about the future of both Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. Some enthusiasts saw it as an opportunity for innovation and progress, while skeptics questioned the fragmentation of the Bitcoin community.

In the aftermath of the hard fork, both Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash continued to exist as separate entities, each with its own loyal following. The event served as a reminder of the dynamic nature of decentralized technologies and the capacity for divergence within a community united by a common vision.

As the years passed, subsequent hard forks and the evolution of other cryptocurrencies further shaped the digital landscape. The story of the first Bitcoin hard fork serves as a testament to the resilience and adaptability of blockchain technology, while also highlighting the challenges and complexities that arise when diverse voices converge in pursuit of a shared dream.

And so, the tale of the first Bitcoin hard fork stands as a pivotal moment in the history of digital currencies—a tale of innovation, conflict, and the eternal quest for progress in the ever-evolving realm of financial technology.

@ bcea2b98:7ccef3c9

Ah, the enigmatic figure of Dorian Nakamoto—an unsuspecting man whose name became entangled in the mysterious origins of Bitcoin. Prepare to journey into a world of intrigue, as we uncover the facts surrounding Dorian Nakamoto and his unexpected connection to the captivating story of Bitcoin's birth.

Our tale begins on a sunny day in March 2014 when a renowned journalist named Leah McGrath Goodman published an article that would send shockwaves through the cryptocurrency community. In her piece, Goodman claimed to have discovered the true identity of Bitcoin's creator—someone named Dorian Nakamoto.

The revelation was met with astonishment. For years, the identity of Bitcoin's creator, who had used the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, had remained a closely guarded secret. The prospect of finally unmasking the mastermind behind the revolutionary digital currency sparked widespread curiosity and speculation.

Dorian Nakamoto, a seemingly unassuming individual living a quiet life in California, suddenly found himself thrust into the spotlight. As journalists and enthusiasts flocked to his doorstep, Dorian became the subject of intense media scrutiny and public fascination.

However, as the story unfolded, a more complex narrative emerged. Dorian Nakamoto vehemently denied any involvement with Bitcoin's creation. He insisted that his connection to the cryptocurrency was purely coincidental, a mere coincidence of name and circumstance.

The intrigue surrounding Dorian Nakamoto's potential role in Bitcoin's origins captured the attention of the world. Many sought to find evidence linking him to the enigmatic Satoshi Nakamoto, poring over his past and analyzing his life for clues.

Amidst the fervor, a pivotal moment occurred. Dorian Nakamoto, faced with an army of journalists camped outside his home, made a stunning appearance in front of the cameras. In a now-famous interview, he proclaimed his innocence, exclaiming, "I'm not involved in Bitcoin. I don't know anything about it!"

The fervor surrounding Dorian Nakamoto eventually subsided, and the cryptocurrency community resumed its quest to uncover the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto. While Dorian may not have been the elusive creator, his brief encounter with fame forever linked his name to the intricate web of Bitcoin's genesis.

To this day, the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains shrouded in mystery. Many theories and speculations have emerged, but the enigma persists. Some believe that Satoshi Nakamoto is an individual, while others suggest it may be a collective pseudonym concealing the true architect of Bitcoin's design.

As the story of Dorian Nakamoto demonstrates, the world of Bitcoin is a realm where truth and fiction intertwine, where unexpected twists and turns captivate our imagination. It serves as a reminder that the origins of great innovations are often veiled in complexity, leaving us to unravel the threads of history and contemplate the enigmatic figures that emerge along the way.

And so, the tale of Dorian Nakamoto—a man wrongly associated with the creation of Bitcoin—remains an intriguing chapter in the annals of cryptocurrency history, forever intertwined with the enigma of Satoshi Nakamoto and the captivating world of digital currencies.

@ bcea2b98:7ccef3c9

In a world of digits, where power does reside, There emerges a beacon, a currency worldwide. Bitcoin, they call it, a symbol of sovereignty, Empowering the masses, a true digital decree.

Unchained from institutions, it rises above, A decentralized force, a testament to love. No government can claim it, no boundaries can it know, A currency for the people, where freedom's seeds may grow.

From Satoshi's vision, a revolution unfurled, A peer-to-peer network that challenges the world. Through cryptography's embrace, it guards with might, Ensuring transactions' safety, day and night.

No intermediaries, no need for middlemen, Bitcoin whispers freedom, a song that never ends. No censorship can touch it, no borders can it face, A currency for all, bringing power and grace.

But with this newfound freedom, comes responsibility, To protect our private keys, with utmost agility. For in this digital realm, where fortunes may be won, There also lies the risk, of fortunes being undone.

Yet Bitcoin endures, like a phoenix from the flame, Its value fluctuating, a testament to its game. Through booms and busts, it stands tall and true, A symbol of resilience, a dream that we pursue.

So let us embrace this journey, this path we undertake, To understand the power, the choices that we make. Bitcoin and sovereignty, intertwined they may be, A testament to our freedom, for all the world to see.

@ bcea2b98:7ccef3c9

In the realm of software, where dreams take flight, There lived a developer, Will, with vision burning bright. He crafted Nostr, a decentralized land, Where zaps, like Bitcoin tips, exchanged hand in hand.

With lines of code, Will painted a new scene, Empowering users to connect, to live the digital dream. Damus, his creation, a gateway to the new, A haven for the people, where freedom always grew.

But as fate would have it, a challenge took its place, Apple's ban threatened, a cloud cast on Will's grace. Undeterred, he persevered, with determination profound, A workaround he discovered, and hope once again was found.

People rallied 'round, their voices strong and true, Using Damus defiantly, their freedoms they pursued. For in the face of adversity, resilience took a stand, Will's creation lived on, across the digital land.

Nostr, the decentralized protocol, a beacon of light, Guiding users forward, in this digital fight. And Damus, the app that refused to be restrained, Continued to empower, its purpose unrestrained.

In the world of software, where limitations may arise, Will's story inspires, reaching for the skies. A reminder that innovation thrives in the face of ban, And where one door closes, another finds its plan.

So let us celebrate the spirit of Will, the trailblazer, His vision, his courage, our digital appraiser. Nostr, the gateway to connection, in a world decentralized, And Damus, the app that refused to be erased.

In the realm of software, where dreams ignite, Will's legacy lives on, in the code we write. A testament to resilience, and the power to adapt, For in the face of adversity, innovation will never be trapped.

@ bcea2b98:7ccef3c9

In the lush lands of Costa Rica, where nature's beauty thrives, A man named Max embarked, with passion in his eyes. He self-funded a documentary, a tale to unfold, About a new decentralized protocol, where stories would be told.

Nostr, the social network, where power finds its place, A platform of freedom, where users embrace. Max sought to shed light, on its benefits profound, In the realm of decentralization, where true connections abound.

Through the lens he captured, the essence of the scene, Costa Rica's splendor, where the Nostr conference convenes. In this land of wonders, where nature and tech unite, The documentary unfolds, revealing insights shining bright.

He interviewed Jack Dorsey, a titan of our time, Who shared the early history, where Twitter's roots did climb. Software developers joined, their voices joined the tale, Describing the centralized platforms, and the challenges they entail.

The documentary explored, why centralized networks fall short, With data controlled, and users left to sort. Nostr, the decentralized wonder, breaks free from the mold, Empowering users, with benefits untold.

Zaps, like Bitcoin tips, in the Nostr realm reside, A gesture of appreciation, where generosity can't hide. Max's vision took flight, a message clear and strong, To embrace a decentralized future, where we all belong.

For in the realm of social networks, where connections intertwine, Nostr's decentralized protocol, like a beacon will shine. A reminder that power lies in the hands of the many, And through decentralization, we can create a better journey.

So let us celebrate Max's endeavor, the documentary's tale, Where Nostr's vision takes flight, and centralized networks pale. A testament to empowerment, where freedom finds its way, In the realm of decentralized connections, where zaps will forever stay.

@ 7c579328:5be6ce7e

Hey everyone! Testing out Habla.News. Haven't figured out how to Zap or Receive Zaps yet, but am curious.

When I post this... does it write a Note to my account? Let's see...

Testing our other functionalities:

Link: Bitcoin White Paper

Image:

BTC Logo

Quote:

For our timestamp network, we implement the proof-of-work by incrementing a nonce in the block until a value is found that gives the block's hash the required zero bits. -Satoshi Nakamoto 10-31-08

Data Spreadsheet:

| Do you like BTC | Yes | Of Course | | --- | --- | --- | | Results | 10 | 5 |

@ 44dc1c2d:31c74f0b

When most people think of the “Dark Web” or “DarkNet” the first thing that comes to mind is probably Tor. Tor is basically a household name now; love it or hate it most people have heard of it.

As you may or may not know there are a small handful of different privacy focused networks out there. Each one with different ideas on how privacy on the internet should work. I2P or The Invisible Internet Project’s approach is to act as a fully encrypted and private layer of the internet.

This post is not going to be a “why one is better than the other” type post. Each network has its own use cases with their own set of pluses and minuses. This post is simply going to try and explain what I2P is in a broad sense with some comparison to Tor.

I’ll cover things like how to host a site and set up an Outproxy in another post. As with most of my posts this will assume that you do have some basic networking knowledge but I do try and keep it as accessible as I can.

A brief history

I2P was initially released in 2003 and started as a fork of freenet. Its is an anonymous peer-to-peer distributed communication layer designed to run any traditional internet service (Email, HTTP, File Sharing, Web hosting), as well as more traditional distributed applications such as DNS.

It is designed so that other software can use it for anonymous communication, due to this you can get pretty much anything to communicate Via I2P. There are already a fair number of applications working on I2P such as Email, Chat, and File sharing, crypto currency and more.

Routing

I2P uses what they call “Garlic routing” which is a variation on onion routing. There is a long list of technical differences that you can read about here if you want to get into the nuts and bolts of things, I’m only going to give a broad overview here.

As we know, Onion routing is a technique for building paths (Circuits in Tor terms, Tunnels in I2P terms.) through a series of peers and then using the tunnel to pass data. A message is encrypted by the sender and decrypted every hop until it reaches its destination. With each hop stripping a layer of encryption to get the directions to reach its next peer.

In this way both Garlic and Onion routing are conceptually identical but this is where that stops, where Tor does a single message at a time and a single reply, I2P bundles messages together in what Michael Freedman coined as a “Bulb” (Or a Clove on the official site). All messages have their own delivery instructions that get bundled and delivererd allowing for more efficient routing inside the network. This helps to increase overall network speed. This is a primary advantage in I2P, it's optimized in a way that is generally faster than Tor.

Another key difference is that traffic is unidirectional not bidirectional like in Tor, this allows for more flexibility in the protocol for more reliable delivery. Each router creates a series of in-bound and out-bound tunnels. This setup allows for things like UDP and P2P connections. Tor by design will probably never support UDP and while P2P connections are technically possible with Tor, they are highly discouraged and damaging to the network. P2P is the meat and potatoes of I2P making it ideal for file sharing and other forms of p2p communication.

I think it’s also worth pointing out that with I2P "Exit nodes" or OutProxies are not a focus. While a major use case for Tor is to help people in countries with heavily censored internet to reach sites on the “clear net” that might be blocked by a government. I2P does not officially “exit” traffic from the network.

Exit nodes (OutProxies) in I2P are run by volunteers which are, essentially, centralized services. OutProxying is also not officially advised as the privacy benefits you get from I2P come from remaining in the network. But it can be done and is. Nowadays people even use Tor Exit Nodes in conjunction with I2P. This a perfect segway to talk a bit about the network structure of I2P as this varies quite a bit from Tor.

Tor Network Structure Refresh

I’ll start off with a refresher on Tor. There are enough similarities between the networks that without diving too deep it helps with some comparisons. Tor has various elements to its network. A basic Tor connection takes a minimum of three different kinds of nodes. An entry node, a relay, and an exit. The first node is your entry node. Keep in mind any relay node can act as an entry node, the only difference being that the entry is the only node that knows who you really are.

Relay nodes are the ones that pass your traffic along to exit nodes after a few hops. The exit node communicates with your destination and can forward traffic out of the network. Exit nodes serve as a source for your destination server. This is part of how Tor keeps your traffic anonymous. Exit nodes also send the traffic back to you.

Directory servers are critical for maintaining Tor network. They store the identity of the nodes on the network. The directory servers are hard-coded into the Tor browser and when you fire up the Tor browser these directory servers choose your entry, relay, and exit to form a circuit. At the time of writing there are only 10 directory servers. You can see them here. The other purpose of these servers is to maintain the health of the network by monitoring the activity of nodes and replacing unhealthy nodes with healthy ones to maintain the stability of the network.

It’s also worth noting that relay servers technically have two categories: the “advertised relay nodes” ; these are the relays that are publicly available in the list that the directory servers maintain. Then there are “Bridge nodes”. These are private relays as they are not listed in directory servers. They exist purely for government blocks. In theory you can block the nodes on the public list, but you can’t block what you can’t find so therefore bridge nodes exist. It’s hard to gauge the number of bridges out there but it's estimated to be in the 2k range. You can see that here.

That's Tor in a nutshell. On to I2P

I2P Software

When you install I2P you get software that has everything with it you need to connect to the network and host with. Every “node” in I2P is also a router so there is no distinct difference from a server and pure client like with Tor.

This leads to I2P to be almost completely decentralized. I have to say “almost” due to the need of what they call “Reseed Servers” this is how you make your first connections and join the network. These servers help with what’s called the DHT ( Distributed hash table ) bootstrap problem. There is no reliable method ( yet! ) to get out of running at least one permanent bootstrap node that non-network users can find to get their foothold in the network. Once you're connected to the network you only discover peers by making “exploratory” tunnels. But to make your initial connections you need to get your peers from somewhere. This model contrasts with Tors directory servers a great deal.

Floodfill routers or peers are I2P’s directory servers that store the directory or the Network Database (netDB for short). Floodfill servers are untrusted and varying. Any router can be set to act as a floodfill router. To increase reliability of the netDB floodfill is automatically turned on only on high bandwidth routers (this has to be manually configured). In addition to having high bandwidth a router must also pass health checks like outbound message queue time and job lag before floodfill is automatically turned on. It is estimated that only 6% of the network are floodfill routers.

The netDB that I2P uses is a specialized distributed database. It only contains a few types of data. The big two being Router contact info (RouterInfos) and Destination contact info (LeaseSets). Each bit of data is signed by the host and is verified by anyone who chooses to store the site in their own local copy of the netDB. It also stores liveliness data of a site, this allows bad entries to be dropped, and newer entries to replace older ones.

Tunnels (or circuits on the Tor network) are how routers communicate and route traffic. I2P builds virtual “Tunnels” between routers for communication; they are temporary and unidirectional. For a basic connection you need at least four tunnels two outbound two inbound. Each tunnel has a set amount of hops that is set in router settings with a maximum of seven hops. The amount of hops per tunnel of course affects things like latency, throughput, reliability. and anonymity and a user can fine tune the amount of hops based on need. Three hops is recommended for most users as its a fair balance of anonymity and speed. Peers are selected by a continuous polling and ranking performance rather than trusting claimed capacity.

I could spend several more pages covering the specifics of I2P but I’ll leave you with a link to the main documentation if you want to take a deeper look at the network and how it works.

To Sum up

In conclusion I would say that I2P has a lot of potential. While Tor is designed to act as an anonymizing proxy for the Vanilla Internet, I2P is specifically designed to make an anonymous layer on top of the TCP/IP stack for hidden services and P2P applications. It's not perfect (Name a solution that is though… I’ll wait) but it's a good attempt at an anonymized network layer. (Yes TOR can do this as well but its main use case IMO is circumventing government blocks to clear net sites.)

I think it's far more flexible than Tor and while it currently is more technically involved to use than Tor at the moment, I hope that will be eventually overcome by working it into the background of more apps etc....The need to install something plus configuring a proxy on a separate browser from your primary browser can be daunting to some vs Tor’s just installing a browser and off you go. Although Firefox plugins like “I2P In Private Browsing” does a good job managing I2P via tab containers in Firefox eliminating the need to have a separate browser or do any extra configuration, it still has a ways to go.

The I2P project has a fair amount of self awareness when it comes down to what the network could be vulnerable to. Outside of unforeseen software vulnerabilities that could jeopardize the network a few of the attacks they talk about and try to mitigate include: Brute force, Timing attacks, DOS attacks, Intersection attacks and syble attacks to name a few. If you want to learn more about these potential issues and how they try and mitigate them here is the official page.

I2P is a smaller network that's not as battle tested as Tor but its optimization for hidden services and its more P2P nature is very appealing. Also Monero and Bitcoin support I2P now for node communication. Along with a few other privacy focused cyptos joining the network. I personally hope to see more Bitcoin and Monero users to enable I2P on their nodes.

I hope this helps answer some questions about I2P and encourages you to learn more and start exploring how you can use I2P to help you maintain at least a modicum of privacy in an ever surveilled world. I'll leave some links below to get you started. Have fun exploring and tinkering!

Until next time.

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@ 399422d4:49fee15b

Are you a passionate musician who still relies on the traditional pen and paper for composing your songs? Or have you embraced the digital era, exploring the myriad ways to bring your musical ideas to life? As for me, I belong to the latter category. However, despite my digital endeavors, I've encountered a significant challenge: finding the perfect tools to effortlessly capture chords and lyrics in a seamless workflow.

Imagine this: strumming your guitar, brimming with inspiration, and wishing to record the melody instantly using your smartphone. Sounds simple, right? Yet, I've struggled to find a digital solution that seamlessly integrates with this creative process. But fear not, because I'm embarking on an exciting endeavor to develop a mobile and web application that promises to address these challenges head-on.

Join me on this captivating journey as I venture into the realm of mobile and web app development. My goal is to create an application that allows you to effortlessly jot down song lyrics and chords, record audio samples, and seamlessly manage your precious song ideas. This development blog will serve as a detailed account of my progress, showcasing the triumphs, challenges, and breakthroughs along the way.

So, are you ready to delve into the exciting world of digital music composition? Follow me on this thrilling adventure, and don't hesitate to share your thoughts and insights in the comments section. Together, let's revolutionize the way musicians bring their musical visions to life!

@ 9d73fb61:08f8188b

توی این روزها خیلی‌ها دارند میرم توی شبکه‌های اجتماعی جدید که آمده. متا Threads معرفی کرده، جک دورسی هم بعد از فروش twitter به ماسک آمد Blusky معرفی کردن، مردم استقبال خیلی زیادی از این دو شبکه اجتماعی کردن به طوری که Threads در چند روز چند میلون مکاربر جذب کده است. ولی در این بین شبکه اجتماعی یا بهتره گفت بستری برای توسعه شبکه اجتماعی به نام نوستر وجود دارد که به دلیل این که آدم مشهور یا شرکت بزرگی پشتش نیست که معرفیش بکنه مورد استقبال عموم مردم قرار نگرفته و تقریبا هیچ کس اسمش رو هم نشنیده. بیشتر افرادی که توی این شبکه هستند به اصطلاح عامیانه خوره تکنولوژی با به گفته خودشون گیک هستن. در اینجا درباره تاریخ چه نوستر یا بحث های فنی ارتباط نمیینویسم فقط میخوام نوستر رو معرفی کنم و روش ساخت اکانت بر روی اون نشون بدم. ـ Nostr مخفف "Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays" است. نوستر یک فناوری متن باز و غیر متمرکز جهانیه که میشه بر بستر آن شبکه اجتماعی یا هر قابلیت دیگه ای رو توسعه داد و از این ویژکی غیر متمرکز بودن وغیر قابل سانسور بودن ان استفاده کرد. نوستر هیچ سرور مرکزی یا شرکتی ندارد که کنترل کند چه چیزی میتوان پست کرد و یا چه چیزی ما میتوانیم ببینیم. نوستر از تعداد زیادی رله (سرور) تشکیل شده است که این رله ها با یک دیگر در ارتباط هستند.و با یک دیگر تبادل اطلاعات انجام میدهند. هر شحص میتواند به رله های متفاوت متصل بشه و یا حتی برای خودش یک رله شخصی راه اندازی بکند. به اختیار خودش میتواند این رله را به صورت عمومی متصل کند و یا به صورت شخصی از ان استفاده کند. توجه کنید Nostr، یک پروتکل است. مجموعه قوانینی است مه سرورها و مشتران برای برقراری ارتباط از آن استفاده میکنند، مانند بیت کوین، ایمیل یا بیتتورنت. یک برنامه و یا یک «پلتفرم» مانند Twitter، Facebook و غیره نیست اما بسیاری از برنامه‌ها را می‌توان بر روی Nostr ساخت. برای اتصال و استفاده از قابلیت‌های شبکه نوستر تا کنون ابزارهای زیادی توسعه داده شده است. از ابزاری مثل تویتتر تا ابزارهای نوشتن وبلاگ و گوش دادن موسیقی لیست این ابزارها بر روی سایت https://www.nostrapps.com/ قرار دارد. یکی از اولین ابزارهایی که بر اثاث نوستر کار می‌کند یک شبکه اجتماعی است مانند توییتر، در ان میتوان پست لایک و... را انجام داد مانند تویتتر برای استفاده از نوستر شما نیازی به ایمیل ویا شماره تلفن ندارید کافیه با کمک یکی از کلاینت های که به شبکه نوستر متصل هستند. اقدام به ساخت کلید خصوصی و عمومی برای خودتان بکنید. با با کمک این کلید هر پست خود را امضاء و منتشر بکنید. یکی از کلاینت هایی که این کار را برای ما انجام میدهد. به همین سادگی به نوستر خوش امدید. حال میتوانید برای پروفایل خود عکس بزارید. کلید عمومی ابزاری است که دیگران با کمک اون میتوانند شمارا پیدا کنند کلید خصوصی نقش نام کاربری و کلمه عبور را دارد. برای استفاده از تمامی ابزار هایی که نوستر در اختیار ما قرار میدهد یکبار باز کردن حساب کافیست. در نوستر میتوان به صورت مستقیم با کمک لاتنینگ دونیت انجام داد بدون نیاز ارسال اینویس از طرف مقابل. اگر طرفدار آزادی بیان و حریم خصوصی هستید از نوستر استفاده کنید و به دوستان خود هم معرفیش بکنید.

@ 9d73fb61:08f8188b

توی این روزها خیلی‌ها دارند میرم توی شبکه‌های اجتماعی جدید که آمده. متا Threads معرفی کرده، جک دورسی هم بعد از فروش twitter به ماسک آمد Blusky معرفی کردن، مردم استقبال خیلی زیادی از این دو شبکه اجتماعی کردن به طوری که Threads در چند روز چند میلون مکاربر جذب کده است. ولی در این بین شبکه اجتماعی یا بهتره گفت بستری برای توسعه شبکه اجتماعی به نام نوستر وجود دارد که به دلیل این که آدم مشهور یا شرکت بزرگی پشتش نیست که معرفیش بکنه مورد استقبال عموم مردم قرار نگرفته و تقریبا هیچ کس اسمش رو هم نشنیده. بیشتر افرادی که توی این شبکه هستند به اصطلاح عامیانه خوره تکنولوژی با به گفته خودشون گیک هستن. در اینجا درباره تاریخ چه نوستر یا بحث های فنی ارتباط نمیینویسم فقط میخوام نوستر رو معرفی کنم و روش ساخت اکانت بر روی اون نشون بدم. ـ Nostr مخفف "Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays" است. نوستر یک فناوری متن باز و غیر متمرکز جهانیه که میشه بر بستر آن شبکه اجتماعی یا هر قابلیت دیگه ای رو توسعه داد و از این ویژکی غیر متمرکز بودن وغیر قابل سانسور بودن ان استفاده کرد. نوستر هیچ سرور مرکزی یا شرکتی ندارد که کنترل کند چه چیزی میتوان پست کرد و یا چه چیزی ما میتوانیم ببینیم. نوستر از تعداد زیادی رله (سرور) تشکیل شده است که این رله ها با یک دیگر در ارتباط هستند.و با یک دیگر تبادل اطلاعات انجام میدهند. هر شحص میتواند به رله های متفاوت متصل بشه و یا حتی برای خودش یک رله شخصی راه اندازی بکند. به اختیار خودش میتواند این رله را به صورت عمومی متصل کند و یا به صورت شخصی از ان استفاده کند. توجه کنید Nostr، یک پروتکل است. مجموعه قوانینی است مه سرورها و مشتران برای برقراری ارتباط از آن استفاده میکنند، مانند بیت کوین، ایمیل یا بیتتورنت. یک برنامه و یا یک «پلتفرم» مانند Twitter، Facebook و غیره نیست اما بسیاری از برنامه‌ها را می‌توان بر روی Nostr ساخت. برای اتصال و استفاده از قابلیت‌های شبکه نوستر تا کنون ابزارهای زیادی توسعه داده شده است. از ابزاری مثل تویتتر تا ابزارهای نوشتن وبلاگ و گوش دادن موسیقی لیست این ابزارها بر روی سایت https://www.nostrapps.com/ قرار دارد. یکی از اولین ابزارهایی که بر اثاث نوستر کار می‌کند یک شبکه اجتماعی است مانند توییتر، در ان میتوان پست لایک و... را انجام داد مانند تویتتر برای استفاده از نوستر شما نیازی به ایمیل ویا شماره تلفن ندارید کافیه با کمک یکی از کلاینت های که به شبکه نوستر متصل هستند. اقدام به ساخت کلید خصوصی و عمومی برای خودتان بکنید. با با کمک این کلید هر پست خود را امضاء و منتشر بکنید. یکی از کلاینت هایی که این کار را برای ما انجام میدهد. به همین سادگی به نوستر خوش امدید. حال میتوانید برای پروفایل خود عکس بزارید. کلید عمومی ابزاری است که دیگران با کمک اون میتوانند شمارا پیدا کنند کلید خصوصی نقش نام کاربری و کلمه عبور را دارد. برای استفاده از تمامی ابزار هایی که نوستر در اختیار ما قرار میدهد یکبار باز کردن حساب کافیست. در نوستر میتوان به صورت مستقیم با کمک لاتنینگ دونیت انجام داد بدون نیاز ارسال اینویس از طرف مقابل. اگر طرفدار آزادی بیان و حریم خصوصی هستید از نوستر استفاده کنید و به دوستان خود هم معرفیش بکنید.

@ 9936a53d:bc01ef35

In the lush lands of Costa Rica, where nature's beauty thrives, A man named Max embarked, with passion in his eyes. He self-funded a documentary, a tale to unfold, About a new decentralized protocol, where stories would be told.

Nostr, the social network, where power finds its place, A platform of freedom, where users embrace. Max sought to shed light, on its benefits profound, In the realm of decentralization, where true connections abound.

Through the lens he captured, the essence of the scene, Costa Rica's splendor, where the Nostr conference convenes. In this land of wonders, where nature and tech unite, The documentary unfolds, revealing insights shining bright.

He interviewed Jack Dorsey, a titan of our time, Who shared the early history, where Twitter's roots did climb. Software developers joined, their voices joined the tale, Describing the centralized platforms, and the challenges they entail.

The documentary explored, why centralized networks fall short, With data controlled, and users left to sort. Nostr, the decentralized wonder, breaks free from the mold, Empowering users, with benefits untold.

Zaps, like Bitcoin tips, in the Nostr realm reside, A gesture of appreciation, where generosity can't hide. Max's vision took flight, a message clear and strong, To embrace a decentralized future, where we all belong.

For in the realm of social networks, where connections intertwine, Nostr's decentralized protocol, like a beacon will shine. A reminder that power lies in the hands of the many, And through decentralization, we can create a better journey.

So let us celebrate Max's endeavor, the documentary's tale, Where Nostr's vision takes flight, and centralized networks pale. A testament to empowerment, where freedom finds its way, In the realm of decentralized connections, where zaps will forever stay.

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

🐝 HIVE muda de marca e expande para a nuvem! 🌩️🚀 Descubra as novidades dessa transformação imperdível.

HIVE #nuvem #transformação #inovação

Leia mais: https://technewsbr.substack.com/p/hive-muda-de-marca-e-anuncia-expansao

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Economia norueguesa impulsiona o Bitcoin! 💰💡 Descubra como a Noruega está abrindo caminho para essa criptomoeda. #Bitcoin #EconomiaNorueguesa #Criptomoeda

Fonte: https://technewsbr.substack.com/p/economia-na-noruega-pavimenta-o-caminho

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

📣 Bradesco adere ao Consórcio Digital Real, trazendo mais facilidade para seus clientes!

💸 Descubra os detalhes dessa novidade: https://technewsbr.substack.com/p/bradesco-anuncia-nova-adesao-ao-consorcio

#Bradesco #ConsórcioDigitalReal #Inovação

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

"📢 Últimas notícias sobre criptomoedas! 💰 Descubra tudo sobre as tendências mais recentes e dicas para investir com sucesso neste fascinante mercado.

criptomoedas #investimentos #blockchain #tecnologia

🔗 Link da fonte: https://technewsbr.substack.com/p/criptomoedas"

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

🔍📢 Informação exclusiva! Autoridades investigam ex-executivo em caso polêmico. Descubra todos os detalhes no link abaixo! ⬇️

Investigação #Polêmica #Notícias #ExExecutivo #SEO

🔗 Fonte: https://technewsbr.substack.com/p/autoridades-investigam-ex-executivo

@ 26bb2ebe:70530958

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@ 6381c337:07cb3d1f

Demo list test1

@ 528e9cc3:334709a6

test for long ariticle

@ 525f8a81:d2590939

Hello test 23

@ ac8bb9b0:70278acc

In today's digital age, where we rely heavily on multiple online accounts, maintaining robust password security has become paramount. Managing numerous passwords can be overwhelming, leading many to resort to weak and repetitive choices. Start using a password manager—an invaluable tool that not only fortifies our online defenses but also simplifies our digital lives. In this article, we will explore the importance of using a password manager, highlighting key benefits such as employing a strong passphrase, generating random passwords, ensuring unique credentials, suggesting some good options, and the overall convenience it brings.

A password manager acts as a vault for your credentials, protecting them behind a robust master passphrase. By choosing a strong, unique passphrase that incorporates a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, you create a formidable barrier against unauthorized access. This passphrase should be memorable to you but difficult for others to guess, ensuring the security of your entire password vault.

One of the primary advantages of password managers is their ability to generate complex and random passwords for each of your accounts. These passwords are typically long, consisting of a mix of alphanumeric characters and special symbols. Using such unique and unpredictable passwords ensures that even if one account is compromised, the breach won't extend to your other online identities. This multi-layered defense significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access and safeguards sensitive information.

One of the most common mistakes individuals make is reusing passwords across multiple accounts. This practice poses a significant security risk because if one account is compromised, hackers can gain access to multiple other accounts with the same credentials. A password manager enables you to easily generate and store unique, complex passwords for each account, eliminating the need to remember them individually. By maintaining unique passwords, you mitigate the domino effect of security breaches, reinforcing the protection of your online presence.

A password manager simplifies the management of your digital identities, alleviating the burden of memorizing countless passwords. Once you securely store your credentials within the password manager, it seamlessly auto-fills the login information whenever needed, saving you valuable time and frustration. Additionally, most password managers offer cross-device synchronization, allowing you to access your passwords from various devices, ensuring convenience and flexibility.

When it comes to choosing a password manager, there are various options available, each with its own strengths. One highly recommended cloud-based solution is Bitwarden. Bitwarden offers a user-friendly interface, robust encryption, and cross-platform compatibility, making it suitable for most individuals. With Bitwarden, you can securely store and generate unique passwords, ensuring a strong defense against cyber threats.

For those seeking an extreme level of control and privacy, KeePassXC is an excellent non-cloud alternative. KeePassXC allows you to keep your password database solely on your local device, eliminating any reliance on cloud storage. It provides advanced security features, including AES-256 encryption, two-factor authentication, and the ability to store the database in an encrypted container. This ensures that your sensitive data remains solely in your possession, protected from potential data breaches or unauthorized access.

Regardless of which password manager you choose, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of keeping your password database in an encrypted container or secure location. This ensures an additional layer of protection for your sensitive information, preventing unauthorized access even in the event of physical theft or compromise. By maintaining this security measure, you maximize the safety of your passwords and maintain control over your digital identities.

Remember, the ultimate goal is to strike a balance between convenience and security. Utilizing a trusted password manager like Bitwarden or KeePassXC, combined with secure practices such as using strong passphrases and regularly updating your passwords, empowers you to take control of your online security while simplifying your digital life.

In an era where cyber threats loom large, the importance of using a password manager cannot be overstated. By employing a strong passphrase to unlock the manager, generating random passwords for all accounts, and maintaining unique credentials, we fortify our digital defenses against malicious actors. Moreover, the convenience factor provided by password managers simplifies our lives, freeing us from the burden of remembering numerous passwords.

Embrace the power of password managers to safeguard your online presence and experience peace of mind in a digital world that increasingly demands robust security.

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Código-fonte do piloto da CBDC do Brasil pode congelar fundos

CBDC #Brasil #Mundo #Noticias #criptomoedas

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/codigo-fonte-do-piloto-da-cbdc-do?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Brasil é o segundo país que mais sofre ataques cibernéticos na América Latina

Brasil #Noticias #hackers #Mundo #Tecnologia

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/brasil-e-o-segundo-pais-que-mais?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Mais de 80 mil empresas negociando criptomoedas no Brasil atinge seu recorde histórico

Brasil #criptomoedas #Tecnologia #Mundo #Noticias

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/mais-de-80-mil-empresas-negociando?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Austrian Bitcoin Broker Coinfinity Integra a Lightning Network

Bitcoin #ETF #Mundo #Tecnologia #Noticias

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/austrian-bitcoin-broker-coinfinity?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 010df0c9:2dd3f05a

Testing a public note in highlighter

@ 4d39c23b:86eaae25

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

@ 07e83368:9587bdec

A few thoughts about this: - Just post or also "edit" (to the extent that's possible on Nostr)? - If I add edit: where should I store identifier? frontmatter, separate file, filename? - Could probably use Nostr dev toolkit (recently found this excellent tutorial by @JeffG, @JeffG, @JeffG.fyi, nostr:npub1zuuajd7u3sx8xu92yav9jwxpr839cs0kc3q6t56vd5u9q033xmhsk6c2uc (let's see which reference works where). - This could generally be an alternative to Obsidian Publish

That's it. Below are just markdown tests from here.

Markdown: Syntax

• Overview
  • Philosophy
  • Inline HTML
  • Automatic Escaping for Special Characters
• Block Elements
  • Paragraphs and Line Breaks
  • Headers
  • Blockquotes
  • Lists
  • Code Blocks
  • Horizontal Rules
• Span Elements
  • Links
  • Emphasis
  • Code
  • Images
• Miscellaneous
  • Backslash Escapes
  • Automatic Links

Note: This document is itself written using Markdown; you can see the source for it by adding '.text' to the URL.

---

Overview

Philosophy

Markdown is intended to be as easy-to-read and easy-to-write as is feasible.

Readability, however, is emphasized above all else. A Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like it's been marked up with tags or formatting instructions. While Markdown's syntax has been influenced by several existing text-to-HTML filters -- including Setext, atx, Textile, reStructuredText, Grutatext, and EtText -- the single biggest source of inspiration for Markdown's syntax is the format of plain text email.

Block Elements

Paragraphs and Line Breaks

A paragraph is simply one or more consecutive lines of text, separated by one or more blank lines. (A blank line is any line that looks like a blank line -- a line containing nothing but spaces or tabs is considered blank.) Normal paragraphs should not be indented with spaces or tabs.

The implication of the "one or more consecutive lines of text" rule is that Markdown supports "hard-wrapped" text paragraphs. This differs significantly from most other text-to-HTML formatters (including Movable Type's "Convert Line Breaks" option) which translate every line break character in a paragraph into a <br /> tag.

When you do want to insert a <br /> break tag using Markdown, you end a line with two or more spaces, then type return.

Headers

Markdown supports two styles of headers, [Setext] [1] and [atx] [2].

Optionally, you may "close" atx-style headers. This is purely cosmetic -- you can use this if you think it looks better. The closing hashes don't even need to match the number of hashes used to open the header. (The number of opening hashes determines the header level.)

Blockquotes

Markdown uses email-style > characters for blockquoting. If you're familiar with quoting passages of text in an email message, then you know how to create a blockquote in Markdown. It looks best if you hard wrap the text and put a > before every line:

This is a blockquote with two paragraphs. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus. Vestibulum enim wisi, viverra nec, fringilla in, laoreet vitae, risus.

Donec sit amet nisl. Aliquam semper ipsum sit amet velit. Suspendisse id sem consectetuer libero luctus adipiscing.

Markdown allows you to be lazy and only put the > before the first line of a hard-wrapped paragraph:

This is a blockquote with two paragraphs. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus. Vestibulum enim wisi, viverra nec, fringilla in, laoreet vitae, risus.

Donec sit amet nisl. Aliquam semper ipsum sit amet velit. Suspendisse id sem consectetuer libero luctus adipiscing.

Blockquotes can be nested (i.e. a blockquote-in-a-blockquote) by adding additional levels of >:

This is the first level of quoting.

This is nested blockquote.

Back to the first level.

Blockquotes can contain other Markdown elements, including headers, lists, and code blocks:

This is a header.

1. This is the first list item.
2. This is the second list item.

Here's some example code:

return shell_exec("echo $input | $markdown_script");

Any decent text editor should make email-style quoting easy. For example, with BBEdit, you can make a selection and choose Increase Quote Level from the Text menu.

Lists

Markdown supports ordered (numbered) and unordered (bulleted) lists.

Unordered lists use asterisks, pluses, and hyphens -- interchangably -- as list markers:

• Red
• Green
• Blue

is equivalent to:

• Red
• Green
• Blue

and:

• Red
• Green
• Blue

Ordered lists use numbers followed by periods:

1. Bird
2. McHale
3. Parish

It's important to note that the actual numbers you use to mark the list have no effect on the HTML output Markdown produces. The HTML Markdown produces from the above list is:

If you instead wrote the list in Markdown like this:

1. Bird
2. McHale
3. Parish

or even:

1. Bird
2. McHale
3. Parish

you'd get the exact same HTML output. The point is, if you want to, you can use ordinal numbers in your ordered Markdown lists, so that the numbers in your source match the numbers in your published HTML. But if you want to be lazy, you don't have to.

To make lists look nice, you can wrap items with hanging indents:

• Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus. Vestibulum enim wisi, viverra nec, fringilla in, laoreet vitae, risus.
• Donec sit amet nisl. Aliquam semper ipsum sit amet velit. Suspendisse id sem consectetuer libero luctus adipiscing.

But if you want to be lazy, you don't have to:

• Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus. Vestibulum enim wisi, viverra nec, fringilla in, laoreet vitae, risus.
• Donec sit amet nisl. Aliquam semper ipsum sit amet velit. Suspendisse id sem consectetuer libero luctus adipiscing.

List items may consist of multiple paragraphs. Each subsequent paragraph in a list item must be indented by either 4 spaces or one tab:

1. This is a list item with two paragraphs. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus.

   Vestibulum enim wisi, viverra nec, fringilla in, laoreet vitae, risus. Donec sit amet nisl. Aliquam semper ipsum sit amet velit.

2. Suspendisse id sem consectetuer libero luctus adipiscing.

It looks nice if you indent every line of the subsequent paragraphs, but here again, Markdown will allow you to be lazy:

• This is a list item with two paragraphs.

  This is the second paragraph in the list item. You're only required to indent the first line. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.

• Another item in the same list.

To put a blockquote within a list item, the blockquote's > delimiters need to be indented:

• A list item with a blockquote:

  This is a blockquote inside a list item.

To put a code block within a list item, the code block needs to be indented twice -- 8 spaces or two tabs:

• A list item with a code block:

  <code goes here>
  

Code Blocks

Pre-formatted code blocks are used for writing about programming or markup source code. Rather than forming normal paragraphs, the lines of a code block are interpreted literally. Markdown wraps a code block in both <pre> and <code> tags.

To produce a code block in Markdown, simply indent every line of the block by at least 4 spaces or 1 tab.

This is a normal paragraph:

This is a code block.

Here is an example of AppleScript:

tell application "Foo"
    beep
end tell

A code block continues until it reaches a line that is not indented (or the end of the article).

Within a code block, ampersands (&) and angle brackets (< and >) are automatically converted into HTML entities. This makes it very easy to include example HTML source code using Markdown -- just paste it and indent it, and Markdown will handle the hassle of encoding the ampersands and angle brackets. For example, this:

<div class="footer">
    &copy; 2004 Foo Corporation
</div>

Regular Markdown syntax is not processed within code blocks. E.g., asterisks are just literal asterisks within a code block. This means it's also easy to use Markdown to write about Markdown's own syntax.

tell application "Foo" beep end tell

Span Elements

Links

Markdown supports two style of links: inline and reference.

In both styles, the link text is delimited by [square brackets].

To create an inline link, use a set of regular parentheses immediately after the link text's closing square bracket. Inside the parentheses, put the URL where you want the link to point, along with an optional title for the link, surrounded in quotes. For example:

This is an example inline link.

This link has no title attribute.

Emphasis

Markdown treats asterisks (*) and underscores (_) as indicators of emphasis. Text wrapped with one * or _ will be wrapped with an HTML <em> tag; double *'s or _'s will be wrapped with an HTML <strong> tag. E.g., this input:

single asterisks

single underscores

double asterisks

double underscores

Code

To indicate a span of code, wrap it with backtick quotes (`). Unlike a pre-formatted code block, a code span indicates code within a normal paragraph. For example:

Use the printf() function.

@ 2e2cf253:737f1193

Gm gm Dueters,

We are glad to tell you that we are planning something big!

As the Hong Kong regulatory environment for blockchain and crypto currency is getting positive, we think it’s the best time to seize the opportunity and expand our market for RWA investors. Come and hear it out!

Hong Kong’s Progressive Crypto Regulations and Supportive Environment for Web3 Businesses

In February, Hong Kong introduced a set of progressive regulations aimed at fostering a favorable environment for crypto-related activities. As crypto regulations in the United States become more stringent, Hong Kong sees an opportunity to emerge as the next prominent crypto hub by offering a more favorable regulatory landscape.

In mid-April, a large crowd eagerly awaited entry into the Hong Kong Convention Center, where the city’s first web3 festival was taking place.They had gathered to explore the opportunities Hong Kong had in store for crypto ventures.

Despite its geographical proximity to China, known for its restrictive stance on cryptocurrencies, Hong Kong is actively striving to establish a regulatory environment that appeals to digital asset companies globally.

Duet Protocol Seizes Opportunities in Hong Kong and Launches Airdrops to Reward Loyalty

As an action to take advantage of the favorable regulatory environment in Hong Kong, with the increasing number of users and customers switching from Web2 to Web3 and the presence of numerous education studios offering blockchain education to traditional investors, Duet Protocol will collaborate with select education studios and establish our exchange, issue more synthetic assets, and be their primary marketplace for trading.

To get more and more people familiarized with our trading platform, Duet Pro, we encourage the purchase and Duet pro trading and would like to reward the active users in our campaign “DuetBoost”, encompassing from July 11th to November 11th,2023, UTC+0, containing a series of Airdrops.

In the “DuetBoost” campaign, the selection and rewarding of users for the airdrop will be based on several criteria to determine the most loyal participants. The following factors will be considered:

1. User’s Recent Extra Holding of Duet Token: The campaign will take into account the amount of Duet tokens newly purchased by the user, starting from July 11th, 2023, UTC+0.

2. User’s Trading Activities on Duet Pro: The campaign will consider the user’s trading activities on the Duet Pro exchange. The frequency and volume of trades made by the user will be taken into account, demonstrating their engagement and participation in the platform’s trading activities.

3. User’s Credibility as a True User: The campaign will assess the credibility of users to ensure they are genuine participants. Factors such as account verification, adherence to platform guidelines, and overall trustworthiness will be considered to determine the authenticity and reliability of users.

In addition, we have partnered with a data analytics lab to develop a personalized airdrop strategy and effectively predict user behavior, specifically focusing on identifying instances of free riding.

Your participation in the survey and inclusion in the whitelist will not only increase your eligibility for the airdrop but also contribute to the ongoing refinement of our platform’s services and offerings.

Please take a moment to provide us with your information through the survey link below, and join the airdrop whitelist to benefit from this personalized initiative and improve your overall experience with our platform.

https://644ce16a.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAN_x7BokYRahpOLBn4NMzvgDQJrJOwqerbf9DGmotnczY89oui8efwO0A4ROFGvcvNFvfWE1eEh1POlaZ_38Gj4t1d4mqtyUAgVi39XHTnGDVQQ-D0KXAWs5nPezriwEg9Kw-yKJj-yS4A7tbRD4AgvKRq1izgdv7tUqfTOdOq-sjQGKLsuuyajHL6ZugF7yQs22ChByzh1Y

Scan the QR code to get access to the form.

Follow Duet Protocol’s social medias to learn more. https://link3.to/duetprotocol

@ 93161535:1fc6d488

Ruining people's lives and sandwiches

Sandwich angst. What more is there to say?

•───────••••───────•

TALK ABOUT ME AND TO ME ON MY ANONYMOUS IMAGEBOARD: https://tubgurl.com (https://tubgurl.com)

•───────••••───────•

DONATE MONERO FOR SERVER COSTS: 8A11e3NEQXvEbShkwZHd67e12rcM8GfADjSmrywkoZLP5XuakvDuNsp3d8B3RLoUZFRAFry38DM5Z6Gu1vJdbrRzVdbktHR

Donations help for the sever costs, to maintain my website, and lessen the blow for paying for bandwidth, since I host my own videos on my own website. Or maybe I made you laugh and you just wanna say thanks. Never required or expected, always appreciated.

•───────••••───────•

FEED ME. Please. I love Panda Express eggrolls and noodles

Go to https://www.pandaexpress.com/gift-cards/select#digital (https://www.pandaexpress.com/gift-cards/select#digital) then send the gift card to my email: ashleyjones@dnmx.org THANK YOU.

•───────••••───────•

Check out my website. I have a ton of written content on there. Website: icum.to (http://icum.to)

Website: https://icum.to (https://icum.to)

Videos: https://videos.icum.to (https://videos.icum.to)

Discuss me on my imageboard: https://tubgurl.com (https://tubgurl.com)

Email: ashleyjones@horsefucker.org

Phone number: 725-CUM-FART

If you want to send an encrypted message I have my GPG key on my website: https://icum.to/analjuice/ (https://icum.to/analjuice/)

https://videos.icum.to/w/mvxDvyA9gunpMWdb5GtxEs

@ eea716ed:ec1e1eda

Water navigating complexity | Logging accomplishments | All-product survey | Mountains | Ice water

Career

Practices

Logging Accomplishments

Started a new practice of logging daily accomplishments. Learned about it here.

The idea is to build an internal proof of work. Accomplishments, successes, and victories get lost as we push past the daily slog.

I write my accomplishments separately for each portfolio/ project. That way i can quickly skim through at the end of the week to write up a weekly log of successes.

Template for Work

Created a lightweight daily work template in Logseq that i really enjoy: https://cdn.nostr.build/p/4a84.png

Government of Alberta’s DDD (Digital Design & Delivery)

Beginning to find a groove. I’m part of a newly forming team called Design HQ.

The vision for Design HQ has boundaries - there is a collective will for its creation. At the same time, the definite idea of how the vision looks is yet to be cocreated. And it will likely continue to be shaped and refined for the next while.

Table stakes for Design HQ are to support design practitioners: UXers and service designers. It’s a wildly challenging and exciting task to build resources, tools, and supports for and with these practitioners… using service design approaches. It’s as meta as you can get.

There are many brilliant humans across the DDD. Navigating this space reminds me of the importance of staying cognitively flexible. Building in complexity is like being like water - as Bruce Lee put it.

https://cdn.nostr.build/p/80Zg.png Link here

I’m still continuing to do spaced repetition to internalize the org’s mental models, practices, and philosophies.

Chaincode

User Feedback

Created a tiny but efficient all-product survey. https://cdn.nostr.build/p/lMdP.png

The design goal was to use one data collection tool across several products. This decreases overhead, especially while products move from alpha-beta-live.

Insights will of course be paired (and triangulated) with user interviews.

Product Development

Most products are super close to alpha release. It’s going to be like popcorn soon.

Here’s a sneak peek with the Bitcoin Knowledge Project (name is still in progress): https://cdn.nostr.build/p/PxZ0.jpg

Lifestuff

• Been helping Brittany a bunch to prepare Bolli Imports for Shambhala https://cdn.nostr.build/p/Wgdk.webp

• Went camping in Alberta’s crownland. We’re so far north that could still see the silhouette outline of the mountains at midnight. (Image not at midnight lol). Did a bunch of cold dips in the ice cold creek. https://cdn.nostr.build/p/6KZ2.webp

Image link

• Hit up the Calgary Stampede. Ate nasty food. Saw big majestic horses. https://cdn.nostr.build/p/BmZ0.webp

• Wrote part of this with my feet in a bucket of ice water. This one hurt life hell for some reason. Usually not this bad. https://cdn.nostr.build/p/QEwP.webp

@ 32e18276:5c68e245

You can use github PRs to submit code but it is not encouraged. Damus is a decentralized social media protocol and we prefer to use decentralized techniques during the code submission process.

[Email patches][git-send-email] to patches@damus.io are preferred, but we accept PRs on GitHub as well. Patches sent via email may include a bolt11 lightning invoice, choosing the price you think the patch is worth, and we will pay it once the patch is accepted and if I think the price isn't unreasonable. You can also send an any-amount invoice and I will pay what I think it's worth if you prefer not to choose. You can include the bolt11 in the commit body or email so that it can be paid once it is applied.

Recommended settings when submitting code via email:

$ git config sendemail.to "patches@damus.io" $ git config format.subjectPrefix "PATCH damus" $ git config format.signOff yes

You can subscribe to the [patches mailing list][patches-ml] to help review code.

Submitting patches

Most of this comes from the linux kernel guidelines for submitting patches, we follow many of the same guidelines. These are very important! If you want your code to be accepted, please read this carefully

Describe your problem. Whether your patch is a one-line bug fix or 5000 lines of a new feature, there must be an underlying problem that motivated you to do this work. Convince the reviewer that there is a problem worth fixing and that it makes sense for them to read past the first paragraph.

Once the problem is established, describe what you are actually doing about it in technical detail. It's important to describe the change in plain English for the reviewer to verify that the code is behaving as you intend it to.

The maintainer will thank you if you write your patch description in a form which can be easily pulled into Damus's source code tree.

Solve only one problem per patch. If your description starts to get long, that's a sign that you probably need to split up your patch. See the dedicated Separate your changes section because this is very important.

When you submit or resubmit a patch or patch series, include the complete patch description and justification for it (-v2,v3,vn... option on git-send-email). Don't just say that this is version N of the patch (series). Don't expect the reviewer to refer back to earlier patch versions or referenced URLs to find the patch description and put that into the patch. I.e., the patch (series) and its description should be self-contained. This benefits both the maintainers and reviewers. Some reviewers probably didn't even receive earlier versions of the patch.

Describe your changes in imperative mood, e.g. "make xyzzy do frotz" instead of "[This patch] makes xyzzy do frotz" or "[I] changed xyzzy to do frotz", as if you are giving orders to the codebase to change its behaviour.

If your patch fixes a bug, use the 'Closes:' tag with a URL referencing the report in the mailing list archives or a public bug tracker. For example:

Closes: https://github.com/damus-io/damus/issues/1234

Some bug trackers have the ability to close issues automatically when a commit with such a tag is applied. Some bots monitoring mailing lists can also track such tags and take certain actions. Private bug trackers and invalid URLs are forbidden.

If your patch fixes a bug in a specific commit, e.g. you found an issue using git bisect, please use the 'Fixes:' tag with the first 12 characters of the SHA-1 ID, and the one line summary. Do not split the tag across multiple lines, tags are exempt from the "wrap at 75 columns" rule in order to simplify parsing scripts. For example::

Fixes: 54a4f0239f2e ("Fix crash in navigation")

The following git config settings can be used to add a pretty format for outputting the above style in the git log or git show commands::

[core]
    abbrev = 12
[pretty]
    fixes = Fixes: %h (\"%s\")

An example call::

$ git log -1 --pretty=fixes 54a4f0239f2e
Fixes: 54a4f0239f2e ("Fix crash in navigation")

Separate your changes

Separate each logical change into a separate patch.

For example, if your changes include both bug fixes and performance enhancements for a particular feature, separate those changes into two or more patches. If your changes include an API update, and a new feature which uses that new API, separate those into two patches.

On the other hand, if you make a single change to numerous files, group those changes into a single patch. Thus a single logical change is contained within a single patch.

The point to remember is that each patch should make an easily understood change that can be verified by reviewers. Each patch should be justifiable on its own merits.

If one patch depends on another patch in order for a change to be complete, that is OK. Simply note "this patch depends on patch X" in your patch description.

When dividing your change into a series of patches, take special care to ensure that the Damus builds and runs properly after each patch in the series. Developers using git bisect to track down a problem can end up splitting your patch series at any point; they will not thank you if you introduce bugs in the middle.

If you cannot condense your patch set into a smaller set of patches, then only post say 15 or so at a time and wait for review and integration.

@ 5fd693e6:bf6061bb

Did it work?

@ 5ada3677:7c21c9db

力奮的新書 《平涼路2767弄》上海十九棉百年工房口述史 ，嚴肅的硬面大抄，田野調查，口述歷史，力奮卻一點不嚴肅地畫了四塊石頭送給我。梅雨天裡，天天放下飯碗就捧讀。

好的口述史，讀起來口感是很好的。

日本人1920年代建的廠房和社區，公大紗廠，一路變成上海十九棉。一百年前就擁有高級職員小別墅與紗廠工人平房、有花園、涼亭、俱樂部、圖書館、醫院、幼稚園、小學、游泳池和動物園的完美社區，慢慢演變成閣樓疊閣樓、七口之家蝸於一居、花園消失、游泳池蕩然、俱樂部焚毀，以至於2021年，於沒落破敗不堪收拾中，終於迎來了悲欣交集的動遷。力奮和他的復旦新聞系的學生們，於動遷前夕，搶救式地做了這些口述實錄。

整本書讀下來，基本上是一個斗窮的歷史，與“窮”這頭魔獸斗了又斗，用盡一代人兩代人一切的腦力和體力。

而曾經在其中肉搏了大半輩子的一代人兩代人，如今回顧起來，平靜、祥和、甚至處處歡樂點綴，真是不可思議的心理。

斗窮這件事，絕對不是平涼路2767弄一地的事業，一條里弄的身世，幾乎也就是一個上海的身世，無分東區西區上則角下則角。

我現在居住的新樂路，算是棉花糖一樣的巨富長地區的腹地，這一條街，從一百年前的小洋樓鱗次櫛比，到如今頹唐不已的蝸居現狀，似乎跟平涼路2767弄也沒有多大的區別。

這本嚴肅認真的書，越往下閱讀，我越是想知道，平涼路2767弄，如此一個曾經完美優秀、傲立上海的社區，究竟是如何在100年裡煙滅成一片窮巷雜弄的？ 我也想知道，新樂路究竟是如何從一條寧靜安詳、典型中產人家的亨利路，變成了如今的捉襟見肘、三戶人家擁擠在陰暗潮濕的灶披間裡煎炒烹炸的？一百年並不遙遠，我很想弄明白。

力奮的書裡，有一篇採訪平涼路2767弄居民劉必芳的口述歷史，1952年出生的劉小姐，祖籍江蘇阜寧，初中文化，1969年畢業，1970年赴黑龍江農場，1978年回滬，在集體制單位就業。父親是高級技術工人出身的工程師，工作於十九棉。這篇口述歷史，力奮用了一個非常優秀的標題，《我喜歡看阿爾巴尼亞畫報》，真是一句頂一萬句。

摘一點看看。

初中時，一次偶然的機會，我看到了一份外國畫報，名叫《新阿爾巴尼亞》畫報。 當時，中國跟阿爾巴尼亞的關係很熱，我們可以經常看到阿爾巴尼亞電影。我們買到的畫報已經翻譯成中文，每月出一期，記得我最喜歡看雜誌裡面的阿爾巴尼亞美女照片。 畫報中的照片很多是黑白的，但也有彩色照片。這份畫報打開了我的眼界，裡面（記錄著）服飾、髮型、傢具，以及外國人的生活。每個月，等到這份雜誌的出版日，我就坐59路公交車從平涼路趕到五角場的郵電局，那裡有一個報刊櫃台。為買這份雜誌，我從不（脫班）。 我連著買了不少期，每本價格已不記得了，只記得不算便宜，我們省下零用錢買畫報，這筆開銷對還在讀書的我們來說可不算小。

回到家，我就仔細看畫報上的彩色照片，我很羨慕外國女孩，她們長得漂亮穿衣又時髦，家庭環境優美、生活富裕。從畫報里，我挑選自己喜歡的服裝式樣，比如尖角的領子、好看的花布圖案，還有毛衣的漂亮顏色、花式，模仿著請人裁剪。每次在家裡看畫報，再看看自己生活的家，總會想我什麼時候才能過上畫報里的生活呢？

每期《新阿爾巴尼亞》畫報，我都小心地保存著。厚厚一摞，放在大房間的茶几上作為擺設，一直捨不得處理掉。不過我父母對《新阿爾巴尼亞》畫報並不感興趣，似乎從來也不翻，一副不屑一顧的樣子，並不贊成我看這類雜誌。

什麼時候才能過上畫報裡的生活呢？

真是振聾發聵的千古疑問，今時今日的版本，可以改寫成：什麼時候才能過上小紅書裡的生活呢？

力奮以多年堅實豐富的媒體第一線的訓練，帶領年輕的大學生，完成了如此一本作品，為平涼路存史，為上海存史，深具上海寧、上海文化寧的良心，是我寫字女工學習的榜樣。致敬力奮，致敬此書共同作者的各位復旦後輩。

圖片來自網絡

@ 2edbcea6:40558884

Our team was excited to receive an invitation to preview the new Primal iOS app during its private beta phase a few weeks ago, and we have been itching to share our experience using it with you! In case you missed today’s Primal TestFlight announcement, we will link to it at the end of this report.

First Impressions

The Primal iOS UI and UX is exactly what you would expect if you’ve used their excellent web app, Primal.net. It is clean, the navigation is intuitive, and any upcoming features that are under development are clearly labeled (eg, DMs). | Timeline | Writing a Post and Tagging Users | | --- | --- | | | |

Settings are robust, and include some powerful features such as customizing your notifications, custom #Zaps and of course, dark mode.

Features

If you’ve used the Primal web app on either mobile or desktop, you will find the design and features of the mobile app very familiar. The timeline allows you to choose from your various feeds, which can be customized in settings. | Search | Custom feed | Access custom feeds | | --- | --- | --- | | https://cdn.nostr.build/p/OkmE.png | https://cdn.nostr.build/p/dDO3.jpg | https://cdn.nostr.build/p/GmKk.jpg |

Although the future of #nostr zaps on iOS in general is still a work in progress, Primal’s current implementation of #zaps is excellent. Zaps are implemented using Alby NWC, with an electrifying animation when you send a zap. The app supports one-tap zaps using your default amount, as well as custom zaps with comments by long-pressing the zap button. | #1Tap2Zap | Custom Zap | | --- | --- | | | |

Custom zap settings can also be configured in the settings menus. | Zap Settings | Custom Zap Buttons | | --- | --- | | | |

Onboarding

Miljan and the Primal team have carefully thought out onboarding new users, creating an intuitive and easy process for anyone to sign up, even if they have little understanding of the #Nostr protocol.

For users coming from Twitter, the signup process includes the option to quickly import your Twitter profile picture, banner, and profile description. | Import Twitter Profile | Twitter Name | | --- | --- | | | |

| Twitter profile found | Nostr account created | | --- | --- | | | |

Users are then presented with a list of suggested Nostr accounts to follow. | | | | --- | --- | | | |

Primal iOS is still in beta, and some features are still under development as is to be expected. We’re excited to see Nostr’s continued growth and development, and believe that this app from Primal raises the bar of excellence in providing users with a great user experience from the very start.

“At Primal, we are building an alternative to the closed legacy social media platforms. Nostr is still in its infancy, so our focus is to build the infrastructure and user experiences that will make it easily accessible to everyone.” - nostr:npub16c0nh3dnadzqpm76uctf5hqhe2lny344zsmpm6feee9p5rdxaa9q586nvr

Primal’s full release announcement and video can be found here: nostr:note1lw2j7squs7enp92jh4p0tpygaycnsp5jjk5k23nra7cytrydse7sulgdse

Stay Classy Nostr.

@ 7e7224cf:d8febb7d

Hey bitcoiner!

Hot Off the Press:

🥔 Belarus vs p2p

📈 Bitcoin Depot Hits Nasdaq

🤖 Bitcoin Meets Ai

⚡️ Zaps are invincible

😵 Twitter Stumbles, Zuck to the Rescue?

📱 Post GIFs with Damus

Mempool:

Lightning:

Mining:

🥔 Belarus Takes on P2P Payments

Belarus plans to ban p2p payments.

Belarus is making moves to implement a law that could put a speed bump in your peer-to-peer bitcoin (and shitcoin) transactions. They're pulling up their socks to combat fraud, and the plan is to keep all bitcoin exchanges inside the Belarusian High Technology Park (BHTP). That's their version of maintaining control and transparency.

This situation might seem laughable or grim, depending on how you look at it. While completely banning P2P bitcoin payments is implausible, things could get more difficult for KYC-cleared users. Turning your Bitcoin into dirty fiat might become a puzzle.

So, for all of you who haven't yet revealed your details, or have and want to fix the situation, you might want to check out platforms like Hodl Hodl. It's the perfect time to think about privacy and break away from centralized KYC repositories for good. Avoid the creep!

---

📈 Bitcoin Depot Hits Nasdaq

Bitcoin ATM operator Bitcoin Depot goes public on Nasdaq

This move comes hot on the heels of a successful merger with GSR II Meteora. Shares of the Atlanta, Georgia-based Bitcoin Depot have now officially kicked off trading on the Nasdaq exchange, sporting the ticker "BTM". This makes Bitcoin Depot the trailblazer as the first Bitcoin ATM operator to be listed on a major US stock exchange. Operating over 6,000 ATMs, they're making a sizeable impact on the North American scene.

It's pretty fascinating to see how the Bitcoin ATMs are evolving. With no direct counterparts, these machines offer a valuable lifeline for those aiming to convert to cash without the hassle of KYC procedures, and even manage to do it offline. Imagine if these Bitcoin ATMs didn't exist - we'd have a rather glum picture. However, going public might attract more regulatory eyes, adding a touch of controversy to the whole situation.

---

🤖 Bitcoin Meets AI

AI can now send and receive bitcoin.

Thanks to some pretty cool tools from Lightning Labs, AI - including the GPT series by OpenAI - will be able to send and receive bitcoins. This exciting development opens up a whole new world of opportunities, allowing for quick and affordable transactions through the Lightning Network. We're starting to see some promising use cases pop up, such as API access fees and some exciting potential applications for enterprises and SaaS.

But hold onto your hats, because Nostr is taking things up a notch! Just a couple of days ago Pablo gave us a sneak peek of a shiny new feature for his Highlighter app. As soon as this week, you'll be able to give the Highlighter app a YouTube video link, and then it's game on! You'll get to pit AIs against each other in a friendly competition. The bots will supply you with transcripts, and you'll get to choose and pay for the one that offers the best bang for your buck. Plus, if Highlighter comes across any previously paid options, you can check them out for free:

nostr:note1zwwmjqpaymqhjlq0tjezcyhpcx0hyh4m3u5p54tm7mmfxaqg03pq3w3d6g

Nostr is truly evolving into more than just decentralized social media. Apps built on Nostr are knocking it out of the park, with Pablo's Highlighter and nsecBunker leading the charge. Exciting times! Wanna know more? Check out these guides by Tony: Highlighter | nsecBunker

---

Byte-size Buzz:

• Israel exempts non-residents from bitcoin sales tax.

• BlackRock re-filed its application for a spot bitcoin ETF.

• UAE has significantly increased its share of global mining, reaching 4% of the total hashrate.

• Bitcoin network fees dropped as low as 5 sat/vbyte this week.

• OpenSats announced long-term support for Bitcoin Core developers and grants to Nostr developers.

⚡️ Zaps are Inevitable

The Nostr devs have found a way around Apple's roadblocks. Hooray for note zaps, they're back in action, no matter what the bigwigs want!

nostr:npub1u8lnhlw5usp3t9vmpz60ejpyt649z33hu82wc2hpv6m5xdqmuxhs46turz has launched an ingenious project called ZapplePay that cleverly transforms reactions or emojis into zaps. In the face of Apple's increasing dominance over Nostr apps supporting zaps, this solution is a real game-changer. And guess what? Getting it all set up is a breeze! You can find the easy-peasy guide right here: nostr: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

We're on a roll, folks! Sure, duking it out with the tech titans isn't exactly a Sunday picnic, but hey, technology is on our side. Open source projects are the superheroes of the tech world - no matter what, they keep on going! Why? Because they're like a many-headed hydra - cut off one head, another pops up. And the moment a useful piece of open source code hits the scene, it instantly spreads to hundreds, even thousands of computers, where it's used, tinkered with, and further developed. That's the power of the people!

---

😵 Twitter Stumbles, Zuck to the Rescue?

Amid Twitter's troubles the crowds rushed to the newly minted rival site from Instagram. But it clearly wasn't the best decision.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Mark Zuckerberg - the man who "borrowed" the Facebook concept - has swooped in to launch a rival platform to Twitter at just the right moment. His gamble paid off, with a whopping 100 million users already flocking to his new platform. But the real question is, can Threads really be the solution to Twitter users' woes? Some red flags have already popped up: during registration, users are required to link their Instagram account to the app. And here's a little fine print they conveniently glossed over - if you delete Threads, your Instagram account goes kaput, too.

Honestly, it's a toss-up which platform is the worse choice. Have a peek at the data Zuck's behemoth is hoarding:

Shockingly, even reps of tech industry giants seem to be in the dark about the real implications. Here's what the folks at Verbatim had to say about this in a Slack chat amongst big brand marketers:

"Who cares about data when we have a new place for brands to chat with each other! Data shmata." - Verbatim

nostr:note1ut0t0u0ezw4qqhw3m7jffzz9kfxqjuvht2x5j4rv79tdl6hkhkequcdwj7

It's rather disturbing how folks hop from one "solution" to another without pausing to understand what's really going on or weighing up the pros and cons. It's clear as day that Twitter's troubles stemmed from ill-conceived attempts to centrally "revive" the site. This chain of poor decisions, on top of the already tough situation Twitter was in, only led to more user dissatisfaction. Do people really expect a different outcome here? Those who truly want a solution should give Nostr a whirl.

---

Byte-sized buzz:

• Habla News has got a new logo.

nostr:note1e8huwxxxnvqy7y8yz8tngxlvrdx87ztajwtcg5h8468xv87fwrqqrpw4t3

• Nostr Plebs, had to take a break from welcoming new users due to high influx of sign-up requests.

nostr:note1jddlsnhksqxj2lefqqfc3szakujacdvf2z63erj2tp5hm2gf0jesht7239

• Damus saw 20,000 new users in 2 days. The total number of views and reactions on the App Store has already surpassed 100,000.

nostr:note1djxcmsnkqhw69n5sgtpt7e7gaew7gfld4ulzd04cwyhxm7w3cw0qauy04s

• Apple called developers of Nostur and Plebstr, to remove the note zaps.

nostr:nevent1qqs2tprz2ufdfy58scwfu53hd3ezdl7uvc28x4vkcs9fuqsv93azgqszyzd7p0swvnfc52dfemy6tj80tkrnc2l62d32fd2cmf0ldx7rewupu6t0cku

nostr:note1eg9cepsse2p26hy9wdvl8p7nps4nz8xuuhljvq7s6kwsuxjqmcjsuac3yh

• France's National Assembly passed Article 3 of the Justice Bill, which allows authorities to remotely activate phones' cameras and microphones without users' knowledge.

• Everyone had the opportunity to join in on nostr:npub1getal6ykt05fsz5nqu4uld09nfj3y3qxmv8crys4aeut53unfvlqr80nfm community call this past Thursday, where we chatted about loads of exciting developments and future plans. Interested in catching the next one? Be sure to follow their Nostr account so you won't miss out!

Bitcoin:

• Lightning Prisms library allowing splitting LN payments between users has been published.

• LNbits introduced a number of improvements aimed to increase the tool's security.

• Version 1.0.10 of the privacy-focused Stacks Duo wallet has been released.

• A beta version of the Wallby wallet has been launched.

• Bitcoin hashrate hit a new ATH.

Nostr:

• Zappdit has introduced support for custom zaps.

nostr:note19zrmtmyn8w6yae2gxte77gen67e2u5s26l3dyl4tgayu8rsrvpvqa6xhhk

• Nostr Kiwi added support for one-tap zaps.

nostr:note1vadcmnmvww4mxtkwng7kf0wxlwca8vqw09wxvdrs56z5ddecvxsq207y0l

• Nostr Band rolled out zaps support.

nostr:note1r288005489zj2hkz2wt6qpzypwremsz9l8lkalxeta0s7mp0f9uqjjh9mh

• A first-ever Nostr documentary has been announced.

nostr:nevent1qqsyee5e6n7dyfxvt6ytyz0k5a5p9dm84zszpcndsmzy9adrpaz402qpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ukzcnvv5hx7un89umaf656

• Support for private list items has been added to Listr.

nostr:note1sewaq59zluswey5trgptgkv65srxns59fzfjhznlqh547a5q0mdsakrwwq

• nsecBunker added notifications to admins via DMs.

nostr:note1ulukcm9hr7uld9fwu5cfm9gs2j3uyulj35hfr7d66verc4awmsasm76jqh

• The new Nostr client Lume has been released.

• Primal is now open source.

Nostr Talks by DK with JeffG on Listr.lol and Nostr education:

---

Money Matters: nostr:npub1cn4t4cd78nm900qc2hhqte5aa8c9njm6qkfzw95tszufwcwtcnsq7g3vle interviews nostr:npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m in the first episode of his new show:

📱 Post GIFs with Damus

Thanks to a shortcut from Sam Samskis, it's now very convenient to post gifs in apps like Damus.

nostr:note1rh6tsnte4s7jd5mv5enztumyghsx4qwsuxgafvn0u864ytyk2apsh0ptae

Those who don't want to use Siri can go to the "Accessibility" section and set up a double tap on the back of the phone to activate the shortcut. That way when you double tap, it will open up Tenor where you can search for the gifs you want, copy the links to them and paste them into the note you want. Video of the usage in the post above.

Link to shortcut: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/49d53bdaeebb4dcf8a65a3003f16f87d

---

Enjoyed this week's digest? Zap it!

@ 180a6d42:36cf5693

---

This mini-guide aims to help you choose between a selection of Bitcoin lightning network (LN) wallets with an additional focus on working toward becoming unruggable through self-custody. No need to overthink, self-custody means: writing down and safely storing 12/24 words (aka 'seedphrase') offline, on paper/metal.

---

TL;DR. use WoS/LN.tips (transact📱) x Phoenix (save📱, self-custodial)

---

LN wallets (a selection)

Self-custodial LN wallets:

a. Phoenix app (📱, acts as a LN node*)

b. Breez (📱, acts as a LN node*)

c. Muun (📱, acts as a LN node*)

d. Zeus (📱, LN url)**

Custodial (by default) LN wallets:

a. Alby (browser extension, LN url)**

b. LN.tips (Telegram bot, LN url)**

c. Wallet of Satoshi (📱, LN url, use fresh email to sign-up)

d. ZBD (📱💻, LN url, kyc-free up to 500k sats)

---

sats= satoshi's (fractions of a bitcoin, e.g. 21.000 sats is 0.00021 BTC) LN url = Lightning address to add to your Nostr account to enable >receiving< Zaps

uses e.g. a big company LN node or submarine swaps *lightning node remote control apps: can also connect to self-hosted LN node

---

So to be clear, you have lightning wallets that act as (a) a wallet, (b) a self-custodial lightning wallet AND a lightning node on your phone, (c) a lightning node remote control app (if you run and self-host a LN node on a dedicated device).

---

Why choose custodial? It is only a temporary solution showing the power of LN where channels are already established and robust, is my conclusion. Be aware that there are major security/privacy trade-offs when using custodial wallets. However, if you're someone who's new to Nostr and/or bitcoin, and you e.g. want to enable receiving Zaps, it's obvious you play around with a custodial one with a smaller amount of sats first (let's say, up to ~ 21k sats/ 50$). I don't think it's realistic to expect someone new to this network to magically and instantly know how to spin up a LN node and manage channels. This is something that takes time to learn.

Unless you only use self-custodial LN wallets, it is advised to have your sats divided on more than one custodial wallet in case one of the hosted LN nodes temporarily goes down (not often) and you still want to transact at that moment.

Why choose self-custodial? When you're looking to learn more and/or if you plan to send/receive more substantial amounts of sats (e.g. for business) then you're ultimately going to want to learn to run a self-hosted node, preferably through Tor. Find trustworthy tutorials here.

A self-hosted node allows you to save on transaction fees; truly be in control of your bitcoin; and, protect yourself wrt third-party privacy violations. Know that you'll have to invest some time in learning and money in gear/gadgets in order to run your own (LN) node (~$200-$400).

What other choices do I have? If you're not ready to run a LN node just yet, you can also choose to go for one of the self-custodial wallets listed that act as a LN node on your mobile (e.g. Phoenix). The transaction fees are a bit higher than with custodial wallets but this is related to the wallet acting as a lightning node on your phone (e.g. with Phoenix you have to top-up the wallet with a minimum of 10.000 sats initially of which 3000 sats will be deducted in order to have the system open up lightning channels for you). A small price to pay for not having to have to run your own, self-hosted Bitcoin Lightning Node and managing it. Know that running your own lightning node has similar costs.

Tip: You can now deposit funds to self-custody on Lightning with Phoenix wallet for less than 500 sats when conditions are optimal* (compared to the previous 3000 sat/1%). They also made the LN<->onchain swaps trustless.

---

Summary

Here's a recommended Bitcoin wallet setup focussed on self-custody without having to have to run your own, self-hosted Bitcoin LN node:

Transacting bitcoin LN/L2 (active📱): Wallet of Satoshi and LN.tips

only use temporary, small amount of sats; custodial, but supports LN url

↕

Saving bitcoin, LN/L2 (passive📱): Phoenix wallet

self-custodial, easy, can swap LN↔on-chain, supports Tor

watch and learn: https://youtu.be/cbtAmevYpdM?t=223

↕

Saving bitcoin, Layer 1 aka on-chain (passive💻):

deep, air-gapped, cold storage (e.g. Seedsigner, Coldcard)

---

For a more extensive LN wallets comparison guide outside the scope of only Nostr, click here (would not recommend if you're new to all this; can be overwhelming).

---

Link to this blog: https://lnshort.it/lnwalletguidenostr

Find me on Nostr: matata@nostrplebs.com

---

@ 7f5c2b4e:a818d75d

The Problem

Key delegation has been a hot topic in the Nostr community for ages now. Even though Nostr is a new protocol, things are moving so fast that it feels like it's been years since it was launched. If you think about it in terms of regular social media, it's easy to see why this feature is so important. It's like being able to give someone the keys to your house but still being the one who's in charge. A good example of this is how nsecBunker is helping nostr:npub10eezfnlq4ad2lyf3478na8f5las4l7guuf55vs8378lwtk87hd7slf6zka run a shared Nostr account. But that's just one use case. There are a lot more possibilities, and we're going to discuss some of them in this post.

Legacy solutions

The centralized nature of many platforms simplifies the problem of key management. Social media platforms like Facebook Business Manager, Twitter Business, and LinkedIn Pages offer built-in tools for delegating roles to team members without divulging original login credentials. Third-party platforms like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social further streamline this process, enabling management of multiple accounts, scheduling posts, and assigning roles, all without compromising the security of original credentials.

For more technical solutions there are services like Amazon Key Management Service (KMS). KMS helps generate, control, and manage cryptographic keys used for data encryption. With KMS, you can create Customer Master Keys (CMKs), define usage policies, and set up automatic yearly rotation. When data is encrypted, KMS generates a data key, encrypts it with the CMK, and provides you with both plaintext and encrypted versions of the data key. The plaintext key is used for data encryption, then discarded, leaving only the encrypted data key. To decrypt, the encrypted data key is sent back to KMS, which decrypts it into plaintext, given the necessary permissions. This system is employed by many businesses and media outlets to ensure secure access and compliance.

However, while these traditional systems are robust, they leave the end-user dependent on the service provider, who retains the ability to revoke access at their discretion. And this is precisely the problem Nostr is trying to fix.

The Nostr Way

The First Attempt

The first attempt that received serious attention in this direction was NIP-26. It introduced a new 'delegation' tag that enables events to be delegated and signed by other keypairs. This proposal is meant to abstract the use of 'root' keypairs when interacting with clients, with the idea that a user could generate new keypairs for each client they wish to use and authorize those keypairs to generate events on behalf of their root public key, where the root keypair is stored in cold storage​.

However, NIP-26 has been critiqued for its implications on key management. Arguably, the best explanation of the corresponding problems was layed out by nostr:npub180cvv07tjdrrgpa0j7j7tmnyl2yr6yr7l8j4s3evf6u64th6gkwsyjh6w6 in his "Why I don't like NIP-26 as a solution for key management" post here. Initially, NIP-26 was praised for its optional nature. However, as NIP-26 began to be seen as a universal solution for key management on Nostr, it started to raise concerns. The concept entailed users generating a secure, offline key to sign delegation tags for each Nostr app, potentially rotating them periodically. This approach would make these keys "faceless entities" only identifiable by their master key, significantly changing the user experience and expectations from NIP-26.

This shift in approach would effectively render NIP-26 mandatory for usability, turning it from an optional enhancement to a necessary implementation for clients. This would remove the flexibility of choice and potentially complicate the protocol. Furthermore, while NIP-26 could provide some solutions in the realm of key management, it's not seen as a comprehensive solution. It's suggested that a multitude of key management methods could be more effective, maintaining the optional nature and possibly presenting a more elegant solution. There's an argument that if a mandatory key delegation method is indeed necessary for Nostr, an alternative design might be more optimized and easier to implement than NIP-26.

The Promising Alternative

NIP-26, while a noteworthy attempt, seemed to diverge from the core philosophy of Nostr. This discrepancy highlighted the need for an alternative solution that would respect this foundational principle and avoid precipitating Nostr down a slippery slope of mandatory adherence.

This is where nsecBunker, introduced by nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft, provides a compelling proposition. As the name suggests, nsecBunker enables users to establish and self-host their own bunker allowing them to manage Nostr keys. This Bunker can communicate with the user interface on your device, facilitating the creation of target keys, sharing them with corresponding Nostr users, and offering granular control over their interactions with the protocol.

Crucially, the implementation of nsecBunker does not necessitate significant changes in the builds of existing clients, preserving the opt-in nature of Nostr. Beyond adhering to Nostr's core principles, nsecBunker also holds potential to enhance user experiences and provide improved functionality, aspects I will elaborate on shortly.

How Does This Work?

nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft elaborates on the core concept behind nsecBunker:

nostr:note1uxjpstcw5ldxrlfzqvqs3nqqpvyumajz4r5elmaf8ffmjyu342qqwsn0yd

At a high level, this model bears similarities to the traditional Amazon KMS approach, albeit with certain distinct nuances. For a deep dive into the technical intricacies of this model, I recommend checking out nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft's work-in-progress SECURITY-MODEL.md on GitHub.

To put it simply, nsecBunker is a daemon that facilitates remote event signing. It operates with two types of keys: user keys and nsecBunker keys. The bunker key interacts with the admin UI and only communicates with the pre-defined (admin) npub. Notably, this key doesn't store sensitive information or hold specific power -- it poses no threat to key material even if compromised.

The user key, on the other hand, is used for signing purposes. These keys are encrypted with a passphrase following the same approach as LND. This passphrase is mandatory every time nsecBunker is initiated, and losing it equates to losing access to the keys.

During setup, the administrator pre-approves a key (or a set of keys) for communication with the nsecBunker. The administrator(s) then create target keys to distribute to the intended users. These users can interact with the Nostr infrastructure without ever accessing the private keys of the account they're using. Let's walk through the process of setting up a Bunker.

Running nsecBunker

Paid Subscription

The easiest way to run nsecBunker is to purchase a paid subscription. The process is very easy and intuitive and, thanks to Lightning Network, it does not require you to share any sensitive data, such as IDs or bank card details. Scan a lightning invoice and get access to your own bunker in seconds:

1. Navigate to https://app.nsecbunker.com/ and press “Buy one here”:

1. Click “Next”

1. Paste your public key (or a few keys) you’d like to be in control of the target keys. The keys you’ll specify will be able to grant full or granular permission to target keys which, in turn, will be able to post on behalf of the admin account. The admin key will be able to, but have to be the same key that you’ll be signing as later on. This means that you will be able to create a target key to interact with Nostr and have it look like your account is the one that is logging in / posting / liking / etc., or a totally separate target key, which will be like a child account of yours, and won’t be linked to you for the outside world.

1. Specify how many users you’d like to be able to sign Nostr events with the Bunker you are creating. The number of end users directly affects the yearly fee rate.

1. Pay the lightning invoice

1. That’s it – your keys management fortress is ready to be utilized.

Here's a quick demo on setting up and using your nsecBunker by nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft:

Alternatively, if you are confident in your tech skills, you can build your own nsecBunker. It’s an open source project, meaning that anyone can spin up their own version.

Docker setup

To quickly install nsecBunker via Docker run:

``` docker run -d --name nsecbunkerd pablof7z/nsecbunkerd start --admin

```

nsecBunker will give you a connection string like:

``` bunker://npub1tj2dmc4udvgafxxxxxxxrtgne8j8l6rgrnaykzc8sys9mzfcz@relay.nsecbunker.com

```

Visit https://app.nsecbunker.com/ to administrate your nsecBunker remotely. For details see the GitHub repository here.

Setting up your Connection

After procuring the string, navigate to https://app.nsecbunker.com/. Log in using your preferred NIP-07 browser extension. Ensure the Nostr account (nsec) you're using is the same one that is designated as the administrator. The bunker is designed in such a way that it will not reply or even recognize if anyone other than the administrator npub is trying to communicate with it.

Input the connection string into the required field and hit 'Login'.

As you can see, I left my connection string visible in the screenshot above. This is to showcase that it doesn't require protection and is simply a way of connecting to your bunker. The security model here relies on your npub being the only entity with an administrative account.

You'll land on the following screen:

https://nostr.build/p/nb10013.png

Click the "Keys'' tab. If you see a "Loading" message under the "Keys" title, simply refresh the page, and you should see the "No keys created yet" message.

If after clicking the "Keys" tab button you do not see the "No keys created yet" message, that means there is some problem with the setup. It could be the mismatch of the pubs or the bunker could be offline.

You are now set to create and manage target keys (the npubs you will be able to share).

Creating a Key

Click on "Add Key". This will reveal a pop-up prompting for information necessary to create a new target access key.

https://nostr.build/p/nb10015.png

The Key name is self-explanatory: it helps distinguish your target keys.

The need to fill up the Nsec field depends on how you plan to use nsecBunker. If you leave the 'Nsec' field empty, a new Nostr account will be created. This lets you manage how the target key owner interacts with Nostr. But if you already have an account and want to give someone else access, you can do that by entering the private key for that account into the bunker. It's a similar result, but uses an existing account instead of creating a new one.

The Passphrase is crucial for encrypting your keys and securing communications. Every time your bunker restarts you will need a passphrase to enter the admin panel. Treat it with the same caution you'd exercise with your private key - without it, access to your managed keys is lost.

With these steps completed, you can now share the public key with the owner of the target account.

Activating the Target Account

To start posting with a target key, users should visit https://coracle.social/ and click the "Advanced Login" button, followed by "Log in with Nsec Bunker".

https://nostr.build/i/c493ee745080ad4fd58a5c796792cadb491a0f194adc478bc7735399fb386c04.png

Enter the npub or a token received from the Bunker administrator.

https://nostr.build/i/7106719c873683c21a970662ecf3ebf95149b774efd0f36b8c1efcc16c8dbb99.png

The standard account setup process applies here (in case of a new account), but stay in touch with the Bunker administrator, as they must approve all new interactions.

The nsecBunker Admin UI displays the authorization request for 30 seconds, implying the need for synchronous coordination with the person requesting permission.

While tokens do not require any authorization (more on this below), if you first log in to https://coracle.social/ with the npub , the administrator will receive an authorization request...

https://nostr.build/p/nb10017.png

...and will be prompted to name this session.

https://nostr.build/p/nb10018.png

Each subsequent interaction will also generate a request in the admin UI. You can either authorize interactions by event kind - Always allow - or bulk-authorize all future interactions - Always allow signing all kinds - (yet to be enabled).

The "Always allow" feature signifies that the administrator is required to authorize each event type just a single time. For instance, if a user wishes to post a note, which is kind 1 event, the administrator's authorization is needed only once for this specific event type. Subsequently, the user can post additional notes without requiring further permissions. Please be aware that as the tool progresses, the precision of access permissions will be further refined.

https://nostr.build/p/nb10019.png

Introduction of Policies (see below) streamlines the system by allowing the issuance of an authorization token for the receiver, making administrators' lives much easier.

That's it. The target account owner can now interact with Nostr users without ever touching private keys. See the note below, which was posted by a co-author of nostr:npub10eezfnlq4ad2lyf3478na8f5las4l7guuf55vs8378lwtk87hd7slf6zka, who does not have access to the Herald's private key:

nostr:note1hmz72mg8d2hegpj0npungypqsv3wqtffjq3q3duwmk5zcha860uqnx0mx0

For the video tutorial on setting up the nsecBunker check out this video by Pablo:

If you opt for the "Always allow all kinds" option, the setup process will only need to be performed once. Target account owners can then interact with other Nostr users without further assistance. However, if the managed account owner logs out of Coracle and logs back in, the setup process needs to be repeated for security reasons.

Tokens

Tokens allow you to issue permissions to users, which they apply to an npub of their choosing without requiring interactivity. Creating tokens is super simple:

1. Head over to the Keys tab;
2. Click on the Tokens button;

https://nostr.build/i/c190e60cb125dd418f7db649678b1f083b314df3bf898caecff59291b0e6a85f.png

1. Click Add Token

https://nostr.build/i/be1c2d723d7f9e4c0849634cdeed037e3b3f0e0db728eafac270edd392097234.png

1. Fill up required fields

2. Client name is required for your own reference

3. Policy lets you choose which rights you'd like to grant to the token holder
4. Set an expiry date if you'd like
5. Hit Create Token

https://nostr.build/i/a046336915eba2bd6748188e86aa6eb3d387fb7d0dc48dc8645772f1fdd5cfc1.png

Policies

The latest update to nsecBunker has introduced the "Policies" tab, a feature that enhances the authorization process and gives administrators more detailed control over permissions. This addition enables the creation of access tokens to distribute to account holders. Each token can be customized to permit certain event types, set an expiration date for the token holder's privileges, and even define the number of times user's interactions can be authorized.

To leverage this new feature, navigate to the "Policies" tab and select "New Policy":

https://nostr.build/p/nb10298.png

Give your new policy a name and a short description...

https://nostr.build/p/nb10299.png

• The "Method" dropdown menu provides a way to refine the assigned permissions. While the default "Sign Event" option will suit most users, if you want to restrict the user to only engage with Direct Messages or the Highlighter, select the appropriate option. For instance, using the "Encrypt" method provides the user with permissions to send Direct Messages (DMs) and to generate Highlighter events, such as private notes. Conversely, the "Decrypt" option enables the user to access and read Direct Messages and other encrypted data that is specifically intended for the private key owner.

• Within the "Permission" menu, you have the flexibility to either permit all actions or, as demonstrated in the above screenshot, restrict the user to only publishing long-form posts. This functionality could be beneficial, for instance, if you are delegating your blogging responsibilities and prefer the copywriter to not have access to other areas of your account. 

• The "Usage count" setting allows you to control the number of interactions the target account can perform.

Select "Add Policy" followed by "Save Policy". As illustrated below, your chosen settings will generate various types of access tokens, each with distinct rights and descriptions. The token at the top of the screenshot, for example, restricts the holder to only publishing long-form posts, while the token at the bottom grants the holder full access:

https://nostr.build/p/nb10300.png

Navigate to the "Keys" tab and select the key to which you wish to assign rights, as outlined by the policy you created. Note that you'll need to unlock the key first by pressing the corresponding button and entering your nsecBunker passphrase. Click on "Tokens"

https://nostr.build/p/nb10301.png

Select the policy you wish to assign to the key and, if desired, set an expiration time:

https://nostr.build/p/nb10302.png

Click on "Create Token". A token, which takes the form of a Nostr public key, will be generated. You can now share this token with the intended user:

https://nostr.build/p/nb10303.png

For a live demonstration of this feature, check out Pablo's video:

Use Cases

"The possibilities of nsec bunker are endless." - nostr:npub1jlrs53pkdfjnts29kveljul2sm0actt6n8dxrrzqcersttvcuv3qdjynqn

The pace of development in the Nostr ecosystem is impressive. Just a day after the release of nsecBunker, nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft integrated Bunker support into another one of his creations - the Highlighter.

nostr:note1u8x403llme28vpnsz83las60rgfuw2ht9hcf5tsscl3lnfgdlvkqu3096n

You can find out more about this super efficient productivity tool in my earlier guide here: nostr: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. As the Highlighter was recently redesigned, my guide needs some updates, but it's still a great resource to understand what Highlighter is and how it functions.

The revamped Highlighter is loaded with new features, such as Lists, Highlights, Private Notes, and of course, the nsecBunker login option. With this feature, you can log into the app without ever disclosing your private key to either the app or the NIP-07 extension provider.

The integration of Highlighter with nsecBunker paves the way to nostr applications that work seamlessly with browsers that don't have a NIP-07 extension, as is the case in most cases on mobile, massively lowering the adoption of Nostr among a general, less tech-savvy, audience.

To use this feature, click on "Sign in" instead of logging in with your browser extension...

https://nostr.build/p/nb10150.png

...and enter the npub you got with the nsecBunker:

https://nostr.build/p/nb10154.png

As the administrator approves your connection you get logged in. The process here is identical to the one I described for Coracle.

https://nostr.build/p/nb10155.png

Take note, with the introduction of Policies, the Highlighter - fully integrated with nsecBunker - also supports the fine-tuning of corresponding permissions:

https://nostr.build/p/nb10304.png

Highlighter showcases just one of many use cases of nsecBunker. Here are some more, but keep in mind that I'm only giving you a brief overview of the tool's potential:

1. Separate Accounts for Different Use Cases: nsecBunker enhances your security model by allowing you to retain your private key while using different Nostr clients.

2. Collective Social Media Account Management: nsecBunker can be used by journalist teams or companies to collectively run social media accounts, increasing user awareness of their products or services.

3. Child Control: Parents can utilize nsecBunker to set up accounts for their children, ensuring they adhere to family practices.

4. Burner Accounts: nsecBunker enables you to create specific accounts for specific use cases, all under your control.

5. Corporate Accounts: Businesses can generate keys for their employees, allotting rights specific to their positions.

However, the applications of nsecBunker are not limited to these. For example, one exciting possibility that emerged shortly after nsecBunker's release was the potential solution to creating private groups within the Nostr community. As nostr:npub1jlrs53pkdfjnts29kveljul2sm0actt6n8dxrrzqcersttvcuv3qdjynqn astutely observed, the possibilities with nsecBunker are indeed endless. Have a look at his long form post here: nostr: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 

Supported clients

Here's a list of Nostr clients supporting nsecBunker (keep in mind that new clients are actively adding support of this tool, so the list may not always be extensive, feel free to leave comments if you see that some clients are missing):

• Kiwi
• Snort
• Coracle

Note that every client that offers you to login with a so-called "NIP-46" supports nsecBunker login.

Nostr = Everything × Freedom

Harnessing the unparalleled power of the most advanced currency humanity has ever seen, Nostr is an open and censorship-resistant protocol that promotes freedom of expression and allows you to stay anonymous. Its very foundation is rooted in open-source principles, making the collective knowledge and experience gathered through its development accessible to all. The protocol itself, along with most Nostr applications, are open-source. This allows anyone to contribute, adapt, or even build upon existing developments to create something uniquely their own. This is where the true power of censorship-resistant, open-source software resides - it's unstoppable.

Legacy systems, bound by their proprietary constraints, simply cannot compete with the collective intellectual power of what began as a cypherpunk movement and has now blossomed into a vibrant community of dedicated individuals. These individuals are committed to bettering the world, rather than merely filling their pockets with others' hard-earned money. Together, we are paving the way towards a future where freedom of speech and self-sovereignty are the norm, and the fruits of our labor contribute to societal progress. This collective effort fosters the creation of tools that empower us to build better, move faster, and grow stronger. More on this in my post here: nostr: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.

We invite you to join this peaceful revolution. Participate in the growth of permissionless protocols, contribute to open-source software, and share your ideas to further enhance this vibrant ecosystem. Together, we are not just evolving technology - we are shaping a more open, inclusive, and equitable future.

---

Like what nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft is building? Make sure to support him!

• Pablo's Nostr account: nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft 

• Pablo's site: https://pablof7z.com/

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

À medida que os reguladores combatem esquemas de pirâmide de criptomoedas, o Bitcoin sai vencedor

Bitcoin #criptomoedas #Tecnologia #Mundo

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/a-medida-que-os-reguladores-combatem?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Instagram's Threads App Alcança 100 Milhões de Usuários em Apenas Cinco Dias

InstagramThreads #Mundo #Tecnologia

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/instagrams-threads-app-alcanca-100?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Ethereum Stakeado Alcança 20% do Fornecimento Total, Revela Relatório

Ethereum #criptomoedas #Mundo #Noticias

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/ethereum-stakeado-alcanca-20-do-fornecimento?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 8412613c:df65608a

Si la miseria de nuestros pobres no es causada por las leyes de la naturaleza, sino por nuestras instituciones, grande es nuestro pecado. -Charles Darwin.

En el año 2009, un personaje misterioso que se hizo llamar Satoshi Nakamoto mostró al mundo que el dinero en efectivo digital es posible. A tal innovación, Nakamoto le llamó Bitcoin. La llegada de Bitcoin marca un hito en la historia de la humanidad porque finalmente los individuos son capaces de mirar desde afuera el sistema financiero en el cual se encuentran sumergidos. Sin embargo, 14 años después de la aparición de Bitcoin, son pocos quienes han decidido profundizar en el estudio de lo que esta tecnología representa, y muchos todavía mantienen la idea errónea de que Bitcoin es solamente un activo altamente especulativo sin ninguna utilidad para la sociedad.

Bitcoin toca muchas áreas del conocimiento humano como criptografía, ciencia computacional, teoría de juegos, física, economía, política, filosofía, derecho, entre otros. Por lo tanto, con el fin de reducir el alcance de este ensayo, presentaré mi criterio acerca de la importancia de Bitcoin desde un enfoque un tanto filosófico, que es el de trascendencia y cambio de perspectiva del individuo una vez que éste comprende la naturaleza y el alcance de Bitcoin. Para esto, hago una breve reseña acerca del dinero, donde se encuentra la raíz del problema social, económico y político actual, el papel de Bitcoin en la solución y la opinión de expertos de esta tecnología a lo largo del documento. Además, menciono cómo creo que los efectos de Bitcoin podrían tener un impacto a largo plazo de forma colectiva en nuestra sociedad y en la experiencia humana en general.

Dinero

El dinero es uno de los mayores instrumentos de libertad que jamás haya inventado el ser humano. -F.A. Hayek.

Es imposible vislumbrar el papel e importancia de Bitcoin en el mundo si no se comprende la razón de la existencia del dinero y el problema que resuelve. Por medio del dinero, los humanos logran la cooperación y coordinación social, ya que por medio de su uso, es posible llegar a acuerdos para realizar intercambios entre distintas partes que no confían entre sí. El dinero se puede considerar como una tecnología, entendiendo por tecnología, una herramienta que permite hacer algo que no se podía hacer antes de su existencia. El problema que resuelve el dinero es el problema de la confianza.

Los humanos tienen dos formas para interactuar con extraños cuando desean obtener aquello que el otro tiene: recurrir a la violencia (robo) o realizar un intercambio pacífico y voluntario usando un bien en el cual ambas partes confíen, tal bien es el dinero. Además, un humano puede interactuar consigo mismo a través del tiempo por medio del ahorro, que es materializar en un bien su tiempo y energía invertido en un instante determinado, con el fin de utilizarlo en un momento posterior. Sin embargo, para esto es necesario un bien que no sea devaluado con el paso del tiempo, por lo tanto, debe ser un buen depósito de valor. Si un bien cumple con las funciones de depósito de valor, medio de cambio y unidad de cuenta, y con las propiedades de escasez, durabilidad, aceptabilidad, portabilidad, divisibilidad y fungibilidad, a este bien se le conoce como buen dinero.

La existencia de un bien que permita la interacción entre extraños y con el individuo mismo a través del tiempo, hace posible el desarrollo de la civilización humana, con la libertad como núcleo esencial, puesto que de forma voluntaria y pacífica, los humanos pueden realizar transacciones entre sí. Lewis (2019) explica que: Más específicamente, el dinero es el bien que permite la especialización y la división del trabajo. Permite a las personas perseguir sus propios intereses; es la forma en que los individuos comunican sus preferencias al mundo, ya sea en el trabajo o en el ocio, y es lo que crea "la gama de opciones” que todos damos por sentado. Nuestra economía moderna se basa en la libertad que proporciona el dinero, pero el resultado final es un sistema altamente complejo y especializado (“The Function of Money”, párr. 3).

Si bien el dinero tiene un trasfondo social y es un fenómeno emergente del mercado, es importante resaltar que no es un sistema de creencias ni está basado solamente en el acuerdo entre personas. El dinero debe poseer las funciones y propiedades mencionadas anteriormente, tal como lo expresa Lewis (2020): Si cualquier individuo llega a tres conclusiones principales: i) el dinero es una necesidad básica, ii) el dinero no es una alucinación colectiva y, iii) los sistemas económicos convergen en un solo medio, ese individuo buscará más conscientemente la mejor forma de dinero. Es el dinero lo que preserva el valor en el futuro y, en última instancia, permite a las personas convertir su propio tiempo y sus propias habilidades en un rango de elección tan grande que a las generaciones previas les resultaría difícil imaginar (“Bitcoin Obsoletes All Other Money”, párr. 1). Agregando a lo anterior, el dinero tampoco necesita del Estado para su existencia, según Menger (1892): El dinero no es un invento del Estado. No es producto de un acto legislativo. En su origen, es una institución social y no estatal. La sanción por la autoridad estatal es una noción que le es ajena (“IX. Influence of the Sovereign Power”, párr. 1).

Una forma elegante de definir dinero y la señal que se transmite por medio de su uso, es realizada por Breedlove (2020): El dinero es una herramienta de expresión de valor: se utiliza para denominar valores de intercambio de mercado (precios) y es un medio por el cual comunicamos valores interpersonales. Cuando decides que un bien o servicio es lo suficientemente valioso en relación con su precio actual, lo compras y el mercado responde produciendo más de lo que has comprado o haciendo que su precio suba (o ambas cosas)... Vender, por supuesto, causa lo contrario... De esta manera, el comercio remodela la relevancia de los elementos en el mundo que nos rodea (“The Way of Hope”, párr. 3). Por lo tanto, el dinero es la forma que tenemos los humanos para expresar nuestras preferencias, de ahí la necesidad de tener una señal sin interferencia.

La humanidad durante milenios ha llegado a la conclusión de que la mejor forma de dinero es el oro porque es el bien que mejor cumple con las funciones y propiedades mencionadas anteriormente. Sin embargo, el oro presenta deficiencias con su portabilidad, está sujeto a control y confiscación.

Cabe resaltar las palabras de Antonopoulos (2017) quien explica que se puede otorgar una cuarta función al dinero, que es la de “sistema de control”: Las funciones de depósito de valor, medio de intercambio y unidad de cuenta las conocemos por milenios. Pero en 1970, el presidente Richard Nixon firmó el Bank Secrecy Act[^1] y convirtió el dinero en un sistema de control. Un sistema de control que intenta utilizar el dinero como un arma política con el fin de controlar quién puede enviar y recibir dinero, a quién se le puede enviar, y cuyo objetivo final es la vigilancia completa de todas las transacciones alrededor del mundo… Completa vigilancia totalitaria. Este cambió que ocurrió hace 50 años ha penetrado gradualmente en todos los países del mundo, en cada servicio financiero del mundo y en cada banco del mundo… El área de servicios financieros se convirtió en una rama de cumplimiento de la ley… El dinero como sistema de control sustituye todas las otras funciones del dinero. Cuando el dinero se utiliza como una herramienta de cumplimiento, las otras funciones del dinero se comienzan a erosionar (“History of Money”, 1m27s).

La naturaleza de Bitcoin

He estado trabajando en un nuevo sistema de efectivo electrónico que es totalmente peer-to-peer, sin terceros de confianza. -Satoshi Nakamoto.

La naturaleza de Bitcoin fue expresada por Nakamoto desde su creación cuando se refirió a él como peer-to-peer electronic cash (Nakamoto, 2008). Bitcoin es dinero en efectivo digital, un sistema que funciona de forma coordinada, compuesto por su red (nodos, mineros y blockchain) y su unidad de valor, bitcoin. Las transacciones en dinero en efectivo son finales, irreversibles y se da la transferencia de un bien, así mismo sucede con las transacciones en Bitcoin. Además, para realizar transacciones con dinero en efectivo no es necesario que el usuario se identifique, de la misma forma ocurre con Bitcoin. No obstante, el usuario debe seguir buenas prácticas para mantener su privacidad cuando realiza transacciones. Estas son las razones por las que Bitcoin es tan revolucionario; es la primera vez que un tipo de dinero digital también posee estas características. Es necesario enfatizar que la descentralización e inmutabilidad de Bitcoin son propiedades emergentes del sistema y no dadas por el blockchain[^2]. Bitcoin no es una aplicación sobre blockchain technology. Bitcoin es la tecnología.

Otra cualidad importante de Bitcoin es que su unidad de valor es un activo al portador. Bitcoin representa un activo real, por lo tanto no está basado en deuda, así que no tiene riesgo de contraparte. En contraste con el dinero que utilizamos cotidianamente, incluyendo el efectivo, es parte de un sistema basado en crédito y del tipo fiat[^3], que es un mandato por parte de los gobiernos y bancos centrales.

Una analogía muy útil para comprender la magnitud de la innovación que representa Bitcoin es decir que Nakamoto creó el oro digital a través de Bitcoin, pues así como las propiedades químicas del oro no pueden cambiarse, las propiedades monetarias de Bitcoin (la cantidad total de unidades y el proceso de liberación de las mismas), tampoco pueden ser cambiadas; además, el uso de bitcoin como una nueva forma de dinero está emergiendo del mercado, por lo tanto, es muy interesante monitorear en tiempo real su proceso de adopción y reconocimiento de su naturaleza por parte de sus usuarios.

El problema que resuelve Bitcoin es el mismo que resuelve el dinero, la confianza. Actualmente, las recientes crisis inflacionarias, bancarias y la reacción de los entes gubernamentales ante ellas, han debilitado la confianza de los individuos en el sistema financiero tradicional o sistema fiat. Ahora más que nunca las personas se encuentran en la búsqueda de un bien en el que puedan depositar su riqueza de forma que no se vea afectado por eventos externos. Por esta razón, Bitcoin ha capturado el interés del público y se está comenzando a ver con seriedad como una alternativa ante este problema.

Bitcoin está atravesando por un proceso de monetización que indica el reconocimiento de su naturaleza como dinero por parte del mercado. Además, durante las fases tempranas de su adopción, el precio de su unidad de valor enfrenta gran volatilidad. El proceso de monetización de bitcoin hasta llegar a ser un medio de pago generalmente aceptado, podría ser caracterizado por cuatro fases: coleccionable, unidad de valor, medio de intercambio y unidad de cuenta.

Sin embargo, existen interesantes discusiones entre reconocidas figuras en el mundo Bitcoin quienes expresan que bitcoin nunca llegará a ser un medio de pago generalmente aceptado. La razón para esta postura, radica en que su oferta no se adapta a la demanda, consecuentemente, en que el sistema podría tener en sí una volatilidad intrínseca[^4]. Ante tal debate, mi posición es que Bitcoin sí logrará completar las fases del proceso de monetización y la clave para su éxito está en la red de Lightning[^5] porque permite y facilita el uso de bitcoin como medio de pago, y al igual que la red de Bitcoin, la red de Lightning está atravesando por un acelerado proceso de adopción. Así que eventualmente, creo que bitcoin se acabará convirtiendo en dinero global y de reserva, incluso llegando a desplazar al dólar estadounidense.

Bitcoin es un sistema voluntario

Puedes evitar la realidad, pero no puedes evitar las consecuencias de evitar la realidad. -Ayn Rand.

Strolight (2022) lanza la pregunta: ¿Por qué escoger Bitcoin como dinero? La respuesta a esta pregunta reside en el hecho que incluso puedes preguntarla (p.12). Bitcoin es una red mundial descentralizada, abierta y su uso por parte del usuario es voluntario. El único requisito para utilizar Bitcoin es seguir las reglas del protocolo. Bitcoin no discrimina y sus transacciones son resistentes a la censura, por lo tanto, es un sistema que se basa en la libertad de elección y de transacción del individuo.

Es interesante considerar que si Bitcoin completa su proceso de monetización y llega a convertirse en dinero global y de reserva, ¿entonces se podría decir que actualmente estaríamos viviendo en la fase de la historia de la humanidad cuando Bitcoin todavía es voluntario, pero más adelante, su uso terminará por ser una imposición? Un punto de vista interesante acerca de este tema es el siguiente: Bitcoin es obviamente mucho mejor que todas las otras opciones que tienes… y todos lo usarán, pero no porque sea impuesto. Solo porque algo es mejor tal que todos lo utilicen, no significa que sea impuesto en las personas. Es como la rueda: el círculo es la mejor opción para construir una rueda… Las personas no andan por ahí diciendo “me están forzando a usar una rueda circular”… La opción racional de actores racionales es escoger la mejor forma y la más apropiada (Konsensus Network, 2022, “Bitcoin’s strategic importance and surrounding ideas”, 54m58s). En mi opinión, Bitcoin es la mejor forma de dinero que jamás ha existido, omitir este hecho es negar la realidad, la naturaleza y funcionamiento de Bitcoin. Así que, la humanidad voluntariamente convergerá hacia él, de manera similar como ocurrió con el oro.

No robarás -Éxodo 20:15

Si la gente entendiese cómo funciona nuestro sistema bancario y financiero, creo que habría una revolución antes de mañana por la mañana. -Henry Ford.

En esta sección asumo que existen principios morales universales con los cuales los humanos coinciden y establecen como correctos, no robar es uno de ellos.

El dinero tiene un papel esencial en la moralidad humana, Strolight (2021) expresa: Hay que tener en cuenta que necesitamos dinero para ser morales a gran escala con grandes poblaciones. No podemos vivir una vida sin robar a menos que tengamos dinero. Robar requiere el inicio de la violencia, por lo que no podemos vivir una vida sin violencia sin dinero. Si lo piensas suficiente, verás que no podemos vivir una vida sin matar sin dinero, y si solo miras la historia, verás que cuando el dinero se derrumba, se producen muchos asesinatos. Quiero enfatizar esto nuevamente: ¡la moralidad humana a cualquier escala significativa y el comercio en lugar de tomar por la fuerza, no es posible sin dinero! (“Money 's Essential Role in Human Morality”, párr. 1-2).

De manera similar, Ammous (2018) expresa que existe una correlación entre la decadencia social y el tipo de dinero en circulación: La civilización humana floreció en tiempos y lugares donde el sound money fue ampliamente adoptado, mientras que el unsound money con frecuencia coincidió con decadencia social y colapso (p.24). Y define sound money como: Cualquier dinero que emerja libremente elegido en el mercado por las personas que realizan transacciones con él, no impuesto por una autoridad coercitiva, y dinero cuyo valor se determina a través de la interacción del mercado y no a través del gobierno (p.6). Bitcoin es una forma de sound money.

Ante tales opiniones, es importante considerar si el no tener una buena forma de dinero nos inclina de forma sistemática hacia el robo, en otras palabras, a violentar el principio moral del respeto a la propiedad del otro, y si una buena forma de dinero nos encamina hacia tal principio. Un criterio interesante con el que concuerdo es que los diez mandamientos judío-cristianos se pueden interpretar como un reconocimiento a la propiedad privada.

Un aspecto importante del diseño de Bitcoin es que utiliza la realidad física en forma de tiempo y energía en el ajuste de dificultad[^6] y la prueba de trabajo[^7]. Estos dos componentes de Bitcoin son los que permiten que el sistema mantenga su característica de hard money, o sea, dinero cuya oferta monetaria es difícil de incrementar. Asimismo, el ser humano traduce su tiempo y energía, es decir, su trabajo y esfuerzo, para construir riqueza que, idealmente, deposita en un bien con la expectativa que su valor permanezca a lo largo del tiempo. De forma similar al tiempo y energía de un humano, la cantidad total de bitcoin es finita, solamente 21 millones de bitcoin existirán, se están continuamente liberando de forma definida y conocida por todos los participantes de acuerdo a las reglas del protocolo, esta es su política monetaria. Una interesante descripción es la siguiente: La energía humana (tiempo en el planeta) es finita. El dinero es una representación de la energía humana. Así que, el dinero tiene que ser finito. Si tu dinero no es finito, tu dinero está roto (Hough, 2023).

Inflación

La inflación es probablemente el factor singular más importante en ese círculo vicioso en el que una clase de acción gubernamental hace que sea más necesario un mayor control gubernamental. Por ello, todos aquellos que deseen frenar la inclinación hacia un mayor control gubernamental deberían concentrar sus esfuerzos en la política monetaria. -F.A. Hayek.

La inflación, su causa, e incluso forma de medirla, son motivos de acalorados debates y discusiones entre economistas de diferentes escuelas de pensamiento. La palabra inflación es comúnmente empleada para referirse al incremento de los precios. Pero, cuando la inflación se ve incorrectamente a través de este lente y se intenta medir por entes centralizados usando el Índice de Precios al Consumo (IPC), se presentan retos como: Innumerables problemas con los criterios de inclusión en la canasta, la forma en que se ajustan los precios para tener en cuenta las mejoras tecnológicas y todo el concepto de una canasta representativa de bienes… El IPC no tiene una unidad definida con la cual se pueda realizar la medición, lo cual, su medida se convierte en un juicio subjetivo y no de precisión numérica (Ammous, 2021, p.75).

Por otro lado: La inflación, siempre y en todas partes, es causada principalmente por un aumento en la oferta de dinero y crédito. De hecho, la inflación es el aumento de la oferta de dinero y crédito (Hazlitt, citado en Mises Daily Articles, 2008, párr. 3). Este último enfoque se refiere a la expansión monetaria. Como consecuencia, el precio de los bienes y servicios aumenta, por lo que los individuos experimentan un deterioro de su poder de compra, quienes a su vez, no pueden oponerse a la expansión monetaria, porque es una medida tomada por jerarcas de los bancos centrales de los diferentes países. Como lo expresa Hazlitt (citado en Mises Daily Articles, 2008): Es evidente que nuestros líderes políticos han provocado la inflación con sus propias políticas monetarias y fiscales. Están prometiendo luchar con la mano derecha contra las condiciones provocadas con la izquierda (párr. 2). La inflación ocasiona la erosión del poder adquisitivo del dinero, esto porque pierde su valor a través del tiempo. Por lo tanto, el dinero deja de cumplir con su función de depósito de valor.

La forma catastrófica en que los bancos centrales y su monopolio sobre el dinero han repercutido en el auge humano, se puede apreciar con el análisis de Breedlove (2020): Dado que la obtención de dinero es un objetivo tan importante en la vida (los derechos de propiedad privada son un imperativo territorial), el control sobre el dinero significa que los bancos centrales tienen el poder de torcer nuestras valoraciones, percepciones y orientaciones de objetivos. El dinero monopolizado mutila nuestra razón de ser. Acobardarse ante el control centralizado del dinero nos hace perder toda esperanza de que la humanidad forme una civilización libre (“Reality: A Realm of Relevance”, párr. 5).

La inflación es un robo obligatorio e invisible (Breedlove, 2020, “The Destabilization of Civilization”, párr. 4). La inflación representa una extracción forzada del tiempo y energía humana. El efecto inflacionario en la vida de los individuos es tan devastador, que los mismos deben buscar qué activos o bienes puedan mantener su valor a través del tiempo; por eso es que los bienes raíces, arte, metales preciosos, deuda pública, entre otros, han sido altamente demandados como depósito de valor. Ammous (2021) describe este fenómeno de la siguiente forma: El problema con fiat es que simplemente mantener la riqueza que ya se posee requiere una gestión activa significativa y una toma de decisiones experta. Se debe desarrollar experiencia en asignación de carteras, gestión de riesgos, valoración de acciones y bonos, mercados inmobiliarios, mercados crediticios, macrotendencias globales, política monetaria nacional e internacional, mercados de productos básicos, geopolítica, y muchos otros campos arcanos y altamente especializados para poder tomar decisiones de inversión informadas que le permitan al individuo mantener la riqueza que ya ganó. Efectivamente, un individuo necesita ganar su dinero dos veces con fiat, una vez cuando trabajó para obtenerlo y otra cuando lo invierte para vencer la inflación (p. 91).

La trampa de deuda e inflación es descrita por Higgins, Song y Waltchack (2020): Los gobiernos quieren gastar grandes cantidades de dinero en programas sociales, guerras y muchas otras cosas. Cuando los ingresos de los impuestos no son suficientes para cubrir los gastos, se endeudan. Si nadie está dispuesto a prestarle al gobierno, entonces, crear dinero y aumentar los impuestos explícitos son las únicas opciones. Hoy en día, los gobiernos hacen ambas cosas. Aumentan los impuestos explícitos y crean dinero nuevo tomando prestado del banco central. Esto provoca la expansión monetaria, lo que reduce el poder adquisitivo de la moneda. La deuda y la expansión monetaria se retroalimentan al incentivar mutuamente la creación de más dinero (p. 36).

Otra de las consecuencias demoledoras de un sistema basado en deuda y expansión monetaria, es el Efecto Cantillon: En el estándar fiat, aquellos que eligen mantener saldos positivos son robados, ya que el poder adquisitivo de su fiat se ve erosionado por toda la deuda que otros están creando. Aquellos que están endeudados, por otro lado, se benefician en parte del señoreaje… El economista irlandés Richard Cantillon describió el impacto redistributivo de la inflación como algo que beneficia a las personas que reciben primero el dinero recién creado a expensas de quienes lo reciben después. En el estándar fiat moderno, los beneficiarios del efecto Cantillon son los que se endeudan y quienes ahorran son las víctimas (Ammous, 2021, p.94). Quienes logran adquirir bienes antes que la subida de precios comience a expandirse, son los ganadores, como las grandes compañías, bancos, fondos de cobertura, etc. El resto de la población, aquellos que están lejos de la creación de dinero, son los más afectados.

Cabe resaltar las palabras de Guido (2022): Así, la inflación fiat deja una mancha cultural y espiritual característica en la sociedad humana (párr. 3). Aquellos que planean para el futuro y ahorran se ven castigados. Además menciona que: ¿Qué clase de gobierno es el que toma arbitrariamente la propiedad de sus ciudadanos? Aristóteles y muchos otros filósofos políticos lo han llamado tiranía. Y los teóricos monetarios, desde Oresme hasta Mises, han señalado que la inflación fiat, considerada como una herramienta de las finanzas gubernamentales, es la técnica financiera característica de la tiranía (“Inflación y Tiranía”, párr. 1).

Bitcoin soluciona a nivel de protocolo el problema inflacionario porque su cantidad total de unidades de valor permanece constante e inalterable. Bitcoin también se puede percibir como una tecnología de ahorros. No obstante, es importante aclarar que en las etapas iniciales del proceso de su adopción, debido a la volatilidad que bitcoin experimenta en términos fiat, muchos expresan que bitcoin es un activo especulativo de alto riesgo. Pero este comportamiento se debe a la asignación de un precio por parte del mercado en términos de lo que actualmente utilizamos como dinero. Mientras estos dos sistemas coexistan, podemos esperar cambios abruptos de precio de un sistema cuando se mide en términos del otro. En el futuro, cuando Bitcoin sea adoptado por la mayoría, los problemas inflacionarios de esta época serán cosa del pasado.

El camino hacia la dimensión Bitcoin

No es la respuesta la que ilumina, sino la pregunta. -Eugène Ionesco.

Cuando un individuo comienza su estudio de Bitcoin, durante esta travesía, le es inevitable no detenerse a analizar el sistema fiat, ya que Bitcoin pretende ser una alternativa a él. Consecuentemente, algo extraordinario ocurre en la mente de aquellos que profundizan y contemplan Bitcoin en contraposición al sistema fiat en el cual estamos inmersos. Las personas reportan un cambio en su visión del mundo, incluyendo su sentido de moralidad. Por primera vez, son capaces de ver su realidad como si no formaran parte de ella. Hay un cambio de perspectiva, una sensación ver su situación y la del mundo desde afuera.

Muchos expresan su experiencia utilizando un vocabulario de transformación espiritual: un cambio de estilo de vida, un renacer, un despertar, muerte del ego, un antes y un después. A mi parecer, esto se debe al nuevo conocimiento adquirido. Higgins et al. (2020), lo explican así: Los pocos poderosos usan la falta de conocimiento para explotar a los muchos. El desconocimiento generalizado sobre el dinero hoy en día es un síntoma de la explotación que se está dando, escondida detrás de la oscuridad puesta en marcha por quienes detentan el poder (p.2). En el caso del dinero, todos lo usamos e intentamos conseguir más de él, sin embargo, no son muchos los que se detienen a cuestionar qué es, por qué lo usamos, cómo funciona y cómo puede mejorar.

Debido a que hay un antes y un después de Bitcoin, en el sentido de un despertar, es interesante mencionar algunas analogías bíblicas: Bitcoin puede interpretarse como la puerta estrecha (Mateo 7:13-14). El camino hacia la dimensión Bitcoin requiere de muchas horas de dedicación, contemplación y estudio, lo cual a simple vista, no parece ser una actividad atractiva. Dentro de los lemas más populares de los Bitcoiners[^8] encontramos: “no confíe, verifique” y “en Bitcoin no hay atajos”. También puede verse a Bitcoin como la “pesa justa” (Levítico 19:36), ya que es un estándar de comparación y medición, también, el espejo sobre el cual la realidad económica actual se ve reflejada.

Por otro lado, las ilustraciones seculares son también curiosas, a muchos les gusta expresar su cambio de visión de mundo haciendo referencia a la película The Matrix, sugiriendo que el entendimiento de Bitcoin es como tomar la “píldora anaranjada”. Otros han comparado a Bitcoin con la “Luz de Eärendil” de El Señor de los Anillos; que ilumina (con conocimiento) un mundo en el que todas las demás luces se han apagado (cuando los humanos dejan de cuestionar el mundo a su alrededor y lo que queda es la ignorancia).

El impacto de Bitcoin a nivel espiritual en la vida de una persona no debería ser motivo de sorpresa para el lector debido a que el dinero también ha tenido connotaciones espirituales a lo largo de distintas civilizaciones, así que es de esperar que su estudio a través de Bitcoin tenga efectos similares. Una nota muy interesante acerca del dinero y su naturaleza trascendente es expuesta por Higgins et al. (2020): El dinero es profundamente espiritual... El amor al dinero es el motivo de toda clase de pecados: asesinatos, robo, engaño y resentimiento… Por el contrario, el dinero también es una fuerza para el bien. Puede facilitar la caridad, bondad y expresiones de amor... La Biblia está llena de metáforas monetarias, incluso la historia de la salvación que se teje a lo largo de toda la Escritura se describe en el lenguaje del dinero: pago, deuda, perdón y redención… Debido a que el dinero es profundamente relacional, las repercusiones espirituales del dinero son vastas. La codicia, envidia y ansias de poder son solo algunas de las consecuencias negativas de su culto. Mientras estos pecados son correctamente condenados, poco se discute del sistema el cual los agrava (“Preface”, párr. 1-6).

De forma específica, en mi opinión, las razones por las que los estudiosos de Bitcoin experimentan cambios tan sustanciales, se deben a estos dos factores: 1. El reconocimiento de Bitcoin como tecnología de ahorros y un bien incosfiscable. 2. Cuestionamientos acerca de la necesidad de la inflación y la naturaleza deflacionaria de la tecnología.

En el punto uno, Bitcoin da un sentido de empoderamiento al individuo, porque a partir del momento en que se enfrenta a él, es su decisión escoger en cuál sistema prefiere depositar su tiempo y energía. Esta determinación es voluntaria, ya que no depende de mandatos de autoridades ni de expertos que le digan lo que debe o no hacer. Antonopoulos (2017) lo explica así: Hay una generación completa que ha descubierto las dos formas de poder que tienen las personas: 1) voz y 2) salida. Ya sea que te expreses libremente con tu voz y manifiestes tu voluntad política de forzar un cambio, y si esto no funciona, puedes recurrir al segundo poder más importante que tienen los humanos, que es salir. Las fronteras han sido creadas por milenios para prevenir o desacelerar las salidas… Pero, ¿qué pasa cuando la salida no es un acto físico sino virtual? ¿Qué ocurrirá cuando las personas decidan salirse del sistema financiero en una forma virtual? (“Voice or Exit”, 13m24s).

Bitcoin representa la separación del dinero y el Estado. Además, Bitcoin toca muchas áreas del conocimiento humano y el aprendizaje no se limita solo a un tema sino a muchos que van encajando como las piezas de un rompecabezas.

Cuando un ser humano comprende que Bitcoin es una herramienta de acumulación de riqueza que no puede ser confiscada, tal individuo comienza a percatarse que su contrato social con el Estado tiene el potencial de reestructurarse a su favor. Bitcoin dota al individuo de una enorme capacidad de negociación al redefinir el concepto de propiedad privada, ya que es el único bien que un individuo puede realmente poseer y tener el control. Por lo tanto, el Estado pierde la capacidad de imposición y mandato de impuestos. Esto conlleva un efecto liberador y de sensación de poder en la mente humana.

Además, el individuo empieza a percibir cambios en su preferencia temporal[^9], optando por el ahorro en oposición al gasto y a valorar el efecto de sus acciones a largo plazo. Ammous (2018) lo describe de esta forma: Cuanto mejor es el dinero manteniendo su valor, más incentiva a las personas a retrasar el consumo y, en cambio, a dedicar recursos para la producción en el futuro, lo que conduce a la acumulación de capital y a la mejora de los niveles de vida, al mismo tiempo provoca en las personas una baja preferencia temporal, aún en otros aspectos no económicos de su vida. Cuando la toma de decisiones económicas está orientada hacia el futuro, es natural que todo tipo de decisiones estén orientadas hacia el futuro también. Las personas se vuelven más pacíficas y cooperativas, entendiendo que la cooperación es una estrategia a largo plazo mucho más gratificante que cualquier ganancia a corto plazo del conflicto. Las personas desarrollan un fuerte sentido de la moralidad, priorizando las elecciones morales que generarán los mejores resultados a largo plazo para ellos y sus hijos. Una persona que piensa en el largo plazo es menos probable que engañe, mienta o robe, porque la recompensa por tales actividades puede ser positiva en el corto plazo, pero puede ser devastadoramente negativa a largo plazo (p.79).

En el punto dos, el individuo comienza a analizar el sistema fiat desde una perspectiva externa y a preguntarse acerca de la naturaleza de la inflación y por qué es necesaria para una sociedad productiva. Booth (2019) expresa este cuestionamiento de la siguiente forma: Pero, ¿qué sucede cuando ya no podemos contar con un sistema de crecimiento e inflación? ¿Qué pasa si una fuerza más poderosa hace que la mayoría de nuestros esfuerzos por crear inflación sean irrelevantes? ¿Y si, al tratar desesperadamente de aferrarse a un modelo inflacionario obsoleto, generamos más desigualdad de riqueza, más polarización y más discordia en nuestras sociedades? (p.6).

Booth (2019) también revela que la naturaleza deflacionaria de la tecnología debería permear en cada aspecto de nuestras vidas y proveernos de abundancia, el autor manifiesta: Si la misma tecnología que nos dio abundancia en nuestros teléfonos ahora se está trasladando a casi todas las industrias, ¿no deberíamos esperar la abundancia como la deflación de precios en todo lo que nos rodea? (p.9). El autor también explica por qué no vemos este fenómeno: En todo el mundo, el alquiler, los precios de la vivienda, el combustible, la comida y muchos otros costos están aumentando, lo que nos mantiene en una rueda de hámster de trabajo. Para cualquiera que viva en este entorno, es casi imposible creer en la deflación o en la abundancia que podría ser posible con ella. Pero esta subida de precios es artificial, impulsada por un enorme aumento del crédito y deuda (p.10). Es así como el camino para contestar estas preguntas representa el inicio de un despertar, de la posibilidad de imaginar y crear una nueva realidad para nosotros mismos sin depender de terceros.

El problema y la solución

Nunca podrás cambiar algo peleando contra la realidad existente. Para cambiar algo debes crear un nuevo modelo que convierta el modelo existente en obsoleto. -Buckminster Fuller.

En los párrafos anteriores, vemos que la causa de los problemas económicos que enfrentan los humanos es un sistema inflacionario basado en crédito y deuda, con dinero manipulado por los bancos centrales y gobiernos. La incapacidad de ahorrar se debe a que no contamos con un buen dinero que mantenga su valor a través del tiempo. Parte de la insatisfacción, ansiedad y frustración humana se debe a que cada individuo se ve forzado a completar trabajos monótonos, repetitivos, con poco o ningún progreso, con el fin de ganarle la carrera a la inflación. Por lo tanto, no importa lo que haga o cuánto tiempo se dedique a una actividad, no será suficiente porque el sistema en el que estamos inmersos, por diseño, utiliza como dinero una señal informativa manipulada que no es capaz de atesorar la riqueza que representa el tiempo y energía humana.

Esta triste realidad humana se ve reflejada en las palabras de Guido (2022): El efecto neto del reciente aumento de la deuda de los hogares es, por tanto, arrojar a poblaciones enteras a la dependencia financiera. Las implicaciones morales son claras. Un endeudamiento desmesurado es incompatible con la autosuficiencia financiera y, por ende, tiende a debilitar la autosuficiencia también en todas las demás esferas. El individuo endeudado acaba adoptando el hábito de acudir a otros en busca de ayuda, en lugar de madurar para convertirse en un ancla económica y moral de su familia, y de su comunidad en general. Las ilusiones y la sumisión sustituyen a la sobriedad y a la independencia de juicio. ¿Y qué decir de los muchos casos en los que las familias no pueden seguir soportando la carga de la deuda? Entonces el resultado es la desesperación o, por el contrario, el desprecio por todas las normas de cordura financiera (“VI. El yugo de la deuda”, párr. 14).

No es posible solucionar el sistema fiat por medio de acciones internas, es necesario reemplazarlo con un tipo de dinero en el cual la señal informativa de los precios no esté corrupta, para así poder experimentar los efectos deflacionarios de la tecnología. Un lema Bitcoiner con el que concuerdo es “si arreglas el dinero arreglas el mundo”.

Sin embargo, el incentivo de los gobiernos, líderes y representantes políticos de diferentes agrupaciones en todo el mundo, se encuentra en mantener el sistema fiat y convencer a la población a que un nuevo gobierno, con la ideología opuesta al que se encuentra actualmente en el poder, es de donde vendrán las respuestas y los cambios, y es así como hemos estado presenciando el movimiento del péndulo político de un lado hacia el otro, elección tras elección, país por país, mientras la sociedad como un todo, se sigue deteriorando. Booth (2019) expresa que: Poblaciones enteras están siendo influenciadas por políticos que incitan más ira y polarización, al crear narrativas de "nosotros contra ellos" sin comprender las causas profundas de nuestra nueva realidad (p.5).

Otra consecuencia del estudio de Bitcoin y el sistema fiat para el individuo, es que pierde interés en la política, porque reconoce que la solución no viene de ella, o bien, muchos se han convertido en votantes de un solo tema, siendo ese tema Bitcoin. El individuo reconoce que el mismo sistema fiat obliga a sus líderes y políticos, quienes incluso pueden estar motivados por buenas intenciones, a tener una alta preferencia temporal porque están incentivados en ganar el siguiente ciclo electoral, así que es común escuchar soluciones basadas en programas sociales, ideas y promesas cortoplacistas que pueden parecer atractivas debido a la gran necesidad de la población, pero que se terminan traduciendo en un aumento de inflación, deuda en el largo plazo, impuestos y más control por parte del Estado.

Solamente cuando cuestionamos nuestros pilares, es cuando logramos avanzar intelectualmente. Aunque Bitcoin fracase como dinero a largo plazo, lo que para muchos sería que no llegue a convertirse en el medio de pago generalmente aceptado, Bitcoin para mí ya ha triunfado, ya que logró que aquellos que dedicaron muchas horas a su estudio, obtuvieran conocimiento y sabiduría al poner en duda las bases de todo un sistema económico que se ha dado por sentado. Y si Bitcoin de forma exitosa se convierte en medio de pago generalmente aceptado, será la nueva tecnología que permitirá al humano ahorrar, coordinarse y cooperar de manera más eficiente.

Bitcoin y la trascendencia humana

Este nacimiento humano es precioso, nuestra oportunidad de despertar. El cuerpo es impermanente, y la hora de la muerte es incierta. -4 reminders (extracto) (Tsongkhapa and Viveka).

En innumerables ocasiones he escuchado a muchas personas referirse con miedo e incertidumbre hacia lo que puede traer el futuro, al impacto que provocarán los avances tecnológicos en nuestra sociedad, tales como más control, desigualdad, desempleo y deterioro ambiental. Estos pensamientos han calado con profundidad la mente de quienes miran con desesperanza su paso por este planeta. Creo que la razón de este pesimismo se debe a que miran el futuro como una extensión del presente que está marcado por los síntomas (pobreza, desigualdad, polarización, crisis económicas, el uso del miedo como herramienta de control, etc) y no al grave problema de fondo (manipulación del dinero). No obstante, el futuro va a estar señalado por la capacidad transformativa y de adaptación al cambio del ser humano y la realidad de que Bitcoin ya existe.

Un estudio profundo de Bitcoin logra cambiar nuestra atención y llenarnos de esperanza, porque quienes hemos dedicado gran parte de nuestro tiempo a su análisis, podemos reconocer su inevitabilidad, es una idea cuyo momento ha llegado, por lo tanto, esperamos un cambio de paradigma. Bitcoin es una revolución pacífica.

Conclusión

Una vida sin examen no merece la pena ser vivida. -Sócrates.

Bitcoin ha expandido mis horizontes y he podido darme cuenta que como humanos no estamos usando todo el potencial creativo para buscar soluciones a la situación social, económica y política actual, y todo se reduce a que no estamos haciendo las preguntas correctas, sino observando la realidad a través de un lente que es el sistema fiat.

Creo que la transición entre el sistema fiat a un sistema Bitcoin será muy caótica, puesto que supone un proceso de destrucción-creación. El sistema fiat responderá con gran resistencia y, muy probablemente, la idea de las Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)[^10] será ampliamente apoyada y promovida por distintos gobiernos y bancos centrales, los cuales a través de ellas, completarán en su máxima expresión la cuarta función del dinero. Mientras el público asimile la naturaleza de las CBDCs, en contraposición con Bitcoin, el sistema fiat experimentará altos niveles de inestabilidad; y esto generará la percepción de que Bitcoin es el causante de los desequilibrios políticos, sociales y económicos subsecuentes. Así que se puede esperar el surgimiento de movimientos propagandísticos anti-Bitcoin, que desde ya han estado emergiendo.

La transformación que está por suceder será de proporciones inimaginables, y aquellos que hayan comprendido el potencial de Bitcoin durante el periodo inicial del proceso de transición, serán los mayores beneficiados. Es por esta razón que muchos auguran que un cambio a un estándar Bitcoin provocará gran desigualdad entre aquellos que tuvieron la oportunidad de estudiar y comprender esta nueva tecnología desde sus inicios y los que no. Otros ven a Bitcoin con escepticismo porque es “una criatura desconocida” con la cual la humanidad nunca se ha enfrentado, por lo tanto, es imposible predecir sus efectos ante su uso generalizado, y no tienen por qué ser necesariamente favorables. Sin embargo, considero que el resultado neto de tener una señal inmanipulable del dinero será positivo a gran escala.

Con respecto al largo plazo, tengo una visión muy optimista acerca de cómo puede llegar a ser nuestro porvenir en vista del reconocimiento de la naturaleza y adopción de la tecnología: 1) está creciendo de forma exponencial, o sea, no se puede detener, 2) produce deflación, abundancia y prosperidad, por ende, liberará nuestro tiempo. Bitcoin también es una tecnología que se basa en los efectos red, y el proceso de adopción por el que está atravesando sugiere que llegará a convertirse en dinero global y de reserva, permitiendo que la naturaleza deflacionaria de la tecnología permee en todas las aristas de nuestra sociedad. Bitcoin como tecnología de ahorro permitirá que depositemos nuestra riqueza (tiempo y trabajo) en un dinero que no es posible devaluar.

En secciones anteriores, me referí al efecto de la comprensión de Bitcoin en el individuo, quien a su vez experimenta una transformación interna comparable con un despertar espiritual. Si este efecto es percibido de forma similar por gran parte de la población simultáneamente, creo que Bitcoin también tiene el potencial de influenciar a los humanos de forma colectiva hacia una vida más introspectiva. Finalmente, la humanidad contará con tiempo libre que podrá dedicar en contestar preguntas de índole filosófica, ideas que han perseguido la mente humana desde tiempos inmemoriales, tales como: ¿Por qué estamos aquí?, ¿Hay vida más allá de la muerte?, ¿Cuál es la naturaleza humana?, ¿Qué es la consciencia?, ¿Estamos solos?, ¿Es el universo determinista?, ¿Existe Dios?, entre muchas otras.

Tengo la certeza de que en un mundo en el cual la tecnología del dinero realmente funcione, el humano liberará su tiempo, mente, creatividad e imaginación y encontrará nuevas formas en las cuales utilizarlo. Se desempeñará en trabajos que le permitirán realizarse plenamente durante su experiencia humana, encontrando su camino hacia la virtud, salvación o iluminación, al lado del florecimiento de la civilización.

Referencias

Ammous, S. (2018). The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking. Wiley.

Ammous, S. (2021). The Fiat Standard: The Debt Slavery Alternative to Human Civilization. The Saif House.

Antonopoulos, A. M. (2017). Cryptocurrency Explained: Money as a System-of-Control [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyK4P7ZdOK8&

Booth, J. (2019). The Price of Tomorrow: Why Deflation is the Key to an Abundant Future. Stanley Press

Breedlove, R (2020). Bitcoin is Hope. https://breedlove22.medium.com/bitcoin-is-hope-bedce21b3648

Hazlitt, H. (2008). What You Should Know About Inflation. https://mises.org/library/what-you-should-know-about-inflation

Higgins, G., Song, J., Waltchack, D. (2020). Thank God for Bitcoin: The Creation, Corruption and Redemption of Money. Bitcoin and Bible Group

Hough, L. (2023). Human Energy is Finite. https://twitter.com/lisa_hough_

Guido, J. (2022). El legado cultural y espiritual de la inflación fiat. https://mises.org/es/library/el-legado-cultural-y-espiritual-de-la-inflacion-fiat

Konsensus Network (2022). Podcast: Tomer Strolight on Bitcoin and the Nature of Truth - FFS #9 [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtske_-Nr4s

Lewis, P. (2019). Bitcoin does not waste energy. https://unchained.com/blog/bitcoin-does-not-waste-energy/

Lewis, P. (2020). Bitcoin Obsoletes All Other Money. https://unchained.com/blog/bitcoin-obsoletes-all-other-money/

Menger, C. (1892). The origin of money. Economic Journal, 2(6), 239-255.

Nakamoto, S. (2008). A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf

Strolight, T. (2021). What Is the Essence of Bitcoin? Part 1: How Money, Energy and Morality Are Related. https://tomerstrolight.medium.com/what-is-the-essence-of-bitcoin-4b4916e7afe4

Strolight, T. (2022). Why Bitcoin?. Legendary Treasure Press.

[^1]: Legislación estadounidense creada en 1970 con el fin de prevenir que las instituciones financieras sean utilizadas para lavado de dinero. [^2]: Estructura de datos que agrupa información. Libro de registro de transacciones que se encuentra distribuido a lo largo de los nodos de una red. [^3]: Dinero por decreto por parte de las autoridades de un país. [^4]: Para profundizar más en este debate se le recomienda al lector escuchar el podcast ¿Será bitcoin dinero? de Lunaticoin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqjE7If2uwM). [^5]: Protocolo peer-to-peer de interacción con Bitcoin. Se le conoce como la segunda capa y es la solución principal al problema de escalabilidad. [^6]: Cálculo que se realiza cada 2016 bloques en el cual los nodos ajustan la dificultad del reto matemático para que la frecuencia de creación de bloques se mantenga en un promedio de 10 min. [^7]: Mecanismo que le permite a la red llegar a un consenso acerca del orden temporal de las transacciones de Bitcoin, requiere de un costo energético externo. [^8]: Personas que se dedican al estudio y propagación de las ideas de Bitcoin. [^9]: Cuánto valoran los individuos el presente sobre el futuro. Preferencia temporal alta: mayor valoración del presente sobre el futuro. Preferencia temporal baja: mayor valoración del futuro sobre el presente. [^10]: Forma de dinero digital de los bancos centrales disponible directamente al público.

@ 3cea4806:10fe3f40

As time continues to progress forward we notice that it's getting harder and harder to get our hands on various items and truly own them, from various objects in "our" homes, financial wealth, personal data, land, etc.

Thankfully Bitcoin came into existence and allowed individuals to take back a lot of their financial wealth into their control, where at the very least they can resist a hostile takeover of it.

Another thing to be thankful for is that now there's an ever-growing movement toward taking control of your personal data and digital possessions, where most free and paid online services have your as the product, mining data from you to know how and what to sell you, sell that data to other entities, know how to manipulate you to have certain thoughts or take certain actions, and potentially use it against you.

What's The New Normal?

In the past, a lot of people had this thought process of "ugh... I have to get this X to get this Y that I want?", where "X" had been an internet router, a PC, a mobile phone, etc, and "Y" was looking stuff up online, use whatever useful software, or make calls and use google maps for example. People would complain about having to get a new thing and familiarize themselves with it, that is until everyone had it in their homes/possessions, then it became normal, even expected.

What's going to be the new normal (or at least hope)? The first thing would be that every individual in every household would have their own mini-server, their own Cloud, where they'd store their data like images, videos, audio, and text, use various non-intrusive/invasive software, and use security to protect all of what's inside it.

Secondly, people would stop using current data-hungry tech like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, Twitch, etc, and use alternatives that don't even care who you are like a lot of software on Nostr.

Thirdly, once the first two become commonplace, a lot of the convenience we're used to currently from using mainstream products would be here in this new normal as well, and most likely even better.

The new normal is having your own server at home. It's having control over your financial wealth. It's having control of your own data. It's having the ability to resist and having enough power now to push for taking control back of other items that we don't have anymore. The new normal is that you'll own everything that is rightfully yours and be happy.

How You Can Own Your Financial Wealth & Data

For those who are tech-savvy, love to learn, and want to jump into a very long rabbit hole, then go ahead and learn everything you can about Bitcoin and everything surrounding it, then start learning about Nostr. You'll eventually know how to handle things and take the steps to take control of your data back. Depending on where your mindset is, this process can take anywhere between a few months to a few years.

For the average Ostrich (Joe, Sheep, whatever you like), start by figuring out how to acquire Bitcoin, and storing it in a non-custodial wallet, from an app on your phone like Trust Wallet for example, or better yet into a cold non-custodial physical wallet device for better security. After that, get yourself a Bitcoin Lightning Wallet app, like Phoenix, and get familiar with how to acquire BTC into it (Bitcoin on the Lightning Network) to conduct near-instant small transactions like buying coffee.

For both types of people, either figure out how to build your own Raspberry Pi machine, then set up and run Umbrel on it, or directly buy a ready-made machine from Umbrel directly. After that, start learning about its apps and how everything works, and voila, now you have your own in-house cloud server.

Lastly, you'd want to start getting into Nostr if you'd like to use social apps like Twitter, but without all of its cons, or for other uses like live-streaming or blogging, etc.

I'll admit, it's not a smooth process to get everything set up and running, and the experience after that from using everything isn't nearly as polished as it could be in comparison to the current mainstream services in a lot of points, but all of these processes is getting smoother by the day, as all things that became normal and standard.

Thanks for reading

As there is now an internet wireless router in every house, there will be a personal cloud server in every house too. I'll be doing my part and helping family and friends get set up and be ready for this new normal that empowers the individual.

Do you agree, or do you think most will "own nothing and be happy"?

@ 0a6c2ead:b65b4ad7

Durst nach Wasser
Durst nach Verbindung
Durst nach Durst

@ 20986fb8:cdac21b3

Original Link

Dear Nostriches,

We are excited to announce the highly anticipated global Nostrich Meetup, which will take place in Berlin, Germany on July 14th. Berlin is not only home to a vibrant Bitcoin community and contributors to the Nostr ecosystem but also a hub for open-source, creativity, and developers.

Recapping the first two stops of the Nostrich Meetup—Nostr Honne in Hong Kong and Nostr Honne in Miami.

To better spread the Nostr‘s spirit, protocol, and projects to Europe, Berlin is an essential location.

YakiHonne.com, as the initiator of a decentralized long-form content media platform built on Nostr, and the Nostr Global Hackathon, is collaborating with the Nostr community, Berlin developer community, and universities to host the Creator Hackathon on July 14th.

Join us in Berlin, creat based on the themes, win 7,500,000 SATs.

On-site Creation Themes

Theme 1: Bitcoin—Including but not limited to halving, mining, technical protocols, and other hot topics. Theme 2: Lightning Network—Including but not limited to LN tutorials, the latest LN developments, mainstream LN applications, and other related topics. Theme 3: Nostr—Including but not limited to Nostr tutorials, Nostr experiences, the Damus and Apple issue, and other hot topics. Theme 4: Random evaluations of projects built on the Nostr protocol.

Creators can choose any interesting and valuable perspective or format to create content. For the first three themes, you can focus on tutorials, hot topics, and ecosystem updates. The fourth theme, you need to create according to the evaluation experience of the project.

Our Judges

fiatjaf - Nostr Creator Pablof7z - Head of RSD at Swan Bitcoin Gsovereignty - Creator of Nostrovia podcast John - International Operations at BTC Inc

Agenda

• YakiHonne and event introduction
• Project claiming and seating arrangement
• Creator Hackathon kick-off
• Live presentations
• Creator report comparison and interactive Q&A
• Live voting + judging panel deliberation
• Announcement of winners and award presentation
• Social time

How to Participate in the Berlin Nostr Honne Creator Hackathon

Creators

Please make sure you can immerse yourself in a minimum of three hours of on-site building time and possess one of the following skills: - Basic understanding of any of the above themes - Nostr pubkey to facilitate the submission of creative work - Basic skills of writing, editing, and publishing on the YakiHonne.com platform - Ability to test from multiple perspectives, including UX, technical implementation, stability, innovation, uniqueness, scalability, and flexibility (limited to Theme 4)

You will find that completing this Creator Hackathon requires different skills, such as topic knowledge, technical abilities, and writing skills. Therefore, we encourage you to team up. You can invite companions to collaborate or team up randomly with other participants, with a maximum of three members per team.

Registration Link: https://lu.ma/5p57pv18 TG Group: https://t.me/Berlin_Nostr_Honne

Project Owners

If you have a project within the Nostr ecosystem, whether it's a NIP, Client, or Relay, and you want Berlin creators to experience, optimize, and promote your product, please click the link below to submit your registration.

Registration Link: https://lu.ma/5p57pv18 TG Group: https://t.me/Berlin_Nostr_Honne

Sponsors

If you are interested in co-organizing or sponsoring this event, please contact TG @Shaun_Honne.

Prizes

Hackathon Prize: 7,500,000 SATs

A total prize pool of 7,500,000 SATs will be distributed based on on-site voting and judges' votes. There will be at least one winner for each theme, and additional awards for "Best Overall Creation Team" and "Best Evaluation Team" will be presented. All participating creators will receive a certain amount of Sats as a reward.

About Us

YakiHonne.com is a decentralized media protocol based on Nostr, supporting media and creators to freely curate, create, publish, and report. Try YakiHonne.com today!

Follow Us - Telegram: https://t.me/YakiHonne_Daily_Featured - Twitter: @YakiHonne - Nostr pubkey: npub1yzvxlwp7wawed5vgefwfmugvumtp8c8t0etk3g8sky4n0ndvyxesnxrf8q - Hack-Nostr-On, Win 35,000,000 SATs: https://dorahacks.io/hackathon/hack-nostr-on/detail - Publish Your Long-form Content on Nostr and Earn 17,500,000 SATs

@ 4729b2c0:6074b4a9

Introduction

The corporate world is a rich tapestry of leadership styles and corporate cultures. While some companies foster a nurturing environment of openness and collaboration, others exude a different aura. Imagine stepping into an office where the air is thick with suspicion, every closed-door meeting sets off alarm bells, and your manager seems more interested in their reflection in the boardroom window than in your ideas. Welcome to the realm of paranoid corporate cultures, often helmed by narcissistic leaders. This article aims to be your roadmap through this labyrinth, explaining why such cultures exist, their surprising necessity in certain sectors, and how you, as a modern professional, can navigate these stormy waters while prioritizing your mental health and career growth.

The Heart of Paranoid Corporate Culture

Picture the scene. You're working at a fast-paced startup, maybe it's the next unicorn. The CEO, a tech veteran, lives by the adage, "only the paranoid survive." This culture of paranoia manifests itself as an obsessive concern about potential threats, a lack of trust in employees, and decision-making processes shrouded in secrecy. You and your colleagues are in a state of perpetual anxiety over job security, being sidelined, or overlooked for promotions. Tribalism is rife, as the organization splinters into exclusive internal groups, fostering an unhealthy competitive spirit. It's like a modern-day version of 'Survivor', but instead of a tropical island, it's an open-plan office with a questionable number of bean bags.

In this corporate culture, you might notice that employees from one company form a tribe and degrade another group from a different company. This tribalism leaves employees from neither tribes in an awkward situation, creating divisions and conflicts that can stifle collaboration and creativity.

The Narcissistic Manager in the Wild

In the throes of this culture, you often encounter a particular breed of manager. They're the ones with the corner office, the loudest voice at the meeting, and the biggest mug on the coffee machine. These narcissistic managers are characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a lack of empathy, and a constant need for admiration. You may recognize them by their catchphrase, "Don't forget who cuts your paycheck." Their self-worth, precariously tied to external factors such as appearance, social status, authority, possessions, and connections, is continuously upheld by comparisons that favor their superiority.

These managers often give their teams an unreasonable workload, not aligned with the corporate goals, but merely to show they are super busy and have endless ideas. This can result in employees feeling overwhelmed and undervalued, as they struggle to keep up with the demands while being detached from the company's broader vision.

The Surprising Necessity of Paranoid Cultures and Narcissistic Leadership

It might be hard to believe, but there can be method to the madness. In highly competitive industries such as technology and startups, a degree of paranoia can act as a catalyst for innovation and rapid adaptation to market changes. It's like being on a rollercoaster where the fear fuels the thrill of the ride.

Consider the case of former Intel CEO, Andy Grove. Known for his paranoid leadership style, his fear of being left behind drove constant innovation, helping Intel to stay ahead in a fiercely competitive industry. Similarly, the late Steve Jobs of Apple, infamous for his narcissistic leadership style, had a grand vision and a commanding presence that inspired the workforce, leading the company to achieve ambitious goals and global recognition.

Surviving and Thriving in a Paranoid and Narcissistic Corporate Culture

Navigating such a culture, especially for millennials and Gen-Z employees, can feel like walking a tightrope. However, with resilience, strategic planning, and a healthy dose of self-care, you can not only survive but thrive in this environment. Here are some strategies:

Surviving:

1. Maintain Professionalism: This is your suit of armor. Deliver your work on time and to the best of your ability, irrespective of the negative environment.
2. Create a Support Network: Find your tribe. Build relationships with colleagues who are in the same boat. This network can provide emotional support, share coping strategies, and possibly work together to bring about change.
3. Set Boundaries: Learn to say 'no' when required and protect your personal time.
4. Seek External Help: If the stress becomes unmanageable, consider seeking help from a therapist or counselor. They can provide strategies to cope with the toxic environment.

Thriving:

1. Self-Care: This is your shield and sword. Take care of your physical and mental health. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, meditation, and ensuring adequate sleep can all help to manage stress levels.
2. Continual Learning: Keep improving your skills and knowledge. This will make you more marketable and can provide an escape from the toxic environment. Seek learning opportunities outside of the work environment to acquire new skills that the company may not offer.
3. Plan an Exit Strategy: If the situation does not improve or becomes unbearable, it might be time to consider looking for a new job. Your mental health and well-being should always be your priority.

Navigating a paranoid corporate culture with narcissistic leadership is a challenge. However, with resilience, support, and strategic planning, you can weather the storm. Remember, the corporate world is a vast landscape of leadership styles and corporate cultures, and you don't need to settle in an environment that hinders personal or professional growth. Always prioritize your well-being and mental health, and don't hesitate to make a change if necessary. Your career is a marathon, not a sprint, and every step, even the backward ones, brings you closer to the finish line. As millennials and Gen-Z professionals, you are not only the future of the workforce but also the change agents who can foster a healthier corporate culture. Stand firm, make your voices heard, and remember that your value does not decrease based on someone's inability to see your worth.

---

Medium: Flextiger

Twitter: FlextigerA

@ 2edbcea6:40558884

🚨 Headline Nostr News 🚨

• Nostr Report launched a new publication schedule. Daily reports are now published in the mornings (US time zones), which is midday (UTC). nostr:note1mmn9tlpzt783kh65lvdsc5qnp2wlashacv6wlqm0sclxm6srxhfqhylqu8
• Last week saw a large influx of new & returning users from Twitter as the platform added strict limits on how many tweets users could view, and further limited access to content unless you have an account. Nostr.build, Nostrplebs, Damus, and others reported seeing a surge in downloads, registration, and other user activity. nostr:note1vn6n8r0dstsnnyprjv3t54z87qtnq29x2y8an2yfcn2vap9ujq6qug8p6u
• nostr:npub1cn4t4cd78nm900qc2hhqte5aa8c9njm6qkfzw95tszufwcwtcnsq7g3vle announced the new Money Matters podcast, kicking things off with the first episode featuring nostr:npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m nostr:note15ggkqg3nqe37vg3rrzhdshstwwdnryj29mxe726fmy5a0x5xk8ds7tckgq
• nostr:npub1u8lnhlw5usp3t9vmpz60ejpyt649z33hu82wc2hpv6m5xdqmuxhs46turz created Zapple Pay, which links nostr reactions on notes (kind-7) to a zapping tool using NWC, allowing users to #zap notes in clients that don't support note zaps. nostr:note16gj5r6gzddx9c3z8p8gr6djhfrzx4l2djrnpc25nwxrufuznrk9qr47e0a
• Live streaming on Nostr took off as Zap.stream site launched with support for mobile and desktop, and includes zaps and setting zap goals on streams. Amethyst also shows live streams in-app now. nostr:note1k8dlhcly76fm0lqadyc0u7gn5agjpc76304wgaf629zkr84z2mhqv7auwz
• nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft publishes NIP draft for a Data Vending Machine — a marketplace for data processing on #nostr. nostr:note1sa9wx3rqfag7t85dy0as4qy0n5p5sh4jmux4epfuwccte9qax6kq0ch7v2
• Primal web app has been open sourced. nostr:note1h0cta06x2h8t5ra60clwjkfjy2d3rx8jgn4mjsnvl77h3zsg68xst8s4le

💻 nostr Tech 💻

• Two more iOS apps, Nostur and Plebstr, have been contacted by Apple about removing note #zaps. nostr:note15kzxy4cj6jfg0psunefrwmrjymlaces5wd2ed3q2ncpqctr6yspqnslv7a nostr:note13etgaa7nss76v0thxqr30sfy9k4sm0sh8p5js620cdk7n7prtxuqtng6wx
• nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft released a Highlighter.com extension for Chrome. nostr:note1953vnqp347ztrucrkyp3jfgtarnalcxjlxjgl408d8mplwwpljyqsql8k2
• Nostr.kiwi released full PWA experience and support for nsecBunker sign in. nostr:note18rdwukey85ql4ceqha8pmnf6npz9hl87fl37rc0unnvn0w3znapq4aznq3
• nsecBunker adds feature to DM admin when bunker is restarted. nostr:note1q9pw0ur2dh50v4wuyz6fmg7uc7ffap2jyzqt5l0ucpz0mpm3gnhse3lq8x
• nostr:npub1xtscya34g58tk0z605fvr788k263gsu6cy9x0mhnm87echrgufzsevkk5s shares a "side project" desktop client he's working on nostr:note17m59rs7s3snxg7cnfujnnl9uwjdxuxn77l73gs2u7xduc8xnfc3q3l8ln8
• nostr:npub1zfss807aer0j26mwp2la0ume0jqde3823rmu97ra6sgyyg956e0s6xw445 releases v1.1.0 of Lume, a desktop client for Nostr. nostr:note1tvex4zn3yr4ye4kf8qthxlletsg0krj0clhn20mexmt46mt5ffys4jslzk

⚡ nostr Business ⚡

• Wallet of Satoshi celebrated processing 10 million lightning transactions by giving away 10 million sats, 1 million to 10 winners. Announced winners on Nostr and Twitter. nostr:note1ytd48nfp7y6cj8hmz8meehe5m770easxumgfn3y5grv5mrc7tq5su75uap
• nostr:npub1jg552aulj07skd6e7y2hu0vl5g8nl5jvfw8jhn6jpjk0vjd0waksvl6n8n Learn how #Greenlight is enabling developers to integrate non-custodial & #UnfairlyCheap Lightning payments into apps. nostr:note150sgkrsmtayp3rt56l3c9gmm3dfsx7s0g88z39849fz2qh0r4e7s5x5q0e
• nostr:npub1yauhh489aefdkzsewe5vj2u68elzxlsln7nn5yxr34e3c22vljdqkn7h9m Cash App is working on support for LNURL, including addresses to receive #zaps to your account and more. nostr:note14vwylpra7jtemr7e0e0rkshrxuxc72z6udh0uxdeset8kgrvgfvsglrcrh

🗣️ Featured Content 🗣️

• The latest installment of the #MarceFiles featuring nostr:npub1y67n93njx27lzmg9ua37ce7csvq4awvl6ynfqffzfssvdn7mq9vqlhq62h 's interview with nostr:npub1cjw49ftnxene9wdxujz3tp7zspp0kf862cjud4nm3j2usag6eg2smwj2rh. nostr:note173vukqwscxvyyy0k270x9ede3vqnm2v5qw84gxefq0v9lhssjm2s9ah6d6
• B4B Issue 3: Whose Channel Is It Anyway, by nostr:npub1aeh2zw4elewy5682lxc6xnlqzjnxksq303gwu2npfaxd49vmde6qcq4nwx , answers a question about the safety of sats in a lightning channel vs. sats on an exchange. nostr:note14ahuzjjtqpxy5gssg56qv4q23las000y0z4tt8lkzkmcwpvh4z9qmj84z9
• Chapter 11 of nostr:npub1hqaz3dlyuhfqhktqchawke39l92jj9nt30dsgh2zvd9z7dv3j3gqpkt56s 's book, 24, is out now. nostr:note16kl8mdv62lmn0l7z80mpuswykr92440ysmmyhyhmpferysnu9hzs9pzyvz
• The latest #Plebchain Radio with nostr:npub1tvqc82mv8cezhax5r34n4muc2c4pgjz8kaye2smj032nngg52clq0rkrq4 and nostr:npub1hqaz3dlyuhfqhktqchawke39l92jj9nt30dsgh2zvd9z7dv3j3gqpkt56s featuring nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft is available now on Fountain.fm. nostr:note1nydjvwgnt2lgy0s3ndm49dp2jq30naq0wm0yqj3jzmjnng9pq7ds39rtm9

@ aac07d95:c5819a2f

More info about charge-lnd: https://github.com/accumulator/charge-lnd

Install with these commands line-by line (the code comments are starting with #): ```

change to the bitcoin user

sudo su - bitcoin

download charge-lnd

git clone https://github.com/accumulator/charge-lnd.git

create a dedicated macaroon

lncli bakemacaroon offchain:read offchain:write onchain:read info:read --save_to=~/.lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/charge-lnd.macaroon

change directory

cd charge-lnd

install charge-lnd

pip install -U setuptools && pip install -r requirements.txt .

leave the bitcoin user

exit ```

Paste this whole code block to create the example config at /home/bitcoin/charge-lnd/charge.config : ``` echo " [default] strategy = static base_fee_msat = 1000 fee_ppm = 1000 time_lock_delta = 144

[exchanges-drain-sats] node.id = 033d8656219478701227199cbd6f670335c8d408a92ae88b962c49d4dc0e83e025, 03cde60a6323f7122d5178255766e38114b4722ede08f7c9e0c5df9b912cc201d6,037f990e61acee8a7697966afd29dd88f3b1f8a7b14d625c4f8742bd952003a590,03cde60a6323f7122d5178255766e38114b4722ede08f7c9e0c5df9b912cc201d6,033d8656219478701227199cbd6f670335c8d408a92ae88b962c49d4dc0e83e025, 021c97a90a411ff2b10dc2a8e32de2f29d2fa49d41bfbb52bd416e460db0747d0d strategy = static base_fee_msat = 50000 fee_ppm = 2500 time_lock_delta = 144

[discourage-routing] chan.max_ratio = 0.10 chan.min_capacity = 250000 strategy = static base_fee_msat = 1000 fee_ppm = 2000 time_lock_delta = 144

[encourage-routing] chan.min_ratio = 0.90 chan.min_capacity = 250000 strategy = static base_fee_msat = 1000 fee_ppm = 10 time_lock_delta = 144

" | sudo -u bitcoin tee /home/bitcoin/charge-lnd/charge.config ```

Set up a cronjob with: crontab -e Paste this to the crontab to run it every 5 minutes (https://crontab.guru/#*/5_*_*_*_*): */5 * * * * sudo -u bitcoin /home/bitcoin/.local/bin/charge-lnd -c /home/bitcoin/charge-lnd/charge.config

gist with more example configurations:

https://gist.github.com/openoms/9d0c554f620f4584c17bec268d4519e8

Posted also on: https://www.lightningnode.info/hardware-deployment/raspiblitz/charge-lnd

@ 3cea4806:10fe3f40

Scrolling through Nostr and engaging with people like usual, when I read something about adding gamification to Nostr, which got me intrigued as I'm always engaging in game development for years, from participating in game jams, helping gamedev friends, making my own games on the side, etc. So, I thought I'd go ahead and write this article to potentially influence Nostr builders to gamify their Nostr clients (apps or sites).

Why Gamifty Nostr Clients?

To have people increase their engagement towards the client, increase their time spent on it, increase their interactions with it in a general sense as well as with other individuals using it, learn/discover more about the client's features and services, and increase their enjoyment of it.

Achievements

The basics! This is where you'd start, by adding an achievement list that users can check out and see how they can acquire them. Each achievement would have its title, details on how to achieve it, a progress bar, an icon, and other elements/info.

Here are some examples of an achievement list: * Born Anew: Complete your profile info. * The gatherer: Invite 25 people to join * Discourse: Engage through replies multiple times under a note/post, for 10 posts. * Reactionary: React 100 times to notes/posts. * I'm Alive: Start live streaming. * I'm On TV: Comment on a live stream. * I Gotta Hear This: Join a live call.

Badges

The badge system is already out in the wild, so this should be a smooth implementation. Showing a badge earned, especially if it's a fun one or one that holds some community prestige, is someone that a lot of people wouldn't mind or even like to do.

A badge can have its own set of criteria for a user to acquire it, or it can be connected to achievements (Ex: Unlock the following achievements to unlock this badge").

I'd say showing a max of 3 to 5 badges on a profile is a good limit in terms of presentation, and tapping on them would open up the highlighted badge list, as well showcase the rest of the badges that a user has earned and have yet to earn depending on the client they're on.

Each badge should show the details of how to acquire it, and your progress towards getting it, as well as when it was acquired.

Trophies

Similar to badges, they'd either have their own criteria to unlock or be connected with previous earnable elements like acquiring X badges and/or completing Y achievements. A user would also be able to present one trophy on their profile, and there'd be a trophy list to showcase all the ones you've earned and ones that they've yet to acquire, showing all the details of course.

These trophies should be the most difficult kind of reward a user would strive to earn. The way you'd earn one can be by getting various different badges and/or achievements or having its own unique set of criteria.

I'd also like to mention that the presentation for trophies should be more premium than the rest. Think of it like someone who has a trophy shelf or even room if they're that into it.

Titles

"Giga Ostrich", "The Ascender", and "Grass Toucher". These are a few examples of what a user can have as a title on their profile. It's fun and gives off the old social norm from the medieval ages of "Oh! He's a Lord!" kind of vibe.

These would act as rewards for completing specific achievements, or for earning badges or trophies. They can also have their own set of criteria to earn them. Again, these would have their own page and show them as a list with their details.

Unlockables

Depending on what a user has managed to earn, be it achievements, badges, trophies, or titles, they'd be rewarded with extra features or services from the client, making their experience on the client more fun for themselves and potentially for others as well.

As an example, let's say a user managed to get a certain trophy that unlocked a feature within a mobile app client, and it's an RGB profile-picture border. Another unlockable might be having the ability to have multiple banner images that switch out every 3 seconds like a slideshow. A third unlockable example, that affects other users, is if said user with this unlockable reacts to a note/post, the end user sees a reaction animation play out on their end (look at Discord's Nitro emoji-reaction animation for reference).

Make sure to also have a page to showcase these unlockables and have a preview of them as well. This will trigger the user to go "Oh! I want this! and this! and.." which will drive them to take the actions needed to unlock them.

Account Level & Exp

Having a general account level is commonplace. The more exp (Experience points) you get and reach a certain threshold that increases with each new level, you'd level up.

The way a user would gain exp is by generally using a Nostr client, where each action would net them a bit of that exp. Reacting, commenting, posting, replying, zapping, completing their profile, adding relays, completing achievements, getting badges, etc.

Progress Bars

This is pretty straightforward. As you've noticed multiple times throughout reading this post, you should add progress bars wherever you can, within reason, so that users know how far or close they are from earning an achievement, badge, trophy, and/or title.

Zap Bar

This idea of a Zap bar, where you'd set it up as a daily limit of how much you need to Zap people per day, week, or month, or to stop yourself from over-zapping people on Nostr, was discussed between Karnage and another individual.

This is definitely useful for people on Nostr, and to add to it, it would be nice to see different kinds of zap bars somewhere, showcasing analytics about your zaps from how much you zapped people, how much they zapped you, the number of people you zapped and got zapped from, and so on. This data would also be connected with other gamified systems mentioned in this article.

In terms of wrapping this Zap bar with a gamified context, we could think of it as a mana bar that you can spend on people with, and it auto refills the next day. You can also get "potions" to refill your zap/mana bar (more on that below).

Quest System

Provide users with daily/weekly/monthly quests/missions and reward them appropriately upon completing them. These quests can be anything you want the user to do related to the client. For example, a quest can be about reacting to 5 notes from someone you follow, replying to someone 5 times, or quote-post a note.

Depending on the quest and what is required of the user to do, an appropriate reward should be given, from experience points to fake currency (we'll talk about that below) and other items like a new profile theme or profile element like a profile picture border.

This would of course have its own page, and each question would have its own details. Make sure to add some fun stories to each one, depending on the theme. If it's your average fantasy, you can write someone a long the lines of "The commander of Plebstr has sent out a bounty to all those who stamp their marks on the people's notes, spreading magical glyphs to its owners".

Non-Purchasable Currency

Create your own client currency to be used as a reward for various other gamification elements, and to be spent on acquiring items from the store (we'll talk about that below) or to subscribe to an item or service.

Just a quick note, this isn't a cryptocurrency. This is just a normal fake currency that games have for their own ecosystem.

Store

What's the use of a currency without being able to spend it somewhere? That's why you'd want to implement a store where players can spend their earned tokens to acquire various items ranging from different profile elements, profile or app themes, animations, different stickers or emojis, etc.

Visual & Sound Presentation

In games, the power of visuals from the art style and animations, and the sound effects and music, play a huge role to enhance a user's gameplay experience. It adds that "meaty"/"umph" feeling.

Satisfying UI animations that play out when a user interacts with your app will go along way, along with adding sound effects on minuscule and major actions, from opening/closing a window/pop-up, to finishing a quest or completing an achievement, etc.

Seasonal Events

Hold an event every now and then, random ones and seasonal ones, and have that up on a calendar that you'd implement somewhere in your client so that users would know if there's anything coming up.

These events can be about anything from the four seasons, anniversaries, random silly ones, competitions, giveaways, etc. Each of these events would have details on what they're about, what activities will happen, and what new quests, achievements, badges, and/or trophies are connected to it.

Trading & Gifting

A user might want someone from another, and have something they don't need, so a trade might occur if that option is available and everyone is happy to get what they want from the people they meet on the client.

A user might also not want anything and would like to gift their items to another. The system should be there so that they can do just that, and the receiver would get a notification that they received a gift, see the animation and SFX play out and be happy about it.

Pets

This system is bordering on the line of actually being a full-on game and not just "gamifying". Heck, it is a game. So a client might not want to add this, as it's definitely a very big extra, but can be a lot of fun if done right.

Do you remember that old game/toy "Tamagotchi" if you're old enough? Because this is basically it. Let's say you get a randomly generate pet based on your npub key, and it'll have its own wants and needs from food, water, taking a bath/shower, taking a dump or piss, its need to kill its boredom by playing with a bar or something, and its desire to socials with other pets, etc.

Since Nostr is all about communication and social interaction, you would be able to somehow present it on your profile, make stickers out of it to send to others, and perhaps have a pet play date with others.

You can also implement clothing customization or environment decoration, which can be acquired through quests, achievements, etc, or through purchasing them from the store, or someone gifting it to you and getting it through a trade.

Anti-Addiction Measures

All of these gamification systems and features are fun and entertaining, however, keep in mind that you might push people to a kind of addiction towards your client, so it is wise to think of ways to counter that.

For example, you could add an optional feature where once set up and enabled by the user, it would remind them to take a break every hour or two. Another example, although potentially a toxic one, is to apply a "curse" effect on the user's account if they've been on the app for a long while, and that can take away exp.

Anti-Spam Measures

Considering that people want to get what they want, from the various rewards given by these gamification systems, they would potentially just spam their way through them. For example, if there's a quest that requires them to post 3 times per week, they might just post gibberish on all three notes. It might be the same for replying to people, commenting on streams, initiating DMs, sending items, etc.

A potential anti-measure for this is to implement a reputation system, that's clear in its communication, where others would give a thumbs up or down on a certain action, and if their reputation falls below a certain threshold, all users on the client have a toggleable option to not see any interaction from those with a bad reputation.

Be Cautious

Keep in mind and be mindful of how you implement these gamification features and designs, as it might negatively impact other aspects of your users' experience and potentially the whole ecosystem. That's why the above anti-measures are mentioned, and there might be other issues that I might have missed to mention.

Thanks For Reading

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! There are a lot more gamification systems out there that you can add to your client, but these are just what came to mind as I was writing this article. If you know of a game feature or system you'd like clients to have, then go ahead and mention it in the comments/replies so that client developers can see it.

@ e6817453:b0ac3c39

We don't need another Twitter app based on Instagram identity with same pro russian community moderation.

Apps are isolated time killers that fight for your time, attention and sell your data.

We need Self-Sovereign Social Network Protocols that set ground rules for self-organized and self-moderated communities. I want to take my social graph and audience with me and do something useful for this relationship. I want to unlock this relationship.

I belive more in #noster #activepub #lense #protocols

https://youtu.be/GmOxLC9Zjxg

@ b9baa32f:cf11d2ec

@ b9baa32f:cf11d2ec

@ 9a576bd9:538775f4

nostr:naddr1qqrkummnw3exvuszyzd9w67evpranzz2jw4m9wcygcyjhxsmcae6g5s58el5vhjnsa6lgqcyqqqgdasp0h2sf

@ ef4079ed:0f9196ff

The new Threads app has had a very successful launch, and they have said they will add ActivePub support allowing them to federate with Mastodon and other Fediverse instances.

This has caused a lot of angst on Mastodon, with many people philosophically opposed to interoperation with such a "surveillance capitalism" platform. Many instance operators have vowed to defederate from Threads, blocking the cross-visibility of posts and accounts between Threads and their instances.

However, @gargron@mastodon.social, the founder and CEO of Mastodon has written positively about allowing federation with thread, including saying

Will Meta get my data or be able to track me?

Mastodon does not broadcast private data like e-mail or IP address outside of the server your account is hosted on. Our software is built on the reasonable assumption that third party servers cannot be trusted. For example, we cache and reprocess images and videos for you to view, so that the originating server cannot get your IP address, browser name, or time of access. A server you are not signed up with and logged into cannot get your private data or track you across the web. What it can get are your public profile and public posts, which are publicly accessible.

I decided to see how true this is, by looking at my own @eob@social.coop Mastodon account and looking to see what personal data of mine Meta would see if they were just fetching data that a well-behaved federated server would fetch.

I emulated the server-to-server calls that Threads would make when a Threads use looked me up on the Mastodon instance social.coop which hosts my account.

1. Use webfinger to find my endpoints

   bash curl https://social.coop/.well-known/webfinger? resource=acct:eob@social.coop 2. Amongst the data returned from the above is the link to my profile, which allows the profile information to be fetched

   bash curl -H "Accept: application/json" https://social.coop/@eob 3. In the profile are the links to my "outbox" URL https://social.coop/users/eob/outbox from where all my public posts can be fetched.

This seems fine so far. These posts are public anyway, so it's fine that Threads can see them.

However, there is a problem with Step #2 above. The profile data is not just pointers to URLs, but also a lot of other personal information. Here it is (converted from JSON to YAML, which is an easier format to read and with some boilerplate and media data removed):

```yaml ... id: 'https://social.coop/users/eob' type: Person following: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/following' followers: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/followers' inbox: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/inbox' outbox: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/outbox' featured: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/collections/featured' featuredTags: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/collections/tags' preferredUsername: eob name: Éamonn summary: >-

#Privacy #UI in #SanFrancisco, leading a team building UI changes giving transparency and control over personal data in a large search engine.

Previously infrastructure for developer tools. Earlier HP Labs (IoT and computational aesthetic), a dot-com bust startup, and high level chip design software at Cadence, Bell Labs, and GEC Hirst Research Centre.

#Irish born and bred, now living in Northern California.

Opinions here are my own; I'm definitely not speaking for my employer.

#tfr #fedi22

url: 'https://social.coop/@eob' manuallyApprovesFollowers: false discoverable: true published: '2022-10-29T00:00:00Z' devices: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/collections/devices' alsoKnownAs: - 'https://sfba.social/users/eob' publicKey: id: 'https://social.coop/users/eob#main-key' owner: 'https://social.coop/users/eob' publicKeyPem: | -----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY----- MIIBIjA...AQAB -----END PUBLIC KEY----- tag: ... attachment: - type: PropertyValue name: Born value: 'Dublin, Ireland' - type: PropertyValue name: Lives value: 'San Francisco, USA' - type: PropertyValue name: Pronouns value: he/him - type: PropertyValue name: GitHub value: >- https://github.com/eobrain endpoints: sharedInbox: 'https://social.coop/inbox' icon: ... image: ... ```

We can assume that Threads would put all this data into a Meta database keyed off my Mastodon identifier @eob@social.coop or equivalent.

I also have a Facebook and Instagram account, which is also stored in a Meta database, keyed off my Facebook user ID.

The big question, and the privacy threat model, is whether Meta can associate ("join") these two database entries as belonging to the same person so that they can use Mastodon data to optimize ad targeting and feed algorithms.

The good news is that the profile data above does not include an explicit data field that could be used as a joining identifier.

But there is a lot of free-form text that could be fed into matching algorithms, and even though I was a little careful, by for example not including my last name, I suspect that Meta could reidentify me and associate the Mastodon account with my Facebook account.

So one response to this would be to ask people on Mastodon to edit their profiles to make them more anonymous, as most people did not write them on the assumption that the data would be fed into the maw of the Meta ad machine.

But maybe a better solution would be to modify the ActivityPub software in the server to filter out identifying profile information when federating with an instance like Threads. For example:

• The attachments section could be removed as it has easily harvested structured personal data
• The summary section could be replaced with a link to the profile on the Mastodon server, so the human could click through and see it, but Meta servers would not.

The result would be something more privacy-preserving like:

yaml ... id: 'https://social.coop/users/eob' type: Person following: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/following' followers: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/followers' inbox: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/inbox' outbox: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/outbox' featured: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/collections/featured' featuredTags: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/collections/tags' preferredUsername: eob name: Éamonn summary: ´<a href=¨https://social.coop/@eob¨>profile</a>´ url: 'https://social.coop/@eob' manuallyApprovesFollowers: false discoverable: true published: '2022-10-29T00:00:00Z' devices: 'https://social.coop/users/eob/collections/devices' alsoKnownAs: - 'https://sfba.social/users/eob' publicKey: id: 'https://social.coop/users/eob#main-key' owner: 'https://social.coop/users/eob' publicKeyPem: | -----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY----- MIIBIjA...AQAB -----END PUBLIC KEY----- tag: ... attachment: endpoints: sharedInbox: 'https://social.coop/inbox' icon: ... image: ...

@ d8b1fb02:440c8738

Muitas vezes quando penso em forças opostas, me veem à mente a imagem da luta entre Darth Vader e Luke Skywalker em Star Wars. Imagem icônica da cultura moderna para representar um conceito tão antigo como a existência do próprio homem, o bem e o mal, vivenciado por nós todos os dias da vida em maior ou menor grau, de forma indireta em um fato visto na TV ou diretamente protagonizando algo e tomando um dos lados nessa realidade binária.

Atualmente vivemos no cenário político mundial uma disputa acirrada entre direita e esquerda e diferentemente do que víamos na época da guerra fria, hoje os movimentos não são necessariamente atrelados à países propagandeando o seu lado ideológico, mas, no entanto, temos agora a figura de organizações ofertando esse apoio na construção da ideologia, mesmo que seja sutil, quase invisível, ao sustentar projetos e pessoas alinhados com o seu lado, despejando milhões de dólares assegurando que agendas serão implementadas.

Falo de organizações como o WEF e a Open Society, os chamados "globalistas", que promovem uma agenda muito parecida com os socialistas no que se refere à visão de uma sociedade gerenciada de forma central, onde questões como liberdade são subjugadas ante o controle do cidadão pelo "Estado", certificando assim que conceitos como "todos" seja em qual assunto for, da saúde à conta bancária seja atingido por uma métrica idêntica definida pelo grande irmão.

É claro que para mim, toda essa turma: globalistas, comunistas, socialistas, esquerdistas, petistas e etc... são a representação das trevas em virtude da subtração das liberdades do indivíduo, escravizando-o aos dogmas fantasiosos que propõe uma perfeição de sociedade atingida apenas na propaganda do texto vendido à sociedade pelos larápios de plantão, mas que na verdade cria uma elite diminuta concentrando todos os meios de forma que não haja qualquer forma de mudar o sistema uma vez sendo estabelecido. O Darth Vader seria a figura representativa dessa gente, dizendo "coma insetos" (sim, eu sei, colocar Vader como globalista-comunista dói muito).

Seu contraposto, aqueles que estão do outra lado, a luz, os Lukes da vida são esses anônimos que criam e desenvolvem coisas como esta rede, Nostr, baseada em descentralização não por acaso, visando a defesa da liberdade da expressão em oposição à censura, um ambiente digital resiliente à dominação de um poder único de pouco$, sim Nostr é a bandeira da resistência de uma guerra que já começou há tempos, bem antes de Skywalker empunhar seu sabre de luz contra Vader nas telas do cinema.

@ 9cb3545c:2ff47bca

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ما هي الموصلات؟

تقوم الموصلات بدور أساسي في عمل شبكة نوستر للتواصل الاجتماعي. قد تكون سمعت أن نوستر هو بروتوكول لامركزي. أي هناك مجموعة كبيرة من الافراد يقومون بتقديم سيرفرات دورها تخزين المنشورات وبثها ومشاركتها مع الآخرين. لن نتطرق للجانب الفني للموصلات، لكن بصورة مبسطة، يمكن تشبيه الموصل ببرج الإرسال للجوالات، كل برج له تردد خاص تتصل الجولات به. كذلك كل موصل له رابط خاص أيضا يسمح للمستخدم التواصل معه. هكذا يكون شكل رابط الموصل: wss://nostr.planz.io

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ما الفائدة من الارتباط بموصلات مختلفة؟

تقدم الموصلات خدمات ومزايا خاصة للمستخدمين، وكون نوستر في بداية انطلاقته، لم تتفرد الموصلات بتقديم خدمات خاصة أو معينة واضحة بشكل كبير، لكن نستعرض بعض الفوائد الملموسة حاليا: * تسمح بالتفاعل مع مستخدمي الموصل دون غيرهم. مثل نادي خاص مع حارس على الباب. حيث من خيارات البحث يمكن عمل فلتر لقراءة منشورات من موصل محدد. على سبيل المثال قد يكون هنالك موصل خاص لمحبي الرياضة، أو موصل خاص لسكان منطقة معينة. * تحجب عنك لغات لا تتكلمها وتقلل من الضوضاء الغير مرغوب فيها. * تساعدك في العثور على مستخدمين يشاركوك اهتماماتك. * وطبعا تحجب عنك المنشورات الغير ملائمة مثل البوتات وغيها (وفهمكم كفاية).

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كيف احصل على موصل خاص؟

إذا كنت تمتلك رابط لموصل قد وجت أن المستخدمين يفضلوه لسرعته أو غيرها من المزايا، يمكنك بسهولة نسخ الرابط وإضافته إلى قائمة الموصلات. http://nostr.build/i/9e9bee0e7b7727f0337f1976ab57852569540b22dc0906bad694573b4f080335.png لكن طبعا هنالك موصلات مدفوعة مثل موصل wss://nostr.planz.io المخصص للناطقيين باللغة العربية. للحصول على صلاحية استخدام هذا الموصل، هنالك قيمة رمزية هدفها صد البوتات من الدخول. لدفع رسوم الدخول قم بزيارة هذا الموقع: https://nostr.planz.io/ http://nostr.build/i/78c676f08f9827eeec6498c668205c8b875c4529d14a34541a15361fa985c16a.png إذا اردت التعرف على طريقة الدفع، القي نظرة على دليل نوستر العربي: https://lnshort.it/nostr-ar/

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كيف استفيد من الموصل الجديد؟

إذا كنت مهتم لمتابعة المنشورات من هذا الموصل فقط، عليك من صفحة البحث اختيار أيقونة الفيلتر واختيار الموصل المرغوب. http://nostr.build/i/172bee324388df4a78067af63e96ceed2ab55897ad52b1fcf5ddb82538455a99.png عد إلى الصفحة الرئيسية ثم مرة أخرى إلى صفحة البحث لتحديث الصفحة!

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ممتاز!

لقد قمت بتعلم شيئ جديد في عالم نوستر، والآن يمكنك التحدث مع اصدقائك بخصوصية أعلى.

@ 54b2d4f2:71a60160

Version 1

Can I use this

1) must be visible on the internet, indexed by search engines

2)editable, need to make changes for sure. Who gets it right at the first time?

3)Paid Content

4)Images & Videos Embedded

@ 7fa56f5d:751ac194

The great NIP-172 initiative by nostr:npub1gcxzte5zlkncx26j68ez60fzkvtkm9e0vrwdcvsjakxf9mu9qewqlfnj5z and others brings moderated communities to Nostr. I'm excited about integrating them in Habla.

You can already embed them in posts:

nostr:naddr1qqwku6ts95cnwv3dv3jhvetvdacx6etwwskkxmmdd46ku6t50ypzpew5ygpqd6jjqa0pl5xlzl862q2ann0tmkat6cwqa4xy30akcan8qvzqqqyx7c2206sd

I added a Communities tab to the home page that allows you to explore them, clicking on them will take you to their feed.

I want to add the ability to follow communities so you can stay up do date with their content, I'm personally looking forward to see more posts from these:

nostr:naddr1qqykwctjv3jku6twvupzp59pl7u8vxuhfnky5wlge09ja948pyxu73jll6kg8x4yegsvnfv7qvzqqqyx7cyrsv2g

nostr:naddr1qqpyzjgzyrafsj7hmweg9ur7zmn6apajdg48hxuskujx53rhrux0ttjcqx84yqcyqqqgdasnfzszh

Happy writing!

@ 7f5c2b4e:a818d75d

Apple's rigorous scrutiny towards open, permissionless financial interactions compelled the developer of the most favored Nostr client for iOS, Damus, to eliminate the zap functionality. For most app developers, this could signal game over, but nostriches never give up.

We firmly believe that talent, curiosity, and the potent belief in technology's transformative power are indomitable forces. These forces will empower us to construct a world underpinned by solid principles, contributing to a society that's robust, honest, and authentic.

The days of depending on a handful of power-hungry gatekeepers, who decide what we can deem right, are long gone.

If you like it then you shoulda put a zap on it

Zapplepay lets you zap notes on Damus, even though App Store masters said it’s forbidden. Given the recent call from Apple to Nostur's developer insisting on the removal of zaps, the need for a smooth alternative is more critical than ever.

nostr:note15kzxy4cj6jfg0psunefrwmrjymlaces5wd2ed3q2ncpqctr6yspqnslv7a

Screw the rulers

Lets go over a few simple steps to send zaps and support favorite content creators regardless of whether Apple allow you to do so.

Part 1: NWC

Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) allows you to seamlessly zap notes in a single tap. Here's what you've gotta do:

1. Visit https://nwc.getalby.com/ and log in with your Alby account. If you don’t have one, you can follow this simple step-by-step guide by nostr:npub1cly0v30agkcfq40mdsndzjrn0tt76ykaan0q6ny80wy034qedpjsqwamhz.

NWC is a way for applications like Nostr clients to access a remote Lightning wallet through a standardized protocol. For instance, you can link your Alby account with any other application using this feature. You can find out more about it here.

1. After logging in you will be welcomed by a simple page, offering you to create a new connection.

1. Tap "+ New connection" button.
2. Fill up required info:
3. Name the connection
4. Set an expiry date if you'd like
5. Set a budget.

It's highly advisable to set a budget. By doing so, you'll limit the app's access to a specified amount of sats over a defined time period. This ensures that even in a worst-case scenario, not all the sats in your wallet will be at risk.

• Hit "Confirm"

1. You'll be redirected to the next page, which will offer you to reveal the pairing secret. Let's leave it as is for now and move on to the next step. Do not close this tab just yet.

Please note that the term 'pairing secret' has the word 'secret' for a reason. It's critical that you keep it confidential. Disclosing it to others could grant them access to your wallet.

Part 2: Zapplepay

Zapplepay is the final piece of the puzzle that transforms likes and essentially any reaction into a zap. If Apple or any other entity decides to oust this tool, they'd have to simultaneously banish all reactions along with emojis. Now that would be quite an amusing spectacle to witness 😁.

Just a handful more steps, and we'll finalize our crafty alternative route, wrenching away the power of tech giants and any other world authorities to control who can send sats to whom:

1. Visit https://www.zapplepay.com/
2. Fill up the required fields (yes, I know, the impatient ones are probably already tired of all the steps, but you've only gotta do it once and I promise, we're almost done).

• Enter your npub (displayed on your Nostr profile page);
• Choose a trigger emoji (it is 🤙 for Damus and ❤️ for Nostur);
• Specify the amount of sats you want your reaction to send;
• Now, that we've come to the final step, return to the NWC tab
• Reveal the pairing secret and hit "Copy Secret"

• Paste the secret into the "nwc connection string" in your Zapplepay tab.

Remember to pay attention to the "+" sign between "nostr" and "walletconnect" in the empty field of your Zapplepay tab. The secret you copied from NWC doesn't include this "+", so you may need to insert it manually. Though the developer of Zapplepay, nostr:npub1u8lnhlw5usp3t9vmpz60ejpyt649z33hu82wc2hpv6m5xdqmuxhs46turz, mentions it's no longer necessary, it's worth being mindful of in case you encounter any hitches. Feel free to experiment with both methods to ensure success.

• Click "Save"

Wait, there's more?

Yes! There's more to it!

First of all, there's an alternative way to zap with Zapplepay. You can simply reply to the note you want to zap with an emoji you've configured. So, for example, if you want to have your likes stay the way they are, you could configure, say, a hug 🫂 emoji to send zaps and simply reply with a hug (and nothing else) to corresponding posts.

Note that at the time of writing reactions work better than replies with emojis. There is no doubt this will improve in the future.

nostr:note1djcjm6y0q2yap99vae5p6rkqaptfnqh5hpws5putwj9rxr0hqmsqje55my

Moreover, and this is the coolest part, you can setup an NWC connection for each separate emoji to represent different amounts of sats to be sent. This means you can zap varying quantities on the fly.

We are winning

You're all set to send zaps by simply liking the posts or replying to them with certain emojis in Nostr clients now. Nobody can stop you from doing that.

https://nostr.build/av/536a16f21d4da51467af9865a1dcf944c47d09c6bbebae79bc1c1a1591afde65.mp4

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A huge shoutout to nostr:npub1u8lnhlw5usp3t9vmpz60ejpyt649z33hu82wc2hpv6m5xdqmuxhs46turz for his unique idea and marvelous execution of this sophisticated way to say "Screw Apple"!

Found this post useful? Support it by sending me a few sats via Zapplepay 💜

@ 668ceee5:930b960e

Satoshi Nakamoto

satoshin@gmx.com

www.bitcoin.org/

Abstract. A purely peer-to-peer version of electronic cash would allow online payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution. Digital signatures provide part of the solution, but the main benefits are lost if a trusted third party is still required to prevent double-spending. We propose a solution to the double-spending problem using a peer-to-peer network. The network timestamps transactions by hashing them into an ongoing chain of hash-based proof-of-work, forming a record that cannot be changed without redoing the proof-of-work. The longest chain not only serves as proof of the sequence of events witnessed, but proof that it came from the largest pool of CPU power. As long as a majority of CPU power is controlled by nodes that are not cooperating to attack the network, they'll generate the longest chain and outpace attackers. The network itself requires minimal structure. Messages are broadcast on a best effort basis, and nodes can leave and rejoin the network at will, accepting the longest proof-of-work chain as proof of what happened while they were gone.

1. Introduction

Commerce on the Internet has come to rely almost exclusively on financial institutions serving as trusted third parties to process electronic payments. While the system works well enough for most transactions, it still suffers from the inherent weaknesses of the trust based model. Completely non-reversible transactions are not really possible, since financial institutions cannot avoid mediating disputes. The cost of mediation increases transaction costs, limiting the minimum practical transaction size and cutting off the possibility for small casual transactions, and there is a broader cost in the loss of ability to make non-reversible payments for nonreversible services. With the possibility of reversal, the need for trust spreads. Merchants must be wary of their customers, hassling them for more information than they would otherwise need. A certain percentage of fraud is accepted as unavoidable. These costs and payment uncertainties can be avoided in person by using physical currency, but no mechanism exists to make payments over a communications channel without a trusted party

What is needed is an electronic payment system based on cryptographic proof instead of trust, allowing any two willing parties to transact directly with each other without the need for a trusted third party. Transactions that are computationally impractical to reverse would protect sellers from fraud, and routine escrow mechanisms could easily be implemented to protect buyers. In this paper, we propose a solution to the double-spending problem using a peer-to-peer distributed timestamp server to generate computational proof of the chronological order of transactions. The system is secure as long as honest nodes collectively control more CPU power than any cooperating group of attacker nodes.

2. Transactions

We define an electronic coin as a chain of digital signatures. Each owner transfers the coin to the next by digitally signing a hash of the previous transaction and the public key of the next owner and adding these to the end of the coin. A payee can verify the signatures to verify the chain of ownership.

The problem of course is the payee can't verify that one of the owners did not double-spend the coin. A common solution is to introduce a trusted central authority, or mint, that checks every transaction for double spending. After each transaction, the coin must be returned to the mint to issue a new coin, and only coins issued directly from the mint are trusted not to be double-spent. The problem with this solution is that the fate of the entire money system depends on the company running the mint, with every transaction having to go through them, just like a bank.

We need a way for the payee to know that the previous owners did not sign any earlier transactions. For our purposes, the earliest transaction is the one that counts, so we don't care about later attempts to double-spend. The only way to confirm the absence of a transaction is to be aware of all transactions. In the mint based model, the mint was aware of all transactions and decided which arrived first. To accomplish this without a trusted party, transactions must be publicly announced [1], and we need a system for participants to agree on a single history of the order in which they were received. The payee needs proof that at the time of each transaction, the majority of nodes agreed it was the first received.

3. Timestamp Server

The solution we propose begins with a timestamp server. A timestamp server works by taking a hash of a block of items to be timestamped and widely publishing the hash, such as in a newspaper or Usenet post [2][3][4][5]. The timestamp proves that the data must have existed at the time, obviously, in order to get into the hash. Each timestamp includes the previous timestamp in its hash, forming a chain, with each additional timestamp reinforcing the ones before it.

4. Proof-of-Work

To implement a distributed timestamp server on a peer-to-peer basis, we will need to use a proof-of-work system similar to Adam Back's Hashcash [6], rather than newspaper or Usenet posts. The proof-of-work involves scanning for a value that when hashed, such as with SHA-256, the hash begins with a number of zero bits. The average work required is exponential in the number of zero bits required and can be verified by executing a single hash.

For our timestamp network, we implement the proof-of-work by incrementing a nonce in the block until a value is found that gives the block's hash the required zero bits. Once the CPU effort has been expended to make it satisfy the proof-of-work, the block cannot be changed without redoing the work. As later blocks are chained after it, the work to change the block would include redoing all the blocks after it

The proof-of-work also solves the problem of determining representation in majority decision making. If the majority were based on one-IP-address-one-vote, it could be subverted by anyone able to allocate many IPs. Proof-of-work is essentially one-CPU-one-vote. The majority decision is represented by the longest chain, which has the greatest proof-of-work effort invested in it. If a majority of CPU power is controlled by honest nodes, the honest chain will grow the fastest and outpace any competing chains. To modify a past block, an attacker would have to redo the proof-of-work of the block and all blocks after it and then catch up with and surpass the work of the honest nodes. We will show later that the probability of a slower attacker catching up diminishes exponentially as subsequent blocks are added.

To compensate for increasing hardware speed and varying interest in running nodes over time, the proof-of-work difficulty is determined by a moving average targeting an average number of blocks per hour. If they're generated too fast, the difficulty increases.

5. Network

The steps to run the network are as follows:

1. New transactions are broadcast to all nodes.
2. Each node collects new transactions into a block.
3. Each node works on finding a difficult proof-of-work for its block.
4. When a node finds a proof-of-work, it broadcasts the block to all nodes.
5. Nodes accept the block only if all transactions in it are valid and not already spent.
6. Nodes express their acceptance of the block by working on creating the next block in the chain, using the hash of the accepted block as the previous hash.

Nodes always consider the longest chain to be the correct one and will keep working on extending it. If two nodes broadcast different versions of the next block simultaneously, some nodes may receive one or the other first. In that case, they work on the first one they received, but save the other branch in case it becomes longer. The tie will be broken when the next proof-of-work is found and one branch becomes longer; the nodes that were working on the other branch will then switch to the longer one.

New transaction broadcasts do not necessarily need to reach all nodes. As long as they reach many nodes, they will get into a block before long. Block broadcasts are also tolerant of dropped messages. If a node does not receive a block, it will request it when it receives the next block and realizes it missed one.

6. Incentive

By convention, the first transaction in a block is a special transaction that starts a new coin owned by the creator of the block. This adds an incentive for nodes to support the network, and provides a way to initially distribute coins into circulation, since there is no central authority to issue them. The steady addition of a constant of amount of new coins is analogous to gold miners expending resources to add gold to circulation. In our case, it is CPU time and electricity that is expended.

The incentive can also be funded with transaction fees. If the output value of a transaction is less than its input value, the difference is a transaction fee that is added to the incentive value of the block containing the transaction. Once a predetermined number of coins have entered circulation, the incentive can transition entirely to transaction fees and be completely inflation free.

The incentive may help encourage nodes to stay honest. If a greedy attacker is able to assemble more CPU power than all the honest nodes, he would have to choose between using it to defraud people by stealing back his payments, or using it to generate new coins. He ought to find it more profitable to play by the rules, such rules that favour him with more new coins than everyone else combined, than to undermine the system and the validity of his own wealth.

7. Reclaiming Disk Space

Once the latest transaction in a coin is buried under enough blocks, the spent transactions before it can be discarded to save disk space. To facilitate this without breaking the block's hash, transactions are hashed in a Merkle Tree [7][8][9], with only the root included in the block's hash. Old blocks can then be compacted by stubbing off branches of the tree. The interior hashes do not need to be stored.

A block header with no transactions would be about 80 bytes. If we suppose blocks are generated every 10 minutes, 80 bytes * 6 * 24 * 365 = 4.2MB per year. With computer systems typically selling with 2GB of RAM as of 2008, and Moore's Law predicting current growth of 1.2GB per year, storage should not be a problem even if the block headers must be kept in memory.

8. Simplified Payment Verification

It is possible to verify payments without running a full network node. A user only needs to keep a copy of the block headers of the longest proof-of-work chain, which he can get by querying network nodes until he's convinced he has the longest chain, and obtain the Merkle branch linking the transaction to the block it's timestamped in. He can't check the transaction for himself, but by linking it to a place in the chain, he can see that a network node has accepted it, and blocks added after it further confirm the network has accepted it.

As such, the verification is reliable as long as honest nodes control the network, but is more vulnerable if the network is overpowered by an attacker. While network nodes can verify transactions for themselves, the simplified method can be fooled by an attacker's fabricated transactions for as long as the attacker can continue to overpower the network. One strategy to protect against this would be to accept alerts from network nodes when they detect an invalid block, prompting the user's software to download the full block and alerted transactions to confirm the inconsistency. Businesses that receive frequent payments will probably still want to run their own nodes for more independent security and quicker verification.

9. Combining and Splitting Value

Although it would be possible to handle coins individually, it would be unwieldy to make a separate transaction for every cent in a transfer. To allow value to be split and combined, transactions contain multiple inputs and outputs. Normally there will be either a single input from a larger previous transaction or multiple inputs combining smaller amounts, and at most two outputs: one for the payment, and one returning the change, if any, back to the sender.

It should be noted that fan-out, where a transaction depends on several transactions, and those transactions depend on many more, is not a problem here. There is never the need to extract a complete standalone copy of a transaction's history.

10. Privacy

The traditional banking model achieves a level of privacy by limiting access to information to the parties involved and the trusted third party. The necessity to announce all transactions publicly precludes this method, but privacy can still be maintained by breaking the flow of information in another place: by keeping public keys anonymous. The public can see that someone is sending an amount to someone else, but without information linking the transaction to anyone. This is similar to the level of information released by stock exchanges, where the time and size of individual trades, the "tape", is made public, but without telling who the parties were.

As an additional firewall, a new key pair should be used for each transaction to keep them from being linked to a common owner. Some linking is still unavoidable with multi-input transactions, which necessarily reveal that their inputs were owned by the same owner. The risk is that if the owner of a key is revealed, linking could reveal other transactions that belonged to the same owner.

11. Calculations

We consider the scenario of an attacker trying to generate an alternate chain faster than the honest chain. Even if this is accomplished, it does not throw the system open to arbitrary changes, such as creating value out of thin air or taking money that never belonged to the attacker. Nodes are not going to accept an invalid transaction as payment, and honest nodes will never accept a block containing them. An attacker can only try to change one of his own transactions to take back money he recently spent.

The race between the honest chain and an attacker chain can be characterized as a Binomial Random Walk. The success event is the honest chain being extended by one block, increasing its lead by +1, and the failure event is the attacker's chain being extended by one block, reducing the gap by -1.

The probability of an attacker catching up from a given deficit is analogous to a Gambler's Ruin problem. Suppose a gambler with unlimited credit starts at a deficit and plays potentially an infinite number of trials to try to reach breakeven. We can calculate the probability he ever reaches breakeven, or that an attacker ever catches up with the honest chain, as follows [10]:

p = probability an honest node finds the next block

q = probability the attacker finds the next block

qz = probability the attacker will ever catch up from z blocks behind

Given our assumption that p > q, the probability drops exponentially as the number of blocks the attacker has to catch up with increases. With the odds against him, if he doesn't make a lucky lunge forward early on, his chances become vanishingly small as he falls further behind.

We now consider how long the recipient of a new transaction needs to wait before being sufficiently certain the sender can't change the transaction. We assume the sender is an attacker who wants to make the recipient believe he paid him for a while, then switch it to pay back to himself after some time has passed. The receiver will be alerted when that happens, but the sender hopes it will be too late

The receiver generates a new key pair and gives the public key to the sender shortly before signing. This prevents the sender from preparing a chain of blocks ahead of time by working on it continuously until he is lucky enough to get far enough ahead, then executing the transaction at that moment. Once the transaction is sent, the dishonest sender starts working in secret on a parallel chain containing an alternate version of his transaction.

The recipient waits until the transaction has been added to a block and z blocks have been linked after it. He doesn't know the exact amount of progress the attacker has made, but assuming the honest blocks took the average expected time per block, the attacker's potential progress will be a Poisson distribution with expected value:

To get the probability the attacker could still catch up now, we multiply the Poisson density for each amount of progress he could have made by the probability he could catch up from that point:

Rearranging to avoid summing the infinite tail of the distribution...

Converting to C code...

```

include

double AttackerSuccessProbability(double q, int z) {     double p = 1.0 - q;     double lambda = z * (q / p);     double sum = 1.0;     int i, k;     for (k = 0; k <= z; k++)     {         double poisson = exp(-lambda);         for (i = 1; i <= k; i++)             poisson *= lambda / i;         sum -= poisson * (1 - pow(q / p, z - k));     }     return sum; }

```

Running some results, we can see the probability drop off exponentially with z.

``` q=0.1 z=0 P=1.0000000 z=1 P=0.2045873 z=2 P=0.0509779 z=3 P=0.0131722 z=4 P=0.0034552 z=5 P=0.0009137 z=6 P=0.0002428 z=7 P=0.0000647 z=8 P=0.0000173 z=9 P=0.0000046 z=10 P=0.0000012

q=0.3 z=0 P=1.0000000 z=5 P=0.1773523 z=10 P=0.0416605 z=15 P=0.0101008 z=20 P=0.0024804 z=25 P=0.0006132 z=30 P=0.0001522 z=35 P=0.0000379 z=40 P=0.0000095 z=45 P=0.0000024 z=50 P=0.0000006

```

Solving for P less than 0.1%...

``` P \< 0.001 q=0.10 z=5 q=0.15 z=8 q=0.20 z=11 q=0.25 z=15 q=0.30 z=24 q=0.35 z=41 q=0.40 z=89 q=0.45 z=340

```

12. Conclusion

We have proposed a system for electronic transactions without relying on trust. We started with the usual framework of coins made from digital signatures, which provides strong control of ownership, but is incomplete without a way to prevent double-spending. To solve this, we proposed a peer-to-peer network using proof-of-work to record a public history of transactions that quickly becomes computationally impractical for an attacker to change if honest nodes control a majority of CPU power. The network is robust in its unstructured simplicity. Nodes work all at once with little coordination. They do not need to be identified, since messages are not routed to any particular place and only need to be delivered on a best effort basis. Nodes can leave and rejoin the network at will, accepting the proof-of-work chain as proof of what happened while they were gone. They vote with their CPU power, expressing their acceptance of valid blocks by working on extending them and rejecting invalid blocks by refusing to work on them. Any needed rules and incentives can be enforced with this consensus mechanism.

References

1. W. Dai, "b-money," http://www.weidai.com/bmoney.txt, 1998.

2. H. Massias, X.S. Avila, and J.-J. Quisquater, "Design of a secure timestamping service with minimal trust requirements," In 20th Symposium on Information Theory in the Benelux, May 1999.

3. S. Haber, W.S. Stornetta, "How to time-stamp a digital document," In Journal of Cryptology, vol 3, no 2, pages 99-111, 1991.

4. D. Bayer, S. Haber, W.S. Stornetta, "Improving the efficiency and reliability of digital time-stamping," In Sequences II: Methods in Communication, Security and Computer Science, pages 329-334, 1993.

5. S. Haber, W.S. Stornetta, "Secure names for bit-strings," In Proceedings of the 4th ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, pages 28-35, April 1997.

6. A. Back, "Hashcash - a denial of service counter-measure," http://www.hashcash.org/papers/hashcash.pdf, 2002.

7. R.C. Merkle, "Protocols for public key cryptosystems," In Proc. 1980 Symposium on Security and Privacy, IEEE Computer Society, pages 122-133, April 1980.

8. H. Massias, X.S. Avila, and J.-J. Quisquater, "Design of a secure timestamping service with minimal trust requirements," In 20th Symposium on Information Theory in the Benelux, May 1999.

9. S. Haber, W.S. Stornetta, "Secure names for bit-strings," In Proceedings of the 4th ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, pages 28-35, April 1997.

10. W. Feller, "An introduction to probability theory and its applications," 1957.

@ 5ada3677:7c21c9db

中午步去新天地的遇外灘，夏季菜上市，於蒸籠般的梅雨天氣裡，食一餐閩菜來消暑。

遇外灘坐下來，先吃字，再吃飯。

不是一般地吃字，是說文解字級別的吃字，菜單上的字。這個我喜歡的，講講字，吃杯茶，慢慢就靜了心、入了戲、清涼無了汗。     涼碟子，稱沐，有水，清爽的意思，今天吃的沐，是山海五珍鮮，一隻細瓷攢盒捧上來，紛紜五色：

蔥拌鮮腐竹
水晶土筍凍
老酒醉螯蝦
煙燻馬友魚
五香乾坤包

東西無庸置疑，都好吃，一一都是遇外灘的招牌。一邊吃一邊檢討自己，沐這個字，我寫字女工，一年好像寫不到十次，這麼好的字，以後要提高使用率，多寫寫多用用。

配一道茶，單瓣茉莉花茶。

現在吃一餐中國飯，知識點比吃一餐外國飯還多。好不容易我們通過多年的刻苦學習，完成了對法國菜義大利菜西班牙菜的掃盲工作，今年又需要馬不停蹄地開始攻克秘魯菜的知識點，2023的世界第一餐廳是秘魯的。外國菜我們知識有限也就算了，想不到回過頭來吃中國菜，也是筆記本記得密密麻麻。

這杯茉莉花茶，十窨，窨了十次，我孤陋寡聞，今生聞所未聞飲所未飲。據說是福建的茉莉花，三伏天裡花期鼎盛時候開始窨，窨滿十次。泡上來一飲，清絕，幽絕。

再來一個知識點，茉莉花要單瓣的，清幽；雙瓣的比較濃濁。品流不在一個層次。

手路，閩語，手工硬菜的意思，日語裡稱強餚。閔菜第一硬菜，不用說，自然是佛跳牆。遇外灘今天的佛跳牆，燉得非常輕柔，舉重若輕的境界，膠質富饒而不膩，食材到家，火候到家。

配一道烏崬蜜蘭香單欉，很化佛跳牆的厚。

湃，海鮮的意思，潮水拍打礁石的聲音，手釣帶魚拆骨，與三種蘿蔔共清蒸，一勺挖下去，口感與滋味，都有豐富層次。

荔浦芋頭燉到至糯，入口即化立地成佛。

配一道景邁山古樹生餅，你厚我厚，蒸蒸日上。

紅漆盒子喜氣洋洋的，是遇外灘的首本名菜，紅蟳米糕，取貴州香河糯米，生炒，炒夠足足40分鐘。若是一個偷懶鬆懈，功夫缺一個角，哪裡還會好吃呢？

首本名菜，配的茶也絕色，煙燻正山小種，木質煙燻味極為濃厚的一款茶，那種甘醇，很煞黃梅天的烏蘇，連飲兩杯才釋懷。

飯後甜物，椰蓉燕窩酥，石花酸奶青瓜冰霜，配東方美人，清麗婉轉，不勝依依。          整套夏日菜，安詳穩妥，滋味清腴，所有餐具和茶具，大多統一在本白、米白、青白左右，清涼雅潔，十分上品。

  這是一餐飯的所有茶具，最喜歡左二那隻水晶小酒杯，據說是瑞士1970年代的舊物，拿來飲中國茶，簡直是絕配。

@ 78733875:4eb851f2

The mission of OpenSats is to support and maintain a sustainable ecosystem of funding for free and open-source projects that help Bitcoin flourish. Nostr is such a project, which is why OpenSats introduced The Nostr Fund and built a team around the protocol's originator to help fund the growing nostr ecosystem. As an open, interoperable, and censorship-resistant protocol, nostr has the chance of doing social-native networking right.

After weeks of sorting through applications, we are excited to announce the first round of grants from The Nostr Fund. OpenSats is proud to support over a dozen projects, from clients to relay implementations to adjacent tools and design efforts.

In no particular order, here they are:

• NDK by @pablof7z
• Habla by @verbiricha
• Coracle by @hodlbod
• Iris by @mmalmi
• Damus by @jb55
• rust-nostr & nostr-sdk by @yukibtc
• Nostr Relay NestJS by @CodyTseng
• Soapbox by @alexgleason
• Code Collaboration over Nostr by @DanConwayDev
• Satellite by @lovvtide
• Amethyst by @vitorpamplona
• Pinstr by @sepehr-safari
• nostr.build by @nostr.build
• Gossip by @mikedilger
• Nostr SDK iOS by @bryanmontz
• Nostr Design by @karnage

The projects above have received grants of various durations and sizes, and we have more nostr-related applications in the pipeline. Donate to The Nostr Fund if you want to help fund the nostr ecosystem.

Without further ado, let's take a closer look at each project in turn.

---

NDK

NDK is a nostr development kit that makes the experience of building Nostr-related applications—whether they are relays, clients, or anything in between—better, more reliable, and overall more enjoyable to work with than existing solutions. The core goal of NDK is to improve the decentralization of Nostr via intelligent conventions and data discovery features without depending on any one central point of coordination, such as large relays or centralized search providers.

Repository: nostr-dev-kit/ndk
License: MIT

Habla

Habla is a website for reading, writing, curating, and monetizing long-form content on nostr. It uses NIP-23 to allow markdown-formatted articles and embedded nostr content such as notes, profiles, lists, relays, badges, and more. The goal of Habla is to give everyone an alternative to centralized publishing platforms such as Medium or Substack, which are by their very nature prone to censorship and deplatforming.

Repository: verbiricha/habla.news
License: GNU GPL v3.0

Coracle

Coracle is a nostr web client focusing on user experience, performance, and scaling of the nostr network beyond the "twitter clone" use-case. The end goal is to build marketplaces, groups, chat, and more on top of an emergent web of trust. Coracle is already one of the most mature and accessible clients for new users while also providing some novel features for more advanced nostriches.

Repository: coracle-social/coracle
License: MIT

Iris

Iris is a multi-platform nostr client that is available for web, mobile, and desktop. Iris' design goals are speed, reliability, and ease of use. The client features public as well as private messaging, customizable feeds, an offline mode, and speedy account creation.

Repository: irislib/iris-messenger
License: MIT

Damus

Damus is a cutting-edge nostr client for iOS. The goal of Damus is to integrate bitcoin with social media and to show the power, censorship resistance, and scalability of nostr in general. Damus includes picture and video uploading, is fully translated into 24 languages, supports automatic translation of notes, and includes all of the features you would expect from a Twitter-like client.

Repository: damus-io/damus
License: GNU GPL v3.0

rust-nostr & nostr-sdk

Rust-nostr is a Rust implementation of the nostr protocol. It is a high-level client library with the explicit goal to help developers build nostr apps for desktop, web, and mobile that are both fast and secure. Rust crates can be easily embedded inside other development environments like Swift, Kotlin, Python, and JavaScript, making rust-nostr a versatile base to build upon. While the project is in the early stages of development, over 35 NIPs are already supported, with more to come.

Repository: rust-nostr/nostr
License: MIT

Nostr Relay NestJS

Nostr-relay-nestjs is a Nostr relay with a clear structure that is easy to customize to your needs. This relay implementation is based on the NestJS framework and focuses on reliability and high test coverage.

Repository: CodyTseng/nostr-relay-nestjs
License: MIT

Soapbox

Soapbox started out as an alternative to Mastodon but has grown to encompass ActivityPub and nostr while being interoperable with both. In February 2023, the team launched the "Mostr" bridge, seamlessly connecting nostr to the ActivityPub Fediverse and enabling bidirectional communication between both protocols. This bridge exposes over 9.4M potential users in nostr's target audience to nostr, many of whom have already left the Fediverse completely in favor of nostr.

Repository: gitlab.com/soapbox-pub
License: GNU Affero General Public License v3.0

Code Collaboration over Nostr

This project is a proof-of-concept for a much-needed, often discussed, and permissionless, nostr-based GitHub alternative. The goal is to replace the traditional interactions using a centralized server or service with a nostr-based alternative centered around nostr events. Commits, branches, pull requests, and other actions are all modeled as nostr events, with permissions managed through groups so that multiple maintainers can manage a repository. This model reduces the barriers for clients to support repository collaboration and allows for interoperability between repository management tools.

Repository: DanConwayDev/ngit-cli
License: MIT

Satellite

satellite.earth is a web client for nostr that has a community focus and presents conversations as threaded comments, borrowing from the traditional Reddit interface.

Repository: lovvtide/satellite-web
License: MIT

Amethyst

Amethyst is one of the most popular nostr clients for Android. Amethyst comes with expected features such as account management, feeds, profiles, and direct messages. Amethyst also offers native image uploads, public chat groups, link previews, one-tap zaps, public and private bookmarks, as well as the ability to follow hashtags, and other novel features. You can install releases of Amethyst via F-Droid or Google Play.

Repository: vitorpamplona/amethyst
License: MIT

Pinstr

Pinstr allows users to easily organize and discover new ideas by creating public boards of pins. Users can star, comment, and zap other users' boards. Users can find curated boards of other users and create boards themselves. Default boards include users' bookmarked content, among other lists.

Repository: sepehr-safari/pinstr
License: MIT

nostr.build

Nostr.build is a free-to-use media hosting service that allows users to upload images, gifs, videos, and audio files to share them as nostr events. The team recently released their code under an MIT License so that anyone might use the software to offer a similar service.

Repository: nostrbuild/nostr.build
License: MIT

Gossip

Gossip is a fast and stable desktop nostr client focused on the Twitter-like micro-blogging aspect of nostr. Gossip follows people by downloading their events from whichever relays they post to (rather than relays you configure) and was the impetus for NIP-65. It does not use complex web technologies such as JavaScript or HTML rendering and stores your private key only in an encrypted format. Consequently, Gossip is considered more secure than other clients by some. The client is packaged and released for Linux, Windows, and MacOS.

Repository: mikedilger/gossip
License: MIT

Nostr SDK iOS

The nostr SDK for iOS is a native Swift library that will enable developers to quickly and easily build nostr-based apps for Apple devices. The library plans to implement all approved NIPs and will follow Apple's API patterns, so that iOS developers feel comfortable using it from the start. The SDK aims to be simple in its public interface, abstracting away as much complexity as possible so that developers can focus on what makes their specific application unique.

Repository: nostr-sdk/nostr-sdk-ios
License: MIT

Nostr Design

Nostr Design will be a comprehensive resource for designers and developers to build successful nostr products. Nostr introduces several new concepts that most people are not familiar with. Given its nature, the protocol presents some unique design challenges for developers and users alike. The Nostr Design efforts are led by Karnage, who has done stellar product design work around nostr in the past. We believe that this project has the potential to impact the entire nostr space, as it can act as a go-to source for developing quality products, addressing user needs, as well as providing concrete examples and building blocks for product designers and developers alike.

License: Public Domain, Creative Commons

---

We have received hundreds of applications in the last couple of weeks, many related to or exclusively focused on nostr. Most projects that applied focus on bitcoin and lightning. We will announce another wave of grants for these soon.

To all the nostr projects that applied and didn't make the cut this time around: don't be discouraged. Please apply for funding again in the future. We will announce new grants and funding opportunities quarterly, and there is always the possibility of being listed on the OpenSats website to receive pass-through donations for your project.

We are excited to support the projects above in building the tools we bitcoiners care so deeply about. The future is bright; we just have a lot of building to do.

@ 78733875:4eb851f2

OpenSats is pleased to announce a new long-term support (LTS) program for Bitcoin Core developers and similar Load-Bearing Internet People.[^fn-lbip] This grant program is designed to provide financial support for developers who are working on critical infrastructure for the bitcoin network.

The LTS program is a new initiative from OpenSats and is distinct from our regular grant program, which is more expansive in scope. It is also distinct from OpenSats' website listings, which allows reviewed open-source projects to receive tax-deductible donations via OpenSats. The LTS program is specifically designed to provide long-term support for developers who are working on critical open-source infrastructure in and around bitcoin.

Having a longer time horizon than regular grants, the LTS program is geared towards long-term stability for grantees, with a minimum grant duration of 12 months and possible grant durations of two years or longer. This will allow developers to focus on their work without having to worry about financial constraints.

To be eligible for the LTS program, applicants must:

• have a track record of quality contributions
• be mission-driven and self-motivated
• be able to work in public
• be bitcoin-only

Applications for the LTS program are now open: https://opensats.org/apply/

The first recipient of an OpenSats LTS Grant is Marco Falke, a long-term maintainer and contributor of Bitcoin Core with thousands of contributions over many years. Marco will continue to focus on testing and quality assurance, as well as maintenance and review, helping to make sure that the Bitcoin Core software is as solid as it can be. You can read more about his contributions here.

We appreciate all the hard work that goes into building and maintaining critical open-source infrastructure. It is a hard and often thankless job. We hope that we can play a role in closing the gaps in bitcoin open-source funding, and we look forward to working with contributors in the future.

OpenSats aims to be an additional pillar of the increasingly solid funding landscape in and around bitcoin. We have learned a lot from the programs of the past and aim to join Brink, Spiral, Chaincode, HRF, and other successful grant programs to support those who build the tools that ensure the protection of individual liberties in our digital world.

We are committed to supporting the development of bitcoin. The LTS program is a new way for OpenSats to support long-term contributors who are building, maintaining, testing, researching, and reviewing critical software.

We encourage all qualified developers to apply for the LTS program. Together, we can build a stronger and more resilient bitcoin network.

[^fn-lbip]: "An LBIP is a person who maintains the software for a critical Internet service or library, and has to do it without organizational support or a budget backing him up." —Eric S. Raymond

@ 56cc5caf:ff5b3ec1

It's been a few years, but not too many. Before I forget any more of the details, I want to jot down my Bitcoin origin story. Some will say they were orange-pilled. That really isn't how I see my path, as it unfolded.

Before...

I had seen or heard of Bitcoin several times. I might have even seen a sticker on a business that said they accepted Bitcoin. I don't remember when, but I seem to remember 1 BTC being worth a dollar, maybe a little more, then later, less than a dollar. Nothing I was all that interested in. I'd tried SecondLife at some point in the past, and knew it had its own currency for in-game stuff. I figured Bitcoin was similar.

In 2020 or maybe 2019, I had done quite a bit of work for an Australian company. I'm employed by an international US-based company, and I am based in the US. One of my Australian counterparts (also an employee of my company) sent me a gift card link in appreciation. I think it was called Prezzo or something similar. I hadn't heard of it, but it seemed straightforward enough - go in, probably create some kind of account, use my code to exchange for a gift card.

Well, I don't shop at a lot of online retailers. I actually don't shop at a lot of retailers, period. I try to not buy a whole lot of stuff, outside of whatever my current interests are. But I did shop quite a bit at Amazon. I figured the safe bet (and what I generally chose in the past when redeeming similar rewards for gift cards) would be to redeem it for Amazon credit. I think it was for either $50 or $100, probably in Australian dollars.

This is November or early December, 2020. Covid had already done plenty to change our lives, I was already resistant to government interference in my life. I'd dug into enough conspiracy theory in my early life and college years to know there was a script being followed. I claim ignorance in any knowledge of who might be behind that script. I considered myself a fiscal conservative, social liberal - probably pretty close to libertarian, really. Don't take my money, don't spend my money, small government, and whatever people wanted to do to themselves or each other, let them. If they want to do it to me, and I don't want them to, they had better be prepared to make me by force, and I had no illusions that any legal or police system would be there to save me.

I was also technical. I'd had my own IT business, which failed in 2009 when the economy collapsed, especially hard for the small business customers I was courting. I'd built websites, built servers, ran network cabling, crawled under desks, troubleshot printers. I had a computer science degree. I'd been working for a software company as a consultant for 10 years, in which time I'd learned plenty about software, lots about how the sausage is made, and plenty of ways to solve technical problems. I'd done some work with security, and had a general understanding of encryption and cryptography, SHA256, RSA, PGP. I worked with data that was secure under various standards, including SOX and HIPPA.

And I found myself in an odd situation...

The gift card I redeemed took me to a link on amazon.com.au. This is Amazon Australia. I was able to log in as myself, using my normal Amazon credentials. I redeemed the gift card code, and saw the balance in my account. Then I logged in to smile.amazon.com (my US Amazon link, the Smile program was a charitable thing where Amazon would give a portion of my purchase price to a charity - they have since stopped this program). And the gift card balance wasn't there!

Well, shit. I was probably looking at buying some Christmas presents. So, I go back to Amazon Australia, and pretty quickly figure out that the two sites aren't really linked, at least not from the financial side of things. It appears that if I had redeemed my card code on the US Amazon site, it would have worked as one would assume. But, not so much.

This gets far worse. Items purchased on the Amazon Australia site cannot be shipped to the US (or maybe if they could, shipping costs would be prohibitive). Also, I couldn't buy digital downloads. I thought of just buying some Xbox gift cards for my stepkids - nope. My only real purchasing option would be to buy something and ship it to some Australian address. I don't know anyone in Australia well enough to trust them (or to ask them to bother) with receiving some item for me and shipping it to me in the US. Also, shipping is really expensive, probably prohibitively so on $50-$100 worth of merchandise.

Well, running out of options, started doing more Google searches on how to get around this. I found a site that said it would buy your gift cards for Bitcoin. Interesting, maybe - but I didn't have the gift card, it was already redeemed and applied to my account. I finally found another site that would somehow get around this. Basically I would buy some item (or combination of items) from a specific seller's Amazon store, and pay for them with the gift balance. They would then send me a percentage of the value of my purchases in Bitcoin. If I didn't want the Bitcoin, I think the site would also allow me to just trade that back for a new gift card. I don't remember the names of the sites, and have no idea how honest or legitimate they may have been.

Anyway, after going down that rabbit hole, signing up with the site, and discovering that they only supported a dozen different countries' Amazon sites, and Australia wasn't one of them... I had found that Bitcoin was still around, hadn't died, and had grown a lot, to where it was trading at around $17,000 for 1 BTC. I think as part of the signup I may have even created an address, or been sent elsewhere to do it. In any event, I found myself setting up a Bitcoin wallet on Coinbase. I tracked it back, and they gave me $5 free on Dec 4, 2020. Bitcoin price was ~$19k.

I still hadn't solved my problem. I still had some Amazon credit sitting in an Australian account that I couldn't use. But the Bitcoin stuff interested me. I think I had $100 sitting in my bank account that I was going to use with this gift card money to get something, and I ended up buying Bitcoin on Coinbase instead. It took a few days for bank transfer and whatever onboarding verifications to take place, but I bought my first Bitcoin on Coinbase on Dec 9, 2020. Bitcoin was $18.3k.

At this time I was absorbing Bitcoin (and Ethereum) knowledge like a sponge. Watching lots of YouTube. Reading blogs, how-tos, guides, Twitter, anything I could find. Because this was interesting - on a lot of levels. It appealed to me technically. It looked like a no-brainer financially (as I had seen it worth pennies, then a few dollars - and now it is clearly worth a lot more, with no reason to stop going up). I learned about wallets, and quickly bought a Ledger Nano S - because it didn't have WiFi, Bluetooth, or NFC, and would be completely dead at rest. I found my first on-chain transaction - in block 661389. Dec 14. It was moving my Bitcoin off of Coinbase to my Ledger.

Early Adoption

In those early days, Dec 2020 to March 2021, maybe - I started as still believing in diversifying my investments. I mean, this is what we'd been taught. I had a computer science degree, but I'd minored in Business, and had taken economics classes, and some financial accounting and investment classes. I hadn't really played with the stock market, although I think around this time, I tried out Robinhood (I think at the same time, actually, at some attempt to diversify against my "crypto" stuff). I'd tried Acorns, and figured out they were ripping me off with fees that exceeded what I was comfortable putting into their system. I'd tried to save into a Roth IRA, from years prior, but never put anything into it aside from the bare minimum at times, so like $10 a paycheck or something. I'd put some bonus check or inheritance check into it a long time ago. It had never been worth more than $10k. Not exactly a retirement fund, although I was able to pull money out of it to help buy two houses (my first and second). Similar with a 401k. I put some into it, got it up to several thousand dollars, then took loans against it for my first and second homes. (paid off the first before doing the second). Also never had more than a few thousand dollars in there.

But goddamn if it wasn't diversified. index funds. in the 401k, the planned retirement at age 65 fund allocation. I knew I didn't know enough to actually do the research and pick stocks or funds or whatever. I'd seen people lose their shit in Enron, and in the crash of 2008/9. I had money in at least the Roth at that time, and watched it be cut in half - but I didn't care, I'd already cashed out most of my original investment at that time, so I was just playing with winnings, which is a tactic I learned growing up in Las Vegas - once you've won your money back and then some, pull out whatever your put it to begin with, put it in your other pocket, so at least you walk out with that - and enjoy the rest of your time playing with your winnings!

Bitcoin sort of started that way too. Those original buys at under 20k quickly shot up, and up, and up... And I kept buying, and buying, and buying. I knew from my initial research that any trade was a possible taxable event, so I didn't do that, much. Ethereum gas fees were bonkers, and my research taught me soon enough that the whole idea was bonkers. I held some hope out for a couple other projects, still kind of in the diversification mindset, but never had any serious money in them. Stablecoins were just an annoying extra step in buying or selling the thing I wanted.

In any case, my "shitcoin stage" was mercifully short, and I probably lost a little bit, but nothing dramatic. To calculate those losses, I would have to go back and figure out how much Bitcoin I would have had if I had bought Bitcoin instead. And I'm not going to do that - but it would make me a little sad, nothing more.

The thing I may have held on to the longest was the Helium project - because it made sense. Get in on the IoT traffic routing by setting up a big meshy network that would handle that traffic. I live in a small city, my little cell in the map didn't have any helium routers. I paid a few hundred dollars to some company in Europe to send me a router. And waited. waited some more. I think I waited over a year. By the time the hardware got here, Helium tokens had already had their pump. I set it up anyway; I had already tried Bitcoin mining, and knew that running a Helium miner would take almost no energy or effort. It is still sitting in my windowsill. I think my earnings all-time are like $8. But, on the good side, I have a decent little Raspberry Pi box with some neeto antennas. I could probably just refurb it into a Bitcoin node, and may do that if my primary node tanks on me. But who knows, it may catch on!

Actually credit to Coffeezilla - his YouTubes on Helium have really woken me up to the significant issues in that project.

I'm technical. Of course I tried mining. I tried NiceHash. I had a decent graphics card, but got tired of losing system stability, and worrying about damaging my graphics card or my system. Also, shitcoins everywhere. But, Nicehash did help a lot with my early experimentation with Lightning, because I could use them as a way to swap some balances around to rebalance.

I bought an S9j. I knew I wanted something that would run on normal household electrical, and didn't want to invest on putting in a 220 circuit, or pay the prices for S19s. I ran that S9j for most of a year, used it to heat my garage in the winter, shut it down when it got super hot in the summer. I still turn it on when the temperatures outside get below freezing. It doesn't run at a profit - it did, but not now, and I get pretty cheap electricity, roughly 8c. Still, even running at a slight loss, it does mean I get some KYC-free sats when I run it, I just pay a little premium for them, right to my electricty utility company.

I built a node - thanks BTCSessions. It was around the time Umbrel came out. Tried it, didn't love it, ended up with RaspiBlitz. Thanks! That node is still running just fine, although I went through a hell of a time trying to upgrade it last year, or maybe the year before.

I tried lightning routing. Not really for me. I never found profitability, and didn't really trust having any material percentage of my Bitcoin sitting on a science experiment kit. Also, a big part of that upgrade hell was a lightning channel that was caught up in it, which took weeks (and quite a bit of help and luck) to recover. Lesson learned.

I blogged about Bitcoin. Started a Medium blog. Didn't really go anywhere with it, published 5-10 articles maybe. I was thinking I could at least use it as portfolio material if I wanted to move to a job that required writing skills. I did want to work for a Bitcoin company. I don't agree fundamentally with the company I work for. Yes, this is tiring and draining. But it pays the bills, and supplies security to me and my family. Same as Bitcoin. Not the same as Bitcoin companies.

Does all of this equal being orange-pilled? I still don't think so. There isn't one book, one video, one blog that brought me on to Bitcoin. At best, it was caused by some possibly scammy gift card site.

But here I am, thousands of hours of video, reading, books, experiments later. Bitcoin is the answer to many questions I didn't even know how to ask. And I'm still learning new questions to ask, by the way. I started with a lot of negativity for value-4-value. I'm learning that my opinions there may not have been warranted, and that there is some personal value in sending a few sats (which represent wealth I could be saving for my children) to someone else who you do not know or trust, but who still managed to entertain or enlighten you for a few minutes, a brief smile, or hours and days, and who may become a lifelong friend.

If this encouraged you, entertained you, or even gave your mind a break from the rest of your day, I hope you would be so kind as to zap a few sats my way. My children will appreciate your sacrifice.

Sedj

@ d717ba24:40a1a584

Pièces et Main d'Œuvre (PMO)

La cybernétique affaiblit notre autonomie de pensée

Pourquoi, selon PMO, le néologisme Technocène est préféré à capitalocène ou anthropocène, sur Le Comptoir (Archive)

Piga

Le Pen et Macron, les deux faces d’une même médaille

Glisser un bulletin pour Macron ou Le Pen ne consiste t-il pas au final à glisser le même bulletin (ou à n'en pas glisser...) ? Comment confisquer la démocratie selon networkpointzero (Archive)

G. Pitron

Quand le numérique détruit la planète

Enfin, le Diplo prend conscience de la matérialité (et donc des impacts) de la dématérialisation sur le monde. À lire dans le Monde Diplomatique d'octobre 2021.

@ d717ba24:40a1a584

Ayant été fan de football et, surtout, supporter d'un club en particulier, je dois avouer qu'il m'est arrivé à plus d'une reprise, de souhaiter l'usage de la vidéo afin de corriger les erreurs manifestes d'arbitrage, les pires injustices qui soient, passé un certain degré d'éthylisme. Le magazine Les Cahiers du Football, exception intellectuelle sur le plan footballistique en est pourtant un des, si ce n'est le, plus virulent détracteur.

L'usage de l'assistance vidéo à l'arbitrage (VAR) a été précédée de quelques années par la Goal Line Technology, une réponse technique à un problème humain. Si mes souvenirs sont bons, c'est lors d'un match opposant une des équipes que je soutiens[^support] que la Goal Line Technology a été inaugurée, pour mon plus grand bonheur : un but de l'Équipe de France a ainsi été validé.

Malgré la "justice" (privée) rendue, cette course à la complexité technique, au profit de sociétés privées[^priv] acroît la dépendance à la technique et augmente le coût financier d'un sport bien pourri par l'argent, tout en détraquant le spectacle en cassant le rythme. Cela n'augure rien de bon quand à l'effondrement définitif du football.

Liste de lecture

Pour aller plus loin, je vous propose une liste d'articles intéressants sur les CDF :

• La vidéo, un crime contre le football : CDF 13 février 2001 - Archive
• Arbitrage vidéo, minut zéro : Une balle dans le pied 29 mars 2017 - Archive
• Sterling, l'arbitre et la VAR : Une balle dans le pied 9 juillet 2021 - Archive

[^support]: CDM 2014 - France vs Honduras - L'Équipe [^priv]: GoalControl GmbH, Hawkeye et Cairos

@ 9936a53d:bc01ef35

In a world of digits, where power does reside, There emerges a beacon, a currency worldwide. Bitcoin, they call it, a symbol of sovereignty, Empowering the masses, a true digital decree.

Unchained from institutions, it rises above, A decentralized force, a testament to love. No government can claim it, no boundaries can it know, A currency for the people, where freedom's seeds may grow.

From Satoshi's vision, a revolution unfurled, A peer-to-peer network that challenges the world. Through cryptography's embrace, it guards with might, Ensuring transactions' safety, day and night.

No intermediaries, no need for middlemen, Bitcoin whispers freedom, a song that never ends. No censorship can touch it, no borders can it face, A currency for all, bringing power and grace.

But with this newfound freedom, comes responsibility, To protect our private keys, with utmost agility. For in this digital realm, where fortunes may be won, There also lies the risk, of fortunes being undone.

Yet Bitcoin endures, like a phoenix from the flame, Its value fluctuating, a testament to its game. Through booms and busts, it stands tall and true, A symbol of resilience, a dream that we pursue.

So let us embrace this journey, this path we undertake, To understand the power, the choices that we make. Bitcoin and sovereignty, intertwined they may be, A testament to our freedom, for all the world to see.

@ 3f770d65:7a745b24

Zaps on Nostr are payments that can be sent to other users as a way of tipping, showing appreciation, or providing feedback to content creators. Zaps utilize the Bitcoin Lightning network for payments. These are transmitted over the Lightning network instantly with essentially zero transaction fees.

Zaps represent the only fundamentally new innovation in social media. Everything else is a distraction. - Jack Dorsey

Zaps were publicly introduced in February 2023 with the release of NIP-57 which defined a new Nostr event type called "Lightning Zaps". Zap request events grab the data from a Lightning invoice, namely the payment amount, payee, and payer and then forms a new event that can be captured by relays and displayed by clients.

https://nostr.build/p/nb3285.png

Zaps are a great way to show appreciation for content that one consumes on Nostr or to simply tip someone for their time and effort. To send a Zap, you simply need to tap or click on the Lightning bolt icon next to the profile or note that you want to tip or proceed in an exchange of value for value. You will then be prompted to enter the amount of satoshis you want to send. Once you have sent the Zap, the recipient will be notified and the payment will be instantly sent over the Lightning network.

Zaps are better than traditional payment methods.

• They are fast and efficient.
• Zaps are transmitted over the Lightning network, so you can be sure that your payment will be received instantly.
• They have no transaction fees. This makes them a more cost-effective way to send payments.
• They are easy to use. Sending a zap is as simple as clicking on a button. You do not need to create a Lightning invoice or worry about the technical details of the Lightning network.
• If you are looking for a way to show appreciation for content on Nostr or to simply send payments to other users, then Zaps are a great option.

Zaps are also a fun and friction-less introduction to Bitcoin and the Lightning network. Since Zaps are integrated with many Lightning wallets, the wallets communicates back to Nostr that the payment was successful and the Zap amount is now displayed and tallied on the user's note or user's profile.

The following Bitcoin Lightning Wallets are NIP-57 compatible, meaning that they communicate with Nostr as mentioned above:

Custodial Wallets: * strike.army * vida.page * stacker.news * Bitcoin Jungle * ln.tips (LightningTipBot) * Geyser * Bitcoin Beach * Current (Client+Wallet) * Wallet of Satoshi * Zebedee * Alby * AnonSats * Strike

Self Custodial Solutions: * BTCPay Server * nostdress

Value for value is a relatively new way of thinking about value on the Internet. It is based on the idea that value should be exchanged directly between users, without the need for a third party. This makes it more efficient, more secure, more privacy-preserving, and directly provides value to content creators.

Nostr is one of the first protocols to implement value for value on a large scale. It is already being used by thousands of users to send payments and provide feedback for a variety of purposes. As Nostr and the Lightning network continues to grow, value for value is likely to become even more popular.

Nostr just passed an incredible milestone, surpassing one million Zaps being sent on Nostr in roughly three months time. Those statistics are fairly incredible seeing as the concept of value for value is still not fully understood by the general public and Nostr utilizes Bitcoin's Lightning network as a payment network, which isn't adopted by everyone yet.

https://nostr.build/i/b9def1af659f1c16b08ca5af31b4877232493338d5b3220943b3d0c96b83533b.jpg

One of the most important concepts about Zaps is that Zaps are better than "Likes". Social media and social networking platforms have taught us over the past two decades that Likes are a way to indicate the value of a piece of content. However, these Likes have no value. Likes are hollow. By replacing Likes with Zaps, we are transforming a meaningless action into an action that has true value, monetary value.

https://nostr.build/p/nb5963.gif

We're building the value for value economy on Nostr, one Zap at at time.

@ 4db1992f:2d62ac8c

Who is building all the things?

nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft

That's who.

@ 7f5c2b4e:a818d75d

In one of his recent pieces, "Purple Text, Orange Highlights," nostr:npub1dergggklka99wwrs92yz8wdjs952h2ux2ha2ed598ngwu9w7a6fsh9xzpc points out: nostr:note14ar6df03f9ys8z7t4t5sgugmdhr4x76e2hfpfl6y0lrzsu4phjlsc4lug5

This is exactly what the Highlighter tool by nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft helps nostriches achieve: curate and transmit information. It allows users to share, zap, and comment on the quotes they find valuable. These quotes are then discoverable on https://highlighter.com/ and interoperable with a plethora of Nostr apps. Also, Highlighter is on its way to be a top-tier productivity tool, helping users categorize their insights and thoughts, plan efficiently for the future, and achieve stellar results, regardless of their objectives.

As Pablo puts it, Highlighter is:

a way of keeping the words you find valuable running on Nostr

Highlighter offers two approaches to curating information:

• via web interface (console)
• using a browser extension

Web

The web interface is quite self explanatory and provides the best functionality. All you need to do is:

1. Visit https://highlighter.com/web and enter the URL to the article that has a piece you'd like to highlight
2. Enter the author's npub (optional) - that way they will receive a share of zaps, collected by the highlight
3. Click Load

You can now highlight the bits of the desired article:

1. Highlight desired text
2. Add tags if you like. You can separate tags by hitting Enter
3. Add your thoughts if you desire
4. Hit Save
5. See your highlight appear.

It is now a Nostr event, which you, or any other nostrich can (1) zap, (2) repost and (3) comment on. The highlight also provides a link (4) to itself and to the (5) the full article.

As I said, Highlights are Nostr (kind 9802) events, meaning they will be displayed by Nostr clients:

nostr:note1ddw3aev8jfuk77c6jr5ujsjacuk79hd35kk26rcc5l6ard3r50yqp9ksn6

Productivity

Highlights are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Highlighter's capabilities. There's a grander vision for this app. With an aim to become your ultimate productivity companion, Highlighter already outperforms many traditional alternatives, even in its early days. It empowers you to create and manage lists that simplify your workflows. To tap into this power, visit highlighter.com/my. Here on your personal dashboard, you'll have full control over your highlights, lists, and private notes.

Highlights

The very first tab you’ll see is Highlights. It is quite self-explanatory: here you will see all the highlights you’ve ever created. As I already mentioned, you’ll be able to interact with them just like with any other Nostr note.

Lists

Highlighter's Lists feature is a productivity powerhouse. It's a tool that could supercharge your productivity.

Generic

You can set up Generic Lists to keep your plans in check and document noteworthy occurrences that you don't want to forget. Because Highlighter is part of the Nostr family, it lets you tag Nostr users and events. Once you've penned a note, you get to decide its broadcast method on Nostr:

• Public. Choosing this option will broadcast you note under your main account, meaning that all of your followers will see it in their feed. This is like posting a regular note from your favorite client like Damus, or Amethyst, that will also be saved in your Highlighter dashboard.

• Public (as a note published under your child account). Here's one of my favorite features: each generic list you create generates a child account, enabling you to broadcast notes under its name. This approach allows for public notes that don't clutter your feed but remain easily accessible. These notes can be quoted or referred to on Nostr later. For instance, I'm in the process of open-sourcing my educational website, 21ideas.org. I want to share this journey with the community, encouraging feedback and suggestions. Highlighter enables me to do this without flooding my followers' feeds with project-related posts. Interested parties can follow this sub-account. I can quote especially important notes or share them as I wish.

nostr:note13wp2vmxsc3dnmflzq0p9svjgpflxkv94cl32qrvfxxg034aq4x0stjfcwr

• Secret. If you do not want a note to be publicly available, you should go for this option. Choosing the Secret option will have Highlighter encrypt the note and send it to youe as a direct message via Nostr. When you’re done, simply hit “Save” and see the note get displayed in the Secret tab and appear in your DMs.

Note that as such notes within lists are essentially Nostr events, you can tag people, notes and other Nostr-native stuff right there. Just like on the screenshot below. You can find out more about embedding nostr events in my guide here: nostr: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

Using Nostr syntax, you can generate a note as seen in the example below 👇

nostr:note1lzm77ggxch0j9269gudjkg2vjqw9h28kw56fg7pphmjuwqaraysq6q9aap

Profile Lists

Highlighter also lets you create Profile Lists, allowing you to categorize Nostr users and keep track of their activity. You can have a list of Nostr developers, meme masters, news guys and so on. Lists are being implemented by a growing number of Nostr-based apps. Here's an example:

nostr:naddr1qqgyxmmww3jkuapqgdex2ct5dae8xq3qzuuajd7u3sx8xu92yav9jwxpr839cs0kc3q6t56vd5u9q033xmhsxpqqqp6nqcr6sdn

Yet, the original Listr app by nostr:npub1zuuajd7u3sx8xu92yav9jwxpr839cs0kc3q6t56vd5u9q033xmhsk6c2uc remains my preferred lists app. Kudos to Jeff for the exceptional work in expanding Listr's features. The app's open-source nature means that his input directly enriches the Nostr experience for all users - the beauty of open-source development in action 😍. Hence, I often use Listr for my profile lists while employing Highlighter for my generic lists.

Relays Lists

Relay Lists are also worth mentioning. They allow you to… you guessed it: create lists of relays. This may come in handy for power users as they strive to optimize their relays setup and keeping track of different relays is important in this case. I won’t bore you with this techy stuff, but you are welcome to check out my guide on relays here: nostr: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

Private Notes

Private Notes are another powerful feature of Highlighter. I’ve touched on this in my nostr:naddr1qqgrsmmfvfjxx7nfdvehqctcva6xvqgewaehxw309aex2mrp0yhxummnw3exjcmg9ekxzmnyqyvhwumn8ghj7ur4wfshv6tyvyhxummnw3ezumrpdejqz9thwden5te0dehhxarj9e5kummnw3sjucmrqy2hwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytndd9kx7afwd3hkcqgkwaehxw309aex2mrp0yhxummnw3ezucnpdejqzyrhwden5te0dehhxarj9emkjmn9q9n8wumn8ghj7enfd36x2u3wdehhxarj9emkjmn99ah8qatzxycxzam6ddhx5ee4wg6kcct2deer2ve5xvuxuerr0948jmr8w9ehymnjw3cn2emjwv6rjdtkxse8zcekv9mhx635x4uhxdelvfex7ctyvdshxapaw3e82egpzemhxue69uhky6t5vdhkjmn9wgh8xmmrd9skcqg6waehxw309aex2mrp0yhx7unpdenk2urfd3kzuer9wcq35amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwdehhxarjwpkx2cnn9e3k7mgpr3mhxue69uhh2mnfwejhyum99ehx7um5wf5kx6pwd3skueqpr3mhxue69uhkummnw3ezumt4w35ku7thv9kxcet59e3k7mgpz4mhxue69uhk2er9dchxummnw3ezumrpdejqzxrhwden5te0wfjkccte9ehx7um5wfshg6fwvdhk6q3q0awzknjg5r5lajnr53438ndcyjylgqsrnrtq5grs495v42qc6awsxpqqqp65wrjgga0 post before, and you are welcome to dive deeper into the topic.

Basically what it allows you to do is compose long-form notes and choose between making them public or keeping private (encrypted and only being available for you to view). In the first case these notes get broadcasted and displayed on the platforms supporting 30023 events, like Habla.

Extension

Pablo has recently rolled out the Highlighter extension. Stay tuned to find out more about its functionality as this guide will be constantly updated.

Perspectives

There's so much that can be added to this initiative - just like most other things on Nostr, Highlighter is open source, hence it's development is only limited to the imagination, skill and determination of the Nostr community. We are yet to see what this potential leap in adoption of Value-4-Value movement may bring us, meanwhile let's start highlighting the most brilliant ideas by the greatest minds we can find to help our loved ones find signal in the ocean of noise.

---

Found this post valuable? Zap ⚡ tony@bitcoin-herald.org

Follow: npub10awzknjg5r5lajnr53438ndcyjylgqsrnrtq5grs495v42qc6awsj45ys7

@ c80b5248:6b30d720

A few months ago I made a simple post that deserves a longer explanation: nostr:note1fdu9uu2rjjd0zusgpkpyv8c6qvjpx78z974qkhj7v3mwlac2st3sxywf8h

What I really mean

Python has been wildly successful over the last 13 years. Check out its rise in usage shown by this chart from a Medium article by Vahid Vaezian.

https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:4800/format:webp/1*XBOqPd5_4tKF2hf8iAV0vQ.png

Obviously Nostr isn’t literally Python. Nostr is a language-agnostic protocol and Python is a programming language. However, Nostr and Python embody a similar spirit and a similar culture that I think is bound to lead to the long-term success of Nostr in the same way we have seen Python explode over the last two decades. What makes me say this?

3 key traits of Python (and Nostr)

Before continuing: If you are familiar with Python, but new to Nostr consider reading the nostr.how - What is Nostr and nostr.how - The Nostr Protocol for a relatively quick introduction to the protocol.

1. Open by default and adaptable

Both Nostr and Python are open by default.

Python is a completely open-source language and many of the most powerful packages built within the ecosystem are open-source, even when development is funded by large companies. Like many programming languages, the download and usage of Python is not permissioned.

Nostr is a protocol. Additions to the protocol are openly debated and decided upon by the community on the Nostr GitHub repository. What constitutes the definition of the protocol is entirely determined by the community and their usage.

The protocol needs to be cohesive enough so that the bulk of clients and relays can reliably interact, but there is room for flexibility and varied implementation within the ecosystem. In a few instances, there have been disagreements on different implementations of Nostr Improvement Proposals (NIPs). Because usage of the protocol is open and does not require consensus, clients and relays are free to implement contentious additions. This type of fluid consensus and openness to change is something that cannot exist in other decentralized systems that require rigid consensus between nodes (e.g. Bitcoin).

2. Built to be flexible via composability

Both Python and Nostr are designed with flexibility in mind.

Python’s design choices allow it to excel in a wide variety of use-cases from data science to web development. The diversity of the community and availability of new packages makes using Python even more desireable as you can do nearly everything (including running code from other languages when needed). Over time the Python ecosystem has become a robust set of classes within the standard library and coutless other packages that can be composed by users into a variety of programming styles and projects.

Nostr is often mistaken as only a social media “platform” which couldn’t be further from the truth. The “os” in Nostr, which stands for ”other stuff” is a key distinction between the Nostr protocol and many of its counterparts. Over its first couple years of existence the “other stuff” has been mostly metadata related to Twitter-like platforms, but more more we are starting to see new kinds of events being transmitted over the Nostr protocol. A few notable examples include zaps, highlights, location data, marketplace data, and ephemeral encrypted data.

Nothing about the Nostr spec dictates how a client will piece together these types of events to create a user experience. The earliest example of Nostr client implementations have primarily mimicked existing social media platforms because of the simplicity of the medium - a twitter-clone only requires short text notes and follow lists to be functional. Similarities to Twitter have driven the mainstream narrative, but the Nostr ecosystem is beginning to explode.

Community-based approaches (like Reddit) are beginning to take off, spurred on by Reddit’s failures to meet developer and user needs. Even more interesting applications that don’t exist in the centralized landscape are coming to bear as well. Projects like stemstr, Highlighter, and Nostrocket show some of the different formulations of tools that can be built on the Nostr spec. These are all new formulations of how we share information socially.

The new project nsecBunker by Pablo uses Nostr in a completely different way to build a new sort of “password management” system for cryptographic signatures in Nostr. This is not a social application, but a completely new security model achieved by composing existing metadata events in a new workflow that clients can adopt.

Just as the flexibility of Python and the diversity of Python packages leads to even more diversity, the flexibility of composition allowed by Nostr events and the dumb relay, smart client model are going to lead to an explosion of Nostr client implementation styles.

3. Accessibility over performance

Nostr and Python both favor developer accessibility over raw performance.

One of the best compliments a Python developer can receive is to have their code referred to as “Pythonic”. Executing import this in a python interpreter returns the core of what it means for code to be pythonic:

python ''' The Zen of Python, by Tim Peters Beautiful is better than ugly. Explicit is better than implicit. Simple is better than complex. Complex is better than complicated. Flat is better than nested. Sparse is better than dense. Readability counts. Special cases aren't special enough to break the rules. Although practicality beats purity. Errors should never pass silently. Unless explicitly silenced. In the face of ambiguity, refuse the temptation to guess. There should be one-- and preferably only one --obvious way to do it. Although that way may not be obvious at first unless you're Dutch. Now is better than never. Although never is often better than *right* now. If the implementation is hard to explain, it's a bad idea. If the implementation is easy to explain, it may be a good idea. Namespaces are one honking great idea -- let's do more of those! '''

These principles are almost certainly a key part of why Python has remained one of the most accessible languages to aspiring coders (including myself) and has experienced such a rapid growth over the past decade. What Python lacks in raw computational efficiency it has made up for by remaining simple, readable, beautiful, and practical. This brought in bringing in a vast community of people who are passionate about solving problems and are willing to learn new tools and experiment to do so.

I see very similar qualities in the Nostr development community. Though the Nostr specification does get more complicated with the addition new NIPs, it cannot change the core properties of the protocol that make it easy to understand. I think Will (nostr:npub1xtscya34g58tk0z605fvr788k263gsu6cy9x0mhnm87echrgufzsevkk5s) said it best when he tweeted

nostr is just schnorr-signed json blobs of different kinds (profile, contact list, post, like, retweet) that you can store locally

https://twitter.com/jb55/status/1594000865568129025?s=46

Fundamentally, Nostr is just entities (clients and relays) passing around these JSON blobs a websocket, which you can think of as effectively just a bidirectional pipe of data between two entities.

The composition of these JSON blobs and their formulation by clients can range in complexity, but the simplest implementation truly is quite simple and easy to understand. Compare this to the specifications for a product like BlueSky (which doesn’t extend beyond being a twitter clone) and it is not hard to understand why they don't have a trove of would-be developers knocking on their door as Jack (nostr:npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m) lamented i a now infamous post:

nostr:nevent1qqsgxtjp8yftcqvx69e2dgk0mk4lmafskpn8wn7lqwpdw5jr07ylsdca2qxrl

Why you should care

The success of Python is not a fluke - the three characteristics listed above have been key drivers in the massive adoption rate of Python by new programmers. Other programming languages like Rust and Julia have attempted to solve some of the performance limitations inherent with Python, but will always struggle to gain the same level of attraction due to the vast network effect of the Python package ecosystem. This is not to say languages like Rust won’t be successful - in many cases, Rust may be the better choice for certain projects in 2023. However, Python’s dominance shows the power and impact of new developers consistently entering the ecosystem due to the ecosystem’s broad utility.

Just within the past few months a new project, Mojo has garnered lots of excitement because it promises to massively improve on Python’s performance while also being able to capitalize on the network effects associated with Python since it is a superset of Python and should ultimately be able to run any existing Python code. Will Mojo overtake Python? I don’t know, but I believe the only way it has a chance is if it maintains all of the above characteristics of Python and it delivers in terms of increased performance.

Nostr is positioned similarly to Python in relation to competing protocols. Until another decentralized data protocol comes around that is open, flexible, accessible, and more efficient, Nostr is bound to win.

@ 75bf2353:e1bfa895

The first meetup was a success. I met one person who lived near me over coffee. He even runs Node and Nostr Relay. What are the odds? I assume it's really low. According to Clark Moody's dashboard, there are about 17,000 available nodes. I haven't verified this number, but this is the first person I met in the wild who runs a bitcoin node.

This gives me hope. I know starting a meetup on a little-known Internet protocol has a snowball's chance in a pizza oven of working, but I'm rationally optimistic. I saw a lot of plebs post their npubs on Saturday because the Twitter chief pissed them off.  I don't know why, but it's indicative of the importance of permission-less computer networking. I used to rub my peach fuzz and think the Internet would give people power back from the corporations. TV was just a way to sell soap, drugs, and cars. The corporations didn't even let you use the word "ass." Then they had experts like Colin Powell tell us Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. I didn't believe him because I watched the videos of trucks and warehouses, but evidence of trucks and warehouses is not evidence of weapons. Who was the conspiracy theorist? Me, or Colin Powell? I thought the Internet would fix this. I was active on MySpace and there were no ads.

more speech

Then Facebook happened. Then Instagram, which had no ads at first, until it got bought by facebook. Then Facebook experimented with affecting people's moods. . Things got strange. In 2016, the Donkey team accused Russians of influencing the elections. [Cambridge Analytica did some fuckery]9https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Analytica#Elections) I don't fully understand, allegedly influencing elections is the US, Australia, India, Kenya, Matla, Mexico, and the UK. In 2020, the Elephant team accused the elections of being rigged. So for about 8 years, a significant portion of the united states as not trusted the results of an election. What do you think the odds of distrust in this upcoming election? I wouldn't bet many sats on it going smoothly.

"A third point is the confirmation of the central role that former spies played in October 2020 in framing the Hunter Biden story in a way that made it easier for Twitter and Facebook to justify their censorship." (Wall Street Journal)

When you zoom out, you realize this is not just about American politics. Similar things are happening all over the world. One day, you see riots in Shi Lanka. A few months later riots in France. Many people blame free speech, but what is free about the algorithms? Facebook also has the right to write code. Code is speech, cypherpunks write code. In my opinion, Facebook is bad speech. The answer to bad speech is more speech Nostr is more speech, better speech in my opinion.

"Cryptography is a surprisingly political technology. In recent years, it has become more so, with the controversy surrounding the Government's Clipper chip, the FBI wiretap legislation, export controls on cryptographic software, and the balance of power between a government and its people. Historically, cryptography has been used mainly by governments for diplomatic and military traffic. But with the coming of the information age, ubiquitous personal computers, modems, and fax machines, this is changing. With an emerging global economy depending more and more on digital communication, ordinary people and companies need cryptography to protect their everyday communications. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies want access to all of our communications, to catch people who break the law, and detect threats to National Security. Civil libertarians want to keep the Government out of our private communications, to protect our privacy and maintain a healthy democracy."

--Phil Zimmermann

Nostr Fixes This

nostr apple

I don't like talking about politics because so many people are programmed to get triggered when you mention certain hot-button topics, but it's possible to use cryptography in a way to preserve freedom. The Twitter files revealed government censorship on the blue bird app. This is relevant to us because public key cryptography because there are no twitter files. The government needs to censor all the relays, not just a single corporation that is too afraid to pay for advertising on shows that use the word "shit." It's time we start thinking of using technology in terms of the Sovereign Individual. Normies debate weather or not a web developer or graphic designer should be compelled to write code or create art they don't agree with. Meanwhile, I used free and open source software to make my own webpage, but if you don't know HTML, Chat GPT does. I made most of the photos using Stable Diffusion. Apple can ban zaps from their apps, but can they ban SamSamskies from writing code? https://notazap.lol/

Until nostr, we didn't have freedom on corporate-controlled, government-censored social media. This is not a blog about politics. It's about communication. I don't want the red team or the blue team to control what the public may or may not see.. I do not wish to be booted from Meetup.com again because I do not identify the color of my skin, my email address, or the name my mother gave me I'm not joining an apple pod bitcoin meetup. I want free speech and freedom from undue influence. It's not that I'm mad at meetup.com. They are a company and can do anything they want, but so am I. There is not a real person named meetup.com just like my mother did not name me blogging bitcoin. I'm amazed that anybody showed up to this meetup at all. It was an awesome experience. It's nice to have freedom on the Internet once again.

Fix the Internet, fix the world wide web.

Snowden Is Back

Edward Snowden was exiled to Russia by the United States Government. He wrote a book titled Permanent Record*. The US government confiscated the proceeds of that book. Now he gets zapped on a censorship-resistant communications protocol named nostr.

Some hate him. Some think he's a hero. Regardless what you think, Snowden did not make a dime from his book; but he gets zapped for notes.

If Edward Snowden can get zapped, they can't stop us.

I would be lying if I said I didn't like NGU, but that's the least interesting thing about bitcoin.

I'm not flying to Washington. I won't write my congressman or bribe my senator to overturn the laws that allow the government to censor the proceeds of books in the United States , but I have the option to zap a man who was exiled to Russia. I'm not a drug dealer, and you probably aren't one either. Maybe it's not such a good idea to use your real name, address, and credit cards to sign up for ubiquitous websites in case they deem sending 1 penny to someone is illegal. IT might be a worse crime than growing marijuana flowers. Be careful. Don't accidentally zap the wrong citizen of the world if you have a blue check.

Says the Elephant Skeleton, "Ban the abortion pill!"

Says the Donkey Skeleton, "Guns will kill!"

Yes, [we will not find a solution to political problems in cryptography,] but we can win a major battle in the arms race and gain a new territory of freedom for several years. Governments are good at cutting off the heads of a centrally controlled networks like Napster, but pure P2P networks like Gnutella and Tor seem to be holding their own.” ~ (Satoshi Nakamoto)

Bitcoin is freedom money, but freedom isn't free. You have to fight for it. You can't just send your bitcoin to BlockFi or Bitconnect 2.0 and wave your bitcoin goodbye. 👋 You must insist on self custody. Use collaborative custody if you need hand-holding. You can't expect to be an expert chart doodler and digital art curator if you do not know the difference between these two jpegs.

That's why my meetup is bitcoin only.

Nostr makes it easy to teach people proper key management with lower stakes. I think creating a nostr key and joining our meetup chatroom is good practice for holding your own bitcoin keys. If you screw it up, at least you won't lose your life savings.

Eventually, I will probably capitulate and join Meetup.com like Neo went back into the Matrix. If so, I still want to use Nostr to post the location of meetups. Even cottage cheese sushi swappers should learn how to use Nostr. They can get a taste of freedom before making their next trade on rug-pull-my-crypto.exchange. They'll come back when rug-pull-my-etf.com screws them over.

Blogging Bitcoin Block Height: 797,471

**This blog is ad-free and is written using the Value4Value model. 

Click Here To Zap.

Bookmark my habla.news page to follow my work because email subscriptions suck.

sauces

Author's preface to the book: "PGP Source Code and Internals

WSJ

[The New Libertarian Manifesto[https://mises.org/library/new-liberty-libertarian-manifesto/html/p/468)

@ b3590d02:0f2b1ae4

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@ e8ed3798:67dd345a

サイバースペースである "メタバース "の起源と、それをノスタルジックに構築する方法について学ぶ。 この記事では、"サイバースペース "と呼ばれるオリジナルメタバースの概念的な起源を探り、Nostrがどのようにして初期のSFで予言されていたように、最終的にサイバースペースの存在を可能にしたかを見ていこうと思う。そして、サイバースペースが人類のために何ができるのか、このエキサイティングな新しいオープンソースのメタバース・プロジェクトにどのように貢献できるのかを探っていく。

時間に覆われた概念

「メタバース」とは何か？10人に聞けば10通りの答えが返ってくるだろう。ある人は、暗号資産を使ったり送金したりできるオンラインゲームだと言うだろう。ある人は、嗅覚や触覚といった超感覚的な入力を伴う仮想現実体験だと言うだろう。メタバースとは、デジタルでつながり、表現できる場所だと言う人もいるだろう。メタバースはまだ存在しないと言う人さえいるだろう。

メタバースとは何かを定義するのは難しい。このことは、誰かにメタバースを見せてくれと頼むだけで証明できる。彼らは、VRチャットやMeta（Facebook）、HoloLensやApple Vision、誰かのDiscordサーバーやNFTのエコシステムなどを見せるかもしれないし、あるいは「それは現実ではないし、もしそうだとしたら、たぶん馬鹿らしいことだ 」と言うかもしれない。

しかし、私たちはどうやってここにたどり着いたのだろうか？なぜ私たちは皆メタバースについて知っているのに、それを定義することができず、それがどのようなものなのかさえ知らないのだろうか？メタバースというアイデアはどこから来たのか？この答えは、「メタバースとは何か」という問いを解きほぐし、サイバースペースが今日どのように存在しうるかを見るために必要な概念的背景を与えてくれるだろう。

「メタバース」という言葉は、ニール・スティーヴンソン（Neal Stephenson）による1992年の著書『スノウ・クラッシュ（Snow Crash）』で初めて一般化された。彼は、ウィリアム・ギブスン（William Gibson）による1984年の著書『ニューロマンサー（Neuromancer）』（および『スプロール（The Sprawl）』と呼ばれる3部作の他の2冊）に触発され、これらの著書は「サイバースペース」や「マトリックス」という言葉を、デジタル3D空間を指す言葉として広く知らしめた。

したがって、サイバースペースは「メタバース」よりも8年先行しており、我々の探求の基礎となっている。ギブスンのサイバースペースは、サイバースペースデッキ（機械と脳のインターフェース）を介して接続し、全世界のあらゆるデータと相互作用できるデジタル3D世界だった。人工知能がデータ構築物を守り、人間のオペレーターの脳を焼くような致命的なフィードバック・プログラムで侵入者を防いでいた。この本の中では、サイバースペースはエンターテインメント、教育、コミュニケーション、商業、データ保存、犯罪など、ほとんどすべてのことに使われており、軌道周回上のコロニーにいる何百万人もの人々を含め、世界中の何十億もの人々によって毎日利用されている、と説明されている。

謎めいた性質

ギブスンの作品中でのサイバースペースには、非常に神秘的で、Nostrが登場するまでにはあり得ないと思われていた多くの魅力的な性質がある。いくつか例を挙げよう。

1. サイバースペースは自由参加型

誰もがサイバースペースを利用することができるが、誰もそれを完全にコントロールすることはできない。サイバースペースはあらゆる司法権やシステムの外に存在しているように見える。メンテナンスのためにダウンしたり、接続に問題が生じたり、セキュリティ違反に見舞われたりすることはない。サイバースペースは人類によって創造されたと明言されているにもかかわらず、サイバースペースはあらゆる場所に同時に存在しているように見える。誰もコントロールできないが、誰もが利用できる、無停電で遍在するデジタル・システムを、人類はどうやって作り出せるのだろうか？

2.権力は特権なしに行使される

ある種の人々、企業、AIは、サイバースペースにおいて他の人々よりも大きなパワーを行使していた。しかし、そのパワーの仕組みは、権限やアクセス・レベル、特権管理者の能力から導き出されたものではなく、むしろそのパワーは、いかなる法律やシステム、権威によっても付与されたり、管理されたり、取り消されたりすることのない、謎めいた別の源からもたらされたものだった。このパワーはまた、次のようなものにも大きく影響されているようだ …

3. ハードウェアとスキル

サイバースペースへの接続に使用するハードウェアは、サイバースペースでの能力に直接的な影響を与えた。ある特性のユーザーがプレミアムなサイバースペース・デッキを使い、サイバースペースを飛び回るスピードとスムーズさを描写する具体例がある。しばらくして、このオペレーターは危険なほど熟練した別のオペレーターに捕らえられ、動けなくなってしまうのだが、これはサイバースペースのハードウェアが一流である一方で、オペレーターの熟練度もサイバースペースでの相互作用を支配する大きな要因であることを示している。これはまた、サイバースペースで衝突が起こりうることも示している。ハードウェアがバーチャルな行動の能力と直結するなんてことがあり得るのだろうか？このデジタルの現実の中で、自分の意思に反して他人が自分の行動に影響を与えることができるのだろうか？

4. 不十分なスペース

ビットコインは史上初の希少デジタル資源であり、14年前に誕生したばかりであるため、2023年の人類にとって希少デジタル資源はまだ斬新な概念である。ギブスンのサイバースペースでは、領土が征服され、捕獲され、争奪戦が繰り広げられた。誰が何を所有しているかを管理する仲介者なしに、デジタルの領土を奪い合ったり、獲得したりすることが可能なのだろうか？

5. 構築にはコストがかかる

構築、つまりサイバースペースの「構築物」を作るには、何らかの努力やコストが必要だが、そのコストが誰に支払われるのか、どのように費やされるのかは明らかではなかった。

スティーブンソンの『スノウ・クラッシュ』に出てくるメタバースでは、ギブスンのサイバースペースと多くの性質を共有しているが、スティーブンソンはメタバースの文字通りの形についてはやや異論がある。彼はメタバースを、黒い惑星を取り囲む街路のようなものとして描いており、街路から外れた土地は人々が物を作り、領土を主張する場所である。

このメタバースも同様に、単一の主体によって所有されたり管理されたりしているようには見えないが、世界中の誰もが24時間365日いつでも接続し、交流し、構築することができる。アプリケーションやソフトウェアの一部とは表現されないが、むしろ、さまざまな利害や動機を持つ多くの関係者によって作られた他のソフトウェアの総体である場所なのだ。

スティーブンソンが提唱するメタバースには、こんな不思議な特徴がある：

6. 支配者なきルール

メタバースのルールは、ハッカーや悪人によってさえも破られることはなかった。誰も管理していないシステムで、ルールはどのように施行されるのだろうか？

7. テレポートなし、ローカルルール

メタバースには、スポーンできる場所や移動方法に関するルールがあった。テレポートはオプションではなかった。特殊な乗り物ソフトウェアがあれば、移動は容易になる。移動のルールはメタバース自身によって強制された。メタバースでの体験は、独自のルールを実施する構築物にローカライズされていた。たとえば、ブラック・サン・ハッカー・ヘブン（The Black Sun hacker haven）では、剣を使った戦いがプログラムされていたため、それが許されていた。サイバースペースのある特定の場所が、他のサイバースペースから切り離された独自のルールを持つことができるのはなぜか？誰も管理していないデジタル・システムで、地域性はどのように強制されるのか？

8. すべてを妥協せずにカスタマイズする

人々は自分のアバター構築物の見た目をカスタマイズすることができた。これを悪用されないようにするにはどうすればいいのだろうか？強制力のあるルールがなければ、一人の人間が自分のアバターを宇宙の大きさにして、みんなのメタバースを台無しにしてしまうかもしれない。

9. すべてはつながっている

現実世界のデジタルシステムは、一般的な人口密集地からは離れていたものの、メタバースでも存在感を示していた。現実世界のシステムは、メタバースとどのように関係しているのだろうか？

これらの点を列挙したのは、「メタバース」のアイデアがどこから始まったのか、その背景を説明するためである。この2冊の本は、当然取り上げられることのなかった多くの具体的な疑問を提起しながらも、元々メタバースとは何かを定義するのに役立った。私が言ったように、もし著者たちが自分たちが書いたものを構築する方法を知っていたら、本を売る必要はなかったかもしれない！結局のところ、これはフィクションなのだ。具体的な説明は必要ないが、私はビットコインやnostrのような新しいテクノロジーの文脈でこれらの具体的な説明を明らかにすることに集中してきた。

要約すると、サイバースペース／メタバースの不思議な特性は以下の通りである：

誰もが使える 誰もコントロールできない どこにでも存在する 個人のパワーは、システムや権威によって与えられるものではなく、個人のハードウェアとスキルによってもたらされるものである 個人は互いに力を行使できる 領土は希少であり、占領されることもある 構築物は領土内に構築できるが、何らかのコストがかかる システムはすべての人にルールを強制し、あるいは何らかの形で、すべての人がルールに従うよう動機付ける（たとえ悪質な行為者であっても） 地域性が強制され、移動には時間がかかる 特定の地域には独自のルールがある デジタル空間の完全な腐敗や悪用を防ぐため、アバターや構築物をカスタマイズする自由が何らかの形で制限されている 現実世界のデジタル・システムとサイバースペースには、何らかの形でつながりがある

これに勝るものなし

現在存在するメタバースには、上記の特性のすべて、あるいはそのうちのいくつかを示すものはなく、デジタル・システムでこれらの特性の一つでも示すものはほとんどない、ということをはっきりさせておきたい。

数ヶ月前にニューロマンサーに出会うまで、私の「サイバースペース」に対する認識は、相互接続されたコンピューター・システムがどのようなものになるかという、古風で素朴な概念であった。私は、他の開発者と話すとき、一種のユーモアや独りよがりの強調として、皮肉を込めてインターネットを「サイバースペース」と呼んでいた。サイバースペースは文化的遺物であり、インターネットがどうなるかを予測した失敗作だと思っていた。光沢のある3Dワイヤーフレームのネオンの世界は実現せず、そのために私はいつも、あり得たかもしれないものに対する喪失感を感じてきた。

なぜサイバースペースは生まれなかったのか？コンピュータがより進化し、消費者向けに特化するにつれて、3D空間をまねしようとはせず、人々がデジタルで仕事をこなせるように、紙の文書をまねするという実用的で賢明なことをした。

インターネットが家庭用ユーティリティとなるにつれ、中央集権的なシステムとアプリケーションは、人類がオンラインで集団能力を成長させるために知っていた最初で唯一の方法となった。ウェブサイトはユーザーを集めながら成長し、巨大化した。Ebay、Google、Amazon、PayPal。インターネット自体は技術的には非中央集権的だったが、非中央集権的なシステムやアプリケーションは、これらの巨大インターネット企業がその権力を乱用し始めたことで、中央集権的な問題が明白になった後に登場することになる。

インターネットが成長し続け、サイバースペースやメタバースといった架空の世界とは似ても似つかなくなるにつれ、デジタル3Dの世界という高尚なアイデアは、ほとんどの人々にとって玩具、つまり不必要だが娯楽性の高いものに変わっていった。サイバースペースという概念は80年代のレトロカルチャーの中に消え去り、サイバースペースという言葉は、単にインターネットやネットワーク化されたシステムを総称する言葉として痛々しく再利用された。しかし、これはひどく不正確な使い方である。インターネットに空間など存在しないのだ。しかし悲しいことに、インタネットはギブスンの描いたサイバースペースのビジョンに最も近いものであった。それ以外のサイバースペースの魔法のような特性はすべて忘れ去られてしまった。それらはフィクションであり、不必要なものであり、不可能であった。そしてサイバースペースを機能させる方法はなかったし、そうする理由もなかったのだ。

しかし、40年近く前のこれらの本を読むと、さまざまな作家によるさまざまな作品にわたって、メタバース（あるいはサイバースペース）が一貫した特性を持ち、どの作家もそれを変えようとしないという事実に、何か痛烈なものを感じる。フィクションの概念に、作品間で一貫性を持たせるほどの不可侵性があるのだろうか？おそらく、想像されるものには真実の核があり、その真実があまりにも説得力があるため、アイデアと現実の間のベールを越えるまで繰り返されなければならないのだろう。

現実とサイバースペース

フィットネスウォッチでプレイするビデオゲームや拡張現実ナビゲーションのウェブアプリのように、私は生涯を通じて帰結的なソフトウェアを作ろうと努力してきたが、ソフトウォー（Softwar）を読んで初めて深遠であることに気付かされた。

現実には、熱力学的エネルギーさえあれば、私は何でもできるのだ。

合法的でなくても、社会的に受け入れられなくても、何かをするエネルギーがあればできる。同様に、誰かが私の行動を止めようと思っても、私を止めるのに十分なエネルギーを消費しない限り、止めることはできない。

つまり、現実に自由参加型であり、誰も私の行動を制限することはできない。それはまた、現実が熱力学的であることを意味する。なぜなら、すべての行動にはエントロピーという形で宇宙に支払わなければならない代償があるからだ。

逆に、デジタル・システムでは、あなたが持っているエネルギーの量は関係ない。あなたができることは、許可型システムによって許可されたこと、あるいは、システムを騙して許可されたことだけである。つまり、デジタル・システム内では、常に利用可能な行動のサブセットが極端に制限され、それらの行動を実行する能力は、あなたの熱力学的ポテンシャルとは関係なく、他者から与えられた許可にすべて関係しているのだ。どんなに筋肉が強くても、どんなに賢くても、デジタル・システムが許可する以上のことはできない。

ほとんどすべてのデジタルシステムとソフトウェアは、許可型であり、非熱力学的である。

これが、根本的に、これまでに構築されたメタバースが実際には意味を持たない理由である。どんなビデオゲームであっても、いつまでもあなたの興味を継続させることができないのはこのためだ。なぜなら、あなたができる行動とその範囲は、現実で行動する能力から恣意的に切り離されているからだ。それは「ただのゲーム」であり、現実の限られた一部なのだ。

これは根本的に悪いことではない。明らかに、ソフトウェアは人類のために多くのことを成し遂げてきた。そして、ソフトウェアベースのルールは、誰にとっても公平であり続けるために多くの文脈で使われてきた。ただし、残念なことに、デジタル・システムは決して真に公平なものではない。ルールを書いたプログラマーは常に存在する。上には常に管理者がいるし、ハッカーがいる。そして、あなたの可能性を制限することができるし、あなたより多くの権限を持つ人が常に存在する。現実と比べると、これは恣意的で気まぐれなことのように思える。少なくとも現実では、あなたがエントロピー・コストを支払う宇宙は、実に恐ろしく公平で偏りがない。これが、熱力学的システムが基本的に公平である理由である。たとえあなたにとっては公平に思えなくても、誰にとっても実に公平なのだ。

現実は自由参加型で、熱力学的プロトコルだ。デジタル世界にはこれに似たものはほとんど何もない。

Nostrは、一方で自由参加型だ。これまでは、このことが私たちの宇宙の基本的な性質だとは考えていなかったかもしれないが、実はそうであり、Nostrがこれと同じ性質を示すという事実は非常に説得力がある。実際、真に自由参加型システム（ほとんど存在しないが）には、他のデジタルシステムにはない、人々の想像力をかき立てる魔法のような能力があるように思える。おそらく最も有名な自由参加型デジタル・システムであるビットコインなどは、それを把握した人々に広範かつ深遠な影響を与えるため、（アンドレアス・M・アントノプロス/Andreas M. Antonopoulos氏のように）食事を止め、睡眠を止め、夢中になって研究し、完全に生活様式を変えてしまうケースもある。帰結的なソフトウェアとしてはどうだろう？

ビットコインと同様、nostrもプルーフ・オブ・ワーク（NIP-13）によって熱力学的な性質を持つことができる。そして、現実と共通するこの2つの性質の組み合わせによって、私たちは突然、サイバースペースに関して遭遇したあらゆる謎を払拭することができるようになる。

プルーフ・オブ・ワークは、サイバースペースというSFの中のフィクションを溶かす隠し味なのだ。

サイバースペースとビットコインに関する謎の解明

サイバースペースやメタバースの性質が謎めいているのは、それらが実際には現実の性質でありながら、デジタルシステムの内部にあるからだ。

現実では、ハードウェアやスキルが能力に影響するのは当然である。仕事がパワーを左右するのも不思議ではない。テレポートができず、エネルギーを使って移動しなければならないのも不思議ではない。構築物を作ったり、自分をカスタマイズしたりするのに労力とコストがかかるのは当然だ。領土が希少で防衛しなければならないのも不思議ではない。人々の間で争いが起こるのも不思議ではない。これらすべてがあまりにも普通なので、つい見過ごしてしまいがちだ。

ニューロマンサーやスノウ・クラッシュなど、メタバースに関する作品に登場するこれらのことがとても神秘的に見えたのは、デジタル空間ではモデル化できなかったからだ。これらの作家は現実の特性をデジタル空間に置き換えた。

現実と同じ基本的性質を持つデジタル・システムを設計しよう。それは自由参加型でなければならないし、熱力学的でなければならない。そうすることで、サイバースペースが存在するためのシステムができ上がる。

Nostrはこれらの要件を満たすものだ。ビットコインと同様、nostrは何千人ものアーリーアダプターや開発者の想像力をかきたててきた。魔法はそこにある。しかし、なぜそれほど魔法のように感じられるのかを理解している人は少ないかもしれない。その答えは、現実自身の特性をモデル化できるデジタル・システムを作ると、現実そのものの拡張を作り出したことになるからだ。現実のデジタル拡張によって、人類は物理的な隔たりが問題にならない場所でつながり、協力し、成長することができるからだ。宇宙飛行技術が大きく進歩しない限り、サイバースペースはあなたが生きている間に経験するかもしれない最も重要な地球からの離脱となるだろう。

私は、自由参加型で熱力学的なバーチャルな行動は、物理的な行動と同じくらい現実的であると考える。それは現実とは違うが、鏡のようなものだ。まさに現実の延長なのだ。現実世界から切り離されたものは何もない。したがって、他のデジタル・システムとは異なり、真に帰結をもたらすことができるのだ。

健全な懐疑主義

ちょっと待って、とあなたは言うかもしれない。サイバースペースはまだデジタルなコミュニケーション手段に過ぎない。メールやテキスト、ビデオチャットで十分ではないか？なぜサイバースペースが必要なのか？人類にとってそんなに重要なものなのか？

これは素晴らしい質問だ。

ビットコインについても同じような疑問があるかもしれない。デジタルマネーはすでにあるのではないか？なぜ、絶対的に希少で検閲に強い分散型マネーが必要なのか？

あるいはnostrについても: なぜテキストを送信する別の方法が必要なのか？非中央集権的で検閲に強いことが何の役に立つのか？

ビットコインのように、サイバースペースは何かデジタルなものを希少資源にする。しかしサイバースペースは、（タイムチェーン上の）時間の占領を可能にする代わりに、（構築物やあなたのムーブメントチェーン内の）希少な空間の占領を可能にする。

物理的な世界では、私たちの動きは簡単に検閲される。私たちの力の表現は検閲される。空間の占領は検閲される。サイバースペースではそうではない。サイバースペースで重要なのは、あなたが発揮する熱力学的エネルギーだけだ。現実と同じように、政府や法律という許可された（人工的な）権力構造を除いたものだ。

ビットコインが、あなたが誰であろうと、あなたが誰に価値を発信しようと気にしないのと同じように、サイバースペースも、あなたが誰であろうと、あなたがどこに移動しようと、どこに空間を主張しようと気にしない。

プルーフ・オブ・ワークの帰結

nostrにおけるプルーフ・オブ・ワークが、先に述べたサイバースペースの謎めいた性質を解明する具体的な方法を列挙してみたい。

誰もがサイバースペースを使うことができるが、誰もそれを完全にコントロールすることはできない。

「サイバースペース」を「nostr」に置き換えるだけで、上の文章はすでに真実になる。もし私たちがnostr上にサイバースペースを構築すれば、サイバースペースはこれらの性質を受け継ぐことになる。

サイバースペースにおいて、特定の人々、企業、AIが他よりも大きな力を持つ

もし私たちが、プルーフ・オブ・ワークを介して熱力学的な出力に本質的なパワーを基づかせるならば、サイバースペースの参加者が、彼らが選択した程度に関わらず、サイバースペースで実際の熱力学的な潜在能力を発揮するための自由参加型の方法を手に入れることになる。

人々がサイバースペースに接続するために使用したハードウェアは、サイバースペースにおける彼らの能力に直接的な影響を与えた。

サイバースペースにおけるすべての行動が現実と同様に熱力学的であるならば、より大量のプルーフ・オブ・ワークが可能なハードウェアは、より強力な行動を可能にするだろう。携帯電話、デスクトップ・コンピューター、ASICファーム：好みのものを選ぼう。

サイバースペースの領土は征服され、占領され、争われた。構築にはコストがかかる。

サイバースペースの領域は、256ビットで表現できる最大3次元の座標空間である。暗号、nostr、ビットコインでは、256ビットの数字は、256のブロック単位でデータを処理するSHA-256のような数学関数とともに非常によく使われる。

256ビットの数値は、それぞれ85ビット長のX、Y、Z座標に分割できる。これにより、256ビットのうち最下位1ビットは無視される。

つまり、サイバースペースの各軸の長さは2^85ユニットということになる。

空間は、イベントIDを座標とするコンストラクト・イベントを公開することで要求できる。イベントIDは、イベントをハッシュ化することで得られる（nostrプロトコルのすべてのイベントの標準処理）。つまり、イベントIDをマイニングすることで、希望する座標（または少なくともそれに近い座標）を得ることができる。

2つの構築物が重なった場合、プルーフ・オブ・ワークの多い方が勝つ。ギブスンの作品でも言及されているように、サイバースペースではこのようにして自由参加型で領土を争うことができる。

構築費用はプルーフ・オブ・ワークであり、プルーフ・オブ・ワークによる領土の維持は、自分の土地を守ってくれる政府に税金を払うか、自分の熱力学的エネルギーで自分の土地を守るかのデジタル的アナロジーである。時間としても知られる貨幣が、現実の財産の所有と、そして今やサイバースペースにおいても、いかに密接に結びついているかに注目してほしい。もし財産を自由に所有し、維持することができたとしたら、その財産に価値はあるのだろうか？

ビットコインを保有するのに費用はかからないのだから、構築物やサイバースペース上の財産も同じはずだ、という議論がある。これに対して私は、あなたがビットコインを保有するためには、世界中のマイナーたちによって膨大なコストが費やされている、と言いたい。もし彼らがいなければ、あなたのビットコインは二重に使われるか、無効な取引によって盗まれてしまうだろう。動かぬビットコインの有効性を確保するには、世界最大のコンピュータネットワークを継続的、永続的に運用する必要がある。つまり、あなたの財産を守るための継続的なエネルギー消費は、ビットコイン、サイバースペース、そして現実のあなたのすべてのものにも当てはまる。

ネットワーク全体に価値があるビットコインとは異なり、構築物はその所有者だけに価値がある。そのため、それを守るのは構築物の所有者の責任である。

構築物の防衛におけるより複雑な共生関係は、あらゆる熱力学的システムに内在する生存のための永遠の戦いから生まれるのかもしれない。しかし、これは推測に過ぎない。

普遍的なルールの徹底

どんなプロトコルでもそうであるように、逸脱はそのプロトコルからあなたを排除し、服従はその価値の共有を認める。サイバースペースのメタ-プロトコルをフォークすることは、そのルールに背くことであれ、ルールを書き換えることであれ、デジタルリアリティの両立不可能なフォークをもたらす。プロトコルとしてのサイバースペースの価値は、他のプロトコルと同様にネットワーク効果に依存し、プロトコル戦争では先発者が有利になる。さらに、すべてのアクションはプルーフ・オブ・ワークを必要とし、連鎖しなければならないため、他の誰もが従っているプロトコルから外れた場合、サイバースペースにおけるあなたの歴史の総和は無効となる危険にさらされる。

最終的に私は、サイバースペースの目的は人類に新たな能力と機会を与えることであるべきだと信じている。サイバースペースがプロトコル上に構築され、同様に人類に新たな能力と機会を与えるプロトコル（notsr、ビットコイン、TCP-IP）と相互運用するという事実によって、サイバースペースはそうなると思う。私は、基本的な性質が公理的な譲れないものとして守られている限り、サイバースペースができるだけ多くのユースケースをサポートできるだけの柔軟性と能力を持つことを望んでいる。サイバースペースそのものは、自由参加型であり、熱力学的でなければならない。これらの性質がなければ、サイバースペースは現実からかけ離れた、単なるデジタルイリュージョンになってしまう。

柔軟性、局所性、カスタマイズ性

これらの公理を念頭に置いて、特定の空間内にのみ存在するコンストラクト・レベルのルールを定義する方法を作ることは、とてもスマートなことだと思う。そうすることで、サイバースペースというファブリックの中にカスタム型のインタラクションやシステムを存在させることができ、非常に柔軟でローカルなものになる。そのようなシステムやカスタマイズは、たとえ外見的なものであっても、基本的な熱力学的コストを課す必要がある。これがどのように機能するかの詳細はまだ開発されていないが、フィクションの青写真、我々の公理、そして我々の創意工夫が我々を導いてくれるだろう。

モノのメタバース

Nostrはウェブフレンドリーなプロトコルであるため、あらゆるものをサイバースペースに接続するのは容易だ。私は2022年初頭、ウィル・カサリン（Will Casarin）が開発したスマートな食器洗い機と誰かが会話しているのを目撃した（私の記憶が正しければだが）。もし誰かがnostrを介してスマートな食器洗い機と会話できるのであれば、モノのメタバースはすでに存在していることになる。しかし、これらのモノがどの程度メタバースに自らをさらすかは、インターネット全体と同じセキュリティモデルに従うべきだ。フィクションの中とは異なり、十分なプルーフ・オブ・ワークが現実世界のシステムを乗っ取るための唯一の前提条件であることを、誰も許さないだろう。それでもいい。結局のところ、現実とサイバースペースの関係は1対1の地図になるはずはない。デジタル・システムは、サイバースペースと同じ性質を共有する場合にのみ、サイバースペースに参加するべきだ。ほとんどのデジタル・システムは自由参加型で熱力学的でもないため、サイバースペースに存在する説得力のある理由がない。しかし、何でも可能なのだ。

ゴーストを追うのか、設計図を追うのか？

現実世界のサイバースペースにおける構築物（そしてほとんどの物事）の目的は、ギブスンの文学的サイバースペースやスティーブンソンの文学的メタバースと必ずしも同じではない、ということを区別しておきたい。しかし、描かれている基本的な性質は同じであり、それはプルーフ・オブ・ワークによって実現されている。

覚えておいてほしいのは、ギブスンによるサイバースペースの驚くべき点は、それが現実のように機能するデジタル世界であるということだ ー 平等主義的な紛争解決、希少なスペース、普遍的に強制されるルール。サイバースペースのメタ-プロトコルも同様に、デジタル・システムが現実の空間のように機能することを可能にしている。このデジタル・システムの背後にある動機や理由は、本の中とはまったく違うかもしれないが、だからといってメカニズムが正確でないということにはならない。

私の目標は、ギブスンやスティーブンソンの作品を現実に再現することではない。このフィクションの特性には説得力があり、サイバースペースの実装と利用は完全に自由市場の力に依存する ー まさにそうあるべきだし、私が決めることではない。これらの作品は、この新しい熱力学的デジタルリアリティを創造するための概念的な道筋を開いた。サイバースペースを形成する人間の動機と行動によって、基本的な性質は同じであっても、書籍に描かれているのとは大きく異なるものになることは間違いない。

サイバースペースのメタ-プロトコルを設計する過程で、私はこれらの本を道標として、できるだけシンプルで基本的なものにしようと努めてきた。これらの著者たちが気づいていたかどうかは別として、サイバースペースとメタバースに関する彼らの描写は極めて一貫性があり、首尾一貫していた。これは、素晴らしいフィクションと信憑性をもたらすだけでなく、実際のシステムを開発する際に従うべき素晴らしい指針となるだろう。

サイバースペースへの一歩

サイバースペースがどのように機能するか、具体的な例をいくつか挙げてみたい。

3分でわかるNostr

サイバースペースと交流するには、ある「kind」のnostrイベントを公開するだけでよい。nostrをよく知らない人のために簡単に説明しよう。Nostrは、携帯電話やデスクトップのようなアプリであるクライアントを運営する人々と、イベントを保存するサーバーのようなものであるリレーを運営する人々によって構成されている。クライアントはリアルタイムでリレーからイベントのストリームをダウンロードする。クライアントはリレーにイベントを公開することもできる。イベントの公開とは、ツイートを送信するようなものだ。クライアントは通常、同じイベントを一度に多くのリレーに公開する。友人が接続している少なくとも1つのリレーにツイートを送信しさえすれば、友人はあなたのツイートを見ることができる。誰でもリレーを走らせたりクライアントを作ったりできるし、好きなリレーに接続することもできる。このように、nostrは自由参加型で分散型なのだ。

「kind 1 」のイベントは基本的にツイートだが、他にも種類があり、それぞれ数字で表される。「kind 0」のイベントとは、新しい経歴やスクリーンネームでプロフィールを更新したときに公開されるものだ。ただし、nostrプロトコルの一部としてすでに受け入れられている番号を、あなたが使っているのとは別の目的で使うと、サポートされることはないが、幸運なことに、たくさんの番号がある。

秘密鍵/公開鍵ペアは匿名の暗号IDであり、安全な通信、ビットコインの保管、その他さまざまなことに使用できる。鍵それ自体は、0-9とa-fを含む16進数（10進数ではなく16進数）で表される、計り知れないほど大きな推測不可能な数字だ。あなたがnostrでイベントを公開するとき、それはあなたの秘密鍵によって署名され、イベントにはあなたの公開鍵が含まれる。これにより、おそらく特定の人だけが管理しているその公開鍵による正当なイベントであることを、誰でも確認することができる。このように、署名が公開鍵と一致しなければ、イベントを無効にすることなく、誰もイベントを偽造したり改ざんしたりすることはできない。

メタ-プロトコル

私がサイバースペースをメタ-プロトコルと呼んでいるのは、それが単に、特定のkindの出来事をnostrに公開し、解釈し、3D空間に可視化するユニークな方法だからである。

ドリフト

サイバースペースで移動するには、ドリフトイベントと呼ばれるkind 333イベントを公開する必要がある。このイベントには、あなたの3Dサイバースペース座標、方向、現在の速度、前回のドリフトイベントへの参照、方向によって速度を追加するためのプルーフ・オブ・ワークが含まれる。ドリフトイベントのプルーフ・オブ・ワークの量が、あなたの加速度を決定する。プルーフ・オブ・ワークは、イベントIDの先頭のバイナリゼロの数で表される作業量を選択し、目標作業量に達するまで異なるノンスでイベントをハッシュ化することで、どのnostrイベントにも追加することができる。このプロセスは NIP-13 で規定されている。

各ドリフトイベントは、座標と速度を標準化されたサイバースペースアルゴリズム（現在開発中）で実行し、あるドリフトイベントから次のドリフトイベントへの値の変化が許容できる誤差の範囲内であることを確認することで検証することができる。これは事実上、物理システム内で動きをシミュレートし、その動きがサイバースペース物理学のルールを破っていないことを検証する方法である。このようにして、サイバースペースのすべての参加者は、物理的に近くにいる他のすべての人のバリデータとなる。

ドリフトイベントが署名されると、前回のドリフトイベントへの参照が署名に含まれる。これにより、事実上、サイバースペースにおけるあなたの動きや行動の個人的な検証可能なハッシュチェーン履歴が生成され、他の誰でも検証することができる。

不正行為と罰

自分のムーブメントチェーンについて正直に話すことを奨励されるため、無効なムーブメントチェーン（または「壊れた」ムーブメントチェーン）を見つけた人は、その持ち主にDerezzイベントを発行して罰することができる。これにより、被害者が所有するすべてのムーブメントチェーンとプルーフ・オブ・ワークが無効化され、最初にサイバースペースを使用したときに初めて生成されたホーム座標に被害者がテレポートされることになる。これは事実上のリスポーンだ。最初から開始されはするが、構築物を保持することができる。

移動の連鎖を偽り、いつでもどこへでもテレポートできる。しかしnostrでは、ほとんどの場合、イベントを削除することはできない。そのため、不正行為をした人はその痕跡を残し、他の人がDerezz経由でその人をサイバーキルする可能性がある。壊れたムーブメントチェーンは、移動できない不正行為者のゴーストコピーのようなものだ。冒険好きな人は仕様を詳しく調べるかもしれないが、より深いプロトコルの理由により、ゴーストコピーは Derezz に対してさらに脆弱になるだろう。

不正行為者はDerezzの攻撃を無視してテレポートを続けることもできる。nostrでもサイバースペースでも、これを止めることはできない。しかし、プロトコルに従う他の人々にとっては、この種の行動は簡単に無視できる。常習的な不正行為者はゴーストになったようなもので、その熱力学的行動はプロトコルに従うことを選択した他の全員から無視されることになる。不正行為者は、非常に長い有効な事象の連鎖を公表することで名誉を挽回するかもしれないが、この保護観察期間は常習的なプロトコル違反者には厳しすぎるかもしれない。不正行為者に対しては、他の攻撃的な措置が取られることもあり、サイバースペースにおける不正行為者の活動は、非生産的で困難かつ危険なものとなる。

サイバースペースにおける不正行為者は、標的になりやすい。不正行為者を罰することは、捕食という邪悪な行為ではなく、正義という崇高な行為であるため、私はサイバースペースにおける不正行為者が、迅速かつ愉快に罰せられることを期待している。

誠実な動きに対するインセンティブは、サイバースペースの空間的側面を正当化する。サイバースペースでは、空間は現実であり、帰結的なものである。それを横断するにはコストがかかる。2つとして同じ場所はないのだ。そして、世界で最も人気のあるマイニングアルゴリズム、SHA-256と互換性を持たせるために選ばれた2^85座標系というハードリミットがあるため、すべての空間は希少である。

その他のアクション

サイバースペースと相互作用するために発行できるさまざまなkindイベントについては、公式のサイバースペース仕様書（https://github.com/arkin0x/cyberspace）をチェックしよう（そして貢献しよう！）。

この仕様書には、クライアントがサイバースペースのメタ-プロトコルとやりとりするための技術的な実装の詳細が記載されている：

「重力」を操り、他のオペレーターに影響を与える Derezzに対するプルーフ・オブ・ワーク部隊の生成 ステルスで自分の居場所を隠す などなど！

サイバー空間のユビキタス性と遍在性

最近の非常に興味深い動きは、lnbitsによる「nostrmesh」というオープンソースのプロジェクトで、Arduinoのような小さなメッシュネットワークデバイス上で誰でもnostrリレーをホストすることができる。このようなデバイスが何十億個もネットワーク化され、世界中に散らばり、バッテリーやソーラーパネルで稼働し、それぞれがサイバースペースのインフラに貢献している様子を想像してみてほしい。このレベルのユビキタス化は、サイバースペースが私たちの日常生活の不可欠な一部となり、宇宙空間でさえもどこにでも存在するーギブスン作品のビジョンに一歩近づくものだ！

このようにユビキタスで遍在するネットワークによって、サイバースペースの空間的制約は従来のデジタル境界をはるかに超え、かつてはSFの領域であったような方法で物理的世界と絡み合う。この発展が意味するものは甚大であり、サイバースペースの潜在的な用途と影響力の基礎を築くものである。

サイバースペースの帰結

サイバースペースが何十億もの人々の日常生活の中でその地位を確立するのか、それとも再び忘れ去られてしまうのか、予測することは難しい。しかし、サイバースペースの基盤は、人間の自由と個人の権利のために開発され、採用されてきた技術: 公開鍵暗号、ハッシュ、プルーフ・オブ・ワーク、ビットコイン、nostrと表裏一体である。

SFからフィクションを完全に排除するほど真剣にSFに取り組んでいる者として、私は憶測が貴重なものだと感じている。人は想像力の及ばないところには行けない。私たちの認識する世界はすべて、私たちの心が作り出した抽象的なものから解析されている。象徴やパターンなど、本来無意味なものに、私たちは自動的に意味を付与する。フィクションが私たちの現実であり、私たちの認識する世界はこのフィクションの中の論理的パターンの総和なのである。したがって、私たちは自分たちが最も得意とすることをし、ためらうことなくフィクションを生成し、あるいは推測しよう。

私は個人的に、サイバースペースは商業と社会組織の場であると想像している。構築物によって、人々はサイバーの土地を主張することができる。この土地を使って、ローカライズされたルールと熱力学的に支配されたインタラクティブな体験をデザインすることができる。ライトニング・ネットワークは、サイバースペースを通じて価値の即時移転を可能にし、情報、サービス、サイバー体験、デジタルおよび物理的な商品の取引を促進する。

使用例としては、ショッピング、ゲーム、ギャンブル、コンペティション、ライバー・イベント、バーチャル・プレゼンス・ソーシャル・ギャザリング、バーチャル・プロテスト、コラボレーション・スペース、広告、教育、観光、サイバースペース・ベース・アプリケーションの開発、データ・ビジュアライゼーション、リサーチ、ソーシャル・ネットワーキング、そして我々がまだ想像していないものまで含まれる。

結び

サイバースペースの広大なデジタル風景を冒険するとき、私たちは単に生命のないデータの中を横断しているのではなく、私たちの物理的現実の秩序と複雑さを反映した帰結的な世界に没入しているのである。サイバースペースへのこの革命的なアプローチは、単なるSFの幻影ではなく、公開鍵暗号、ハッシュ、プルーフ・オブ・ワーク、ビットコイン、nostrの基盤の上に構築された、その重要な原則の具体的な探求である。

nostrにメタ-プロトコルを重ねることで、サイバースペースは無限の広がりを持つデジタル宇宙を漂ったり、個人的なドメインを作ったり、活発な社会的交流に参加したりと、無数の可能性を開く。物理的な世界での行動には代償と結果が伴うように、サイバースペースでも独自のルールと影響が適用され、住人同士の責任感、公平性、協調性が育まれる。

創造性、商取引、社会組織のための遊び場として構想されているサイバースペースは、その現在の形成状態において、すでに広範な利用ケースに多大な可能性を示している。その固有の熱力学的特性と自由参加型の性質は、デジタルと物理的現実の画期的な融合を提供し、ダイナミックで包括的、グローバルで帰結的な領域において、私たちの能力、経験、機会を大きく増大させる態勢を整えている。

しかし、サイバースペースの最もエキサイティングな側面は、現在サイバースペースが提供しているものだけでなく、継続的に進化し、再定義される可能性である。より多くの人々がサイバースペースと関わり、その発展に貢献するにつれて、サイバースペースは現在では想像もつかないような形で拡大し、変容していくに違いない。

このデジタル・フロンティアの入り口に立っている私たちは、フィクションの幻影を追いかけているのではない。むしろ私たちは、デジタルの存在が物理的原理と融合する、革命的な新領域の建築家であり開拓者なのだ。テクノロジーと人間の想像力の驚くべき融合は、前例のない探究と革新の時代の舞台となり、予測不可能なほどエキサイティングな未来を予感させる。

この新たなフロンティアを、人間の精神と創意工夫の粋を結集した、共有された多様なデジタル世界へと形成するために、共に、未来のフロンティアであるサイバースペースへと足を踏み入れようではないか。

私と一緒に作り上げよう

サイバースペースは人類のためのものであり、私はできるだけ多くの人間がその建設に関わることを望んでいる。もっと学びたい人、参加したい人のために、以下のリソースを用意した：

ONOSENDAIテレグラムグループに参加する: 　https://t.me/ONOSENDAITECH

私は質問に答えるのが大好きです！ぜひ参加して質問してください！

仕様に関するプルリクエストを歓迎します: https://github.com/arkin0x/cyberspace

最初のサイバースペースクライアント、ONOSENDAIをチェック: https//onosendai.tech (熱力学はまだ開発中)

ONOSENDAI に関するプルリクエストを歓迎します: https://github.com/arkin0x/ONOSENDAI

whoami

僕の名前はニック。arkinoxという名称で活動しています。11歳からウェブサイトを作り、4歳からゲームをデザインしています。ミッドウエストのマーケティング会社でウェブディレクターを10年、拡張現実（AR）企業innovatar.ioの共同設立者兼上級副社長を4年務めています。

FOSSをサポートする

このプロトコルの開発をサポートしたい方は、ぜひご参加ください。また、寄付も受け付けていますし、フルタイムでサポートしてもらう機会も探しています。

nostrで私をフォローしてください： npub1arkn0xxxll4llgy9qxkrncn3vc4l69s0dz8ef3zadykcwe7ax3dqrrh43w

ビットコイン・ライトニングで私をザップしてください: arkinox@getalby.com

翻訳

この記事は、Yutaro によって英語から日本語に翻訳されました。 オリジナルの英語記事はこちら: https://yakihonne.com/article/naddr1qq25ce6ff3ny7mm40ff42hmgfue52mn4244ngq3qarkn0xxxll4llgy9qxkrncn3vc4l69s0dz8ef3zadykcwe7ax3dqxpqqqp65wackq8r

ゆうたろうは日本語翻訳サービスを提供します。 ここで彼を見つけてください:

yutaro@nostrplebs.com npub1wh69w45awqnlsxw7jt5tkymets87h6t4phplkx6ug2ht2qkssswswntjk0 https://nostrplebs.com/s/yutaro https://stacksats.jp/

ゆうたろうさん、ありがとう！

@ a8d525f8:eba07693

I'm stoked that Jack Dorsey spoke, at the tail end of his recent appearance on the newly-launched The Money Matters Podcast, of his appreciation for music. As a musician exploring Nostr (since June 2023) it's evident that I'm early. There aren't many content creators here (yet). There is, however, no shortage of incessant and, dare I say, incestuous discussion around Bitcoin and Nostr--this article being no exception, of course. But as the motto goes around here: gradually, then suddenly.

As he elaborates on his thoughts about music, Jack draws parallels between punk music and FOSS developers, which is apropos. He points out that they:

1. question everything
2. have no hesitation about being terrible at what they do

Put another way, escape your assumptions and embrace the fact that a kind of frequent failure is paramount to eventual success. You can't be afraid to look foolish (at times) in your pursuits. Experiment. Take risks. And there is no shortage of people doing just that as they develop, and build on, this gem of a protocol.

I envy their fervor. The Bitcoin/Nostr combo lends itself as a space that whets the appetite for creativity for those of a certain ilk. I'm not a developer, but I am drawn to it, its participants, and its principles. I, too, want to see it succeed. I, too, want to evolve. I want to tap into that creative energy. And although I don't make punk music, I do identify with the underlying motif. And Nostr, for reasons that I can't quite put my finger on, encourages a kind of misfit, rebellious, and foolish expression. In a way, it's punk to be a nostrich.

Jack also points out that he learns a lot from listening to various artistic voices. Conversely, I learn a lot from those that produce the underlying technology with which art can be made and distributed. It's all the more encouraging when all parties' interests and values align (as with anti-censorship, freedom of speech, self-sovereignty, privacy, value-for-value, etc.)

On a personal note here, my career (and life) has had a lot of ups and downs (naturally). I learned to HODL long before Bitcoin was a thing. I think we all do. In that vein, perseverance counts for a lot--you can't achieve anything if you're not in the game--but I believe it's equally important to evolve, not just trudge ahead. Nostr is poised to be an important part of what's to come. And as something of a futurist I do have a genuine interest in growing some roots here.

So, for all the aforementioned reasons and observations, I will humbly, fwiw, continue to participate and contribute what I can: namely, my voice and my art. If nothing else, hopefully it inspires someone else to do the same. And I want to point out that, Nostr as a whole has, so far, been nothing but welcoming and supportive, for which I am grateful.

@ 81870f53:29bef6a6

英国の大学がジェネレーティブAIの指導原則を制定。

課題：学問の厳密性と完全性を守りつつ、AIを活用すること。

これは将来の教育や評価方法に直接的な影響を与えるだろう。

不正行為を防ぐためにChatGPTのようなソフトウェアを禁止するという考えはもうない。

重視されるのは、AIの適切な使用である。

すでにChatGPTを使用している学生も多いため、スタッフは学生を支援するためのトレーニングを受けることになる。

カンニングのリスクを減らすために、新しい評価方法が登場する可能性もある。

ラッセル・グループの24大学は、ジェネレーティブAIの出現を反映させるため、学業行動方針を見直した。

その目的は、学生や職員がこれらのツールを正しく使用することを支援し、必要な場合にはその使用を認めることである。

この原則は、AIと教育の専門家とのパートナーシップのもとに策定された。

この原則は、AIの台頭に直面する高等教育の変革期における第一歩となるものである。

生成的AIの飛躍的な発展は、評価方法を常に更新する必要があることを意味する。

それはまた、評価の役割を再考する機会でもあります。

AIが教育に与える影響をどのように見ていますか？

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This is an opinion editorial by niftynei, a developer educator who runs the Base58 Bitcoin protocol academy and an organizer of the upcoming, Nix-focused Bitcoin++ conference.

When you want to install a new app on your computer, where do you get it from?

Deciding which source to use is a problem that's surprisingly difficult to solve, but it's one that every computing platform struggles with.

Before the internet was widespread, new software “packages” were distributed on hard media, like CDs or USB sticks. If you wanted to get the latest version of your computer's operating system (OS) or the newest version of Bitcoin Core, for example, you'd need to buy it physically at the store or have it mailed to you. You'd then load the disk or USB stick into your computer, and make a copy of the new software onto your local disk.

As a developer writing code, you'd have to physically hand out copies of your programs to friends and family. Or you'd work for a large corporation that had relationships with companies and computer stores, which would figure out how to get the software you wrote distributed to their clients and customers.

With the advent of always-connected computers, the landscape of software distribution forever changed. Now, instead of having to physically pick up a copy of the bits in a program, you can easily download a copy of it from the internet.

This made it much easier for new developers to write apps that anyone can download. The problem now, however, is answering the question: Where on the internet should users download the new software from?

THE HACKER'S APP STORE

The way that mobile phone ecosystems solve the problem of new application distribution is through a program on your phone called the "App Store" (or the "Google Play store" on Android).

Developers upload the latest copy of their apps to either Apple's or Google's servers. Those companies then send out a silent notification to all of the phones that have the app installed, and the app gets updated in the background on users' phones, without the users’ involvement.

If you're a user and you want to add a new app to your phone, in most cases you'll be able to find it in the App Store, and download it from there.

But not all software is available as a mobile phone app. Some software projects are desktop apps or tools that developers use to write new pieces of software. These applications need a distribution channel too. On desktop operating systems, we tend to call the "App Store" software by the term "package managers." They manage the packages of software that you download onto your computer.

Modern package managers consist of a central server, sometimes called a repository, that can keep track of the latest version of the app, and a client-side application which runs on the package user's computer.

If you're a developer, you've probably run into “homebrew” or “apt-get install” somewhere in your life. “Homebrew” and “apt” are package managers.

In the way package managers work, the client-side application will check in with the central repository occasionally to see if there's any new updates for any of the currently-installed packages. Or, if you have the right OS and the right permissions set, maybe your computer will automatically run these checks, download and install the latest version of an app.

(As an aside, you can add other sources of software packages to your local package-manager client. If a developer self hosts their apps instead of uploading them to the central repository, you'd need to add their self-hosted website to the list of places to look for updates in your own package-manager client app.)

WHAT IF WE COULD REPRODUCE EVERYTHING?

Nix is a package manager that aims to bring reproducible builds to all of the packages that it helps to distribute.

Nix solves the problems with software distribution by keeping detailed track of all of the inputs to a build, uniquely identifying every input and using the same ones as the original builder did. This ensures it's able to build the same thing every time and on any machine.

Nix hashes every input and output of a build; this makes it easy to identify when an input has changed. When the inputs to a build change, the outputs are guaranteed to also change.

One big problem with reproducible builds is that different users will have different versions of the inputs that a program needs to be built with. Every new program that you build on your machine might need a different version of its input in order to be reproducible.

Nix fixes this by keeping track of builds by hash lists, and only using inputs that match the list of hashes it expects. The tradeoff is that Nix uses a lot more disc space and can often take a bit longer to download, as it'll need to download the correct inputs to a binary build process if you don't have them on your computer already.

I like to joke that Nix was only made possible thanks to Moore's law, which means that we now have enough extra disk space to not need to worry about having multiple copies of the same program, just in slightly different versions.

So, Nix makes it possible to distribute a reproducible build of your software much much more easily, which means that a user can reliably rebuild your software on their machine and have it just work, no questions asked.

As a small aside, note that what "reproducible" means for a Nix build is that "if a package works on one machine, it will also work on another." This isn't the same as the reproducibility that Bitcoin Core developers try to guarantee for official Bitcoin binaries, which have a separate process to check that they're bit-for-bit identical

NIX AND BITCOIN

Distributing open-source software in a way that's easy for end users to get running, and is reproducible on any system, is a very useful and important feature. It makes it easier for anyone to start using the project and also easier for new developers to start contributing back to the project.

A few years ago, a set of intrepid developers launched a repository of the most common Bitcoin software projects that are packaged up as Nix packages and modules.

Packages make it much easier for anyone using the Nix package manager to install and start running a Bitcoin node, on almost any architecture. You don't have to worry about installing the right dependencies before running the build commands, and the project will build from source on your own machine. It's pretty ideal in terms of quickly being able to download, build and run a Bitcoin node from scratch.

The Nix-Bitcoin repository provides Nix “modules,” which are configurations for software applications that are meant to work on NixOS. The Nix-Bitcoin modules allow anyone who's running NixOS to reproduce a build of Bitcoin Core and other Bitcoin open-source projects, and quickly get them running on their machines with minimal fuss.

In an interview for this article, Jonas Nick, one of the lead maintainers of the Nix-Bitcoin project, had the following to say about using the project:

"The main benefit that Nix-Bitcoin gets from Nix/NixOS is declarative config management. Configuring your system using the Nix programming language allows for abstraction, so you can modularize your logic to reuse and test individual components. This allows managing complexity, which inevitably occurs when building systems, and helps to build a correct and secure system. For example, a lot of the security features that Nix-Bitcoin provides would be very annoying to maintain if we didn't have the module system. Reproducibility in NixOS also helps a lot with updates, because we know exactly what is running on the systems of our users. Finally, with NixOS can also get errors at evaluation time instead of at runtime."

Bitcoin Core isn't the only project that's packaged up for distribution on Nix.

There's also Core Lightning, BTCPay Server and a number of other projects. For the most part, these projects are added and bundled up for distribution on Nix by fans of the Nix package-management system, not the developers who are writing the software. For a more complete list of available packages, check out the “modules” list in the Nix-Bitcoin GitHub repository.

WHY NOT NIX EVERYWHERE?

If Nix is such a great change to the way that Bitcoin projects are built and shipped, why doesn't everyone use it? The truth is that Nix is a big project that's a bit difficult to get into. The learning curve for using Nix is quite steep, and the paradigm of running Nix as a package manager can be quite different than most are used to.

NixOS started as a research project by Eelco Dolstra in 2003, and has slowly been building a following and user base since then.

BITCOIN++ BERLIN: EXPANDING THE USE OF NIX IN BITCOIN

By organizing the upcoming Bitcoin++ conference in Berlin, we aim to change this. Bitcoin++ is a developer-focused conference series which focuses on different topics in the Bitcoin developer space. Originally started in Austin, Texas, in 2022, the most recent conference in late April 2023 focused on Layer 2 technologies in Bitcoin, such as Ark, the Lightning Network

and validity rollups.

The upcoming Berlin conference, planned for October 6 and October 7, 2023, aims to be a “Nix-pilling” event for the Bitcoin developer ecosystem. The core maintainers of the Nix-Bitcoin project on Fort Nix will be in attendance (including Nick, Pavol Rusnak and Eric Sirion, to

name a few). The two-day event will be full of hands-on workshops and lectures

designed to teach developers from across the ecosystem about how to use Nix to package

their projects and better bundle their development dependencies so that new

contributors can start coding and contributing faster, as well as demonstrate how fast and easy it is to deploy software using modules on NixOS.

By：niftynei Link：https://bitcoinmagazine.com/technical/how-nix-can-accelerate-bitcoin-software

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This is an opinion editorial by Jesse Shrader, the co-founder and CEO of Amboss, a Lightning Network explorer and analytics tool.

For years, you could basically only do two things on the Bitcoin network: You could save BTC or you could spend it. Then, a late 2021 privacy upgrade had the unintended consequence of allowing data storage on the Bitcoin blockchain, resulting in NFT-like inscriptions and BRC-20 tokens, both applying Ordinal Theory for asset tracking.

The popularity of NFT-like Ordinal inscriptions and the experimental BRC-20 token standard has driven up transaction costs across the Bitcoin network. The frothy demand for “stamping” limited block space with new data pushed transaction costs so high that in May 2023, Binance twice had to pause BTC withdrawals, a risky and undesirable step for a global exchange. To help manage the transaction costs, Binance announced it would start using the Lightning Network — a decentralized, Layer 2 network designed for fast transactions bypassing the underlying Bitcoin blockchain— to process BTC withdrawals.

While some argue that Bitcoin should stick to being digital gold, I don’t see it that way.

As a store of value, bitcoin will continue to provide a trustless alternative to central banking; other uses of its immutable blockchain don’t diminish this function. On the contrary, emergent uses of the Bitcoin blockchain will drive more efficient use of the limited block space, leading to broad adoption of Lightning Network as a scaling solution for bitcoin as a global currency. The Lightning Network’s growth will provide a trustless alternative to centralized payment processors, expanding Bitcoin’s utility.

CHALLENGES FACED BY BRC-20 TOKENS

The BRC-20 token standard is extremely new — created in March 2023. If its name sounds familiar, that’s because it’s somewhat akin to ERC-20 tokens such as Shiba Inu and MakerDAO that run atop the Ethereum network. Whereas Bitcoin has traditionally been about storing and transmitting value, BRC-20s allow for other assets to be “minted” in an Ordinal inscription. Now, a slew of BRC-20s have popped up for trading and speculation, many in the form of meme tokens, from PIZA to MEME. As of June 26, 2023, the market cap for BRC-20 tokens was over $260 million, according to CoinGecko.

But all of this minting is driving bitcoin transaction costs higher. That’s not necessarily bad for bitcoin miners, who earn BTC by processing transactions. CoinDesk reported in early May 2023 that some BTC miners were earning more by collecting transaction fees than they were by creating new BTC. That’s quite a lot, considering each block reward currently nets miners 6.25 BTC (worth roughly $188,000 at the time of writing).

As for whether this is good for users, that’s debatable. The average bitcoin transaction fee recently hit a two-year high, peaking at $30.91 on May 8, 2023, despite a bear market; those abstaining from BRC-20s are likely grumbling about increased fees. On the other hand, the introduction of the BRC-20 token standard has inspired deeper conversations about network scaling for Bitcoin.

ALREADY MAKING AN IMPACT

At the moment, BRC-20s lack some of the utility of their ERC-20 cousins. They don’t, for instance, use smart contracts, and their utility is mostly the same as PFP NFTs, leading many to argue they’re not worth the cost.

It remains to be seen whether the demand for Bitcoin-based tokens is sustainable or whether such activity will get redirected to other, more permissive or centralized networks.

In one scenario, higher fees could force Bitcoin’s traditional users away from the network. This is unlikely. Bitcoin’s unchanging and conservative monetary policy remains the primary attraction; the network has no real competition in this regard as a hedge to monetary debasement.

But assuming Ordinal inscriptions and BRC-20 tokens show the same staying power as memecoins and NFTs on other networks — Shiba Inu, remember, has a market cap of $5 billion and Bored Apes are virtually a household name — they will keep driving transaction fees above their historical average.

This could have long-term impacts on Bitcoin users.

In particular, higher transaction costs create a demand for more efficient transactions. While some of this can be done at a protocol level (e.g., SegWit, the contentious 2017 upgrade to Bitcoin that enabled leaner transaction sizes by separating the signature data from the transaction data), much of it can come from scaling technologies on a second layer.

Enter: the Lightning Network, which batches transactions via long-term smart contracts and uses Bitcoin’s underlying security to allow fast and cheap payments.

FUTURE SOLUTIONS

Lightning Network fees are extremely modest compared to on-chain counterparts. While the fees do fluctuate, the overall network fees have not increased as a result of BRC-20s or inscriptions. The network currently charges fees to reward network node operators. According to data available via Amboss’ Bitcoin Lightning Network analytics platform, the median fee remains 0.002%. Compare that to traditional payment networks, which charge 2% to 3% of the payment amount every time you swipe your credit card.

The Bitcoin community is currently subsidizing the creation of the payment network, driving Lightning fees extremely low. Even with increased demand over time, sustainable fee rates for Lightning should grow to around 0.03%, based on less generous operator behavior.

PRIMED TO BECOME THE DEFAULT GLOBAL PAYMENTS PROCESSOR

The combination of Bitcoin monetary policy and Lightning’s transaction network is a potent one. Bitcoin has long presented itself as an alternative to a broken central banking system. But through competitive uses of its unforgivingly tight blockchain, the efficiency gained through Lightning transactions is more prescient than ever.

Though the Lightning Network has been years in the making, it is maturing at the perfect time — ready to enable billions of transactions across the network — and become the global de facto payment processor.

By：JESSE SHRADER Link：https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/ordinals-will-make-bitcoin-the-worlds-payment-processor

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Throughout history, technology has played a vital role in shaping our lives, from basic tools like fire to sophisticated computers. While some argue that technology disconnects us from nature, it is also the means by which we improve our lives, whether through advanced weaponry for hunting or essential medical advancements like vaccines. Today, technology has progressed immensely, offering assistance and even potential replacements for various tasks. In the realms of scientific research and economics, we continuously seek the next breakthrough, investing in promising technologies that will soon benefit the masses or those in need.

The World Economic Forum conducted a study in 2022, surveying prominent academics worldwide, and recently published the results highlighting eight out of ten technologies expected to significantly impact our lives and the economy in the near future. While quantum computers, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence are included, they are not mere buzzwords. The list also encompasses flexible neuron-based electronics, resembling those in our brains, as well as bacteria-attacking viruses.

Tech set to change our lives (Photo: Shutterstock)

Flexible Batteries

Power supply remains a significant challenge for devices and gadgets. While lithium-ion batteries have enabled miniaturization, they still face limitations due to their heavy and metal/plastic composition. As we envision computers embedded in clothing or foldable smartphone screens, flexible batteries have the potential to address these issues and offer promising solutions.

Flexible batteries hold the potential to revolutionize various technologies, enabling the development of screens that can be rolled-up and smart clothing capable of monitoring health. By utilizing lightweight and thin materials, these batteries offer enhanced energy efficiency and convenience. This advancement allows for compact computers that can be rolled out on any table, pocket-sized smartphones, and virtual reality glasses that resemble regular eyewear. While the market for flexible batteries is still relatively small, major technology companies such as Apple, LG, Samsung, Nokia, and STMicroelectronics are actively involved in their development, showcasing its promising future.

Generative Artificial Intelligence

Generative artificial intelligence, an emerging field of AI, is transforming various industries by producing original content. While its current applications focus on generating texts, images, sounds, and software, its future potential includes drug development, architecture, and mechanical engineering. Researchers have already conducted experiments in creating disease-specific drug molecules, designing houses, and assisting NASA engineers in spacecraft development.

Beyond space and construction, generative AI will enhance food production, everyday product design, and brain research. Students already benefit from its capabilities, but educational institutions face challenges in integrating it. With responsible control and regulation, creative AI can provide us humans with more time to innovate and shape a better future.

Eco-friendly Jet Fuel

It is indeed concerning that flights contribute 2-3% of global carbon dioxide emissions annually, amounting to approximately 39 gigatons of pollution from 2022 to 2050. While electric cars and drones show promise in reducing emissions, the development of efficient electric passenger planes remains a challenge that may take decades to overcome. The high costs of aircraft and the need for airlines to utilize their existing fleet until depreciation further complicate the replacement process. However, a viable solution lies in altering the composition of aviation fuel to minimize harmful emissions and mitigate environmental impact.

The adoption of sustainable jet fuel, derived from organic or alternative sources, is a crucial step in reducing the aviation industry's carbon footprint. By combining this fuel with strategies such as optimizing flight routes, implementing new technologies, and mitigating emissions, significant progress can be made.

Currently, sustainable fuel accounts for approximately 1% of global flights, but the aim is to increase its usage to 13% to 15% by 2040. To achieve this target, plans are underway to establish around 400 sustainable fuel production plants in the coming years. The production of sustainable fuel has already tripled in the past year, reaching 300 million liters, indicating that flying could potentially become a much more environmentally friendly mode of transportation in the near future if this trajectory continues.

Engineered Friendly Viruses

To address the issue of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, scientists are exploring the use of technology involving designed viruses that target bacteria. These viruses, known as bacteriophages, have the ability to selectively infect and kill specific bacteria, offering a potential solution to combat infections without harming beneficial bacteria in our bodies.

Building on the knowledge gained from dealing with viruses during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, researchers are leveraging the efficiency of viruses in transferring genetic material to cells for potential therapeutic applications in the field of microbiome health. By harnessing this technology, there is hope for developing targeted treatments that can address bacterial infections more effectively while preserving the balance of our microbiome.

Approaching a dystopian future? (Photo: Shutterstock)

Phages, or bacteriophages, can be utilized to deliver targeted genetic pesticides to specific bacteria, allowing for precision treatment that spares beneficial bacteria. This personalized approach to fighting bacterial infections holds promise in the field of microbiome health. Researchers are making progress in developing phages that can combat specific strains of bacteria, such as E. coli causing hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The success in this area has attracted investments, and numerous biotech companies are now involved in the development of phages to address antibiotic resistance and reduce the virulence of harmful bacteria.

Mental Health Metaverse

While the concept of the metaverse may evoke images of virtual reality gaming and futuristic glasses, its potential extends far beyond entertainment. In the context of mental health, the metaverse holds promise for addressing the growing crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation and loneliness experienced during lockdowns have contributed to increased risks of depression and psychosomatic illnesses.

Leveraging the metaverse technology, innovative approaches can be developed to provide support, therapy, and interventions for mental health conditions, ultimately promoting well-being and preserving our mental state. Mark Zuckerberg's rebranding of Facebook as Meta reflects the recognition of the metaverse's potential beyond advertising, highlighting its broader implications for meaningful applications in various areas, including mental health care.

Sustainable jet fuel could revolutionize travel (Photo: Instagram)

The gaming industry has emerged as a powerful tool in the battle against depression, leveraging its interactive and immersive nature. Companies like DeepWell, Ninja Theory, and Tripp are at the forefront of using gaming technologies for therapeutic purposes. DeepWell's platform is specifically designed to address depression and anxiety symptoms, while Ninja Theory's collaboration with the University of Cambridge aims to create a therapy environment called the Insight Project.

Additionally, Tripp has developed a meditation app that utilizes gaming elements. Emerging technologies like Emerge Wave 1 and Neurable headphones further enhance the immersive experience by simulating real contact and measuring emotional intensity, respectively. These advancements showcase the potential of the gaming industry in fostering mental well-being and supporting therapeutic interventions.

Wearable sensors for Plants

The integration of technology in agriculture, often referred to as agrotech or pharmatech, continues to revolutionize one of humanity's oldest activities. With the goal of meeting the increasing food demands driven by population growth, farmers are embracing innovative methods to enhance crop monitoring and productivity.

Traditional approaches such as soil tests and physical inspection of fields are now supplemented with advanced tools like drones, robotic tractors, and satellite imagery. The next frontier involves attaching sensors to individual plants, enabling precise data collection and analysis for optimized cultivation. This data-driven approach holds great potential for improving agricultural practices and ensuring sustainable food production in the future.

Indeed, the integration of sensors in agriculture holds immense potential for increasing crop quantity and quality while optimizing resource usage. By attaching sensors to plant stems, farmers can gather valuable data on crucial parameters such as temperature, humidity, moisture, and nutrient levels. This real-time information empowers farmers to make informed decisions on irrigation, fertilization, and pesticide application, leading to precise and efficient resource management. The ability to monitor and respond to individual plant needs can result in healthier crops, higher yields, and reduced costs.

Friendly viruses to the rescue? (Photo: shutterstock)

Israel's Phytech company is already at the forefront of this technology, offering sensors that have gained recognition worldwide. However, it is important to note that the widespread adoption of this technology across global agricultural practices may require further advancements and refinements. As the field continues to evolve, efforts will be made to make such sensor-based solutions accessible and affordable to farmers worldwide, ultimately contributing to improved agricultural productivity and sustainability on a global scale.

Spatial Omics

Indeed, omics and spatial omics technologies have revolutionized the study of cells and molecular interactions, opening up new possibilities for understanding the complexities of biological systems. Omics refers to the comprehensive analysis of molecules, cells, and their interactions, encompassing various disciplines such as genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Spatial omics takes this a step further by enabling the visualization and mapping of cellular relationships within tissues.

By employing spatial omics techniques, researchers can obtain detailed insights into the spatial organization and activities of cells within complex biological systems. This technology allows for the translation of cellular data into visual representations such as images or diagrams, facilitating the study of cellular processes and their regulation. It provides a means to analyze and interpret cellular activities with unprecedented resolution, enabling a deeper understanding of cellular functions and their roles in health and disease.

The applications of spatial omics are diverse, but one prominent area is genetic engineering. With this technology, it becomes possible to accurately and automatically insert genes into different cells and monitor the resulting changes. By visualizing cellular activity at a highly detailed level, researchers can gain insights into the effects of genetic modifications and track cellular responses over time. This advancement in understanding cellular behavior holds great promise for various fields, including biomedical research, drug discovery, and personalized medicine.

Flexible Electronic Neurons

Elon Musk's company, Neuralink, is currently working on the development of a brain-machine interface (BMI). This technology aims to establish a direct connection between the brain and a computer, allowing individuals to control the computer directly with their brain signals. Similarly, it has the potential to enable the computer to interact with and control specific functions within the human body. The process involves the use of sensors that capture electrical signals from the brain and algorithms that translate these signals into instructions that can be understood and executed by a computer. In addition to computer control, this technology holds promise for addressing neurological conditions like epilepsy and providing amputees with the ability to control artificial limbs.

Metaverse to help with mental health (Photo: shutterstock) Currently, one of the challenges in the field of electronic components is their compatibility with the human body, which is soft and flexible in nature. Traditional components such as chips, wiring, and sensors are typically made from rigid materials that are not easily integrated with biological systems. However, the emergence of flexible neurons offers a promising solution. These thin and flexible electrical components can be seamlessly incorporated into living organisms.

Imagine the potential benefits for individuals with heart conditions who require pacemakers. Instead of using rigid devices, flexible neurons could be utilized to create pacemakers that are more compatible and gentle on the body. By employing these flexible materials in electronic components, it becomes possible to achieve better compatibility and integration with biological systems. This opens up new possibilities for the development of advanced medical devices and technologies that can enhance the quality of life for individuals in need.

Sustainable Computing

The increasing usage of cloud computing, whether in public data centers or by tech giants like Microsoft, Google, or Meta, accounts for approximately 1% of global electricity consumption annually. This percentage is projected to rise in the future. While there is no single solution, various technologies can significantly decrease energy consumption and make it more sustainable. For instance, liquid-based cooling can replace inefficient industrial air conditioners to cool servers. Additionally, excess heat generated from regular operations can be repurposed, such as for heating houses in cities like Stockholm, Sweden.

Artificial intelligence also plays a role by analyzing data center activity and optimizing it. DeepMind, a British company owned by Google, developed such a system that reduced Google's energy consumption by approximately 40%. Other solutions involve modular data centers equipped with energy production systems that utilize methane gas, known for its high pollution potential. Rather than releasing the gas into the atmosphere, it is utilized as a fuel for electricity generation, reducing emissions. These and other advancements in storage, production, and infrastructure management technologies are expected to bring the industry closer to the goal of achieving near-zero pollutant emissions.

AI-Based Healthcare

AI companies are focused on developing systems that aid doctors and therapists in making timely and precise therapeutic decisions. While this technology is not entirely novel – IBM's attempt to transform its AI platform, Watson, into a doctor did not yield significant success – recent advancements in the field have demonstrated that AI can be effectively integrated with existing platforms. By collecting data and therapeutic insights, these systems can be trained to enhance the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of various diseases, including those that are considered rare and challenging to identify.

A new type of agriculture (Photo: SeeTree)

The integration of artificial intelligence extends beyond treatment and encompasses the management of healthcare systems themselves. The current expectation is that incorporating AI systems into healthcare providers' infrastructure will enhance the quality of patient care. This includes optimizing processes, reducing waiting times, and improving overall healthcare system management.

A notable example is Medical Confidence, a company owned by the Canadian healthcare giant CloudMD, which utilized AI technology to efficiently connect patients with available doctors and treatment centers, resulting in a significant reduction of appointment wait times from months to weeks. The utilization of these methods in developing countries, such as India's decision to integrate AI into their local healthcare systems, is expected to greatly improve residents' access to healthcare services.

By：Raphael Kahan Link：https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/bjphafgfh

@ 4d444439:7ed2458b

And, so, we stand on the horizon of one of the greatest advancements in science and technology: the quantum computer. For the first time, we will be able to compute with light particles and move away from our traditional Von Neumann architecture. In a decade or so, perhaps, our silicon-based chips will feel like the vacuum tubes of the past — clunky, inefficient, and slow. And, the whole concept of pushing electrons down npn transistor junctions for computation may feel like we are racing on a skateboard against a Jumbo Jet at top speed.

The quantum computer, though, will disrupt virtually everything to do with trust and security but will bring great advancements in computation. While not every problem will be able to be processed by quantum computers, there are some which can be significantly enhanced. So, let’s look at the risks of the quantum computer, and outline how they can be used in cybersecurity analysis. For this, I will outline our new paper which advances the area.

The threats? … breaking the Internet

With the rise of quantum computers, we will see many risks and opportunities. On the risk side, we face an untrusted digital world, and where ALL of our existing public key encryption methods can be cracked by quantum computers. This includes RSA, ECC, and Discrete Logs, and for key exchange (ECDH), digital signatures (RSA, ECDSA, and EdDSA), and public key encryption (RSA and ElGamal).

Luckily, there are a number of Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards that are being developed, and which will work alongside our existing public key methods — a hybrid approach, before the eventual switch-off of RSA and ECC. These include CRYSTALS-Kyber (for key exchange and public key encryption) and CRYSTALS-Dilithium, SPHINCS+, and Falcon (for digital signatures). Most of the proposed methods use lattice cryptography, and which has been shown to be robust against quantum attacks. If you want to learn more, try:

https://asecuritysite.com/pqc

The opportunities? … a whole new world of processing

But, what about the opportunities? Well, quantum computers will bring a new way of process, and use Qbits to replace our binary digits. These approaches will allow us to develop new approaches to existing problems.

In cybersecurity, our forthcoming Ph.D. student (Madjid Tehrani) and collaborators from Capgemini (Eldar Sultanow and Anja Jeschke), McGill University (Malik Amir), George Washington University (Raymond Chow), and Edinburgh Napier University (myself and Mouad Lemoudden) have just outlined a new method of merging quantum computers and machine learning in order to solve a well-known cybersecurity problem [here]:

This implements hybrid machine learning methods on real quantum computers, with 100 data samples, and also with real-device-based simulations, with 5,000 data samples. It uses HQML algorithms applied to the detection of botnet-generated domain names. This includes the features of the character length of the domain, the entropy of the domain name, and the reputation of the domain name:

With domain name analysis we often use entropy measurements — and where we measure the variability of the letters used in the domain name. Along with this, n-Gram detection analyses 1, 2, 3 and more character sequences and match them to their relative probability and pronounceability. For example, “qq” is a highly improbable 2-Gram sequence, but “tr” is.

The advancements in the paper are a “stabilized quantum architecture that enables us to execute HQML algorithms on real quantum devices” and “the design of a new form of hybrid quantum binary classification algorithms that are based on Hoeffding decision tree algorithms”.

If you are interested, the Hoeffding tree was first defined in 1963 [2]:

and where recent work has considerably speeded-up the process:

The experiments used the Qiskit library with Aer quantum simulator, along with using three different real quantum devices (on the Microsoft Azure cloud): IonQ, Rigetti, and Quantinuum, and this is the first time that these tools have been combined.

Conclusions

We believe the paper is a great advancement in applying hybrid quantum machine learning to the field of cybersecurity analytics. So, don’t let your company stand blindfolded to the threats and opportunities of quantum computers — get ready!

References

[1] Madjid Tehrani, Eldar Sultanow, William J Buchanan, Malik Amir and Anja Jeschke, Raymond Chow and Mouad Lemoudden, Enabling Quantum Cybersecurity Analytics in Botnet Detection: Stable Architecture and Speed-up through Tree Algorithms, 2023, https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.13727.

[2] Hoeffding, W. (1994). Probability inequalities for sums of bounded random variables. The collected works of Wassily Hoeffding, 409–426.

By：Prof Bill Buchanan OBE Link：https://medium.com/asecuritysite-when-bob-met-alice/standing-on-the-horizon-of-one-of-the-greatest-advancements-in-science-the-quantum-computer-902f7d82f5ad

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Tomorrow, Thursday, 6 July 2023, Meta will officially launch its new Threads app.

Meta is the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, but with the launch of Threads it wants to challenge Twitter directly.

It is probably no coincidence that it decided to launch it right now, which is when Twitter seems to be having problems.

Summary

1. Twitter’s problems
2. What will be the future of Twitter after the advent of Threads by Meta?
3. Meta and Facebook
4. Meta launches Threads
5. What will the crypto community do?

Twitter’s problems

A few days ago Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, announced limitations on the number of tweets that can be read each day.

Officially this would be a solution to the problem generated by scraping.

Scraping is the activity done by various external bots of continuously downloading huge amounts of information, in the form of tweets, from the Twitter website.

Being bots they do this at a very high speed, downloading huge amounts of information. This consumes resources of Twitter’s servers, which has long been trying to conserve them instead.

In fact, the real underlying problem is economic, because the platform’s revenues have long been insufficient to cover all costs.

When Musk took over as head of the company he immediately cut costs in impressive ways, such as laying off more than half the staff. Now he has evidently moved on to wanting to cut technical costs as well, such as those related to servers.

He is also trying to increase revenues by promoting the Twitter Blue subscription. For example, the restrictions introduced Saturday had the greatest impact especially among simple users, while they were far less impactful for Blue users.

What will be the future of Twitter after the advent of Threads by Meta?

There are many who think that the problems Twitter is having put its very survival at risk, but there are also many who believe that Elon Musk is doing well to try to restore the company even with drastic interventions such as the one on Saturday.

Finally, there are also those who are simply waiting to see what consequences Musk’s decisions will have, without taking sides either for or against.

What is certain is that Twitter would have had much less chance of surviving if a major clean-up campaign had not begun. Elon Musk himself initially warned that the company continued to lose money, but he also said that they were on track to return to profit.

As of today, it is not known whether they have already returned to profit, but certainly expenses have decreased a great deal. Unfortunately, it seems that revenues have also decreased, and much of the company’s future will play out on this very point.

Therefore, promoting the Twitter Blue subscription seems to be able to do nothing but good for the company’s coffers, pending increases in revenues from advertising as well.

Twitter’s future right now is uncertain, but at least the clean-up campaign is underway.

Meta and Facebook

The same cannot be said of Meta and Facebook.

Facebook, which was once Twitter’s direct rival, does not seem to be doing very well, and it certainly has not begun a deep remediation campaign like that of Twitter.

On the contrary, the problems keep piling up without apparent solutions.

But the real problem is Meta, which is the company that owns it.

The company decided to jump into the Metaverse sector at the height of the bull run, but so far this decision has produced nothing but immense losses.

Twitter was pulled from the stock market when all the shares ended up in the hands of Elon Musk, but Meta is still there.

From the highs of September 2021, META’s stock on the stock market lost 77% until November 2022, but then made a big rebound since it abandoned the idea of focusing on the metaverse. In fact, the stock is now at about $286, up from $90 in November. However, as of September 2021 it was at over $360.

Much of Meta’s revival actually comes through Instagram, and in fact Threads was born precisely as a kind of extension of Instagram.

Meta launches Threads

Threads will be a microblogging app, probably very similar to Twitter. It will thus be Meta’s direct competitor to Twitter, but it may not necessarily prevail.

In fact, loyal Twitter users are unlikely to budge.

It is sufficient to note that there are already many alternatives to Twitter, from Mastodon to Bluesky via Nostr.

Despite all these alternatives, to date the number of active Twitter users does not seem to have decreased. In fact, since the Musk era began they seem to have increased.

Although no precise details are yet known about the app that will be launched tomorrow, it seems unlikely that it will take users away from Twitter merely because it is an alternative.

Moreover, knowing Meta, it is hard to imagine that Threads will actually perform better than Twitter, since the opposite has often been the case in the past, with Facebook and Instagram always having the biggest problems.

What will the crypto community do?

In particular, the crypto community so far seems to have had a rather cool reception to this innovation.

Admittedly, one would have to see how the app works first to be able to judge it, but apparently the crypto community continues to be fond of Twitter.

Besides, alternatives like Mastodon are decentralized, so in theory the crypto community should like them much more. Instead, they continue to prefer Twitter.

It will not be at all easy to take users away from Twitter, especially if the current remediation campaign is successful. Perhaps Threads will be better suited to the Instagram community, even though text posts are not a successful content type on the popular pictures and videos app.

Instead, it may be that Facebook users will eventually move to Threads, not least because the celebrated social network has long since entered a phase of stagnation and decay.

By：Marco Cavicchioli Link：https://en.cryptonomist.ch/2023/07/05/meta-against-twitter-meta-launches-threads/

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Mastodon is an implementation of the ActivityPub protocol. Everything said here is equally valid for other implementations.

Mastodon looked like a great initiative for decentralizating social media a decade ago when the internet was friendlier and server owners could be trusted to be cooperative, but it doesn't really address the crucial issue of censorship.

Problems

1. User identities are attached to domain names which are controlled by third-parties.
2. These third-parties can ban you, just like centralized social media platforms. Server owners can also block other servers.
3. Migration between servers is difficult and can only be accomplished if servers cooperate.
4. The ActivityPub protocol is complex and hard to implement. No one really implements it in full, most servers just try to be compatible with whatever Mastodon does, and even then it is not efficient.
5. There are no clear incentives to run servers, therefore they tend to be run by enthusiasts and people who want to have their name attached to a cool domain. Because of this, users are subject to the despotism of a single person, which is often worse than that of a big company like Twitter, and they can't migrate out.
6. Since servers tend to be run by amateurs, they are often abandoned. This effectively bans everybody that signed up via that server.
7. There are huge issues with data duplication across servers.

Good Ideas

One good idea Nostr takes from Mastodon is that it uses a network of servers, and therefore users don't have to run the servers themselves. More than that, these servers generally have their own characters, and they're run and used by people who think alike, have thematic friendly conversations. These are properties that can be replicated on Nostr relays without compromising any of the other Nostr features.

By：Nostr Link：https://nostr.com/comparisons/mastodon

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Bitcoin maximalist Jack Dorsey significantly contributed to the popularity of social media platform Nostr overnight on December 14, when he chose to tweet about it. Thousands of Bitcoiners joined the platform thanks to his publicity of the platform, which promises to be a credible decentralized social site that could displace Twitter.

His recommendation gained 428,000 organic impressions. The next morning, Dorsey donated 14 bitcoin (then worth $250,000) to Fiatjaf from Bitcoin gaming company Zebedee. Fiatjaf is the lead maintainer of Nostr and a developer on Damus, Nostr’s leading implementation.

Bitcoiners hastily planned a Nostr conference. It already has hundreds of confirmed attendees scheduled for March 19-21.

So, what is Nostr? And why is the Bitcoin community excited about it?

Uncensored social media with built-in Bitcoin payments

In short, Nostr promises to become a credibly decentralized social media platform that could displace Twitter in the same way that Facebook displaced MySpace. It’s not built on the Bitcoin blockchain per se, but most implementations of Nostr support Bitcoin payments over Bitcoin’s Lightning Network. According to Forbes, Nostr is an elegantly small protocol, a sort of “smart client, dumb relay” model that forms a solid base for building customized social media.

Read more: Offline Bitcoin Lightning payments will soon be possible

Nostr’s primary innovation is a persistent public key that can be ported to any social media brand and retain its following. Imagine the ability to permissionlessly transfer one’s Instagram followers when creating an account on Snapchat, for example.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden echoed Bitcoiners’ excitement, claiming that Nostr could replace Twitter and Instagram. He also affirmed the value of decentralized social media to fight censorship. Snowden alleged that the government put pressure on corporate-owned, centralized social media to curtail users’ speech.

Why the name “Nostr”?

The name Nostr is derived from variants of “nuestro,” a Spanish word meaning “ours,” including the Portugese “nosso.” Nostr is also an acronym: Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays.

Nostr says it will make it easy to find people on social media. Discovery works using public keys that users can append to their existing accounts on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, or Telegram. Notable early adopters of Nostr include Jack Dorsey, Vitalik Buterin, Edward Snowden, and pro-crypto Senator Cynthia Lummis.

Twitter owner Elon Musk did not seem to like the idea of competition. He initially banned accounts that (according to him) had the “primary purpose” of promoting Twitter competitors like Nostr or Mastodon. However, Twitter later backtracked Musk’s decision.

Next steps for Nostr

The relatively small number of Nostr developers are mainly trying to keep up with the influx of users. They’re also working on further integration of the Bitcoin network. Users can already send bitcoin tips to other users. Users can also use Bitcoin’s Lightning Network to change their Nostr usernames.

Developers are interested in using Bitcoin and its Lightning Network to help Nostr relays prevent spam attacks like Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS). The owner of one GitHub repository already published an implementation called “Expensive Relay” which requires users to pay a relaying fee to publish events (imposing a fee is a common tactic to prevent spammers who overload free communication channels).

Nostr is new and very much in development. Bitcoin Magazine called for Nostr to solve issues with public key management like the requirement for users to post keys on Twitter to verify their accounts. Fiatjaf has proposed one way to solve that.

Read more: Here’s how much Elon Musk has pumped Dogecoin this year

This proposal led to a lively discussion between Fiatjaf and another developer named Kevin Smith. Smith pointed out that users would have to generate all their keys before they can use the first one. This issue came with the possible weakness of potentially running out of keys.

In summary, Nostr is a very simple protocol that underpins a variety of new social media uses. In other words, it can wear a lot of hats. It could theoretically verify ownership of social media accounts even on “legacy” platforms like Twitter if it solves a few public key management problems. Clients can build on top of it to create their own social media properties.

Can it replace Twitter? Is it really a Bitcoin project, or is it just something that excites Bitcoiners due to their desire for Bitcoin use cases? Only time will tell.

By Protos Staff Link：https://protos.com/what-is-nostr-and-why-do-bitcoiners-love-it/