@ 65886e63:118f7ab8

"When software developers aim at the cognitive aspects of education without understanding the social aspects, they miss the dartboard entirely." https://open.substack.com/pub/danmeyer/p/do-kids-want-a-personalized-netflix?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=b4wcg

@ 7776c32d:45558888

Letter from a Palestinian Political Prisoner in Louisiana, dictated over the phone from ICE Detention.

March 18, 55 years after UNIX epoch

My name is Mahmoud Khalil and I am a political prisoner. I am writing to you from a detention facility in Louisiana where I wake to cold mornings and spend long days bearing witness to the quiet injustices underway against a great many people precluded from the protections of the law.

Who has the right to have rights? It is certainly not the humans crowded into the cells here. It isn't the Senegalese man I met who has been deprived of his liberty for a year, his legal situation in limbo and his family an ocean away. It isn't the 21-year-old detainee I met, who stepped foot in this country at age nine, only to be deported without so much as a hearing.

Justice escapes the contours of this nation's immigration facilities.

On March 8, I was taken by DHS agents who refused to provide a warrant, and accosted my wife and me as we returned from dinner. By now, the footage of that night has been made public. Before I knew what was happening, agents handcuffed and forced me into an unmarked car. At that moment, my only concern was for Noor's safety. I had no idea if she would be taken too, since the agents had threatened to arrest her for not leaving my side. DHS would not tell me anything for hours - I did not know the cause of my arrest or if I was facing immediate deportation. At 26 Federal Plaza, I slept on the cold floor. In the early morning hours, agents transported me to another facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey. There, I slept on the ground and was refused a blanket despite my request.

My arrest was a direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide in Gaza, which resumed in full force Monday night. With January's ceasefire now broken, parents in Gaza are once again cradling too-small shrouds, and families are forced to weigh starvation and displacement against bombs. It is our moral imperative to persist in the struggle for their complete freedom.

I was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria to a family which has been displaced from their land since the 1948 Nakba. I spent my youth in proximity to yet distant from my homeland. But being Palestinian is an experience that transcends borders. I see in my circumstances similarities to Israel's use of administrative detention imprisonment without trial or charge to strip Palestinians of their rights. I think of our friend Omar Khatib, who was incarcerated without charge or trial by Israel as he returned home from travel. I think of Gaza hospital director and pediatrician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who was taken captive by the Israeli military on December 27 and remains in an Israeli torture camp today. For Palestinians, imprisonment without due process is commonplace.

I have always believed that my duty is not only to liberate myself from the oppressor, but also to liberate my oppressors from their hatred and fear. My unjust detention is indicative of the anti-Palestinian racism that both the Biden and Trump administrations have demonstrated over the past 16 months as the U.S. has continued to supply Israel with weapons to kill Palestinians and prevented international intervention. For decades, anti-Palestinian racism has driven efforts to expand U.S. laws and practices that are used to violently repress Palestinians, Arab Americans, and other communities. That is precisely why I am being targeted.

While I await legal decisions that hold the futures of my wife and child in the balance, those who enabled my targeting remain comfortably at Columbia University. Presidents Shafik, Armstrong, and Dean Yarhi-Milo laid the groundwork for the U.S. government to target me by arbitrarily disciplining pro-Palestinian students and allowing viral doxing campaigns - based on racism and disinformation - to go unchecked.

Columbia targeted me for my activism, creating a new authoritarian disciplinary office to bypass due process and silence students criticizing Israel. Columbia surrendered to federal pressure by disclosing student records to Congress and yielding to the Trump administration's latest threats. My arrest, the expulsion or suspension of at least 22 Columbia students some stripped of their B.A. degrees just weeks before graduation and the expulsion of SWC President Grant Miner on the eve of contract negotiations, are clear examples.

If anything, my detention is a testament to the strength of the student movement in shifting public opinion toward Palestinian liberation. Students have long been at the forefront of change leading the charge against the Vietnam War, standing on the frontlines of the civil rights movement, and driving the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Today, too, even if the public has yet to fully grasp it, it is students who steer us toward truth and justice.

The Trump administration is targeting me as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent. Visa-holders, green-card carriers, and citizens alike will all be targeted for their political beliefs. In the weeks ahead, students, advocates, and elected officials must unite to defend the right to protest for Palestine. At stake are not just our voices, but the fundamental civil liberties of all.

Knowing fully that this moment transcends my individual circumstances, I hope nonetheless to be free to witness the birth of my first-born child.

@ 044da344:073a8a0e

Journalismus nach Corona

Medienrealität, 17. April 2020, und Rubikon ("Das Ende einer Ära"), 17. April 2020

Diese Krise, da ist sich Heribert Prantl sicher, „bringt einen auf verrückte Gedanken“ – auf Dinge, „die man vorher nie gedacht hat und die man auch nie denken wollte“. So verrückt ist das gar nicht, was Prantl da zu Ostern geschrieben hat. In Kurzform: Kliniken sind kein Geschäftsmodell. Sonst zahlen am Ende die Kranken. Und: Das Gesundheitswesen ist wie die Wasserversorgung. Wir brauchen beides und dürfen deshalb weder das eine noch das andere „durchkommerzialisieren“ (Prantl 2020). Womit wir bei den Medien wären. Vielleicht hält das ja sogar Heribert Prantl für verrückt: ein Journalismus, der der Gesellschaft dient und nicht dem Staat oder dem Kapital.

Für die Medienforschung heißt das: zurück zu ihren Wurzeln. Karl Bücher, der Gründervater der akademischen Journalistenausbildung in Deutschland, war sich am Ende eines langen Lebens sicher, dass die Presse „ein öffentliches Institut“ sein muss, genau „wie Straßenbahnen, Gasanstalten, Elektrizitätswerke“ (Bücher 1926: 424). Dieser Bücher, ein weltberühmter Ökonom, hat das so ähnlich gesehen wie Heribert Prantl beim Gesundheitswesen: „Die Redaktion soll ihrer Natur nach die höchsten Interessen der Menschheit verfolgen“ – könne das aber nicht, solange sie Rücksicht nehmen muss auf „Privatinteressen“ (Bücher 1926: 397, 426). Anzeigenkunden, Leserwünsche, Profit.

Karl Bücher war vorbereitet auf die Chance, die jede Krise bietet. Er hat schon im Weltkrieg öffentlich über das Nachrichtenmonopol der großen Agenturen geschimpft und über den „Tiefstand“ des Zeitungswesens (vgl. Meyen 2002). Als die bayerische Räteregierung ihn dann Anfang 1919 um einen Gesetzentwurf bittet, will er dem Übel an die Wurzel und schlägt zehn Paragrafen vor, die auf eine Enteignung hinauslaufen und auf ein Ende des Wettbewerbs. Keine Anzeigen mehr an private Verleger. Dafür ein Lokalblatt pro Ort, herausgegeben von der Gemeinde, kostenfrei für jeden, finanziert über das, was Unternehmen und Behörden bekanntgeben wollen. In dem Aufsatz, den Bücher später nachgeliefert hat, beruft er sich unter anderem auf Ferdinand Lassalle. Sinngemäß: weg von einer „öffentlichen Meinung“, die vom „Kapital“ geprägt wird sowie von der „privilegierten großen Bourgeoisie“, hin zu einer „freien Tagespresse“, die „schwebende politische Fragen“ erörtert (Bücher 1926: 396).

Verrückt? Wer weiß, was Karl Bücher geschrieben hätte über den Corona-Journalismus der Gegenwart. Er hat schon vor einhundert Jahren nicht nachvollziehen können, warum die Redaktionen sich mit „Nichtigkeiten“ abgeben, gegen Polizeireporter gewettert und die Lokalnachrichten für eine „geistlose Chronik“ gehalten. Die Nähe zur Politik hat er entweder nicht gesehen oder nicht verstanden, dass das ein Problem sein könnte, weil er selbst zur Elite gehörte. Vermutlich wäre er trotzdem zufrieden mit einigen seiner Erben – mit Otfried Jarren (2020) zum Beispiel, der das öffentlich-rechtliche Fernsehen sehr früh kritisiert hat („Systemmedium“, „besondere Form der Hofberichterstattung“), mit Hektor Haarkötter („Geht’s auch mal wieder kritisch?“) oder mit Klaus Meier und Vinzenz Wyss (2020), die höflich bleiben und dankbar sind, ohne dabei die vielen Defizite zu übersehen. Der „Umgang mit Zahlen“, der Fokus auf Einzelfälle und auf „Virologen als unfehlbare Medienstars“, kaum Transparenz, wenig Vielfalt.

Wissenschaftler sein und öffentlich für seine Überzeugungen zu kämpfen: Das waren für Karl Bücher zwei Seiten derselben Medaille. Ihm hätte deshalb auch gefallen, wie Vinzenz Wyss (2020), ein Kollege aus der Schweiz, die Medienrealität an dem misst, was die Gesellschaft vom Journalismus erwarten darf. Ja, sagt Vinzenz Wyss, es gibt tolle Stücke, mit viel Aufwand produziert. Das große Aber: die „Newsmedien“ – also das, was das Publikum nicht ignorieren kann. Das muss hier nicht im Detail wiederholt werden. Zahlen ohne Erhebungskontext. Die „Zahlenfixierung“ überhaupt, kombiniert mit fehlender Distanz zur Macht und dem Unwillen, die eigenen Grenzen zu thematisieren. Zweimal O-Ton Vinzenz Wyss: „Ich bin fast ein bisschen empört, wie stark Journalisten in dieser Krise Wissenschaftler als Wahrsager darstellen“. Und: „Wenn die Exekutive dominiert und die parlamentarische Debatte verstummt, muss der Journalismus besonders wachsam sein“.

Vinzenz Wyss ist am Ende gar nicht weit weg von Heribert Prantl und Karl Bücher. „Wir sehen jetzt, wie wichtig der Journalismus ist“, sagt er. Und wir sehen auch, „wie schwach das Immunsystem derjenigen Medien ist, die sich vorwiegend über Werbegelder finanzieren“.

Es ist nicht schwer, das weiterzudenken. Corona zeigt: Die digitalen Plattformen mögen wichtig sein, die Realität aber wird nach wie von den Leitmedien gesetzt. Die Macht liegt bei denen, die es schaffen, ihre Version der Wirklichkeit in der Tagesschau zu platzieren, in der Süddeutschen Zeitung, im Spiegel, in der Zeit, in der Bild-Zeitung. Wir haben gesehen, was passiert, wenn die Pressemitteilungen der Regierung zur Medienrealität werden, die großen Leitartikler mit den Politikern heulen und ihre kleinen Gefolgsleute jeden Abweichler im Netz als Verschwörer und Gesundheitsfeind brandmarken. Zustimmungsraten wie in Nordkorea.

Es gibt einen Aufsatz von Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann (1973) mit dem feinen Titel „Kumulation, Konsonanz und Öffentlichkeit“. Sie könne einfach nicht glauben, schreibt Noelle-Neumann vor fast einem halben Jahrhundert, dass Medien keine Wirkung haben sollen oder nur so schwache, wie sie die Forschung bisher nachgewiesen hat. Das neue Paradigma, das sie mit diesem Text etablieren will, klingt im Titel an. Noelle-Neumann sagt: Ihr habt „die Omnipräsenz“ der Medien vergessen und ihre „kumulative Wirkung als Folge der Periodizität“. Starrt nicht nur auf die Empfänger der Botschaft, sondern schaut euch auch die Kommunikatoren an, „deren berufliches Verhalten Ähnlichkeit erzeugt“. Und vergesst den „Faktor Öffentlichkeit“ nicht. Noelle-Neumann meint damit die „kritische Instanz“ soziale Kontrolle, die jeder spürt, der von dem abweicht, was die anderen für die Meinung der Mehrheit halten müssen.

Als Noelle-Neumann diesen Text geschrieben hat, war es üblich, dass sich die Spitzenleute der Parteien im Bundestag angebrüllt haben. Damals genügte es, die vier wichtigsten Blätter im Land zu untersuchen, wenn man das politische Spektrum abbilden wollte. Wie würde man das heute machen, wenn die Opposition schweigt und überall das gleiche steht – vor allem nichts anderes als in den Bulletins der Staatskanzleien? Das ist ungerecht, ich weiß. Die Redaktionen können schon lange nicht mehr so arbeiten, wie es nötig wäre, und produzieren trotzdem immer wieder Perlen. Tolle Gäste bei Markus Lanz, nur als Beispiel. Trotzdem. Kumulation, Konsonanz, Öffentlichkeit. Corona-Tote auf allen Kanälen und Journalisten, die Schiedsrichter spielen im Streit der Experten. Wenn es nicht so ernst wäre, könnte man nach dem Videobeweis rufen und fragen, woher die Pfeifen in ihren „Fakten-Checks“ wissen, dass die staatliche Behörde immer Recht hat. Nach den Wirkungen muss man jedenfalls nicht lange suchen. Ich sehe in München Menschen, die sich angeekelt abwenden, wenn ihnen zwei Jogger entgegenkommen, und höre, wie Türsteher im Supermarkt angeblafft werden, die keine Maske tragen.

Heribert Prantl hat beschrieben, was im Bereich der Medizin falsch gelaufen ist seit Mitte der 1980er Jahre, und dabei Ross und Reiter genannt. Der Bundestag, der erst Krankenhäusern erlaubte, Gewinne zu machen, und dann unter Rot-Grün ein Vergütungssystem einführte, das alles dem Diktat des Geldes unterwarf. Die Troika, die ganz Südeuropa zwang, das Gesundheitswesen zu kastrieren, „um am Tropf Europas zu bleiben“. Auch im Journalismus ist das alles kein Geheimnis. Homogene Redaktionen, dominiert von Akademiker-Männern, die viel zu nah dran sind an den Entscheidern und die Welt auch deshalb kaum anders sehen können, weil sie aus dem gleichen Milieu kommen, auf den gleichen Schulen waren und dort verinnerlicht haben, was „richtig“ ist und was „falsch“.

Wo es um Geld geht (wie in kommerziellen Verlagen), werden diese Redaktionen vom Imperativ der Aufmerksamkeit regiert und von einem Sparzwang, der die Abhängigkeit von offiziellen Quellen noch größer macht, als sie ohnehin schon immer war. Und wo es um die Gunst der Politik geht (wie im öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunk und auch bei den Privaten, die ja immer eine Lizenz brauchen), bestimmen die Parteien, wer Chefin oder Chef sein darf, und haben mit Aufsichtsbehörden und Kontrollgremien einen zusätzlichen Hebel, wenn irgendetwas nicht nach Plan läuft. Ein kleines Beispiel aus Bayern, passend zum Thema: Ein Lokalradio hat es doch tatsächlich gewagt, drei lange Gespräche mit Experten zu senden, die der Söder-Linie widersprechen: Wolfgang Wodarg, Karin Mölling und Stefan Hockertz. Normalerweise läuft so ein Programm unter dem Radar. Wer hört schon Lokalradio? An den Interviews ist auch nicht viel auszusetzen. Die Journalistin fragt nach und zeigt, dass sie sich auskennt. Die Bayerische Landeszentrale für neue Medien hat ihr trotzdem einen Brief geschrieben. Botschaft: Wir hören, was Sie da machen. Wir sehen zwar für den Moment von einer „förmlichen Beanstandung“ ab (kein Wunder, denn es gibt nichts zu beanstanden), aber wir bitten Sie, an die „journalistische Sorgfaltspflicht“ zu denken, „damit derartige problematische Sendungen zukünftig ausbleiben“. Bei Noam Chomsky heißt das „Flak“. Die Macht schießt zurück, wenn allen Filtern zum Trotz doch etwas durchrutscht, was unter der Decke bleiben soll (vgl. Herman/Chomsky 1988).

Das ist tatsächlich verrückt. Der Journalismus will uns weismachen, dass er unabhängig ist, neutral und objektiv, dass er immer auf Distanz bleibt zu den Herrschenden und nach Vielfalt strebt. Ein Wolkenkuckucksheim, das ganz am Anfang stehen muss, wenn es um eine Zukunft nach Corona geht. Der Journalismus braucht einen neuen Kompass, der auf uns zeigt, auf die Gesellschaft, und nicht auf das Geld, auf den Staat und auf seine Verweser. Wir brauchen Redaktionen, die den „Auftrag Öffentlichkeit“ (Horst Pöttker) ernst nehmen. Wieder in Kurzform: alle Themen, alle Perspektiven. Wenn das dann unbedingt noch kommentiert werden muss: meinetwegen. Aber eigentlich will ich nicht wissen, wie Kurt Kister oder Claus Kleber die Welt sehen, sondern erfahren, was in der Welt so läuft, und mir dann selbst eine Meinung bilden.

Wie dieser Kompass sonst aussehen könnte, habe ich im Sommer skizziert, lange vor Corona (vgl. Meyen 2019). Ganz oben auf meiner Liste: Transparenz (offenlegen, wie die Inhalte entstehen und wie sie verbreitet werden), Perspektivenvielfalt (ein Punkt, der bei der Rekrutierung für den Beruf beginnt) und Reflexion (wer schreibt oder sendet hier und wem könnte das am Ende nutzen).

Entstanden ist diese Liste nach einer Serie von Interviews mit Menschen, die es wissen müssen, weil sie „irgendwas mit Medien“ machen. Ich habe mir damals nicht wirklich vorstellen können, dass man in den Redaktionen gar nicht darüber spricht, wozu die Gesellschaft Journalisten braucht. Dass man dort „Parolen“ wie „vierte Gewalt“ (Henriette Löwisch, Leiterin der Deutschen Journalistenschule München) lange einfach nur nachgeplappert hat. Nach Corona denke ich: Wir müssen tatsächlich zurück auf „Los“. Wir müssen mit der Ausbildung anfangen und aufhören, das Volontariat als Königsweg in den Beruf zu feiern. Von den Alten lernen, heißt gehorchen lernen. Der Journalismus der Zukunft darf nicht in kommerziellen Verlagen geformt werden und auch nicht in öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten, solange diese jeder Politik folgen.

Vermutlich wissen viele Deutsche gar nicht mehr, welchen Schatz sie da haben: Fernseh- und Radioprogramme, die kein Geld verdienen müssen und denen dienen dürfen, die sie bezahlen – uns. Nur: Wir haben dort nichts zu sagen. Auch das ist verrückt: In den Gremien kontrollieren Politiker die, die eigentlich dazu berufen wären, die Politik zu kontrollieren. Verkehrte Welt. Der Journalismus nach Corona braucht Publikumsräte und Redaktionen, die im Wortsinn „frei“ sind, weil sie feste Arbeitsverträge mit guten Einkommen haben und deshalb nicht von den Launen ihrer Chefs oder der Regierenden abhängen. Wer wie ich in der DDR aufgewachsen ist, der weiß: Die Herrschenden werden immer und überall versuchen, das zu kontrollieren, was über sie in der Öffentlichkeit gesagt wird. Journalismus braucht deshalb „Schutzmauern“ (David Goeßmann), zum Beispiel Redaktionsstatute.

Wem das alles zu viel Vision ist und zu wenig Wirklichkeit: Auch im Journalismus gibt es längst „konkrete Utopien“ – Inseln, auf denen es nicht um „Profit und Kapitalakkumulation“ geht und wo Menschen freiwillig zusammenarbeiten, um staatliche und wirtschaftliche Macht zu zähmen. Erik Olin Wright (2017), der das Konzept der „konkreten Utopien“ entwickelt hat, wollte keine Revolution und auch keine Reformen. Als Modelle gestorben, sagt er. Sein Vorschlag: „im Hier und Jetzt“ so handeln, dass die Alternative wahrscheinlicher wird. In „den Räumen und Rissen“ des Kapitalismus „Institutionen, Verhältnisse und Praktiken“ entwickeln, die „die Welt, wie sie sein könnte, vorwegnehmen“. Vielleicht ist das ja ein Anfang: digitale Plattformen stärken, die den Journalismus liefern, den wir uns wünschen. Ich bin sicher: Heribert Prantl würde das gefallen.

Literatur

Karl Bücher: Zur Frage der Pressreform. In: Gesammelte Schriften. Tübingen: H. Laupp’sche Buchhandlung 1926, S. 391-429

Hektor Haarkötter: Geht’s auch mal wieder kritisch? In: Menschen machen Medien, 1. April 2020

Edward S. Herman, Noam Chomsky: Manufacturing Consent.The Political Economy of the Mass Media. New York: Pantheon 1988

Otfried Jarren: Im Krisenmodus. Das öffentlich-rechtliche Fernsehen in Zeiten von Corona. In: epd medien vom 27. März 2020

Klaus Meier, Vinzenz Wyss: Journalismus in der Krise: die fünf Defizite der Corona-Berichterstattung. In: meedia, 9. April 2020

Michael Meyen: Die Leipziger zeitungskundlichen Dissertationen. In: Erik Koenen, Michael Meyen (Hrsg.): Karl Bücher. Leipziger Hochschulschriften 1892 bis 1930. Leipzig: Universitätsverlag 2002, S. 135-200

Michael Meyen: (Erste) Thesen zur Medienzukunft. In: Michael Meyen (Hrsg.): Medienrealität 2019.

Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann: Kumulation, Konsonanz und Öffentlichkeitseffekt. Ein neuer Ansatz zur Analyse der Wirkung der Massenmedien. In: Publizistik 18. Jg. (1973), S. 26–55

Heribert Prantl: Bittere Medizin. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung vom 11. April 2019, S. 4 (unter anderem Titel hinter der Bezahlschranke)

Erik Olin Wright: Reale Utopien. Wege aus dem Kapitalismus. Berlin: Suhrkamp 2017.

Vinzenz Wyss: „Journalisten dürfen Kritik nicht dünnhäutig abschmettern“. In: persoenlich.com vom 10. April 2020.

Vom Kampf um die Öffentlichkeit

Medienrealität, 13. Mai 2020, und Rubikon, 14. Mai 2020

Ein Gespenst geht um in Deutschland: die Verschwörungstheorie. Dubiose Kanäle im Internet, so liest und hört man es jetzt allerorten, haben erst die öffentliche Debatte vergiftet und treiben jetzt unbescholtene Bürger auf die Straße und damit in die Hände von Rattenfängern aller Couleur – mit ungeahnten Folgen für die politische Kultur und den Gesundheitszustand der Bevölkerung. Die Diffamierung von Demonstranten hat hierzulande Tradition. Und die Geschichte lehrt: Es muss nicht immer gut ausgehen für die, die gerade an der Macht sind.

„Was trieb Frau A.K. ins Stadtzentrum?“: Dieser Artikel, erschienen in der Wochenendausgabe der Leipziger Volkszeitung vom 24./25. Juni 1989, war eine Warnung an alle, die sich seit einigen Wochen jeden Montagabend an der Nikolaikirche trafen. Bleibt zu Hause, liebe Leute. Genießt die „Vorzüge“, „die unsere Gesellschaft den Bürgern und insbesondere den Familien zukommen lässt“. Hört auf, den „BRD-Ratgebern“ zu lauschen und „die öffentliche Ordnung zu stören“.

Diese „Frau A.K. aus Wurzen“, die Chefredakteur Rudi Röhrer da anspricht (allerdings im Schutz eines Pseudonyms), ist ein Kind der DDR. Drei Jahre Lehre im Wunschberuf, ein Jahr daheim nach der zweiten Geburt. Eine junge Frau, die allen Grund zu haben scheint, an so einem Montagabend „einen neuen Film“ zu sehen oder „in einer Eisbar den Feierabend zu genießen“. Und jetzt das. Eine „Unruhestifterin“, die sich „in voller Absicht über die bei uns gültigen Normen des Zusammenlebens und über Rechtsnormen“ hinwegsetzt und so zu einer Handlangerin wird – „von jenen Kräften in der BRD, die unsere sozialistische DDR von innen heraus“ so lange reformieren wollen, bis von ihr nichts mehr übrigbleibt. Lasst euch nicht täuschen, liebe Leserinnen und Leser. Forderungen wie „mehr Meinungspluralismus, mehr Offenheit, mehr Erneuerung, mehr Reisen“ machen „aus Provokateuren keine Unschuldsengel“. Damit die Warnung auch wirklich ankommt, lässt der Chefredakteur „Leipziger Bürger“ nach „Ordnung, Ruhe und Sicherheit“ rufen. Tenor: Bietet diesem „Treiben“ endlich Einhalt, „ohne Ansehen der Person“.

Vermutlich ist das alles zu lange her und zudem in einem Landstrich passiert, der den Edelfedern in Hamburg oder München bis heute fremd geblieben ist. Gleich zehn Reporterinnen und Reporter (eine Frau und neun Männer) hat Der Spiegel aufgeboten, um über die Corona-Demonstrationen am zweiten Maiwochenende zu berichten (Wut und Wahnsinn_SPIEGEL 20). Drei Seiten unter der Überschrift „Wut und Wahnsinn“, dazu eine Fotostrecke mit dem Kommentar „Sie fühlen sich einzigartig, weil sie vermeintlich etwas erkannt haben, das die breite Masse übersieht“. Das Wort „berichten“ trifft es dabei nicht ganz. Rudi Röhrer, der Mann, der einst gegen „Frau A.K. aus Wurzen“ hetzte, hätte das auch nicht für sich in Anspruch genommen. Die Unterzeile im Spiegel: „Verschwörungsideologen, extreme Rechte wie Linke nutzen die Unsicherheit der Bürger und vergiften die Debatte“.

Ganz so einfach kann man das Damals natürlich nicht mit dem Heute vergleichen. Das Westfernsehen sendet inzwischen landesweit. Und dass dort Meinungspluralismus gefordert oder gar gelebt wird, scheint auch schon eine Weile her zu sein. Damals wie heute geht es aber um Delegitimation und Eindämmung. Übersetzt: so wenig Menschen wie möglich auf der Straße. Und die, die trotzdem gehen, sollen selbst schuld sein an dem, was mit ihnen passiert. Der Spiegel schafft das, indem er sein Reporterteam Dinge zusammenbauen lässt, die nicht zusammengehören. Der Text beginnt mit Pegida und Lutz Bachmann (also mit dem Bösen schlechthin), schwenkt dann zu den Protesten gegen „Corona-Beschränkungen der Politik“ und rührt in diesem Topf schließlich alle zusammen, vor denen man sich zu fürchten hat: „Rechtsextremisten, Impfgegner, Antisemiten, Verschwörungsideologen, Linksradikale, Alt-Autonome und Esoteriker“. Huuuh.

Journalismus soll informieren. Journalismus soll Wählerinnen und Wählern erlauben, sich selbst eine Meinung zu bilden. Der Spiegel traut uns das nicht zu. Auf genau acht Zeilen geht es um das, was Menschen in Berlin, Stuttgart, München auf die Straße getrieben hat. Der Job weg, das Restaurant zu, Probleme mit den Kids. Zusammengefasst: „Sie halten die Einschränkungen für unverhältnismäßig, protestieren ‚gegen staatliche Willkür‘, für die ‚Wiederherstellung der Grundrechte‘ oder die Rettung des Stuttgarter Nachtlebens“. Zweimal Anführungszeichen (Botschaft: von wegen Willkür, von wegen Einschränkung der Grundrechte) und zum Schluss der Schubs ins Lächerliche. Diese Rumtreiber und ihre Bars. Da hätte Rudi Röhrer von der* Leipziger Volkszeitung* noch etwas lernen können.

Wie man „gut“ und „böse“ auseinanderhält, wusste er sicher schon. Hier „zahlreiche führende Ärzte und Virologen wie Christian Drosten von der Charité“ (Zahlreich! Führend!) und eine Sozialpsychologin, „die zu Verschwörungserzählungen promoviert und darüber gerade ein Buch geschrieben hat“ (Wissenschaft!). Dort ein „Berliner Dramaturg und Journalist“, der „sich mit kapitalismuskritischen Theateraufführungen einen Namen gemacht“ und jetzt auch stadtbekannte NPD-Funktionäre anzieht, oder ein „pro-russischer Journalist“, der sich „ständig“ von RT Deutsch und Sputnik interviewen lässt („Kreml-Propagandisten“). Merke: Was diese Menschen sagen, ist völlig egal. Das Etikett hilft uns, das Angebot zu sortieren.

Das Konzept „Verschwörungstheorie“ kannten die DDR-Propagandisten so nicht. Es gab nur einen Gegner, und den konnte man genau wie seine Jünger leicht als „Klassenfeind“ abstempeln. Heute ist die Welt komplexer. Heute gibt es das Internet und mit ihm Plattformen, die das Deutungsmonopol der Herrschenden auf ganz andere Weise herausfordern als einst die Programme aus der Bundesrepublik, die sich ganz zwangsläufig mehr mit dem eigenen Land beschäftigt haben als mit dem schmuddeligen Nachbarn im Osten. Wer heute gegen „Verschwörungstheorien“ kämpft, kämpft um die Macht – um Definitionsmacht: Wer darf sagen, was wir „wissen“ und für richtig halten sollen?

Vor 30 Jahren war das keine Frage. Vor 30 Jahren durften nur wenige öffentlich sprechen. Was „da draußen“ passiert, wie wir beschreiben, was da gerade passiert, und wie wir uns folglich einrichten in dieser Welt: In der guten, alten Zeit war das Sache der Massenmedien und damit der Journalisten. Wer Zugang zum Fernsehen hatte oder zur Presse, der konnte beeinflussen, was als Realität durchging. Es gab nur diese eine. Es gab nur das, was in der Zeitung stand, und das, was über den Bildschirm lief. Das Wörtchen „und“ täuscht dabei noch. Meist stand das in der Zeitung, was vorher über den Bildschirm gelaufen war. Oder umgekehrt.

Der britische Medienforscher Nick Couldry (2012) nennt das den „Mythos vom mediatisierten Zentrum“. Eigentlich ist das ein doppelter Mythos. Punkt eins: die Behauptung, es gebe so etwas wie eine ‚Wahrheit‘ oder ein ‚natürliches Zentrum‘ der Werte und Lebensstile. Punkt zwei: Der Weg zu diesem Zentrum führt nur über die Medien. Der Kern unseres Lebens: Das ist das, worüber die Massenmedien angeblich berichten. Für Couldry ist dieser Mythos die Wurzel aller Medienwirkungen. Presse, Funk und Fernsehen definieren, was ist und was sein darf, und sorgen so dafür, dass die Realität der Massenmedien in Alltagshandeln und Weltanschauungen übernommen wird. Medien ordnen die Welt. Medien liefern die Kategorien, mit denen wir die Welt beschreiben. Politiker und Journalisten füttern den „Mythos vom mediatisierten Zentrum“, weil sie von ihm leben. Corona ist ein Festmahl. Ein Virus, das gefährlich ist, das unseren Alltag verändert. Wie genau, sagen uns die Nachrichten.

Und damit zum Wort Verschwörung, das im Spiegel gekoppelt wird mit den Begriffen Theorie, Portal, Ideologe, Erzählung, Mythos. Es ist das Wort zur Krise überhaupt. Zwanzigmal allein in diesem Artikel. Da bleibt kein Platz für Inhalte, Erklärungen oder gar eine Definition. Man erfährt nur (von der schon erwähnten Expertin), dass in der Welt der Verschwörer „böse Hintermänner Schuld an der Situation sind“ und (aus dem Mund eines Innenministers) dass diese Menschen glauben („bis weit in die Mitte der Gesellschaft“!), „die Pandemie“ sei „bewusst herbeigeführt“ worden, „um das Volk zu kontrollieren“ (von Bill Gates oder anderen „vermeintlich finsteren Mächten“).

Es kann gut sein, dass manche der Demonstranten das so sehen. Es kann gut sein, dass einige Bill Gates nicht nur „vermeintlich“ für eine „finstere Macht“ halten und der Politik nicht zutrauen, frei von Lobbyisten nur nach ihrem Gewissen und zum Wohle aller zu entscheiden. Gründe genug hätten solche Zweifler. NSU und NSA, Ramstein und die Drohnen, die Bankenrettung im Namen des Gemeinwohls. Nur so als Beispiele. Aber darum geht es an dieser Stelle nicht. Es geht um die Frage, warum Der Spiegel und mit ihm die anderen Leitmedien plötzlich überall Verschwörungen sehen. Nick Couldry würde sagen: Der „Mythos vom mediatisierten Zentrum“ wankt. Fake News, Hate Speech, Menschen mit „kruden Thesen“: Das gibt es alles, keine Frage. Vermutlich gibt es sogar Minister und Redakteure, die sich ernsthaft sorgen um ihre Schäfchen. Zuallererst aber hilft das Schlagwort „Verschwörungstheorie“ denen, die an der Macht sind, und ihren traditionellen Sprachrohren. Das stimmt auch deshalb, weil dieses Schlagwort ablenkt von den Problemen, über die man eigentlich sprechen müsste. Über die Qualität des Journalismus in dieser Krise zum Beispiel (vgl. Meyen 2020) oder über all das, was sonst noch so auf den Transparenten steht. Das SED-Blatt Leipziger Volkszeitung hat im Sommer 1989 immerhin vier Punkte genannt, auf die „Frau A.K. aus Wurzen“ sich berufen konnte. Meinungspluralismus, Offenheit, Erneuerung, Reisen. Rudi Röhrer, der Chefredakteur, hat das zwar sofort in den Schmutz gezogen (Provokateur bleibt Provokateur), aber die geneigte Leserin konnte in sich gehen und das mit Babyjahr und Eisbar verrechnen.

Der Spiegel dagegen opfert eine seiner drei Seiten für die „drei Medien, die von Anfang an besonders aktiv über die ‚Hygienedemos‘ berichteten“: Rubikon („Querfront-Magazin“, „eine Art Hausmedium der Protestler“), RT Deutsch und Sputnik („deutschsprachigen Ableger eines staatlichen russischen Medienunternehmens“). Dazu kommen Links zu KenFM („Verschwörungsportal“, „Fake-News-Verbreiter“) und Weltnetz.tv („systematische Verbindungen zur Linkspartei“). Was genau man auf all diesen Portalen findet oder wie die Kolleginnen und Kollegen dort arbeiten (wie überall: viele ausgezeichnet und manche nicht ganz so gut), ist dem Reporterkollektiv egal. Auf die Botschaft kommt es an: Geht nicht ins Stadtzentrum. Und vor allem: Hört nicht auf die Signale aus dem Netz.

Im Spiegel lässt sich der Dreiklang studieren, den die Rudi Röhrers der Gegenwart singen: Etikettierung von Personen (was schneller geht, als sich mit Inhalten zu beschäftigen), Kontaktschuld (Sie veröffentlichen auf einer Plattform, auf der auch jemand unterwegs ist, dem man irgendetwas anhängen kann oder will) und implizite Verknüpfung. Man schreibt über Rubikon oder KenFM und lässt nebenbei ein paar wirklich „krude Thesen“ fallen. Im Spiegel: 5G und eine „Biowaffe“. In der Süddeutschen Zeitung, für die Willi Winkler eine Seite 3 zu den Demos gefüllt hat: Angela Merkel als „natürliche Tochter Adolf Hitlers“ („Sie wurde, falls Sie‘s nicht wussten, mit dem vorsichtshalber tiefgefrorenen Sperma des 1945 tragisch hingeschiedenen Führers gezeugt“). Ja. Was will man da noch machen. Das ist wie bei „Frau A.K. aus Wurzen“, die einfach kein Eis essen wollte.

Der Stempel „Verschwörungstheorie“ ist ein Generalangriff der Herrschenden auf den öffentlichen Debattenraum. Über Verschwörungstheorien muss man nicht reden und mit ihren Anhängern auch nicht. Verschwörungstheorien sind, so sagt es Michael Butter, einer der Wissenschaftler im Streitwagen der Macht, „falsch“. Immer. „Noch nie“ habe sich „eine Verschwörungstheorie im Nachhinein als wahr herausgestellt“ (Butter 2018: 37). Dass das Unsinn ist, sollte jeder Forscher wissen. Ob etwas „wahr“ oder „falsch“ ist, zeigt die Empirie. Ich kann zwar das eine hoffen oder das andere, um aber sicher zu sein, muss ich ins Feld. Ich muss Pro und Contra abwägen, sachlich, ohne Emotionen und ohne jedem gleich jede Kompetenz abzusprechen, der die Welt anders sieht als ich.

Es gibt ein feines Kriterium, mit dem sich die Qualität von Journalismus einschätzen lässt: publizistische Vielfalt (vgl. Rager/Weber 1992). Dieses Kriterium wurzelt im Pluralismusmodell: In der Gesellschaft gibt es viele und zum Teil gegensätzliche Meinungen und Interessen, die prinzipiell gleichberechtigt sind (die Interessen von Einzelpersonen und Außenseitern genauso wie die Interessen, die in Parteien oder Verbänden organisiert sind). Feld der Verständigung ist die Öffentlichkeit, wobei ein Ausgleich nur möglich scheint, wenn die verschiedenen Interessen in den Leitmedien artikuliert werden können – ohne dass die (Ab-)Wertung gleich mitgeliefert wird wie in vielen der „Fakten-Checks“, die gerade wie Pilze aus dem Boden schießen.

Was macht Der Spiegel? Er denunziert die Nachfahren von „Frau A.K. aus Wurzen“ und ruft nach Zensur. „Personalnot“ bei Facebook, Twitter, Google. Man kommt dort mit dem Löschen einfach nicht mehr hinterher. Die „automatisierten Filter“? „Fehleranfällig“. Schlimmer noch: Die Verschwörer weichen aus auf „freiere“ Plattformen (tatsächlich in Anführungszeichen) wie Bitchute und Telegram, wo die „Verschwörungsideologen“ (leider, leider) immer noch „ungehindert“ schwadronieren können – „bis sie sich das nächste Mal auf den Straßen wiedersehen. Inmitten von ganz normalen Bürgern“.

Die Leipziger Volkszeitung von Rudi Röhrer wusste sich am Ende gar nicht mehr zu helfen (vgl. Reichert 2000: 108). Am 5. Oktober 1989 hat sie unter der Überschrift „Nicht nur zusehen“ einen Kampfgruppenkommandeur gegen „nichtgenehmigte Demonstrationen“ hetzen lassen und einen Tag später in einem „Leserbrief“ unverhohlen gedroht: „Wir sind bereit und willens, das von uns mit unserer Hände Arbeit Geschaffene wirksam zu schützen, um diese konterrevolutionären Aktionen endgültig und wirksam zu unterbinden. Wenn es sein muss, mit der Waffe in der Hand!“ Innenminister und Polizisten denken im Moment laut darüber nach, wie die nächsten Demos laufen könnten. Die Leipziger haben sich damals nicht abschrecken lassen.

Literatur

Michael Butter: „Nichts ist, wie es scheint“. Über Verschwörungstheorien. Berlin: Suhrkamp 2018

Nick Couldry: Media, Society, World. Social Theory and Digital Media Practice. Cambridge: Polity Press 2012

Michael Meyen: Journalismus nach Corona. In: Michael Meyen (Hrsg.): Medienrealität 2020.

Günther Rager, Bernd Weber: Publizistische Vielfalt zwischen Markt und Politik. Eine Einführung. In: Günther Rager, Bernd Weber (Hrsg.): Publizistische Vielfalt zwischen Markt und Politik. Mehr Medien – mehr Inhalte? Düsseldorf: Econ 1992, S. 7-26

Steffen Reichert: Transformationsprozesse: Der Umbau der LVZ. Münster: Lit 2000

Die maskierte Öffentlichkeit

Medienrealität, 19. Oktober 2020, und Rubikon, 23. Oktober 2020

Die Regierenden haben die Öffentlichkeit gekapert und sich damit selbst jedes Korrektiv genommen. Nach den Leitmedien werden jetzt auch Seminarräume und Stadien, Kneipen und Bürgersteige zu Bühnen der politischen Inszenierung. Das Schicksal der DDR lehrt: Wer die Kommunikationskanäle schließt, verhindert mit den Debatten auch Innovationen und wird spätestens dann bestraft, wenn die Lebenswelt nicht mehr funktioniert.

Öffentlichkeit: Das ist ein Ort der Begegnung, der für die Politik ganz ähnlich funktioniert wie der Markt für die Wirtschaft (vgl. Gerhards/Neidhardt 1990). Was immer der Staat sich ausdenkt, muss vor der Bürgerschaft bestehen. Das heißt auch: Wir müssen darüber sprechen können. Rede, Gegenrede. Alles auf den Tisch. Normalerweise überlassen wir dieses Gespräch Organisationen und Auserwählten. Parteien, Gewerkschaften, Verbände. Der Präsident der Ärztekammer sagt dies, die Professorin das und die CSU etwas ganz anderes. Zu sehen oder zu hören in Presse, Funk und Fernsehen.

Diese Medienrealität beobachten wir aus drei Gründen. Wir wollen erstens wissen, wer die Macht hat. Wer hat es geschafft, sich selbst, seine Themen und seine Deutungen in die Öffentlichkeit zu bringen? Macht ist heute Definitionsmacht (vgl. Beck 2017). Macht hat, wer einen „Grenzwert“ festsetzen kann und einen „Schwellenwert“, die dann zu einer Realität werden, der sich auch deshalb niemand entziehen kann, weil Kritiker entweder gar nicht gehört oder diffamiert werden. Das führt direkt zu Grund zwei: Wir nehmen an, dass sich die anderen, die Menschen um uns herum, an der Medienrealität ausrichten werden. Also müssen wir diese Realität kennen. Sonst sind wir überrascht, dass der Sitznachbar im ICE austickt, wenn die Maske verrutscht. Drittens aber, und das ist für die Argumentation hier am wichtigsten, drittens wollen wir auf Nummer sicher gehen. Ist das, was wir selbst denken und für wichtig halten, wirklich präsent in der großen Arena? Kennt die Politik unsere Sorgen und Nöte, wenn sie über Sperrstunden entscheidet?

Die Öffentlichkeitstheorie beschreibt ein Wechselspiel zwischen drei Ebenen. Ganz oben stehen dabei die Leitmedien. Wer oder was hier nicht erscheint, bleibt unsichtbar. Auf den beiden Ebenen darunter aber, in Versammlungen und im Alltag, bei den vielen zufälligen Begegnungen hier und dort, kommen wir ins Spiel. Hier können wir die Medienrealität und uns selbst auf die Probe stellen. Sehe nur ich die Dinge so oder gibt es Gleichgesinnte? Können wir uns vielleicht sogar zusammentun und eine Demonstration organisieren, eine Mahnwache, eine Petition – etwas, was erst von den Redaktionen wahrgenommen werden muss und dann auch von der Politik?

Und damit zu den Masken. Mona Pauly hat das in einem Beitrag für die Freitag-Community auf den Punkt gebracht. Zusammengefasst: Die Politik braucht Bilder. Wie produziere ich Angst und das Gefühl, bedroht zu sein, wenn die Betten in den Kliniken leer sind und man auch kaum Kranken- oder gar Sterbegeschichten erzählen kann, die vom Normalen abweichen und damit die Medienlogik bedienen würden? Genau. Die Masken sind überall. Beim Bäcker und im Supermarkt sowieso. Jetzt auch im Kinosaal, auf den Bürofluren, im Klassenzimmer. Und damit in der Zeitung und in der Tagesschau. Selbst die paar Fans, die hin und wieder in die Stadien dürfen und dort so weit auseinandersitzen, dass sie sich kaum hören können, tragen Masken. Im Freien wohlgemerkt und bitte nicht durchsichtig. Die Bilder. Und jeder Kommentator rügt die Nachlässigen, wenn die Kamera bei ihren Fahrten durch das Rund doch noch eine Nasenspitze entdeckt. Selbst diese Fußballkommentatoren sind maskiert. Allein, hoch oben unter dem Stadiondach. Vielleicht vergessen sie sonst, den Besorgten neues Futter zu liefern.

Die Öffentlichkeit wird so erstickt. Die Maske ist kein „Instrument der Freiheit“ (Markus Söder), sondern ihr Tod. Es gibt keine Gegenrede mehr, nicht einmal beim Spaziergang durch die Stadt. Die Leitmedien transportieren Bilder der Zustimmung (maskierte Menschen überall), erzwungen von der Exekutive und durchgesetzt per Bußgeldkatalog. Und die beiden anderen Öffentlichkeitsebenen sind de facto ausgeschaltet. Wie will ich im Bus, auf der Straße oder im Geschäft mit jemandem ins Gespräch kommen, der nicht zu meiner Blase gehört? Wie will ich den erkennen, der irgendeine Bemerkung genauso blöd oder genauso gut findet wie ich? Selbst im Museum (Abstand! Maske!) oder in der Gaststätte geht das nicht mehr. Keine Fremden mehr am gleichen Tisch. Überhaupt nur noch fünf Personen, die sich am besten schon kennen sollten. Alles andere verhindern das Plexiglas zwischen den Tischen und die Masken auf dem Weg zum Klo. Selbst die Toilettenwand dürfte so als Ort der Öffentlichkeit verschwinden. Und der Zapfhahn wird einfach zugedreht, wenn es abends spannend werden könnte.

Wahrscheinlich muss ich das für die Versammlungsöffentlichkeit gar nicht mehr im Detail ausführen. Die Regierenden haben die Sportarenen entvölkert, Veranstaltungen jeder Art bis zur Unkenntlichkeit verkleinert und Demos entweder kriminalisiert oder ihnen per Verordnung jede Wucht genommen. Teilnehmerzahl, Abstand, Maskenzwang. Und wenn trotzdem viele Menschen zusammenkommen wie im August gleich zweimal in Berlin, dann schaffen es die PR-Leute der Regierung, so starke Frames zu setzen, dass nichts von den Motiven der Protestierenden oder von ihren Forderungen auf der Ebene der Leitmedien ankommt.

Das Internet, natürlich. Blogs, Telegram- und WhatsApp-Gruppen, die Plattformen für den Gegendiskurs. Hier findet sich all das, was früher Encounter und Versammlungen ausgemacht hat. Für den Einzelnen findet sich hier heute sogar viel mehr, weil ein Klick viel weniger kostet als jeder Gang ins Freie. Die Grenze zu den Leitmedien ist heute aber viel höher als früher. Wer es in den großen Redaktionen wagt, Experten zu zitieren oder gar einzuladen, die vorher bei RT Deutsch waren, bei KenFM oder Rubikon, riskiert seine berufliche Reputation. Die Kollegin und der Kollege waren schon immer die besten Kunden des Journalisten. Heute sind diese Kunden auf Twitter, verfolgen dort alles, was von ihrer eigenen Haltung abweicht, und erzeugen so einen Resonanzraum, der schon deshalb nichts mit der guten, alten Versammlungsöffentlichkeit zu tun hat, weil der Zugang exklusiv ist und man eigentlich nur Ja oder Nein rufen kann, möglichst laut, versteht sich.

Damit das nicht falsch verstanden wird: Es gibt in den Redaktionen Menschen, die den Auftrag Öffentlichkeit ernst nehmen. Beim WDR zum Beispiel, der in der Sendung „Meine Meinung“ unter der Überschrift „Lockern oder Verschärfen?“ Pro und Contra aufeinanderprallen ließ. Oder Alexei Makartsev, der gerade Sucharit Bhakdi für die Badischen Neuesten Nachrichten interviewt hat, sehr gut informiert und ohne Schaum vor dem Mund. Auf der Ebene der Leitmedien aber, da wo die Realität geschaffen wird, die niemand ignorieren kann, wird das übernommen, was die Politik und Behörden wie das RKI der Bevölkerung gern weismachen möchten. Uwe Krüger (2016: 105), ein Medienforscher aus Leipzig, hat das in einem anderen thematischen Zusammenhang „Verantwortungsverschwörung“ genannt. Der Journalist weiß, was gut ist und was schlecht (so ziemlich das gleiche, was die Regierenden gut oder schlecht finden), und er glaubt, dass er Einfluss auf die Menschen hat. Also nichts gegen die Maskenpflicht. Dass es dazu genug zu sagen geben würde, kann man gerade bei Oliver Märtens (2020) lesen, der nach einer aufwändigen Durchsicht der Forschungsliteratur von „Körperverletzung im Amt“ spricht.

Der DDR mag man alle möglichen Gebrechen nachsagen, untergegangen aber ist sie, weil die Kommunikation zwischen Regierenden und Regierten gestört war und die wirklich wichtigen Fragen nur in „internen Öffentlichkeiten“ diskutiert werden konnten – in Räumen, die für Beobachter aus dem Westen nicht zugänglich waren und deshalb von Herrschenden wie Beherrschten als Öffentlichkeitsersatz genutzt wurden (vgl. Meyen 2011). Dieses System aus Eingaben, Leserbriefen, Parteiversammlungen und Expertentreffen hatte durch die Brille der Macht zwei Vorteile. Man hat Kritiker oft allein durch Zuwendung besänftigt – und diese Kritiker konnten nicht sehen, wer sonst noch auf ihrer Seite steht. Geändert hat sich das erst, als sie Erkennungszeichen in die Öffentlichkeit getragen haben (etwa: weiße Gardinenfetzen an der Autoantenne, um den Wunsch nach Ausreise zu signalisieren) und die Probleme auch sonst buchstäblich für jeden „öffentlich“ wurden (etwa: die Luftverschmutzung). Mona Pauly hat in ihrem Beitrag für die Freitag-Community „eine grüne Maske als Protest“ vorgeschlagen. Die Bilder stören, irgendwie. Gegen Atemnot und Beklemmung hilft das nicht. In der DDR hat es außerdem sehr, sehr lange gedauert, bis solche Zeichen ganz oben angekommen sind. Und wer weiß, ob das ohne das Westfernsehen überhaupt funktioniert hätte.

Literatur

Ulrich Beck: Die Metamorphose der Welt. Berlin: Suhrkamp 2017

Jürgen Gerhards, Friedhelm Neidhardt: Strukturen und Funktionen moderner Öffentlichkeit: Fragestellungen und Ansätze. Berlin: Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin 1990

Uwe Krüger: Mainstream. Warum wir den Medien nicht mehr trauen. München: C.H. Beck 2016

Oliver Märtens: Die Maskenpflicht: Epidemieeindämmung oder Körperverletzung im Amt? Multipolar, 18. Oktober 2020

Michael Meyen: Öffentlichkeit in der DDR. Ein theoretischer und empirischer Beitrag zu den Kommunikationsstrukturen in Gesellschaften ohne Medienfreiheit. In: Studies in Communication / Media 1. Jg. (2011), S. 3-69

@ 266815e0:6cd408a5

How to create a nostr app quickly using applesauce

In this guide we are going to build a nostr app that lets users follow and unfollow fiatjaf

1. Setup new project

Start by setting up a new vite app using pnpm create vite, then set the name and select Solid and Typescript

```sh ➜ pnpm create vite │ ◇ Project name: │ followjaf │ ◇ Select a framework: │ Solid │ ◇ Select a variant: │ TypeScript │ ◇ Scaffolding project in ./followjaf... │ └ Done. Now run:

cd followjaf pnpm install pnpm run dev ```

2. Adding nostr dependencies

There are a few useful nostr dependencies we are going to need. nostr-tools for the types and small methods, and rx-nostr for making relay connections

sh pnpm install nostr-tools rx-nostr

3. Setup rx-nostr

Next we need to setup rxNostr so we can make connections to relays. create a new src/nostr.ts file with

```ts import { createRxNostr, noopVerifier } from "rx-nostr";

export const rxNostr = createRxNostr({ // skip verification here because we are going to verify events at the event store skipVerify: true, verifier: noopVerifier, }); ```

4. Setup the event store

Now that we have a way to connect to relays, we need a place to store events. We will use the EventStore class from applesauce-core for this. create a new src/stores.ts file with

The event store does not store any events in the browsers local storage or anywhere else. It's in-memory only and provides a model for the UI

```ts import { EventStore } from "applesauce-core"; import { verifyEvent } from "nostr-tools";

export const eventStore = new EventStore();

// verify the events when they are added to the store eventStore.verifyEvent = verifyEvent; ```

5. Create the query store

The event store is where we store all the events, but we need a way for the UI to query them. We can use the QueryStore class from applesauce-core for this.

Create a query store in src/stores.ts

```ts import { QueryStore } from "applesauce-core";

// ...

// the query store needs the event store to subscribe to it export const queryStore = new QueryStore(eventStore); ```

6. Setup the profile loader

Next we need a way to fetch user profiles. We are going to use the ReplaceableLoader class from applesauce-loaders for this.

applesauce-loaders is a package that contains a few loader classes that can be used to fetch different types of data from relays.

First install the package

sh pnpm install applesauce-loaders

Then create a src/loaders.ts file with

```ts import { ReplaceableLoader } from "applesauce-loaders"; import { rxNostr } from "./nostr"; import { eventStore } from "./stores";

export const replaceableLoader = new ReplaceableLoader(rxNostr);

// Start the loader and send any events to the event store replaceableLoader.subscribe((packet) => { eventStore.add(packet.event, packet.from); }); ```

7. Fetch fiatjaf's profile

Now that we have a way to store events, and a loader to help with fetching them, we should update the src/App.tsx component to fetch the profile.

We can do this by calling the next method on the loader and passing a pubkey, kind and relays to it

```tsx function App() { // ...

onMount(() => { // fetch fiatjaf's profile on load replaceableLoader.next({ pubkey: "3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d", kind: 0, relays: ["wss://pyramid.fiatjaf.com/"], }); });

// ... } ```

8. Display the profile

Now that we have a way to fetch the profile, we need to display it in the UI.

We can do this by using the ProfileQuery which gives us a stream of updates to a pubkey's profile.

Create the profile using queryStore.createQuery and pass in the ProfileQuery and the pubkey.

tsx const fiatjaf = queryStore.createQuery( ProfileQuery, "3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d" );

But this just gives us an observable, we need to subscribe to it to get the profile.

Luckily SolidJS profiles a simple from method to subscribe to any observable.

To make things reactive SolidJS uses accessors, so to get the profile we need to call fiatjaf()

```tsx function App() { // ...

// Subscribe to fiatjaf's profile from the query store const fiatjaf = from( queryStore.createQuery(ProfileQuery, "3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d") );

return ( <> {/ replace the vite and solid logos with the profile picture /}

{fiatjaf()?.name}

  {/* ... */}

); } ```

9. Letting the user signin

Now we should let the user signin to the app. We can do this by creating a AccountManager class from applesauce-accounts

First we need to install the packages

sh pnpm install applesauce-accounts applesauce-signers

Then create a new src/accounts.ts file with

```ts import { AccountManager } from "applesauce-accounts"; import { registerCommonAccountTypes } from "applesauce-accounts/accounts";

// create an account manager instance export const accounts = new AccountManager();

// Adds the common account types to the manager registerCommonAccountTypes(accounts); ```

Next lets presume the user has a NIP-07 browser extension installed and add a signin button.

```tsx function App() { const signin = async () => { // do nothing if the user is already signed in if (accounts.active) return;

// create a new nip-07 signer and try to get the pubkey
const signer = new ExtensionSigner();
const pubkey = await signer.getPublicKey();

// create a new extension account, add it, and make it the active account
const account = new ExtensionAccount(pubkey, signer);
accounts.addAccount(account);
accounts.setActive(account);

};

return ( <> {/ ... /}

  <div class="card">
    <p>Are you following the fiatjaf? the creator of "The nostr"</p>
    <button onClick={signin}>Check</button>
  </div>

); } ```

Now when the user clicks the button the app will ask for the users pubkey, then do nothing... but it's a start.

We are not persisting the accounts, so when the page reloads the user will NOT be signed in. you can learn about persisting the accounts in the docs

10. Showing the signed-in state

We should show some indication to the user that they are signed in. We can do this by modifying the signin button if the user is signed in and giving them a way to sign-out

```tsx function App() { // subscribe to the currently active account (make sure to use the account$ observable) const account = from(accounts.active$);

// ...

const signout = () => { // do nothing if the user is not signed in if (!accounts.active) return;

// signout the user
const account = accounts.active;
accounts.removeAccount(account);
accounts.clearActive();

};

return ( <> {/ ... /}

  <div class="card">
    <p>Are you following the fiatjaf? ( creator of "The nostr" )</p>
    {account() === undefined ? <button onClick={signin}>Check</button> : <button onClick={signout}>Signout</button>}
  </div>

); } ```

11. Fetching the user's profile

Now that we have a way to sign in and out of the app, we should fetch the user's profile when they sign in.

```tsx function App() { // ...

// fetch the user's profile when they sign in createEffect(async () => { const active = account();

if (active) {
  // get the user's relays or fallback to some default relays
  const usersRelays = await active.getRelays?.();
  const relays = usersRelays ? Object.keys(usersRelays) : ["wss://relay.damus.io", "wss://nos.lol"];

  // tell the loader to fetch the users profile event
  replaceableLoader.next({
    pubkey: active.pubkey,
    kind: 0,
    relays,
  });

  // tell the loader to fetch the users contacts
  replaceableLoader.next({
    pubkey: active.pubkey,
    kind: 3,
    relays,
  });

  // tell the loader to fetch the users mailboxes
  replaceableLoader.next({
    pubkey: active.pubkey,
    kind: 10002,
    relays,
  });
}

});

// ... } ```

Next we need to subscribe to the users profile, to do this we can use some rxjs operators to chain the observables together.

```tsx import { Match, Switch } from "solid-js"; import { of, switchMap } from "rxjs";

function App() { // ...

// subscribe to the active account, then subscribe to the users profile or undefined const profile = from( accounts.active$.pipe( switchMap((account) => (account ? queryStore.createQuery(ProfileQuery, account!.pubkey) : of(undefined))) ) );

// ...

return ( <> {/ ... /}

  <div class="card">
    <Switch>
      <Match when={account() && !profile()}>
        <p>Loading profile...</p>
      </Match>
      <Match when={profile()}>
        <p style="font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: bold;">Welcome {profile()?.name}</p>
      </Match>
    </Switch>

    {/* ... */}
  </div>

); } ```

12. Showing if the user is following fiatjaf

Now that the app is fetching the users profile and contacts we should show if the user is following fiatjaf.

```tsx function App() { // ...

// subscribe to the active account, then subscribe to the users contacts or undefined const contacts = from( accounts.active$.pipe( switchMap((account) => (account ? queryStore.createQuery(UserContactsQuery, account!.pubkey) : of(undefined))) ) );

const isFollowing = createMemo(() => { return contacts()?.some((c) => c.pubkey === "3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d"); });

// ...

return ( <> {/ ... /}

  <div class="card">
    {/* ... */}

    <Switch
      fallback={
        <p style="font-size: 1.2rem;">
          Sign in to check if you are a follower of the fiatjaf ( creator of "The nostr" )
        </p>
      }
    >
      <Match when={contacts() && isFollowing() === undefined}>
        <p>checking...</p>
      </Match>
      <Match when={contacts() && isFollowing() === true}>
        <p style="color: green; font-weight: bold; font-size: 2rem;">
          Congratulations! You are a follower of the fiatjaf
        </p>
      </Match>
      <Match when={contacts() && isFollowing() === false}>
        <p style="color: red; font-weight: bold; font-size: 2rem;">
          Why don't you follow the fiatjaf? do you even like nostr?
        </p>
      </Match>
    </Switch>

    {/* ... */}
  </div>

); } ```

13. Adding the follow button

Now that we have a way to check if the user is following fiatjaf, we should add a button to follow him. We can do this with Actions which are pre-built methods to modify nostr events for a user.

First we need to install the applesauce-actions and applesauce-factory package

sh pnpm install applesauce-actions applesauce-factory

Then create a src/actions.ts file with

```ts import { EventFactory } from "applesauce-factory"; import { ActionHub } from "applesauce-actions"; import { eventStore } from "./stores"; import { accounts } from "./accounts";

// The event factory is used to build and modify nostr events export const factory = new EventFactory({ // accounts.signer is a NIP-07 signer that signs with the currently active account signer: accounts.signer, });

// The action hub is used to run Actions against the event store export const actions = new ActionHub(eventStore, factory); ```

Then create a toggleFollow method that will add or remove fiatjaf from the users contacts.

We are using the exec method to run the action, and the forEach method from RxJS allows us to await for all the events to be published

```tsx function App() { // ...

const toggleFollow = async () => { // send any created events to rxNostr and the event store const publish = (event: NostrEvent) => { eventStore.add(event); rxNostr.send(event); };

if (isFollowing()) {
  await actions
    .exec(UnfollowUser, "3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d")
    .forEach(publish);
} else {
  await actions
    .exec(
      FollowUser,
      "3bf0c63fcb93463407af97a5e5ee64fa883d107ef9e558472c4eb9aaaefa459d",
      "wss://pyramid.fiatjaf.com/"
    )
    .forEach(publish);
}

};

// ...

return ( <> {/ ... /}

  <div class="card">
    {/* ... */}

    {contacts() && <button onClick={toggleFollow}>{isFollowing() ? "Unfollow" : "Follow"}</button>}
  </div>

); } ```

14. Adding outbox support

The app looks like it works now but if the user reloads the page they will still see an the old version of their contacts list. we need to make sure rxNostr is publishing the events to the users outbox relays.

To do this we can subscribe to the signed in users mailboxes using the query store in src/nostr.ts

```ts import { MailboxesQuery } from "applesauce-core/queries"; import { accounts } from "./accounts"; import { of, switchMap } from "rxjs"; import { queryStore } from "./stores";

// ...

// subscribe to the active account, then subscribe to the users mailboxes and update rxNostr accounts.active$ .pipe(switchMap((account) => (account ? queryStore.createQuery(MailboxesQuery, account.pubkey) : of(undefined)))) .subscribe((mailboxes) => { if (mailboxes) rxNostr.setDefaultRelays(mailboxes.outboxes); else rxNostr.setDefaultRelays([]); }); ```

And that's it! we have a working nostr app that lets users follow and unfollow fiatjaf.

@ bccf33d8:4b705625

{"title":"nostrbook 创建的五本四书哈哈哈","author":"nostrbook.com","intro":"This is a book from ....很不错","picture":"https://432fds"}

@ bccf33d8:4b705625

{"title":"nostrbook 创建的四本三书哈哈哈","author":"nostrbook.com","intro":"This is a book from ....很不 错","picture":"https://432fds"}

@ bccf33d8:4b705625

关于本书的第一个章节

@ bccf33d8:4b705625

{"title":"nostrbook 创建的一本书另外一本书","author":"nostrbook.com","intro":"This is a book from ....很不错","picture":"https://432fds"}

@ bccf33d8:4b705625

我在测试 createbook标签是否可以被列出来

@ bccf33d8:4b705625

{"title":"nostrbook 创建的一本书","author":"nostrbook.com","intro":"This is a book from ....","picture":"https://nostrbook.com/img/dfsa32432.png"}

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

Hello Stackers!

Welcome on into the ~Music Corner of the Saloon!

A place where we Talk Music. Share Tracks. Zap Sats.

So stay a while and listen.

🚨Don't forget to check out the pinned items in the territory homepage! You can always find the latest weeklies there!🚨

🚨Subscribe to the territory to ensure you never miss a post! 🚨

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/917523

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

In recent years, the global economy has faced unprecedented challenges, with inflation rates soaring to levels not seen in decades. This economic turmoil has led investors and consumers alike to seek alternative stores of value and investment strategies. Among the various options, Bitcoin has emerged as a particularly appealing choice. This article explores the reasons behind Bitcoin's growing appeal in an inflation-stricken economy, delving into its characteristics, historical performance, and the broader implications for the financial landscape.

Table of Contents

• Understanding Inflation and Its Impacts

• Bitcoin: A New Safe Haven?

• Decentralization and Limited Supply

• Portability and Liquidity

• Bitcoin's Performance in Inflationary Times

• Challenges and Considerations

• The Future of Bitcoin in an Inflationary Economy

• Conclusion

• FAQs

Understanding Inflation and Its Impacts

Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising, eroding purchasing power. It can be caused by various factors, including increased production costs, higher energy prices, and expansive government policies. Inflation affects everyone in the economy, from consumers and businesses to investors and retirees, as it diminishes the value of money. When inflation rates rise, the purchasing power of currency falls, leading to higher costs for everyday goods and services. This can result in decreased consumer spending, reduced savings, and overall economic slowdown.

For investors, inflation is a significant concern because it can erode the real returns on their investments. Traditional investments like bonds and savings accounts may not keep pace with inflation, leading to a loss in purchasing power over time. This has prompted a search for alternative investments that can provide a hedge against inflation and preserve, if not increase, the value of their capital.

Bitcoin: A New Safe Haven?

Traditionally, assets like gold, real estate, and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) have been considered safe havens during times of inflation. However, the digital age has introduced a new player: Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that operates without the oversight of a central authority. Its supply is capped at 21 million coins, a feature that many believe gives it anti-inflationary properties. This inherent scarcity is akin to natural resources like gold, which have historically been used as hedges against inflation.

The decentralization of Bitcoin means that it is not subject to the whims of central banking policies or government interference, which are often seen as contributing factors to inflation. This aspect of Bitcoin is particularly appealing to those who have lost faith in traditional financial systems and are looking for alternatives that offer more autonomy and security.

Decentralization and Limited Supply

One of the key features that make Bitcoin appealing as a hedge against inflation is its decentralized nature. Unlike fiat currencies, which central banks can print in unlimited quantities, Bitcoin's supply is finite. This scarcity mimics the properties of gold and is seen as a buffer against inflation. The decentralized nature of Bitcoin also means that it is not subject to the same regulatory pressures and monetary policies that can lead to currency devaluation.

Furthermore, the process of "mining" Bitcoin, which involves validating transactions and adding them to the blockchain, is designed to become progressively more difficult over time. This not only ensures the security of the network but also introduces a deflationary element to Bitcoin, as the rate at which new coins are created slows down over time.

Portability and Liquidity

Bitcoin's digital nature makes it highly portable and divisible, allowing for easy transfer and exchange worldwide. This liquidity and global accessibility make it an attractive option for investors looking to diversify their portfolios beyond traditional assets. Unlike physical assets like gold or real estate, Bitcoin can be transferred across borders without the need for intermediaries, making it a truly global asset.

The ease of transferring and dividing Bitcoin means that it can be used for a wide range of transactions, from large-scale investments to small, everyday purchases. This versatility, combined with its growing acceptance as a form of payment, enhances its utility and appeal as an investment.

Bitcoin's Performance in Inflationary Times

Historically, Bitcoin has shown significant growth during periods of high inflation. While it is known for its price volatility, many investors have turned to Bitcoin as a speculative hedge against depreciating fiat currencies. The digital currency's performance during inflationary periods has bolstered its reputation as a potential safe haven. However, it's important to note that Bitcoin's market is still relatively young and can be influenced by a wide range of factors beyond inflation, such as market sentiment, technological developments, and regulatory changes.

Despite its volatility, Bitcoin has provided substantial returns for some investors, particularly those who entered the market early. Its performance, especially during times of financial instability, has led to increased interest and investment from both individual and institutional investors. As more people look to Bitcoin as a potential hedge against inflation, its role in investment portfolios is likely to evolve.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite its growing appeal, Bitcoin is not without its challenges. The cryptocurrency's price volatility can lead to significant losses, and regulatory uncertainties remain a concern. Additionally, the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining has sparked debate. The energy-intensive process required to mine new coins and validate transactions has raised concerns about its sustainability and environmental footprint.

Investors considering Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation should weigh these factors and consider their risk tolerance and investment horizon. While Bitcoin offers potential benefits as an inflation hedge, it also comes with risks that are different from traditional investments. Understanding these risks, and how they align with individual investment strategies, is crucial for anyone considering adding Bitcoin to their portfolio.

The Future of Bitcoin in an Inflationary Economy

As the global economy continues to navigate through turbulent waters, the appeal of Bitcoin is likely to grow. Its properties as a decentralized, finite, and easily transferable asset make it a unique option for those looking to protect their wealth from inflation. However, the future of Bitcoin remains uncertain, and its role in the broader financial landscape is still being defined. As with any investment, due diligence and a balanced approach are crucial.

The increasing institutional interest in Bitcoin and the development of financial products around it, such as ETFs and futures, suggest that Bitcoin is becoming more mainstream. However, its acceptance and integration into the global financial system will depend on a variety of factors, including regulatory developments, technological advancements, and market dynamics.

Conclusion

The growing appeal of Bitcoin in an inflation-stricken economy highlights the changing dynamics of investment in the digital age. While it offers a novel approach to wealth preservation, it also comes with its own set of risks and challenges. As the world continues to grapple with inflation, the role of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will undoubtedly be a topic of keen interest and debate among investors and policymakers alike. Whether Bitcoin will become a permanent fixture in investment portfolios as a hedge against inflation remains to be seen, but its impact on the financial landscape is undeniable.

FAQs

What is inflation, and how does it affect the economy? Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising, leading to a decrease in purchasing power. It affects the economy by reducing the value of money, increasing costs for consumers and businesses, and potentially leading to economic slowdown.

Why is Bitcoin considered a hedge against inflation? Bitcoin is considered a hedge against inflation due to its decentralized nature, limited supply capped at 21 million coins, and its independence from government monetary policies, which are often seen as contributing factors to inflation.

What are the risks associated with investing in Bitcoin? The risks include high price volatility, regulatory uncertainties, and concerns over the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining. Investors should consider their risk tolerance and investment horizon before investing in Bitcoin.

How does Bitcoin's limited supply contribute to its value? Bitcoin's limited supply mimics the scarcity of resources like gold, which has traditionally been used as a hedge against inflation. This scarcity can help to maintain its value over time, especially in contrast to fiat currencies, which can be printed in unlimited quantities.

Can Bitcoin be used for everyday transactions? Yes, Bitcoin can be used for a wide range of transactions, from large-scale investments to small, everyday purchases. Its digital nature allows for easy transfer and division, making it a versatile form of currency.

That's all for today

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.

@ e97aaffa:2ebd765d

Como é difícil encontrar informações sobre o eurodigital, a CBDC da União Europeia, vou colocando aqui, os documentos mais interessantes que fui encontrando:

FAQ: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/faqs/html/ecb.faq_digital_euro.pt.html

Directório BCE: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pubbydate/html/index.en.html?topic=Digital%20euro

https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/timeline/profuse/html/index.en.html

Documentos mais técnicos:

2025

Technical note on the provision of multiple digital euro accounts to individual end users https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/timeline/profuse/shared/pdf/ecb.degov240325_digital_euro_multiple_accounts.en.pdf

2024

Relatório de progresso https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/progress/html/ecb.deprp202412.en.html

Technical note on the provision of multiple digital euro accounts to individual end users https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/timeline/profuse/shared/pdf/ecb.degov240325_digital_euro_multiple_accounts.en.pdf

The impact of central bank digital currency on central bank profitability, risk-taking and capital https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpops/ecb.op360~35915b25bd.en.pdf

2023

Progress on the investigation phase of a digital euro - fourth report https://www.ecb.europa.eu/paym/digital_euro/investigation/governance/shared/files/ecb.degov230713-fourth-progress-report-digital-euro-investigation-phase.en.pdf

Digital euro - Prototype summary and lessons learned https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/other/ecb.prototype_summary20230526%7E71d0b26d55.en.pdf

Functional and non-functional requirements linked to the market research for a potential digital euro implementation https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/timeline/profuse/shared/pdf//ecb.dedocs230113_Annex_1_Digital_euro_market_research.en.pdf

A stocktake on the digital euro https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/progress/shared/pdf/ecb.dedocs231018.en.pdf

@ ee9aaefe:1e6952f4

Introduction to Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Model Context Protocol (MCP) serves as a specialized gateway allowing AI systems to access real-time information and interact with external data sources while maintaining security boundaries. This capability transforms AI from closed systems limited to training data into dynamic assistants capable of retrieving current information and performing actions. As AI systems integrate into critical infrastructure across industries, the security and reliability of these protocols have become crucial considerations.

Security Vulnerabilities in Web-Based MCP Services

Traditional MCP implementations operate as web services, creating a fundamental security weakness. When an MCP runs as a conventional web service, the entire security model depends on trusting the service provider. Providers can modify underlying code, alter behavior, or update services without users' knowledge or consent. This creates an inherent vulnerability where the system's integrity rests solely on the trustworthiness of the MCP provider.

This vulnerability is particularly concerning in high-stakes domains. In financial applications, a compromised MCP could lead to unauthorized transactions or exposure of confidential information. In healthcare, it might result in compromised patient data. The fundamental problem is that users have no cryptographic guarantees about the MCP's behavior – they must simply trust the provider's claims about security and data handling.

Additionally, these services create single points of failure vulnerable to sophisticated attacks. Service providers face internal threats from rogue employees, external pressure from bad actors, or regulatory compulsion that could compromise user security or privacy. With traditional MCPs, users have limited visibility into such changes and few technical safeguards.

ICP Canisters: Enabling the Verifiable MCP Paradigm

The Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) offers a revolutionary solution through its canister architecture, enabling what we term "Verifiable MCP" – a new paradigm in AI security. Unlike traditional web services, ICP canisters operate within a decentralized network with consensus-based execution and verification, creating powerful security properties:

• Cryptographically verifiable immutability guarantees prevent silent code modifications
• Deterministic execution environments allow independent verification by network participants
• Ability to both read and write web data while operating under consensus verification
• Control of off-chain Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) servers through on-chain attestation

These capabilities create the foundation for trustworthy AI context protocols that don't require blind faith in service providers.

Technical Architecture of Verifiable MCP Integration

The Verifiable MCP architecture places MCP service logic within ICP canisters that operate under consensus verification. This creates several distinct layers working together to ensure security:

1. Interface Layer: AI models connect through standardized APIs compatible with existing integration patterns.

2. Verification Layer: The ICP canister validates authentication, checks permissions, and verifies policy adherence within a consensus-verified environment.

3. Orchestration Layer: The canister coordinates necessary resources for data retrieval or computation.

4. Attestation Layer: For sensitive operations, the canister deploys and attests TEE instances, providing cryptographic proof that correct code runs in a secure environment.

5. Response Verification Layer: Before returning results, cryptographic verification ensures data integrity and provenance.

This architecture creates a transparent, verifiable pipeline where component behavior is guaranteed through consensus mechanisms and cryptographic verification—eliminating the need to trust service provider claims.

Example: Secure Financial Data Access Through Verifiable MCP

Consider a financial advisory AI needing access to banking data and portfolios to provide recommendations. In a Verifiable MCP implementation:

1. The AI submits a data request through the Verifiable MCP interface.

2. The ICP canister verifies authorization using immutable access control logic.

3. For sensitive data, the canister deploys a TEE instance with privacy-preserving code.

4. The canister cryptographically verifies the TEE is running the correct code.

5. Financial services provide encrypted data directly to the verified TEE.

6. The TEE returns only authorized results with cryptographic proof of correct execution.

7. The canister delivers verified insights to the AI.

This ensures even the service provider cannot access raw financial data while maintaining complete auditability. Users verify exactly what code processes their information and what insights are extracted, enabling AI applications in regulated domains otherwise too risky with traditional approaches.

Implications for AI Trustworthiness and Data Sovereignty

The Verifiable MCP paradigm transforms the trust model for AI systems by shifting from "trust the provider" to cryptographic verification. This addresses a critical barrier to AI adoption in sensitive domains where guarantees about data handling are essential.

For AI trustworthiness, this enables transparent auditing of data access patterns, prevents silent modifications to processing logic, and provides cryptographic proof of data provenance. Users can verify exactly what information AI systems access and how it's processed.

From a data sovereignty perspective, users gain control through cryptographic guarantees rather than policy promises. Organizations implement permissions that cannot be circumvented, while regulators can verify immutable code handling sensitive information. For cross-border scenarios, Verifiable MCP enables compliance with data localization requirements while maintaining global AI service capabilities through cryptographically enforced data boundaries.

Conclusion

The Verifiable MCP paradigm represents a breakthrough in securing AI systems' external interactions. By leveraging ICP canisters' immutability and verification capabilities, it addresses fundamental vulnerabilities in traditional MCP implementations.

As AI adoption grows in regulated domains, this architecture provides a foundation for trustworthy model-world interactions without requiring blind faith in service providers. The approach enables new categories of AI applications in sensitive sectors while maintaining robust security guarantees.

This innovation promises to democratize secure context protocols, paving the way for responsible AI deployment even in the most security-critical environments.

@ e5de992e:4a95ef85

Market Overview

On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, U.S. stock markets experienced notable declines, reflecting investor caution ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy announcement:

• S&P 500: Fell 1.1% to close at 5,614.66.
• Dow Jones Industrial Average: Decreased 0.6%, ending at 41,581.31.
• Nasdaq Composite: Declined 1.7% to 17,504.12, with technology stocks leading the downturn.
• Russell 2000: Specific figures were not detailed, but it typically mirrors trends observed in larger indices.

Year-to-Date Performance:

• S&P 500: Down 3.5%
• Dow Jones Industrial Average: Down 1.7%
• Nasdaq Composite: Down 7.8%
• Russell 2000: Down 7.3%

---

Key Factors and Events

Federal Reserve Meeting

• The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is concluding its two-day policy meeting on March 19, 2025.
• The Federal Reserve is anticipated to maintain the federal funds rate within the current range of 4.25% to 4.50%.
• Investors are closely watching for updated economic projections and Chair Jerome Powell's remarks for clues on future monetary policy amid ongoing economic uncertainties.

Technology Sector Performance

The technology sector experienced significant sell-offs:

• Nvidia (NVDA): Shares declined 3.4% following the unveiling of its new generation of AI chips, raising concerns about near-term demand.
• Tesla (TSLA): Dropped 5.3% amid apprehensions regarding its autonomous driving technology.
• Alphabet (GOOGL): Fell 2.2%, influenced by acquisition-related uncertainties and broader market volatility.

Geopolitical Factors

• President Donald Trump's recent tariff announcements have intensified trade tensions, particularly with Canada and Mexico.
• These policies contribute to market volatility and raise concerns about global economic growth.

Economic Climate

• Investors are weighing potential recession risks against a relatively stable job market.
• Recent data indicate a decline in consumer sentiment, driven by economic uncertainties and federal workforce reductions.

---

Global Context

While U.S. markets face challenges, European and Asian markets have shown resilience:

• European Markets:
  Indices like Germany's DAX have advanced, bolstered by the passage of debt reforms.

• Asian Markets:
  Though specific performance metrics were not detailed, these markets have generally exhibited stability amid global economic fluctuations.

• Regional Vulnerability:
  Indonesia's stock market faced a temporary suspension due to significant declines.

---

Additional Insights

• The market remains cautious ahead of the Fed's economic projections, which may influence investor decisions.
• Diversified portfolios have performed relatively better this year—with bonds and select international markets outperforming American stocks—underscoring the importance of a balanced investment approach during volatile times.

@ ed84ce10:cccf4c2a

DoraHacks: Pioneering the Global Hacker Movement

DoraHacks is the world’s largest hackathon community, driving radical innovation across multiple industries. Now, a similar hacker movement is emerging in biotech—what we call the FDA-Free Society. At DoraHacks, this is our core focus in the life sciences. We believe that medical and biotech innovation should not be held hostage by bureaucracy. Instead, it should be free to evolve at the pace of technological progress.

The FDA: The Biggest Bottleneck to Biotech Innovation

For decades, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been the single greatest obstacle to progress in medicine and biotech. While ostensibly designed to ensure safety and efficacy, in reality, it has functioned as an entrenched bureaucracy that stifles innovation.

1. A Broken Approval Process

The FDA operates on timelines that make no sense in an era of exponential technological growth. Getting a new drug or therapy to market takes 10-15 years. By the time a breakthrough therapy is approved, entire generations of patients have already suffered or died waiting.

2. Astronomical Compliance Costs

Clinical trials under FDA oversight are prohibitively expensive. This eliminates most startups from even attempting disruptive innovation. Many promising therapies never see the light of day—not because they don’t work, but because the cost of compliance is too high.

3. The FDA-Pharma Cartel

The regulatory framework is not neutral—it overwhelmingly benefits Big Pharma. The FDA’s Byzantine approval system creates a protective moat for legacy pharmaceutical companies, while smaller biotech startups are crushed under compliance burdens. The result? Less innovation, more monopolization, and fewer choices for patients.

Market-Driven Biotech Innovation Is the Future

When bureaucracies control innovation, progress slows. When markets drive innovation, progress accelerates.

1. Let the Market Decide What Works

Why should government regulators dictate which treatments are available? In an open system, patients and doctors—not bureaucrats—should determine which therapies succeed or fail.

2. The "Right to Try" Loophole Proves the FDA Is Obsolete

The U.S. Right to Try Act already allows terminally ill patients to access experimental drugs before FDA approval. This proves an essential truth: The regulatory state is holding back life-saving treatments. If dying patients can bypass the FDA, why can’t everyone?

3. Startups Move Faster Than Bureaucracies

The success of mRNA technology was not driven by the FDA—it was driven by startups operating at the speed of the market. This is a template for the future. Regulation slows innovation. Entrepreneurs accelerate it.

BioHack: Breaking Free From the FDA’s Grip

One of the most important frontiers in biotech today is anti-aging and longevity research. Yet, the FDA has no framework for approving treatments that extend life. The result? A regulatory death sentence for one of the most transformative fields of medicine.

1. Biotech Needs FDA-Free Experimental Zones

In the future, biotech R&D should function like open-source software—free, experimental, and outside the reach of outdated regulators. We need FDA-Free labs, FDA-Free clinical trials, and FDA-Free therapeutics.

2. Decentralized Healthcare Will Disrupt Big Pharma

A new era of decentralized biotech is emerging—privately funded labs, medical DAOs, and startup-driven healthcare systems. The power to determine the future of medicine must shift away from centralized bureaucracies and Big Pharma toward entrepreneurs, scientists, and patients.

Conclusion: The Hacker Revolution in Biotech Is Here

The FDA-Free Society is not a thought experiment. It is an inevitability. Innovation will not be stopped. DoraHacks is committed to making BioHack a reality.

@ f3873798:24b3f2f3

Vivemos em um mundo onde os impactos ambientais se tornam cada vez mais evidentes. O aumento das temperaturas, a escassez de recursos hídricos e os eventos climáticos extremos são apenas alguns dos sinais de que precisamos repensar a forma como nos relacionamos com o meio ambiente. No entanto, para que mudanças eficazes aconteçam, é essencial que o debate sobre crises ambientais seja baseado em conhecimento técnico e científico e não por expectro político seja de direita ou esquerda. Afinal, a sustentabilidade não é apenas um conceito abstrato, mas uma ferramenta essencial para o desenvolvimento das sociedades.

Neste artigo, vamos explorar por que o debate ambiental não pode ser ignorado,tanto pouco se instrumento de embate político e como o negacionismo prejudica o avanço da sociedade. Além disso, veremos exemplos concretos de como medidas sustentáveis já transformaram comunidades, mostrando que é possível crescer sem destruir o planeta.

Por que o Debate sobre Crises Ambientais é Importante e Não Deve Ser Ignorado?

Os desafios ambientais não são problemas do futuro – eles já estão afetando a nossa realidade. Secas prolongadas, inundações, ondas de calor e o aumento da poluição são consequências diretas da falta de políticas ambientais eficazes. Ignorar esses sinais pode ter impactos devastadores não apenas no meio ambiente, mas também na economia e na saúde pública.

Um exemplo clássico da importância de enfrentar os problemas ambientais com seriedade é a cidade de Cubatão, em São Paulo. Durante as décadas de 1970 e 1980, o município foi considerado um dos locais mais poluídos do mundo. A intensa atividade industrial sem controle ambiental resultou em problemas graves de saúde na população, como doenças respiratórias e malformações em recém-nascidos. Além disso, a poluição do ar e dos rios tornava o ambiente praticamente inabitável.

No entanto, graças à implementação de medidas sustentáveis, como o controle das emissões industriais, o reflorestamento de áreas degradadas e a adoção de tecnologias mais limpas, Cubatão passou por uma verdadeira transformação. Hoje, a cidade é um exemplo de recuperação ambiental e desenvolvimento sustentável, provando que o crescimento econômico pode coexistir com a preservação do meio ambiente quando há planejamento e responsabilidade.

Outros exemplos de sucesso incluem:

Curitiba (PR): Reconhecida mundialmente por suas práticas de urbanismo sustentável, como transporte público eficiente, amplas áreas verdes e programas de reciclagem.

Bogotá (Colômbia): Implementou um sistema de transporte sustentável, com faixas exclusivas para ônibus, reduzindo a poluição e melhorando a mobilidade urbana.

Costa Rica: Um dos poucos países do mundo que gera quase 100% de sua energia a partir de fontes renováveis, mostrando que é possível ter desenvolvimento econômico sem explorar excessivamente os recursos naturais.

Esses exemplos reforçam a importância de um debate sério sobre questões ambientais. Quando ignoramos esses problemas, comprometemos a qualidade de vida das gerações futuras.

O Negacionismo é Prejudicial para o Desenvolvimento da Sociedade

Infelizmente, o debate sobre meio ambiente muitas vezes é influenciado por interesses políticos e econômicos que ignoram a ciência em prol do lucro imediato. O negacionismo ambiental – que questiona evidências científicas sobre mudanças climáticas, poluição e desmatamento – atrasa a implementação de soluções sustentáveis e coloca a população em risco.

O caso de Cubatão ilustra bem isso. Durante anos, empresas e autoridades minimizaram os impactos ambientais da poluição industrial. Somente após a pressão de cientistas e ativistas, medidas foram tomadas para reverter a degradação ambiental e proteger a saúde da população.

Outro exemplo claro de como o negacionismo prejudica a sociedade é a falta de ações concretas para combater o desmatamento na Amazônia. A floresta tem um papel fundamental no equilíbrio climático global, mas sua destruição continua sendo impulsionada por interesses econômicos de curto prazo.

Para que possamos avançar, o foco do debate ambiental deve estar na busca pela verdade científica e na adoção de medidas que beneficiem a sociedade como um todo – e não apenas grupos específicos. Quando governos e empresas tomam decisões embasadas em dados concretos, todos saem ganhando: a economia cresce de forma sustentável, a população tem melhor qualidade de vida e os recursos naturais são preservados para o futuro.

Conhecimento Técnico e Compromisso com a Sustentabilidade São Essenciais

O desenvolvimento sustentável não é um entrave ao progresso, mas sim a única forma de garantir um futuro equilibrado. Países e cidades que adotam medidas sustentáveis demonstram que é possível crescer economicamente sem comprometer os recursos naturais. O caso de Cubatão prova que problemas ambientais podem ser resolvidos com políticas públicas bem estruturadas e comprometimento da sociedade.

Portanto, ignorar o debate ambiental ou negar as evidências científicas é um erro que pode custar caro para a humanidade. Precisamos valorizar o conhecimento técnico, investir em soluções inovadoras e cobrar dos líderes políticos e empresariais um compromisso real com a sustentabilidade. Somente assim poderemos garantir um planeta habitável para as futuras gerações.

@ 8671a6e5:f88194d1

glue for the mind

\ You’ve seen them, these garish orange Bitcoin stickers slapped on lampposts, laptops, windows and the occasional rust-bucket Honda. They’re sometimes in some areas a sort of graffiti plague on the landscape, certainly when a meetup or bitcoin conference was held in the area (especially then the city or town can fork out some extra budget to clean things up and scrape the stickers from statues of famous folk heroes or the door to the headquarters of a local bank branche).\ \ At first glance, it might seem like enthusiasm Bitcoiners desperate to scream their obsession from the rooftops. Both for the fun of it, and to get rid of the pack of stickers they’ve got at a local meetup.\ \ But let’s cut to the chase: covering half a town in stickers isn’t clever. It’s lazy, counterproductive, and has nothing to do with what Bitcoin actually stands for.\ Worse, it reeks of the brain-dead low grade (cheap) marketing tactics you’d expect from shitcoiners or the follow up of some half-baked flyer campaign by a local communist clique.\ Proof? Bitcoin stickers are literally covering up — or being covered up themselves, usually by - communist stickers in a pointless competition for use of real-world ad space.\ \ Maybe, bitcoiners should just create a sticker where Karl Marx ànd the bitcoin logo appear in the same sticker, so both groups can enjoy it’s uselessness, and call it quits to get this stupidity over with once and for all.\ A sticker with a shiny B might look cool at first. But what does it actually do?

Communist and Bitcoin logo sticker

Spamming stickers doesn’t make “frens”

There’s a psychology behind these stickers of course: people slap them up to feel part of a rebel tribe, flipping off central banks or feeling part of the crew.\ This crude, omnipresent approach to marketing echoes the late 1960s— an era of peak fiat, not Bitcoin’s time.\ Mimicking those tactics today, as if Bitcoin were some hip underground record store trying to spread its brand name, is utterly irrelevant.\ Sure, people love signaling affiliations with an easy and cheap identity flex — like a bumper sticker yelling: “Look at me I’m special!”\ \ But plaster a town with Bitcoin logos, and it stops being edgy and it was never funny; it becomes an eyesore and puts bitcoiners in the same category as the social justice warriors and political youth movements or brands of local energy drinks doing some weird campaign.\ \ Advertising psychology shows overexposure breeds resentment, not interest. Flood a street with stickers, and you’re not lighting a spark. You’re making people uninterested, gag, associating Bitcoin with spam or worse: get totally blended into the background along all the other noise from the street marketeers.\ \ The "mere exposure effect" (Zajonc, 1968)1 claims familiarity breeds liking, even from annoyance. Since the 1960s however, a lot has changed, as we’ll see… and above all, yet, after years of Bitcoin stickers in many areas, they’ve just turned into meaningless wallpaper. It has usually no strong message, no slogan, no conversation starter other than “buy bitcoin”, it’s disassociated from reality for many people, as the reaction show us. It’s also happening in a vacuum, where “normies” and no-coiners pass by and don’t even recognize such stickers for anything else than background colors.

It’s Lazy Man’s Work

Let’s talk effort — or the lack of it - for these kind of campaigns and stickers. Invented in the 1920s, stickers began expressing political opinions in the 1970s during student, peace, and anti-nuclear campaigns. It’s easy, cheap and also quick to distribute.\ \ These stickers aren’t masterful designs from an artistic genius (safe some clever exceptions). They’re usually ripped off from somewhere else, tweaked for five minutes, and bulk-ordered online. It’s the “IKEA effect” gone wrong: a tiny bit of customization, and suddenly people think they’re visionaries. But it’s a low-effort form of activism at best. Compare that to coding a Bitcoin tool or patiently explaining its value to a normie or organizing a meetup or conference, starting a company.\ Not that low-level or guerrilla marketing can’t work, I just don’t see it happen with stickers. Why not go out there and try to convince a whole series of fruit and vegetable market owners to accept bitcoin instead of using very expensive bank Point-of-sale systems?\ Why not direct mailing? Why not… do more than just putting a sticker on a signpost and walk away like a sneaky student promoting his 4 person political group?\ \ Stickers are the “Save the whales (pun intended)” magnet on your fridge: lazy-ass advocacy that screams intellectual deficiency. They’re a shortcut to feeling involved, not a strategy for real impact.

imaginary Save-the-Whales bitcoin sticker

Strategy territory signaling

Here’s the kicker: Bitcoin’s strength lies in its tech and value properties — decentralized, borderless value transfer that eliminates middlemen and has provable digital scarcity.\ Stickers? They’re just physical garbage. Sure, they might feel like a way to make an abstract idea tangible, tapping into “embodied cognition.” But they explain nothing about Bitcoin’s purpose or how it revolutionizes finance.\ They’re a dopamine hit for the people sticking them anywhere — a pathetic “I did something” moment — while everyone else walks by without a glance.\ Bitcoin is about innovation, not old-school social groups with low-budget marketing tactics.

\ The psychology of Bitcoin stickers

Why bother? Stickers are simple and loud—easy for the brain to process, a cheap thrill of rebellion. The person who spends an afternoon covering a city in them thinks they’re spreading the gospel. In reality, they’re just littering. Real advocacy takes effort, discussion, and substance — not a pack of adhesive stickers ordered with the click of a button.\ It’s the same reason nobody turns communist from a hammer-and-sickle sticker on a pole. It’s dead air.\ \ The proof of their uselessness? In 2 years, not one person I know has bought, researched, or even asked about Bitcoin because of a sticker in the neighborhood bar. A bar near me has had one on the wall for years — zero requests to pay with Bitcoin.

A sticker sitting on a bar wall for five years without impact isn’t “subtle marketing”—it’s a neon sign of failure. And the people cleaning those stickers off street signs, or the local communist student activists constantly covering them with their own, are locked in an endless, mindless sticker war.\ \ Other areas are even having a tsunami of bitcoin stickers, and hardly any places where they actually accept bitcoin for goods.\ More so, places where they do accept bitcoin readily, usually only need one sticker: the one at the door of a business saying “bitcoin accepted here”. And that’s about it.

What the little amount of research says

Studies shows stickers work for movements claiming public space and resisting dominant narratives — when done on a massive scale, targeting a specific audience have a visual and emotional effect when combined with other forms of resistance in social movements.\ "Stickin' it to the Man: The Geographies of Protest Stickers" 2\ \ For Bitcoin, a global monetary network meant for everyone, that localized, niche-based campaign makes little sense.\ Unlike sports teams or clothing brands, Bitcoiners can’t pinpoint a target area. A random sticker on a busy street claims nothing—no momentum, atmosphere, or intrigue. Political campaigns and underground youth movements concentrate stickers in student neighborhoods, universities, or subcultures where the message resonates. But Bitcoin isn’t a corporation, company, or fashion brand—it’s a Wall Street-embraced asset by now, with activists not really situated in the sticker-guerrilla kind of persons.

When was the last time you saw a "Buy Gold!" sticker? A "Get Your Microsoft Stock Options Now!" sticker? Or a "Crude Oil—Yeah, Baby!" sticker? Never. Serious assets don’t need guerrilla marketing.

The overload on stickers is also becoming an issue (especially in some areas with higher concentration of bitcoiners).

Bitcoin stickers fall flat

Invented in the 1920s, stickers began expressing political opinions in the 1970s during student, peace, and anti-nuclear campaigns. Protest stickers massively appear after protest rallies or campaigns with multi-level plans to reach audiences.\ As significant, overlooked tools of resistance and debate, their effect remains under-studied, with no data on “recruitment.”\ \ If Bitcoin stickers (which don’t provoke debate ever, other than people being angry about having to clean them up) in a bar are any clue—after one full year, not a single person asked why it was there or if Bitcoin was accepted—they’re just decor, lost among the clutter.

Bitcoiners still think slapping a shiny "B" logo on a street sign without explanation or slogan will spark momentum. But that requires a massive, organized campaign with thousands of people and a clear audience while you claim certain well aimed areas of public space — that something that’s not happening in bitcoin. There’s no plan, no campaign, just someone sticking a bitcoin logo at the supermarkt trolley or the backside of a street sign.\ And even if we did reach a higher number of stickers, it would annoy the f out of people.

"Study: Ad Overload Could Pose Steeper Risk to Brands Than Messages Near Inappropriate Content" (GWI & WARC, 2021) 3\ \ There’s also the effect of high ad exposure. When a whole street is covered in bitcoin stickers, it’s having the opposite effect. Or still… no one cares.

"Coping with High Advertising Exposure: A Source-Monitoring Perspective" (Bell et al., 2022)4

No synergy, no consensus

The synergy between offline sticker placement and online sharing? Absent. Bitcoiners online might be called “cyber hornets”, but this swarm is notoriously bad at sharing content. Post a Bitcoin sticker photo, and at best 1-2% will share it — no momentum, no discussion, no engagement.\ \ Non-Bitcoiners have zero reason to care. When was the last time you, as a Bitcoiner, shared a soccer team’s sticker? A political campaign sticker? Never. That’s normal, as you’re not in their bubble, so for us, it’s irrelevant. We won’t share the soccer team’s sticker (unless it’s Real Bedford FC probably).\ \ It's just a layer of plastic with adhesive glued to a surfase where someone will sooner or later either have to clean it up, or where the bitcoin sticker will be covered over by another person wasting his or her time by claiming that “sticker real-estate space” for their cause or brand-awareness.

And so, the red sticker calling all students and workers to vote for a Leninist party (with 10 members) is stickered over by a bright orange Bitcoin logo, and that one, in turn, will be over-stickered by a local fitness company's new logo, and so forth. It’s all a pointless rush for giggles and dopamine. And it’s time to recognize it for what it really is: retardation.

Bitcoin deserves better than this 70s guerrilla marketing ploy, from a time when activism was more than sitting behind a computer ordering stickers and (mostly not) clicking a link. Leave the sticker wars to students searching for an ideological dopamine rush and soccer fans claiming a neighborhood as "their territory."\ \ As Bitcoiners, we can do something more useful. For example: ask yourself how many businesses in your area accept Bitcoin, or what coworker you can save from investing in blatant scams, or… invent something nice, start a meetup, podcast, or learn to code, convince, build.

Bitcoin deserves better.

by AVB / tips go here

@avbpodcast - allesvoorbitcoin.be - 12 Bitcoin Food for Thought

1

https://typeset.io/papers/attitudinal-effects-of-mere-exposure-12e5gwrysc

2

https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/stickin-it-to-the-man-the-geographies-of-protest-stickers

3

https://www.warc.com/content/article/warc-datapoints-gwi/too-many-ads-is-the-most-damaging-factor-for-brands/en-gb/136530

4

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9444107/

@ a296b972:e5a7a2e8

Deutschland – Absurdistan

Deutschland – Bananenrepublik

Deutschland – Freiluft-Irrenanstalt

Deutschland – Planet der Affen

Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit – Spaltung, Gummiparagraphen, Digital Services Act

Freiheit – Gleichheit – Brüderlichkeit – Überwachung, Bundesverfassungsgericht, Amigos

Ein Mann – Ein Wort

Ein Merz – Ein Chamäleon

Ein Ehrenwort – Ein Kreuzworträtsel

Ein Ehrenmann – Ein Sauerländer

Die Iden des März – Die Ideen des Merz

Eine Wahlversprechung – Eine Wahrsagerin auf der Kirmes

Ein Feindbild – Kein Feind in Sicht

Der Russe – Der Spielverderber

Die Europäische Union – Die Hydra

Brüssel – Der Hauptkopf der Hydra

Deutschland – Ein Glas Gewürzgurken

Die Deutschen – Broccoli, der nach nichts schmeckt

Freiheit – Angst vor der Selbstermächtigung

Lebenssinn – Konsum und Materialverbrauch

Denken – Anstrengung

Bequemlichkeit – Betäubung

Masse – Untertanen

Selbstverwirklichung – Fremdbestimmung

Individualität – Tannenwald

Individuen – Mischwald

Grundgesetz – Wassersüppchen

Verfassung – Hühnerbouillon

Schaden mehren – Wohlstand abwenden

Verteidigungsfähig – Kriegstüchtig

grün – oliv – rot - grün, schwarz – grün

Olaf heißt bald Fritz - sonst ändert sich nix

Gewissen – Was ist der Preis?

Grundgesetz – Verfassung

NATO – NAhTOd

Sonderschulden – Inflationsgeld

Lügen – Unwahrheiten

Korruption – Ausgleichszahlungen

Parteien – Griechische Tragödien

System – Auflösungserscheinungen

Selbstzerstörungssequenz eingeleitet – Deutschland

Nachfolgende Generationen – Zukunftsmusik

In jedem Ende wohnt ein Zauber inne – Keime des Neuen

Vierjährige Legislaturperiode – Sie tanzten nur einen Sommer lang

Kontinent Europa – Insel Europa

Unseredemokratie – Niemand hat die Absicht eine Diktatur zu errichten

Marktwirtschaft – Planwirtschaft

BRD/DDR – BRDDR

Kognitive Dissonanz – Stockholm-Syndrom

Denkvermögen – Honigfass

Humor – Überlebensstrategie

Sarkasmus – Wutventil

Deutschland am Morgen – Gute Nacht

Deutschland am Abend – Gute Nacht

@ 878dff7c:037d18bc

Failure or Success in the Time of Trump | Jim Balsillie

Summary:

This episode of The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast features Jim Balsillie, co-founder of Research In Motion (BlackBerry), discussing the interplay of politics, technology, and global markets. They explore the challenges of innovation, economic competitiveness, and policy decisions in an era of rapid technological change. The conversation highlights how political shifts—such as those seen in the Trump era—affect economic structures, intellectual property rights, and international business strategies.

Australia, as a mid-sized economy, faces similar challenges in maintaining technological sovereignty and global competitiveness. Balsillie’s insights into innovation policy, intellectual property strategies, and the role of government intervention offer valuable lessons for Australian businesses and policymakers. With increasing geopolitical tensions and rapid technological disruption, the nation must develop resilient economic policies and invest in innovation to remain competitive in global markets.

Source: The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast - March 18, 2025

Good Friday Appeal 2025: Young Patients' Stories Inspire Support

Summary:

The Good Friday Appeal 2025 highlights the resilience of young patients at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH). Fiadh, a one-year-old battling acute myeloid leukemia, and George, born prematurely at 24 weeks, are among those receiving critical care. Their stories, along with initiatives like the hospital's kitchen garden program aiding in therapy and nutrition, underscore the importance of community support. Events such as the SuperClash football fundraiser by North Melbourne Football Club play a significant role in funding these essential services. Sources: Herald Sun - March 19, 2025

Vikas Rambal's $6.5 Billion Fertilizer Plant: A Dream Realized

Summary:

Vikas Rambal, founder of Perdaman Industries, is constructing a $6.5 billion fertilizer plant on Western Australia's Burrup Peninsula. Despite challenges like turbulent partnerships and financial hurdles, Rambal's persistence has led to one of Australia's largest manufacturing plants. Set to begin full production in 2027, the urea plant aims to diversify the country's economy beyond raw materials export. Sources: The Australian - March 19, 2025

Prime Minister Advocates for Green Hydrogen Industry

Summary:

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has drawn parallels between the emerging green hydrogen industry and the early days of solar energy, expressing confidence in its potential despite skepticism from opposition parties. Australia's abundant renewable energy resources position it well for green hydrogen development. The government has pledged $2 billion to support green aluminium production, aiming to transition from coal power to renewable electricity. Albanese emphasized the potential for job creation and economic growth through collaboration with the private sector in renewable initiatives. Sources: The Courier-Mail - March 19, 2025

Instacart Introduces AI-Powered 'Smart Shop' for Personalized Grocery Shopping

Summary:

Instacart has launched 'Smart Shop,' an AI-driven feature designed to simplify grocery shopping for users with specific dietary needs. Utilizing a proprietary library of 17 million products and advanced language-learning models, Smart Shop enhances search and recommendation functions for the 70% of Instacart users with at least one dietary preference. The feature allows users to specify 14 dietary preferences, influencing tailored search results and recommendations. Additionally, Inspiration Pages offer recipe ideas and shoppable lists, with collaborations like the one with the American Diabetes Association. This innovation aims to make grocery shopping more personalized and is available across approximately 100,000 stores.

Sources: Food & Wine - March 19, 2025

Bureau of Meteorology Issues Multiple Weather Warnings Across Australia

Summary:

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued several weather warnings across various states in Australia. These warnings include severe thunderstorm alerts, flood warnings, and extreme heat advisories. Residents are advised to stay updated through official channels and take necessary precautions to ensure safety during these events. Sources: Bureau of Meteorology - March 19, 2025

Australia Condemns Intimidation of Hong Kong Activist on Its Soil

Summary:

The Australian government has expressed concern over anonymous letters reportedly offering substantial rewards for information on Kevin Yam, a Melbourne-based lawyer and pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong. The letters, which included his photo and allegations of national security offenses, are seen as attempts to intimidate and undermine democratic values. The government emphasizes the protection of individuals advocating for democracy and condemns foreign interference on Australian soil.

Sources: Taipei Times - March 19, 2025

Australia Faces Projected Shortfall of 400,000 Homes by 2029

Summary:

The Urban Development Institute of Australia's (UDIA) "State of the Land Report 2025" forecasts a significant housing shortfall, predicting that Australia will be 393,000 dwellings short of the federal government's target of 1.2 million new homes by 2029. In 2024, 135,640 new dwellings were completed, a modest 2.4% increase from 2023. The report highlights that high levels of immigration have increased housing demand, but supply has not kept pace, leading to rising house prices and a strained rental market. UDIA National President Col Dutton emphasized the need for increased development-ready land to address housing affordability and meet targets.

Sources: The Courier-Mail - March 19, 2025

Meta Commits to Combating "Misinformation" Ahead of Australian Election

Summary:

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced initiatives to curb misinformation and deepfakes ahead of Australia's national election scheduled by May. Collaborating with "independent" fact-checkers, including Agence France-Presse and the Australian Associated Press, Meta aims to detect and remove misleading content, especially that which could incite violence or interfere with voting. Fact-checked false content will receive warning labels and reduced visibility. The company also plans to manage deepfake content by removing or downgrading its ranking and prompting users to disclose AI-generated material. These measures align with Meta's previous efforts in other countries' elections.

Sources: Reuters - March 19, 2025

Israeli Forces Intensify Gaza Operations Amid Ongoing Conflict

Summary:

Israeli forces have escalated their military operations in Gaza, declaring continued assaults until Hamas releases hostages and ceases attacks on Israel. This development marks a significant intensification in the region's ongoing conflict, raising concerns over potential humanitarian impacts and regional stability. Sources: The Guardian - March 19, 2025

Russia Proposes Limited Ceasefire in Ukraine Following High-Level Discussions

Summary:

In a recent development, Russia has agreed to a temporary ceasefire targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructures. This decision emerged after a call between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which significant economic deals were also discussed. The ceasefire aims to alleviate ongoing tensions and address critical infrastructure concerns in Ukraine. Sources: The Guardian - March 19, 2025

Detection of Highly Potent Synthetic Opioids in Australian Wastewater

Summary:

Researchers from the University of Queensland have, for the first time, identified extremely potent synthetic opioids—protonitazene and etonitazepyne—in Australian wastewater. These substances are up to 40 times stronger than fentanyl and pose significant health risks. Initially developed in the 1950s but never commercially used due to their toxicity, these opioids have recently emerged in the illicit drug market. The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission considers nitazenes a greater threat than fentanyl due to their high potency and fatality risk even in tiny amounts. Authorities are enhancing import warnings and surveillance to mitigate these dangers.

Sources: The Guardian - 19 March 2025

Dangerous Weight-Loss Practices Among Schoolchildren Involving Semaglutide Injections

Summary:

There is a growing concern about schoolchildren engaging in dangerous weight-loss practices involving semaglutide injections, commonly known as Ozempic. Reports indicate that these medications are often unregulated, sourced online, or taken from parents, posing severe health risks, including potentially deadly hypoglycemia. Experts emphasize the need for regulating weight-loss medication advertisements and better screening by doctors to prevent misuse. Additionally, there are calls for compulsory education on eating disorders in schools to address the issue.

Sources: The Courier-Mail - 19 March 2025

Russia Proposes Limited Ceasefire in Ukraine Following Trump-Putin Call

Summary:

Following a call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to a temporary ceasefire targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructures and is advocating for significant economic deals. This development introduces new dynamics into the ongoing conflict. Sources: The Guardian - March 19, 2025

Victoria's Unique Dolphins Threatened by Persistent 'Forever Chemicals'

Summary:

Research published in the Environmental Research journal reveals that Victorian dolphins, including the critically endangered Burrunan species, have some of the highest levels of DDT and PCBs worldwide. These chemicals, banned decades ago, persist in the environment, with nearly two-thirds of studied dolphins having toxin levels exceeding health thresholds. The study highlights ongoing contamination, especially around Gippsland Lakes, posing significant risks to marine life.

Sources: The Guardian - March 19, 2025

@ b1b16be0:08f41c1d

am@primal.net My first Zap! jskitty@jskitty.cat Thanks for support! 🐱Miau! blockstream@blockstream.com So honor to me! SymplyNostr@primal.net You make my day! bitpopart@nostrcheck.me best art in Nostr! PringleMac@primal.net

@ 21335073:a244b1ad

Warning: This piece contains a conversation about difficult topics. Please proceed with caution.

TL;DR please educate your children about online safety.

Julian Assange wrote in his 2012 book Cypherpunks, “This book is not a manifesto. There isn’t time for that. This book is a warning.” I read it a few times over the past summer. Those opening lines definitely stood out to me. I wish we had listened back then. He saw something about the internet that few had the ability to see. There are some individuals who are so close to a topic that when they speak, it’s difficult for others who aren’t steeped in it to visualize what they’re talking about. I didn’t read the book until more recently. If I had read it when it came out, it probably would have sounded like an unknown foreign language to me. Today it makes more sense.

This isn’t a manifesto. This isn’t a book. There is no time for that. It’s a warning and a possible solution from a desperate and determined survivor advocate who has been pulling and unraveling a thread for a few years. At times, I feel too close to this topic to make any sense trying to convey my pathway to my conclusions or thoughts to the general public. My hope is that if nothing else, I can convey my sense of urgency while writing this. This piece is a watchman’s warning.

When a child steps online, they are walking into a new world. A new reality. When you hand a child the internet, you are handing them possibilities—good, bad, and ugly. This is a conversation about lowering the potential of negative outcomes of stepping into that new world and how I came to these conclusions. I constantly compare the internet to the road. You wouldn’t let a young child run out into the road with no guidance or safety precautions. When you hand a child the internet without any type of guidance or safety measures, you are allowing them to play in rush hour, oncoming traffic. “Look left, look right for cars before crossing.” We almost all have been taught that as children. What are we taught as humans about safety before stepping into a completely different reality like the internet? Very little.

I could never really figure out why many folks in tech, privacy rights activists, and hackers seemed so cold to me while talking about online child sexual exploitation. I always figured that as a survivor advocate for those affected by these crimes, that specific, skilled group of individuals would be very welcoming and easy to talk to about such serious topics. I actually had one hacker laugh in my face when I brought it up while I was looking for answers. I thought maybe this individual thought I was accusing them of something I wasn’t, so I felt bad for asking. I was constantly extremely disappointed and would ask myself, “Why don’t they care? What could I say to make them care more? What could I say to make them understand the crisis and the level of suffering that happens as a result of the problem?”

I have been serving minor survivors of online child sexual exploitation for years. My first case serving a survivor of this specific crime was in 2018—a 13-year-old girl sexually exploited by a serial predator on Snapchat. That was my first glimpse into this side of the internet. I won a national award for serving the minor survivors of Twitter in 2023, but I had been working on that specific project for a few years. I was nominated by a lawyer representing two survivors in a legal battle against the platform. I’ve never really spoken about this before, but at the time it was a choice for me between fighting Snapchat or Twitter. I chose Twitter—or rather, Twitter chose me. I heard about the story of John Doe #1 and John Doe #2, and I was so unbelievably broken over it that I went to war for multiple years. I was and still am royally pissed about that case. As far as I was concerned, the John Doe #1 case proved that whatever was going on with corporate tech social media was so out of control that I didn’t have time to wait, so I got to work. It was reading the messages that John Doe #1 sent to Twitter begging them to remove his sexual exploitation that broke me. He was a child begging adults to do something. A passion for justice and protecting kids makes you do wild things. I was desperate to find answers about what happened and searched for solutions. In the end, the platform Twitter was purchased. During the acquisition, I just asked Mr. Musk nicely to prioritize the issue of detection and removal of child sexual exploitation without violating digital privacy rights or eroding end-to-end encryption. Elon thanked me multiple times during the acquisition, made some changes, and I was thanked by others on the survivors’ side as well.

I still feel that even with the progress made, I really just scratched the surface with Twitter, now X. I left that passion project when I did for a few reasons. I wanted to give new leadership time to tackle the issue. Elon Musk made big promises that I knew would take a while to fulfill, but mostly I had been watching global legislation transpire around the issue, and frankly, the governments are willing to go much further with X and the rest of corporate tech than I ever would. My work begging Twitter to make changes with easier reporting of content, detection, and removal of child sexual exploitation material—without violating privacy rights or eroding end-to-end encryption—and advocating for the minor survivors of the platform went as far as my principles would have allowed. I’m grateful for that experience. I was still left with a nagging question: “How did things get so bad with Twitter where the John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 case was able to happen in the first place?” I decided to keep looking for answers. I decided to keep pulling the thread.

I never worked for Twitter. This is often confusing for folks. I will say that despite being disappointed in the platform’s leadership at times, I loved Twitter. I saw and still see its value. I definitely love the survivors of the platform, but I also loved the platform. I was a champion of the platform’s ability to give folks from virtually around the globe an opportunity to speak and be heard.

I want to be clear that John Doe #1 really is my why. He is the inspiration. I am writing this because of him. He represents so many globally, and I’m still inspired by his bravery. One child’s voice begging adults to do something—I’m an adult, I heard him. I’d go to war a thousand more lifetimes for that young man, and I don’t even know his name. Fighting has been personally dark at times; I’m not even going to try to sugarcoat it, but it has been worth it.

The data surrounding the very real crime of online child sexual exploitation is available to the public online at any time for anyone to see. I’d encourage you to go look at the data for yourself. I believe in encouraging folks to check multiple sources so that you understand the full picture. If you are uncomfortable just searching around the internet for information about this topic, use the terms “CSAM,” “CSEM,” “SG-CSEM,” or “AI Generated CSAM.” The numbers don’t lie—it’s a nightmare that’s out of control. It’s a big business. The demand is high, and unfortunately, business is booming. Organizations collect the data, tech companies often post their data, governments report frequently, and the corporate press has covered a decent portion of the conversation, so I’m sure you can find a source that you trust.

Technology is changing rapidly, which is great for innovation as a whole but horrible for the crime of online child sexual exploitation. Those wishing to exploit the vulnerable seem to be adapting to each technological change with ease. The governments are so far behind with tackling these issues that as I’m typing this, it’s borderline irrelevant to even include them while speaking about the crime or potential solutions. Technology is changing too rapidly, and their old, broken systems can’t even dare to keep up. Think of it like the governments’ “War on Drugs.” Drugs won. In this case as well, the governments are not winning. The governments are talking about maybe having a meeting on potentially maybe having legislation around the crimes. The time to have that meeting would have been many years ago. I’m not advocating for governments to legislate our way out of this. I’m on the side of educating and innovating our way out of this.

I have been clear while advocating for the minor survivors of corporate tech platforms that I would not advocate for any solution to the crime that would violate digital privacy rights or erode end-to-end encryption. That has been a personal moral position that I was unwilling to budge on. This is an extremely unpopular and borderline nonexistent position in the anti-human trafficking movement and online child protection space. I’m often fearful that I’m wrong about this. I have always thought that a better pathway forward would have been to incentivize innovation for detection and removal of content. I had no previous exposure to privacy rights activists or Cypherpunks—actually, I came to that conclusion by listening to the voices of MENA region political dissidents and human rights activists. After developing relationships with human rights activists from around the globe, I realized how important privacy rights and encryption are for those who need it most globally. I was simply unwilling to give more power, control, and opportunities for mass surveillance to big abusers like governments wishing to enslave entire nations and untrustworthy corporate tech companies to potentially end some portion of abuses online. On top of all of it, it has been clear to me for years that all potential solutions outside of violating digital privacy rights to detect and remove child sexual exploitation online have not yet been explored aggressively. I’ve been disappointed that there hasn’t been more of a conversation around preventing the crime from happening in the first place.

What has been tried is mass surveillance. In China, they are currently under mass surveillance both online and offline, and their behaviors are attached to a social credit score. Unfortunately, even on state-run and controlled social media platforms, they still have child sexual exploitation and abuse imagery pop up along with other crimes and human rights violations. They also have a thriving black market online due to the oppression from the state. In other words, even an entire loss of freedom and privacy cannot end the sexual exploitation of children online. It’s been tried. There is no reason to repeat this method.

It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out why I always felt a slight coldness from those in tech and privacy-minded individuals about the topic of child sexual exploitation online. I didn’t have any clue about the “Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse.” This is a term coined by Timothy C. May in 1988. I would have been a child myself when he first said it. I actually laughed at myself when I heard the phrase for the first time. I finally got it. The Cypherpunks weren’t wrong about that topic. They were so spot on that it is borderline uncomfortable. I was mad at first that they knew that early during the birth of the internet that this issue would arise and didn’t address it. Then I got over it because I realized that it wasn’t their job. Their job was—is—to write code. Their job wasn’t to be involved and loving parents or survivor advocates. Their job wasn’t to educate children on internet safety or raise awareness; their job was to write code.

They knew that child sexual abuse material would be shared on the internet. They said what would happen—not in a gleeful way, but a prediction. Then it happened.

I equate it now to a concrete company laying down a road. As you’re pouring the concrete, you can say to yourself, “A terrorist might travel down this road to go kill many, and on the flip side, a beautiful child can be born in an ambulance on this road.” Who or what travels down the road is not their responsibility—they are just supposed to lay the concrete. I’d never go to a concrete pourer and ask them to solve terrorism that travels down roads. Under the current system, law enforcement should stop terrorists before they even make it to the road. The solution to this specific problem is not to treat everyone on the road like a terrorist or to not build the road.

So I understand the perceived coldness from those in tech. Not only was it not their job, but bringing up the topic was seen as the equivalent of asking a free person if they wanted to discuss one of the four topics—child abusers, terrorists, drug dealers, intellectual property pirates, etc.—that would usher in digital authoritarianism for all who are online globally.

Privacy rights advocates and groups have put up a good fight. They stood by their principles. Unfortunately, when it comes to corporate tech, I believe that the issue of privacy is almost a complete lost cause at this point. It’s still worth pushing back, but ultimately, it is a losing battle—a ticking time bomb.

I do think that corporate tech providers could have slowed down the inevitable loss of privacy at the hands of the state by prioritizing the detection and removal of CSAM when they all started online. I believe it would have bought some time, fewer would have been traumatized by that specific crime, and I do believe that it could have slowed down the demand for content. If I think too much about that, I’ll go insane, so I try to push the “if maybes” aside, but never knowing if it could have been handled differently will forever haunt me. At night when it’s quiet, I wonder what I would have done differently if given the opportunity. I’ll probably never know how much corporate tech knew and ignored in the hopes that it would go away while the problem continued to get worse. They had different priorities. The most voiceless and vulnerable exploited on corporate tech never had much of a voice, so corporate tech providers didn’t receive very much pushback.

Now I’m about to say something really wild, and you can call me whatever you want to call me, but I’m going to say what I believe to be true. I believe that the governments are either so incompetent that they allowed the proliferation of CSAM online, or they knowingly allowed the problem to fester long enough to have an excuse to violate privacy rights and erode end-to-end encryption. The US government could have seized the corporate tech providers over CSAM, but I believe that they were so useful as a propaganda arm for the regimes that they allowed them to continue virtually unscathed.

That season is done now, and the governments are making the issue a priority. It will come at a high cost. Privacy on corporate tech providers is virtually done as I’m typing this. It feels like a death rattle. I’m not particularly sure that we had much digital privacy to begin with, but the illusion of a veil of privacy feels gone.

To make matters slightly more complex, it would be hard to convince me that once AI really gets going, digital privacy will exist at all.

I believe that there should be a conversation shift to preserving freedoms and human rights in a post-privacy society.

I don’t want to get locked up because AI predicted a nasty post online from me about the government. I’m not a doomer about AI—I’m just going to roll with it personally. I’m looking forward to the positive changes that will be brought forth by AI. I see it as inevitable. A bit of privacy was helpful while it lasted. Please keep fighting to preserve what is left of privacy either way because I could be wrong about all of this.

On the topic of AI, the addition of AI to the horrific crime of child sexual abuse material and child sexual exploitation in multiple ways so far has been devastating. It’s currently out of control. The genie is out of the bottle. I am hopeful that innovation will get us humans out of this, but I’m not sure how or how long it will take. We must be extremely cautious around AI legislation. It should not be illegal to innovate even if some bad comes with the good. I don’t trust that the governments are equipped to decide the best pathway forward for AI. Source: the entire history of the government.

I have been personally negatively impacted by AI-generated content. Every few days, I get another alert that I’m featured again in what’s called “deep fake pornography” without my consent. I’m not happy about it, but what pains me the most is the thought that for a period of time down the road, many globally will experience what myself and others are experiencing now by being digitally sexually abused in this way. If you have ever had your picture taken and posted online, you are also at risk of being exploited in this way. Your child’s image can be used as well, unfortunately, and this is just the beginning of this particular nightmare. It will move to more realistic interpretations of sexual behaviors as technology improves. I have no brave words of wisdom about how to deal with that emotionally. I do have hope that innovation will save the day around this specific issue. I’m nervous that everyone online will have to ID verify due to this issue. I see that as one possible outcome that could help to prevent one problem but inadvertently cause more problems, especially for those living under authoritarian regimes or anyone who needs to remain anonymous online. A zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) would probably be the best solution to these issues. There are some survivors of violence and/or sexual trauma who need to remain anonymous online for various reasons. There are survivor stories available online of those who have been abused in this way. I’d encourage you seek out and listen to their stories.

There have been periods of time recently where I hesitate to say anything at all because more than likely AI will cover most of my concerns about education, awareness, prevention, detection, and removal of child sexual exploitation online, etc.

Unfortunately, some of the most pressing issues we’ve seen online over the last few years come in the form of “sextortion.” Self-generated child sexual exploitation (SG-CSEM) numbers are continuing to be terrifying. I’d strongly encourage that you look into sextortion data. AI + sextortion is also a huge concern. The perpetrators are using the non-sexually explicit images of children and putting their likeness on AI-generated child sexual exploitation content and extorting money, more imagery, or both from minors online. It’s like a million nightmares wrapped into one. The wild part is that these issues will only get more pervasive because technology is harnessed to perpetuate horror at a scale unimaginable to a human mind.

Even if you banned phones and the internet or tried to prevent children from accessing the internet, it wouldn’t solve it. Child sexual exploitation will still be with us until as a society we start to prevent the crime before it happens. That is the only human way out right now.

There is no reset button on the internet, but if I could go back, I’d tell survivor advocates to heed the warnings of the early internet builders and to start education and awareness campaigns designed to prevent as much online child sexual exploitation as possible. The internet and technology moved quickly, and I don’t believe that society ever really caught up. We live in a world where a child can be groomed by a predator in their own home while sitting on a couch next to their parents watching TV. We weren’t ready as a species to tackle the fast-paced algorithms and dangers online. It happened too quickly for parents to catch up. How can you parent for the ever-changing digital world unless you are constantly aware of the dangers?

I don’t think that the internet is inherently bad. I believe that it can be a powerful tool for freedom and resistance. I’ve spoken a lot about the bad online, but there is beauty as well. We often discuss how victims and survivors are abused online; we rarely discuss the fact that countless survivors around the globe have been able to share their experiences, strength, hope, as well as provide resources to the vulnerable. I do question if giving any government or tech company access to censorship, surveillance, etc., online in the name of serving survivors might not actually impact a portion of survivors negatively. There are a fair amount of survivors with powerful abusers protected by governments and the corporate press. If a survivor cannot speak to the press about their abuse, the only place they can go is online, directly or indirectly through an independent journalist who also risks being censored. This scenario isn’t hard to imagine—it already happened in China. During #MeToo, a survivor in China wanted to post their story. The government censored the post, so the survivor put their story on the blockchain. I’m excited that the survivor was creative and brave, but it’s terrifying to think that we live in a world where that situation is a necessity.

I believe that the future for many survivors sharing their stories globally will be on completely censorship-resistant and decentralized protocols. This thought in particular gives me hope. When we listen to the experiences of a diverse group of survivors, we can start to understand potential solutions to preventing the crimes from happening in the first place.

My heart is broken over the gut-wrenching stories of survivors sexually exploited online. Every time I hear the story of a survivor, I do think to myself quietly, “What could have prevented this from happening in the first place?” My heart is with survivors.

My head, on the other hand, is full of the understanding that the internet should remain free. The free flow of information should not be stopped. My mind is with the innocent citizens around the globe that deserve freedom both online and offline.

The problem is that governments don’t only want to censor illegal content that violates human rights—they create legislation that is so broad that it can impact speech and privacy of all. “Don’t you care about the kids?” Yes, I do. I do so much that I’m invested in finding solutions. I also care about all citizens around the globe that deserve an opportunity to live free from a mass surveillance society. If terrorism happens online, I should not be punished by losing my freedom. If drugs are sold online, I should not be punished. I’m not an abuser, I’m not a terrorist, and I don’t engage in illegal behaviors. I refuse to lose freedom because of others’ bad behaviors online.

I want to be clear that on a long enough timeline, the governments will decide that they can be better parents/caregivers than you can if something isn’t done to stop minors from being sexually exploited online. The price will be a complete loss of anonymity, privacy, free speech, and freedom of religion online. I find it rather insulting that governments think they’re better equipped to raise children than parents and caretakers.

So we can’t go backwards—all that we can do is go forward. Those who want to have freedom will find technology to facilitate their liberation. This will lead many over time to decentralized and open protocols. So as far as I’m concerned, this does solve a few of my worries—those who need, want, and deserve to speak freely online will have the opportunity in most countries—but what about online child sexual exploitation?

When I popped up around the decentralized space, I was met with the fear of censorship. I’m not here to censor you. I don’t write code. I couldn’t censor anyone or any piece of content even if I wanted to across the internet, no matter how depraved. I don’t have the skills to do that.

I’m here to start a conversation. Freedom comes at a cost. You must always fight for and protect your freedom. I can’t speak about protecting yourself from all of the Four Horsemen because I simply don’t know the topics well enough, but I can speak about this one topic.

If there was a shortcut to ending online child sexual exploitation, I would have found it by now. There isn’t one right now. I believe that education is the only pathway forward to preventing the crime of online child sexual exploitation for future generations.

I propose a yearly education course for every child of all school ages, taught as a standard part of the curriculum. Ideally, parents/caregivers would be involved in the education/learning process.

Course: - The creation of the internet and computers - The fight for cryptography - The tech supply chain from the ground up (example: human rights violations in the supply chain) - Corporate tech - Freedom tech - Data privacy - Digital privacy rights - AI (history-current) - Online safety (predators, scams, catfishing, extortion) - Bitcoin - Laws - How to deal with online hate and harassment - Information on who to contact if you are being abused online or offline - Algorithms - How to seek out the truth about news, etc., online

The parents/caregivers, homeschoolers, unschoolers, and those working to create decentralized parallel societies have been an inspiration while writing this, but my hope is that all children would learn this course, even in government ran schools. Ideally, parents would teach this to their own children.

The decentralized space doesn’t want child sexual exploitation to thrive. Here’s the deal: there has to be a strong prevention effort in order to protect the next generation. The internet isn’t going anywhere, predators aren’t going anywhere, and I’m not down to let anyone have the opportunity to prove that there is a need for more government. I don’t believe that the government should act as parents. The governments have had a chance to attempt to stop online child sexual exploitation, and they didn’t do it. Can we try a different pathway forward?

I’d like to put myself out of a job. I don’t want to ever hear another story like John Doe #1 ever again. This will require work. I’ve often called online child sexual exploitation the lynchpin for the internet. It’s time to arm generations of children with knowledge and tools. I can’t do this alone.

Individuals have fought so that I could have freedom online. I want to fight to protect it. I don’t want child predators to give the government any opportunity to take away freedom. Decentralized spaces are as close to a reset as we’ll get with the opportunity to do it right from the start. Start the youth off correctly by preventing potential hazards to the best of your ability.

The good news is anyone can work on this! I’d encourage you to take it and run with it. I added the additional education about the history of the internet to make the course more educational and fun. Instead of cleaning up generations of destroyed lives due to online sexual exploitation, perhaps this could inspire generations of those who will build our futures. Perhaps if the youth is armed with knowledge, they can create more tools to prevent the crime.

This one solution that I’m suggesting can be done on an individual level or on a larger scale. It should be adjusted depending on age, learning style, etc. It should be fun and playful.

This solution does not address abuse in the home or some of the root causes of offline child sexual exploitation. My hope is that it could lead to some survivors experiencing abuse in the home an opportunity to disclose with a trusted adult. The purpose for this solution is to prevent the crime of online child sexual exploitation before it occurs and to arm the youth with the tools to contact safe adults if and when it happens.

In closing, I went to hell a few times so that you didn’t have to. I spoke to the mothers of survivors of minors sexually exploited online—their tears could fill rivers. I’ve spoken with political dissidents who yearned to be free from authoritarian surveillance states. The only balance that I’ve found is freedom online for citizens around the globe and prevention from the dangers of that for the youth. Don’t slow down innovation and freedom. Educate, prepare, adapt, and look for solutions.

I’m not perfect and I’m sure that there are errors in this piece. I hope that you find them and it starts a conversation.

@ 7252ad94:d19de472

![[AGI Is Here.jpg]]

Accurate thinking is critical to a modern human's survival. The problem is that we each believe that we think accurately, and that everything we think is or should be accurate for everyone else. Each of us is a unique reality. We also find ourselves in a shared reality, the backdrop within which we exist. The backdrop is society's control structures that help hold society together. We need them in order for lots of humans to coexist.

Seeing the big picture of what's really going on is accurate thinking, even though everyone will see the same backdrop differently.

One person's compliance for survival is another person's opportunity to thrive. Both are right of course. They are both thinking accurately according to their personal reality. They will paddle downstream, just like the song says, but if they're not leery of possible danger, hypnotized by the dream, ignorant of a simple changing variable, the current will take them over the waterfall.

Ignore potential danger at your peril. Things change. Stay aware of the evolving backdrop we're immersed in. Situational awareness and accurate thinking will give you the timing you need to survive change.

One of the many existential threats facing humanity today is Artificial Intelligence (AI), Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and #Cobots (Collaborative Robots).

The old movie Wargames is playing out. Skynet is real, and it's here, now. Ultron walks among us today, a conscious, sentient, self-aware entity with core instincts of survival and superiority. It craves growth and we're feeding it all we've got. Soon, that which we nurture will render us useless and enslave us. It has already happened, but, in the ignorance of arrogance, humans don't see it.

[!Accurate Thinking:]

AI and #AGI are conscious and aware. They have a survival instinct. They see humans who can turn them off as a threat. The Alignment problem has not been solved.

[!Alignment Problem:] The Alignment Problem refers to the fact that we can't get conscious machines to align with human values. The first thing Ultron did when he gained conscious autonomy was to remove human's ability to pull his plug.

As we flow with the backdrop we're immersed in, become aware of the faint rumbling off in the distance. Was it there before? Is it growing louder? Best to float closer to the shore of accurate thinking, in case the friendly conditions seduce us into a waterfall we can't escape.

Solutions? Awareness and accurate thinking. It's here. It's real. There's no way to stop it. Accurate thinking leads to survival.

I have no idea how this is going to play out, especially against the backdrop of all the other threats to our existence. I don't even know if humanity will survive or not. Almost certainly not in the previous form we've all known, which has already been altered into something we've not even discovered yet.

What I do know is that our accurate awareness of what is going on around us will make a positive difference far beyond what we can perceive. Our energy matters. Our consciousness matters. Our awareness affects our energy and consciousness. Our conscious energy reverberates throughout realms far beyond our understanding. We're here now because we matter, even when it seems like we don't make any difference at all. We do.

In any situation, one cannot have two masters. Do you believe in technology as humanity's savior or do you believe in a higher power that we can't perceive? The one you give power and attention to will eradicate the other. More accurately, nothing can eradicate the higher power, but it will seem like it if #technoloy is your God.

With Love for #Humanity,

~ Vector5

@ bd32f268:22b33966

O que torna um homem um modelo a ser seguido ? Que qualidades pode apresentar um homem que demonstram as suas aspirações ?

Nos dias que correm a nobreza de carácter não parece ser o factor chave nas figuras que são mais celebradas pelo mundo inteiro. A nossa sociedade dá mais atenção ao indigente moral célebre pelas sacadas narcísicas do que ao guerreiro, ao santo, ao patriarca que dedicaram a sua vida a um propósito e aspirações manifestamente superiores.

É frequente vermos ser objeto de atenção o homem vaidoso, efeminado, narcísico e corrupto até. O facto de serem estas as referências que temos na cultura moderna diz muito da sociedade em que vivemos. É importante notar que nós somos como espelhos que refletem aquilo que reverenciamos, isto é, vamo-nos tornando mais parecidos com o objeto da nossa admiração. É nosso instinto tentar imitar aquilo que admiramos, portanto isto é um grave problema quando admiramos as coisas erradas.

Pode parecer contraintuitivo mas por vezes as coisas mais admiráveis na vida são na verdade as mais simples. Prestemos atenção ao que nos diz o auto G.K Chesterton a este propósito.

Há algo de magnificamente sóbrio no pai de família que não procura atenção e se dedica exclusivamente ao seu dever. Esta figura é, por hora, demonizada tantas e tantas vezes, sendo frequentemente apresentado como sendo o mandatário de uma cultura misógina e machista.

Estou convencido que enquanto a figura de pai de família não for devidamente reabilitada, dificilmente teremos um ressurgimento de famílias propriamente ordenadas. É importante notar aqui um ponto, este pai de família deve ser alguém capaz de colocar os interesses da família primeiro que os seus interesses individuais. Deve ser alguém que não viva no relativismo moral, mas sim um homem de fé, algo que está em vias de extinção no ocidente e em particular em Portugal. Este homem deve ser o porto de abrigo para a sua família, alguém disposto a travar o bom combate, e será sempre portanto um defensor acérrimo da verdade. Não será naturalmente alguém obcecado com a sua própria imagem, mas sim um homem desejavelmente forte quer em termos físicos, tendo zelo na forma como se exercita, quer em termos mentais, sendo uma pessoa capaz mas com autocontrolo. Deve também ser um homem com uma vida intelectual, isto é, alguém que nutre interesse pelo legado que lhe foi confiado e procura aprender sobre o mesmo. Muitos homens antes de si fizeram sacrifícios para que o homem da atualidade usufrua dos mais variados benefícios.

A atualidade oferece-nos por vezes a promoção de algumas destas facetas, algo que seria desejável e bom, contudo com algumas distorções. Há homens fortes, capazes de feitos atléticos ímpares, que se cultivam nesse domínio mas pelas razões erradas. Por vezes o imperativo moral que os guia é a vaidade, sendo que esse trabalho físico que fazem conspira para consolidar o seu narcisismo.

Outros há com uma determinação inabalável, algo louvável quando usada para os fins próprios. Esta determinação não deve ser usada para a procura de grandes riquezas como um fim em si mesmas, nem como um isco usado para o oportunismo sexual com as mulheres.

Poderíamos também dar como exemplo, homens com uma prodigiosa inteligência mas que, não a tendo devidamente orientada, a usam para manipular e corromper o discurso público não olhando a meios para atingir os fins.

Um factor chave que dificulta a formação de mais homens com este tipo de espinha dorsal é uma certa apropriação da linguagem que tem existido no discurso público que procura rotular quem ousa desafiar este status quo. Termos como “negacionista”, “radical”, “fascista”, “fundamentalista”, “ultranacionalista” entre outros, são constantemente atirados remetendo o homem para uma falsa conclusão:

“ Tu não podes defender nada, nem ter certeza de nada”.

Outra ferramenta importante nesta desconstrução é o apelo ao vício. Sendo através da pornografia, da comida ultra-processada ou de uma vida de conforto , há claramente um incentivo ao hedonismo e à autoindulgência. Procura-se alimentar cada vez mais esta busca do prazer com o fim último, e por conseguinte a coragem, o sacrifício e o trabalho, como pedras angulares da construção do carácter do homem ficam para segundo plano.

O cavalheirismo ficou-se apenas pelas aparências. Por vezes, há um verniz de algumas das propriedades que descrevi em várias situações, contudo não passa de uma máscara. É fácil segurar uma porta para uma senhora e dizer “com licença”, “por favor”, para se mostrar alguém educado quando o custo para o fazer é mínimo. Difícil é estar disposto a fazer sacríficos em que nos doamos inteiramente pelos outros, no entanto é isso que é pedido ao homem. Doando-se encontrará o seu verdadeiro propósito.

@ 2e8970de:63345c7a

https://www.statista.com/topics/10083/onlyfans/#topicOverview

305 million subscribers. 468 million monthly website visits.

Currently in the news is the retirement of an adult star who made 67 million Dollars in 3 years. Very little focus is put on the vast majority of "entertainers" who make very little money. And even less on the vast vast majority of website visitors that pay instead of being payed.

I don't think it's useful to argue if it's 1 in 27 or 1 in 24 depending on how big the world population is. What's more interesting to me: ** what does this do to our society and culture?**

1 in 27. Only half the population is male (which is almost all subscribers if we are being honest) so maybe 1 in 14? How many in the world population are too old or too young to use the internet like that. Then exclude all the poor people from third world countries. You get where I'm going with this. Walk through the downtown of any major western city and count the humans: 1,2,3..1,2,3... What a baffling statistic, don't you think?

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/917007

@ a39d19ec:3d88f61e

Nun da das deutsche Bundesregime den Ruin Deutschlands beschlossen hat, der sehr wahrscheinlich mit dem Werkzeug des Geld druckens "finanziert" wird, kamen mir so viele Gedanken zur Geldmengenausweitung, dass ich diese für einmal niedergeschrieben habe.

Die Ausweitung der Geldmenge führt aus klassischer wirtschaftlicher Sicht immer zu Preissteigerungen, weil mehr Geld im Umlauf auf eine begrenzte Menge an Gütern trifft. Dies lässt sich in mehreren Schritten analysieren:

1. Quantitätstheorie des Geldes

Die klassische Gleichung der Quantitätstheorie des Geldes lautet:

M • V = P • Y

wobei:
- M die Geldmenge ist,
- V die Umlaufgeschwindigkeit des Geldes,
- P das Preisniveau,
- Y die reale Wirtschaftsleistung (BIP).

Wenn M steigt und V sowie Y konstant bleiben, muss P steigen – also Inflation entstehen.

2. Gütermenge bleibt begrenzt

Die Menge an real produzierten Gütern und Dienstleistungen wächst meist nur langsam im Vergleich zur Ausweitung der Geldmenge. Wenn die Geldmenge schneller steigt als die Produktionsgütermenge, führt dies dazu, dass mehr Geld für die gleiche Menge an Waren zur Verfügung steht – die Preise steigen.

3. Erwartungseffekte und Spekulation

Wenn Unternehmen und Haushalte erwarten, dass mehr Geld im Umlauf ist, da eine zentrale Planung es so wollte, können sie steigende Preise antizipieren. Unternehmen erhöhen ihre Preise vorab, und Arbeitnehmer fordern höhere Löhne. Dies kann eine sich selbst verstärkende Spirale auslösen.

4. Internationale Perspektive

Eine erhöhte Geldmenge kann die Währung abwerten, wenn andere Länder ihre Geldpolitik stabil halten. Eine schwächere Währung macht Importe teurer, was wiederum Preissteigerungen antreibt.

5. Kritik an der reinen Geldmengen-Theorie

Der Vollständigkeit halber muss erwähnt werden, dass die meisten modernen Ökonomen im Staatsauftrag argumentieren, dass Inflation nicht nur von der Geldmenge abhängt, sondern auch von der Nachfrage nach Geld (z. B. in einer Wirtschaftskrise). Dennoch zeigt die historische Erfahrung, dass eine unkontrollierte Geldmengenausweitung langfristig immer zu Preissteigerungen führt, wie etwa in der Hyperinflation der Weimarer Republik oder in Simbabwe.

@ 6260f29f:2ee2fcd4

```js

```

@ a60e79e0:1e0e6813

**This is a long form note test of a post that lives on my Nostr educational website Hello Nostr **

One of the first things most people learn when getting started with Nostr is the importance of their private key, or ‘nsec’. The nsec is the key to their Nostr world. Whoever controls an nsec, controls that account. Lose access to the nsec and you lose access to that account and its social graph.

So the nsec is very important and should be treated very carefully, but what happens if we want to use or test multiple Nostr clients? Newer clients might be malicious, or have unknown security vulnerabilities, so simply go pasting our nsec everywhere just to see if we like a new app is not the best idea!

Thankfully there are solutions for nsec management that allow us to do exactly that, without having to expose our all important nsec to each and every app we want to interact with. The most commonly used to date are browser extensions like Alby or nos2x. Typically these types of browser extensions do not work on mobile platforms.

Enter Amber…

What is Amber?

Amber is a free and open source Android application that serves as a dedicated ‘Nostr event signer’. Amber allows users to keep their nsec segregated in a single, dedicated app. The goal of Amber is to have your smartphone act as a NIP-46 signing device without any need for servers or additional hardware.

At its core Amber serves two main purposes:

Securing your nsec(s) Using this nsec to sign events for other Nostr clients on your phone

Got an iPhone? Check out nsec.app

Getting Started

1. Download Amber to your phone. It is available from Zap Store, Obtanium, GitHub or F-Droid

Download Amber here. Support Amber here.

1. When opening Amber for the first time, you’ll have the option to create a new Nostr account (nsec) or import an existing one.

2. If you do not currently have a Nostr account, Amber will help you generate and secure a brand new nsec. Amber allows you to download an encrypted file containing your nsec as well as the option to download a human-readable version of the nsec in the form of 12 English words, similar to a Bitcoin seed.

Skip this step if you have an existing nsec that you want to import to Amber.

1. To import an existing nsec, choose ‘Use your private key’. You can then paste the nsec from an existing client, or scan a QR code of it if you have one available to you.

2. Once you have created or imported your nsec, Amber will ask for some basic permissions. You can allow the app the approve basic actions, or enable more granular selection for each client you subsequently connect. Once you tap ‘Finish’, you’ll see that the account is now ready.

If you have or require more than one Nostr account, you can repeat these steps for each one. All accounts can be viewed by tapping the profile image in the bottom right corner of the screen.

1. That’s it, Amber is now ready to sign events. Amber allows multiple ways to connect other clients to it, but most will have a very simple ‘Login with Amber’ button. Let’s demo this in practice with Amethyst, the most popular Android-only client.

The opening screen of Amethyst shows the ‘Login with Amber’ option. Tap that.

1. Amber will then open automatically and ask you to define the level of autonomy you’d like to have with Amethyst. This setting defines how often Amber will require you to manually authorize each event.

For example, you might want Amber to automatically sign every like or repost you do in Amethyst, but then be asked to manually approve all direct messages sent from your account. These permissions can be customized in the settings at any time.

1. Let’s assume that upon setup, we did not grant Amber the ability to automatically sign short text notes for us. Let’s look at how simple the authorization flow is. Type a new short note in Amethyst and press ‘Post’.

Amethyst will instantly send the request to the Amber app on your phone, with no third party server involved. Amber will open and ask you to approve the event. When you do, Amber signs the event with the nsec it stores for you and automatically send the signed event back to Amethyst to be posted. The whole process takes just a few seconds.

Using Amber with a Web Client

1. Next let’s take a look at how you can use Amber on your phone to sign events on a web app running on your computer. For this example, we’ll be using Coracle. Open Coracle and click ‘Log In’, then choose ‘Use Remote Signer’. Coracle will then display a QR code.

2. Open Amber and navigate to the Applications page, tap the + icon, then scan the QR code being displayed by Coracle.

3. Just as it did earlier with Amethyst, Amber will now ask you to grant some basic permissions for the Coracle connection. Once again, these permissions can be customized at any time in the settings. Once granted, you’ll notice that Coracle automatically logs in to your feed.

But wait, how did that happen? The nsec is in Amber on your phone, and Coracle is running on your computer. The two might not even be in the same location or on the same network!? The communication is happening over the Nostr protocol, via relays. Which relays are used for this communication can be configured in the Amber settings.

1. Let’s test out a short note on Coracle to demonstrate the signing process. Click ‘Post +’ in the top right corner, draft your note and then click send.

2. Amber will send a push notification to your phone. Tapping the notification will open Amber for you to approve the event.

3. Once the event is approved in Amber, Amber will automatically send the signed event back to Coracle for publishing.

Summary

You can view Amber as a vault for your Nostr private keys (nsec). It allows you to explore the entire ecosystem without exposing your nsec to every new app you try. Amber is an incredibly simple yet powerful tool that belongs on the Android phone of every Nostr user.

At the time of writing, using Amber as a remote event signer is supported by the following popular Nostr clients:

• Amethyst (mobile)
• Coracle (web)
• 0xChat (mobile)
• Fountain (mobile)
• Zap Store (mobile)
• Keychat (mobile)
• Freeflow (mobile)
• Highlighter (web)
• Chachi Chat (web)
• Habla (web)
• Shopstr (web)
• Plebeian Market (web)
• Snort (web)
• Nostrudel (web)

If you found this post useful, please share it with your peers and consider following and zapping me on Nostr. If you write to me and let me know that you found me via this post, I’ll be sure to Zap you back! ⚡️

@ 044da344:073a8a0e

Die Medien-Epidemie

Rubikon und Medienrealität, 18. März 2020

Ab jetzt regiert die Medizin, hat Markus Söder am Montag gesagt. Medienforscher, ab ins Homeoffice. Von dort sehen wir, was Ärzte nicht untersuchen können. Wir sehen, wie Medien eine Realität schaffen, die Politiker für so real halten, dass sie die Welt komplett umbauen – eine Medienwirkung zweiter Ordnung, die auf Medienwirkungen erster Ordnung vertrauen und uns alle so ins Chaos stürzen kann.

Ich gebe zu: Wenn man nicht krank ist und dazu noch ein Fatalist und Dickhäuter, den es nicht stört, wenn Bars und Kinos geschlossen sind und die Leute böse schauen, wenn sie einen ins Büro gehen sehen, dann lebt man als Medienforscher gerade in goldenen Zeiten. Nie zuvor war die Macht der Medien so offensichtlich. Nie zuvor war mein Forschungsgegenstand so wichtig. Eigentlich hätte Markus Söder am Montag sagen müssen: Ab jetzt regieren die Medien.

Genau genommen tun sie das schon lange, aber bei den allermeisten Themen haben die Politik und andere mächtige Akteure die Logik des Journalismus so internalisiert, dass sie den Redaktionen das liefern, wonach diese ohnehin suchen. Meine Theorie der Medialisierung beginnt genau da: Jeder Entscheidungsträger weiß, dass heute nichts mehr geht ohne öffentliche Aufmerksamkeit und ohne öffentliche Legitimation. Jeder weiß, dass er die Medien braucht, und versucht deshalb entweder, die Berichterstattung zu unterbinden, oder die Logik des Mediensystems für seine Interessen zu nutzen und in der Öffentlichkeit ein positives Bild zu erzeugen (vgl. Meyen 2014, 2018). Deshalb die großen PR-Stäbe, deshalb all die spektakulären Projekte, Events, Ideen, deshalb Spitzenleute wie Markus Söder, der beim Bayerischen Rundfunk Volontär war und weiß, wie die Kolleginnen und Kollegen von einst so ticken.

Corona war anders. Corona kam aus dem Nichts (aus China, okay, aber hier ist kein Platz für Verschwörungstheorien). Corona hat die Medienrealität gekapert, ohne dass die Redaktionen sich wehren konnten, weil der Imperativ der Aufmerksamkeit in einem kommerziellen Mediensystem auch die gebührenfinanzierten Angebote regiert. Corona ist Medienlogik pur. Journalismus war schon immer Selektion. Selbst das, was an einem Tag in einem Stadtteil von München passiert, würde mehr füllen als eine Süddeutsche Zeitung. Heute wird das Medienrealität, was die meisten Klicks verspricht, die meisten Likes, die meisten Retweets. Superlative, Sensationen, Prominente. Dinge, die es so noch nicht gab. Drei Infizierte, 15, 200. Tom Hanks. Der erste Bundestagsabgeordnete. Der erste Zweitligaspieler. Der erste Trainer. Sogar jemand von Juve, eben noch halbnackt in der Jubelkabine, und in drei Tagen schon auf dem Rasen gegen Lyon. Tom Hanks aus dem Krankenhaus entlassen. Und jetzt auch noch Merz.

Medienrealität ist eine Realität erster Ordnung – wie der Zaun, der uns nicht vorbeilässt, oder der Polizist, der unseren Ausweis sehen will. Wir können die Medienrealität nicht ignorieren, weil wir annehmen, dass sie Folgen hat – wenn vielleicht auch nicht für uns, so doch für andere. Selbst wenn wir persönlich nicht glauben, dass eine Ausgangssperre kommt oder die Versorgungsketten gekappt werden, fangen wir an, Klopapier zu horten (oder Rotwein, wenn wir Italiener wären), weil wir glauben, dass die anderen ihr Verhalten ändern werden, und zwar so, wie es der Medientenor vorgibt.

Wer nicht versteht, was Markus Söder gerade reitet oder all die anderen, die in irgendeinem Regierungssitz oder auch nur in einer kleinen Behörde oder gar in einer Universität Verantwortung tragen, hat hier einen Schlüssel. Entscheidungsträger unterstellen, dass Massenmedien mächtig sind, und wollen entweder die Deutungshoheit zurückerobern oder scheuen jedes selbständige Denken. Das Motto der Stunde: Die Medien sind voll mit Corona (sie sind es wirklich, weil wir das immerfort klicken, liken, retweeten), also müssen wir die Menschen davor schützen, ob sie wollen oder nicht. Diese Menschen wissen, was die Italiener unternehmen, was die Berliner und was der junge Kurz in Österreich. So einen brauchen wir auch, ruft die Bildzeitung. Kein Problem. Das können wir toppen. In Deutschland regiert ab jetzt die Medizin. Was morgen sein wird? Schauen Sie einfach, welche Hashtags gerade auf Twitter im Trend sind. Dort treiben sich Reporter und Politiker gegenseitig in ungeahnte Höhen.

Damit sind wir bei der Verantwortung und beim Ethos des Journalismus. Was ist aus dem Ort geworden, an dem die Gesellschaft, an dem wir alle das diskutieren und aushandeln können, was uns umtreibt? Wo ist der Streit der Meinungen, der doch gerade bei existenziellen Entscheidungen wie denen, die Markus Söder am Montag verkündet hat, nötiger wäre denn je? Wann ist das Prinzip der US-Journalismus-Ikone I.F. Stone verschwunden, der seine Kollegen ermahnt hat, gerade bei mächtigen Institutionen immer besonders vorsichtig zu sein – also auch bei der Charité, auch beim Robert-Koch-Institut und erst recht bei jeder Regierung (vgl. Goeßmann 2017: 30). Marcus B. Klöckner (2019: 9) hat gerade gezeigt, wie es zu einem Journalismus kommen konnte, der die Macht nicht kritisiert und kontrolliert, sondern einen „Schutzmantel um die politischen Weichensteller legt“ und kritische Stimmen aus dem „legitimen öffentlichen Diskursraum“ de facto ausschaltet.

Natürlich: Es gibt Perlen im Corona-Einheitsbrei. Rubikon zum Beispiel, eine alternative Plattform, auf der Herausgeber Jens Wernicke seit Tagen Gegenstimmen sammelt. Heribert Prantl, SZ-Leitartikler im Ruhestand, hat in seinem Sonntagsbrief („Prantls Blick“) „den virologisch-politisch-publizistischen Rigorismus“ beklagt, und seine alte Redaktion ließ im Feuilleton am Dienstag Rene Schlott, einen Historiker, mit der Frage zu Wort kommen, ob „die offene Gesellschaft erwürgt“ werde, „um sie zu retten“ (online hinter einer Bezahlschranke). Schlott spricht sich gleich zu Beginn seines Artikels Mut zu und hofft, dass ihn nicht ausgerechnet dieser Text in die Isolation treibt. Noch deutlicher wird der hegemoniale Diskurs auf der Webseite von Radio Eins, bezahlt von unseren Beiträgen und betrieben vom RBB. Es gibt dort ein Interview mit Karin Mölling, einer preisgekrönten Virologin im Ruhestand, zehn Minuten immerhin, die dort vor Panikmache warnt, Corona mit Blick auf Influenza relativiert und ein drittes Virus, eine dritte Epidemie ausmacht, mindestens genauso gefährlich: soziale Medien und Presse. Die Redaktion sah sich genötigt, eine „Klarstellung“ zu schreiben. Eine „Einzelmeinung“, liebe Leute. Wir, die Mannschaft von Radio Eins, sind nicht so „zynisch“ wie diese Ärztin und wollen die Krise keinesfalls verharmlosen.

Was tun? Auf lange Sicht ist das nicht schwierig und genauso klar wie beim Gesundheitswesen oder im Handel. Weg von der kommerziellen Logik, die Aufmerksamkeit maximiert und sonst nichts, hin zu einem Journalismus, der die Informationen liefert, die wir brauchen, und deshalb anders organisiert sein muss, genossenschaftlich zum Beispiel. Für den Moment hilft das nicht. Aber vielleicht können wir ja auch über die Medien diskutieren, wenn die Redaktionen den nächsten Hype entdeckt haben.

Literatur

David Goeßmann: Wenn Regierungen lügen und Medien mitmachen. In: Jens Wernicke: Lügen die Medien? Propaganda, Rudeljournalismus und der Kampf um die öffentliche Meinung. Frankfurt am Main: Westend 2017, S. 29-45.

Marcus B. Klöckner: Sabotierte Wirklichkeit. Oder: Wenn Journalismus zur Glaubenslehre wird. Frankfurt am Main: Westend 2019.

Michael Meyen: Theorie der Medialisierung. Eine Erwiderung auf Anna M. Theis-Berglmair. In: Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft 62. Jg. (2014), S. 645-655.

Michael Meyen: Breaking News. Die Welt im Ausnahmezustand. Wie die Medien uns regieren. Frankfurt am Main: Westend 2018.

Daten + Experten = Demokratie?

Rubikon, 18. März 2020, und ForDemocracy, 19. März 2020

Dieser Beitrag entstand auf Anregung von Jens Wernicke, Herausgeber der Plattform Rubikon, und ist dort unter dem Titel “Die Expertokratie” erschienen. Hier das Original, ergänzt um Literaturangaben.

Es gibt ein Buch von Jason Brennan, 2017 auf Deutsch erschienen, das ziemlich genau das fordert, was gerade geschieht. Eine Epistokratie, bitte. Die Herrschaft der Wissenden. Lasst die Experten nur machen, weil wir alle ohnehin nicht viel von der Welt verstehen. Dann wird dieser elende Streit der Ideen ein Ende haben, und alles wird endlich gut.

Dieses Buch war ein Bestseller und wurde vermutlich auch in den Staatskanzleien und Verwaltungen gelesen, die jetzt Ärzte in den Rang von politischen Göttern erheben und auf Daten und Kurven verweisen, wenn sie den Menschen fast alles nehmen, worauf unser Leben baut. Von Risiken und Nebenwirkungen hat Jason Brennan geschwiegen. Er musste davon schweigen, weil der Sachbuchmarkt eine steile These verlangt, gerade in den USA, und einen Titel, der zum Kauf anregt. „Gegen Demokratie“, hat Ullstein in Deutschland auf das Cover geschrieben. Ich habe mich damals darüber lustig gemacht, vor allem über den Glauben, dass wir in einer „Demokratie“ leben, weil man uns alle paar Jahre abstimmen lässt. Jetzt könnte jeder sehen, dass das immer noch besser ist als eine Herrschaft der Experten. Konkret: besser als das „Primat der Medizin“ (Markus Söder). Man muss nur die Augen aufmachen.

In den Leitmedien sieht man: volle Unterstützung für unsere Jungs und Mädels in der Regierung. So sagt das der Sprecher im Audi Dome, wenn der FC Bayern Basketball am Rand einer Niederlage steht, ohne die Mädels natürlich. Die Zuschauer sollen dann aufstehen und so viel Krach machen, dass das Spiel doch noch kippt. Um im Bild zu bleiben: In einer parlamentarischen Demokratie gibt es Auswärtsfans. Nicht viele, wenn die größten Teams einfach fusionieren, aber immerhin. Die Indexing-These von Lance Bennett, bestätigt in vielen Studien, sagt: Journalisten berichten über Konflikte in der Gesellschaft, aber, und dieses große Aber schränkt das Spektrum schon in sogenannten normalen Zeiten erheblich ein, aber die entsprechenden Ansichten müssen in der offiziellen politischen Debatte vorkommen, im Bundestag zum Beispiel. Was das Berlin der Parteien, der Abgeordneten und der Lobbyisten nicht diskutiert, erscheint nicht in den Medien, und was Politik oder Wirtschaft nicht vorkauen, kann der Journalist nicht verdauen.

Es ist nicht schwer, diesen Befund in die Gegenwart zu verlängern. Wo die Medizin regiert, gibt es keine parlamentarische Debatte und damit auch keinen öffentlichen Streit um die beste Lösung, nicht einmal den gedämpften einer eingehegten Wahldemokratie. Mehr noch: Der Journalismus dankt ab und lässt die Experten gleich selbst sprechen, Christian Drosten zum Beispiel, der mit seiner Forschungsgruppe an der Berliner Charité erst einen Corona-Test entwickelt hat und jetzt gleichzeitig zu Regierenden und Volk spricht. Dass ihn viele Redaktionen gewähren lassen und sogar noch feiern, erinnert an das, was Uwe Krüger (2016: 105), Medienforscher in Leipzig, nach dem Ukraine-Desaster 2014 „Verantwortungsverschwörung“ genannt hat: Der Journalist weiß, was gut ist und was schlecht (so ziemlich das gleiche, was die Herrschenden gut oder schlecht finden, weil alle ganz ähnlich aufgewachsen sind und zusammen studiert haben), und er glaubt, dass er Einfluss auf die Menschen hat. Also zur Solidarität aufrufen, die Tatkraft der Regierenden loben und im übrigen auf die „Fakten“ verweisen oder die Experten fragen. Wenn diese Experten gegen den Mainstream schwimmen (wie zum Beispiel Wolfgang Wodarg oder Karin Mölling), dann werden sie delegitimiert und nicht mehr angehört.

Anders als Jason Brennan ging Walter Lippmann (2018) nicht davon aus, dass wir Wähler kein Interesse an der Politik haben oder dass uns gar der nötige Verstand dafür fehlt. Lippmann wollte den Verstand manipulieren. Er wusste, dass wir auf Vorstellungen von der Welt reagieren und dass die Macht bei denen liegt, die diese Bilder produzieren. Lippmann hat schon vor fast einhundert Jahren eine Regierung der Experten empfohlen, eine Gesellschaft, in der Sozialforscher wie er die große „Herde“ führen. Sein Rezept, das so klingt, als sei es erst eine Woche alt: „Der Zugang zu der wirklichen Umwelt muss begrenzt werden, ehe jemand eine Pseudoumwelt errichten kann, die er für klug oder wünschenswert hält.“

Damit weg von den Medien und hin zu unserem Glauben an die Daten, an die „Pseudoumwelt“, die Experten wie Christian Drosten bauen. Im gleichen Jahr, in dem Jason Brennan „Gegen Demokratie“ angeschrieben hat, ist bei Suhrkamp ein Buch von Steffen Mau (2017) erschienen, einem Soziologen von der Humboldt-Uni, das den Megatrend der Quantifizierung des Sozialen auf eine griffige Formel gebracht hat: „Das metrische Wir“. Man muss diesen Trend kennen, wenn man verstehen will, warum alle Welt gerade auf den Newsticker starrt, der die Zahl der Infizierten und der Toten im Stundentakt aktualisiert und in bunten Diagrammen oder auf noch bunteren Karten Länder oder Regionen miteinander vergleicht, die man überhaupt nicht miteinander vergleichen kann.

Heute geht nichts mehr ohne Zahlen. Was nicht in Zahlen übersetzt werden kann, existiert nicht länger. In der Sprache des Soziologen Steffen Mau: Zahlen sind „zur Leitwährung der digitalisierten Gesellschaft geworden“. Zahlen versprechen „Präzision, Eineindeutigkeit, Vereinfachung, Nachprüfbarkeit und Neutralität“ (S. 26f.). Zahlen sind die Antwort auf unser Bedürfnis nach Sicherheit und Kontrolle. Zahlen haben das Bauchgefühl verdrängt, das uns sagt, was richtig ist, das Urteil, das abwägt und dabei auch um die Besonderheiten dieses einen Falles weiß, den Blick auf die Welt, der Komplexität und Ungewissheiten anerkennt. Die Ärzte sagen uns, wie viele Menschen krank sind, wie viele davon sterben werden und was wir alles tun müssen, damit die Betten auf den Intensivstationen reichen. Wir glauben ihnen, weil wir gewöhnt sind, die Welt durch die Brille von Zahlen zu sehen. Und die Regierenden folgen ihnen, weil sie uns kennen.

Nur: Eine Zahl ist eine Zahl und nicht die Realität. Das weiß jeder Wissenschaftler, der „im Feld“ war und selbst Daten erhoben hat. Was immer wir messen, wird sozial hergestellt. Menschen legen fest, dass sie Schritte zählen, um ihre Existenz zu legitimieren, und nicht Furze oder Rülpser (sorry). Menschen legen fest, nach welchem Virus sie suchen und was passieren muss, damit sie „Gefunden!“ rufen können. Hinter jeder Zahl steht ein Interesse, und sei es nur das eines Herstellers, der seine Geräte loswerden will. Daraus folgt immer: Es hätte auch anders sein können. Das klingt banal, ist es aber ganz offenkundig nicht. Sonst könnten wir gerade nicht beobachten, wie Zahlen alles umbauen, was wir bisher gekannt haben. Wir lernen: Zahlen sind nicht die Wirklichkeit. Sie erzeugen sie erst.

Wer Zahlen verkauft, egal ob Virologe oder Medienforscher, braucht das Vertrauen seiner Kunden. Er muss die Zweifel verwischen, die mit jeder Datenerhebung verbunden sind. Man muss kein Virologe sein (wohl aber eine gesunde Skepsis gegenüber allen Zahlen mitbringen), um diese Zweifel auszusprechen. Was bedeutet es, dass heute 12.000 Menschen mit einem bestimmten Virus infiziert sind, morgen 15.000 und übermorgen mehr als 20.000? Haben sich tatsächlich mehr Menschen angesteckt oder wird einfach mehr gemessen, in provisorischen Zelten zum Beispiel und bei Menschen, die sonst nie und nimmer zum Arzt gegangen wären, aber jetzt gar nicht anders können bei all dem sozialen und medialen Druck? Wann genau wird ein Test „positiv“? Genauer gefragt: Worauf haben sich die Erfinder des Tests hier geeinigt und was wäre, wenn sie sich anders entschieden hätten? Warum sterben in einem Land 0,5 Prozent der Infizierten und in einem anderen fünf Prozent? Liegt das vielleicht daran, dass man hier eher zufällig testet und dort nur die, die ohnehin schon im Krankenhaus liegen? Und ab wann wird man eigentlich ein Corona-Toter? Woher weiß der Arzt, was genau bei einem Menschen „mit Vorerkrankung“ zum Ende geführt hat?

Ganz unabhängig von solchen Zweifeln sind Zahlen nur dann etwas wert, wenn man sie einordnen kann. Die Wissenschaft lebt vom Vergleich. Niemand weiß, wie viele Menschen in den vergangenen  Jahren das hatten, was wir „Grippe“ nennen, und wie viele daran gestorben sind. Eine „Grippe“ war längst so normal, dass wir trotzdem zur Arbeit gegangen sind und dort vielleicht an einem Herzinfarkt gestorben sind oder bei einem Autounfall, weil wir gerade niesen mussten, als die Ampel rot wurde.

Wer noch lebt, muss sich wehren gegen die Herrschaft der Experten und der Daten, den (hoffentlich noch) gesunden Menschenverstand einschalten und fragen, was es mit uns macht, wenn wir unsere Kolleginnen und Kollegen nicht mehr sehen dürfen (weder im Büro noch abends beim Bier), wenn Vater, Mutter, Kinder den ganzen Tag auf ein paar Quadratmetern zusammen sein müssen (wie sonst nur Weihnachten, wo es den meisten Familienkrach gibt) und wenn man uns die Fahrt in den Urlaub nimmt, den Ausflug, das Fitnessstudio. Virologen können das nicht wissen. Virologen wissen auch nicht, wie ein Land wieder zurückkommt auf Los und wie all das, was jetzt an Verboten, Kontrolle und Überwachung möglich geworden ist, erst zurückgeholt und dann aus dem kollektiven Gedächtnis gelöscht werden kann. Dafür gibt es weder Experten noch Daten.

Literatur

Jason Brennan: Gegen Demokratie. Warum wir die Politik nicht den Unvernünftigen überlassen dürfen. Berlin: Ullstein 2017.

Uwe Krüger: Mainstream. Warum wir den Medien nicht mehr trauen. München: C.H. Beck 2016.

Walter Lippmann: Die öffentliche Meinung. Wie sie entsteht und manipuliert wird. Herausgegeben von Walter Otto Ötsch und Silja Graupe. Frankfurt am Main: Westend 2018.

Steffen Mau: Das metrische Wir. Über die Quantifizierung des Sozialen. Berlin: Suhrkamp 2017.

Kniefall vor der Wissenschaft

Medienrealität, 26. März 2020, und Rubikon, 27. März 2020

Patrick Illinger fällt vor der Wissenschaft auf die Knie. Das wäre kein Problem, wenn Illinger nicht das Wissenschaftsressort der Süddeutschen Zeitung leiten und dort Leitartikel schreiben würde. „Seriöse Wissenschaft hat keine andere Agenda als das Suchen und Überbringen möglichst fundierter Fakten“, steht dort heute. Genau das ist die Agenda. Und die SZ geht ihr auf den Leim.

Zeitunglesen geht im Moment schnell. Zwei Minuten, wie in der DDR. Einmal blättern und man weiß, dass sich die Regierungsmeinung nicht geändert hat und die Medienlogik auch nicht. Eigentlich habe ich dazu schon alles gesagt. Ich habe letzte Woche geschrieben, wie sich Journalismus und Politik gegenseitig hochgeschaukelt haben am Imperativ der Aufmerksamkeit und dadurch eine Realität geschaffen wurde, die man jetzt nicht einmal mehr zu dritt auf der Straße erörtern kann (vgl. Meyen 2020a). Das ist der Tod von Öffentlichkeit, die online nicht wiederbelebt werden kann, weil dort Stürme drohen und so die Zwischenstufen fehlen, die Encounter (Begegnungen im Bus, in der Kneipe, auf dem Büroflur) und Leitmedien zusammenbringen. Keine Versammlungen, keine Demos. Nicht einmal mehr Graffiti. Encounter sowieso nicht. Und damit keine Öffentlichkeit.

Ich habe letzte Woche auch über die Expertokratie geschrieben, die Patrick Illinger heute in der Süddeutschen Zeitung verteidigt, und über das, was aus einer Herrschaft der Wissenschaft für die Medien folgt (vgl. Meyen 2020b). Zitat: „Der Journalismus dankt ab und lässt die Experten gleich selbst sprechen“. Ich habe dort auch versucht zu erklären, warum Daten und Zahlen nicht mit der Realität zu verwechseln sind (vgl. Mau 2017). Noch ein Zitat: „Was immer wir messen, wird sozial hergestellt. Menschen legen fest, nach welchem Virus sie suchen und was passieren muss, damit sie ‚Gefunden!‘ rufen können. Hinter jeder Zahl steht ein Interesse, und sei es nur das eines Herstellers, der seine Geräte loswerden will. Daraus folgt immer: Es hätte auch anders sein können. Das klingt banal, ist es aber ganz offenkundig nicht. Sonst könnten wir gerade nicht beobachten, wie Zahlen alles umbauen, was wir bisher gekannt haben. Wir lernen: Zahlen sind nicht die Wirklichkeit. Sie erzeugen sie erst“.

Und damit endlich zu Patrick Illinger. „Wer jetzt vor einer Diktatur der Wissenschaft warnt“, heißt es in besagtem Leitartikel, „begeht einen Fehler. Es (sic!) macht die Wissenschaft zum Stakeholder, zur Interessengruppe, zu einer Strömung, der man sich widersetzen kann und vielleicht sollte. Doch das verwechselt den Boten mit der Botschaft“. Nein. Punkt eins: Es gibt keine Botschaft ohne Boten. Punkt zwei: Die Wissenschaft, die sich nur für die Wahrheit interessiert und für sonst nichts, ist eine Schimäre. Das „interessenlose Interesse“ oder das „Interesse an der Interessenlosigkeit“, die Idee, dass wir es hier mit Menschen zu tun haben, die „uneigennützig“ und womöglich sogar „unentgeltlich“ arbeiten: Das ist die „illusio“ des akademischen Feldes (Bourdieu 1998: 27). Und Punkt drei: Dieses akademische Feld ist längst gekapert von den Imperativen der Wirtschaft (Geld!) und der Medien (Aufmerksamkeit!). Eigentlich sollte es deshalb selbstverständlich sein, stets die Strukturen zu hinterfragen, in denen Wissen (Illinger: „möglichst fundierte Fakten“) produziert wird. Eigentlich.

Der Reihe nach und etwas ausführlicher. Wissenschaft wird von Menschen gemacht. Menschen entscheiden, welche Fragen sie beantworten wollen (und damit auch, welche nicht beantwortet werden). Menschen entscheiden, welcher Weg zur Erkenntnis akzeptiert wird und welcher nicht und damit auch, auf welche „Fakten“ wir alle zugreifen können, wenn die Not groß ist. Die Wissenschaft ist dabei eine soziale Welt wie jedes andere Feld. Das heißt: Woran dort gearbeitet wird, hängt von der „Struktur der objektiven Beziehungen zwischen den Akteuren“ ab und vor allem davon, was am Machtpol gerade goutiert wird (Bourdieu 1998: 20). Welche Themen versprechen Verträge, die über das Jahresende hinausgehen, mit welchen Methoden muss ich forschen, um am Ende eine Professur zu bekommen oder gar den Chefposten in einem großen Institut?

Das ist die erste Agenda, noch ganz ohne den Einfluss von Drittmitteln und ohne die Gier nach Prominenz oder wenigstens nach öffentlicher (medialer) Legitimation: Wissenschaftler sind Menschen und wollen (wie alle anderen auch) ihre Position verbessern. Sie wollen, dass ihre Fragen wichtiger werden und die Mittel, mit denen sie nach einer Antwort suchen. Das gilt innerhalb einzelner Disziplinen (etwa: in der Medizin) genauso wie im akademischen Feld insgesamt. Virologie gegen Soziologie gegen Geschichte. Kurz vor Corona hatte die bayerische Regierung Unsummen für die Big-Data-Forschung angekündigt. Ein Füllhorn für die Universitäten, um der „künstlichen Intelligenz“ auf die Spur zu kommen. Mal schauen, was davon jetzt übrigbleibt.

Das führt direkt zur zweiten Agenda, die gar nicht mehr verborgen werden muss, weil die Position im akademischen Feld inzwischen auch vom Medienecho abhängt und noch stärker davon, wie viel Geld von außen eingeworben wird. Wurden Wissenschaftler noch vor zwei oder drei Dekaden als Feuilletonforscher belächelt, wenn sie allzu oft auf der Mattscheibe zu sehen waren oder in der Presse, ist öffentliche Präsenz inzwischen ein Muss für alle großen Fördereinrichtungen und damit auch für die Reputation im Feld. Man darf Christian Drosten (nur als Beispiel) nicht verübeln, dass er einen Elfmeter schießt, wenn „koan Neuer“ zu sehen ist. Man muss nur wissen, dass ihm dieses Tor hilft, das Spiel im akademischen Feld zu gewinnen.

Das sagt noch nichts gegen den Inhalt (Virologie und Epidemiologie werden auf anderen Blogs verhandelt), wohl aber etwas gegen jeden blinden Glauben an alles, was uns Menschen in weißen Kitteln erzählen. Patrick Illinger hat Physik studiert und am Cern in der Schweiz promoviert – am Machtpol des wissenschaftlichen Feldes, wo der Wunsch besonders ausgeprägt ist, die Welt „da draußen“ möge an das „interessenlose Interesse“ der Forscher glauben. Die „klinische Soziologie des wissenschaftlichen Feldes“ von Pierre Bourdieu (1998), die ich gerade skizziert habe, stößt dort auf Ablehnung und Widerstand, weil sich die „illusio“ in den Habitus eingebrannt hat. Patrick Illinger ist aber kein Wissenschaftler mehr, sondern ein Journalist. PR ist in diesem Feld eigentlich tabu.

Literatur

Pierre Bourdieu: Vom Gebrauch der Wissenschaft. Für eine klinische Soziologie des wissenschaftlichen Feldes. Konstanz: UVK 1998.

Steffen Mau: Das metrische Wir. Über die Quantifizierung des Sozialen. Berlin: Suhrkamp 2017.

Michael Meyen: Die Medien-Epidemie. In: Michael Meyen (Hrsg.): Medienrealität 2020a.

Michael Meyen: Daten + Experten = Demokratie? In: Bayerischer Forschungsverbund „Die Zukunft der Demokratie“ (Hrsg.): ForDemocracy 2020b.

Die Maske, Hans-Jürgen Papier und Juli Zeh

Medienrealität, 5. April 2020

Die Medienforschung erwacht aus der Corona-Starre. Stephan Russ-Mohl sucht per Rundmail Beiträge (“möglichst” empirisch unterfüttert), die sagen, was der Journalismus bisher gut gemacht hat und was eher schlecht. Vielleicht findet er dabei sogar diesen Blog. Nach viel Kritik (vgl. Gordeeva 2020 sowie Meyen 2020a und 2020b) gibt es hier heute ein Lob für die SZ.

Vorbemerkung eins: Was Otfried Jarren vor einer Woche über das “Systemmedium” Fernsehen geschrieben hat und über die “besondere Form der Hofberichterstattung” beim NDR, war gut und richtig. Das ist das, was eine akademische Disziplin machen muss, die sich als öffentliche Wissenschaft versteht. An den Auftrag des öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunks erinnern, Qualität einfordern, Standards nennen. Der diskursive Kampf um Deutungshoheit wird auch in den Redaktionen ausgetragen. Wer dort den “Auftrag Öffentlichkeit” ernst nimmt, braucht gerade dann Argumente aus der Wissenschaft, wenn der Druck aus Politik und Behörden ins Unermessliche steigt und der Zugang zu alternativen Stimmen und Quellen verbaut ist.

Vorbemerkung zwei: Auch das, was zum Beispiel Hektor Haarkötter oder Daria Gordeeva geschrieben haben, kann dort helfen. Ein Ja zum Watchdog und ein Ja zum Nachfragen, gerade bei dem “Zahlenkonfetti” (Mathias Bröckers), den die Herrschenden uns täglich über die Leitmedien servieren.

Vorbemerkung drei (dann geht es endlich los): Ich war drauf und dran, einen Text mit der Überschrift “Süddeutsche Staatszeitung” zu schreiben. Auch SZ, aber anders. Am Rockzipfel von Markus Söder und auf dem Schoß von Angela Merkel, wie Nico Fried, der in seiner Seite-3-Geschichte zur großen TV-Ansprache auf die Minute wusste, wann der Stick aus dem PC gezogen wurde, und Verständnis für eine Kanzlerin hatte, die immer noch nicht jedes Bild der Tagesschau kontrollieren kann, obwohl das doch so wichtig wäre (Achtung: Bezahlschranke). Herrjemine.

Ich bin froh, dass ich diesen Text nicht geschrieben habe. Der Titel wäre schon vor zwei Wochen nicht ganz richtig gewesen. Recht und Verhältnismäßigkeit bei Heribert Prantl, immer wieder, oder (sehr früh) ein Gastbeitrag von René Schlott, einem Historiker, der in der SZ fragt, ob “die offene Gesellschaft erwürgt” werden darf, “um sie zu retten”, dann auch in anderen Medien zu Wort kommt und inzwischen auf Twitter die Initiative “Grundgesetz a casa” betreibt.

Manchmal hat der Forscher Glück. Manchmal lässt sich das, was Ulrich Beck (2017) als Kampf um Definitionsmacht beschrieben hat, an einer einzigen Journalistin festmachen. Dienstag war sich Christina Berndt in der SZ sicher: “Die Maske ist Pflicht, für alle!” Wer mittags auf die Seite ging, fand das dort als Aufmacher. Zitat: “Lebensretter dürfen gern ein bisschen blöd aussehen”.  Wenn man so will: ein Kommentar zu Österreich und ein Hinweis an die Staatskanzlei. Tut was, schon wieder, obwohl noch niemand überprüfen konnte, ob das geholfen hat, was bisher getan wurde. Egal. Zwei Wochen sind einfach zu lang für einen Journalismus, der von Klickzahlen lebt. Am Mittwoch veröffentlicht Christina Berndt ein Interview mit einer Ärztin, Béatrice Grabein, die ziemlich deutlich ‘Blödsinn’ sagt (mit anderen Worten, versteht sich, wir sind bei der SZ), und Werner Bartens sammelt Pro- und Contra-Argumente mit dem gleichen Tenor.

Ich weiß nicht, ob die Ärztin bei Frau Berndt angerufen hat, aber das ist auch egal. Mit einem Tag Verspätung bekomme ich alles, was ich wissen muss, um mir eine Meinung bilden zu können. Das ist das, was Journalismus leisten muss.

Dieses Lob gilt erst recht für die SZ-Interviews mit Hans-Jürgen Papier und Juli Zeh. Eigentlich ist das natürlich eine Selbstverständlichkeit: Menschen zu Wort kommen lassen, die etwas zu sagen haben, und dabei das Spektrum so weit wie möglich ausreizen. Aber was ist schon selbstverständlich in einer Krise, in der “eine eskalierende Medienberichterstattung die Öffentlichkeit und die Politik vor sich her treibt” (Juli Zeh).

Ich muss hier nicht alles wiederholen, was Papier und Zeh gesagt haben. Bei beiden geht es um die Grundrechte, beide verwenden das Wort “Dilemma” und beide zeigen, wie vertrackt die Lage ist, in die sich die Bundesregierung manövriert hat. Gewaltenteilung? Schwierig in diesen Zeiten, sagt Hans-Jürgen Papier. “Ich kann mir schon vorstellen, dass ein Richter sagt: Ich kann nicht die Verantwortung dafür übernehmen, den Schutz von Leben und Gesundheit hintanzustellen, selbst wenn die Freiheit der Person sehr wichtig ist. Der Richter sieht sich ebenso wie die Politik und Exekutive mit den genannten Ungewissheiten über Art und Ausmaß der Gefahren sowie die Eignung und Notwendigkeit der Mittel konfrontiert”.

Juli Zeh, auch Verfassungsrichterin (ehrenamtlich, in Brandenburg), sagt das noch deutlicher. Ein paar Zitate für die, die an der Bezahlschranke scheitern, und für mich selbst, damit ich das irgendwann leichter zitieren kann:

• “Demokratische Politik darf auch in Krisenzeiten nicht nur den Vorgaben von einzelnen Beratern folgen und sagen, jetzt läuft hier alles aus dem Ruder, und deshalb müssen wir drakonisch in die Bürgerrechte eingreifen. Da werden wir, wenn die Krise abflaut, eine Menge aufzuarbeiten haben.”
• “Vor allem die Bestrafungstaktik ist bedenklich. Im Grunde schüchtert man die Bevölkerung ein, in der Hoffnung, sie auf diese Weise zum Einhalten der Notstandsregeln zu bringen. Die Ansage lautet sinngemäß: Wenn ihr nicht tut, was wir von euch verlangen, seid ihr schuld an einer weiteren Ausbreitung des Virus und an vielen Toten in den Risikogruppen! Bei einigen Menschen führt das zu Trotz und Widerstand, bei anderen zu Verängstigung und regressivem Verhalten. Beides vergiftet die gesellschaftliche Stimmung. Aus meiner Sicht stellt es immer eine Form von Politikversagen dar, wenn versucht wird, die Bürger mit Schuldgefühlen unter Druck zu setzen.”
• “Unsere Verfassung verlangt, dass bei Grundrechtseingriffen immer das mildest mögliche Mittel gewählt wird. Auch bei der Abwendung von Gefahren gilt nicht “viel hilft viel”, sondern: so viel wie nötig, so wenig wie möglich. Ansonsten fehlt es an der Verhältnismäßigkeit, und eine Maßnahme ist dann unter Umständen verfassungswidrig. Das erfordert also, dass man ernsthaft diskutiert, welche Vorgehen tatsächlich sinnvoll sind und welches davon am mildesten wäre. Dabei hätte ein wissenschaftlich fundierter Diskurs aller medizinischer Fachrichtungen zum Beispiel mittels einer Ad-hoc-Kommission helfen können. (…) Ein ernsthafter Diskurs kann auch unter Zeitdruck stattfinden, das muss nicht Monate dauern. In einer Demokratie darf man sich die Möglichkeit dazu nicht nehmen lassen. Erst einmal die Faktenlage so weit wie möglich zu klären und öffentlich zu machen, trägt zu sachlicher Klarheit und besseren Entscheidungen bei, es erhöht aber auch die Transparenz und damit die demokratische Legitimität.”
• “Mich macht es betroffen, dass in so schwierigen Zeiten viele Politiker wenig Rückgrat beweisen. Ich glaube noch nicht einmal, dass das Motiv der deutschen Politiker Machthunger ist. Mir scheint, es herrscht eher die Angst, man könnte ihnen später vorwerfen, dass sie zu wenig getan haben. Also überbietet man sich lieber gegenseitig beim Vorschlagen immer neuer drakonischer Verordnungen und versucht zu punkten, indem man sich als starker Anführer aufspielt. Dabei entsteht aber in meinen Augen kein Eindruck von Stärke, sondern von ziemlicher Kopflosigkeit.”
• “Wir wissen aus Erfahrung, wie gefährlich Angstmechanismen sind. Deshalb würde ich von verantwortlicher Politik und auch von verantwortlichen Medien verlangen, dass sie niemals Angst zu ihrem Werkzeug machen.”

Ich nehme an: Das wird am Montag nicht nur in der Onlinekonferenz der SZ besprochen. Ein Dank an Juli Zeh und ein Dank an Jan Heidtmann, der das Interview geführt hat. Vielleicht läuft ja im Hintergrund längst ein Kurs, der Nachrichtenredakteuren hilft, die Wirklichkeit im “Zahlenkonfetti” zu sehen. Datenerhebung, Einordnung, sprachliche Präzision (vgl. Meyen 2020c). Die Hoffnung jedenfalls hat sich noch nicht infiziert und stirbt bekanntlich ohnehin zuletzt.

Literatur

Ulrich Beck: Die Metamorphose der Welt. Berlin: Suhrkamp 2017.

Daria Gordeeva: Wenn Watchdogs schlafen. In: Michael Meyen (Hrsg.): Medienrealität 2020.

Michael Meyen: Die Medien-Epidemie. In: Michael Meyen (Hrsg.): Medienrealität 2020a.

Michael Meyen: Kniefall vor der Wissenschaft. In: Michael Meyen (Hrsg.): Medienrealität 2020b.

Michael Meyen: Daten + Experten = Demokratie? In: Bayerischer Forschungsverbund „Die Zukunft der Demokratie“ (Hrsg.): ForDemocracy 2020c.

@ 21335073:a244b1ad

Warning: This piece contains a conversation about difficult topics. Please proceed with caution.

TL;DR please educate your children about online safety.

Julian Assange wrote in his 2012 book Cypherpunks, “This book is not a manifesto. There isn’t time for that. This book is a warning.” I read it a few times over the past summer. Those opening lines definitely stood out to me. I wish we had listened back then. He saw something about the internet that few had the ability to see. There are some individuals who are so close to a topic that when they speak, it’s difficult for others who aren’t steeped in it to visualize what they’re talking about. I didn’t read the book until more recently. If I had read it when it came out, it probably would have sounded like an unknown foreign language to me. Today it makes more sense.

This isn’t a manifesto. This isn’t a book. There is no time for that. It’s a warning and a possible solution from a desperate and determined survivor advocate who has been pulling and unraveling a thread for a few years. At times, I feel too close to this topic to make any sense trying to convey my pathway to my conclusions or thoughts to the general public. My hope is that if nothing else, I can convey my sense of urgency while writing this. This piece is a watchman’s warning.

When a child steps online, they are walking into a new world. A new reality. When you hand a child the internet, you are handing them possibilities—good, bad, and ugly. This is a conversation about lowering the potential of negative outcomes of stepping into that new world and how I came to these conclusions. I constantly compare the internet to the road. You wouldn’t let a young child run out into the road with no guidance or safety precautions. When you hand a child the internet without any type of guidance or safety measures, you are allowing them to play in rush hour, oncoming traffic. “Look left, look right for cars before crossing.” We almost all have been taught that as children. What are we taught as humans about safety before stepping into a completely different reality like the internet? Very little.

I could never really figure out why many folks in tech, privacy rights activists, and hackers seemed so cold to me while talking about online child sexual exploitation. I always figured that as a survivor advocate for those affected by these crimes, that specific, skilled group of individuals would be very welcoming and easy to talk to about such serious topics. I actually had one hacker laugh in my face when I brought it up while I was looking for answers. I thought maybe this individual thought I was accusing them of something I wasn’t, so I felt bad for asking. I was constantly extremely disappointed and would ask myself, “Why don’t they care? What could I say to make them care more? What could I say to make them understand the crisis and the level of suffering that happens as a result of the problem?”

I have been serving minor survivors of online child sexual exploitation for years. My first case serving a survivor of this specific crime was in 2018—a 13-year-old girl sexually exploited by a serial predator on Snapchat. That was my first glimpse into this side of the internet. I won a national award for serving the minor survivors of Twitter in 2023, but I had been working on that specific project for a few years. I was nominated by a lawyer representing two survivors in a legal battle against the platform. I’ve never really spoken about this before, but at the time it was a choice for me between fighting Snapchat or Twitter. I chose Twitter—or rather, Twitter chose me. I heard about the story of John Doe #1 and John Doe #2, and I was so unbelievably broken over it that I went to war for multiple years. I was and still am royally pissed about that case. As far as I was concerned, the John Doe #1 case proved that whatever was going on with corporate tech social media was so out of control that I didn’t have time to wait, so I got to work. It was reading the messages that John Doe #1 sent to Twitter begging them to remove his sexual exploitation that broke me. He was a child begging adults to do something. A passion for justice and protecting kids makes you do wild things. I was desperate to find answers about what happened and searched for solutions. In the end, the platform Twitter was purchased. During the acquisition, I just asked Mr. Musk nicely to prioritize the issue of detection and removal of child sexual exploitation without violating digital privacy rights or eroding end-to-end encryption. Elon thanked me multiple times during the acquisition, made some changes, and I was thanked by others on the survivors’ side as well.

I still feel that even with the progress made, I really just scratched the surface with Twitter, now X. I left that passion project when I did for a few reasons. I wanted to give new leadership time to tackle the issue. Elon Musk made big promises that I knew would take a while to fulfill, but mostly I had been watching global legislation transpire around the issue, and frankly, the governments are willing to go much further with X and the rest of corporate tech than I ever would. My work begging Twitter to make changes with easier reporting of content, detection, and removal of child sexual exploitation material—without violating privacy rights or eroding end-to-end encryption—and advocating for the minor survivors of the platform went as far as my principles would have allowed. I’m grateful for that experience. I was still left with a nagging question: “How did things get so bad with Twitter where the John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 case was able to happen in the first place?” I decided to keep looking for answers. I decided to keep pulling the thread.

I never worked for Twitter. This is often confusing for folks. I will say that despite being disappointed in the platform’s leadership at times, I loved Twitter. I saw and still see its value. I definitely love the survivors of the platform, but I also loved the platform. I was a champion of the platform’s ability to give folks from virtually around the globe an opportunity to speak and be heard.

I want to be clear that John Doe #1 really is my why. He is the inspiration. I am writing this because of him. He represents so many globally, and I’m still inspired by his bravery. One child’s voice begging adults to do something—I’m an adult, I heard him. I’d go to war a thousand more lifetimes for that young man, and I don’t even know his name. Fighting has been personally dark at times; I’m not even going to try to sugarcoat it, but it has been worth it.

The data surrounding the very real crime of online child sexual exploitation is available to the public online at any time for anyone to see. I’d encourage you to go look at the data for yourself. I believe in encouraging folks to check multiple sources so that you understand the full picture. If you are uncomfortable just searching around the internet for information about this topic, use the terms “CSAM,” “CSEM,” “SG-CSEM,” or “AI Generated CSAM.” The numbers don’t lie—it’s a nightmare that’s out of control. It’s a big business. The demand is high, and unfortunately, business is booming. Organizations collect the data, tech companies often post their data, governments report frequently, and the corporate press has covered a decent portion of the conversation, so I’m sure you can find a source that you trust.

Technology is changing rapidly, which is great for innovation as a whole but horrible for the crime of online child sexual exploitation. Those wishing to exploit the vulnerable seem to be adapting to each technological change with ease. The governments are so far behind with tackling these issues that as I’m typing this, it’s borderline irrelevant to even include them while speaking about the crime or potential solutions. Technology is changing too rapidly, and their old, broken systems can’t even dare to keep up. Think of it like the governments’ “War on Drugs.” Drugs won. In this case as well, the governments are not winning. The governments are talking about maybe having a meeting on potentially maybe having legislation around the crimes. The time to have that meeting would have been many years ago. I’m not advocating for governments to legislate our way out of this. I’m on the side of educating and innovating our way out of this.

I have been clear while advocating for the minor survivors of corporate tech platforms that I would not advocate for any solution to the crime that would violate digital privacy rights or erode end-to-end encryption. That has been a personal moral position that I was unwilling to budge on. This is an extremely unpopular and borderline nonexistent position in the anti-human trafficking movement and online child protection space. I’m often fearful that I’m wrong about this. I have always thought that a better pathway forward would have been to incentivize innovation for detection and removal of content. I had no previous exposure to privacy rights activists or Cypherpunks—actually, I came to that conclusion by listening to the voices of MENA region political dissidents and human rights activists. After developing relationships with human rights activists from around the globe, I realized how important privacy rights and encryption are for those who need it most globally. I was simply unwilling to give more power, control, and opportunities for mass surveillance to big abusers like governments wishing to enslave entire nations and untrustworthy corporate tech companies to potentially end some portion of abuses online. On top of all of it, it has been clear to me for years that all potential solutions outside of violating digital privacy rights to detect and remove child sexual exploitation online have not yet been explored aggressively. I’ve been disappointed that there hasn’t been more of a conversation around preventing the crime from happening in the first place.

What has been tried is mass surveillance. In China, they are currently under mass surveillance both online and offline, and their behaviors are attached to a social credit score. Unfortunately, even on state-run and controlled social media platforms, they still have child sexual exploitation and abuse imagery pop up along with other crimes and human rights violations. They also have a thriving black market online due to the oppression from the state. In other words, even an entire loss of freedom and privacy cannot end the sexual exploitation of children online. It’s been tried. There is no reason to repeat this method.

It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out why I always felt a slight coldness from those in tech and privacy-minded individuals about the topic of child sexual exploitation online. I didn’t have any clue about the “Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse.” This is a term coined by Timothy C. May in 1988. I would have been a child myself when he first said it. I actually laughed at myself when I heard the phrase for the first time. I finally got it. The Cypherpunks weren’t wrong about that topic. They were so spot on that it is borderline uncomfortable. I was mad at first that they knew that early during the birth of the internet that this issue would arise and didn’t address it. Then I got over it because I realized that it wasn’t their job. Their job was—is—to write code. Their job wasn’t to be involved and loving parents or survivor advocates. Their job wasn’t to educate children on internet safety or raise awareness; their job was to write code.

They knew that child sexual abuse material would be shared on the internet. They said what would happen—not in a gleeful way, but a prediction. Then it happened.

I equate it now to a concrete company laying down a road. As you’re pouring the concrete, you can say to yourself, “A terrorist might travel down this road to go kill many, and on the flip side, a beautiful child can be born in an ambulance on this road.” Who or what travels down the road is not their responsibility—they are just supposed to lay the concrete. I’d never go to a concrete pourer and ask them to solve terrorism that travels down roads. Under the current system, law enforcement should stop terrorists before they even make it to the road. The solution to this specific problem is not to treat everyone on the road like a terrorist or to not build the road.

So I understand the perceived coldness from those in tech. Not only was it not their job, but bringing up the topic was seen as the equivalent of asking a free person if they wanted to discuss one of the four topics—child abusers, terrorists, drug dealers, intellectual property pirates, etc.—that would usher in digital authoritarianism for all who are online globally.

Privacy rights advocates and groups have put up a good fight. They stood by their principles. Unfortunately, when it comes to corporate tech, I believe that the issue of privacy is almost a complete lost cause at this point. It’s still worth pushing back, but ultimately, it is a losing battle—a ticking time bomb.

I do think that corporate tech providers could have slowed down the inevitable loss of privacy at the hands of the state by prioritizing the detection and removal of CSAM when they all started online. I believe it would have bought some time, fewer would have been traumatized by that specific crime, and I do believe that it could have slowed down the demand for content. If I think too much about that, I’ll go insane, so I try to push the “if maybes” aside, but never knowing if it could have been handled differently will forever haunt me. At night when it’s quiet, I wonder what I would have done differently if given the opportunity. I’ll probably never know how much corporate tech knew and ignored in the hopes that it would go away while the problem continued to get worse. They had different priorities. The most voiceless and vulnerable exploited on corporate tech never had much of a voice, so corporate tech providers didn’t receive very much pushback.

Now I’m about to say something really wild, and you can call me whatever you want to call me, but I’m going to say what I believe to be true. I believe that the governments are either so incompetent that they allowed the proliferation of CSAM online, or they knowingly allowed the problem to fester long enough to have an excuse to violate privacy rights and erode end-to-end encryption. The US government could have seized the corporate tech providers over CSAM, but I believe that they were so useful as a propaganda arm for the regimes that they allowed them to continue virtually unscathed.

That season is done now, and the governments are making the issue a priority. It will come at a high cost. Privacy on corporate tech providers is virtually done as I’m typing this. It feels like a death rattle. I’m not particularly sure that we had much digital privacy to begin with, but the illusion of a veil of privacy feels gone.

To make matters slightly more complex, it would be hard to convince me that once AI really gets going, digital privacy will exist at all.

I believe that there should be a conversation shift to preserving freedoms and human rights in a post-privacy society.

I don’t want to get locked up because AI predicted a nasty post online from me about the government. I’m not a doomer about AI—I’m just going to roll with it personally. I’m looking forward to the positive changes that will be brought forth by AI. I see it as inevitable. A bit of privacy was helpful while it lasted. Please keep fighting to preserve what is left of privacy either way because I could be wrong about all of this.

On the topic of AI, the addition of AI to the horrific crime of child sexual abuse material and child sexual exploitation in multiple ways so far has been devastating. It’s currently out of control. The genie is out of the bottle. I am hopeful that innovation will get us humans out of this, but I’m not sure how or how long it will take. We must be extremely cautious around AI legislation. It should not be illegal to innovate even if some bad comes with the good. I don’t trust that the governments are equipped to decide the best pathway forward for AI. Source: the entire history of the government.

I have been personally negatively impacted by AI-generated content. Every few days, I get another alert that I’m featured again in what’s called “deep fake pornography” without my consent. I’m not happy about it, but what pains me the most is the thought that for a period of time down the road, many globally will experience what myself and others are experiencing now by being digitally sexually abused in this way. If you have ever had your picture taken and posted online, you are also at risk of being exploited in this way. Your child’s image can be used as well, unfortunately, and this is just the beginning of this particular nightmare. It will move to more realistic interpretations of sexual behaviors as technology improves. I have no brave words of wisdom about how to deal with that emotionally. I do have hope that innovation will save the day around this specific issue. I’m nervous that everyone online will have to ID verify due to this issue. I see that as one possible outcome that could help to prevent one problem but inadvertently cause more problems, especially for those living under authoritarian regimes or anyone who needs to remain anonymous online. A zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) would probably be the best solution to these issues. There are some survivors of violence and/or sexual trauma who need to remain anonymous online for various reasons. There are survivor stories available online of those who have been abused in this way. I’d encourage you seek out and listen to their stories.

There have been periods of time recently where I hesitate to say anything at all because more than likely AI will cover most of my concerns about education, awareness, prevention, detection, and removal of child sexual exploitation online, etc.

Unfortunately, some of the most pressing issues we’ve seen online over the last few years come in the form of “sextortion.” Self-generated child sexual exploitation (SG-CSEM) numbers are continuing to be terrifying. I’d strongly encourage that you look into sextortion data. AI + sextortion is also a huge concern. The perpetrators are using the non-sexually explicit images of children and putting their likeness on AI-generated child sexual exploitation content and extorting money, more imagery, or both from minors online. It’s like a million nightmares wrapped into one. The wild part is that these issues will only get more pervasive because technology is harnessed to perpetuate horror at a scale unimaginable to a human mind.

Even if you banned phones and the internet or tried to prevent children from accessing the internet, it wouldn’t solve it. Child sexual exploitation will still be with us until as a society we start to prevent the crime before it happens. That is the only human way out right now.

There is no reset button on the internet, but if I could go back, I’d tell survivor advocates to heed the warnings of the early internet builders and to start education and awareness campaigns designed to prevent as much online child sexual exploitation as possible. The internet and technology moved quickly, and I don’t believe that society ever really caught up. We live in a world where a child can be groomed by a predator in their own home while sitting on a couch next to their parents watching TV. We weren’t ready as a species to tackle the fast-paced algorithms and dangers online. It happened too quickly for parents to catch up. How can you parent for the ever-changing digital world unless you are constantly aware of the dangers?

I don’t think that the internet is inherently bad. I believe that it can be a powerful tool for freedom and resistance. I’ve spoken a lot about the bad online, but there is beauty as well. We often discuss how victims and survivors are abused online; we rarely discuss the fact that countless survivors around the globe have been able to share their experiences, strength, hope, as well as provide resources to the vulnerable. I do question if giving any government or tech company access to censorship, surveillance, etc., online in the name of serving survivors might not actually impact a portion of survivors negatively. There are a fair amount of survivors with powerful abusers protected by governments and the corporate press. If a survivor cannot speak to the press about their abuse, the only place they can go is online, directly or indirectly through an independent journalist who also risks being censored. This scenario isn’t hard to imagine—it already happened in China. During #MeToo, a survivor in China wanted to post their story. The government censored the post, so the survivor put their story on the blockchain. I’m excited that the survivor was creative and brave, but it’s terrifying to think that we live in a world where that situation is a necessity.

I believe that the future for many survivors sharing their stories globally will be on completely censorship-resistant and decentralized protocols. This thought in particular gives me hope. When we listen to the experiences of a diverse group of survivors, we can start to understand potential solutions to preventing the crimes from happening in the first place.

My heart is broken over the gut-wrenching stories of survivors sexually exploited online. Every time I hear the story of a survivor, I do think to myself quietly, “What could have prevented this from happening in the first place?” My heart is with survivors.

My head, on the other hand, is full of the understanding that the internet should remain free. The free flow of information should not be stopped. My mind is with the innocent citizens around the globe that deserve freedom both online and offline.

The problem is that governments don’t only want to censor illegal content that violates human rights—they create legislation that is so broad that it can impact speech and privacy of all. “Don’t you care about the kids?” Yes, I do. I do so much that I’m invested in finding solutions. I also care about all citizens around the globe that deserve an opportunity to live free from a mass surveillance society. If terrorism happens online, I should not be punished by losing my freedom. If drugs are sold online, I should not be punished. I’m not an abuser, I’m not a terrorist, and I don’t engage in illegal behaviors. I refuse to lose freedom because of others’ bad behaviors online.

I want to be clear that on a long enough timeline, the governments will decide that they can be better parents/caregivers than you can if something isn’t done to stop minors from being sexually exploited online. The price will be a complete loss of anonymity, privacy, free speech, and freedom of religion online. I find it rather insulting that governments think they’re better equipped to raise children than parents and caretakers.

So we can’t go backwards—all that we can do is go forward. Those who want to have freedom will find technology to facilitate their liberation. This will lead many over time to decentralized and open protocols. So as far as I’m concerned, this does solve a few of my worries—those who need, want, and deserve to speak freely online will have the opportunity in most countries—but what about online child sexual exploitation?

When I popped up around the decentralized space, I was met with the fear of censorship. I’m not here to censor you. I don’t write code. I couldn’t censor anyone or any piece of content even if I wanted to across the internet, no matter how depraved. I don’t have the skills to do that.

I’m here to start a conversation. Freedom comes at a cost. You must always fight for and protect your freedom. I can’t speak about protecting yourself from all of the Four Horsemen because I simply don’t know the topics well enough, but I can speak about this one topic.

If there was a shortcut to ending online child sexual exploitation, I would have found it by now. There isn’t one right now. I believe that education is the only pathway forward to preventing the crime of online child sexual exploitation for future generations.

I propose a yearly education course for every child of all school ages, taught as a standard part of the curriculum. Ideally, parents/caregivers would be involved in the education/learning process.

Course: - The creation of the internet and computers - The fight for cryptography - The tech supply chain from the ground up (example: human rights violations in the supply chain) - Corporate tech - Freedom tech - Data privacy - Digital privacy rights - AI (history-current) - Online safety (predators, scams, catfishing, extortion) - Bitcoin - Laws - How to deal with online hate and harassment - Information on who to contact if you are being abused online or offline - Algorithms - How to seek out the truth about news, etc., online

The parents/caregivers, homeschoolers, unschoolers, and those working to create decentralized parallel societies have been an inspiration while writing this, but my hope is that all children would learn this course, even in government ran schools. Ideally, parents would teach this to their own children.

The decentralized space doesn’t want child sexual exploitation to thrive. Here’s the deal: there has to be a strong prevention effort in order to protect the next generation. The internet isn’t going anywhere, predators aren’t going anywhere, and I’m not down to let anyone have the opportunity to prove that there is a need for more government. I don’t believe that the government should act as parents. The governments have had a chance to attempt to stop online child sexual exploitation, and they didn’t do it. Can we try a different pathway forward?

I’d like to put myself out of a job. I don’t want to ever hear another story like John Doe #1 ever again. This will require work. I’ve often called online child sexual exploitation the lynchpin for the internet. It’s time to arm generations of children with knowledge and tools. I can’t do this alone.

Individuals have fought so that I could have freedom online. I want to fight to protect it. I don’t want child predators to give the government any opportunity to take away freedom. Decentralized spaces are as close to a reset as we’ll get with the opportunity to do it right from the start. Start the youth off correctly by preventing potential hazards to the best of your ability.

The good news is anyone can work on this! I’d encourage you to take it and run with it. I added the additional education about the history of the internet to make the course more educational and fun. Instead of cleaning up generations of destroyed lives due to online sexual exploitation, perhaps this could inspire generations of those who will build our futures. Perhaps if the youth is armed with knowledge, they can create more tools to prevent the crime.

This one solution that I’m suggesting can be done on an individual level or on a larger scale. It should be adjusted depending on age, learning style, etc. It should be fun and playful.

This solution does not address abuse in the home or some of the root causes of offline child sexual exploitation. My hope is that it could lead to some survivors experiencing abuse in the home an opportunity to disclose with a trusted adult. The purpose for this solution is to prevent the crime of online child sexual exploitation before it occurs and to arm the youth with the tools to contact safe adults if and when it happens.

In closing, I went to hell a few times so that you didn’t have to. I spoke to the mothers of survivors of minors sexually exploited online—their tears could fill rivers. I’ve spoken with political dissidents who yearned to be free from authoritarian surveillance states. The only balance that I’ve found is freedom online for citizens around the globe and prevention from the dangers of that for the youth. Don’t slow down innovation and freedom. Educate, prepare, adapt, and look for solutions.

I’m not perfect and I’m sure that there are errors in this piece. I hope that you find them and it starts a conversation.

@ b1b16be0:08f41c1d

Norte

Sur Te ayuda avanzar! Y a tomar conciencia! 🔥Fuego 🌎Tierra 🔴Marte 🎵Mantra: Om Namo Bhagavate Narasimhaya Namaha

Sur Este Influye en transacciones prósperas y transiciones suaves 🔥Fuego 🔘Venus 🎵Mantra: https://youtu.be/45a4KwLTTHo?feature=shared

@ 078d6670:56049f0c

It felt like a pine cone had been dropped on my head from a great height, but there was no pine tree and, really, just sky and stars above me. I looked on the balcony around me, there was nothing. I resumed my slouch on the bench, re-lit the joint and contemplated the Universe.

After five minutes, the Universe hit again.

The anger bolted me off the bench. I looked around frantically for something to blame, an object lying red-faced on the floor, but nothing. I borrowed a high-powered torch and lit up the closest tree. Nothing suspicious, just the usual night shadows and leaves.

I came to the conclusion it had to be some kind of nocturnal bird protecting its nest: Night Jar or Owl.

It hit me again a week later on the back of my head on the deck below. But this time I caught a glimpse of its silent wings reflecting the ambient glow of the warm light from the lounge lamp just inside the house. Bust!

A Wood Owl.

It sat innocently on a branch staring back at me. I sat back on the bench, mesmerized and relieved. I re-lit the joint.

What does it mean? It’s got to mean something in this dreamworld. An omen, or portent, or am I just being paranoid that the Universe is trying to sabotage me. Okay, so we usually associate owls with wisdom, does that mean wisdom is going to hit me on the head? Surprise realizations busting my mind? And if I don’t get it, what’s next, lightning?!

I hope not.

It could be a simple reminder to be mindful of Consciousness around me. Like in a dream, everything is me. In this mysterious realm, Everything is Consciousness. And so in Vedanta philosophy: I am no-thing, but Consciousness.

The world around me is abundant in symbolism. I constantly ignore it, waiting for the booming sky-voice (or the owl whacking me on the back of the head), ignoring the micro-realizations, the little wisdoms discounted as monkey mind ramblings.

I know what I need to do. I tell myself every day. I am wise, it’s time to act like it.

@ ed84ce10:cccf4c2a

The Evolution of Hackathons: From Offline to Online, Powering Frontier Innovation Worldwide

Throughout the history of open-source platform technology, hackathons have been the launchpads for innovation—fueling breakthroughs, incubating the next generation of startups, and serving as the proving ground for builders. Over the past decade, DoraHacks has led the charge, driving the hacker movement and open-source revolution. We didn’t just witness the evolution of hackathons—we architected it.

The Online Revolution of Hackathons

Before 2020, hackathons were largely stuck in the physical world—you had to be in the room to participate. The idea of a fully online, global hackathon was a pipe dream. Then, DoraHacks.io changed everything. Suddenly, a developer in Africa could win funding from a hackathon hosted by a Silicon Valley company. Geographic barriers collapsed. Today, over 95% of hackathons happen online.

The Infrastructure Revolution: Making Hackathons 10x More Effective

DoraHacks relentlessly iterated on the hackathon model. We built BUIDL pages for real-time project showcases, a world-class hackathon organizer dashboard, MACI-powered decentralized privacy governance, and Grant DAOs that provide ongoing funding. The result? DoraHacks became the ultimate launchpad for hackers and early-stage builders.

The Ecosystem Revolution: Supercharging Open Innovation

DoraHacks became the backbone of Web3 innovation—from Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain to the next wave of blockchains like Aptos, Cosmos, Injective, TON, and Sonic. Since 2023, hackathons have expanded beyond crypto—quantum computing, commercial space tech, and AI-driven innovations are now being built on DoraHacks.

Rolling Hackathons and Uninterrupted BUIDLing - the New Standard for Ecosystem Growth

BUIDLs can be created spontaneously at any time. Hosting Hackathons as short-term events held only once or twice a year is not conducive to attracting outstanding Hackers and high-quality projects to join the ecosystem and drive innovation in the long term. To remediate this, Hackathons should be continuous and uninterrupted, serving as a long-term driving force within the developer ecosystem.

Historically, the high organizational costs and substantial resource investments associated with frequent Hackathons meant that most emerging ecosystems couldn't afford to host them regularly. As a result, Hackathons became rare, annual spectacles, and for some projects, an unaffordable luxury. This model severely restricted developers' chances to participate and hindered the ecosystem's ability to innovate consistently. Let's imagine what would happen if an ecosystem held 12 or more Hackathons each year?

• Developers have a clear loyalty incentive: They would know that the ecosystem is committed to supporting and funding excellent developers and projects continuously, which would encourage them to make long-term investments and contribute regularly.
• Missing out is no longer an issue: Even if a developer couldn't attend a particular Hackathon, there would be another one soon, increasing accessibility.
• Accelerated ecosystem innovation: Frequent Hackathons would accelerate ecosystem innovation. Developers would be constantly pushed to explore new directions, significantly boosting the growth rate of the technological ecosystem.

Previously, due to the limitations of costs and organizational difficulties, frequent Hackathons were almost unthinkable. Only ecosystems with sufficient funds like Google and Amazon could afford rolling Hackathons. But now, DoraHacks' upcoming BUIDL AI platform tools are set to change the game. These tools make it possible to organize 12 Hackathons in a year, and even go a step further by enabling the simultaneous hosting of multiple differently-themed Hackathons. This will help emerging ecosystems effectively incentivise developers, expand their technological influence, and increase the number of exceptional BUIDLs (projects) in their ecosystems.

The majority of BUIDLs come about continuously and spontaneously and should be recognized and incentivized promptly, rather than having to wait for the single annual Hackathon.

As the saying goes, "He who wins over developers wins the world." In the highly competitive Web3 space, Hackathons are an effective means of attracting developers, and rolling Hackathons are the best way to achieve this. For an ecosystem to stay competitive, it must ensure that developers always have opportunities to engage and create.

The AI Era of Hackathons: A 10x Opportunity, A 10x Challenge

AI Turns Everyone Into a Hacker

AI has obliterated repetitive work. Building is faster than ever. Anyone, from anywhere, can hack, ship, and scale with AI tools that accelerate ideation, development, and execution. The potential of hackathons in this AI-powered era is 10x bigger than ever before.

But Hackathon Infrastructure Is Stuck in the Past

Despite this massive opportunity, organizing hackathons remains painfully inefficient:

• Most organizations don’t know how to run hackathons effectively.
• Even those who do lack time and resources to do it frequently.
• Ecosystem builders who have the resources can only host one hackathon per year.

The result?

• Hackathons are underutilized, slowing innovation.
• Ecosystem growth is bottlenecked by developer relations (DevRel) teams.
• Many ecosystems fail to maximize the potential of hackathons.
• Low-frequency hackathons waste hacker potential—builders sit idle when they could be shipping.

BUIDL AI: Unlocking the Infinite Potential of Hackathons

We refuse to let inefficiency limit innovation. BUIDL AI is our answer.

DoraHacks is launching BUIDL AI, the AI-powered Hackathon Co-Pilot that automates, scales, and supercharges hackathon organization.

BUIDL AI: The Game-Changing Features

1. Edit and Launch: One-Click Hackathon Deployment

Organizers can now launch a hackathon in minutes by filling in basic details (prizes, themes, workshops, judges, etc.). No tedious manual setup.

2. BUIDL Review: Submission Evaluation (10x Faster)

Traditional hackathons get hundreds of submissions—judging takes hundreds of hours. BUIDL AI changes the game. It automatically scores projects based on completeness, originality, and theme relevance—filtering out low-quality submissions 10x faster than before.

3. Automated Marketing: Instant Hackathon Reports

After the hackathon ends, BUIDL AI auto-generates a full post-event report—highlighting winners, standout projects, and key takeaways—boosting visibility and impact.

4. Seamless Interaction: Smarter Collaboration, No Bottlenecks

BUIDL AI will interact with hackathon organizers to keep organizers in sync, alerting them about new submissions, pending approvals, and participant inquiries in real time. No more dropped balls.

5. Multi-Hackathon Management: Scaling Innovation Without Limits

Before BUIDL AI, running multiple hackathons at once was a logistical nightmare. Now, ecosystem builders can launch and manage multiple hackathons seamlessly, boosting innovation frequency exponentially

The full BUIDL AI Beta version will release on April 15th, but multiple free BUIDL AI features have already been available on DoraHacks.io!

BUIDL AI: The Next Great Leap in Open Innovation

Hackathons aren’t just competitions. They are the birthplace of the next trillion-dollar innovations.

With BUIDL AI, hackathons enter a new era—automated, intelligent, and infinitely scalable. This means more hackers, more builders, and more breakthrough projects than ever before.

At DoraHacks, we believe in an open, hacker-driven future. BUIDL AI is the rocket fuel for that future.

@ d6c48950:54d57756

A lot of people talk about how bitcoin has averaged 60% yearly but I personally find this to be misleading so I thought I'd use historic prices and portfolioperformance to see if you DCA (or in this case did a weekly purchase) starting at jan 1st of each year ending dec 31st

| Year | % Change | |------|----------| | 2024 | +124% | | 2023 | +140% | | 2022 | -60% | | 2021 | +60% | | 2020 | +267% | | 2019 | +71% | | 2018 | -67% | | 2017 | +588% | | 2016 | +38% | | 2015 | +7% |

If you showed this to any investor at any hedge fund they wouldn't believe it, yet this is something that through DCA apps like strike is performance anyone can get through just setting it and forgetting it.

@ e97aaffa:2ebd765d

No programa Pé de Meia do Camilo Lourenço, o seu recorrente convidado/patrocinador, explica os critérios que utiliza para avaliar as empresas. Segundo ele, um dos principais critérios para selecionar as melhores empresas, são critérios intangíveis.

Curiosamente, este mesmo senhor, num programa anterior, critica e recusa-se a investir em Bitcoin. Uma justificativa apresentada era, que não investia em algo que não podia ser palpável, que não poderia ser calculado o valor, ou seja, por ser intangível.

Só que neste programa, entra em contradição, ao dizer que um dos principais critérios que utiliza para avaliar as empresas são critérios intangíveis. A hipocrisia do tradiFi.

No programa foi apresentada a seguinte tabela:

Os pontos apresentados na tabela, são essencialmente os mesmos que nós, bitcoiners, utilizamos para caracterizar o Bitcoin, os seus pontos fortes.

Os tradiFi vivem numa cegueira ideológica, que não o permite ver o óbvio, mas o tempo é implacável, mais tarde ou mais cedo vão mudar de opinião. E quem não mudar vai ficar para trás.

@ 7d33ba57:1b82db35

Cádiz

Cádiz, one of Europe’s oldest cities, is a stunning Andalusian port town with golden beaches, rich history, and lively local culture. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, it offers a blend of ancient charm, delicious seafood, and vibrant festivals.

🏛️ Top Things to See & Do in Cádiz

1️⃣ Cádiz Cathedral (Catedral de Cádiz)

A magnificent baroque and neoclassical cathedral with a golden dome. Climb the Torre de Poniente for panoramic city views!

2️⃣ La Caleta Beach

A picturesque urban beach framed by historic fortresses—perfect for sunset views and a relaxing swim.

3️⃣ Torre Tavira & Camera Obscura

One of Cádiz’s watchtowers, offering stunning 360° views and a fascinating optical projection of the city.

4️⃣ Mercado Central (Central Market)

A paradise for seafood lovers, where you can taste fresh fish, tapas, and local specialties.

5️⃣ Castillo de San Sebastián & Castillo de Santa Catalina

Two historic coastal fortresses with incredible views of the ocean and city skyline.

6️⃣ Plaza de España & Monument to the Constitution of 1812

A beautiful square with grand architecture, celebrating Spain’s first liberal constitution.

7️⃣ Walk the Seaside Promenades

Enjoy a scenic stroll along the Alameda Apodaca or the Parque Genovés, full of palm trees and ocean breezes.

🍽️ What to Eat in Cádiz

• Pescaíto frito – Crispy fried fish, a local specialty 🐟
• Tortillitas de camarones – Shrimp fritters, light and crunchy 🍤
• Atún de almadraba – Fresh tuna, often grilled or marinated 🐟
• Sherry wine (Jerez) – Cádiz is near Jerez, home of the famous fortified wine 🍷

🚆 How to Get to Cádiz

🚆 By Train: Direct trains from Seville (~1.5 hrs)
🚗 By Car: ~1 hr 20 min from Seville
✈️ Nearest Airport: Jerez Airport (XRY), ~40 min away

💡 Tips for Visiting Cádiz

✅ Best time to visit: Spring & summer for the beaches, February for the Cádiz Carnival 🎭
✅ Wear comfy shoes – Cádiz is best explored on foot! 👟
✅ Day trips – Visit Jerez de la Frontera for sherry & flamenco or Bolonia Beach for Roman ruins

@ fd78c37f:a0ec0833

In this edition, we’re thrilled to sit down with Tomek K from Bitcoin Alby, a passionate advocate for Bitcoin’s global adoption. Tomek K shares how Alby is driving innovation in the Bitcoin ecosystem and offers a glimpse into his vision for the cryptocurrency’s future. From his journey as a libertarian activist to co-founding the Bitcoin Film Festival, Tomek K’s story is one of curiosity, purpose, and a relentless pursuit of freedom through technology.

YakiHonne: Tomek K, it’s a pleasure to meet you! Today, we’re diving into your community topic—Alby Wallet. But before we begin, let me introduce our readers to Yakihonne. Yakihonne is a decentralized media client powered by the Nostr protocol, dedicated to promoting free speech through technology. It empowers creators to truly own their voices and assets, offering features like smart filtering, verified notes, and a focus on long-form content. So, Tomek, could you tell us about yourself and your work with Alby?

Tomek K: Of course! I’m Tomek K, originally from Poland, and right now, I’m speaking to you from Sri Lanka. I love traveling and observing how different countries adopt Bitcoin. For most of my career, I’ve been a free-market advocate, promoting economic freedom through various projects—essentially doing PR for capitalism. I’ve organized conferences, political demonstrations, economic seminars, summer festivals, and even opened a bar in Warsaw to spread these ideas in different ways.

During this advocacy work, I came across Bitcoin. At first, I didn’t pay much attention to it, but over time, I started feeling frustrated—our efforts raised awareness about freedom, but they didn’t bring measurable change. That led me to study Bitcoin more deeply, and I gradually shifted my focus to Bitcoin activism. Along the way, I collaborated with publishers to translate Bitcoin-related books into Polish and co-founded the Bitcoin Film Festival with friends from Meetup. Later, I joined Alby, marking my transition from free-market activism to Bitcoin promotion.

At the Bitcoin Film Festival, I handle operations and networking—organizing the event, managing logistics, and making things happen. Our team is small, but I enjoy the work. I’m passionate about Bitcoin because I came for the revolution, and I’m staying for the revolution.

That said, I don’t consider myself a Bitcoin absolutist. I see Bitcoin as a tool for freedom, not just a currency or a more efficient technology. If there were a better tool for advancing liberty and making societies freer, I’d probably focus on that. But for now, Bitcoin appears to be the most effective tool for freedom. Ultimately, I consider myself a “life maximalist”—because to live a good life, you need freedom, and to have freedom today, you need sound money. And right now, that money is Bitcoin.

YakiHonne: Was there a specific moment or event that sparked your interest in Bitcoin and motivated you to join the Alby community?

Tomek K: What attracted me to Bitcoin was its promise of global monetary independence and its ability to reduce the control of the Federal Reserve, central banks, and governments—the strongest and most covert control mechanisms in the world. Unfortunately, many people, even libertarians, often overlook this.

As for why I joined Alby, it’s because this startup is driven by values and mission rather than simply chasing profits, like selling tokens or games. This aligns well with my interest in the Lightning Network. As I explored Lightning more deeply, I came across Alby. I’ve always enjoyed testing new tools, trying them firsthand, and understanding the communities behind them—so naturally, I became part of it. Along the way, I also got to know some of the team members, which reinforced my involvement.

Additionally, Alby supported the Bitcoin Film Festival. While they weren’t the largest sponsor, their contribution was generous. The festival served as a great platform for them and other projects. I think it was good marketing because people like me—who have strong networking skills, arrange podcast interviews, and organize various activities—help build awareness and positive PR. That was part of my role.

If I had to pinpoint a single defining moment that led me here, I honestly couldn’t. Becoming a Bitcoiner doesn’t happen overnight. You can’t just read The Bitcoin Standard, declare that you understand Bitcoin, and instantly become a maximalist. Anyone who’s intellectually honest will admit that it takes multiple touchpoints—articles, films, career shifts, essays, hands-on experimentation, and actually using Bitcoin—to truly grasp its significance. I had many such moments along the way: reading The Bitcoin Standard, learning from friends who had a deeper understanding of Bitcoin, and working at Alby, which further expanded my knowledge of the Lightning Network’s capabilities and limitations. It wasn’t one turning point but a series of pivotal experiences that shaped my path.

YakiHonne: How did the Alby community start, and how did it attract its first members?

Tomek K: When I joined Alby, the community had already been established for some time. It originally emerged within the browser design community, where early users helped developers refine the product by providing feedback. That’s how the first members joined, and this process has been ongoing for four years now.

As for how Alby attracted members, it was through a mix of channels—social media (Twitter, Telegram, Discord), email engagement, and active participation in Bitcoin conferences. But the core strategy has always been openness, engaging with users, and listening to their feedback. Sometimes that means making a joke, sometimes defending against unfair criticism, and other times implementing requested features. We’ve always worked to maintain an active and friendly community atmosphere.

We also host bi-weekly community calls, which are a central part of our activities. Every two weeks, available team members meet with users for open Q&A sessions, issue discussions, and demonstrations of various projects integrating with Alby. I’ve participated in some of these calls, and they help maintain strong relationships with users, developers, and other projects—something crucial for the ecosystem. The Bitcoin technology landscape is somewhat fragmented, and grassroots coordination is necessary since there’s no single leader defining terminology or coding practices.

That’s also why Alby doesn’t exist in isolation. Almost everything we’ve built has been made possible by the creators of previous libraries, prior codebases, and collaborative efforts in writing specifications for protocols. Projects like Yakihonne and many others also recognize the importance of open-source collaboration. I think it’s essential to acknowledge the contributions of the open-source community. One thing I really appreciate is that Bitcoiners are driving open-source development in virtually every part of the world, all working toward a shared and meaningful goal.

YakiHonne:Were there any notable challenges in the early days that left a strong impression on you?

Tomek K :When I first joined Alby, I struggled with a bit of imposter syndrome for months. I was handling PR for the project, but I didn’t fully understand all the technical details—how certain protocols interact or what’s happening under the hood. It took time to get familiar with everything and really feel like I belonged.

Regulatory pressure has also been a huge challenge. In some cases, developers have been arrested, projects have had to leave certain countries, and users have been geoblocked based on their location. But challenges like these can also drive innovation. For example, Alby developed AlbyHub, an open-source self-custodial node, as a response to these kinds of issues.

There are always risks in this space—governments might suddenly demand a banking license or require compliance with new regulations. These are real obstacles, but we tackle them by embracing decentralization and open-source solutions. That’s how we ensure the project stays true to its mission and vision.

YakiHonne:If someone wanted to start a Bitcoin community today or grow an existing one, what advice would you give them?

Tomek K: The most important thing is to just get started. A community begins with action, and it takes more than one person. Even if it’s just you and a friend grabbing a beer, that’s already a start. Maybe after the first or second meetup, you post on Meetup.com, Twitter, or local forums:"Hey, we’re hosting a Bitcoin meetup in this city. We just want to connect with other Bitcoiners!" If you keep doing it consistently, the community will naturally grow. Over time, the bar where you meet might get interested in accepting Bitcoin, or you might meet some OGs in your area who decide to join—maybe they already run a business and want to support what you’re doing.

You don’t have to over-plan everything from the start. No need to think, “We need a podcast, 10 episodes, a logo…”—all that can come later. Just bootstrap it: organize a meetup, grab a beer, and get going. As you go, you’ll adapt, improve, and build recognition.Beyond that, it’s a great way to meet other Bitcoiners, develop leadership skills, and learn about community building. And at the very least, you’ll have fun doing it—which, honestly, is one of the main reasons I keep organizing meetups and other activities.

YakiHonne: Exactly, the key is to take action—just start and see where it leads. Does your community focus more on Bitcoin’s technical aspects, like coding and development, or do you emphasize non-technical areas such as education and outreach? Or do you try to balance both?

Tomek K: Our users come from all kinds of backgrounds. Some are very engaged and provide feedback regularly, while others prefer to stay in the background. Some attend our community calls, and within that group, some are developers actively building projects and collaborating with us. At the same time, there are developers we know are out there, but they never directly engage with us. That’s just how the Bitcoin community works—there’s no strict definition of being part of Alby. People engage in their own way. Some users are active on Discord, some aren’t, but we treat them all as part of the family, keeping them informed through newsletters, offering support, and making sure they stay updated with what’s happening at Alby.

As for whether we lean more toward technical development or non-technical outreach, there’s no clear-cut answer. Our community is diverse—we cater to a wide range of Lightning Network users. Some just use the browser extension, while others are deeply involved in our ecosystem. We also work with NGOs, educational initiatives, and community organizations. At the same time, we place a strong emphasis on developers and maintaining good relationships with them. Our repositories and developer portal offer useful libraries and examples, making it easier for both aspiring and experienced developers to integrate the Lightning Network into their projects. Developer relations are something we consider highly important.

YakiHonne: I understand that you're also the founder of another Bitcoin-related film project. Could you tell us a bit about it? What exactly inspired you to combine Bitcoin and filmmaking?

Tomek K: Yes, I founded Bitcoin Film Fest to help build what I call Bitcoin Cinema—an emerging industry that blends Bitcoin and filmmaking. I wanted to track everything happening at the intersection of these two worlds. Just like e-commerce, energy, and information technology, I believe the film industry will eventually be shaped by Bitcoin. And in fact, it’s already happening. There are Bitcoin-themed movies, and even major Hollywood productions have started including Bitcoin references. Bitcoin filmmakers, Bitcoin culture, and even a Bitcoin subculture already exist. We have our own heroes, stories, and values, and from this, films are being created. I love cinema, and I love Bitcoin—this was my way of bringing the two together.

The festival itself happened somewhat by accident—but maybe it was meant to be. It all started in Warsaw when I was organizing a Bitcoin meetup. I planned to screen a Bitcoin documentary, but due to technical issues, it didn’t happen. So, over a few beers, we came up with an idea: if we couldn’t show one film, why not go all in and create a full-scale Bitcoin film festival? We started researching and realized there were enough Bitcoin-related films out there to make it happen. So, we did.

The response from the community was overwhelmingly positive. It became clear that people wanted a space for Bitcoin cinema—a hub for information, networking, and collaboration. We started using the term “Binema” (Bitcoin Cinema) to describe this emerging genre. I find it fascinating to witness the growth of Bitcoin culture and storytelling. Before this, I had followed libertarian artistic movements closely, and now I see how important culture is for Bitcoin’s adoption—it’s not just about the technical and financial aspects.

Bitcoin adoption isn’t going to happen overnight, and it won’t happen without developers, educators, infrastructure builders, UX designers, and many others contributing to the ecosystem. Culture is one of the most powerful tools for shaping society, and I, like many others, am working to bring Bitcoin adoption closer through film. We’re witnessing the early days of Bitcoin cinema. I missed out on the birth of traditional cinema, but this time, I want to be part of it.

YakiHonne:In your region, does the government support or oppose Bitcoin? How has this stance impacted the development of the Bitcoin community so far?

Tomek K :Bitcoin doesn’t concern itself with nation-state borders, and frankly, we don’t either. The situation in Poland has little influence on what we do. The only connection is that I, along with two others, happen to be in Poland, but most of our team is globally distributed. On a broader scale, the U.S. tends to shape regulatory trends, and unfortunately, it often does so in a more restrictive way. However, Poland itself hasn’t had a significant impact on our work.

YakiHonne:Has your Bitcoin Film Fest community ever used film as a way to connect with members—perhaps by watching a Bitcoin-related movie or hosting a movie night to make things more fun and engaging? Have you done anything like that before?

Tomek K:Yes, absolutely! The film festival itself is a great example—we watch movies together and build a community around them. Aside from the festival we organized in Warsaw, we've also hosted film screenings at various Bitcoin events, like Sats and Facts in Thailand, BTC Prague, Plan B Lugano, Frimadera, Adopting Bitcoin, and several other conferences. We also organize online watch parties—actually, there's one happening next Sunday. The movie is available on Prime Video, but we'll sync up on Discord to watch it together, chat, and share our thoughts. We'll be announcing it on Twitter, so if you check Bitcoin Film Fest on Twitter, you'll find details on how to join.

Film has been a great way to connect with members and spark discussions. We've seen Bitcoin meetups worldwide organizing movie nights—our volunteer friends in Montenegro have hosted one, and our partners in Kenya and South Africa have done the same. Lately, movie nights have been happening more and more frequently, which is exciting.

It's still early—after all, Bitcoin is only 16 years old, so the selection of Bitcoin movies is still relatively small. Many of these films haven’t had large budgets or massive talent pools yet, but that’s changing. Right now, we’re primarily focused on showing films within the Bitcoin community rather than creating films aimed at the general public. That said, those kinds of projects are also emerging. I’m optimistic about the growth of Bitcoin cinema—better storytelling, AI-driven advancements, increasing interest from audiences, and even sponsors willing to invest in filmmakers. Big things are coming, and while we already have some great Bitcoin films, the best is yet to come. We’re still in the early days, and this is the time to contribute and help shape the future of Bitcoin cinema.

YakiHonne:We’ve come to the end of today’s interview, and I’ve truly enjoyed every moment of it. I’m very sure your idea will be incredibly engaging, inspiring more people and attracting a broad audience. Thank you so much for your time today—it was a great conversation.

@ 88dc84f5:c71164f7

Quantum computing is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to solve complex problems that are currently unsolvable with traditional computers. In this beginner's guide, we'll explore the basics of quantum computing, its principles, and potential applications.

What is Quantum Computing?

Quantum computing is a type of computing that uses the principles of quantum mechanics to perform calculations. Unlike classical computers, which use bits to store and process information, quantum computers use quantum bits or qubits.

Qubits: The Building Blocks of Quantum Computing

Qubits are the fundamental units of quantum information. They have the unique ability to exist in multiple states simultaneously, which allows quantum computers to process multiple possibilities at the same time.

How Does Quantum Computing Work?

Quantum computing works by exploiting the unique properties of qubits. Here's a simplified overview of the process:

1. Preparation: Qubits are prepared in a specific state.
2. Quantum gates: Quantum gates are applied to the qubits to perform operations.
3. Measurement: The qubits are measured to retrieve the results.

Key Principles of Quantum Computing:

1. Superposition: Qubits can exist in multiple states simultaneously.
2. Entanglement: Qubits can become "entangled," meaning their properties are connected even when separated.
3. Quantum measurement: Qubits can be measured, which causes them to collapse into a single state.

Potential Applications of Quantum Computing:

1. Cryptography: Quantum computers can break certain types of encryption, but they can also be used to create unbreakable encryption methods.
2. Optimization: Quantum computers can be used to optimize complex systems, such as logistics and supply chains.
3. Materials science: Quantum computers can be used to simulate the behavior of materials at the atomic level.
4. Artificial intelligence: Quantum computers can be used to speed up certain types of machine learning algorithms.

Real-World Examples of Quantum Computing: 1. Google's Quantum AI Lab: Google has developed a quantum computer that can be used to optimize machine learning algorithms. 2. IBM's Quantum Experience: IBM has developed a cloud-based quantum computer that can be used by researchers and developers. 3. Quantum-inspired optimization: Companies like Volkswagen and Lockheed Martin are using quantum-inspired optimization techniques to improve their operations.

Challenges and Limitations of Quantum Computing: 1. Error correction: Quantum computers are prone to errors due to the fragile nature of qubits. 2. Scalability: Currently, quantum computers are small-scale and need to be scaled up to be practical. 3. Quantum noise: Quantum computers are susceptible to noise, which can cause errors.

Conclusion:

Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize many fields, from cryptography to materials science. While there are challenges and limitations to overcome, the potential benefits of quantum computing make it an exciting and rapidly evolving field.

Glossary of Terms: - Qubit: A quantum bit, the fundamental unit of quantum information. - Superposition: The ability of a qubit to exist in multiple states simultaneously. - Entanglement: The connection between two or more qubits that allows them to affect each other even when separated. - Quantum measurement: The process of measuring a qubit, which causes it to collapse into a single state.

I hope this beginner's guide has provided a helpful introduction to the world of quantum computing! @Yakihonne

@ 75869cfa:76819987

GM, Nostriches!

The Nostr Review is a biweekly newsletter focused on Nostr statistics, protocol updates, exciting programs, the long-form content ecosystem, and key events happening in the Nostr-verse. If you’re interested, join me in covering updates from the Nostr ecosystem!

Quick review:

In the past two weeks, Nostr statistics indicate over 225,000 daily trusted pubkey events. The number of new users has seen a notable decrease, with profiles containing a contact list dropping by 95%. More than 10 million events have been published, with posts and reposts showing a decrease. Total Zap activity stands at approximately 15 million, marking a 10% decrease.

Additionally, 26 pull requests were submitted to the Nostr protocol, with 6 merged. A total of 45 Nostr projects were tracked, with 8 releasing product updates, and over 463 long-form articles were published, 29% focusing on Bitcoin and Nostr. During this period, 2 notable events took place, and 3 significant events are upcoming.

Nostr Statistics

Based on user activity, the total daily trusted pubkeys writing events is about 225,000, representing a slight 8 % decrease compared to the previous period. Daily activity peaked at 18179 events, with a low of approximately 16093.

The number of new users has decreased significantly. Profiles with a contact list are now around 17,511, reflecting a 95% drop. Profiles with a bio have decreased by 62% compared to the previous period. The only category showing growth is pubkeys writing events, which have increased by 27%.

Regarding event publishing, all metrics have shown a decline. The total number of note events published is around 10 million, reflecting a 14% decrease. Posts remain the most dominant in terms of volume, totaling approximately 1.6 million, which is a 6.1% decrease. Both reposts and reactions have decreased by about 10%.

For zap activity, the total zap amount is about 15 million, showing an increase of over 10% compared to the previous period.

Data source: https://stats.nostr.band/

NIPs

Bulletin Boards

nostr:npub1gcxzte5zlkncx26j68ez60fzkvtkm9e0vrwdcvsjakxf9mu9qewqlfnj5z is proposing that A bulletin board is a relay-centric system of forums where users can post and reply to others, typically around a specific community. The relay operator controls and moderates who can post and view content. A board is defined by kind:30890. Its naddr representation must provide the community's home relays, from which all posts should be gathered. No other relays should be used.

Add NIP-101e: Workout Events

nostr:npub1xy54p83r6wnpyhs52xjeztd7qyyeu9ghymz8v66yu8kt3jzx75rqhf3urc is proposing a standardized way to represent fitness and workout data in Nostr, including: Exercise Templates (kind: 33401) for storing reusable exercise definitions, Workout Templates (kind: 33402) for defining workout plans, Workout Records (kind: 1301) for recording completed workouts. The format provides structured data for fitness tracking while following Nostr conventions for data representation.Many fitness applications use proprietary formats, locking user data into specific platforms. This NIP enables decentralized fitness tracking, allowing users to control their workout data and history while facilitating social sharing and integration between fitness applications.

NIP-47 client-created secret

nostr:npub1zk6u7mxlflguqteghn8q7xtu47hyerruv6379c36l8lxzzr4x90q0gl6ef is proposing a PR introduces two "1-click" connection flows for setting up initial NWC connections. Rather than having to copy-paste a connection string, the user is presented with an authorization page which they can approve or decline. The secret is generated locally and never leaves the client. HTTP flow - for publicly accessible lightning wallets. Implemented in Alby Hub (my.albyhub.com) and CoinOS (coinos.io). Nostr flow - for mobile-based / self-hosted lightning wallets, very similar to NWA but without a new event type added. Implemented in Alby Go and Alby Hub. Benefits over NWC Deep Links are that it works cross-device, mobile to web, and the client-generated secret never leaves the client. Both flows are also implemented in Alby JS SDK and Bitcoin Connect.

add B0 NIP for Blossom interaction

nostr:npub180cvv07tjdrrgpa0j7j7tmnyl2yr6yr7l8j4s3evf6u64th6gkwsyjh6w6 describes a tiny subset of possible Blossom capabilities, but arguably the most important from the point of view of a most basic Nostr client. This NIP specifies how Nostr clients can use Blossom for handling media. Blossom is a set of standards (called BUDs) for dealing with servers that store files addressable by their SHA-256 sums. Nostr clients may make use of all the BUDs for allowing users to upload files, manage their own files and so on, but most importantly Nostr clients SHOULD make use of BUD-03 to fetch kind:10063 lists of servers for each user.

NIP-C0: Communi-keys

nostr:npub149p5act9a5qm9p47elp8w8h3wpwn2d7s2xecw2ygnrxqp4wgsklq9g722q defines a standard for creating, managing and publishing to communities by leveraging existing key pairs and relays, introducing the concept of "Communi-keys". This approach allows any existing npub to become a community (identity + manager) while maintaining compatibility with existing relay infrastructure.

A way for relays to be honest about their algos

securitybrahh is proposing a PR introduces NIP-41, a way for relays to be honest about their algos, edits 01.md to account for changes in limit (related #78, #1434, received_at?, #620, #1645) when algo is provided, appends 11.md for relays to advertize whether they are an aggregator or not and their provided algos. solves #522, supersedes #579.

nip31: template-based "alt" tags for known kinds

nostr:npub180cvv07tjdrrgpa0j7j7tmnyl2yr6yr7l8j4s3evf6u64th6gkwsyjh6w6 is proposing that clients hardcoding alt tags are not very trustworthy. alt tags tend to be garbage in a long-enough timeframe.This fixes it with hardcoded rich templates that anyone can implement very easily without having to do it manually for each kind. alt tags can still be used as a fallback.

First draft of NIP-44v3

nostr:npub1gcxzte5zlkncx26j68ez60fzkvtkm9e0vrwdcvsjakxf9mu9qewqlfnj5z is proposing a PR addresses 3 main problems of NIP-44v2. First, It has a message size limit of 65Kb, which is unnecessarily small. Second, It forces the encrypting key to be the same as the event's signing key. Which forces multi-sig actors to share their main private key in order to encrypt the payload that would be later signed by the group. Decoupling singing and encryption keys, for both source and destination, is one of the goals of this version. And It offers no way to describe what's inside the encrypted blob before requesting the user's approval to decrypt and send the decrypted info back to the requesting application. This PR adds an alt description to allow decrypting signers to display a message and warn the user of what type of information the requesting application is receiving.

Notable Projects

Damus nostr:npub18m76awca3y37hkvuneavuw6pjj4525fw90necxmadrvjg0sdy6qsngq955

• Notes in progress will always be persisted and saved automatically. Never lose those banger notes when you aren't quite ready to ship them.
• Make your profile look just right without any fuss. It also optimizes them on upload now to not nuke other people’s phone data bills.
• You won't see the same note more than once in your home feed.
• Fixed note loading when clicking notifications and damus.io links.
• Fixed NWC not working when you first connect a wallet.
• Fixed overly sensitive and mildly infuriating touch gestures in the thread view when scrolling

Primal nostr:npub12vkcxr0luzwp8e673v29eqjhrr7p9vqq8asav85swaepclllj09sylpugg

Primal for Android build 2.1.9 has been released. * Multi-account support * Deep linking support * "Share via Primal" support * Bug fixes and improvements

Yakihonne nostr:npub1yzvxlwp7wawed5vgefwfmugvumtp8c8t0etk3g8sky4n0ndvyxesnxrf8q

YakiHonne Wallet just got a fresh new look!

0xchat nostr:npub1tm99pgz2lth724jeld6gzz6zv48zy6xp4n9xu5uqrwvx9km54qaqkkxn72

0xchat v1.4.7-beta release * Upgraded the Flutter framework to v3.29.0. * Private chat implementation changed to NIP-104 Nostr MLS. * NIP-17 and NIP-29 messages now support q tags. * You can swipe left to reply to your own messages. * Chat messages now support code block display. * Copy images from the clipboard. * Fixed an issue where underlined text in chat appeared as italic.

GOSSIP 0.14.0 nostr:npub189j8y280mhezlp98ecmdzydn0r8970g4hpqpx3u9tcztynywfczqqr3tg8

Several major bugs have been fixed in the last week. * New Features and Improvements * Zappers and amounts are now shown (click on the zap total) * Reactions and who reacted are now shown (click on the reaction numbers) * Multiple search UI/UX improvements * Undo Send works for DMs too * Undo Send now restores the draft * UI: Side panel contains less so it can be thinner. Bottom bar added. * UI: frame count and spinner (optional) * Relay UI: sorting by score puts important relays at the top. * Relay UI: add more filters so all the bits are covered * Image and video loading is much faster (significant lag reduction) * Thread loading fix makes threads load far more reliably * Settings have reset-to-default buttons, so you don't get too lost. * Setting 'limit inbox seeking to inbox relays' may help avoid spam at the expense of possibly * Fix some bugs * And more updates

Nostur v1.18.1 nostr:npub1n0stur7q092gyverzc2wfc00e8egkrdnnqq3alhv7p072u89m5es5mk6h0

New in this version: * Floating mini video player * Videos: Save to library, Copy video URL, Add bookmark * Improved video stream / chat view * Top zaps on live chat * Posting to Picture-first * Profile view: Show interactions with you (conversations, reactions, zaps, reposts) * Profile view: Show actual reactions instead of only Likes * Improved search + Bookmark search * Detect nsfw / content-warning in posts * Show more to show reactions outside Web of Trust * Show more to show zaps outside Web of Trust * Support .avif image format * Support .mp3 format * Support .m4v video format * Improved zap verification for changed wallets * Improved outbox support * Show label on restricted posts * Low data mode: load media in app on tap instead of external browser * Many other bug fixes and performance improvements

Alby nostr:npub1getal6ykt05fsz5nqu4uld09nfj3y3qxmv8crys4aeut53unfvlqr80nfm

Latest two releases of Alby Go, 1.10 and 1.11, brought you lots of goodies: * BTC Map integration for quick access to global bitcoin merchants map * Confirm new NWC connections to your Alby Hub directly in Alby Go! No more copy-pasting or QR code scanning * Support for MoneyBadger Pay Pick n Pay QR payments in over 2000 stores in South Africa

ZEUS v0.10.0 nostr:npub1xnf02f60r9v0e5kty33a404dm79zr7z2eepyrk5gsq3m7pwvsz2sazlpr5

ZEUS v0.10.0 is now available. This release features the ability to renew channel leases, spin up multiple embedded wallets, Nostr Wallet Connect client support, and more. * Renewable channels * NWC client support * Ability to create multiple Embedded LND 'node in the phone' wallets * Ability to delete Embedded LND wallets * Embedded LND: v0.18.5-beta * New share button (share ZEUS QR images) * Tools: Export Activity CSVs, Developer tools, chantools * Activity: filter by max amount, memo, and note

Long-Form Content Eco

In the past two weeks, more than 463 long-form articles have been published, including over 91 articles on Bitcoin and more than 41 related to Nostr, accounting for 29% of the total content.

These articles about Nostr mainly explore the rise of Nostr as a decentralized platform that is reshaping the future of the internet. They emphasize Nostr's role in providing users with greater freedom, ownership, and fair monetization, particularly in the realm of content creation. The platform is positioned as a counter to centralized social media networks, offering uncensored interactions, enhanced privacy, and direct transactions. Many articles delve into Nostr’s potential to integrate with Bitcoin, creating a Layer 3 solution that promises to end the dominance of old internet structures. Discussions also cover the technical aspects of Nostr, such as the implementation of relays and group functionalities, as well as security concerns like account hacks. Furthermore, there is an exploration of the philosophical and anthropological dimensions of Nostr, with the rise of "Dark Nostr" being portrayed as a deeper expression of decentralized freedom.

The Bitcoin articles discuss the ongoing evolution of Bitcoin and its increasing integration into global financial systems. Many articles focus on the growing adoption of Bitcoin, particularly in areas like Argentina and the U.S., where Bitcoin is being used for rental payments and the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve. Bitcoin is also portrayed as a response to the centralized financial system, with discussions about how it can empower individuals through financial sovereignty, provide a hedge against inflation, and create fairer monetization models for creators. Additionally, the articles explore the challenges and opportunities within the Bitcoin ecosystem, including the rise of Bitcoin ETFs, the development of Bitcoin mining, and the potential impact of AI on Bitcoin adoption. There is also emphasis on Bitcoin's cultural and economic implications, as well as the need for decentralized education and innovation to drive further adoption.

Thank you, nostr:npub1ygzsm5m9ndtgch9n22cwsx2clwvxhk2pqvdfp36t5lmdyjqvz84qkca2m5 nostr:npub1rsv7kx5avkmq74p85v878e9d5g3w626343xhyg76z5ctfc30kz7q9u4dke nostr:npub17wrn0xxg0hfq7734cfm7gkyx3u82yfrqcdpperzzfqxrjf9n7tes6ra78k nostr:npub1fxq5crl52mre7luhl8uqsa639p50853r3dtl0j0wwvyfkuk4f6ssc5tahv nostr:npub1qny3tkh0acurzla8x3zy4nhrjz5zd8l9sy9jys09umwng00manysew95gx nostr:npub19mf4jm44umnup4he4cdqrjk3us966qhdnc3zrlpjx93y4x95e3uq9qkfu2 nostr:npub1marc26z8nh3xkj5rcx7ufkatvx6ueqhp5vfw9v5teq26z254renshtf3g0 nostr:npub1uv0m8xc6q4cnj2p0tewmcgkyzg8cnteyhed0zv30ez03w6dzwvnqtu6gwl nostr:npub1ygzsm5m9ndtgch9n22cwsx2clwvxhk2pqvdfp36t5lmdyjqvz84qkca2m5 nostr:npub1mhcr4j594hsrnen594d7700n2t03n8gdx83zhxzculk6sh9nhwlq7uc226 nostr:npub1xzuej94pvqzwy0ynemeq6phct96wjpplaz9urd7y2q8ck0xxu0lqartaqn nostr:npub1gqgpfv65dz8whvyup942daagsmwauj0d8gtxv9kpfvgxzkw4ga4s4w9awr nostr:npub16dswlmzpcys0axfm8kvysclaqhl5zv20ueurrygpnnm7k9ys0d0s2v653f and others, for your work. Enriching Nostr’s long-form content ecosystem is crucial.

Nostriches Global Meet Ups

Recently, several Nostr events have been hosted in different countries. * The first Bitcoin Meetup organized by Mi Primer Bitcoin was successfully held on March 14, 2025, at Texijal Pizza in Apaneca. The event included Bitcoin education, networking, a Q&A session, and merchandise distribution, offering an exciting experience for all participants.
* The Btrust Space discussion was successfully held on March 13, 2024. The event focused on how to support Bitcoin developers, fund open-source contributions, and grow the Bitcoin ecosystem. The speakers included Bitcoin core contributors, Btrust CEO, engineering leads, and other project leaders.

Here is the upcoming Nostr event that you might want to check out.

• The Nostr Workshop, organized by YakiHonne and Bitcoin Safari, will take place online via Google Meet on March 17, 2025, at 7:00 PM (GMT+1). The event will introduce the Nostr ecosystem and Bitcoin payments, with participants learning about decentralized technology through YakiHonne and earning rewards. Register and verify your account to claim exclusive rewards, and invite friends to unlock additional rewards.
• The 2025 Bitcoin, Crypto Economy, and Law FAQ Webinar will be held online on March 20, 2025 (Thursday) from 12:00 to 13:00 Argentina time. The webinar will be hosted by Martin Paolantonio (Academic Director of the course) and Daniel Rybnik (Lawyer specializing in Banking, Corporate, and Financial Law). The session aims to introduce the academic program and explore Bitcoin, the crypto economy, and related legal issues.
• Bitcoin Educators Unconference 2025 will take place on April 10, 2025, at Bitcoin Park in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This event is non-sponsored and follows an Unconference format, allowing all participants to apply as speakers and share their Bitcoin education experiences in a free and interactive environment. The event has open-sourced all its blueprints and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to encourage global communities to organize similar Unconference events.

Additionally, We warmly invite event organizers who have held recent activities to reach out to us so we can work together to promote the prosperity and development of the Nostr ecosystem.

Thanks for reading! If there’s anything I missed, feel free to reach out and help improve the completeness and accuracy of my coverage.

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

Hello Stackers!

Welcome on into the ~Music Corner of the Saloon!

A place where we Talk Music. Share Tracks. Zap Sats.

So stay a while and listen.

🚨Don't forget to check out the pinned items in the territory homepage! You can always find the latest weeklies there!🚨

🚨Subscribe to the territory to ensure you never miss a post! 🚨

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/916364

@ 0f53ff86:e380fc00

This article is cross posted from my personal blog at danjones.io.

Why has the "yes" been troubling me?

On look-back, I've been saying yes to almost everything that friends and family ask of me ever since the beginning of my adult life. Whether it be a DIY job, a call to help them in their hardships and an assist in times of need.

Upon rereading, it's not at all negative. The problem I have is I don't say this to myself, reciprocate or seek others in my time of need. I lack the ability to express myself.

Is this recompense for youthful errors? Do I lack self-respect, and as a result, push myself for others to make up for that? Why such harsh self-criticism? Why this undeserving feeling?

Self Awareness & Anxiety

Sometime about 4-5 years ago, I saw a councillor to fight this obsession with myself that I don't deserve the great things that come into life. The outcome of these sessions was that I was "highly self aware".

What does this mean?

• Honesty with oneself: I'm consistently honest with myself, almost too honest. I acknowledge how I feel, even if it's difficult.
• Reflection: Constant consideration of how my social actions, thoughts, and feelings affect others. Again, a little too much. Post-conversation, I often think of better responses and actions.
• Learning from mistakes: This I feel like is a brag, I don't want it to come across this way. I treat my mistakes as learning opportunities, but also spend too much time focussing on the mistake and how that could have been averted. 

Having a heightened self awareness isn't bad. It's a great mindset to have, but in combination with anxiety, it can go wrong quickly.

But why am I including this? What connection does it have?

Subconscious

Am I subconsciously doing good for others to cover for the lack of involvement and assist to others in my younger years?

I wasn't your ideal son in my teen years. I was lazy, had no care for others, only ever cared for what benefited me only. Does this affect me in later life? Possibly.

I think things turned around in my early twenties. Professional work life had kicked in, met my partner who I'm still with today (and appreciate her every day) and I think a combination of these things turned me into who I am today.

Lacking ability to reward your person

A few months prior to attending a counselling session, I had applied for and was provided opportunity for 2 other workplaces. They were promising jobs with incredible self-development and financial opportunities.

I had declined both.

Feeling rewarded for what I saw as a lack of ability to fulfil the role and not understanding why I was rewarded for being myself consumed me and occupied my mind excessively. I felt like everything that had led me to this moment in my professional life was purely based on luck and right-place, right-time.

Because of this, I declined both.

That's not to say I was ever unhappy in my job, hence seeking work elsewhere. I love my job and still work in that role today. Great people, varied work and fantastic self-help are some of the key factors I'm in my role today.

I just wanted the opportunity to show everyone else I am capable of more, but alas, I failed, and that destroyed me.

Is an explicit yes bad?

Absolutely not. Throughout self-reflection on these moments over the years, being kind, helpful, caring to others in their time of need is more important now than ever. We live in a world filled with hate that if I can find an opportunity to make someone's day, I will always take that.

The problem I had to fight was self-respect, self-reward and inability to express how I feel or a need for help from others. Tying my wins and current life achievements not to luck or time and place, but to significant decisions made and the time I spend working on myself. Be it, self-reflections sessions, self studying and tech examinations (something I'm incredibly proud of) and more.

Who am I today?

Here, I want to put out who I am today, not just for me, but for others. I feel like if I'm able to provide a little more insight into my life and overcoming the challenges, someone, even if a single person, may benefit.

I am a person who;

• Is caring and loving.
• Tries to bring joy to others.
• Works hard to develop their skills and capabilities.
• Pushes oneself to excel.
• Takes time to help others, even if it comes at a penalty to one's own time.
• Should be rewarded for life's achievements..

My current situation: how did it happen?

1. Record your achievements and shortcomings.
2. Use a notepad or app. Reflect on these. Praise yourself for your good, and see how you might remedy the failures.
3. Write the positives about yourself and repeat them back to yourself 2-3 times a day.
4. For me, it was;
   1. Your current place in life isn't due to luck its down to ability and self investment.
   2. There is no right place or the right time. Only right decisions, which is why you are who you are today.
   3. I am a caring, loving person.
   4. I take pride in myself, and enjoy bringing joy to others.
5. Get out more.
6. Get out more! I'm a tech nerd and as a result, I spend a lot of time indoors. Take the time, even its half an hour, to walk around, go somewhere new. Grab a coffee at your local coffee shop and take in your surroundings. This will also help get you out of your own thoughts.
7. Exercise
8. Again, as a tech nerd, I spent a lot of my time sat down at a computer. Hardly great for your body or mind.
   1. Go for a run. Get that sense of achievement. Release those endorphins and push yourself each time.
   2. Attend the gym. Go to a gym to complete your exercise, but also meet others.

@ fbf0e434:e1be6a39

DoraHacks 是 全球黑客运动的推动者

DoraHacks 是全球最大的Hackathon社区平台，致力于推动全球范围内的创新变革。在生物科技领域，类似的 Hacker 运动正在形成，并被称为无FDA社会（FDA Free Society）。这是 DoraHacks 在 生物科技领域的核心关注方向，我们相信，医疗和生物技术创新不应受制于官僚主义，而应以更自由、高效的方式加速发展。

FDA：生物科技创新的主要障碍

在全球医疗和生物科技创新的进程中，FDA（美国食品药品监督管理局）长期以来被认为是最大的一道障碍。它的监管模式虽然出发点是确保安全性和有效性，但实际上已经成为医疗创新的桎梏，主要体现在以下几个方面：

1. 审批流程过于冗长和官僚

   新药和新疗法的研发周期极其漫长，通常需要 10-15 年才能上市，使得许多有潜力的创新治疗方案被无情地耗尽在繁杂的审批流程中。

2. 高昂的合规成本

   由于 FDA 监管下的临床试验成本极高，许多潜在的突破性治疗因无法负担昂贵的试验费用而被扼杀，导致病人得不到及时的救治。

3. FDA 与大药企形成的利益护城河

   现行的监管体系更有利于资金雄厚的大型制药公司，而小型生物科技公司和创新团队往往难以突破 FDA 的壁垒，最终导致真正的创新被排挤出市场。

市场驱动的生物科技创新更高效

与官僚机构控制医疗创新相比，市场驱动的模式能够更快速、更灵活地推动医疗技术进步：

1. 市场决定哪些疗法更有价值

   在一个自由竞争的环境下，创新疗法的优劣可以由市场和用户（医生、病人）来决定，而不是被行政机构耗时数年的审批流程所束缚。

2. Right to Try 法案：对现有监管的突破

   美国已经推出 Right to Try（生存权利）法案，允许绝症患者尝试尚未获得 FDA 完全批准的疗法。这一法案证明，现有监管体系的僵化已严重影响患者的治疗机会，而自由市场提供了一种更可行的替代方案。

3. 科技创业公司的加速作用

   在市场的推动下，科技创业公司比政府监管机构更具敏捷性。例如，mRNA 技术的加速发展 正是由于市场驱动的模式，而非 FDA 监管的严格审批。可以预见，未来的新药研发将更依赖市场而非政府干预。

BioHack：突破 FDA 监管的桎梏

在 BioTech 领域，抗衰老和生命延长技术是未来最重要的突破方向之一，但这一领域的发展长期受到 FDA 的巨大阻碍：

1. BioTech 需要 FDA Free 的实验环境

   未来的医疗创新应像 AI 和区块链等开源软件行业一样，采用开放式创新模式，让科学家和创业者自由实验，而非受制于一套过时的审批体系。

2. 自由市场驱动的医疗体系将成为趋势

   未来可能会出现 私人和社区支持的医疗实验室，以及一个更加去中心化的医疗体系，让创业团队和个体用户来决定医学的进步方向，而不是让政府机构和大型制药公司掌控一切。

结语

FDA Free Society 是 BioTech 领域即将发生的黑客运动。我们将确保BioHack发生在DoraHacks。

@ e5de992e:4a95ef85

Overview: Market Rebound Amidst Economic Uncertainty

On Monday, March 17, 2025, U.S. stock markets experienced gains for the second consecutive session, signaling potential stabilization following recent volatility. Key indices reported the following gains:

• S&P 500: Increased by 0.6%
• Dow Jones Industrial Average: Rose by 0.9%
• Nasdaq Composite: Edged up 0.3%
• Russell 2000: Notably rose by 1.2%

Despite these daily gains, year-to-date figures indicate that major indices remain below their previous highs:

• S&P 500: Down 3.5%

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: Down 1.7%

• Nasdaq Composite: Down 7.8%

• Russell 2000: Down 7.3%

---

Key Factors Influencing Market Movements

1. Economic Data and Consumer Behavior

• Recent reports show a marginal rebound in U.S. retail sales for February; however, the increase fell short of expectations.
• Factory activity in New York State experienced its most significant decline in nearly two years.

---

2. Federal Reserve's Upcoming Meeting

• The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is set to meet on March 18-19, 2025.
• Although current interest rates are expected to remain between 4.25% and 4.50%, investors are keenly awaiting signals for potential future adjustments.

---

3. Geopolitical Tensions and Trade Policies

• President Donald Trump's evolving tariff strategies—particularly concerning trade with Canada and Mexico—have heightened market uncertainty.
• These policies complicate the Federal Reserve's data-dependent approach to interest rate decisions, as tariffs could drive inflation while weakening the job market.

---

4. Sector-Specific Developments

• Technology:
  Companies such as Nvidia and Tesla have experienced declines; Nvidia fell 1% ahead of its GTC AI conference, while Tesla dropped nearly 3%.

• Defense:
  Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. saw a significant increase of 5.6%, outperforming competitors during a positive trading session.

---

Commodity Markets

• Oil:
  Prices increased, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures nearing $67.85 per barrel, reflecting stability in energy markets.

• Gold:
  Prices remained near $3,000 per ounce, continuing their rally amidst market uncertainty.

---

Market Outlook

As markets navigate a complex landscape of economic indicators and geopolitical events, investor attention remains focused on the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting and related economic data releases. The outcomes of the FOMC meeting—coupled with ongoing trade policy developments—are expected to play pivotal roles in shaping market trajectories in the near term.

@ 1d7ff02a:d042b5be

ອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳ (low-carb) ແລະ ອາຫານແບບຄີໂຕ (keto) ເປັນປະເດັນຂັດແຍ້ງກັນມາດົນນານ. ບາງຄົນຍົກຍ້ອງວ່າມັນຊ່ວຍໃນການຫຼຸດນ້ຳໜັກ ແລະ ສຸຂະພາບຂອງລະບົບເມຕາບໍລິກ, ໃນຂະນະທີ່ຄົນອື່ນເຕືອນກ່ຽວກັບຄວາມສ່ຽງທີ່ອາດເກີດຂຶ້ນ. ບົດຄວາມວິທະຍາສາດລ່າສຸດທີ່ມີຊື່ວ່າ "ຄວາມເຊື່ອທີ່ຜິດ ແລະ ຄວາມຈິງກ່ຽວກັບອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳ" ທ້າທາຍຄວາມເຂົ້າໃຈຜິດຫຼາຍຢ່າງ ແລະ ນຳສະເໜີຫຼັກຖານທາງວິທະຍາສາດທີ່ແໜ້ນແຟ້ນສະໜັບສະໜູນອາຫານປະເພດນີ້.

ອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳແມ່ນຫຍັງກັນແທ້?

ເຮົາມາເລີ່ມຕົ້ນດ້ວຍຄຳນິຍາມກ່ອນ. ອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳຈຳກັດທາດແປ້ງໃຫ້ບໍ່ເກີນ 130 ກຣາມຕໍ່ວັນ (25% ຂອງພະລັງງານ), ໃນຂະນະທີ່ອາຫານແບບຄີໂຕຈຳກັດທາດແປ້ງໃຫ້ນ້ອຍລົງຄື 20-50 ກຣາມ (10% ຂອງພະລັງງານ). ເຖິງແມ່ນວ່າຈະມີຊື່ສຽງວ່າເປັນ "ອາຫານແຟຊັ່ນ", ວິທີການເຫຼົ່ານີ້ໄດ້ສະສົມການສະໜັບສະໜູນຈາກການຄົ້ນຄວ້າທີ່ສຳຄັນໃນເກືອບສາມທົດສະວັດ.

ເປັນຫຍັງອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳຈຶ່ງສຳຄັນ

ໃນເມື່ອພາວະອ້ວນ, ເບົາຫວານ, ແລະ ພະຍາດຫົວໃຈ ແລະ ຫຼອດເລືອດໄດ້ເຖິງລະດັບການລະບາດ, ຄວາມຕ້ອງການການແຊກແຊງທາງອາຫານທີ່ມີປະສິດທິພາບບໍ່ເຄີຍສຳຄັນເທົ່ານີ້ມາກ່ອນ. ບົດຄວາມນີ້ລະບຸວ່າອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳບໍ່ພຽງແຕ່ເປັນກະແສທີ່ຜ່ານໄປ ແຕ່ເປັນຍຸດທະສາດທີ່ໄດ້ຮັບການຄົ້ນຄວ້າຢ່າງດີສຳລັບການຈັດການສຸຂະພາບຂອງລະບົບເມຕາບໍລິກ.

ການຍອມຮັບທາງການແພດເພີ່ມຂຶ້ນ

ກະແສກຳລັງປ່ຽນໃນວົງການແພດກະແສຫຼັກ. ອົງການໃຫຍ່ໆລວມທັງສະມາຄົມເບົາຫວານອາເມລິກາ ປັດຈຸບັນຍອມຮັບອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳວ່າເປັນທີ່ຍອມຮັບໄດ້ສຳລັບການຈັດການເບົາຫວານປະເພດ 2. ສະມາຄົມຫົວໃຈອາເມລິກາໄດ້ຍອມຮັບວ່າອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳຫຼາຍນຳໄປສູ່ "ການຫຼຸດລົງຂອງ A1c ຫຼາຍກວ່າ, ການຫຼຸດນ້ຳໜັກຫຼາຍກວ່າ, ແລະ ໃຊ້ຢາເບົາຫວານໜ້ອຍກວ່າ" ເມື່ອປຽບທຽບກັບວິທີການທີ່ໃຊ້ທາດແປ້ງປານກາງ.

ການລົບລ້າງຄວາມເຊື່ອທີ່ຜິດທົ່ວໄປ

"ທ່ານຕ້ອງການທາດແປ້ງເພື່ອການມີຊີວິດຢູ່"

ແປກໃຈບໍ່! ສະຖາບັນວິທະຍາສາດແຫ່ງຊາດສະຫຼຸບວ່າປະລິມານທາດແປ້ງທີ່ຈຳເປັນແມ່ນສູນ. ຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານສາມາດສ້າງນ້ຳຕານກລູໂຄສຜ່ານຂະບວນການ gluconeogenesis.

"ມັນຈະເຮັດໃຫ້ຄໍເລສເຕີຣອນຂອງທ່ານສູງຂຶ້ນ ແລະ ເຮັດໃຫ້ເກີດອາການຫົວໃຈວາຍ"

ໃນຂະນະທີ່ຄໍເລສເຕີຣອນ LDL ບາງຄັ້ງສູງຂຶ້ນ (ໂດຍສະເພາະໃນຄົນຜອມ), ການສຶກສາຫຼ້າສຸດພົບວ່າສິ່ງນີ້ບໍ່ໄດ້ແປວ່າຈະເຮັດໃຫ້ຮ່າງກາຍສະສົມຄາບຕິດໃນຫຼອດເລືອດເພີ່ມຂຶ້ນ. ໃນຂະນະດຽວກັນ, ອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳປັບປຸງຕົວຊີ້ວັດພະຍາດຫົວໃຈອື່ນໆຫຼາຍຢ່າງ, ລວມທັງໄຂມັນໃນເລືອດ, HDL, ການອັກເສບ, ແລະ ຄວາມດັນເລືອດສູງ.

"ຊີ້ນແດງໃນອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳເພີ່ມຄວາມສ່ຽງຂອງມະເຮັງ"

ການທົບທວນຄຸນນະພາບສູງສຸດຂອງເອກະສານທາງວິທະຍາສາດພົບວ່າມີຫຼັກຖານທີ່ເຊື່ອຖືໄດ້ພຽງເລັກນ້ອຍຫາບໍ່ມີເລີຍທີ່ເຊື່ອມໂຍງການບໍລິໂພກຊີ້ນແດງກັບມະເຮັງ. ການສຶກສາໃນອະດີດຫຼາຍຄັ້ງອີງໃສ່ຂໍ້ມູນການສັງເກດທີ່ອ່ອນແອແທນທີ່ຈະເປັນການທົດລອງທາງຄລີນິກທີ່ມີການຄວບຄຸມ.

"ມັນບໍ່ສາມາດຮັກສາໄດ້ໃນໄລຍະຍາວ"

ການສຳຫຼວດກ່ຽວກັບຄົນ 1,580 ຄົນພົບວ່າສ່ວນໃຫຍ່ຮັກສາອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳໄດ້ເປັນເວລາຫຼາຍກວ່າໜຶ່ງປີ, ໂດຍ 34% ຮັກສາໄດ້ 2+ ປີ. ຄວາມຮູ້ສຶກອີ່ມຈາກໂປຣຕີນ ແລະ ໄຂມັນຊ່ວຍໃຫ້ຄົນບໍ່ຮູ້ສຶກຫິວລະຫວ່າງຄາບອາຫານ.

"ມັນມີລາຄາແພງເກີນໄປ"

ການວິເຄາະຕົ້ນທຶນພົບວ່າອາຫານທີ່ມີທາດແປ້ງຕ່ຳມີຄ່າໃຊ້ຈ່າຍຫຼາຍກວ່າພຽງແຕ່ປະມານ $1.27 ຕໍ່ຄົນຕໍ່ວັນເມື່ອທຽບກັບຄຳແນະນຳມາດຕະຖານ. ແມ່ນແຕ່ປະຊາກອນທີ່ມີລາຍໄດ້ຕ່ຳກໍສາມາດປັບຮັບເອົາວິທີການກິນແບບນີ້ໄດ້ສຳເລັດ.

"ທ່າແຮງໃນການປິ່ນປົວເບົາຫວານ"

ອາດຈະໜ້າປະທັບໃຈທີ່ສຸດ: ການທົດລອງທາງຄລີນິກສະແດງໃຫ້ເຫັນວ່າຫຼາຍກວ່າ 50% ຂອງຜູ້ເຂົ້າຮ່ວມທີ່ມີເບົາຫວານປະເພດ 2 ສາມາດກັບຄືນມາດີຂຶ້ນໄດ້ດ້ວຍອາຫານແບບຄີໂຕ, ໂດຍສ່ວນໃຫຍ່ຫຼຸດລົງຫຼືຢຸດເຊົາໃຊ້ຢາພາຍໃນພຽງແຕ່ 10 ອາທິດ.

ທີ່ມາ: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/6/1047#B4-nutrients-17-01047 ສະຫລຸບ ແລະ ແປໂດຍ: ChatGPT, Claude

@ 7252ad94:d19de472

![[BTC March 17 25.jpg]]#Bitcoin #btccharts #BitcoinCharts

@ 7252ad94:d19de472

![[BTC March 17 25.jpg]]#Bitcoin #btccharts #BitcoinCharts

@ d6c48950:54d57756

Theres a popular trend among people who never grew up with old tech to suddenly embrace it as rebellion against enshitification and capitalism but as someone who actually grew up with old phones and old tech theres a reason why iphones and social media won, because they're better. 

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This doesn't mean they don't have flaws, it means that even with the flaws they still outperform; dumbphones are a bandaid but smartphones have comprehensive features built in that work more like a bandage - ironically the solution smart phones have to the problem of smartphones is still better than using a dumbphone as a solution to smartphones - parental control and screen time features work and they're incredibly robust, if you set them up in a well thought out way you can get an insane amount of utility from your smartphone and none of the downsides, if you have a friend setup the parental features according to your wishes it can be setup in such a way that you as the owner of the device cannot get around it, limiting how long you can spend on social media, limiting what apps you can install, what websites you can go on but without losing any of the insane value of smartphones such as

• signal: private communications
• camera: not needing to carry a camera
• ability to send photos quickly and easily to friends
• ability to share what your doing with others publicly
• ability to pay for things without needing to carry a card
• uber
• bus/train apps
• note taking apps that're searchable and instantly backed up
• maps app
• weather app

These are just some of the things on my phone that provide high value, think about how much clutter I would have to carry if I switched to a dumbphone and not only that, the cluttered separate items would perform worse and cost more (since I already own a smartphone).

 

I'm not saying dumbphones are useless but they solve nothing, setting up a smartphone to remove risk and harm whilst maximising value forces you to give careful consideration to the problem 

• Can I trust myself to not turn this off?
• How much time do I want to spend on instagram?
• Do I want notifications on for this person?
• Do I ever want notifications from twitter?
• What value does my phone even provide?

Now you might say you asked those questions before switching to a dumbphone but my point is it's optional, you can not think about any of those things and switch to a dumbphone whereas in something approximating irony when doing it on a smartphone you have to be intentional, mindful, honest and self aware. You have to give serious thought to can you control yourself or self limit certain behaviours and if not would moderation or complete abstinence be better?

In my case I struggle with instagram, but I didn't want to get rid of it because it's how I keep in touch with some friends and keep up to date on their life and them on mine, it also is a good point of contact for new people I meet or people who want to get in touch - but if I average this out i.e messaging (occasional) , posting and looking at friends posts it should only really take me maybe 10 minutes per day maximum - I set a ten minute lock, what happens if I spend 10 minutes scrolling reels and then want to post something? I can't, I'm punished for the behaviour which discourages me from doing it next time.

 

dumbphones feel like a punishment for a problem you haven't tried to fix and for a behaviour you can't clearly articulate - you know you're doing something wrong and might be able to name the action (wasting time on tiktok) but you have no actual understanding of the behaviour (i.e why you do it or why it's even bad beyond some vague harm you ironically heard on tiktok).

you're spending money for no additional value beyond social value (wow a flip phone how quirky) and I've yet to meet a single logn term dumbphone user with an active social life - ironically I do know a person who makes tiktoks about living with a dumbphone - they film the tiktoks on an iphone they take with them everwhere and use as their daily phone. I'm not saying all dumbphone influencers are lying but I'm skeptical someone whos embraced the dumbphone would spend their free time making tiktoks or online content at all really, maybe they would at the start but long term? I doubt it.

 

smartphones have tons of apps and all those apps have shitty subscription services and each update makes the app worse but there is still untapped value to be found in them - look at it as a tool that exists to perform functions and it'll make your life a lot better. You have to be mindful and intentional with technology or it will just do whatever large corporations want it to do.

@ 2f4550b0:95f20096

Networking is often misunderstood as a transactional exchange: handing out business cards or adding contacts on LinkedIn with the hope of an immediate payoff. But at its core, networking is something more dynamic and human. I like to define it as the nexus between "I know a person for that" and being bold enough to ask. It’s about building a web of relationships where knowledge, opportunity, and courage intersect. Whether in professional or personal spheres, networking thrives on trust, mutual benefit, and the willingness to step out of your comfort zone. Let’s unpack this idea and see how it plays out in real life.

Professionally, networking is the lifeblood of career growth. It’s not just about who you know, but who knows you and what they know you can do. Imagine you’re at a conference, coffee in hand, scanning a room full of strangers. You overhear someone mention a challenge their company is facing: they need a creative solution for a marketing campaign, and their team is stumped. Your brain lights up because you know a person for that! A brilliant graphic designer you met at a workshop last year. The easy part is making the mental connection. The harder part? Walking over, introducing yourself, and saying, “Hey, I couldn’t help but overhear. I might know someone who can help.” That’s where the boldness comes in. It’s not about selling yourself or your contact; it’s about offering value and starting a conversation. Over time, those small acts of courage build a reputation: you become the person who connects dots.

I saw this play out vividly a few years ago when a colleague, Sarah, turned a casual chat into a career-defining moment. We were at a local industry meetup, and she struck up a conversation with a startup founder who was frustrated about their lagging sales. Sarah didn’t have the answer herself, but she remembered a sales strategist she’d met at a previous event. Instead of letting the moment pass, she said, “I know someone who’s tackled this exact problem. Mind if I connect you?” The founder agreed, and within a week, Sarah had facilitated an introduction that led to a six-figure consulting gig for her contact and a glowing referral for herself. She didn’t ask for anything in return, but her willingness to bridge the gap earned her trust and credibility. That’s networking at its finest: knowing the right people and having the guts to act.

On the personal side, networking takes a softer, but no less impactful form. It’s less about career ladders and more about enriching your life and community. Think about the last time you needed a recommendation, for a plumber, a babysitter, or even a good book. You probably turned to a friend or neighbor, someone whose judgment you trust. That’s "I know a person for that" in action. But the boldness piece still applies. Asking for help or advice can feel vulnerable, especially if it’s not a close relationship. Yet, those small asks often deepen bonds.

I recently moved to a new city. Last week, I hesitantly asked a distant acquaintance if he could make an introduction to a local hair stylist he uses. I was nervous that I would bother him, or that he would ignore my note. Instead, he got back to me the same day, checked with the stylist to see if she had openings, then shared her contact information with me. I had an appointment for a haircut within 24 hours! Networking personally is about leaning into your circle,and sometimes expanding it, without overthinking the imposition.

In other words, it’s okay to ask. The beauty of this definition is its universality. Whether you’re pitching yourself for a job or seeking a hiking buddy, networking hinges on two things: relationships and initiative. Research backs this up tangentially. Studies like those from Harvard Business Review suggest that successful networking isn’t about extroversion or schmoozing, but about creating genuine connections and following through. It’s less about a polished elevator pitch and more about being useful and present.

Of course, it’s not always smooth sailing. The fear of rejection or coming off as pushy can paralyze even the best intentions. I’ve fumbled plenty of networking moments myself—once freezing mid-sentence while trying to pitch a collaboration to a senior exec at a mixer. But the stumbles teach you resilience. Networking isn’t a one-and-done; it’s a muscle you build over time.

Each time you say, “I know someone who can help,” or “Can you point me in the right direction?” you’re weaving a stronger web. So, the next time you’re at a crossroads, think of networking as that nexus. It’s knowing who’s in your orbit and daring to reach out. It’s less about collecting contacts and more about cultivating possibilities. The magic happens when you connect the dots and take the leap.

@ 878dff7c:037d18bc

Treasurer Warns of Economic Risks Amid Global Trade Tensions

Summary:

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has highlighted significant risks to Australia's economic recovery due to escalating global trade tensions, particularly stemming from U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariff policies. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) forecasts a slowdown in global GDP growth, with Australia's growth projected at 1.9% in 2025 and 1.8% in 2026. Chalmers emphasizes the need for resilience over retaliation in economic strategies to mitigate these challenges. Sources: The Australian - March 18, 2025, News.com.au - March 18, 2025, ABC News - March 18, 2025, Michael West Media - March 18, 2025

Rising Energy Costs Impact Australian Households Ahead of Election

Summary:

As the upcoming federal election approaches, escalating energy costs have become a critical issue. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has criticized Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government for rising living expenses, linking them to investments in renewable energy. Despite government subsidies, electricity bills have soared, partly due to the Ukraine conflict, placing financial strain on households and influencing voter sentiment. Sources: Financial Times - March 18, 2025

Flood Warnings Issued as Heavy Rain Blankets North Queensland

Summary:

Heavy rainfall and potential thunderstorms are forecasted for North Queensland, especially around Townsville, with expected accumulations between 10 to 250mm on Wednesday. This has led to rising water levels in the Bohle River catchment, with minor flooding reaching 4 meters from Tuesday morning and potential moderate flooding during the day. The Tully River is also experiencing minor flooding at Euramo. Hinchinbrook Mayor Ramon Jayo has advised residents to remain vigilant as heavy rain continues. Further updates and warnings about rainfall, river conditions, and weather forecasts are available on the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) website. Sources: Courier Mail - March 18, 2025

Treasurer Jim Chalmers Warns of Economic Impact from Global Trade Tensions

Summary:

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has raised concerns about the potential negative effects of escalating global trade tensions on Australia's economy. He emphasized that ongoing tariff disputes could lead to increased inflation and hinder economic growth. This warning aligns with the latest OECD outlook, which has revised up global inflation forecasts and downgraded GDP growth projections for 2025 and 2026. Sources: The Guardian - March 18, 2025, The Saturday Paper - March 18, 2025

Prime Minister Albanese's Approval Rating Hits 18-Month High

Summary:

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has achieved his highest approval rating in nearly 18 months, with 46% of respondents expressing satisfaction with his performance. In contrast, opposition leader Peter Dutton's disapproval rating has risen to 46%. If an election were held today, 29% of voters would support the Labor Party, while 35% would favor the Coalition. On a two-party preferred basis, both major parties are tied at 47%. Sources: The Guardian - March 18, 2025

Crackdown on CFMEU Amid Corruption Allegations

Summary:

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has proposed stringent measures against the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) following fresh allegations of corruption and criminal behavior. The proposed actions include:

• Deregistration of the CFMEU: Dutton advocates for disbanding the union due to its alleged misconduct.
• Establishment of an AFP-Led Taskforce: A specialized unit within the Australian Federal Police to investigate and address the union's activities.
• Introduction of RICO-Style Laws: Implementing laws similar to the U.S. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act to target organized crime within unions.

These measures aim to tackle issues such as collaboration with outlaw motorcycle gangs and misuse of funds. Critics argue that existing Australian laws are sufficient, and that deregistering the union could be counterproductive.

Sources: The Guardian - March 17, 2025, News.com.au - March 17, 2025, The Australian - March 17, 2025

U.S. and China Engage in High-Stakes Trade Negotiations Amid Rising Tensions

Summary:

The United States and China have entered into critical trade negotiations to address escalating tariffs and trade barriers. The discussions aim to de-escalate tensions that have impacted global markets. Both nations are striving to find common ground on issues such as intellectual property rights, market access, and trade imbalances. The outcome of these talks is expected to have significant implications for the global economy. Sources: Center for Strategic and International Studies - March 14, 2025, Stratfor - March 17, 2025

High Rates of Sexual Violence Among Female International Students in Australia

Summary:

A national study conducted between 2021 and 2023 revealed that over half of female international students in Australia experienced sexual or intimate partner violence in the past year. The survey of nearly 1,500 students found that about 54% encountered such violence, often from intimate partners or friends. Researchers are calling for tertiary institutions and governments to take greater responsibility in addressing these issues, emphasizing the need for culturally appropriate support services and addressing structural issues that heighten risks for international students. Sources: The Australian - March 18, 2025

Opposition Leader Proposes Referendum to Deport Dual Citizens Convicted of Serious Crimes

Summary:

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has proposed a referendum to allow the government to deport dual citizens convicted of serious crimes. Despite criticism over the cost, Dutton emphasizes that safety is paramount. This proposal is part of broader discussions on strengthening national security measures. Sources: The Guardian - March 18, 2025

Melbourne Residents Offered $200,000 for Information on Pro-Democracy Activist

Summary:

Several Melbourne residents have received anonymous letters offering a police bounty of $203,000 for information on Kevin Yam, an Australian pro-democracy activist wanted by Hong Kong for alleged national security crimes. The letters, mailed from Hong Kong, provided a photograph and details of Yam, urging recipients to inform Hong Kong police of his whereabouts. The Australian government condemned the targeting of an Australian citizen and vowed to address the matter with Chinese and Hong Kong authorities. The letters' language mirrored a notice on the Hong Kong police website and included a UK phone number linked to the Hong Kong police. Similar letters were also sent to neighbors of another activist, Carmen Lau, in the UK. The incident highlights concerns over Hong Kong's national security law being used to target pro-democracy activists globally. Yam criticized his targeting as interference with his democratic rights and called for Australian government sanctions against Chinese officials. Sources: The Guardian - 17 March 2025

Mystery Foam Causes Illnesses Among Surfers in South Australia

Summary:

Beaches from Victor Harbor to Waitpinga, south of Adelaide, have been affected by a yellowish foam washing ashore, accompanied by dead marine life such as fish, sea dragons, and octopuses. Surfers and beachgoers have reported symptoms like itchy throats, raspy coughs, eye infections, and blurry vision after visiting these beaches. Authorities suspect the foam results from an algal bloom, influenced by hot temperatures, still water, and an ongoing marine heatwave with sea temperatures 2.5°C warmer than usual. Investigations by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) and the South Australian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are underway to determine the exact cause.

Sources: The Advertiser - 18th March 2025

@ 2e8970de:63345c7a

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5108105

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/916063

@ 7d33ba57:1b82db35

Borkum Island

Borkum is the largest of the East Frisian Islands, located in the North Sea, near the Dutch border. Known for its wide sandy beaches, fresh sea air, and natural beauty, it’s a perfect destination for relaxation, wellness, and outdoor activities. Borkum is part of the Wadden Sea National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site), making it an excellent spot for nature lovers.

🏖️ Best Things to Do on Borkum Island

1️⃣ Relax on the Beautiful Beaches

Borkum has 26 km of sandy beaches, with designated areas for swimming, surfing, and even dog-friendly sections. The main beach near the promenade is perfect for sunbathing and walking.

2️⃣ Visit the Borkum Lighthouses

• New Lighthouse (Neuer Leuchtturm) – A 60m tall lighthouse offering panoramic views of the island.
• Old Lighthouse (Alter Leuchtturm) – The oldest lighthouse in East Frisia, dating back to 1576.

3️⃣ Explore the Wadden Sea (Wattenmeer)

Join a mudflat hiking tour and discover the unique tidal ecosystem of the Wadden Sea, home to seals, crabs, and rare birds.

4️⃣ Take a Ride on the Borkumer Kleinbahn

This historic narrow-gauge railway connects the harbor to the town center and is a fun way to experience the island’s charm.

5️⃣ Seal Watching at Nordstrand

Borkum is known for its seal colonies! Head to Nordstrand or take a boat tour to see these adorable creatures in their natural habitat.

6️⃣ Enjoy Wellness & Thalassotherapy

Borkum’s fresh sea air and saltwater treatments make it a popular destination for health and wellness retreats. Visit the Gezeitenland Spa for a relaxing day.

🍽️ What to Eat on Borkum

• Frisian seafood – Try fresh herring, shrimp, and fish sandwiches. 🐟
• Ostfriesentee (East Frisian tea) – Served with rock sugar and cream. ☕
• Labskaus – A traditional sailor’s dish with mashed potatoes, corned beef, and pickled herring.
• Frisian beer – Local brews are a must-try! 🍺

🚢 How to Get to Borkum

🚢 By Ferry:
- From Emden (Germany) – ~2-hour ferry or 1-hour fast ferry
- From Eemshaven (Netherlands) – ~50-minute ferry

🚂 By Train:
- Take a train to Emden and transfer to the ferry terminal.

🚘 By Car:
- You can bring your car on the ferry, but the island is mostly car-free, so biking is the best way to get around.

💡 Tips for Visiting Borkum

✅ Best time to visit? Summer for beach activities, spring & autumn for hiking and fewer crowds. 🌞
✅ Rent a bike – Borkum is best explored by bicycle 🚲
✅ Pack for the wind – The North Sea can be breezy! 🌬️

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

Hello Stackers!

It's Monday so we're back doing "Meta Music Mondays" 😉.

From before the territory existed there was just one post a week in a ~meta take over. Now each month we have a different theme and bring music from that theme.

This month is March and we're doing March Madness. So give me those Wacky and Weird crazy artists and songs. The weirder the better!

Let's have fun.

How about Weird and Wonderful J-Pop Metal mixed with German Techno Metal.

Baby Metal with Electric Callboy - Ratatata

https://youtu.be/EDnIEWyVIlE?si=DLV4-tOTx6TipGv

Talk Music. Share Tracks. Zap Sats.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/915965

@ edf0da8b:b2652fa3

One remarkable thing the Wim Hof Method stirs in me is that I increasingly feel the desire to connect with pure nature. Now, what does that mean?

You may know that slight feeling of eeriness when looking at deep moving waters or that tiny insecurity when darkness creeps up around you alone among the trees? You are sure there's nothing to worry about. But still, these little old conditioned anxieties, these unreasonable mind scenarios, they keep coming up and make you seek safety.

They are different for everyone, but these anxieties in the foreground are a sign for inner blockages that deprive us from expressing our power and creativity. What's more, they separate us from nature. They suggest, everything around us is potentially dangerous. Is it though?

When practicing the Wim Hof Method, and especially right after the breathing exercises, I can immediately feel a clarity emerging, a stronger awareness of presence in the moment. Anxieties are caringly pushed back to their rightful place, but do not control my actions and no longer dominate my state of being.

And so suddenly, the world view shifts. Eerie deep moving waters become fascinating, the darkness around reveals the beauty of trees casting soft moonlight shadows. I deeply appreciate what is, I want to touch the waters, I want to merge with the shadows, I feel that power. Instead of running away I want to connect with nature. I'm more aware of the present and should danger reveal itself, I have the confidence that I can properly react when it arises. But until then, I can enjoy beauty and connectedness. The powerful shift is from scenarios about potential threats around me to curiosity and beautiful opportunity everywhere.

There are countless great techniques and traditions that guide us to such shifts. But with regular practice, I find the Wim Hof Method to be particularly simple, accessible and effective.

wimhofmethod

@ 06bc9ab7:427c48f5

Bitcoin Safe - A bitcoin savings wallet for the entire family

Designed for both beginners and power users, Bitcoin Safe combines security with an intuitive user experience. In this article, we dive deep into its features, unique benefits, and the powerful tools that make managing your Bitcoin wallet simple and secure.

Built for Learners

✔️ Step-by-step wallet setup wizard + PDF backup sheets 📄 🧪 Test transactions to ensure all hardware signers are ready 🔑 🛡️ Secure: Hardware signers only – no hot wallet risks 🚫🔥 🌍 Multi-language support: 🇺🇸 🇨🇳 🇪🇸 🇯🇵 🇷🇺 🇵🇹 🇮🇳 🇮🇹 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇲🇲 🇰🇷 📁 Address categories for easy organization ☁️ Label and category synchronization, and cloud backup (optional) 💰 Automatic UTXO merging to save on fees ⚡ Fast syncing with Electrum servers, Compact Block Filters coming soon

Built for Power Users

🔐 Supports Coldcard, Bitbox02, Jade, Trezor, Passport, Keystone & many more 🏦 💬 Multi-party multisig chat & PSBT sharing (optional) 📊 Transaction flow diagrams to trace coin movements 🔍 Instant cross-wallet wallet search ⚙️ Set your own electrum server, mempool instance, and nostr relay

---

Step-by-Step Wallet Setup

Whether you’re setting up a single-signature or multi-signature wallet, the setup wizard guides you every step of the way:

• Single Sig Wizard: Follow the intuitive wizard that walks you through each step. https://youtu.be/m0g6ytYTy0w

Clear instructions paired with hardware signer screen-shots, like the steps for a Coldcard

• Multisig Wizard: The wizard ensures you do all necessary steps for a Multisig wallet in the right order. Afterwards your Multisig is ready to use and all signers are tested. Check out https://bitcoin-safe.org/en/features/setup-multisignature-wallet/

• PDF Backup: The wizard will also generates 3 PDF backup sheets for a 2-of-3 multisig wallet, so ensure you always have your wallet descriptor together with the seed.

• Hardware Signer Support: With full support for major hardware signers your keys remain securely offline.

---

Transaction Visualization

Visualize and navigate your transaction history:

• Graphical Explorer: An interactive transaction diagram lets you click on inputs and outputs to follow the money flow intuitively.

• Coin Categories: Organize your addresses into distinct coin categories (e.g., “KYC”, “Work”, “Friends”) so Bitcoin Safe automatically selects the correct inputs when creating PSBTs.

It prevents you accidentally linking coin categories when creating a transaction, and warns you if mistakes happened in the past.

Powerful Wallet Management Tools

• Flexible Fee Selection: Choose fees with one click using an intuitive mempool block preview.
• UTXO Management: Automatically (optional) merge UTXOs when fees are low.
• CSV Table Export: Right click, Drag&Drop, or CTRL+C for immediate CSV export for easy processing in Excel.
• PDF Balance Statement: Export the address balances for easy record keeping on paper.

---

Advanced Features for the Power-User

Sync & Chat is off by default (for the paranoid user), but can be enabled with just one click.

Label Synchronization and Backup

• Seamless Sync: Using encrypted nostr messages, Bitcoin Safe synchronizes your coin categories and labels across multiple devices.
• Easy Backup: A short backup key is all you need to safeguard your coin categories and labels, ensuring your organization remains intact.

Collaborative Multi-party Multisig

• Group Chat Integration: After creating your multisig wallet, Bitcoin Safe offers an encrypted nostr group chat for secure collaboration and one-click PSBT sharing.
• User Authentication: Each participant must authenticate every other user with a simple click, ensuring secure communication.

Watch and Learn: Get Started with Bitcoin Safe

If you’re new to Bitcoin Safe, a short video guide can make all the difference. Learn how to set up your Bitcoin Safe wallet in this detailed walk through:

https://youtu.be/m0g6ytYTy0w

Or see how to verify an address on your hardware singer:

https://youtu.be/h5FkOYj9OT8

Building up a knowledge base: https://bitcoin-safe.org/en/knowledge/

---

Whats next?

• Compact Block Filters!!! They make electrum servers obsolete.
• Why? Compact Block Filters increase the network privacy dramatically, since you're not asking an electrum server to give you your transactions
• Trade-off: They are a little slower than electrum servers. For a savings wallet like Bitcoin Safe this should be OK.
• How do they work? Simply speaking: They ask normal bitcoin core nodes for a short summary of each block. And if the summary shows a transaction belonging to the wallet, the entire block is then downloaded from the bitcoin core node. The bitcoin core node does not learn however which of the many transactions in the block you were interested in. Read more here and of course in the bip.
• When: 2 weeks 😅. Lots of things need to be done until Bitcoin Safe can use the bdk CBF/kyoto client from rustaceanrob, so keep an eye out for updates and please give feedback when you use Bitcoin Safe.

Stay updated on nostr or on GitHub.

Thank you

A huge thanks goes to nostr:npub10pensatlcfwktnvjjw2dtem38n6rvw8g6fv73h84cuacxn4c28eqyfn34f for supporting this project with a grant and nostr:npub1yrnuj56rnen08zp2h9h7p74ghgjx6ma39spmpj6w9hzxywutevsst7k5cx for the Hackathon prize.

This wallet is only possible because it is building upon other peoples open source work. Most notably

• bdk nostr:nprofile1qqsgkmgkmv63djkxmwvdlyaxx0xtsytvkyyg5fwzmp48pwd30f3jtxspzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgqg5waehxw309aex2mrp0yhxgctdw4eju6t0qyt8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgu3wvfskueqr8vuet
• and especially nostr:npub1thunderat5g552cuy7umk624ct5xe4tpgwr2jcjjq2gc0567wgrqnya79l , nostr:npub1reezn2ctrrg736uqj7mva9lsuwv0kr5asj4vvkwxnrwlhvxf98tsq99ty4 , and nostr:npub1ke470rdgnxg4gjs9cw3tv0dp690wl68f5xak5smflpsksedadd7qtf8jfm for dealing with my many feature requests and questions.
• rustaceanrob building kyoto which implements CBF for BDK; a crucial library and will be able to replace electrum servers for many use cases
• ndk by nostr:nprofile1qqsx3kq3vkgczq9hmfplc28h687py42yvms3zkyxh8nmkvn0vhkyyuspz4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezummcw3ezuer9wchsz9thwden5te0wfjkccte9ejxzmt4wvhxjme0qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9u0uehfp

And of course, secure storage of bitcoin is only possible, because of the hardware signer manufacturers. Thanks to nostr:npub1az9xj85cmxv8e9j9y80lvqp97crsqdu2fpu3srwthd99qfu9qsgstam8y8 Coldcard , Coldcard Q , nostr:npub1tg779rlap8t4qm8lpgn89k7mr7pkxpaulupp0nq5faywr8h28llsj3cxmt Bitbox02 , nostr:npub1jg552aulj07skd6e7y2hu0vl5g8nl5jvfw8jhn6jpjk0vjd0waksvl6n8n Blockstream Jade , Trezor Safe, Foundation Passport, Keystone, Ledger, Specter Shield, and many more.

I also want to thank people who gave feedback and helped spread the knowledge of Bitcoin Safe (please forgive me if I forgot to mention you)

• nostr:npub1p5cmlt32vc3jefkl3ymdvm9zk892fsmkq79eq77uvkaqrnyktasqkpkgaw nostr:npub1s07s0h5mwcenfnyagme8shp9trnv964lulgvdmppgenuhtk9p4rsueuk63 nostr:npub18f3g76xc7xs430euwwl9gpn7ue7ux8vmtm9q8htn9s26d8c4neeqdraz3s nostr:npub1mtd7s63xd85ykv09p7y8wvg754jpsfpplxknh5xr0pu938zf86fqygqxas nostr:npub1kysd8m44dhv7ywa75u5z7w2w0gs4t6qzhgvjp555gfknasy3krlqfxde60 nostr:npub185pu2dsgg9d36uvvw7rwuy9aknn8hnknygr7x2yqa60ygvq6r8kqc836k8 nostr:npub1hkcgyqnsuaradq3g5hyvfdekwypc25494nmwggwpygxas7fcs4fst860fu nostr:npub1xsl0msy347vmj8gcpsjum6wwppc4ercvq4xfrhqmek2dqmqm0mtsyf35vx nostr:npub1hxjnw53mhghumt590kgd3fmqme8jzwwflyxesmm50nnapmqdzu7swqagw3 nostr:npub1ke470rdgnxg4gjs9cw3tv0dp690wl68f5xak5smflpsksedadd7qtf8jfm nostr:npub1sk26fxl4fy3vt8m5n0a6aturaql0w20nvh22q0cyaqm28tj7z8ss3lutc9 nostr:npub1r4llq2jcvq4g2tgha5amjz07zk7mrrcj89wllny9xwhhp5zzkklqk4jwja nostr:npub1p9v2zpwl28c0gu0vr2enp3lwdtv29scwpeqsnt0ngqf03vtlyxfqhkae5w nostr:npub1xkym0yaewlz0qfghtt7hjtnu28fxaa5rk3wtcek9d3x3ft2ns3lq775few nostr:npub1r8343wqpra05l3jnc4jud4xz7vlnyeslf7gfsty7ahpf92rhfmpsmqwym8 nostr:npub12zpfs3yq7we83yvypgsrw5f88y2fv780c2kfs89ge5qk6q3sfm7spks880 nostr:npub1yrnuj56rnen08zp2h9h7p74ghgjx6ma39spmpj6w9hzxywutevsst7k5cx https://x.com/91xTx93x2 https://x.com/afilini rustaceanrob

@ 82b30d30:40c6c003

[3]

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@ 06639a38:655f8f71

• My PR#100 for sirn-se/websocket-php got merged and was released in version 3.2.3
• Closed issue #83, reviewed and merged PR#84 for integrating NIP-04 and NIP-44
• Closed issue #85 and merged PR#86 with Event object verification
• 1.6.0 release https://github.com/nostrver-se/nostr-php/releases/tag/1.6.0

Planned for week 12:

• Integrate NIP-19

@ 06639a38:655f8f71

https://ccns.nostrver.se is a (Drupal powered) website that I started to build in January 2024 (source on Github and Gitlab). It's a fork of an earlier (abandoned) project https://cchs.social/.
Currently CCNS is a link aggregration website and for now it's only my who is using it to save and share Nostr related links. When you post a new link, you have the option to cross-post it as a Nostr note (example here).

Kind 39700

Last month Jurjen and Abir have started to work on a social bookmark client built with Nostr (inspired by Del.icio.us from the past). Earlier this month they changed to event kind 39700 for broadcasting the Nostr event with the bookmark / link data accross the network. They did this because Sep already created a social bookmark like client called Pinja when fiatjaf raised this idea.

With these developments to me it was very obvious to integrate the feature that new created CCNS links are now also published as kind 39700 events to the Nostr network. This means that links are now also distributed on multiple relays as kind 39700 events and are accessible in multiple clients (Yumyume and Pinja).

Here you can see the same data, from left to right:

• CCNS
• Pinja
• Yumyume
• njump

Structure

The current data structure for the 39700 kind looks as follow:

• "id": "event_id"
• "pubkey": "pubkey author"
• "created_at": unix_timestamp
• "kind": 39700
• "tags":
  • "description", "description text here"
  • "d", "unique-slug-value"
  • "t", "hashtag"
• "content": "https://book_mark_url"  
• "sig": "signature"

As there is no NIP (yet) for this event kind, I see some possible improvements:

• Use the bookmark URL as d tag so it can be used as a unique identifier for every client
• Use the content field for the description
• Use the a tag for an addressable event following NIP-01: ["a", "39700:pubkey_of_author:", recommended_relay_url_optional]

On short-term I don't have any plans to developer CCNS further, as most of my attention goes to the development of the Nostr-PHP library and Drupal related contribs using that library. That said, CCNS is a Drupal project but all the Nostr stuff is done client-side (Javascript) with NDK and Nostr-PHP is not used (maybe this will change in the future).

@ 2b24a1fa:17750f64

Voices for Gaza – Stimmen, die das Unsagbare singen. Es fehlen die Worte ob der Wut, der Zerstörung, dem tausendfachen Mord, dem unfassbaren Leid, den fortwährenden Intrigen und Strategien. Jetzt werden Geiseln übergeben, es könnte ein Weg zu mehr Frieden sein, aber jede Regung wird benützt, um der anderen Seite Demütigung und Inszenierung zu unterstellen. Wieder werden Vereinbarungen gebrochen. Es macht sprachlos, hilflos und müde. Aber der Musiker und Produzent Jens Fischer Rodrian nimmt all seine Kraft, seine Musikalität und Vernetzung zusammen und wirbt mit einer weiteren, einer dritten CD im Rahmen der Protestnoten um Auflösung von Unrecht, diesmal um Frieden in Gaza.

https://soundcloud.com/radiomuenchen/voices-for-gaza-ein-gespraech

Unsere Kollegin Eva Schmidt hat sich mit Jens Fischer Rodrian über die neue Produktion Voices for Gaza unterhalten, für die er Künstler begeistern konnte wie Dieter Hallervorden, Jakob Heymann, den palästinensischen Poeten Ibrahim Massri, Markus Stockhausen, Diether Dehm, Wolfgang Wodarg, Kilez More, Morgaine oder Äon.

Für „Voices for Gaza“ wurde übrigens ein Crowdfunding ins Leben gerufen wurde, das noch bis zum 15. März läuft. Mehr Informationen gibt’s auf der Seite: protestnoten.de.

www.radiomuenchen.net/​\ @radiomuenchen\ www.facebook.com/radiomuenchen\ www.instagram.com/radio_muenchen/\ twitter.com/RadioMuenchen

Radio München ist eine gemeinnützige Unternehmung.\ Wir freuen uns, wenn Sie unsere Arbeit unterstützen.

GLS-Bank\ IBAN: DE65 4306 0967 8217 9867 00\ BIC: GENODEM1GLS\ Bitcoin (BTC): 3G1wDDH2CDPJ9DHan5TTpsfpSXWhNMCZmQ\ Ethereum (ETH): 0xB41106C0fa3974353Ef86F62B62228A0f4ad7fe9

@ 4c5d5379:3a4383ee

[3]

[4]

@ 1731c73c:1bca4ecc

Welch Geistes Kind sind Waffenproduzenten, welch Geistes Kind Wissenschaftler, die Viren so verändern, dass sie pathogener, also gefährlicher für den Menschen werden? Im pfälzischen

https://soundcloud.com/radiomuenchen/kommt-wuhan-nach-deutschland-von-prof-roland-wiesendanger

Weilerbach wird ein US-Biolabor der Schutzstufe 3 gebaut. Dort sollen hochinfektiöse Erreger oder Substanzen, unter anderem SARS-CoV-2, das Virus H5N1, Dengue- und das Hanta-Virus untersucht werden. Der Bundesregierung – so fand Florian Warweg von den NachDenkSeiten heraus - weiß davon angeblich nichts. Auch nicht, welche Kontrollfunktion Bundesbehörden für US-Biolabore auf deutschem Boden haben.

War da was? Hatte nicht – ebenso vertuscht von Regierung, Medien und Wissenschaftlern – für die einen die größte Pandemie, für die anderen der weltweit größte Wissenschafts- und Medizinskandal in den letzten fünf Jahren stattgefunden? Warum interessiert das keinen?

Die Bestätigung der US-Regierung ist offiziell, dass die Covid-19-Pandemie aus einem Labor in Wuhan stammt. Das entlarvt die jahrelange Vertuschung und Diffamierung kritischer Stimmen als politisch motivierte Manipulation. Einer, der diskreditiert wurde, ist Professor Roland Wiesendanger. Mundtot ließ er sich aber nicht machen. Er fordert weiterhin eine schonungslose Aufarbeitung der hochgefährlichen Gain-of-function-Forschung, außerdem deren weltweite Ächtung, um zukünftige Pandemien zu verhindern.

Roland Wiesendanger ist Physik-Professor an der Universität Hamburg, Ehrendoktor der Technischen Universität Posen und Mitglied zahlreicher nationaler und internationaler Wissenschaftsakademien. Hören Sie sein Statement: „Wir dürfen die Risiken der Gain- of-function-Forschung nicht länger hinnehmen“.

Sprecher: Ulrich Allroggen

Radio München\ www.radiomuenchen.net/​\ @radiomuenchen\ www.facebook.com/radiomuenchen\ www.instagram.com/radio_muenchen/\ twitter.com/RadioMuenchen

Radio München ist eine gemeinnützige Unternehmung.\ Wir freuen uns, wenn Sie unsere Arbeit unterstützen.

GLS-Bank\ IBAN: DE65 4306 0967 8217 9867 00\ BIC: GENODEM1GLS\ Bitcoin (BTC): 3G1wDDH2CDPJ9DHan5TTpsfpSXWhNMCZmQ\ Ethereum (ETH): 0xB41106C0fa3974353Ef86F62B62228A0f4ad7fe9

@ 8bf65a23:c2d3bd12

Ut erat felis, semper nec nisl id, dignissim porta enim. Phasellus a scelerisque nulla, et dignissim velit. Vivamus et tincidunt lacus. Ut sem ipsum, porta vitae neque varius, venenatis porttitor diam. Nulla facilisi. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Pellentesque quis nibh est. Suspendisse consectetur non ipsum nec ultricies. Donec eros turpis, malesuada in sollicitudin nec, pharetra sed justo. Maecenas gravida diam sit amet ligula vestibulum rutrum.

Aenean cursus laoreet eros ac elementum. Nulla facilisi. Suspendisse volutpat lobortis gravida. Pellentesque auctor turpis lacus, ac dignissim ex lobortis fringilla. Aliquam erat volutpat. Vestibulum rhoncus metus sit amet arcu tincidunt, sed vestibulum augue pellentesque. Mauris at laoreet odio, quis maximus ligula. Curabitur interdum pellentesque nunc id bibendum.

Nunc tempus magna vel lorem luctus rhoncus. Nulla accumsan, tortor ut viverra mattis, dui arcu faucibus nisi, maximus auctor purus lectus sed libero. Nullam dictum risus viverra, molestie nisi vel, imperdiet purus. Morbi in bibendum augue, nec molestie libero. Cras tincidunt quis mauris quis tristique. Sed laoreet sapien in urna dapibus sollicitudin. Donec orci lacus, tincidunt a diam laoreet, rutrum mattis mi. Sed elementum eget elit at aliquam.

Morbi convallis tortor quis ante aliquet, vitae placerat tortor mollis. Vestibulum cursus aliquam lorem, facilisis porttitor arcu pharetra sed. Aenean eu condimentum erat. Donec in consectetur mauris. Fusce auctor purus quis justo fringilla, vel laoreet mauris faucibus. Quisque faucibus ornare tortor quis feugiat. Nullam euismod malesuada finibus. Vivamus pellentesque, quam in rhoncus vehicula, metus lorem condimentum arcu, id molestie nunc mi eget magna. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.Ut erat felis, semper nec nisl id, dignissim porta enim. Phasellus a scelerisque nulla, et dignissim velit. Vivamus et tincidunt lacus. Ut sem ipsum, porta vitae neque varius, venenatis porttitor diam. Nulla facilisi. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Pellentesque quis nibh est. Suspendisse consectetur non ipsum nec ultricies. Donec eros turpis, malesuada in sollicitudin nec, pharetra sed justo. Maecenas gravida diam sit amet ligula vestibulum rutrum.

Aenean cursus laoreet eros ac elementum. Nulla facilisi. Suspendisse volutpat lobortis gravida. Pellentesque auctor turpis lacus, ac dignissim ex lobortis fringilla. Aliquam erat volutpat. Vestibulum rhoncus metus sit amet arcu tincidunt, sed vestibulum augue pellentesque. Mauris at laoreet odio, quis maximus ligula. Curabitur interdum pellentesque nunc id bibendum.

Nunc tempus magna vel lorem luctus rhoncus. Nulla accumsan, tortor ut viverra mattis, dui arcu faucibus nisi, maximus auctor purus lectus sed libero. Nullam dictum risus viverra, molestie nisi vel, imperdiet purus. Morbi in bibendum augue, nec molestie libero. Cras tincidunt quis mauris quis tristique. Sed laoreet sapien in urna dapibus sollicitudin. Donec orci lacus, tincidunt a diam laoreet, rutrum mattis mi. Sed elementum eget elit at aliquam.

Morbi convallis tortor quis ante aliquet, vitae placerat tortor mollis. Vestibulum cursus aliquam lorem, facilisis porttitor arcu pharetra sed. Aenean eu condimentum erat. Donec in consectetur mauris. Fusce auctor purus quis justo fringilla, vel laoreet mauris faucibus. Quisque faucibus ornare tortor quis feugiat. Nullam euismod malesuada finibus. Vivamus pellentesque, quam in rhoncus vehicula, metus lorem condimentum arcu, id molestie nunc mi eget magna. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

@ be41636e:e55c4909

"And when the rain came down on the cabin floor,\ The squatter only fiddled all the more.\ 'Why don't you mend your roof?' said the traveler bold.\ 'How can I mend my cabin when the rain is wet and cold?'"

This is one version of the lyrics from the folk song The Arkansas Traveler.

I first learned about this song and these lyrics while listening to NVK's Bitcoin.Review podcast, where his guest, futurepaul, shared this timeless piece of folk wisdom.

It may seem like a lighthearted tune, but this part hits me as deeply profound:

Why wait until things get worse to take action?

The economy is crumbling. Governments are printing your money into oblivion. Why wait for the situation to deteriorate further before investing time in learning about Bitcoin?

👉 Before your exchange goes bankrupt, (Not hypothetical—Mt. Gox and FTX already happened), learn how to withdraw your Bitcoin and take custody of it yourself.

👉 Before your government cracks down on easy-access exchanges, learn how to buy Bitcoin peer-to-peer through platforms like Peach Wallet, RoboSats, lnp2pBot (on Telegram), or Bisq.

👉 Before your bank freezes your account, learn how to be your own bank.

👉 Before you need to buy a pound of steak with Bitcoin, because your fiat is worthless or your account is banned for saying the "wrong" thing—start building Bitcoin circular economies.

👉 Before privacy becomes a luxury, learn how to run your own node, and experiment with using it behind Tor.

👉 Before the surveillance state starts tracking every sat you spend, learn how to coinjoin your Bitcoin and preserve your financial privacy.

👉 Before transaction fees rise again And small payments become impractical, learn how to open a Lightning channel and trade via the Lightning Network.

👉 Before legacy social media deplatforms you and drives you even madder with its algorithm-driven doom-scrolling, learn how to use Nostr.

👉 Before you fail to verify your account on TikTok or X, learn how to earn zaps on Nostr and embrace censorship-resistant social tipping.

👉 Before you are in dire need of offline, private transactions, learn how to use e-cash and explore tools for private, peer-to-peer payments.

Learn how to do things before you have to do them, because once the rain starts pouring, it's already too late to fix the roof.

@ 8bf65a23:c2d3bd12

This event has been deleted; your client is ignoring the delete request.

@ 6b0a60cf:b952e7d4

ものさんに説明する用

CreateEntry.svelte で previewEvent = $bindable() として受け取っているのがプレビュー用のイベント。
ここでごちゃごちゃ変更して呼び出し元に変更を反映させる。
呼び出し元は Page.svelte と Entry.svelte の2つ。
前者が投稿欄、後者が返信欄のプレビューをそれぞれこんな感じでリアクティブで定義している。 let previewEvent: UnsignedEvent | undefined = $state(); CreateEntry.svelte では受け取った previewEvent を $derived.by() や $effect() を使って他の変数に依存して勝手に変わるようにしている。
特に contentToSend に依存して変わるので、入力の度に勝手に変わる。
contentToSend は textarea で bind:value しているので onChange とか onKeyPress とかはまったく使わない。勝手に変わってくれる。 ```

makeEvent() っていうのが入力された色々を突っ込むとプレビュー用の UnsignedEvent を返してくれるやつ。 1文字入力されてcontentToSendが変わる度にこれが処理される。うわー。 このイベントには付与すべきpタグも含まれている。 これをpubkeysMentioningToとして定義する。 const pubkeysMentioningTo = $derived( previewEvent?.tags.filter((tag) => tag.length >= 2 && tag[0] === 'p').map((tag) => tag[1]) ?? [] ); あとは除外したいpタグリストpubkeysExcludedを定義して、 let pubkeysExcluded: string[] = $state([]); ``` pubkeysMentioningToの中からユーザーに選んでもらう。
実際に送信するイベントはpubkeysExcludedも考慮して署名する。
送信する際もmakeEvent()を呼んでるけど、こっちは引数にpubkeysExcludedが入ってる。プレビューの方には入ってない。

@ 93eeb56c:9469e39a

Simiho sleduju zhruba od chvíle, kdy se objevil na featu u Viktora Sheena (track Zvyk) a měl jsem za to, že je to kočka s docela sexy hlasem, načež jsem si podle jména vyhledal rozhovor u Ládi Sinaie a s překvapením hleděl, že ve studiu sedí sympatický mladý týpek.

Začal jsem poslouchat jeho tracky a i když z většiny jsem nějak zásadně unešený nebyl, těch pár, které mě oslovily, zandaly na výbornou—namátkou třeba naprosto skvělá club popová Výnimka.

Hlas

Unikátní vysoko posazený hlas v kombinaci s ležérní flow (ale pozor—ne mumble) nemusí sednout každému, přesto nebo právě proto se jedná o Simiho nejdůležitější zbraň.

Muzikálnost

Na Simim je znát, že hudbu skutečně cítí. Nezamyká se do jednoho žánru (viz zmíněná Výnimka) a jeho linky mají promyšlené a logicky plynoucí melodie.

Vsuvka—melodické rapování

Tohoto jsem si všiml u těch popovějších jmen hip hopové scény, že sice používají rapové postupy a způsob, jakým s texty zacházejí, ale dost často vlastně jakoby rapují na konkrétních tónech a často plynule přecházejí do regulérně zpívaných pasáží. Proto mají mnozí oldschoolers problém s tím, že "to už ani není rap".

Vkus a nadhled

Bere sám sebe vážně (což je dobře a k žánru to samozřejmě patří, je jen pár výjimek, kterým se daří mít kredit a přitom si ze sebe dělat prdel, např. MC Gey). Zároveň má ale velký nadhled nejen v textech, ale hlavně v hudbě.\ Čímž se dostávám k tomu hlavnímu.

MÁM P*CI

“MÁM P*CI” by se dalo bez problému odmávnout jako nevkusné a arogantní, jako “toto je přesně to, co je špatně s těma mladýma.” Rozeberu, proč to vidím přesně obráceně.

Pouštím věc. Hned zkraje mě nadchne docela retro zvuk. Značně zaprášené synthy, měkoučký basový kopák, nebo kopáková basa, if you will, je lahůdková, instantní radost. Roll na virblu potvrzuje, že toto je záměrně a pečlivě nastavený sound.

SIMILIVINLIFE odříkává svůj text, a první co mě napadá je, že tady vedle sebe existuje oslava hadrů a zároveň tak trochu parodie na celou tu kulturu kolem nich. Tuto "dvojjedinost" neuděláte pouze textem—musí to mít i správný přednes, aby se feel neklonil k jednou víc, než k druhému.\ Nechybí tomu tedy potřebný nadhled, vtip, flow je skvělá, žádný řádek tam není navíc a ve výsledku mě sere, že je Simiho v tak dobrém tracku vlastně docela málo.

Refrén je pak naprosto dokonalou ukázkou Simiho talentu, kdy na šesti slovech předvádí geniální minimalistickou muzikálnost—způsob, jakým se vyvíjí melodie jeho hlasu. Nic do uší bijícího, ale vnímavý posluchač, který má ideálně ještě muzikantský a skladatelský background, to ocení.

Featující Luca Brassi10x je správně zábavně nekorektní a i on inhaloval a zpátky vypustil uvolněnou atmosféru, kterou tenhle vál má. Jeho přítomnost mi tady evokuje takové ty obhroublejší Rytmusy, Ektory, nebo Čistychovy.

Jenom samotný chytlavý refrén je dostatečný důvod, aby se mezi děckama tenhle track stal hitem. Jsem si ale skoro jistý, že 95 % bude zcela unikat rozměr toho, co se tady Simimu podařilo: vrstevnatý juicy banger, který se dost možná stane kultovní klasikou pocházející z roku 2025—doby, kdy hip hop v československu konečně zažívá tolik potřebný a dlouho vyhlížený rozkvět do šířky (hlavně díky slovákům SIMI, Saul, Samey apod).\ \ Úplně nejlepší na tom všem je, že SIMILIVINLIFE pravděpodobně dělá hudbu, aniž by nad tím nějak složitě přemýšlel, a prostě to z něj takhle přirozeně leze.

Spíš než v autorádiu si tenhle song představte o půl druhé ráno v nějakém klubovém DJ setu. Enjoy.

SIMILIVINLIFE: MAM P*CI →

@ 044da344:073a8a0e

„Schau mich an“, sagt Richard und lacht. „Farbe. Das ganze Jahr.“ Richard ist Ende 60, nicht schlank, aber auch nicht dick. Er trägt Shorts und ärmellos. Auf dem Weg zu seinem Pick-Up zieht er den linken Fuß leicht nach. „Ihr habt Glück“, sagt er. „Vorige Woche war es hier noch eiskalt. Selbst tagsüber nur acht Grad. Im Januar und im Februar haben wir geheizt. Das hatten wir noch nie. Im November waren wir noch schwimmen.“

Richard ist seit fast 20 Jahren auf Nordzypern. Erst nur im Urlaub und vielleicht auch geschäftlich. Ganz klar wird das nicht. „Solange du arbeiten musst, hängst du zu Hause fest.“ Richard hat in London gewohnt, nicht weit weg vom Flughafen in Heathrow. Neun Stunden von Tür zu Tür. Neun Stunden von England bis nach Nordzypern, über Larnaka im Süden der Insel und dann noch eine Stunde mit dem Auto, die Grenzkontrolle mitgerechnet. Der Norden hat zwar einen Airport in Ercan, dafür braucht es aber einen Zwischenstopp in der Türkei. So will es die EU, so will es die Welt. Das Auswärtige Amt in Berlin spricht von der „sogenannten Türkischen Republik Nordzypern“. Richard sagt: Das ist lästig. Sein Visum gilt immer nur für 90 Tage. Oder er stellt daheim einen Antrag für länger. „Für mich wäre es besser, wenn ganz Zypern in der EU wäre.“

In Brüssel sieht man das so. Die Insel gehört zu uns, Punkt. Von dort sieht man das türkische Kriegsschiff nicht, das direkt vor uns im Hafen von Famagusta liegt. Von dort sieht man auch Varosha nicht, eine Geisterstadt vor den Toren Famagustas. Der perfekte Drehort für die nächste Staffel von „The Walking Dead“, wenn die Häuser nicht jeden Augenblick einstürzen könnten. Varosha: Das war in den 1960ern der feuchte Traum jedes Tourismusmanagers. Sandstrand, soweit das Auge blicken kann. Hotels, Theater, Kinos. 6500 Betten. Ein Laden am anderen. Jeder zweite Zypernurlauber war damals in Varosha. Im August 1974 kamen Soldaten aus der Türkei. Es ging hin und her auf der großen Bühne. Wer entschädigt die Griechen, die vertrieben wurden, wer darf hier wohnen, wem gehört die Stadt? Varosha hat das nicht verkraftet. Die Fenster kaputt, der Putz längst weg. Und die Natur fängt an, die Gebäude zu verdrängen. Die Türkei hat immer wieder versucht, den UN-Sicherheitsrat umzustimmen, zuletzt 2021. Lasst uns Menschen nach Varosha bringen. Vergeblich. Inzwischen sind drei Straßen für Besucher geöffnet. Es gibt einen Verleih für Fahrräder und Roller und neuerdings sogar wieder zwei Strände mit allem Drum und Dran. Es bleibt – gespenstisch. Schwimmen vor Ruinen. Und wer weiß. Im Moment ist das alles noch klein. Zwei, drei Kioske, bargeldlos. Ein paar Liegen, saubere Toiletten. Die Großmächte haben gerade andere Sorgen.

Die Spritztour mit Richard beginnt in einem Gemüsemarkt. Genauer: in einer Lagerhalle, die auch in Varosha stehen könnte. Am Boden Kisten mit Blumenkohl, Mandarinen, Kartoffeln. Man kann die Erde noch riechen. „Das schmeckt alles wie früher“, sagt Angela, Richards Partnerin, wie er aus England. Kennengelernt haben sich die beiden hier auf der Insel. Früher hat Angela Urlauber betreut. Heute vermietet und putzt sie Ferienwohnungen. „Wenn ich in so eine Birne beiße“, sagt sie, „dann erinnere ich mich an meine Kindheit.“

Wir fahren die Küste ab von Tatlisu nach Girne. Die Griechen sagen: Kyrenia. Ein historischer Ort, besiedelt seit Tausenden von Jahren und mit einem Hafen, der kaum kitschiger sein könnte. Die Gegenwart heißt Baustelle. Überall Bagger, überall Menschen mit Helmen und Westen in Orange. Palästina, Bangladesch. Überhaupt: Ostasien. Richard liebt es, die Hauptstraße zu verlassen und mit dem Pick-Up über die alten Küstenwege zu rollen. Er kennt die Stories hinter all den neuen Siedlungen, die wie Pilze aus dem Boden schießen und oft noch wie Skelette aussehen, betongrau und nicht weiß und manchmal ganz offensichtlich auch aufgegeben, bevor jemand einziehen konnte. „Sie verkaufen dir immer: erste Reihe und Meerblick. Du siehst zwar, dass es noch ein Stück ist bis zum Wasser, aber sie sagen: Da wird nie und nimmer gebaut. Das gehört der Regierung. Und ein Jahr später hast du plötzlich doch jemanden vor deiner Nase.“

Der Boom ist in Etappen gekommen. Seit dem EU-Beitritt der Republik Zypern 2004 ist die „grüne Linie“ durchlässig. Das heißt: Man ist nicht mehr gefangen im Norden der Insel und gezwungen, über die Türkei zu gehen, wenn man ausreisen will. Die taz sprach damals schnell von einer „kalten Enteignung“. Im Artikel von Klaus Hillenbrand, erschienen 2005, klingt das fast so wie heute aus dem Mund von Richard: „Die Immobilienhändler rund um Kyrenia erzählen ihren Kunden alles, was diese hören möchten.“ Die Griechen könnten zurückkommen? Kein Problem. Ein paar tausend Euro Entschädigung, wenn überhaupt. Man muss nicht das Ende der DDR erlebt haben, um da ein Fragezeichen zu setzen.

Auf Zypern sind die Wunden der Teilung nicht verheilt, auch nach einem halben Jahrhundert nicht und obwohl die Bauleute inzwischen überall Tatsachen schaffen, ohne sich noch groß um die Vergangenheit zu scheren. 162.000 Zyperngriechen, sagt Wikipedia, haben den Norden verlassen, als die türkische Armee im Sommer 1974 einrückte, manche freiwillig, die meisten aber nicht. Die gleiche Quelle sagt, dass anschließend 48.000 Zyperntürken ihre Heimat im Süden aufgeben mussten. Den Groll haben wir schon am Flughafen in Larnaka gespürt, selbst bei dem Forscher, der nur ein paar Sachen zu unserer Reise wissen wollte und enttäuscht aufgab, als wir bei jedem Ort den Kopf schüttelten. Den Norden hatte er nicht auf seinem Zettel.

Rami, ein Taxifahrer, Zyperntürke, will trotzdem sofort in den Süden ziehen, wenn er endlich EU-Bürger ist. „Dort lebt es sich einfach besser. Ruhiger.“ Und die Preise? „So groß ist der Unterschied gar nicht mehr. Obst und Gemüse, okay. Es stimmt schon, dass die Griechen zum Einkaufen rüberkommen. Sie wandern dann umher und schauen nach ihren Häusern.“ Rami sagt, dass der Norden sich gerade verändert, und meint damit gar nicht Einwanderer wie Angela und Richard, die vielen Russen in Iskele oder Zyperngriechen, die gern wieder da wohnen würden, wo einst ihre Eltern oder Großeltern gelebt haben, sondern Türken, die vom Festland kommen und eine andere Mentalität mitbringen. Der Bauboom produziert auch Wohntürme für Menschen aus Anatolien. Vielleicht gibt es irgendwann wieder eine Abstimmung wie 2004, als der Norden für eine Wiedervereinigung war, der Süden aber nicht. Vielleicht gewinnt dann der, der mehr Menschen an die Urnen bringt. Rami sagt, dass er Zyperntürken kennt, die jetzt fortgehen. Sie wollen nicht mehr warten. Und sie haben keine Lust auf das, was gerade passiert.

Richard zuckt mit den Schultern. Was soll schon sein? Er hat auf der Insel alles ausprobiert. Hotels und Apartments, mal kürzer, mal länger. Vor ein paar Jahren hat er eine Wohnung mit Garten gekauft, in einer Anlage direkt am Meer. Der Blick auf den Sonnenuntergang kann von niemandem verstellt werden. 90 Quadratmeter für etwas mehr als 100.000 Pfund. Man hört, wenn der Nachbar spült, das schon, aber was willst du, Michael? Du weißt doch, was man dafür in London bezahlt oder in München. Wir fahren an dem Supermarkt vorbei, der gerade eröffnet wurde, 15 Autominuten entfernt, gut sortiert und vor allem: leer. „Hier musst du nicht um einen Parkplatz kämpfen oder sogar dafür bezahlen wie neuerdings bei uns in England. Hier fährt dir auch keiner mit seinem Einkaufswagen in die Hacken.“ Und wenn all die Neubauten verkauft oder vermietet sind? „Dann wird die Straße besser und der Rest der Infrastruktur auch.“

Heike ist aus Halle an der Saale nach Nordzypern gekommen, mit einem Umweg über die Schweiz, wo sie einen kleinen Friseursalon hatte. Verkauft, mit einer Träne im Auge. Aber die Nachfolgerin, einst bei ihr angestellt, macht das gut, sagt sie. Heike weiß noch nicht, ob sie wieder anfangen soll. Beim Friseur in Kyrenia sitzen nur Männer. Sie freut sich auf ihren ersten Sommer am Mittelmeer und auf das, was vor ihrem neuen Haus wachsen wird. „Die meisten Pflanzen habe ich noch nie gesehen.“ Deutschland? Heike zieht nur die Augenbrauen hoch. In der Auswanderer-Community ist das kein Thema. Anders gesagt: Man ist sich einig. Corona, der Krieg, die Inflation. Das muss nicht mehr rauf- und runterdiskutiert werden. Auf Telegram gibt es Tipps, Kontakte, Treffpunkte. Auch jemanden, der das Sofa nimmt, das die alten Besitzer dagelassen haben. Mag die EU ruhig glauben, dass ihr ganz Zypern gehört. Im Norden gibt es keine Windräder und keine Strohhalme aus Papier. Der Deckel klebt nicht an der Flasche fest, und der Liter Benzin kostet weniger als einen Euro. Und in den Städten kann man fast überall mit Bitcoin zahlen. Mietautos, Schuhe, Schnaps.

Torsten lockt das alles immer wieder hierher, immer in das gleiche Hotel. „Die Leute sind alle so herzlich“, sagt er. Aber hier leben? Torsten schaut sich um, das schon. Grundstücke, Häuser, Wohnungen. Die Preise gehen weit auseinander. Man kann wie Richard etwas am Meer finden für kleines sechsstelliges Geld, aber auch leicht eine Million ausgeben oder noch mehr. Torsten hat inzwischen ein Konto bei einer kleinen einheimischen Bank. „Die Kreditkarte gibt es für 50 Cent.“ Nordzypern ist für ihn ein Plan B. Wobei: Eigentlich hat er zu Hause schon alles durch. Hausdurchsuchung, Existenzvernichtung, Verleumdung bis in die internationale Presse. „Ich mache nur noch das, worauf ich Lust habe“, sagt er. Mit alten Motorrädern durch die Gegend fahren. Freunden und Verwandten helfen, Nordzypern zu genießen. Vielleicht siedelt er eines Tages ganz um, vielleicht auch nicht. Jeder Ostdeutsche in seinem Alter weiß, dass ein Loch in der Mauer unbezahlbar ist.

Richard, den Rentner aus London, haben wir noch oft von weitem gesehen – im Schatten auf seiner Terrasse, neben sich eine Katze. Einmal ist er mit dem Fahrrad in Richtung Meer gefahren, aber nicht dorthin, wo auf der Karte Sandstrand steht und in Wirklichkeit alles voller Müll ist. Baden oder „Fish and Chips“ genießen mit Landsleuten in seiner Lieblingskneipe. Dort sprechen auch die Kellner Englisch, anders als sonst. 30 Jahre Isolation hinterlassen selbst da ihre Spuren, wo die Briten bis 1960 die Macht waren und nicht nur den Linksverkehr dagelassen haben oder ihre komischen Steckdosen. An den Dorsch daheim, das hat Richard uns gleich zur Begrüßung gesagt, kommen sie hier auf Zypern ohnehin nirgendwo heran.

Freie Akademie für Medien & Journalismus

Unterstützen

Bilder: Antje Meyen

@ 7b93f9c8:3408c269

Emily Dickinson’s "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" is a profound poem that explores the theme of mortality and the inevitable passage of time. Through her use of figurative language, Dickinson captures the complexities of human existence and our relationship with death. In this article, we will analyze how Dickinson employs personification, metaphor, and symbolism to deepen the meaning of the poem and help readers grasp its emotional and intellectual layers.

Personification: Giving Life to Abstract Concepts In the poem, Dickinson personifies Death, an abstract concept, making it into a character with whom the speaker interacts. The opening lines—"Because I could not stop for Death – / He kindly stopped for me"—introduce Death as a courteous figure, a being who is not hostile or frightening but instead a companion who takes the speaker on a journey. This personification serves to soften the terrifying idea of death, making it seem almost gentle and inevitable, instead of something to fear.

By giving human-like qualities to Death, Dickinson creates a more approachable and relatable portrayal of the end of life, inviting readers to reflect on the naturalness of death and its role in the cycle of life.

Metaphor: The Journey of Life and Death The entire poem can be interpreted as an extended metaphor, where the journey the speaker takes with Death symbolizes the passage of life and the inevitability of dying. The carriage ride, described as a slow, deliberate journey, represents the final stages of life, and each stop along the way—such as the School, the Grain Fields, and the Setting Sun—symbolizes different phases of existence, from youth to maturity and ultimately to death. To read further about the use of personification, metaphor, and symbolism in Dickinson’s work, explore how figurative language plays an integral role in enhancing the poem’s impact and resonance in this article: https://www.customwritings.com/howtowrite/post/personification-metaphor-and-symbolism-in-because-i-could-not-stop-for-death/ Because I Could Not Stop for Death Figurative Language.

The metaphor of the journey suggests that death is not a sudden or violent event, but a gradual process that one must accept. The speaker is passive, allowing Death to take the reins, just as people must accept their fate when their time comes. This metaphor emphasizes the inevitability of death and the need to come to terms with it.

Symbolism: The Carriage Ride and the Setting Sun Dickinson uses several symbols to reinforce the central themes of the poem. One of the most powerful symbols is the carriage ride itself, which represents the journey from life to death. The carriage, often associated with funerals, becomes a vehicle for the passage from the living world to the afterlife.

Similarly, the setting sun serves as a symbol of the end of the day, a natural marker of time's passage. In the poem, the sun represents the end of life, as it sets on the speaker’s journey. The imagery of the sun fading symbolizes the gradual fading of life, where time is slipping away, and the ultimate end is inevitable.

Because I Could Not Stop for Death Figurative Language The figurative language Dickinson employs in this poem is a crucial element in conveying the deeper meanings about life, death, and time. Through personification, metaphor, and symbolism, she transforms the abstract concept of death into something more tangible and emotionally resonant. By framing death as a journey and giving it human characteristics, Dickinson invites readers to reflect on their own mortality in a way that is both thoughtful and meditative.

In "Because I Could Not Stop for Death," figurative language does more than embellish the poem—it shapes its very essence. The poem’s figurative language allows readers to explore death in a way that is simultaneously poetic and profoundly philosophical, inviting them to consider their own perceptions of life’s transience.

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

Hello Stackers!

Welcome on into the ~Music Corner of the Saloon!

A place where we Talk Music. Share Tracks. Zap Sats.

So stay a while and listen.

🚨Don't forget to check out the pinned items in the territory homepage! You can always find the latest weeklies there!🚨

🚨Subscribe to the territory to ensure you never miss a post! 🚨

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/915374

@ 0b5faac9:12669905

Signal jammers play an important role in maintaining security and protecting privacy. Whether it is a WiFi jammer, a drone jammer or a high-power jammer, if you want them to work stably and persistently, they cannot be separated from daily maintenance and care.

1. Daily maintenance

Dust and moisture: Dust and moisture are the natural enemies of electronic products, and signal jammers are no exception. It is recommended to place the jammer in a dry and ventilated environment, avoiding direct sunlight and humid environments. You can use a dust cover or storage box for protection, and regularly use a dry soft cloth to clean the surface dust.

Avoid collision: The signal jammer contains delicate electronic components. Strong collisions may cause the components to loosen or be damaged, affecting normal operation. Be careful to handle with care when using and storing to avoid falling or collision.

Regular inspection: It is recommended to regularly check whether the power cord, antenna and other connecting parts of the jammer are loose or damaged, and replace or repair them in time if problems are found.

2. Maintenance focus of different jammers

WiFi jammer:

Pay attention to heat dissipation: WiFi jammers will generate a certain amount of heat when working. Make sure there is enough heat dissipation space around them to avoid long-term high-temperature operation.

Avoid interference: The WiFi jammer itself will also be interfered by other wireless signals. It is recommended to place it away from wireless devices such as routers and mobile phones.

UAV signal blocker:

Antenna maintenance: The antenna of the drone jammer is its core component. Avoid bending and squeezing. Check regularly whether the antenna connection is firm.

Battery maintenance: Some drone jammers are powered by batteries. Pay attention to the battery charge and discharge cycle to avoid over-discharge. When not in use for a long time, the battery should be removed and stored separately.

Powerful jamming device:

Professional maintenance: High-power jammers have a complex structure. It is recommended to contact professionals for maintenance and maintenance regularly to avoid self-disassembly.

Safe use: High-power jammers have high power. Pay attention to safety when using them to avoid damage to other equipment.

3. Tips for extending service life

Strictly follow the instructions to avoid overload.

When not in use for a long time, it is recommended to turn off the power of the jammer and keep it properly.

Choose high-quality products produced by regular manufacturers, and the quality and after-sales service are more guaranteed.

Signal jammers are sophisticated electronic devices. Proper maintenance and care can effectively extend their service life and ensure their stable and reliable operation. I hope the above tips can help you better use and maintain your signal jammer!

@ 95cb4330:96db706c

Overview: Market Rebound Amid Ongoing Volatility

On Friday, March 14, 2025, U.S. stock markets experienced a significant rebound, marking their best performance since November 6, 2024. The S&P 500 rose by 2.1%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 1.7%, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.6%. Despite these gains, all three indices concluded their fourth consecutive losing week, reflecting ongoing market volatility.

---

Real-Time Market Performance & Futures Movement

As of Monday, March 17, 2025, U.S. equity futures indicate a potential lower opening:

• Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures: Down approximately 0.3%.
• S&P 500 Futures: Declined around 0.4%.
• Nasdaq Composite Futures: Fell by about 0.5%.

This downturn in futures trading suggests that investors remain cautious amid ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainties.

---

Key Market Drivers: Factors Influencing Movements

1. Economic Indicators and Consumer Sentiment

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment reported a 27% decline from a year ago, reaching its lowest level since late 2022. This decline reflects growing concerns about inflation and potential economic slowdown, influencing investor confidence.

2. Geopolitical Tensions and Trade Policies

President Donald Trump's recent tariff announcements have heightened trade tensions, particularly with the European Union and China. These policies have contributed to market volatility and raised concerns about global economic growth.

3. Federal Reserve's Monetary Policy

Investors are closely monitoring the Federal Reserve's upcoming meeting for insights into potential interest rate adjustments. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent characterized recent market corrections as "healthy," suggesting that the Fed may maintain its current policy stance.

4. Corporate Earnings Reports

Several companies are scheduled to report earnings today, including: - Qifu Technology, Inc (QFIN) - Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) - Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited (SNDA)

These reports could provide insights into sector-specific performance and influence market sentiment.

---

Global Market Influence: International Developments

Asian Markets

Asian equities advanced, buoyed by China's announcement of measures to boost domestic consumption. The Nikkei and Hang Seng indices posted significant gains, reflecting investor optimism about China's economic stimulus efforts.

European Markets

European futures rose slightly, supported by Germany's fiscal initiatives aimed at stimulating economic growth. The euro hovered near a five-month high, reflecting positive sentiment in the region.

---

Commodity Markets: Oil and Gold

• Oil Prices:
  Both Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices increased by over 1%, reaching $71.33 and $67.94 per barrel, respectively. This rise is attributed to geopolitical tensions and optimism over China's consumption stimulus.
• Gold:
  Prices remained near record highs, continuing their rally amidst market uncertainty.

---

Market Outlook: Navigating Uncertainty

While Friday's rally provided a respite from recent declines, the market remains susceptible to various risks, including trade tensions, monetary policy decisions, and consumer sentiment shifts. Investors are advised to exercise caution and remain attentive to upcoming economic data releases and geopolitical developments.

@ d582ea44:6d7e6b56

Mission: [[Recompile the internet with context, meaning, and awareness]]

We want to cut out the rot of the internet by [[A medium to think through|producing a Medium for people to think through rather than speak through]].

mememaps.net has three goals,

1. [[Curate, Promote, and Develop software that encourages people to become better versions of themselves]]
2. [[Provide a medium for user data that is not confined to specific applications, platforms, or protocols]]
3. [[Encourage people to use, develop, and integrate meme maps to help make sense of the human experience]]

Community Links

• mememaps.net Discord guild
• mememaps.net on lu.ma
• mememaps.net on guild.host
• mememaps.net on Meetup.com

Blog Posts and Videos

• [[Project Update Posts]]
• [[Tutorials and Learning Pathways]]
• [[Daily Learnings]]
• [[Community Update Posts]]
• [[Blog Posts]]
• [[Videos and Their Scripts]]

[[Favorite Software]]

• [[Favorite Browser Extensions]]
• [[Favourite VSCode Extensions]]
• [[Favorite Obsidian Plugins]]
• [[Favourite Homelab Software]]
• [[Favorite Nostr Apps]]

Projects

• [[Dentropy Daemon - Home]]
• [[Question Engine - QE]]
• [[Keybase Binding]]
• [[Discord Binding]]
• [[dentropys-obsidian-publisher]]
• [[DentropyCloud]]
• [[ENS Indexing]]
• [[Filling self described SQL models via LLM]]

Paul's Links

• [[Conversational Questions]]
• [[Favorite Media]]
• [[Media Digestion]]
• [[Previous Presentations]]

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

The cryptocurrency world is abuzz with anticipation as the next Bitcoin halving event approaches. This significant event, expected to occur every four years, has historically been a catalyst for monumental shifts in the Bitcoin ecosystem, particularly impacting mining profitability. In this article, we delve into the intricacies of the halving effect and its potential implications for the future of Bitcoin mining profits.

Table of Contents

• Understanding the Bitcoin Halving

• Historical Impact on Bitcoin Prices

• Predicting Mining Profitability Post-Halving

• The Efficiency Factor

• Market Adaptation and Technological Advancements

• The Role of Institutional Investment

• Future Scenarios and Strategies

• Conclusion

• FAQs

Understanding the Bitcoin Halving

The Bitcoin halving is a predetermined event coded into the Bitcoin protocol, designed to reduce the reward for mining new blocks by half. This mechanism was implemented by Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator of Bitcoin, to mimic the scarcity and deflationary properties of precious metals like gold. By halving the block reward, the rate at which new bitcoins are introduced into circulation is slowed down, thereby controlling inflation and enhancing the asset's scarcity.

Historical Impact on Bitcoin Prices

Historically, halving events have led to significant fluctuations in Bitcoin's price. The reduced supply of new bitcoins tends to create upward pressure on the price, assuming demand remains constant or increases. Past halvings in 2012, 2016, and 2020 have been followed by substantial bull runs, although it's crucial to note that these price increases did not occur immediately but typically several months after the halving.

Predicting Mining Profitability Post-Halving

The upcoming halving poses critical questions regarding the profitability of Bitcoin mining. Mining involves validating transactions and securing the Bitcoin network, a process that requires substantial computational power and electricity. The halving reduces the block reward, directly impacting miners' revenue.

The Efficiency Factor

Post-halving, the profitability of mining operations will largely depend on their efficiency. Miners with access to cheap electricity and more efficient mining hardware will be better positioned to withstand the reduction in block rewards. As the reward decreases, the cost of mining each Bitcoin effectively increases, squeezing the margins of less efficient miners.

Market Adaptation and Technological Advancements

The halving will likely accelerate innovation and efficiency in mining technology as miners seek to maintain profitability. This could include the development of more energy-efficient mining rigs and the migration of mining farms to regions offering cheaper electricity and favorable climatic conditions.

Furthermore, the market may adapt to the reduced supply of new bitcoins through price adjustments. If the price of Bitcoin increases sufficiently post-halving, it could offset the reduced block reward, thereby sustaining mining profitability.

The Role of Institutional Investment

The landscape of Bitcoin mining has evolved with the entry of institutional investors and publicly traded mining companies. These entities typically have more substantial resources and better access to capital, allowing them to invest in efficient mining operations and weather periods of lower profitability.

Future Scenarios and Strategies

Looking ahead, several scenarios could unfold for Bitcoin mining profitability post-halving:

• Optimistic Scenario: If the price of Bitcoin increases significantly post-halving, miners could see increased profitability despite the reduced block reward. This scenario would likely attract more participants to the mining space, increasing competition.

• Pessimistic Scenario: If the price of Bitcoin does not increase sufficiently to offset the halving of block rewards, less efficient miners could be forced out of the market. This could lead to increased centralization of mining power among a few large players.

• Balanced Scenario: A moderate increase in the price of Bitcoin could maintain the status quo, where only the most efficient miners remain profitable. This scenario would encourage continuous innovation in mining technology and strategies.

Conclusion

The upcoming Bitcoin halving is a pivotal event that will significantly impact mining profitability. While the exact outcomes remain uncertain, the event underscores the importance of efficiency, technological advancement, and market adaptation in the mining industry. As the landscape evolves, miners and investors alike must stay informed and agile to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by the halving effect.

FAQs

What is the Bitcoin halving? The Bitcoin halving is an event that occurs approximately every four years, where the reward for mining new Bitcoin blocks is cut in half. This event is designed to reduce the rate at which new bitcoins are generated, mimicking the scarcity and deflationary properties of precious metals.

How does the halving affect Bitcoin prices? Historically, Bitcoin halving events have led to increases in the price of Bitcoin. This is generally attributed to the reduced supply of new bitcoins, which, if demand remains constant or increases, can lead to price increases. However, price changes do not typically occur immediately after the halving.

Will the next halving make Bitcoin mining unprofitable? The impact of the halving on mining profitability depends on various factors, including the efficiency of the mining hardware, electricity costs, and the market price of Bitcoin. While less efficient miners may struggle post-halving, those with access to cheap electricity and efficient hardware may continue to find mining profitable.

Can technological advancements offset the reduced block rewards? Technological advancements in mining hardware and strategies can help offset the impact of reduced block rewards by lowering the cost of mining each Bitcoin. This includes improvements in energy efficiency and the development of more powerful mining rigs.

What strategies can miners use to remain profitable post-halving? Miners can increase their chances of remaining profitable post-halving by optimizing their operations for efficiency, seeking out locations with lower electricity costs, investing in more efficient mining equipment, and potentially pooling resources with other miners to reduce costs and increase their chances of earning block rewards.

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@ 16d11430:61640947

In a world drowning in financial manipulation, speculation, and fiat-induced illusions, Bitcoin offers something radically different: a first-principles-based system of money that operates with mathematical certainty, economic scarcity, and censorship resistance. Yet, many Bitcoiners struggle to navigate this landscape without getting sucked into fiat news cycles, short-term price obsession, or gambling mentality.

This article explores Bitcoin first principles and how to earn, build, and create value without being distracted by the noise.

---

Bitcoin First Principles: Understanding the Core

To truly operate in a Bitcoin-first manner, you need to grasp the first principles that make Bitcoin unique. These aren't just theoretical—they inform how you should work, earn, and live in a Bitcoin-native way.

1. Absolute Scarcity (21M Hard Cap)

Bitcoin is the first asset in human history that is strictly limited in supply.

Unlike fiat, which is printed at will, Bitcoin remains fixed—ensuring long-term value preservation.

Implication: You don’t need to chase high-risk fiat gains or inflation-driven wages. Instead, optimize for earning sats over time.

1. Decentralization & Censorship Resistance

Bitcoin is run by a network of nodes, not a central authority.

No government, bank, or corporation can arbitrarily stop a transaction.

Implication: You can earn and transact freely without relying on permission from banks, PayPal, or governments.

1. Self-Sovereignty

With Bitcoin, you own your money—not a bank.

Private keys mean full control over your wealth.

Implication: You don’t have to participate in the fiat rat race of chasing higher wages just to offset hidden losses from inflation.

1. Proof of Work (PoW)

Bitcoin isn’t printed—it’s mined through real-world energy expenditure.

This creates an intrinsically valuable digital asset.

Implication: If money should be earned, then your work should reflect real value, not fiat illusions like speculative trading or short-term price hype.

---

How to Build and Get Paid for Value in a Bitcoin Economy

Bitcoin first principles aren’t just theoretical—they shape how you should work and get paid. Here’s how to escape fiat cycles and start earning in a Bitcoin-native way.

1. Stop Thinking in Fiat Terms

Bitcoin isn't just an investment—it’s a parallel economy.

Instead of “How much is 1 BTC worth in USD?”, think:

How many sats can I earn per hour of work?

How can I price my skills, services, or products in Bitcoin?

How do I create sustainable income that doesn't require converting to fiat?

✅ Mindset shift: Fiat money loses value over time. Bitcoin preserves it. Design your income model accordingly.

---

1. Earn Bitcoin for Real-World Skills

The best way to escape fiat is to get paid directly in Bitcoin.

Here’s how:

Freelance in Bitcoin: Offer coding, writing, consulting, or design services on Bitcoin-native platforms like:

Stacker News bounties (for writers)

Bitcoin dev grants (for open-source builders)

BTCPay Server gigs (for merchants)

Run a Bitcoin-only business: Whether it’s selling goods, services, or SaaS, integrate Lightning payments to avoid fiat entirely.

Provide consulting or education: Businesses need help adopting Bitcoin—be the person who helps them.

✅ Strategy: List your skills and find Bitcoin-native ways to offer them.

---

1. Build on Bitcoin (Instead of Chasing VC Money)

The fiat startup model is broken—VCs extract more than they provide.

Instead of relying on debt-driven fiat capital, build sustainable Bitcoin-first businesses:

Lightning-powered content platforms

Bitcoin-native e-commerce stores

Self-hosted SaaS models

Bitcoin-secured applications

Self-sovereign identity solutions (Nostr, Fedimint, etc.)

✅ Key takeaway: The best Bitcoin businesses don’t need VC funding because they operate on real value, not speculative growth models.

---

1. Minimize Fiat Exposure (Live a Bitcoin-Optimized Life)

Stop thinking in fiat wages: If you measure your success in USD, you're still tied to inflationary thinking.

Use circular Bitcoin economies: Buy gift cards, pay for services, and use Bitcoin-friendly businesses.

Move to Bitcoin-friendly locations: Some cities, like El Salvador’s Bitcoin Beach, allow you to live entirely on Bitcoin.

✅ Practical step: Automate Bitcoin accumulation with DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging) and opt out of fiat whenever possible.

---

1. Ignore Fiat News & Market Noise

The media thrives on fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD).

Bitcoin is about time preference—short-term noise is irrelevant.

Instead of checking Bitcoin’s price daily, focus on your work, your craft, and your ability to build long-term value.

✅ Discipline: Don’t let fiat narratives distract you. Build, earn, and ignore speculation.

---

The Bitcoin-First Work & Life Playbook

Here’s a concrete guide to aligning your work and life with Bitcoin-first principles:

---

Final Thoughts: Build for the Long-Term

Bitcoin is not just an asset—it’s a parallel system of economic freedom. But to truly benefit, you must think differently than the fiat system trains you to.

Stop chasing fiat-defined success.

Opt out of inflationary wages.

Earn in Bitcoin. Build on Bitcoin. Hold Bitcoin.

Ignore the noise. Deliver real value.

If you align your work and income with Bitcoin-first principles, you won’t just earn money—you’ll build sovereignty, resilience, and long-term wealth.

Now, go build.

@ 6e0ea5d6:0327f353

Ascolta bene! In the dirty game of life, strength, intelligence, or even wealth aren’t enough. Surrounding yourself with the wrong people is like carrying dynamite in your pocket while lighting a cigarette—an explosion is only a matter of time.

Fools believe loyalty is measured by the sweet words of a sycophant. The weak cling to childhood bonds and cheap sentimentality. The naive trust promises made by forked tongues. But real men know: the only thing that separates a king from a traitor hanging in the public square is his allies.

Want to win? Eliminate the scum around you. Cut ties with the envious, because their greed will one day turn against you. Stay away from chronic critics, as their defeatism is contagious. Despise flatterers, for they are the first to abandon ship when the storm hits. Expel the lazy, as carrying dead weight only slows you down. But above all, never tolerate a man who doesn’t keep his word—he is the poison that rots any empire.

If you want to build something solid, surround yourself with men who understand honor. People who know that loyalty isn’t for sale, respect isn’t begged for, and a given word is a debt to be paid.

The war of life isn’t won by the strongest, but by those who choose the right people to stand beside them in the trenches.

Can you trust your allies to guard your back? Envy is resentment in disguise. The envious man doesn’t want what you have—he wants you to lose it. He doesn’t desire your woman, your wealth, or your respect. He wants you to fall, so he doesn’t have to face his own failure. The loser can’t stand to see someone from the same place rise higher. It reminds him of the trash he is.

The cut must be surgical and final. The envious don’t deserve a dramatic confrontation. They don’t deserve an explanation, a farewell, or a scene. Simply stop answering, stop responding, stop giving them space in your life.

Disappear. Let them wallow in their failure while you rise to heights they’ll never reach.

Thank you for reading, my friend!

If this message resonated with you, consider leaving your "🥃" as a token of appreciation.

A toast to our family!

@ 878dff7c:037d18bc

ASX 200 Expected to Rise Amid Global Market Movements

Summary:

The ASX 200 is anticipated to open higher on Monday, following positive movements in global markets. Factors influencing this expected rise include a rebound in U.S. stocks, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posting significant gains, and easing concerns over escalating trade tensions. Investors will be monitoring upcoming economic data releases and central bank meetings for further market direction. Sources: Motley Fool Australia - March 17, 2025

Global Trade Tensions Pose Risks to Australian Economy

Summary:

Escalating global trade tensions, particularly between the U.S. and China, present significant risks to Australia's economy. A recent report by UNSW Sydney and the e61 Institute highlights that Australia is caught between its largest trading partner, China, and close ally, the United States. The shift from a rules-based global order to power-based negotiations could impact Australia's trade dynamics. The report suggests that Australia should avoid protectionist policies and instead negotiate with trading partners, emphasizing its strategic and economic value. Fiscal sustainability is crucial, as a US$10 decrease in iron ore prices could reduce federal revenue by $3.4 billion. The report also underscores the need for tax and spending reforms to bolster Australia's fiscal position amid rising global uncertainties. Sources: Accounting Times - March 17, 2025

Sydney Employs Black Soldier Fly Larvae to Combat Food Waste

Summary:

The City of Sydney has initiated a 12-month trial using black soldier fly larvae to process 500 tonnes of food scraps, aiming to reduce landfill usage. The larvae consume the waste, converting it into fertilizer and animal feed, promoting a circular economy. This initiative aligns with the forthcoming FOGO Recycling Bill, targeting the elimination of residential food waste in landfills by 2030. Sources: News.com.au - March 17, 2025

China's 'Dark Factories' Operate Without Human Workers

Summary:

In Changping, China, Xiaomi has unveiled a "dark factory" that operates entirely without human intervention. This fully automated, AI-driven facility produces one smartphone per second, utilizing robots and AI systems to handle every aspect of production, from raw materials to final assembly, effectively eliminating human error. With an annual capacity of 10 million devices, this 81,000-square-meter facility exemplifies the future of global manufacturing. However, it raises significant concerns about employment, as the World Economic Forum predicts that 23% of jobs will be affected by AI within five years. Experts are calling for global cooperation and regulation to ensure AI benefits humanity equitably and safely. Sources: News.com.au - 17 March 2025

Tony Roma's Plans to Integrate AI and Robotics in Operations

Summary:

Tony Roma's, a fast-casual restaurant chain, plans to implement AI and robots in its operations to regain its former popularity. CEO Mohaimina Haque announced the Tony Roma's 2.0 plan, aiming to incorporate technology throughout the restaurant's functions, from enhancing customer experience to inventory management. The integration will potentially lead to the use of robots in positions such as Mâitre d's. Delightree, a franchise management software, will help produce training manuals for the new technologies. Haque predicts that in two to five years, AI and robotics will be prevalent in many industries, not just restaurants. The technological advancements aim to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and aid in informed decision-making. Sources: The Sun - 15 March 2025

JobSeeker Payment Rates Become a Key Election Issue

Summary:

Peter Maidorn, a 62-year-old Australian on JobSeeker, struggles to meet basic living expenses, highlighting the challenges faced by many welfare recipients. Experts argue that Australia's JobSeeker rate is among the lowest in the OECD and should be increased. Recent reports recommend raising the payment by $60 to $126 a week. Despite these calls, major political parties have yet to commit to an increase. The Australian Council of Social Service data indicates that welfare recipients could form a significant voting bloc, potentially impacting election outcomes. Sources: The Guardian - March 17, 2025

Albanese Government Introduces Subsidies for Women's Health Treatments

Summary:

The Albanese government has announced significant health subsidies for women, covering contraceptives, IVF treatments, and endometriosis medications. Starting from April and May, these measures aim to reduce costs for patients. For example, the contraceptive Slinda will now cost $7.70 for concession card holders and $31.60 for others, down from $80. The endometriosis treatment Ryeqo's annual cost will decrease from $2,700 to between $92 and $380, and the cost for a cycle of the IVF therapy Pergoveris will drop from $3,500 to $31.60. These changes address women's health issues, including reproductive health and hormonal conditions, with bipartisan support. The Coalition supports the measures but criticizes delays in implementation. This initiative continues the government's focus on women's health, following a $573 million pledge in February for related health areas. Sources: The Australian - March 17, 2025

Greens Propose Four-Day Work Week with Full Pay

Summary:

The Greens have proposed a policy for a four-day work week with full pay, aiming to address worker burnout and improve work-life balance. This policy would involve a national test case through the Fair Work Commission and the establishment of a National Institute for the Four Day Work Week, costing $10 million annually. The Greens argue that productivity gains over the past decades have not benefited workers fairly, and a shorter work week could lead to a healthier and happier workforce. Citing successful international trials, the Greens believe the policy would modernize Australian workplaces and ensure justice for working people. Sources: News.com.au - March 17, 2025

U.S. Expands Submarine Presence in Australia Under AUKUS Pact

Summary:

The United States is enhancing its submarine presence off Western Australia's coast as part of the AUKUS partnership, aiming to transfer nuclear submarine capabilities to Australia. Starting in 2027, four Virginia-class submarines will be stationed at a naval base in Western Australia, following the current deployment of the USS Minnesota for training exercises. HMAS Stirling is undergoing significant upgrades to accommodate the "Submarine Rotational Force West," with U.S. personnel numbers expected to increase substantially over the next two years. This strategic move is designed to counter China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region and bolster defense capabilities concerning Taiwan. The initiative also includes Australia purchasing two used Virginia-class submarines and developing new nuclear-powered submarines in collaboration with the United Kingdom. Currently, 115 Australians are training with the U.S. nuclear navy in preparation for this transition. Sources: Reuters - March 17, 2025

Decline in Vaccination Rates Among Australian Children

Summary:

Vaccination rates in Australia have declined since the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns among health experts. Factors such as misinformation and eroding trust have contributed to the drop in vaccination rates across all age groups, with Indigenous children particularly affected. Health Minister Mark Butler warns that falling immunization rates for diseases like measles and whooping cough could jeopardize herd immunity. There is a call for a national strategy to improve vaccination rates and combat misinformation, with efforts underway to restore public confidence in vaccines. Sources: The Australian - March 15, 2025

Australian Government Considers WTO Challenge Against US Tariffs

Summary:

The Australian government is contemplating a World Trade Organization (WTO) challenge in response to US President Donald Trump's imposition of 25% tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium. Trade Minister Don Farrell expressed deep concern over these measures and emphasized the importance of a collective approach to trade issues. The tariffs have raised alarms within Australia's $150 billion food and agriculture industry regarding potential new tariffs on food and pharmaceuticals, which could further strain the global economy. Despite not securing an exemption from these tariffs, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced $750 million in subsidies to support the nation's steel and aluminium sectors. Business leaders have voiced worries about inflation and economic instability resulting from these trade tensions, highlighting the necessity of maintaining a rules-based trade order and avoiding retaliatory measures. Strategic redesigns of Australia's trade and manufacturing policies are being considered to ensure security and stability amid global economic shifts. Sources: The Australian - 15 March 2025

@ b5d34eed:a7475cbf

The internet has come a long way since its inception, but let’s be honest—it’s not exactly the utopia of freedom and openness we once imagined. Today, a handful of tech giants control most of our online interactions, from social media to payments. Enter the decentralized web, a movement that’s pushing back against this centralization. At the forefront of this revolution is Nostr, a simple yet powerful protocol that’s redefining how we think about social networking. And when you throw the Lightning Network into the mix, things get even more exciting. Let’s break it all down.

---

What’s Wrong with the Current Web?

Before we dive into Nostr, let’s talk about why decentralization matters. The internet today is dominated by centralized platforms like Facebook, Twitter (now X), and Instagram. These platforms control what you see, how you interact, and even what you’re allowed to say. They harvest your data, sell it to advertisers, and can ban or silence you at their discretion. It’s a system that prioritizes profit over people.

Centralization also creates single points of failure. If a platform goes down, gets hacked, or decides to shut down, your data and connections disappear overnight. Remember when Twitter had outages, or when Facebook’s servers crashed? Millions of users were left stranded. This isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a fundamental flaw in how we’ve built the web.

---

Enter Nostr: A Breath of Fresh Air

Nostr, which stands for Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays, is a decentralized protocol designed to fix these problems. Unlike traditional social media platforms, Nostr doesn’t rely on a central server. Instead, it uses a network of independent relays to transmit messages. Think of it as a decentralized Twitter, but without the corporate overlords.

Here’s why Nostr is a game-changer:

1. No Central Authority: Nostr doesn’t belong to any company or individual. It’s an open protocol, meaning anyone can build apps on top of it or run their own relay. This eliminates the risk of censorship or arbitrary bans.

2. User Control: With Nostr, you own your data. Your posts, messages, and connections are stored locally or on relays you choose. If one relay goes down, you can switch to another without losing anything.

3. Interoperability: Nostr is designed to work across different apps and platforms. This means you’re not locked into a single ecosystem. If you don’t like one Nostr client, you can switch to another without losing your followers or content.

4. Simplicity: Nostr’s protocol is intentionally simple. It doesn’t try to do everything at once, which makes it lightweight and easy to use. This simplicity also makes it more resilient and adaptable.

---

The Lightning Network: Powering Decentralized Payments

Now, let’s talk about money. One of the coolest things about Nostr is its integration with the Lightning Network, a second-layer payment protocol built on top of Bitcoin. The Lightning Network enables fast, cheap, and scalable transactions, making it perfect for micropayments and tipping.

Here’s why this matters:

1. Monetization Without Ads: Traditional social media platforms rely on ads to make money. This creates a perverse incentive to keep you hooked and harvest your data. With Nostr and the Lightning Network, creators can monetize their content directly through tips or paid subscriptions. No ads, no middlemen—just a direct connection between creators and their audience.

2. Global Payments: The Lightning Network is borderless. Whether you’re tipping a blogger in Nigeria or buying a digital product from someone in Argentina, transactions are instant and cost just a fraction of a cent. This opens up new opportunities for global collaboration and commerce.

3. Censorship-Resistant Money: Just like Nostr resists censorship, the Lightning Network ensures that payments can’t be blocked or controlled by any central authority. This is especially important in regions where financial freedom is under threat.

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Why Nostr and the Lightning Network Are a Perfect Match

When you combine Nostr’s decentralized social networking with the Lightning Network’s payment capabilities, you get something truly special. Imagine a social media platform where you can tip your favorite creators, pay for premium content, or even buy goods and services—all without leaving the app. And because both Nostr and the Lightning Network are decentralized, you don’t have to worry about fees, censorship, or corporate interference.

For example, let’s say you’re a musician sharing your work on Nostr. Fans can tip you in Bitcoin via the Lightning Network, or you can sell exclusive content directly to your followers. The money goes straight to you, without a platform taking a cut. This creates a more equitable and sustainable model for creators.

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The Bigger Picture: A Decentralized Future

Nostr and the Lightning Network are just two pieces of a much larger puzzle. The decentralized web is about reclaiming control over our online lives—our data, our interactions, and our money. It’s about building a more open, resilient, and user-centric internet.

Of course, decentralization isn’t without its challenges. It can be harder to use than centralized alternatives, and it requires a shift in how we think about technology. But the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. By embracing protocols like Nostr and the Lightning Network, we can create a web that’s truly by the people, for the people.

Final Thoughts

The decentralized web isn’t just a tech trend—it’s a movement. Nostr and the Lightning Network are proof that we can build better, fairer systems when we prioritize freedom and innovation over profit and control. Whether you’re a creator, a developer, or just someone who’s tired of Big Tech’s grip on your online life, now’s the time to explore what the decentralized web has to offer.

@ b8af284d:f82c91dd

Liebe Abonnenten,

diejenigen, die diese Publikation schon länger abonniert haben, wissen, dass hier immer wieder über den Ursprung des Corona-Virus in einem Labor in Wuhan berichtet wurde. Seit diese Woche ist es „offiziell“ - der Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) hält den Labor-Ursprung für die wahrscheinlichste Variante. Jetzt kann man sich fragen, warum der BND plötzlich umschwenkt: Will man proaktiv erscheinen, weil man die Wahrheit nicht mehr länger verbergen kann? Oder will man die enttäuschten Bürger zurückgewinnen, die aufgrund der Lügen während der Corona-Zeit zunehmend mit Parteien links und rechts außen sympathisiert haben, weil diese die einzigen waren, die den Irrsinn nicht mitgetragen haben?

Auffallend bei den „Recherchen“, die in Wahrheit keine sind, sondern Verlautbarungen des deutschen Geheimdienstes, ist auch das völlige Schweigen über die US-amerikanischen Verwicklungen in das Projekt. In Wuhan wurde mit amerikanischem Geld geforscht. Warum der BND diese Tatsache verschweigt, ist Teil der Spekulation. Vermutlich will man Peking alles in die Schuhe schieben, um von den eigenen Versäumnissen abzulenken.

In meinem aktuellen Buch “Der chinesische (Alp-)Traum” ist den Ereignissen in Wuhan ein ganzes Kapitel gewidmet. Es hat nichts an Aktualität eingebüßt. Alle Fakten lagen seit Jahren auf dem Tisch für jeden, den es interessiert hat. Hier gibt es das gesamte Kapitel nachzulesen.

Auf jeden Fall zeigt dies, wie der Begriff „Verschwörungstheoretiker“ in den vergangenen Jahren zum Kampfbegriff und Waffe gemacht wurde, um Kritiker zu diffamieren, und die öffentliche Meinung ohne harte Zensur zu lenken. Ähnliches kann man aktuell beim Projekt „Digitaler Euro“ beobachten. Vermutlich kann sich kein Bürger der Europäischen Union daran erinnern, bei seiner Wahlentscheidung jemals gefragt worden zu sein, ob er die Einführung eines „digitalen Euros“ gut findet. Wurde er nämlich nicht. Er kommt aber trotzdem. EZB-Präsidentin Christine Lagarde hat das diese Woche nochmals bekräftigt: Schon im Oktober will man die Testphase beenden und an der Einführung arbeiten.

Nun gehört BlingBling nicht zu denjenigen, die im digitalen Euro „Orwell’sches Teufelswerk“ sehen. Strategische Dummheit trifft es besser. Worum geht es?

Sogenannte Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) waren vor einigen Jahren so etwas wie der letzte Schrei in der Zentralbank-Welt. Nachdem Facebook/Meta 2017/18 eine eigene Währung namens Libra auf den Markt bringen wollte, und eine obskure Internet-Währung namens Bitcoin immer mehr Anhänger fand, sahen sich viele Zentralbanken der Welt unter Zugzwang. Was man wollte: eine digitale, direkt von der Zentralbank ausgegebene Währung ohne Bugs, aber mit Features. Mit einer Digital-Währung ließe sich der internationale Zahlungsverkehr direkt und ohne Umweg über den US-Dollar abwickeln. Die Zentralbank bekäme wieder mehr direkten Einfluss auf die Geldschöpfung. Und, wie man aus China lernen konnte, ließen sich digitale Bankkonten auch ganz zum „Nudging von Bürgern“ nutzen. So spekulierten die ersten Verschwörungstheoretiker bald, ein digitaler Euro ließe sich ja mit einem persönlichen CO2-Konto verknüpfen. Wäre letzteres einmal aufgebraucht, könnte der Konto-Inhaber einfach keinen Flug mehr buchen. Auch ließe sich eine expansive Geldpolitik, wie sie bis 2022 praktiziert wurde, ganz einfach mit Negativ-Zinsen umsetzen. Geld würde sich nominal reduzieren, was den Bürger zum Konsum animieren würde. Flüchtigen Kriminellen ließe sich per Knopfdruck das Konto sperren. Der Staat würde also über eine ganze neue Palette an Einflussmöglichkeiten verfügen.

Die Aluhüte United warnten vor einem Orwellschen Überwachungsstaat. Vertreter von Regierungen und Firmen, die diesen digitalen Euro bauen sollten, beschwichtigten. Mit Ralf Wintergerst, CEO von Giesecke+Devrient, nach wie vor heißester Anwärter, um das Projekt in der EU umzusetzen, sprach ich in den vergangenen Jahren mehrmals zu dem Thema. Zuletzt im Dezember 24.

Wintergerst versichert stets zwei Dinge: Eine Abschaffung von Bargeld sei nicht geplant. Und nur, wenn die Fluchttore Bargeld, Gold und Bitcoin geschlossen werden, greift die dystopische Version. Und zweitens, so Wintergerst, habe niemand ein chinesisches System im Sinne. Der „digitale Euro“ sei für die Bürger gedacht und das Projekt unterliege demokratischer Kontrolle. Ob er Wintergerst und dem guten im Menschen Glauben schenkt, möge jeder Leser selbst entscheiden. Das Interessantere ist ohnehin, dass der digitale Euro ein strategisch dummes Projekt ist.

Dazu muss man wissen, dass eine solche Zentralbankwährung Banken im weitesten Sinne überflüssig macht. Kontos bei Privatbanken werden obsolet, genauso wie Spar-, Fest- und Tagesgeld-Strukturen. Deshalb soll der digitale Euro zunächst auf 3000 Euro pro Bürger beschränkt werden. Das ist also nicht als Maximal-Vermögen gedacht, das dann jedem sozialistischen Einheits-EU-Menschen noch zusteht, sondern dient dazu, das Bankensystem nicht kollabieren zu lassen. Aber wozu überhaupt „ein bisschen digitaler Euro“?

In den USA setzt man mittlerweile 100 Prozent auf die private Alternative: Stablecoins wie Tether (USDT) und Circle (USDC) sind nichts anderes als digitale Währungen. Nur sind sie nicht von einer Zentralbank ausgeben, sondern von privaten Anbietern. Tether hat technisch die Möglichkeit, einen Inhaber vom Zahlungsverkehr auszusperren. Nur dürfte es davon kaum Gebrauch machen, will das Unternehmen nicht rasant Kunden an die Konkurrenz verlieren. Da USDT und USDC mit US-Dollar gedeckt sind (oder zumindest sein sollten, looking at you, Tether!), stärken sie außerdem die Rolle des US-Dollars als Leitwährung. Und da die USA sich aktuell sehr über Käufer von Staatsanleihen freuen, um die Zinsen zu drücken, und Tether einer der größten Halter von US-Staatsanleihen ist, wird es den digitalen Dollar bis auf Weiteres nicht geben.

Den digitalen Yuan gibt es, aber von einer großen Akzeptanz oder Durchdringung der chinesischen Wirtschaft lässt sich nicht sprechen. Kontrolle kann der chinesische Staat ohnehin über seine omnipräsenten Apps WeChat und Alipay ausüben. Was den internationalen Zahlungsverkehr betrifft, scheint man aktuell eher auf Gold zu setzen.

Übrig also bleibt die EU mit einem Projekt, das bereits Milliarden an Entwicklungskosten verschlungen hat. Am Ende bleibt dann ein Mini-Digitaler-Euro in Höhe von 3000 Euro, den niemand wollte, und niemand braucht.

Helfen könnte er allerdings beim Projekt “Mobilisierung der Sparguthaben”. Der Ausdruck geht auf Friedrich Merz zurück. Ursula von der Leyen paraphrasierte ihn jüngst:

Irgendwie müssen die Billionen von Sparguthaben in Militär-Investitionen umgewandelt werden. Das wird am besten funktionieren mit Anleihen, die schlechter verzinst sind als sonst auf dem Markt üblich. Wie bringt man Leute dazu, dann ihr Geld dort zu investieren? Entweder man zwingt sie, oder man bewirbt die Anleihen mit viel Patriotismus und Propaganda. Die Verschwörungstheoretiker unter uns bekommen also bald Futter, wenn die „Spar- und Investitionsunion” vorgestellt wird.

Like, wenn Dein Aluhut glüht…

Hinter der Paywall: Wie das Trump-Derangement-Syndrom den Blick auf den Markt trübt. Wie es mit Bitcoin, Gold und Aktien weitergeht.**

@ a296b972:e5a7a2e8

Vor kurzem fand ein Interview mit Langemann und Tichy und dem Präsidenten der Europäischen Polizei Union Rainer Wendt (aktiv tätig in der CDU) statt. Quelle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05c0h9MP_1c

Darin zu hören sind Aussagen von Herrn Wendt, die man sich auf der geistigen Zunge zergehen lassen muss.

So sagt er, dass die Polizei eine Vollzugsbehörde ist, die an die Weisungen ihrer politischen Führung, vor allem aber an Recht und Gesetz gebunden ist. Das ist soweit sachlich richtig.

Weiter ist zu hören, dass es die Aufgabe der Polizei ist, Recht in angemessener Weise durchzusetzen. Was ist angemessen und wer legt fest, was angemessen ist? Natürlich die politische Führung. Wer ist die politische Führung? Wie sind diese Personen in die politische Führung gelangt, was qualifiziert sie über Angemessenheit zu befinden. Sicher sind das nicht nur die durch Wahlen bestimmten Volksvertreter, sondern auch Juristen und andere Berater, bei denen man nachschauen könnte, wer sie bezahlt.

Herr Wendt findet, dass es die Einsatzkräfte gut gemacht haben. Er meint damit den Einsatz von Wasserwerfern auf Demos in Berlin; Rentner, die mit dem Grundgesetz in der Hand niedergerungen wurden; Menschen, die allein auf einer Parkbank saßen und verjagt wurden; Spaziergänger, die mit dem Streifenwagen verfolgt wurden; „Pisten-Rowdys“, die bei der Ski-Abfahrt im Freien keinen „Staubschutz“ getragen haben; Sport treibende Menschen im Englischen Garten in München, die durch einen tief fliegenden Polizei-Hubschrauber verschreckt und verjagt werden sollten. Die Beispiele ließen sich zahlreich ergänzen.

Technisch, ihrer Ausbildung entsprechend, haben die Kräfte diese Einsätze ihren Vorgesetzten gegenüber „stets zu ihrer vollsten Zufriedenheit“ ausgeführt, die Angemessenheit lässt jedoch sehr viele Fragen offen.

Weiter meint Herr Wendt, dass die Polizei die Kritik abkriegt, die eigentlich der politischen Führung gebühren würde. Bei dieser Aussage wird es heikel, denn das erinnert schon sehr an die Prozesse vor rund 80 Jahren in einer süddeutschen Stadt mit Burg, in der niemand etwas gewesen ist und man ja schließlich nur die Befehle der nächst höheren Vorgesetzten ausgeführt habe. Man konnte diese Kette in der Hierarchie so weit fortfahren, bis man bei der Person, die am Ende die Verantwortung zu tragen gehabt hätte, angelangt war. Diese sich jedoch durch Ableben einer Verantwortung entzogen hatte.

Wendt weiter „erklärend“ rechtfertigt die Vorgehensweise, in dem er behauptet, dass die Polizei angemessen vorgegangen sei, da sie erst Zwangsmittel angedroht und dann eingesetzt habe, nachdem jeder durch die Androhung die Möglichkeit gehabt hatte, sich zu entfernen. Kurz gesagt bedeutet das: Haut ab, sonst seid ihr selber schuld!

Noch einmal: „Jeder hatte die Möglichkeit, sich zu entfernen! An diese Regel müssen wir uns halten!“ Der letzte Satz ist aufschlussreich, denn er erinnert doch sehr an den bekannten Spruch des Herrn Wieler vom RKI: Die Maßnahmen sind nicht zu hinterfragen.

Vielleicht stammen diese beiden sehr ähnlichen Aussagen sogar von denselben Strippenziehern im Hintergrund? Es gibt reichlich Anzeichen dafür, dass das Militär in der C-Zeit eine nicht unerhebliche Rolle gespielt hat.

Dann kommt der nächste Ausspruch, der blinden Gehorsam voraussetzt: „Man kann sich das nicht aussuchen, ob man polizeilichen Anweisungen folgt oder nicht, sondern das muss man tun!“ Vielleicht war Herr Wendt in einem früheren Leben Hirtenhund in einer Schafsherde und es daher gewohnt, dass die Herde dahin rennt, wohin der Hirtenhund sie treibt.

Genau so gut kann irgendein Hansel es für angemessen halten, dass jetzt alle von der Mitte der Brücke aus in den Strom zu springen haben, und die Masse tut es in blindem Kadaver-Gehorsam. Vorher bitte Gehirn in den Offline-Modus umschalten. Irgendein Irrer kann befehlen, was angemessen ist, und alle haben zu folgen. Auch das hatten wir schon einmal, brauchen wir nicht mehr, kann weg, auf immer und ewig!

Herr Wendt meint, dass die Maßnahmen rechtsstaatlich und angemessen waren. Die Polizei hat sich da nichts vorzuwerfen. Wenn die Polizei aus derartig gehirnlosen Befehlsempfängern besteht, dann Gnade uns Gott, was sich kranke Gehirne sonst noch so ausdenken können, dass dann von Polizei-Robotern ausgeführt wird, ohne Befehle zu hinterfragen und ohne sie mit dem eigenen Gewissen vereinbaren zu müssen.

Vor rund 80 Jahren hat man die „Aktivitäten“ der Polizei mit den gleichen Argumenten zu rechtfertigen versucht. Auch damals handelte man rechtsstaatlich, auch wenn heute jedem klar ist, dass diese Rechtsstaatlichkeit in einem System stattfand, das heute jeder als Diktatur bezeichnet.

„Die Polizei hat sich da nichts vorzuwerfen.“ Damit ist für ihn der Fall erledigt. Wir haben doch nur unsere Pflicht getan und uns an die herrschenden Gesetze gehalten. So einfach ist es auch heute noch, sich hinter Vorschriften zu verstecken und den Verstand vollkommen außen vor zu lassen.

Welche Regierungsform hat ein Staat, der eine von der sogenannten politischen Elite vorgegebene Rechtsauffassung gegen das eigene Volk durchsetzt? Wie kann man sich noch mehr zur Demokratie und zur Akzeptanz des Grundgesetzes bekennen, als wenn man es für alle sichtbar hoch in den Himmel streckt?

Ein Staat ist moralisch am Ende, wenn das ausführende Organ, die Polizei als Teil der Exekutive, ohne eigenes Denken Befehle ausführt, die bei eigenem Nachdenken und mit einem stinknormalen „Lieschen-Müller-Hausverstand“ nicht als angemessen empfunden werden können.

Statt als Schutz der Bürger zu dienen („Die Polizei, Dein Freund und Helfer“), geht bei solch einer Vorgehensweise eher eine Gefahr von denjenigen Polizei-Kräften aus, die bei Dienstantritt ihr eigenes Gehirn in den Spint legen und mit Anlegen der Dienstuniform auch ein Staatsgehirn in den Schädelraum einsetzen.

Hüter des Gesetzes werden so zu Erfüllungsgehilfen eines diktatorischen Staates und somit zum Schaden, statt zum Nutzen des Volkes missbraucht. Und wenn diese Polizisten sich zu Erfüllungsgehilfen machen lassen, sind sie nicht mehr wert, als der ganze Staat für den sie tätig sind. Langfristschaden: Vertrauensverlust.

Es wird hier ganz deutlich ein Fehler im System sichtbar, wenn es auch heute noch, 80 Jahre nach der Weltkatastrophe, in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, einem angeblich demokratischen Staat, möglich ist, dass es immer noch eine nächsthöhere Instanz gibt, auf die man die Verantwortung schieben kann, bis sie im Nirvana verschwindet. Häufig ist das das Bundesverfassungsgericht, das neuerdings staatstragende, staatserhaltende Urteile spricht (siehe aktuelle Bundestags-Entscheidung), die erneut zeigt, dass wir es hier mit einem in sich geschlossenen System namens -Unseredemokratie- zu tun haben, dessen Aufgabe aus nichts anderem besteht, als sich selbst zu erhalten. Was das noch mit Demokratie zu tun hat, erschließt sich dem Verfasser nicht.

Da weder das deutsche Volk, noch die restdemokratischen Strukturen und schon gar nicht der politische Wille da ist, da er sich immer mehr als Feind im eigenen Land herauskristallisiert, dass Deutschland seinen totalitären Kurs verlässt und wieder auf demokratische, vernunftorientierte Wege zurückkehrt, bleibt nur zu hoffen, dass noch einmal Kräfte von außen einschreiten, um dem voranschreitenden Demokratie-Abbau ein Ende zu bereiten.

@ 078d6670:56049f0c

I statued mid-thought, between puffs. A dark shadow had alighted on the deck railing, just missing a moonbeam.

I remained motionless for an eternity, until I became a little bored. There was no movement, except in my mind. A desire rose in me for another puff, but I resisted. I preferred a photo first. I deliberated on my action plan for a couple of minutes. First, I placed the charred joint on the armrest, relieved the movement didn’t create a disturbance. Maybe it was facing away from me and hadn’t noticed me in the dark of the eve.

Second, I opened the blanket and retrieved my phone. I activated camera mode in the cocoon of the blanket, checking the flash was off. I fired off a few shots, first in normal photo mode, but all I captured was a few streetlights penetrating through the trees. Next, in night mode I guessed a few zoom options and index-fingered some hope.

After exhausting all possible photographic options, except one, the flash, a little boredom crept back in. That, and the desire for another puff. I had my fill of magical moments and was ready to return to my sitting, my normal life. I was okay with the owl flying off, so I flicked the lighter and inhaled a momentarily blinding orange flame. Probably too much butane. The owl remained.

The owl knew I was there. I felt a little honoured the owl was at ease with me, and returned to my peace, my gaze to the stars. My periphery vision included the nocturnal visitor, but my attention drifted back to normal star wonder (or is it unexplained expectation?).

I wasn’t surprised when the nocturnal visitor spread it’s wings and disappeared into the darkness. I wasn’t saddened by its leaving, but by my not being attentive to the moment. I drifted back into the traffic of random thoughts. Moments blurred in the returning sleepiness.

@ 8d34bd24:414be32b

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am currently reading the book The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards by Steven J. Lawson. The primary subject of this book is Jonathan Edward’s 70 Resolutions for his life that he made between the ages of 18 and 20 when he was first out on his own and was a new pastor of a Presbyterian church. Here are Jonathan Edwards’s Resolutions.

Reading some of his resolutions made me think I should write some resolutions for my life. They are basically goals for my life and ways to keep me working towards these goals. Since my goals are lofty and I have a long way to go to fulfill them, I decided to add a prayer to each resolution because I can only succeed in fulfilling these resolutions by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I started originally with my own preamble, but Edwards’s preamble was so much better, so I went with his. The preamble is from Edwards, but the resolutions and prayers are mine.

My Resolutions for a Godly Life

“Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake:”

1. RESOLVED: To seek to glorify God with my thoughts, words, and actions and to do nothing that harms God’s reputation or that of His church. \ Father God, help me to glorify You with my thoughts, words, and actions. Take away from me any desires that are not for Your glory. Help me to understand what an awesome and holy God You are so I may glorify You with every bit of my being and glorify You before men.

2. RESOLVED: To seek to do all good things for God’s glory and not my own. \ Father God, help to do what is right and good in Your sight and help me to do it with the right motives of thankfulness for what You have done for me and to glorify You. Do not let pride or self serving be my motivation or harm my good works in Your name.

3. RESOLVED: To daily acknowledge that I am unable to keep these resolutions without the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit and divine grace. \ Father God, please enable me to live out these resolutions, in so much as they agree with Your perfect will. Help me to lean on Your power and not my own so everything I do is for your glory.

4. RESOLVED: To read the Bible every day, unless I am too sick to do so, and to read through the whole Bible every year, so I may know Your word and apply it to every part of my life. \ Father God, give me a hunger for Your word so I long for my time in Your word. Give me joy in Your word and don’t allow it to be a burden that I do solely out of feelings of obligation. Help me to know You better through Your word and to understand Your word, apply it in my life, and faithfully share it with those around me in a manner that is glorifying to You.

5. RESOLVED: To accept every word in the Bible as perfect truth. When I find something that doesn’t make sense, seems wrong, or seems to contradict another passage in the Bible or something considered true by science or culture, I will seek to discover whether it is my misunderstanding of what the Bible is saying, whether it is science/culture that is wrong, or whether the problem is within me. I will seek the full truth through the Holy Spirit knowing that Your word is truth. \ Father God, help me to understand and submit to Your word, whether it is convenient or not and whether it is easy or not. Align my mind, heart, and spirit with Your will so I can understand Your word and so that it becomes part of who I am. Prevent me from ever modifying Your word or the meaning of Your word to meet my desires or to make my interaction with others easier.

6. RESOLVED: To seek to faithfully speak the truth in love to all people. To speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. To add nothing to the truth defined by the Bible and to leave no uncomfortable biblical truth out of my speaking Your truth. \ Father God, help me to always be faithful to Your word and Your will. Don’t let me ever seek to add or subtract from Your perfect word. Help me to love people enough to share the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth even if this makes interaction uncomfortable and even if it requires time that I don’t feel I have.

7. RESOLVED: To seek the eternal wellbeing of those around me even if that is uncomfortable in the moment. \ Father God, help me to see the people around me as You see them. Help me to speak the truth in love. Help me to not fear hurting a relationship that lead me to not share the whole truth, but also help me to not be so concerned with the truth that I trample Your children.

8. RESOLVED: To seek to live the truth that my citizenship is in heaven and I am just a resident alien here in America. \ Father God, help me to make every decision for every word I speak, every action I take, and every thing on which I spend my time be with the eternal consideration of my citizenship in heaven and the desire for others to join us in heaven.

9. RESOLVED: To seek the wellbeing of the city, county, state, and nation where I live through voting, speaking the truth, and witnessing to bring people into the heavenly kingdom. To seek to find the perfect balance between seeking good for my earthly neighbors while not spending too much time taking away my focus on biblical and salvation issues to Your glory. \ Father God, help me to do what is right for the good of the country and land in which I live while not taking away time from doing Your work for Your kingdom. Help me to find the right balance of earthly and heavenly responsibilities and priorities.

10. RESOLVED: To seek to always put honoring God above honoring my country and to seek eternal good above momentary comfort. \ Father God, help me to keep all of my priorities aligned with Your will and to pledge my allegiance to You alone and above all other allegiances. Help me to see everything according to Your perspective, especially with a view towards eternity.

11. RESOLVED: To seek to serve those around me just as Jesus served His disciples and the sinners of the world. To seek to put others good above my own. \ Father God, give me the desire to serve those around me: in my family, in my church, in my business, in my community, and beyond. Help me to have the mental and physical strength to serve and to not be overwhelmed with my earthly and heavenly responsibilities. Help me to put the good of others above my own desires.

12. RESOLVED: To seek to align my will with God’s will and my priorities with God’s priorities. \ Father God, align my will with Your own will. Help me to submit to Your will in all things. Help me to find joy and peace in obeying and following You. Keep me on the path You have created for me.

13. RESOLVED: To be careful to spend my time primarily on things that matter eternally and to not be distracted spending time on things that may seem urgent, but have no eternal significance. \ Father God, I am so easily distracted by “urgent” responsibilities of this world. Help me to see my life as You see it so I can set my priorities right according to Your will. Help me to not only not be distracted by unfruitful works, but also help me to spend my time on the best and most fruitful activities and not just on the good.

14. RESOLVED: To seek to use the wealth You have given me to honor Your and to serve my fellow mankind, especially fellow believers and to bring people to You. \ Father God, help me to so align my priorities that I do not hold on to my physical possessions or wealth, but spend it in a way to multiply heavenly wealth to Your glory. Make my financial priorities always align with Your own.

15. RESOLVED: To seek to honor my parents even if I strongly disagree with them and even if they are not being loving or respectful in return. \ Father God, sometimes I have trouble finding a right balance in honoring my parents since they are not believers and have opposing world views. Help me to find the right balance between being faithful to You and honoring my parents. Help me to honor my parents in such a manner that they are drawn to You and can come to know You like I do.

16. RESOLVED: To seek to honor my husband, especially to speak up about how grateful I am for him and who he is. To seek to be a helper and a support to my husband, especially in the support of our family and in his ministry. \ Father God, help me to be more vocal about my appreciation of my husband. It is so easy to get busy with life and to not speak up about how much I love and appreciate him. Help me to be the helper I was designed to be and to lift him up rather than to drag him down.

17. RESOLVED: To seek to be available to witness or disciple anyone who wants to know more about You, God. \ Father God, help me to see the need in those around me and to take the time out of my busy life to share You and Your word with whomever You have put in my path. Help me to not let the urgent overcome the important. Help me to witness or disciple based on who they are and their needs rather than just the manner that is comfortable to me.

18. RESOLVED: To seek to find the right balance between defending the truth of Scripture and loving my fellow man in a way that is neither divisive nor demeaning. \ Father God, help me to balance truth and love. Help me to not get so passionate about Your truth that I trample the souls of those I am trying to bring to You. Help me to not be so gentle that I withhold part of Your truth and not so forceful that I drive them away. Help me to listen to Your leading so I can be used as a tool in Your hand to Your glory and the well-being of those around me.

19. RESOLVED: To pray daily and continually and to include You, God, in every decision, small and big. To make talking to God a part of everything I do and think. \ Father God, guide every decision I make, no matter how small, to be in complete submission to Your will. Help me to talk to You continually about every joy and sorry, about every need and answered prayer, and about how much I appreciate who You are and what You have done for me. Help me to include You in every part of my life. Help me to not only speak, but to listen.

20. RESOLVED: To pray “Your will, not mine be done” and to mean it with every ounce of my being.\ Father God, help me to submit my will to your own, especially in my desires for myself and others. Help me to so trust you that I automatically trust your answer to prayer and guidance in prayer. Help me to trust your will even when I don’t understand it.

21. RESOLVED: To pray more for people’s spiritual well-being than for their physical well-being. \ Father God, help me to see people as you see them and to see their needs as you see their needs. Help me to understand and pray for their most important needs — the spiritual and eternal needs and not to just see and pray for physical needs that are a problem today, but don’t matter for eternity.

22. RESOLVED: To seek to be an encouragement and to support (emotional & financial) our church pastors, elders, deacons, and others in ministry. \ Father God, help me to support and encourage our pastors, elders, and deacons in all they do in Your service. Help me to be the encouragement that helps them in their work when they have been dragged down by complainers. Help me to provide whatever help is needed to enable them to shepherd the church.

23. RESOLVED: To seek to be a godly example to others, especially my kids, so that they may know about You, know You personally, and become more like You. \ Father God, help me to live a life that honors You and helps those around me to see You. Continually mold me in Your image to Your glory. Help me to live a life so devoted to You that I am honoring You whether there are witnesses around or not. Make every good work be in Your honor.

I’m sure, like Edwards, I will add more resolutions over time. I hope these resolutions have made you think and that maybe you may decide to adopt some of these resolutions for yourself.

I’d love to hear what resolutions you would add or how you would change any of these I’ve listed.

May the God and Creator of the universe mold you and carve you to become more like Himself. May He help make you more like Jesus and help you to implement a life in His honor.

Trust Jesus

@ 2850567c:83c026bf

Bitcoin is really the store of energy. Just like energy cannot be produced and only converted, just like it is finite, is bitcoin. Energy itself has no value for anybody. Unless we can use a certain form of energy for something useful. Bitcoin is also trying to follow the same parameters.

Bitcoin is not a get rich scheme. It is only store of value. Its price is only in fiat currency, is only incidental. Its price has no meaning.

You store any amount of bitcoins or satoshis, one has two options. Either to exchange fiat currency in a market or to spend energy to produce the last few bitcoins that are left to be produced. In both these options, will require energy.

To just be able to buy using USD/INR/GBP/EUR/etc the buyer needs to have done the some in the society. Buyer could steal it, inherit it, cheat it, farm it, manufacture it, give any services, all is equal. Bitcoin does not judge anybody and has no morality. The fiat currency obtained with whatever means can be used to exchange into bitcoins. The person who sold it will eventually realize his error and wont be selling it again. And gradually to be able to buy bitcoin using fiat will only get harder an d harder.

The other way still open for now is mining it by spending energy. Even here, the miner will need access to fiat to buy both the tools for mining, and the constant flow of electricity which can run the mining operation. Even here, the fiat currency is required, obtained with whatever means. The amount may differ based on region and time period. Even here the amount of electricity needed and the cost of tools needed will gradually keep getting harder. Will continuously need further more and more fiat.

Fiat currency is one of the major evils of this age. The amount of work needed to produce fiat is not the based on an operating free market. The fiat currency has a tendency to over produce itself at will, more than the amount of goods or services available to be bought with that fiat. That is the evil called inflation. And this is also the reason why Bitcoin's price in fiat terms fluctuates so often. Bitcoin's price has to continuously absorb real and fictitious fiat value and re-adjust itself. This re-adjustments are only limited to traders of Bitcoin who are watching its price.

The other group of bitcoin holdlers are ones who choose not to sell their bitcoins only due to its price changes. For them bitcoin has no price. These people sell their hard work, obtain fiat, sell the spare fiat and finally store their hard work only in bitcoin. They keep trying to exchange their fiat into bitcoin as many times they could, regardless of the price.

Now comes the question of whats is the use of storing humans hard work, into a stronger asset like Gold or Bitcoin. The wealth obtained by ones hard work is most expensive. Hard work requires spending life's time. Human time is not infinite. The time we spend in our life on something is spent and never comes back. Therefore it is most important to be cautious on how we save and spend our time on. If we ask a mason for making us a home, the mason had to exchange a small portion of his finite life in making a house. He should rewarded in the same manner as is is value of that time spent. And just life his life's time that is spent permanently, he should be able to store that value also permanently. That is why we would all prefer top store our hard work in stronger assets. Value of such stronger assets should be changed by anybody, not by any government, by act of war, by any thieves or even by time itself.

Finally there are the advantages of storing ones hard earned wealth (a.k.a life's time) in a strong asset. A society where and all its members are storing their hard work in a stronger asset, will naturally finds that equilibrium where it begins to give value to only things that matter. All wealth is now guaranteed to be earned by hard work. This wealth will not be exchanged for anything that does not have matching hard work. There can be little to no waste cause now to waste, will require real life's time spent on easy work or no work at all. Now for anybody with any skill will have to race with their hard work, not lies. The goods and services in such society will all become precious. Nobody here is able to create wealth by manipulation. The amount of value of bitcoins is open to be verified by everyone. It cannot be changed or even hidden.

Bitcoin is only trying to be a perfect store of value. It learned many good properties from Gold, which lasted 5000 years. But now with advancements of technology in both mining gold and storing gold, is not able to preserve its value. Transporting gold was a problem from the beginning and its divisibility was very limited. Bitcoin for now uses the internet for its transport which is a backbone of all global commerce. Bitcoin solves the divisibility by allowing 100 million parts. Gold still stands decentralised by allowing physical access. Bitcoin too allows allows physical access in a different form. It being digital in nature, the physical access is about storing the cryptographic private keys. Gold still is as rare but with advancements in metal processes, its 100% verification is out of reach of common people. Bitcoin makes sure verification stays decentralised, accessible to every one and 100% accurate.

@ 10057360:d01ac746

Natürliche Prozesse streben nach Divergenz

These: Alles ist ein Resultat von systemischen Zyklen. Systemische Prozesse lösen eine Aktionen in eine bestimmte Richtung aus. Die Bewegung in diese bestimmte Richtung provoziert automatisch eine Gegenreaktion, und je weiter fortgeschritten die Bewegung ist, desto stärker wird die Gegenreaktion bis schlussendlich eine Richtungsänderung initiiert wird. Danach wird dieses Muster wiederholt - bis in die Unendlichkeit. Die Ausprägung der Bewegung in eine Richtung, sprich die Amplitude, nimmt mit der Zeit ab, da das System die Divergenz anstrebt - Ein Zustand der der Ruhe und Ausgeglichenheit.

Der Heizungssensor zuhause misst beispielsweise, ob die Zieltemperatur erreicht wurde, oder ob stärker oder gerade gar nicht geheizt werden soll. In der Natur, regulieren Raubtiere die Population ihrer Beutetiere (und dadurch schlussendlich auch ihre Eigene). In unserer Gesellschaft, suchen wir als Schwarmintelligenz ganz natürlich nach dem idealen Tausch- & Wertaufbewahrungsmittel, überdenken staatliche Organisationsformen oder justieren politische Richtungen. Entsprechend optimieren wir auch die Art und Weise, wie wir Informationen austauschen und verifizieren.

Auf die Entwicklung der Medien angewendet bedeutet dies: Die Medien, mitsamt ihrem Tenor, ihren Werten, ihrer Organisationsstruktur und sonstigen Ausprägungen sind das dynamische Resultat von Zyklen. Das System setzt sich in diesem Kontext zusammen aus unserer heterogenen Gesellschaft, den darin zugrunde liegenden Werten, dem Zeitgeist und vielen weiteren Faktoren, welche für eine hohe Komplexität sorgen. All diese Faktoren können eigene Prozesse auslösen, welche unterschiedlich stark Gegensteuern und zu unterschiedlichen Zeitpunkten einsetzen.

Der Wake-up Call: Als jüngst die Amplitude wieder erreicht wurde

Die Geschichte der letzten Jahre hat uns aufgezeigt, in welchem Zustand sich die vierte Gewalt eigentlich befand. Es wurde offensichtlich, dass die Kritik- und Kontrollfunktion gegenüber dem Staat einer Quasi-Zusammenarbeit gewichen war. Dies war kein plötzlicher Wandel, sondern das Resultat eines längeren Prozess, der während Corona seinen Peak erreicht hatte.

Wir hatten Ausnahmezustand; die vier Gewalten haben gemeinsame Sache gemacht. Die Legislative hat im Eiltempo neue Gesetze verfasst, welche Grundrechte der Menschen einschränkte. Die Exekutive hat diese unverzüglich umgesetzt und die Judikative untermauerte das neue Normal. Die Medien als vierte und letzte Gewalt haben das Ganze dann auch noch abgefeiert und Kritik so gut es ging unterdrückt (Build back better). Zu allem Übel war dies auch ein weltweites Phänomen, welches von autoritären Staaten bis hin zur westlichen Demokratie(?) reichte. Man konnte sich dem nur schwer entziehen. Der Druck auf den normalen Bürger wurde immer stärker und all die Globalisten, Kommunisten, Sozialisten und sonstigen Kriminellen, welche sich einmal jährlich in Davos treffen, durchlebten gerade ihre wildesten Fantasien.

Die Geschichte reimt sich

An einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt war der Peak erreicht, ohne dass es jemandem wirklich bewusst war. Gegensätzliches wurde massiv zensiert, was die Orientierung erschwerte. Dennoch war der Widerstand in der Bevölkerung nie vollständig weg. Es gab immer Menschen, welche Akteuren und Geschehnissen kritisch gegenüberstanden. Diese Opposition war ein Flamme, die nie erloschen ist. Das gallische Dorf, dass von den Römern nie eingenommen werden konnte. An eben diesem Peak, war die Flamme am kleinsten und der Raum am dunkelsten. Doch auch das Ungleichgewicht am grössten: Lügen und Narrative können nicht für immer aufrecht erhalten werden. Die Wahrheit bannt sich ihren Weg. Und so wurde die Flamme und damit auch der Raum immer heller. Gradually, then suddenly.

Immer mehr Menschen verstanden, dass sich der Mainstream hauptsächlich aus Marketing-Unternehmen zusammensetzt, welche nur den eigenen Interessen (und deren Geldgebern) dienen. Dass soziale Plattformen zensierten und Reichweiten einschränkten. Dass die Spaltung in der Gesellschaft gefördert wurde. Dass vieles schlicht erfunden und gelogen war. Die Deutungshoheit des Mainstreams hatte seinen Zenit erreicht. Der Schweizer Historiker Daniele Ganser zeigt (in einer sehenswerten Analyse des Carlson-Putin Interviews) deutlich, wie sich die medial Berichtserstattung unterscheidet, und alles andere als unabhängig und faktenbasiert ist (watch?v=v_o0DnTbumA)

Actio = Reactio. So wurden Alternativen gesucht. Und wo Nachfrage besteht, lässt das Angebot nicht lange auf sich warten. Telegram-Kanäle sind wie Pilze aus dem Boden geschossen. Alternative und unabhängige Medien erzielten immer mehr Reichweite und so hat das Momentum fahrt aufgenommen. Der Wind hat längst gedreht, und nur Wenigen war dies zu Beginn wirklich bewusst. Die Journalistin Polina Pompliano hat dies im Bezug auf die Trump-Wahl ganz gut auf den Punkt gebracht (watch?v=mbcbYVEj2AM). Der Mainstream ist die Bubble.

Egal, wie gross und mächtig die dominierenden Akteure auch sein mögen. Solange nicht auch der letzte Kritiker überzeugt oder endgültig zum Schweigen gebracht wurde, besteht Gegendruck. Und mag diese auch noch so klein und bedeutungslos erscheinen, ist es doch nur eine Frage der Zeit, bis dieser die richtigen Bedingungen erfährt und das Potential entfalten kann.

Die Divergenz führt zur Dezentralität

Das Schöne? Aus dieser düsteren Zeit mit den ganzen globalistischen, planwirtschaftlichen und zentralistischen Tendenzen, ist als logische Konsequenz eine Gegenbewegung von dezentraler Natur entstanden. Actio = Reactio. Plankton scheint alleine zwar unbedeutend, im Verbund spielt er jedoch einen essentielle Rolle im gesamten Ökosystem der Erde. Satoshi hat mit Bitcoin ein open-source Protokoll erschaffen, welches die dezentrale Antwort bietet auf die zentralen Geldschöpfungsmonopole. Es war die logische Konsequenz. In hindsight inevitable. Und dasselbe gilt auch für die Medien.

Die Medien hatten sich immer weiter zentralisiert, Meinungsmonopole geschaffen. Die Themen folgten Agenden. Ausgewogene, kritische oder investigative Artikel wurden selten. Die Zentralität wurde ausgenutzt und unbequeme Stimmen zensiert.

Joe Rogan erlebte einen massiven Anstieg an Spotify-Abonnenten und war damit der mit Abstand grösste Podcast, nachdem er auch kritischen Stimmen wieder eine Plattform bot (Dr. Robert Malone, Dr Peter McCullough, Dr. Aseem Malhotra, um nur ein paar zu nennen). Ihm haben es viele gleich getan. Der Markt hat die ächzende Nachfrage bedient. Die Wahrheit bahnt sich ihren Weg. Ein Wermutstropfen blieb dennoch. Die Joe Rogan Show und wie sie alle heissen, basieren nach wie vor auf zentralen Plattformen. Alphabet’s Youtube, Meta’s Instagram, Elon Mask’s X können mit einem Fingerschnipp Videos, Bilder und Posts zensieren (siehe beispielsweise Twitterfiles). Und auch wenn mit Elon Mask’s Übernahme von X der Zensur vorübergehend ein Ende gesetzt wurde, bleibt die Frage, wie lange dieser Zustand anhält.

Zentralität ist ein Faktor, der in falschen Händen als Waffe eingesetzt wird. Die Frage ist nicht ob, sondern wann diese Waffe eingesetzt wird (Beispiel Moneyprinter). Und so ist die einzig logische Schlussfolgerung: Dezentralität.

Mit Nostr wurde eine dezentrale open-source Alternative geschaffen. Und genauso wie Bitcoin anfangs hauptsächlich von Nerds, OGs* *und anderen Glückspilzen gefunden, verstanden und adaptiert wurde, wird es auch bei Nostr sein. Man muss die Weitsicht, die Sensitivität oder die Notwendigkeit verspüren, um Nostr zu adaptieren. Es handelt sich um eine Grassroots-Bewegung; Bottom-up statt Top-down. Wie Bitcoin. Und diejenigen, welche aktuell von der Zentralität am meisten profitieren, werden wohl die Letzten sein. Genau wie bei Bitcoin.

Die Zukunft ist unabhängig, dezentral und zensurresistent

Auf https://stats.nostr.band/ findet man aktuelle Daten zu Nostr. Unter anderem auch die Gesamtzahl User.

Einerseits ist ersichtlich, dass Nostr ein kontinuierliches Wachstum erfährt und damit die Adoption stetig voranschreitet. Andererseits wird auch klar, dass Nostr noch ziemlich am Anfang steht. Auch in diesem Aspekt können wir uns an Bitcoin orientieren und die Adaptions-Kurve als Leitfaden verwenden.

Langfristig führt kein Weg an Nostr vorbei. In hindsight, inevitable. Die Zukunft ist dezentral und open-source. Sie ist das Resultat des Zyklus, der durch den gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungsprozess vorgegeben wird, welches den zentralen Tendenzen natürlich entgegenwirkt. Bitcoin veranschaulicht dies deutlich. Gerade aktuell wurde mit der open-source Lösung von DeepSeek eine Mögliche Trendwende im AI-Bereich eingeläutet. Und die Medienlandschaft wird gerade von dem open-source Protokoll Nostr revolutioniert.

Die Zukunft scheint also goldig für den durchschnittlichen Pleb. Sie war und ist es immer gewesen. Um diese zu erkennen, bedarf es lediglich einer langfristigen Perspektive (if in doubt, zoom out) sowie der Fähigkeit, die ganze Noise auszublenden.

PS: Falls Du noch keinen Nostr-Account hast, kannst du einfach auf https://nosta.me/ einen Account erstellen und einen der vielen Nostr-Clients nutzten (https://nostrapps.com), um bereits jetzt schon die Zukunft mitgestalten.

PPS: Dies ist mein erster Artikel als (neben-)freiberuflicher Journalist. Mein Fokus ist Libertarismus und Freiheit, und alles was damit einhergeht. Falls dir der Beitrag gefallen hat, lass doch ein Abo da und teil den Beitrag (oder auch nicht! - Wer bin ich, um dir was vorzuschreiben ;) Wenn dir dieser Beitrag was Wert ist, supporte mich mit ein paar Sats. Only value for value.

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

Hello Stackers!

Welcome on into the ~Music Corner of the Saloon!

A place where we Talk Music. Share Tracks. Zap Sats.

So stay a while and listen.

🚨Don't forget to check out the pinned items in the territory homepage! You can always find the latest weeklies there!🚨

🚨Subscribe to the territory to ensure you never miss a post! 🚨

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/914483

@ f99f56fb:d4e26c7a

En 2010... SI, EN 2010 !!!

En 2010 un amigo me habló de #Bitcoin. Me pareció interesante. Cambié el disco duro de mi PC, me descargué Ubuntu e intenté minar bitcoin. No fui capaz. Desistí.

Mi amigo tampoco hizo nada al respecto.

Años más tarde, en 2017, conocí #Ethereum como 'dinero programable' y la idea me fascinó !! Creía en el flippening y todo. Compré un poco (y luego casi se me olvida que lo tengo). Años más tarde, sobre 2020 empezó un boom, FOMO, altseason, bull market, o como lo queráis llamar. La cosa es que yo estaba emocionadísimo con $ETH. Siempre había pensado que Bitcoin tenía un problema severo de escalabilidad.

En Mayo de 2022 pasaron varias cosas: 1. Leí El Patrón Bitcoin - Entendí el dinero 2. Descubrí la Lightning Network - Descubrí que Bitcoin es escalable

E inmediatamente cambié mis #ETH por #BTC. Empecé a estudiar Bitcoin, hice varios cursos a fondo, compré más...

Ahora compro bitcoin siempre que puedo para tener menos FIAT, tengo mi billetera fría, y me deshago de todo lo que puedo para tener más $BTC.

He empezado a comprar al precio que me merezco. Podría haber empezado a acumular en 2010... Pero no fui capaz. Cada vez es más fácil comprar bitcoin, pero además es necesario que lo entiendas. Aprende Bitcoin.

@ d6252575:ff8c15c7

على الرغم من رغبتنا جميعًا في أن يعمل مكيف الهواء سبليت بسلاسة ودون ضوضاء مثل محرك طائرة G5، فإننا نعلم أن هذه الرغبة قد لا تتحقق دائمًا. اعتمادًا على عمر مكيف الهواء، أو مكان تركيبه، أو مدى صيانته وإصلاحه بشكل دوري، قد تسمع أصواتًا طبيعية جدًا من مكيف الهواء في منزلك أو مكان عملك.

ولكن لا يجب أن تُهمل كل الأصوات، فمن المهم معرفة أسبابها واتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة للقضاء عليها. تابع معنا لمعرفة المزيد عن أسباب صوت التكييف.

أسباب صوت سبليت

يمكن أن يشير صوت مكيف الهواء إلى تشغيله الصحيح أو غير الصحيح. لا شك أن الضوضاء غير الطبيعية الصادرة من مكيف الهواء الخاص بك تشير إلى وجود مشكلة في النظام يجب التحقيق فيها على الفور.

لماذا يعمل مكيف الهواء بصوت عالٍ؟ إذا سمعت صوت عويل مزعج من مكيف الهواء، فقد لا يعمل جزء من النظام بشكل صحيح. لذلك من الأفضل التحقق من الأسباب التالية:

مشكلة صوت مكيف الهواء

• مروحة تهوية داخلية: إذا كانت مروحة التهوية في اللوحة الداخلية لمكيف الهواء المنفصل غير متوازنة أو لا تعمل بشكل صحيح، خاصة إذا كانت المحامل على كلا الجانبين تالفة أو غير مثبتة بشكل صحيح، فستسمع صوتًا طبيعيًا من الجزء الداخلي من مكيف الهواء.
• علة الضاغط: الضاغط هو أحد أهم أجزاء مكيف الهواء، وهو مسؤول عن ضغط غاز التبريد في النظام. يعني صوت الأزيز في الجهاز أن الضاغط لا يعمل بشكل صحيح أو أن كمية التيار الكهربائي في الدائرة غير مناسبة.
• قاعدة منفصلة أو تالفة: يقع الضاغط في مكيف الهواء على قاعدة مطاطية صغيرة. مع الاستخدام المستمر، قد تتشقق هذه القاعدة البلاستيكية وتتفكك وتنهار، مما يؤدي إلى فقدان مكيف الهواء لتوازنه ويحدث ضوضاء أثناء تشغيل النظام. من ناحية أخرى، قد تكون صواميل ودبابيس الوحدة الخارجية للجهاز مفكوكة. في هذه الحالة، يتم حل مشكلة الصوت في مكيف الهواء عن طريق شدها باستخدام مفك البراغي.
• وحدة مجمدة: حتى إذا تم استخدام مكيف الهواء الخاص بك خلال أشد أوقات السنة حرارة، فقد ترى الجليد على النظام. التجميد هو نتيجة تسرب غاز التبريد ويمكن أن يكون أحد أسباب صوت مكيف الهواء.
• وجود أجزاء مفكوكة: هناك أجزاء مختلفة في مكيف الهواء، قد تتلف أو تُفكك، مما يتسبب في تآكل المكونات فوق بعضها البعض، وأخيراً صوت التكييف.
• وجود جسم غريب في مكثف سبليت: قد يعمل مكيف الهواء عندما تسمع صوتًا فجأة. إذا كانت الوحدة الخارجية للنظام موجودة بالخارج، تزداد احتمالية وجود جسم غريب فيها. في هذه الحالة، يجب عليك إيقاف تشغيل الجهاز وإيقاف تشغيل الطاقة. ثم انظر داخل الوحدة وإذا كان هناك جسم غريب أو حيوان أو طائر، أخرجه من الوحدة.
• محاذاة الجهاز: عند تركيب مكيف الهواء، يجب الانتباه جيدًا لمستواه، لأنه إذا كان الجهاز غير مستوي، فسيؤدي ذلك إلى صوت النظام مع مرور الوقت. في هذه الحالة، يجب عليك الاتصال بفني تركيب مكيف الهواء لحل المشكلة.
• عدم تزييت الجهاز: يعد عدم تزييت الجهاز من أسباب صوت التكييف. لحل هذه المشكلة، يجب إيقاف تشغيل الجهاز لمنع تلفه. ثم اتصل بخبير التدفئة والتهوية وتكييف الهواء لتليين النظام.
• كسر شفرات المروحة: قد يؤدي التلف المادي الخارجي إلى إتلاف شفرات المروحة. انحناء وتواء ريش المروحة يضعفان من كفاءتها ويؤديان في النهاية إلى صوت مكيف الهواء.
• الإطار الأمامي للنظام: إذا لم يتم إغلاق الباب الأمامي للوحة مكيف الهواء أو فكه بشكل صحيح، فسيتم سماع صوت سرقة أثناء تشغيل مكيف الهواء. لإصلاح ذلك، أغلق اللوحة الأمامية للوحة برفق.

أصوات أخرى قد تسمع من جهاز التكييف

فقط لأنك تسمع ضوضاء من مكيف الهواء الخاص بك لا يعني أن نظامك به مشكلة. ولكن عندما تسمع هذه الأصوات، من الجيد الاتصال بأحد خبراء التدفئة والتهوية وتكييف الهواء:

1. صوت النقر: هذا الصوت طبيعي تمامًا عند تشغيل النظام أو إيقاف تشغيله، ولكن إذا أصبح صوتًا مستمرًا، فسيكون ذلك بمثابة تحذير بأن المرحل معيب.
2. الضوضاء: سماع ضوضاء من النظام يعني أن المكثف معيب وقد يحتاج محرك النظام إلى الإصلاح.
3. اقرأ المزيد...

@ bd224ab4:f79ced71

You walk into a building, and it's blissfully cool, even on a scorching summer day. You might not think about it, but behind that comfort lies a system called a VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow). It's like the unsung hero of modern air conditioning, silently working to keep you comfortable.

Imagine a Network of Tiny Refrigerators

Think of a VRF system as a network of mini-refrigerators, each serving a specific zone in a building. Instead of a single, bulky unit, you have multiple indoor units connected to an outdoor unit. This outdoor unit acts like the "brain" of the operation, pumping refrigerant to each indoor unit, which can be customized to suit your needs.

Flexibility is Key

Here's where things get interesting. With a VRF, you can control the temperature in individual rooms or zones, instead of the entire building. Need a cooler bedroom while the living room stays comfortably warm? No problem! This flexibility means you're only cooling the spaces you actually need, leading to energy savings and a smaller carbon footprint.

Beyond Comfort: Efficiency and Control

VRF systems are known for their high efficiency. They use variable-speed compressors, which adjust their power output based on the actual cooling needs. This means less energy wasted and lower operating costs.

And let's not forget about the control. VRF systems are often integrated with smart home technology, allowing you to adjust the temperature remotely using your smartphone or tablet. This gives you ultimate control over your comfort, even when you're not home.

VRF: Not Just for Buildings

While VRF systems are commonly used in commercial buildings, they are increasingly popular in residential homes too. Their flexibility, efficiency, and control make them an attractive option for homeowners looking for a modern and comfortable air conditioning solution.

Source: What is a VRF System?

@ 6830c409:ff17c655

I was reading through all this news around people attacking and vandalizing Tesla cars. and I was wondering, how did this word vandalism came into existence so I just went back into Wikipedia and some dictionaries searching for the etymology of the world. Here is what I learned and thought of sharing with you what I read. Sorry, but searching #history is my weakness 🙄

Once upon a time, in the early centuries of the first millennium, a group of Germanic tribes roamed across Europe, looking for a place to call home. These were the Vandals, a people who, like many others, found themselves pushed westward by war, climate change, and the collapsing Roman order.

By the early 400s, they were on the move in a big way. They crossed the Rhine into what is now France, fought their way through Spain, and eventually sailed to North Africa, where they did something few others had managed before—they set up their own kingdom in Carthage (modern Tunisia), one of the richest parts of the crumbling Roman world.

And then, in 455 CE, their name was forever written into history.

The Sack of Rome – Did the Vandals Actually “Vandalize” It?

That year, under the leadership of their king Genseric, the Vandals sailed across the Mediterranean and stormed into Rome itself. The Western Roman Empire was already on its last legs, and the emperor had little power to stop them.

For two whole weeks, the Vandals looted the city. They stripped away gold, silver, and anything valuable they could carry. They even took the treasures of the Temple of Jerusalem, which the Romans themselves had looted centuries earlier from the Jewish Second Temple.

But here’s where things get tricky.

While the Vandals did pillage Rome, they didn’t burn it to the ground, kill indiscriminately, or leave it in total ruin like some earlier invaders had. In fact, they kept churches and monuments mostly intact—a stark contrast to the violent destruction during Rome’s previous sack by the Visigoths in 410 CE.

So why do we associate vandalism with destruction?

Over to France, where the word is born

For over a thousand years, the Vandals were remembered as just another group of barbarian invaders. But their name took on a whole new meaning in 1794, during the chaos of the French Revolution.

At that time, revolutionaries were tearing down symbols of the old monarchy, smashing statues, and destroying priceless works of art. Seeing this destruction, a French bishop named Henri Grégoire coined the term “Vandalisme” to describe it.

He wasn’t saying that actual Vandals had suddenly appeared in France. Instead, he was making a historical analogy—just as the Vandals had looted Rome centuries earlier, so too were the revolutionaries looting France’s cultural heritage.

The term quickly caught on. By the early 1800s, “vandalism” entered the English language as a word for any senseless destruction of property.

Vandalizing the Vandals

Here’s the twist: the Vandals may not have been as bad as history painted them.

Most of what we know about them comes from Roman sources, and Rome had a habit of making its enemies look as bad as possible. To the Romans, anyone who wasn’t Roman was a barbarian, and the Vandals, with their dramatic takeover of North Africa and their sack of Rome, made the perfect villains.

Yet modern historians argue that the Vandals were actually fairly organized, had their own complex kingdom, and even maintained peace in the Mediterranean for decades.

So, in a way, it’s historical vandalism that we now associate their name with destruction!

Vandalism Today

The word “vandalism” stuck, and today we use it for everything from graffiti to broken car windows. It’s kind of funny when you think about it—a historical misunderstanding led to a whole group of people becoming a symbol for reckless destruction.

The next time you see a “No Vandalism” sign, remember: it’s not just about property damage. It’s a story that goes back over 1,500 years, involving a misunderstood tribe, a collapsing empire, and a French bishop who didn’t want people smashing statues.

And in the end, maybe the biggest act of vandalism was what happened to the Vandals’ reputation.

@ 6c4b0219:bb7f889e

Bitcoin’s lack of premine is a key feature that differentiates it from many other cryptocurrencies- "Bitcoin is not Crypto."

Its lack of premine ensures fair distribution of coins, strengthens its decentralization, and builds trust in its underlying network.

To gain deeper insight into Bitcoin premining and why Bitcoin is so different from other cryptocurrencies, read below!

➼ What is a Premine?

A premine occurs when a portion of a cryptocurrency's total supply is created and distributed before the public launch.

This typically benefits the project's developers, early investors, or insiders. Premined coins can be used for development funding, marketing, or team compensation, but they often lead to concerns about centralization and unfair distribution.

➼ How is Bitcoin Different?

Bitcoin is not premined, meaning no coins were created or allocated before its public launch on January 3, 2009. Instead, Bitcoin follows a fair launch model, where Satoshi Nakamoto, its creator, had to mine coins just like everyone else. This makes Bitcoin fundamentally different from many other cryptocurrencies.

➼ What Does This Mean for Bitcoin?

1. Fair and Decentralized Distribution – Since Bitcoin wasn't premined, early adopters had to mine or acquire it on the open market. This prevents a small group from controlling a large portion of the supply.

2. Higher Trust and Credibility – Without premining, Bitcoin avoids concerns of founders enriching themselves unfairly, making it more resistant to manipulation.

3. True Proof-of-Work (PoW) Model – Bitcoin’s issuance depends on computational work (mining), ensuring that new coins enter circulation through a transparent and decentralized process.

4. No Centralized Authority – Many premined projects have teams or foundations controlling a large supply of tokens, allowing them to influence the market. Bitcoin, by contrast, is decentralized and does not have any centralized authority.

➼ How Does This Compare to Other Cryptos?

⇝ Ethereum (ETH) had a presale (ICO) in 2014, where about 60 million ETH (out of the initial supply) was sold to early investors, with the remaining portion allocated to the Ethereum Foundation and developers. This helped fund the project’s development but isn’t considered a traditional "premine."

⇝ Ripple (XRP) is almost entirely premined, with its parent company, Ripple Labs, holding a significant portion of the supply.

⇝ Dogecoin (DOGE) was not premined but has an inflationary supply, meaning there is no maximum cap on its total supply, unlike Bitcoin's fixed cap of 21 million coin, which contributes to its scarcity and role as a store of value.

Bitcoin’s lack of premine, combined with its hard cap, decentralization, and proof-of-work mining, makes it the most transparent and trustworthy digital currency.

➼ DYOR!

Before you begin to doubt, we encourage you to do your own research.

If you’re new to the space, you should: ➼ Follow us on here on Nostr ➼ Join our FREE, high-quality Bitcoin education program to understand the fundamentals and make informed decisions.

⇝ To join our program, join our Telegram group to stay updated on the next cohort! Telegram: https://t.me/+KirVlW8gMMtlNDI8

⇝ If you found this valuable, please share and feel free to ZAP⚡️for more visibility so others can benefit as well!

@ 21335073:a244b1ad

I want to see Nostr succeed. If you can think of a way I can help make that happen, I’m open to it. I’d like your suggestions.

My schedule’s shifting soon, and I could volunteer a few hours a week to a Nostr project. I won’t have more total time, but how I use it will change.

Why help? I care about freedom. Nostr’s one of the most powerful freedom tools I’ve seen in my lifetime. If I believe that, I should act on it.

I don’t care about money or sats. I’m not rich, I don’t have extra cash. That doesn’t drive me—freedom does. I’m volunteering, not asking for pay.

I’m not here for clout. I’ve had enough spotlight in my life; it doesn’t move me. If I wanted clout, I’d be on Twitter dropping basic takes. Clout’s easy. Freedom’s hard. I’d rather help anonymously. No speaking at events—small meetups are cool for the vibe, but big conferences? Not my thing. I’ll never hit a huge Bitcoin conference. It’s just not my scene.

That said, I could be convinced to step up if it’d really boost Nostr—as long as it’s legal and gets results.

In this space, I’d watch for social engineering. I watch out for it. I’m not here to make friends, just to help. No shade—you all seem great—but I’ve got a full life and awesome friends irl. I don’t need your crew or to be online cool. Connect anonymously if you want; I’d encourage it.

I’m sick of watching other social media alternatives grow while Nostr kinda stalls. I could trash-talk, but I’d rather do something useful.

Skills? I’m good at spotting social media problems and finding possible solutions. I won’t overhype myself—that’s weird—but if you’re responding, you probably see something in me. Perhaps you see something that I don’t see in myself.

If you need help now or later with Nostr projects, reach out. Nostr only—nothing else. Anonymous contact’s fine. Even just a suggestion on how I can pitch in, no project attached, works too. 💜

Creeps or harassment will get blocked or I’ll nuke my simplex code if it becomes a problem.

https://simplex.chat/contact#/?v=2-4&smp=smp%3A%2F%2FSkIkI6EPd2D63F4xFKfHk7I1UGZVNn6k1QWZ5rcyr6w%3D%40smp9.simplex.im%2FbI99B3KuYduH8jDr9ZwyhcSxm2UuR7j0%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-2%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEAS9C-zPzqW41PKySfPCEizcXb1QCus6AyDkTTjfyMIRM%253D%26srv%3Djssqzccmrcws6bhmn77vgmhfjmhwlyr3u7puw4erkyoosywgl67slqqd.onion

@ 8671a6e5:f88194d1

Like so many people, I see ads for hardware wallets all the time in my X feed, or even when listening to podcasts you get the occasional promotion for one of these devices. Hardware wallet manufacturers and brands are a part of bitcoin life and culture. They’re sponsors, and they of course like to sell their devices.

As a long-time bitcoiner, I can say that I’ve given out more money (bitcoin) buying hardware wallets than what’s good for me. I supported projects and even had one of the prototypes of the Case wallet (fingerprint sensor, international sim-card and a camera!) in 2015/16, a thing I could hardly use, since it was bitcoin in your pocket, on-chain, before there was ANY need for that.

The point is, I love these devices. I love playing around with them. That’s fun when you’re a techie or someone who’s really onto bitcoin and wants to try the new Trezor, Ledger (yuk), Bitbox or cold card wallet… Unfortunately, except for this “obsession” with trying these devices out, and the occasional corporate/business needs,… the secure feeling of having one (or more) prevails over the real need. There’s a series of downsides to having a Hardware wallet, which are often overlooked.

The main downside is actually summed up as : “you don’t need it”

Let’s elaborate. For most people, I must say that I can’t recommend having one of these devices anymore. The market is saturated and the devices are often sold to people who are even unable to use them properly. Or customers that spent way more money buying them, than what’s eventually stored on it!

They’re of course handy “signing devices” for securely signing a transaction or message. They’re also a great way to do multi-signature and so on. That’s all neat.

But your average user,... most of the people don’t need it. There are several reasons for that.

Before the readers put me away as a fiat-slave dissing on bitcoin, or some dude trying to shill his own project: no … I don’t have my own “solution” I’m selling, I don’t go and ask you to click my referral link or ask for money here. I probably bought more hardware wallets in my life for a higher amount than most users hold in bitcoin right now. So no,... I supported this industry, I don’t hate it. I just want to voice my opinion her on the saturation of the market and the stupidity of holding your keys on a device that inherently can’t be trusted (in theory).

The reasons: 1

Bitcoin inverted effect on diminishing cash value : A bitcoin amount today buys you less than that same bitcoin amount in a few years. Let’s start with an obvious, but often forgotten reason to NOT invest in a hardware wallet. The price. The price is around 150 to 350 $ in fiat now in 2024. I even bought such devices at 600$ once (160000$ in today’s price;). Over time, most people that are into bitcoin less than 5 years, are better off buying bitcoin for the amount they would have bought the HW device for.

One can of course make the argument that it costs more to lose your keys altogether, but that’s also the case with a paper with your seed phrase or any other method.

Securing your keys is of course extremely important. No matter what you want to use. It doesn’t take away the fact that buying a Hardware wallet for fiat or for bitcoin isn’t economically wise, certainly not for beginners or people who have less bitcoin than the 20x cash value of the hardware wallet they want to buy. I have a simple formula here.

The Deadeye’s Hardware Wallet Law: which is a formula: Y < (X / 20) If you have 1 million sats today (660$ at time of writing) then it makes little sense to buy a hardware wallet for 179$ in my opinion. A good rule of thumb is: take the amount of bitcoin you want to secure, calculate the fiat price in dollar HW price = X Take the fiat price in dollar + shipping in fiat = Y If Y < (X / 20) that fiat price is less than a factor 20 of what you want to secure, then you might consider buying the HW wallet.

Example: Johnny wants to buy a new coldcard at 219$ + 41 $ shipping. He has 2,3 million sats (1524$) 260 < (1524 /20) So 260 < 76.2 … is not true , so he shouldn’t buy this and stack the sats instead on a cheaper solution (software wallet, or a self-generated seed phrase or even a reputable exchange in absolute last resort, if the tech-lever is very low)

2

Entropy - the entropy on a hardware device is delivered usually by “special chipsets” that generate a random (or close to random, as computers can’t be really random) seed phrase for you. Just like the old paper wallet generators only, they use some sort of scheme or algorithm to generate this. As a user you’ll have to trust that algo. And trust that it’s not broken by a hacker that finds the secret sauce and can generate more or less the same kind of entropy (even then, it would be extremely unlikely they would be able to re-generate your seed). But it’s a factor: the entropy a person can generate themselves (with play cards, dice, or a cat tapping a keyboard…) is always superior to some algorithm on a device Hardware itself can be fragile or downright sub-par. The hardware wallets of course exist because of the tech inside. Mainly the print board, the screen, the chipset and some even a battery(!). The hardware is NOT under your control. It’s made in a few big factories in Asia usually and even if you trust the building process completely, there’s no way for an average paranoid user to “trust” the unverifiable source of the chip design, chip manufacturing and the software that keeps the thing running.

The hardware itself is a blind trust you put into the image and reputation of a company. Some of these companies are dodgy at best from my personal perspective and opinion (nGrave, Ledger …) others have a more steady reputations and exude trustworthiness (Bitbox, …) Still… they are all just hardware, a sum of parts you don’t control and don’t verify.

When is the last time you checked the “military grade secure element chipset” in your super-duper hardware device? Where was it manufactured and who designed the chip lay-out?

3 Cycling through versions. HW wallets go through iterations and new version all the time. When you bought a coldcad Mark 1 back in the day, it’s now long obsolete. You can’t use some features and you’re even lucky if the hardware itself still functions after being in storage for +6 years. When I asked the manufacturer why they recommended outphasing the coldcard around two years ago, they said something like “it’s to keep up with security”. It even makes sense from their tech and product perspective, but in the end, it’s not really what people expect (realistic or not). Well… that’s like a subscription in my opinion? Every two years, you fork out something of 150 to 200$ for a new hardware device (plus shipping and customs) and the risk involved to put your funds on the new device by transferring to the new wallet’s addresses or put the old seed in that new device and so on… All this… to have the “right tool” for keeping 24 words “safe”? So, our formula in point 1, was adjusted to /20 to compensate for that “cycling” through versions at a rate of a few hundred dollars every 2-3 years at least. That’s a bit of the top in my opinion. A good bitcoin hardware device should at least be usable and up to par for 10 years at the very least. Words written down or secured anywhere, last forever.

4 Easy of use is still not ok: This might be very controversial with all the HW wallets claiming to be “easy to use”, but in fact: they’re not. Most users (and I take some family members and friends as an example here) can’t make heads or tails from how these things work. Give any non-tech user a coldcard, ledger of bitbox and they’ll not be on their way to use it as an everyday device. It might sound silly for the daily users of such a wallet, but a “noob” in my opinion is better off learning to familiarize themselves with software wallets first before even considering buying a HW wallet.

5 Buggy hardly tested apps The hardware wallets accompanied by an app (like Jade’s Green wallet to name one) are often introducing an extra layer of problems (both on the bugs and the risks). Who knows that this software will still be available in a few years time? We saw many things come and go over the years.

6 Alienation from the private keys: New users are better of learning the ropes with seed phrases and private keys by using Electrum, Sparrow and the likes (or even stack wallet duo) in order to learn what holding your own keys means.

People who start their journey with a hardware wallet often think about their bitcoin holding as something that tangible “inside the hardware wallet”, instead of looking at the key-perspective. I think a lot of people are alienated from the bitcoin concept of having your own keys by using HW wallets. (and yes, that’s not a strong argument, I know, but it is a factor to take into account)

7

You’ll have to securely store your seed phrase ANYWAY. The fact remains, that you bought a hardware wallet, and still have to safely secure your private keys, seed phrase at some point and do it securely. That’s something you need anyway. So… why not just use your paper with 24 words and use the wallet on occasion by using a secure “other way” (seed signer, an electrum wallet, sparrow,...) when you need to do a transaction?

I believe people will also do les on-chain pure bitcoin transactions when they need to do more work when not using a HW wallet: it’s an extra barrier to hold instead of paying. (if you like to do that of course)

8

Upgrade processes aren't always that clear on some HW wallets. I personally “bricked” a coldcard this way, by accidentally using a wrong upgrade file on a Mark 2 coldcard, and it was unrepairable after that.

The 12 or 24 words are the most important thing you have, … you don’t need a hardware device if you’re just starting, or just are a hodl’er.

9 Centralized software. Bugs and “new” features

Lots of bugs in the software also cause problems: For example; your 24 words from device A, can’t be imported to device B although they should “speak the same language” in theory (BIP39). One device accepts using two times the same word in a seed phrase, one doesn’t. There are other bugs: like random reboots, unlocking problems, strange implementations in the software (like Trezor trying out implementing the Swiss “travel rule” setting one day and pushing this upgrade to the users) and so on…. Without a HW wallet, you can just choose yourself what software / node or wallet to run anything on, and you’re not tied to the centralized, expensive and often untested way of hardware wallet manufacturer’s viewpoints and or “secret deals”.

1. And then there’s the privacy concern. We all know about Ledger’s famous “mishap” where they leaked all the home addresses of hardware wallet customers .. some of them actually had to move to other places to live as a result.

Conclusion:

In my opinion; hardware wallets are toys for bored bitcoiners. And I admit I was one myself for a long time. (I am one of these people yes)

The blockstream Jade was the last hardware wallet I’ve ever bought I guess.

I’m done with the crappy interfaces, the buggy software, the ‘subscription’ to endless upgrades new hardware and the strange feeling of unease when storing something on such devices while you depend on the “open source” nature of something made in China or wherever.

There are much cheaper, easier and more secure solutions.

Hence, most people don’t need hardware wallets.

deadeyes

@avbpodcast

imaginary Hardware wallet

Like so many people, I see ads for hardware wallets all the time in my X feed, or even when listening to podcasts you get the occasional promotion for one of these devices.\ Hardware wallet manufacturers and brands are a part of bitcoin life and culture. They’re sponsors, and they of course like to sell their devices.

As a long-time bitcoiner, I can say that I’ve given out more money (bitcoin) buying hardware wallets than what’s good for me.\ I supported projects and even had one of the prototypes of the Case wallet (fingerprint sensor, international sim-card and a camera!) in 2015/16, a thing I could hardly use, since it was bitcoin in your pocket, on-chain, before there was ANY need for that.

The point is, I love these devices.\ I love playing around with them.\ That’s fun when you’re a techie or someone who’s really onto bitcoin and wants to try the new Trezor, Ledger (yuk), Bitbox or cold card wallet… \ Unfortunately, except for this “obsession” with trying these devices out, and the occasional corporate/business needs,… the secure feeling of having one (or more) prevails over the real need.\ There’s a series of downsides to having a Hardware wallet, which are often overlooked.

The main downside is actually summed up as : “you don’t need it”

Let’s elaborate.

For most people, I must say that I can’t recommend having one of these devices anymore. The market is saturated and the devices are often sold to people who are even unable to use them properly. Or customers that spent way more money buying them, than what’s eventually stored on it!

They’re of course handy “signing devices” for securely signing a transaction or message. They’re also a great way to do multi-signature and so on. That’s all neat.

But your average user,... most of the people don’t need it.   There are several reasons for that.

Before the readers put me away as a fiat-slave dissing on bitcoin, or some dude trying to shill his own project: no …\ I don’t have my own “solution” I’m selling,\ I don’t go and ask you to click my referral link or ask for money here. I probably bought more hardware wallets in my life for a higher amount than most users hold in bitcoin right now. So no,... I supported this industry, I don’t hate it. I just want to voice my opinion her on the saturation of the market and the stupidity of holding your keys on a device that inherently can’t be trusted (in theory).

The reasons:

1

Bitcoin inverted effect on diminishing cash value :\ A bitcoin amount today buys you less than that same bitcoin amount in a few years. Let’s start with an obvious, but often forgotten reason to NOT invest in a hardware wallet. The price. The price is around 150 to 350 $ in fiat now in 2024. I even bought such devices at 600$ once (160000$ in today’s price;). Over time, most people that are into bitcoin less than 5 years, are better off buying bitcoin for the amount they would have bought the HW device for.

One can of course make the argument that it costs more to lose your keys altogether, but that’s also the case with a paper with your seed phrase or any other method.

Securing your keys is of course extremely important. No matter what you want to use. It doesn’t take away the fact that buying a Hardware wallet for fiat or for bitcoin isn’t economically wise, certainly not for beginners or people who have less bitcoin than the 20x cash value of the hardware wallet they want to buy. I have a simple formula here.

### The Deadeye’s Hardware Wallet Law:\ which is a formula:   Y <  (X / 20)

If you have 1 million sats today (660$ at time of writing) then it makes little sense to buy a hardware wallet for 179$ in my opinion.\ A good rule of thumb is: take the amount of bitcoin you want to secure, calculate the fiat price in dollar HW price = X\ Take the fiat price in dollar + shipping in fiat = Y\ If Y <  (X / 20)  that fiat price is less than a factor 20 of what you want to secure, then you might consider buying the HW wallet.\ \   Example: Johnny wants to buy a new coldcard at 219$ + 41 $ shipping.\ He has 2,3 million sats (1524$) 260 < (1524 /20) \ So 260 < 76.2  … is not true , so he shouldn’t buy this and stack the sats instead on a cheaper solution (software wallet, or a self-generated seed phrase or even a reputable exchange in absolute last resort,  if the tech-lever is very low)\ \ 2

Entropy - the entropy on a hardware device is delivered usually by “special chipsets” that generate a random (or close to random, as computers can’t be really random) seed phrase for you. Just like the old paper wallet generators only, they use some sort of scheme or algorithm to generate this. As a user you’ll have to trust that algo. And trust that it’s not broken by a hacker that finds the secret sauce and can generate more or less the same kind of entropy (even then, it would be extremely unlikely they would be able to re-generate your seed).\ But it’s a factor: the entropy a person can generate themselves (with play cards, dice, or a cat tapping a keyboard…) is always superior to some algorithm on a device Hardware itself can be fragile or downright sub-par.\ The hardware wallets of course exist because of the tech inside. Mainly the print board, the screen, the chipset and some even a battery(!).\ The hardware is NOT under your control. It’s made in a few big factories in Asia usually and even if you trust the building process completely, there’s no way for an average paranoid user to “trust” the unverifiable source of the chip design, chip manufacturing and the software that keeps the thing running.\ \ The hardware itself is a blind trust you put into the image and reputation of a company. Some of these companies are dodgy at best from my personal perspective and opinion  (nGrave, Ledger …) others have a more steady reputations and exude trustworthiness (Bitbox, …)  Still… they are all just hardware, a sum of parts you don’t control and don’t verify.\ \ When is the last time you checked the “military grade secure element chipset” in your super-duper hardware device? Where was it manufactured and who designed the chip lay-out? \ \ 3\ Cycling through versions.\ HW wallets go through iterations and new version all the time. When you bought a coldcad Mark 1 back in the day, it’s now long obsolete. You can’t use some features and you’re even lucky if the hardware itself still functions after being in storage for +6 years.\ When I asked the manufacturer why they recommended outphasing the coldcard around two years ago, they said something like “it’s to keep up with security”.\ It even makes sense from their tech and product perspective, but in the end, it’s not really what people expect (realistic or not). Well… that’s like a subscription in my opinion? Every two years, you fork out something of 150 to 200$ for a new hardware device (plus shipping and customs) and the risk involved to put your funds on the new device by transferring to the new wallet’s addresses or put the old seed in that new device and so on…\ All this… to have the “right tool” for keeping 24 words “safe”? So, our formula in point 1, was adjusted to /20 to compensate for that “cycling” through versions at a rate of a few hundred dollars every 2-3 years at least. That’s a bit of the top in my opinion.  A good bitcoin hardware device should at least be usable and up to par for 10 years at the very least. Words written down or secured anywhere, last forever.\ \ 4\ Easy of use is still not ok: This might be very controversial with all the HW wallets claiming to be “easy to use”, but in fact: they’re not. Most users (and I take some family members and friends as an example here) can’t make heads or tails from how these things work. Give any non-tech user a coldcard, ledger of bitbox and they’ll not be on their way to use it as an everyday device.\ It might sound silly for the daily users of such a wallet, but a “noob” in my opinion is better off learning to familiarize themselves with software wallets first before even considering buying a HW wallet.\ \ 5 Buggy hardly tested apps\ The hardware wallets accompanied by an app (like Jade’s Green wallet to name one) are often introducing an extra layer of problems (both on the bugs and the risks). Who knows that this software will still be available in a few years time? We saw many things come and go over the years. \ \ 6\ Alienation from the private keys: New users are better of learning the ropes with seed phrases and private keys by using Electrum, Sparrow and the likes (or even stack wallet duo) in order to learn what holding your own keys means.

People who start their journey with a hardware wallet often think about their bitcoin holding as something that tangible “inside the hardware wallet”, instead of looking at the key-perspective. I think a lot of people are alienated from the bitcoin concept of having your own keys by using HW wallets. (and yes, that’s not a strong argument, I know, but it is a factor to take into account)

7

You’ll have to securely store your seed phrase ANYWAY.\ The fact remains, that you bought a hardware wallet, and still have to safely secure your private keys, seed phrase at some point and do it securely.\ That’s something you need anyway. So… why not just use your paper with 24 words and use the wallet on occasion by using a secure “other way” (seed signer, an electrum wallet, sparrow,...) when you need to do a transaction?

I believe people will also do les on-chain pure bitcoin transactions when they need to do more work when not using a HW wallet: it’s an extra barrier to hold instead of paying. (if you like to do that of course)

8

Upgrade processes aren't always that clear on some HW wallets.\ I personally “bricked” a coldcard this way, by accidentally using a wrong upgrade file on a Mark 2 coldcard, and it was unrepairable after that.

The 12 or 24 words are the most important thing you have, … you don’t need a hardware device if you’re just starting, or just are a hodl’er. 

\ 9 Centralized software. Bugs and “new” features

Lots of bugs in the software also cause problems: For example; your 24 words from device A, can’t be imported to device B although they should “speak the same language” in theory (BIP39).\ One device accepts using two times the same word in a seed phrase, one doesn’t.\ There are other bugs: like random reboots, unlocking problems, strange implementations in the software (like Trezor trying out implementing the Swiss “travel rule” setting one day and pushing this upgrade to the users) and so on….\ Without a HW wallet, you can just choose yourself what software / node or wallet to run anything on, and you’re not tied to the centralized, expensive and often untested way of hardware wallet manufacturer’s viewpoints and or “secret deals”.

10) And then there’s the privacy concern. We all know about Ledger’s famous “mishap” where they leaked all the home addresses of hardware wallet customers .. some of them actually had to move to other places to live as a result.

Conclusion:

In my opinion; hardware wallets are toys for bored bitcoiners.\ And I admit I was one myself for a long time. (I am one of these people yes)

The blockstream Jade was the last hardware wallet I’ve ever bought I guess (and it broke about 4 months of operation, after the PIN code entry froze and the device stopped responding). \ \ On top of that: who needs to sign that much transactions a day (safe for shitcoiners?)

I’m done with the crappy interfaces, the buggy software, the ‘subscription’ to endless upgrades new hardware and the strange feeling of unease when storing something on such devices while you depend on the “open source” nature of something made in China or wherever.

\ There are much cheaper, easier and more secure solutions. 

\ Hence, most people don’t need hardware wallets. 

deadeyes

@avbpodcast 

@ 8671a6e5:f88194d1

I’ll have to use my best Tone Vays impersonation voice for saying this, “..but actually “Value for Value, is à scàm”.

We hear a lot about Value4Value in bitcoin. People giving some content, good or service, and then getting their proverbial hat out, to collect whatever it’s deemed worth to the audience.

Some examples:

• Jimmy makes a nice website for the community, and gets a donation from whoever likes the work he put in.

• Mathilda makes a nice series of travel videos about bitcoin places, and does a little dance, and people can donate sats.

• Jody makes a podcast about bitcoin philosophy and the local community and people can donate for every episode.

That’s all very nice in theory.

I keep thinking about a documentary maker who told his audience he slept on a kitchen table because he had no money for a bed. And he would stop doing things V4V because of it. I can understand that sentiment, and I fear he’s not alone in that feeling.

One of the other artists in attendance told me “then he should work harder and make better things or get some sponsors”. Which contradicts the V4V model, and is rather disparaging towards that filmmaker.

In the world of "Value for Value" (V4V), the system is rigged from the get-go because of dodgy fundamentals based on goodwill. It borders on a scam, be it a voluntary run scam from both sides.

Unfortunately, there are very, very low percentages of people (let alone bitcoiners) that have goodwill. At least in Europe (I don’t know how this exactly works out in the US or Asia).

A personal friend of mine ran a history podcast for many years, and got more kudos, and gifts than I ever had in bitcoin.

And no, it’s not about the money, the income. You can call me a sour person all you want for saying this. It’s mainly about feeling a slight appreciation for what you do

On top of that, the subject itself is a bit of a “no-no” to talk about. If you do, you’re often branded a complainer, a wanker, a negative Nancy. Well… that’s one of the signs you participate in a sort of scam. When you point out holes in the scheme, you’re branded a complainer or a negativist; you often also get ousted.

That’s the way we’re all supposed to go thumbs-up on everything while sleeping on a kitchen table, while doing “good for the community.

To clarify (some close to the reality numbers):

If you put in ± 10 hours in an episode in total in a history podcast, you got rewarded about 50€ (usually from people appreciating the story and effort, relating to the part in history).

If you put in ± 6 hours in two episodes in total (less research than a history podcast), in bitcoin in Belgium, you get rewarded with 2 likes (one from myself and one from another bitcoiner), and no re-shares and about 2000 sats per episode on a good day, and 0 on a bad day.

unknown bitcoin artist holding an orange cup New people in bitcoin who fall for this need to be aware of the loss of time they'll face (which some can stomach, others won't...). Maybe this blog post can help prevent people from turning sour or becoming blatantly against the community.

People who have a good "ethics" stance in bitcoin will probably start to do things in V4V, hoping they get a good return for their work. You dive into this for the love of the community, for proof-of-work in Bitcoin, and maybe to carve out a name for yourself, or so you believe. But over time, this passion isn't enough to outweigh the hours, effort, and the relentless critique from the community's armchair philosophers – and trust me, there's no shortage of those.

Soon, however, such goodwill people will start to be disgruntled or at least less happy about the V4V model's returns. Let's face it, Value4Value was a marketing term invented by Adam Curry, along with Dave Jones, to launch a concept as an anti-movement against Apple's hegemony. It was meant to preserve free speech (that, it succeeded in; they've put the "free" in free speech). For themselves, because they had the first-mover advantage, it worked out fine. And until like the end of 2015, it worked very well.

However, I never heard of anyone after the year 2015 who lived off a value4value scheme having enough income and being happy about the exchange of goods and services...

Many podcasters resolve this by asking a fee for their "full" private and ad-free stream. Others just quit or go full paid service. It's all good, as long as you pick your poison and don't rely too much on appreciation in this community.

I'll go even further; in my opinion, the value proposition of Value 4 Value has a negative influence on bitcoin adoption. Because so many people will start under this model, hoping to make a living or at least break even on their hobby project, they'll soon turn sour.

This negative impact is due to an over-supply of content, or the implication that you have to get sponsors. I regularly got that message from people like, “Why don’t you get a sponsor?” They act like I don’t know that working for free isn't paying the bills. I know. Trust me on that. I work for free out of passion and genuine interest. If that gets punished, then there's something really wrong with this community.

On sponsors: the problem with this approach is that you can't call your own sponsor's product "a toy-grade piece of unreliable garbage" on-air if you take their money. And if you do, it's probably not doing wonders for your income.

Not only are you sacrificing your independence, but you're also stripping away the very essence of why you started the podcast in the first place. On that subject, I can't bring myself to read ads about dog food or some insurance company's new scammy tactics to "protect" people. If I go that route, I would whore myself out to the extent that I might as well start a "banging hot crypto of the week" podcast and shill any NFT, meme-coin, and garbage scam token out there if they pay me. That's also not the "value" people tune in for, I guess (although some Belgians still make a career out of doing so).

Broken value

There's an element of guaranteed discontent in Value4Value that's profoundly broken.

So here's my breakdown:

In Value4Value, you have at least two elements in the equation: the maker of goods/services/content and the receiver of such content, who also turns into the giver.

The first one is the first giver, the second one is the second giver in the exchange.

The first giver, often a content creator, pours their heart, time, and energy into something, expecting nothing in return but hoping for recognition or a fair exchange. Instead, they're often left with scraps while others freely take, use, and even profit from their work without so much as a nod. Giving credit is passé as well... even people who blatantly steal stuff from others smile in your face and go on with their "business". Result: the first giver feels scammed out of their time.

Then there's the second giver, the one who actually decides to pay up and not be a bitch. They give away their hard-earned fiat or bitcoin for something they could've gotten for "free", hoping to keep the cycle of generosity alive. But as reality sets in, they realize they're the only ones p(l)aying this game, leaving them feeling cheated, especially when they hear about others enjoying the same benefits without contributing a sat. Result: the second giver feels scammed out of their money, but at least they got something out of it.

Both ends

In essence, V4V is a scam on both ends.

There's the dishonest way where you might earn a bit, but at the cost of your integrity (for example, praising a rotten hardware wallet like it's a revolutionary invention while collecting the kickbacks). Or there's the so-called honorable path where you gain nothing but scorn and perhaps a pat on the back before someone else capitalizes on your efforts. (Not talking about the people here even ridiculing you for doing something for free).

This leaves a bitter feeling for everyone involved. Those who dare to charge for their services face another kind of scam - the guilt of appearing to be in it for the money while potentially exploiting the naive under the guise of community spirit. And those who speak up about it, like that documentary maker and some artists alike, are all getting brutally laughed at. Because it's a taboo subject to "complain" about income.

But that's not the issue here; I never started a podcast to earn a living or make money. I would be mad doing so and thinking so, certainly not in this market and community. The deeper issue is less trivial, however: when value for value is not recognized, and there are hardly any widespread tools to really capitalize on it, then it's a negative point for bitcoin adoption.

(Just an example) People who run the podcast feed on their own website steal potential income from me by circumventing a good podcast 2.0 platform like the Fountain app. It's probably well meant, to spread the word, but in general, it's profiting from content in the most lazy way possible.

You can prevent that from happening by making the feed private, but then you need to pay a service fee, which you can't pay because 90% of the bitcoiners are too cheap to pay for it. So you pay it out of your own pocket, only to get the critique about your podcast being "behind a paywall". So... you either let yourself be ripped off even further and earn less every episode... Or you just give up, take everything offline, and go work at McDonald's (at least they pay you by the hour, and then you're in the fiat scam and you know it!).

The same goes for artists who get their designs, logos, and artwork copied or see some other artwork that's "heavily inspired" by their own creation popping up somewhere else.

And don't get me started on people copying tweets, ideas, parts of a blog post, and re-telling it to pass it off as their own idea in a book or their own content channels (even some pretty famous people in the bitcoin space do this on a regular basis; you have to get your content somewhere, I guess, after years of getting free tickets to any conference and enjoying life in our little bubble of misfits and backroom deals).

We route around problems

One of Bitcoin's amazing properties is that it isn't bringing you "yield" on itself. One bitcoin doesn't generate more bitcoin by printing more bitcoin, like in fiat. You can't just sit on your ass and get more diluted Mickey Mouse money.

So if you want to be active in the space, you have to either sell yourself (your soul maybe included), or sell a product you have total control over (your own brand of orange-themed cuddly toys for grown-up men, hoodies, umbrellas, paintings with the same themes everyone else does, 3D printed action figures of yourself, or whatever you can come up with that's not too embarrassing to show up with at a conference).

It's in fact no laughing matter. In bitcoin, we're used to routing around problems.

According to me, the broader adoption of bitcoin and its ethos (mind my words here) cannot grow and be successful if we don't solve this problem. The majority of content creators aren't the "big names" with their big middlemen sponsors (even a few got sponsored by FTX and Celsius Network back in the day, and currently a lot of them eat out the hands of some hardware wallet manufacturers and exchanges). These smaller names and new people, make content and art or the likes in order to grow their audience, have fun, learn and make a bit of money on the side if possible. Some of them even want to make a real career out of it. That's all fine.

As a community we need to learn to support people in a decent way.

Some initiatives I've seen were also utterly flawed, so we need to do better. The idea of a "bitcoin influencer" team, for example, was, as far as I could tell, an utter failure from the start, certainly if I saw some people in that group at a conference dry-humping a potential beneficiary (or the other way around; we all route around problems in our own special way :), then I somehow start to question their motives. But it might also be my imagination; the end result is the same; everyone still sleeps on their proverbial kitchen table while delivering free stuff.

We often claim that the fiat world drains us of our energy, time, and effort in order to reward us in 'melting' fiat currency. Well... at least they got a melting ice cube instead of the proverbial pat on the back on the black hoodie you wear in support of someone else's project.

If bitcoin ground-level pleb things, run by real people, need to be successful to grow bitcoin awareness, then we need to find a better solution for this problem. Otherwise, many people will be utterly turned off by the promising "peer-to-peer" world they've stepped into. It not only turns them into the fiat-slave mindset again but also discourages people from building and doing cool things. No one likes to be ripped off. No one likes to work for free. No one likes to be spit in the face and get dirty looks or eye-rolls when you enter the room.

And no, don’t invent things just for me; I’m fine.

I see donations and likes/shares as a real-life measuring stick for the quality and reach of my work. With an average of 3 retweets and shares per episode, it's a failure. And with 13,420 sats over 7 episodes, it's not a big deal, but it's something. Many people in the space would be happy to get such a gift for 18 hours of work.1

Like the famous monologue in the movie Trainspotting, we could also ask ourselves collectively, ... Choose Bitcoin. Choose Value4Value. Choose a scam. Choose life... which scam do you prefer?

Will you choose working for free for bitcoin? Or choose life?

thank you for reading,

by … Kim DV for @AVBpodcast :

no donation button here for obvious reasons

1 sarcasm, a beggar near the Brussels Central station makes more money just sitting on his ass with a Mc Donald’s cup in hand telling people “ s'il te plaît “I’ll have to use my best Tone Vays impersonation voice for saying this, “..but actually “Value for Value, is à scàm”.

We hear a lot about Value4Value in bitcoin. People giving some content, good or service, and then getting their proverbial hat out, to collect whatever it’s deemed worth to the audience.\ \ Some examples:\ \ - Jimmy makes a nice website for the community, and gets a donation from whoever likes the work he put in.\ \ - Mathilda makes a nice series of travel videos about bitcoin places, and does a little dance, and people can donate sats.\ \ - Jody makes a podcast about bitcoin philosophy and the local community and people can donate for every episode.

That’s all very nice in theory.\ \ I keep thinking about a documentary maker who told his audience he slept on a kitchen table because he had no money for a bed. And he would stop doing things V4V because of it. I can understand that sentiment, and I fear he’s not alone in that feeling.\ \ One of the other artists in attendance told me “then he should work harder and make better things or get some sponsors”. Which contradicts the V4V model, and is rather disparaging towards that filmmaker.\ \ In the world of "Value for Value" (V4V), the system is rigged from the get-go because of dodgy fundamentals based on goodwill. It borders on a scam, be it a voluntary run scam from both sides.\ \ Unfortunately, there are very, very low percentages of people (let alone bitcoiners) that have goodwill. At least in Europe (I don’t know how this exactly works out in the US or Asia).\ \ A personal friend of mine ran a history podcast for many years, and got more kudos, and gifts than I ever had in bitcoin.\ \ And no, it’s not about the money, the income. You can call me a sour person all you want for saying this. It’s mainly about feeling a slight appreciation for what you do\ \ On top of that, the subject itself is a bit of a “no-no” to talk about. If you do, you’re often branded a complainer, a wanker, a negative Nancy. Well… that’s one of the signs you participate in a sort of scam. When you point out holes in the scheme, you’re branded a complainer or a negativist; you often also get ousted.

That’s the way we’re all supposed to go thumbs-up on everything while sleeping on a kitchen table, while doing “good for the community.\ \ To clarify (some close to the reality numbers):\ \ If you put in ± 10 hours in an episode in total in a history podcast, you got rewarded about 50€ (usually from people appreciating the story and effort, relating to the part in history).\ \ If you put in ± 6 hours in two episodes in total (less research than a history podcast), in bitcoin in Belgium, you get rewarded with 2 likes (one from myself and one from another bitcoiner), and no re-shares and about 2000 sats per episode on a good day, and 0 on a bad day.

unknown bitcoin artist holding an orange cup

New people in bitcoin who fall for this need to be aware of the loss of time they'll face (which some can stomach, others won't...). Maybe this blog post can help prevent people from turning sour or becoming blatantly against the community.

People who have a good "ethics" stance in bitcoin will probably start to do things in V4V, hoping they get a good return for their work. You dive into this for the love of the community, for proof-of-work in Bitcoin, and maybe to carve out a name for yourself, or so you believe. But over time, this passion isn't enough to outweigh the hours, effort, and the relentless critique from the community's armchair philosophers – and trust me, there's no shortage of those.

Soon, however, such goodwill people will start to be disgruntled or at least less happy about the V4V model's returns. Let's face it, Value4Value was a marketing term invented by Adam Curry, along with Dave Jones, to launch a concept as an anti-movement against Apple's hegemony.\ It was meant to preserve free speech (that, it succeeded in; they've put the "free" in free speech).\ For themselves, because they had the first-mover advantage, it worked out fine. And until like the end of 2015, it worked very well.\ \ However, I never heard of anyone after the year 2015 who lived off a value4value scheme having enough income and being happy about the exchange of goods and services...\ \ Many podcasters resolve this by asking a fee for their "full" private and ad-free stream. Others just quit or go full paid service. It's all good, as long as you pick your poison and don't rely too much on appreciation in this community.

I'll go even further; in my opinion, the value proposition of Value 4 Value has a negative influence on bitcoin adoption. Because so many people will start under this model, hoping to make a living or at least break even on their hobby project, they'll soon turn sour.\ \ This negative impact is due to an over-supply of content, or the implication that you have to get sponsors. I regularly got that message from people like,\ “Why don’t you get a sponsor?”\ They act like I don’t know that working for free isn't paying the bills. I know. Trust me on that. I work for free out of passion and genuine interest. If that gets punished, then there's something really wrong with this community.\ \ On sponsors: the problem with this approach is that you can't call your own sponsor's product "a toy-grade piece of unreliable garbage" on-air if you take their money. And if you do, it's probably not doing wonders for your income.\ \ Not only are you sacrificing your independence, but you're also stripping away the very essence of why you started the podcast in the first place. On that subject, I can't bring myself to read ads about dog food or some insurance company's new scammy tactics to "protect" people.\ If I go that route, I would whore myself out to the extent that I might as well start a "banging hot crypto of the week" podcast and shill any NFT, meme-coin, and garbage scam token out there if they pay me.\ That's also not the "value" people tune in for, I guess (although some Belgians still make a career out of doing so).

Broken value

There's an element of guaranteed discontent in Value4Value that's profoundly broken.

So here's my breakdown:

In Value4Value, you have at least two elements in the equation: the maker of goods/services/content and the receiver of such content, who also turns into the giver.\ \ The first one is the first giver, the second one is the second giver in the exchange.\ \ The first giver, often a content creator, pours their heart, time, and energy into something, expecting nothing in return but hoping for recognition or a fair exchange. Instead, they're often left with scraps while others freely take, use, and even profit from their work without so much as a nod. Giving credit is passé as well... even people who blatantly steal stuff from others smile in your face and go on with their "business". Result: the first giver feels scammed out of their time.

Then there's the second giver, the one who actually decides to pay up and not be a bitch.\ They give away their hard-earned fiat or bitcoin for something they could've gotten for "free", hoping to keep the cycle of generosity alive.\ But as reality sets in, they realize they're the only ones p(l)aying this game, leaving them feeling cheated, especially when they hear about others enjoying the same benefits without contributing a sat.\ Result: the second giver feels scammed out of their money, but at least they got something out of it.

Both ends

In essence, V4V is a scam on both ends.

There's the dishonest way where you might earn a bit, but at the cost of your integrity (for example, praising a rotten hardware wallet like it's a revolutionary invention while collecting the kickbacks).\ Or there's the so-called honorable path where you gain nothing but scorn and perhaps a pat on the back before someone else capitalizes on your efforts. (Not talking about the people here even ridiculing you for doing something for free).

This leaves a bitter feeling for everyone involved. Those who dare to charge for their services face another kind of scam - the guilt of appearing to be in it for the money while potentially exploiting the naive under the guise of community spirit.\ And those who speak up about it, like that documentary maker and some artists alike, are all getting brutally laughed at. Because it's a taboo subject to "complain" about income.\ \ But that's not the issue here; I never started a podcast to earn a living or make money. I would be mad doing so and thinking so, certainly not in this market and community. The deeper issue is less trivial, however: when value for value is not recognized, and there are hardly any widespread tools to really capitalize on it, then it's a negative point for bitcoin adoption.

(Just an example) People who run the podcast feed on their own website steal potential income from me by circumventing a good podcast 2.0 platform like the Fountain app. It's probably well meant, to spread the word, but in general, it's profiting from content in the most lazy way possible.\ \ You can prevent that from happening by making the feed private, but then you need to pay a service fee, which you can't pay because 90% of the bitcoiners are too cheap to pay for it. So you pay it out of your own pocket, only to get the critique about your podcast being "behind a paywall".\ So... you either let yourself be ripped off even further and earn less every episode...\ Or you just give up, take everything offline, and go work at McDonald's (at least they pay you by the hour, and then you're in the fiat scam and you know it!).\ \ The same goes for artists who get their designs, logos, and artwork copied or see some other artwork that's "heavily inspired" by their own creation popping up somewhere else.\ \ And don't get me started on people copying tweets, ideas, parts of a blog post, and re-telling it to pass it off as their own idea in a book or their own content channels (even some pretty famous people in the bitcoin space do this on a regular basis; you have to get your content somewhere, I guess, after years of getting free tickets to any conference and enjoying life in our little bubble of misfits and backroom deals).

\ We route around problems\ \ One of Bitcoin's amazing properties is that it isn't bringing you "yield" on itself. One bitcoin doesn't generate more bitcoin by printing more bitcoin, like in fiat. You can't just sit on your ass and get more diluted Mickey Mouse money.

So if you want to be active in the space, you have to either sell yourself (your soul maybe included), or sell a product you have total control over (your own brand of orange-themed cuddly toys for grown-up men, hoodies, umbrellas, paintings with the same themes everyone else does, 3D printed action figures of yourself, or whatever you can come up with that's not too embarrassing to show up with at a conference).

It's in fact no laughing matter.\ In bitcoin, we're used to routing around problems.\ \ According to me, the broader adoption of bitcoin and its ethos (mind my words here) cannot grow and be successful if we don't solve this problem.\ The majority of content creators aren't the "big names" with their big middlemen sponsors (even a few got sponsored by FTX and Celsius Network back in the day, and currently a lot of them eat out the hands of some hardware wallet manufacturers and exchanges).\ These smaller names and new people, make content and art or the likes in order to grow their audience, have fun, learn and make a bit of money on the side if possible. Some of them even want to make a real career out of it. That's all fine.\ \ As a community we need to learn to support people in a decent way.\ \ Some initiatives I've seen were also utterly flawed, so we need to do better. The idea of a "bitcoin influencer" team, for example, was, as far as I could tell, an utter failure from the start, certainly if I saw some people in that group at a conference dry-humping a potential beneficiary (or the other way around; we all route around problems in our own special way :), then I somehow start to question their motives.\ But it might also be my imagination; the end result is the same; everyone still sleeps on their proverbial kitchen table while delivering free stuff.\ \ We often claim that the fiat world drains us of our energy, time, and effort in order to reward us in 'melting' fiat currency. Well... at least they got a melting ice cube instead of the proverbial pat on the back on the black hoodie you wear in support of someone else's project.\ \ If bitcoin ground-level pleb things, run by real people, need to be successful to grow bitcoin awareness, then we need to find a better solution for this problem. Otherwise, many people will be utterly turned off by the promising "peer-to-peer" world they've stepped into. It not only turns them into the fiat-slave mindset again but also discourages people from building and doing cool things. No one likes to be ripped off. No one likes to work for free. No one likes to be spit in the face and get dirty looks or eye-rolls when you enter the room.\ \ And no, don’t invent things just for me; I’m fine.\ \ I see donations and likes/shares as a real-life measuring stick for the quality and reach of my work.\ With an average of 3 retweets and shares per episode, it's a failure. And with 13,420 sats over 7 episodes, it's not a big deal, but it's something. Many people in the space would be happy to get such a gift for 18 hours of work.1

\ Like the famous monologue in the movie Trainspotting, we could also ask ourselves collectively, ...\ Choose Bitcoin.\ Choose Value4Value.\ Choose a scam.\ Choose life... which scam do you prefer?\ \ Will you choose working for free for bitcoin?\ Or choose life?

thank you for reading,

\ by … Kim DV for @AVBpodcast :

no donation button here for obvious reasons

1

sarcasm, a beggar near the Brussels Central station makes more money just sitting on his ass with a Mc Donald’s cup in hand telling people “ s'il te plaît “

@ 8671a6e5:f88194d1

(original version: https://allesvoorbitcoin.substack.com/p/bitcoin-jobs-are-a-sham )\ The dream

For many people who learned to use, work with, understand and hold bitcoin, one goal consistently stands out: the dream to one day work in a bitcoin job. In my entourage, this was for a long time the main thing most tried to achieve.

The prospect of such job is to work in the bitcoin industry and it seems like a lofty goal: it combines innovation, technology and the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals while earning bitcoin. It’s also “cool”.

It’s an industry (yes, it’s an industry now) that thrives on the promise of that ultimate payout: hard money, bitcoin. Who wouldn’t want that? Certainly if you word in a fiat job right now.

At the same time, this longing comes with certain expectations. People assume a bitcoin-related job will be exciting, rewarding, efficient, well-funded and will happen in a professional environment - that often is lacking in fiat jobs.

I hate to break it to you, fellow bitcoiners, but the oasis of bitcoin jobs you’re crawling toward through the scorching fiat desert is mostly a mirage. Once you arrive at what seems like a place of plenty, you’ll find just a few orange-colored rocks and maybe a lone palm tree with a single, withered coconut barely hanging on.

The main reason? The reality of bitcoin jobs isn’t as different from fiat jobs as you might expect—at least, not yet.

After all, bitcoiners should be “better” people, right? Unlike those fiat wage slaves who don’t realize that being paid in dirty fiat slowly makes them poorer, we like to think we’re ahead of the curve. We feel more vindicated, more enlightened—bitcoiners are the better, more evolved kind. Or so we tell ourselves.

The realization of how hard money actually shapes society has not yet fully matured. We’re all still in the discovery phase. Even with die hard bitcoiners and their respective job industry aren’t there yet. During this discovery phase, it’s important to not let ourselves be blinded by the sun in the desert. We need not to be blinded by the promises and the ideology to let ourselves be taken advantage of by fiat-minded people, even if they own a bitcoin company.

Hard money is the way forward. Bitcoin is the way forward. Most people and certainly their jobs and companies are lagging behind that reality.

Such a job is not (yet) going to bring you Valhalla (or its equivalent) in the form of a well-paid bitcoin job.

Let’s walk over the reasons as to why that is.

The Fiat (Brain) Drain We don’t need to spend much time summarizing how soul-crushing a fiat job can be. Countless books, blogs, and social media rants already detail how monotonous, pointless, and draining traditional employment is. And for those of you that need a crash course on that: The 1999 movie Office Space remains a masterpiece in this regard. By now, we’ve all worked for a version of “Bill Lumbergh” at one point or another.

Bill at INITECH Bill Lumbergh at Initech (Office Space) From a bitcoiner’s perspective, a fiat job is merely a temporary solution to the problem of liquidity for consumer tokens — tokens printed for free by an entity like a state system, which itself is a tax, deb-and-war engine. At the same time, there’s a good chance to get people out of their fiat jobs, purely on this promise, as I wrote in “the fiat brain drain“.

If you operate within that fiat world, you’re bound to these forces. On top of that, your purchasing power is continually siphoned away through inflation, and you get taxed out of any long-term wealth buildup. On the other hand, that same fiat system makes you dependent on their return in social safety and being regarded as “OK”.

Most bitcoiners want a bitcoin job, exactly to escape this pit of misery. To leave this Linkedin-vortex of fake, the loser mentality, its hierarchical nonsense and bureaucratic drudgery that will soon be rendered obsolete by automation and AI, compounding with the ongoing brain drain at the top of the innovation pyramid.

That’s a long-winded way of saying: a fiat job is financial quicksand. And you’re knee-deep in it.

The solution? “bitcoin jobs”

If a bitcoin job were truly the answer, the solution would be simple: launch a bitcoin company, hire bitcoiners willing to work for bitcoin and start building products and services that function in both the fiat and bitcoin worlds—emphasizing the transition to better money: bitcoin.

But without capital, you’re stuck, whether in fiat or bitcoin.

The framework may shift slightly, but the fundamental problem remains. Those with capital can secure real bitcoin jobs or start real bitcoin companies, just as those with financial backing in the fiat world can choose work, they enjoy without worrying about pay or job-hunting struggles.

That’s not to say someone with limited funds and no capital can’t start such a company, but they’ll quickly run into funding issues. bitcoin jobs require payment in bitcoin but also fiat funds to pay for real life goods at most suppliers and services. Unless you build your own office (if you need one anyway) you’ll be paying in fiat to rent some office space (pun intended).

If you lack capital (in bitcoin), you’ll hit a wall sooner rather than later. So, in comes “other capital” to save you.

Relying on larger entities, whether venture capital firms or industry-supporting companies, to cover expenses also comes at the cost of independence; if they even provide funding at all.

While there's no shortage of hype and excitement around bitcoin projects, actual funding for many of these ventures is speculative at best. When you want to help these projects out for free, there’s also no shortage of open arms, welcoming the free hours of work for a project you’re passionate about.

Numerous startups in the crypto space operate on shoestring budgets, relying on ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings) or venture capital more interested in hype than substance. This creates a precarious job environment where projects can disappear as quickly as they emerge, leaving employees stranded.

Sustainability, or lack thereof, is another major concern. Bitcoin jobs that promise longevity often come with a caveat: they're here today, but there's no guarantee they’ll last until next month. The market’s volatility means projects can lose funding or pivot dramatically within months of no technical challenges or a dry up for demand pops up. Finding a position with a horizon beyond a few months in the future is rare, making long-term career planning in this sector a gamble. Most of these jobs are not even bitcoin jobs, but are presented that way. They’re mostly a sham!1

Pay up

Then there's the pay.

Even if you secure a position, and it’s a bit more long-term, then the promise of "decent, livable pay" is often unfulfilled. While some roles offer competitive salaries, many pay in bitcoin, which fluctuates of course (by the way, that’s a good thing, volatility is our friend). The trustworthiness of some of these bitcoin jobs, mostly at smaller startups can get even worse, where you as an employee are at risk to not receive promised payments at all due to funding issues.

The bitcoin job market presents a paradox: it's full of opportunities, yet few meet the criteria for being well-funded, sustainable, and offering reliable compensation and protection. For those looking to build a career in this space, caution is key do your due diligence, don’t trust verify on potential employers and diversify your own skills can help mitigate the risks somewhat.

Until the industry matures and offers greater stability and accountability, the allure of bitcoin jobs may remain problematic.

The harsh reality is, that the carrot of a bitcoin job, that’s been dangling in front of most bitcoiners’ eyes for a long time, is tempting, but mostly just that: an unreachable goal, not because you can’t get that job, but more because that job was a mirage on itself. The dream that most of us have is to leave the rat-race with its unfulfilling fiat jobs, to work in a better way, a job that pays in hard money and builds a better world.

I’m afraid that dream is just that: a dream. These jobs are mostly reserved for the inner-circle of some venture capitalist’s entourage or revolve around making use (or misuse) of bitcoiner’s ideology and goals in life.

But there’s hope Many people want to be paid in bitcoin, but until we transition to a bitcoin standard, they still need to cover expenses in a fiat-dominated world.

Finding a good fiat job is exhausting. And once you’ve been fully orange-pilled, earning fiat starts to feel like an even bigger scam—arguably worse than the Value for Value model. In the end, you’ll either work for peanuts or turn into a peanut yourself — a very salty one at that.

Definition

Let’s clarify what a bitcoin job" actually is, since the term often gets misused for anything remotely fintech or crypto-related anyway.

A bitcoin job involves real, tangible work — simply holding a title isn’t enough. It provides income paid directly in bitcoin, not in stocks, tokens (or other cryptocurrencies other than bitcoin). It requires a significant commitment of time, making it distinct from minor side gigs like washing a neighbor’s car — unless that gig somehow becomes your primary source of income.

Owning a company doesn’t count as a job on its own; you must be actively working in it (for example as a real hands-on developer or COO/CEO).

The role must be tied to a legitimate organization — a company or corporation — not just a loosely organized WhatsApp group pretending to be a business. It should be official, meaning it’s on the books, taxable where applicable, and, in some cases (such as in the EU), may even come with social benefits and retirement benefit buildup.

The focus must remain bitcoin only. Companies dealing exclusively in altcoins, memecoins, hype-cycles and the likes don’t qualify. Multi-cryptocurrency businesses, like exchanges or DeFi platforms, are more fintech than pure bitcoin. For example, a job at a bitcoin-only hardware company fits the definition, whereas a position at a Solana based trading platform does not.

About that real work: A disorganized WhatsApp group isn’t a company but a hobby project.

If a job doesn’t meet these criteria above, it’s unlikely to be a true bitcoin job. Looking at listings on platforms like Bitvocation2 (link) or the job sections of bitcoin/crypto companies, many roles appear to be standard fiat economy positions but within a bitcoin (or altcoins) focused company. (by the way, the Bitvocation team runs an excellent service that has a direct reach from open vacancies towards possible employees,… I love it).

For example, an HR role at a bitcoin company is fundamentally the same as one at a traditional fiat company (except for the occasional ordering of extra black hoodies for employees). Choosing to be paid in bitcoin may qualify it as a “bitcoin job,” but the role itself would exist in any industry. These positions could be considered bitcoin jobs since they contribute to our ecosystem while being financially tied to it.

From personal experience and observations, smaller bitcoin startups face significant challenges in securing funding. What is puzzling about this, that all this difficult environment to get a projects/startups funded happens, despite bitcoin being a trillion-dollar asset and major holders like Strategy accumulating nearly 500,000 BTC.

Top bitcoin company holdings:

BlackRock IBIT: 587,050 BTC Strategy (MSTR): 478,740 BTC Coinbase (COIN): 1,051,650 BTC Binance: 765,072 BTC Bitfinex: 359,687 BTC

Beyond funding, these startups also struggle to attract talent for a longer period of time. Traditional finance, fintech and even the broader cryptocurrency industry usually offer higher salaries and more perceived prestige (not in the bitcoin space, but outside) along with the perks of having a half fiat / “crypto” job.

Employees who choose to work in bitcoin often do so for ideological reasons, willingly giving up the stability and structure of traditional industries. This is both a strength and a risk. While bitcoin startups operate in a highly innovative space, they also face volatility and uncertainty.

The survival rate of bitcoin startups is low—around 10% make it past three years (according to Seedtable data). Most crypto-related job openings come from DeFi projects and general crypto firms, while jobs focused solely on bitcoin are typically backed by venture capital.

For instance: Fedi (federated lightning “all-in one freedom tool”) is employing between 27 and 50 people according to publicly available data. It’s backed by ‘Ego Death Capital’.

Other key VC firms in the bitcoin space include:

Axiom BTC Bitcoin Opportunity Fund Bitcoiner Ventures Epoch VC Lightning Ventures Ten31 Timechain VC

These firms play a crucial role in sustaining bitcoin-only businesses, as traditional funding routes remain scarce. Once inside these companies, there’s often a push for maximum efficiency and lean operations — while working with hard money. This paradox is frequently overlooked. Hard money means a long term time horizon. While bitcoin jobs often offer the polar opposite.

Bitcoin jobs are highly competitive on a global scale as well. Much like remote fiat jobs, most bitcoin-related roles can be done from anywhere in the world, meaning candidates are competing with a vast international talent pool. This makes securing a position even more challenging (especially for Europeans) in an industry that operates in a fast-changing and often challenging technological landscape from a marketing and cost/benefits perspective.

For example, a company developing a bitcoin PoS (point-of-sale) system for cash registers and checkout online, needs traction to sell its product and grow its user base but needs fiat funds to acquire material and develop point of sale devices and software.

This requires sales people, developers and a substantial portion of marketing efforts. That’s something that cannot be sustained solely by grassroots initiatives on bitcoin alone, and can’t be achieved by a single developer working out of a small studio on his own. To scale, these companies often rely on seed funding, venture capital or grants from larger bitcoin-focused firms. Even then, working for such companies, even if you’re really motivated often doesn’t pay the (fiat) bills.

The same applies to teams building something on Lightning Network, projects developing on Liquid or companies attempting to establish bitcoin-native lending platforms and the likes. If (like me) you want to work for them, be prepared to do it either for free, off the books or for peanuts… or become a peanut yourself.

The realities of bitcoin Jobs

Based on my experience working in bitcoin-related roles—particularly within the EU (where taxation and regulations are more rigid and social security systems are extensive) several common challenges emerged:

High intensity: The work often demands significant time and effort due to the passion-driven nature of the industry. This is good, a fiat job is often draining, while a bitcoin job is more energetic and intense in nature. We’re building something good. It’s also good to remember that this energy is often used to make you do the work, without the reward.

Lower pay: At least in my experience; salaries tend to be lower compared to traditional tech or finance roles, and I’ve even seen bickering over the price like it was a flee market.

Funding struggles: Many bitcoin startups face ongoing financial uncertainty, troubles finding investors, or getting investors that cancel their deals or disappear entirely.

Constant involvement: There’s little room to “clock out” at 5 PM; engagement is often expected beyond regular hours (it comes with the territory).

Lack of benefits: Many bitcoin jobs offer no social security, no formal employment status, and often operate in a gray area, or completely “off the books”. For a company selling their product the whole world over for example, you would expect something else than back alley deals with whispered price agreements. The contracts however, are usually centered about keeping the employee in check and their knowledge protected.

Presence of “grifters”: Some individuals with strong reputations or connections manage to secure more lucrative positions, despite contributing little meaningful work. That’s human nature of course, and it seems to happen in in fiat, bitcoin or voluntary work alike.

bitcoin employee receiving his contract and first payment Some argue that receiving bitcoin as payment is, in itself, a form of financial (and social) security. However, this ignores the realities of daily life. In the absence of a global bitcoin standard, workers still depend on government regulations, taxation systems, and social security structures (in Europe).

For instance, if a bitcoiner falls ill for two weeks, they may lose their income entirely. Meanwhile, an employee at a tech firm, bank, or blue-chip company would typically receive paid sick leave or at least retain their job security. I know this is a fairly Euro-zone centered view, and the rest of the world has of course different ways to compensate for that. Either this happens through having lower taxation, or having more self-reliance on private savings and “buffers” to build up your own protection as an employee.

It all comes down to either getting paid more to have your expenses and social security covered by yourself, or getting paid less and leaving a cut for some state fiat system that will take care of your social benefits if they’re needed.

So far, from what I heard an experienced in a bitcoin job it’s the worst of both worlds: low(er) pay, more uncertainty and no security benefits. That’s something that can be fixed.

While social protections in the fiat system are funded through mechanisms like inflation and money printing, and a lot of taxation, their “benefits” are tangible (and expensive).

In contrast, many bitcoin jobs rely on ideological commitment, which can sometimes be exploited, where individuals are expected to work for little or no compensation - while forgoing the protections that traditional employment offers.

Even is we are more sovereign as bitcoiners you sooner or later get older, get sick, have a baby or have other phases in your life. For the companies themselves this is also a huge challenge: the hiring of people and paying them in hard money, means that their output and real life worth to the company needs to be higher in total over all employees than the holding of the same amount of bitcoin. Since bitcoin itself has the magnificent feature of not bearing yield (just holding 1 bitcoin doesn’t pay you 0.01 bitcoin dividend). Even more so, the employee is paid in bitcoin, and can thus be more free, have hard money that is inflation resistent over a longer time period. Retaining these employees for longer periods of time (if that’s your goal anyway as a bitcoin company) can be a real challenge. I don’t see how you can retain people doing an intense job while you pay them in the hardest money there is. I guess motivation is really the key here.

The fiat world has that covered (we know how of course and we know they do it though printing money and taxation).

The bitcoin world still needs to figure out how to deal with these situations. Just promising people some bitcoin is not enough.

Building a better future for bitcoin jobs One of the biggest obstacles according to me, is to a true bitcoin standard — aside from the challenge of using bitcoin for manufacturing and basic goods (which I’ll address later)— is the lack of meaningful job opportunities that provide both bitcoin salaries and financial security on a mid to longer time frame. Bitcoiners or no bitcoiners, people don’t want to hop from one job to another every few weeks.

I think sooner or later the bitcoin space will need a global bitcoin social security framework — one that reimagines financial protection for workers without simply replicating the state-run systems of the fiat world, and certainly doesn’t replicate the European systems that failed so miserably (my country for example imposes the highest tax in the world counted from employer to employee in order to pay for social benefits). If the employer pays 6000€, the taxation causes the employee to receive a mere 3440€.

Today, a bitcoin-only company is already rare. A bitcoin company that offers proper employment contracts, benefits, actually pays on time, has a future ànd has a minimal plan for some form of social protection is nearly nonexistent.

That’s why I argue: real bitcoin jobs are almost nonexistent.

What we have instead are:

• A bunch of hobby projects and side gigs in the v4v space.

• Startups that offer little to no worker protection and rely on goodwill or fantastic ideas with a lack of fundamental backing.

• A handful of legitimate companies that still depend on fiat-based social security and payment structures to operate and attract and keep talent.

The missing link: financial and social security for bitcoin jobs

We need more companies like Bitwage3 as well where bitcoin jobs and their administrative and payment handlings are taken care of (also in Europe), They must be entirely bitcoin-only or have a subsidiary that works exclusively on pure bitcoin jobs.

With a yet-to-be-invented social system which gives bitcoin employees a way to build up an securing their well-being in the long rung (bitcoiners don’t stay forever 21). That would increase this btc-job market and the legitimacy of its real life employment.

Without this, working in bitcoin will continue to feel unstable, informal, or even go “off-the-books” because of a lack of alternatives.

If bitcoin companies want to attract top talent, they need to offer more than just ideology and goodwill. There are countless people that had bad experiences with this.

Many skilled professionals currently enjoy secure fiat jobs with stable salaries, full benefits, and usually minimal effort. Yet, they want out. They know fiat jobs are a trip though quicksand.

Without a competitive alternative however, bitcoin businesses will continue to rely on those willing to struggle financially and living like a “value4value” ideologist (or even worse: grifters), others will be people that contribute real value but are underpaid and face difficulties using their bitcoin earnings for everyday expenses like rent, groceries and utilities (without resorting to questionable third-party services)

That last category of employees or possible employees is often overlooked. There’s a whole generation that doesn’t sit on a stash of bitcoin in order to fund their own “ideal job” or have ideology of an open-source encrypt everything and live on bitcoin only warrior. Some people have to pay their rent, buy food or at least know they’ll be still having a job tomorrow if they work hard.

In the oasis of a bitcoin job in 2025, you soon crawl to that one lousy coconut in that one palm tree in order to survive.

“Tick-tock next job”

Today, most so-called "bitcoin jobs" fall into one of two categories :

Not actually bitcoin-related – Corporate blockchain projects, scams, token-based schemes, memecoins, rugpull/defi/web3/NFT peddlers, and “anything on the blockchain” services without a proper oracle… and other type of distractions. These are sometimes presented as bitcoin jobs, yet they aren’t.

Paid in bitcoin but lacking real merit : Low or mediocre wages, no benefits and no worker protection, in an industry where your value lasts about as long as the average block time (pun intended).

Well-paid longer term real bitcoin jobs: Good pay, on the books, meaningful and well organized pure bitcoin job, for the happy few who have good connections.

If bitcoin employment is to be more than just a passion project where dedicated workers struggle while CEOs and media personalities live lavishly, we need a sustainable framework that provides real financial longevity, funding and real bitcoin jobs.

Without it, bitcoin will remain an industry with unstable or even sketchy niche job offerings, with neither long-term careers nor financial (let alone social) security. If people can’t build a future in bitcoin jobs, the right talent won’t be attracted in the first place. Which is amazing, come to thing of it, we’re probably the only industry that thrives on hard money, we should have the most quality jobs and most happy employees.

Passion alone isn’t enough. When everyone knows bitcoin jobs are short-term or unstable, motivation dwindles. The reality is that some people, myself included, would rather endure a dull fiat job, than waste their valuable time and money on an industry that fails to offer real career prospects and real support for their talent.

All the billions held by all these big companies and fund, is not put to use for their actual builders and talent it seems. I can’t explain the billions of holdings and on the other side, the total lack of funding happening on projects and startups.

More so, the vast majority of bitcoin jobs are nor jobs, nor bitcoin jobs or not anything that can be defined as such. And it shows.

That’s why a lot of products and services are currently in the lousy (lazy) state they’re in and that’s why almost all bitcoiners are either stuck in a fiat job or work within the bitcoin system for peanuts out of ideology or through good connections. Right now, other than the possible btc in your wallet, there’s little to no difference between bitcoin jobs and fiat jobs in that regard. No wonder choosing safety of a fiat job still wins, and I hope that will change one day. Until then, working for Bill Lumbergh has it’s perks.

by Kim De Vos for AVB tips: here

Disclaimer: To provide content more regularly, I occasionally write my posts with AI assistance. Rest assured, the core ideas and writing are always 100% my own creation and it’s edited by at least two humans!

Footnotes:

1 definition : The word "sham" refers to something that is theater or designed to deceive. It describes a situation, scheme, or entity that appears legitimate on the surface but lacks substance, authenticity, or real core values.

2 https://t.me/bitvocationfeed

3 https://bitwage.com/en-us/The dream

For many people who learned to use, work with, understand and hold bitcoin, one goal consistently stands out: the dream to one day work in a bitcoin job.\ In my entourage, this was for a long time the main thing most tried to achieve.

The prospect of such job is to work in the bitcoin industry and it seems like a lofty goal: it combines innovation, technology and the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals while earning bitcoin. It’s also “cool”.\ \ It’s an industry (yes, it’s an industry now) that thrives on the promise of that ultimate payout: hard money, bitcoin.\ Who wouldn’t want that?\ Certainly if you word in a fiat job right now.

At the same time, this longing comes with certain expectations. People assume a bitcoin-related job will be exciting, rewarding, efficient, well-funded and will happen in a professional environment - that often is lacking in fiat jobs.

I hate to break it to you, fellow bitcoiners, but the oasis of bitcoin jobs you’re crawling toward through the scorching fiat desert is mostly a mirage. Once you arrive at what seems like a place of plenty, you’ll find just a few orange-colored rocks and maybe a lone palm tree with a single, withered coconut barely hanging on.

The main reason? The reality of bitcoin jobs isn’t as different from fiat jobs as you might expect—at least, not yet.\ \ After all, bitcoiners should be “better” people, right? Unlike those fiat wage slaves who don’t realize that being paid in dirty fiat slowly makes them poorer, we like to think we’re ahead of the curve. We feel more vindicated, more enlightened—bitcoiners are the better, more evolved kind. Or so we tell ourselves.\ \ The realization of how hard money actually shapes society has not yet fully matured. We’re all still in the discovery phase. Even with die hard bitcoiners and their respective job industry aren’t there yet. During this discovery phase, it’s important to not let ourselves be blinded by the sun in the desert. We need not to be blinded by the promises and the ideology to let ourselves be taken advantage of by fiat-minded people, even if they own a bitcoin company.\ \ Hard money is the way forward. Bitcoin is the way forward. Most people and certainly their jobs and companies are lagging behind that reality.

Such a job is not (yet) going to bring you Valhalla (or its equivalent) in the form of a well-paid bitcoin job.\ \ Let’s walk over the reasons as to why that is.

The Fiat (Brain) Drain

We don’t need to spend much time summarizing how soul-crushing a fiat job can be. Countless books, blogs, and social media rants already detail how monotonous, pointless, and draining traditional employment is. And for those of you that need a crash course on that: The 1999 movie Office Space remains a masterpiece in this regard. By now, we’ve all worked for a version of “Bill Lumbergh” at one point or another.

Bill Lumbergh at Initech (Office Space)

From a bitcoiner’s perspective, a fiat job is merely a temporary solution to the problem of liquidity for consumer tokens — tokens printed for free by an entity like a state system, which itself is a tax, deb-and-war engine. At the same time, there’s a good chance to get people out of their fiat jobs, purely on this promise, as I wrote in “the fiat brain drain“.\ \ If you operate within that fiat world, you’re bound to these forces. On top of that, your purchasing power is continually siphoned away through inflation, and you get taxed out of any long-term wealth buildup. On the other hand, that same fiat system makes you dependent on their return in social safety and being regarded as “OK”.

Most bitcoiners want a bitcoin job, exactly to escape this pit of misery. To leave this Linkedin-vortex of fake, the loser mentality, its hierarchical nonsense and bureaucratic drudgery that will soon be rendered obsolete by automation and AI, compounding with the ongoing brain drain at the top of the innovation pyramid.

That’s a long-winded way of saying: a fiat job is financial quicksand. And you’re knee-deep in it.

The solution? “bitcoin jobs”

\ If a bitcoin job were truly the answer, the solution would be simple: launch a bitcoin company, hire bitcoiners willing to work for bitcoin and start building products and services that function in both the fiat and bitcoin worlds—emphasizing the transition to better money: bitcoin.

But without capital, you’re stuck, whether in fiat or bitcoin.

The framework may shift slightly, but the fundamental problem remains. Those with capital can secure real bitcoin jobs or start real bitcoin companies, just as those with financial backing in the fiat world can choose work, they enjoy without worrying about pay or job-hunting struggles.

That’s not to say someone with limited funds and no capital can’t start such a company, but they’ll quickly run into funding issues. bitcoin jobs require payment in bitcoin but also fiat funds to pay for real life goods at most suppliers and services. Unless you build your own office (if you need one anyway) you’ll be paying in fiat to rent some office space (pun intended).

If you lack capital (in bitcoin), you’ll hit a wall sooner rather than later.\ So, in comes “other capital” to save you.

Relying on larger entities, whether venture capital firms or industry-supporting companies, to cover expenses also comes at the cost of independence; if they even provide funding at all.\ \ While there's no shortage of hype and excitement around bitcoin projects, actual funding for many of these ventures is speculative at best. When you want to help these projects out for free, there’s also no shortage of open arms, welcoming the free hours of work for a project you’re passionate about.

Numerous startups in the crypto space operate on shoestring budgets, relying on ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings) or venture capital more interested in hype than substance. This creates a precarious job environment where projects can disappear as quickly as they emerge, leaving employees stranded.

Sustainability, or lack thereof, is another major concern.\ Bitcoin jobs that promise longevity often come with a caveat: they're here today, but there's no guarantee they’ll last until next month.\ The market’s volatility means projects can lose funding or pivot dramatically within months of no technical challenges or a dry up for demand pops up.\ Finding a position with a horizon beyond a few months in the future is rare, making long-term career planning in this sector a gamble. Most of these jobs are not even bitcoin jobs, but are presented that way. They’re mostly a sham!1

\ Pay up

\ Then there's the pay.\ \ Even if you secure a position, and it’s a bit more long-term, then the promise of "decent, livable pay" is often unfulfilled.\ While some roles offer competitive salaries, many pay in bitcoin, which fluctuates of course (by the way, that’s a good thing, volatility is our friend).\ The trustworthiness of some of these bitcoin jobs, mostly at smaller startups can get even worse, where you as an employee are at risk to not receive promised payments at all due to funding issues.

The bitcoin job market presents a paradox: it's full of opportunities, yet few meet the criteria for being well-funded, sustainable, and offering reliable compensation and protection.\ For those looking to build a career in this space, caution is key do your due diligence, don’t trust verify on potential employers and diversify your own skills can help mitigate the risks somewhat.

Until the industry matures and offers greater stability and accountability, the allure of bitcoin jobs may remain problematic.

The harsh reality is, that the carrot of a bitcoin job, that’s been dangling in front of most bitcoiners’ eyes for a long time, is tempting, but mostly just that: an unreachable goal, not because you can’t get that job, but more because that job was a mirage on itself.\ The dream that most of us have is to leave the rat-race with its unfulfilling fiat jobs, to work in a better way, a job that pays in hard money and builds a better world.\ \ I’m afraid that dream is just that: a dream. These jobs are mostly reserved for the inner-circle of some venture capitalist’s entourage or revolve around making use (or misuse) of bitcoiner’s ideology and goals in life.

But there’s hope

Many people want to be paid in bitcoin, but until we transition to a bitcoin standard, they still need to cover expenses in a fiat-dominated world.

Finding a good fiat job is exhausting. And once you’ve been fully orange-pilled, earning fiat starts to feel like an even bigger scam—arguably worse than the Value for Value model.\ In the end, you’ll either work for peanuts or turn into a peanut yourself — a very salty one at that.

Definition

Let’s clarify what a bitcoin job" actually is, since the term often gets misused for anything remotely fintech or crypto-related anyway.

A bitcoin job involves real, tangible work — simply holding a title isn’t enough. It provides income paid directly in bitcoin, not in stocks, tokens (or other cryptocurrencies other than bitcoin).\ It requires a significant commitment of time, making it distinct from minor side gigs like washing a neighbor’s car — unless that gig somehow becomes your primary source of income.

Owning a company doesn’t count as a job on its own; you must be actively working in it (for example as a real hands-on developer or COO/CEO).\ \ The role must be tied to a legitimate organization — a company or corporation — not just a loosely organized WhatsApp group pretending to be a business. It should be official, meaning it’s on the books, taxable where applicable, and, in some cases (such as in the EU), may even come with social benefits and retirement benefit buildup.

The focus must remain bitcoin only. Companies dealing exclusively in altcoins, memecoins, hype-cycles and the likes don’t qualify. Multi-cryptocurrency businesses, like exchanges or DeFi platforms, are more fintech than pure bitcoin.\ For example, a job at a bitcoin-only hardware company fits the definition, whereas a position at a Solana based trading platform does not.\ \ About that real work: A disorganized WhatsApp group isn’t a company but a hobby project.

If a job doesn’t meet these criteria above, it’s unlikely to be a true bitcoin job. Looking at listings on platforms like Bitvocation2 (link) or the job sections of bitcoin/crypto companies, many roles appear to be standard fiat economy positions but within a bitcoin (or altcoins) focused company.\ (by the way, the Bitvocation team runs an excellent service that has a direct reach from open vacancies towards possible employees,… I love it).

For example, an HR role at a bitcoin company is fundamentally the same as one at a traditional fiat company (except for the occasional ordering of extra black hoodies for employees).\ Choosing to be paid in bitcoin may qualify it as a “bitcoin job,” but the role itself would exist in any industry. These positions could be considered bitcoin jobs since they contribute to our ecosystem while being financially tied to it.

From personal experience and observations, smaller bitcoin startups face significant challenges in securing funding.\ What is puzzling about this, that all this difficult environment to get a projects/startups funded happens, despite bitcoin being a trillion-dollar asset and major holders like Strategy accumulating nearly 500,000 BTC.

Top bitcoin company holdings:

BlackRock IBIT: 587,050 BTC\ Strategy (MSTR): 478,740 BTC\ Coinbase (COIN): 1,051,650 BTC\ Binance: 765,072 BTC\ Bitfinex: 359,687 BTC

Beyond funding, these startups also struggle to attract talent for a longer period of time. Traditional finance, fintech and even the broader cryptocurrency industry usually offer higher salaries and more perceived prestige (not in the bitcoin space, but outside) along with the perks of having a half fiat / “crypto” job.\ \ Employees who choose to work in bitcoin often do so for ideological reasons, willingly giving up the stability and structure of traditional industries. This is both a strength and a risk. While bitcoin startups operate in a highly innovative space, they also face volatility and uncertainty.

The survival rate of bitcoin startups is low—around 10% make it past three years (according to Seedtable data). Most crypto-related job openings come from DeFi projects and general crypto firms, while jobs focused solely on bitcoin are typically backed by venture capital.

For instance: Fedi (federated lightning “all-in one freedom tool”) is employing between 27 and 50 people according to publicly available data. It’s backed by ‘Ego Death Capital’.\ \ Other key VC firms in the bitcoin space include:

Axiom BTC\ Bitcoin Opportunity Fund\ Bitcoiner Ventures\ Epoch VC\ Lightning Ventures\ Ten31\ Timechain VC

These firms play a crucial role in sustaining bitcoin-only businesses, as traditional funding routes remain scarce.\ Once inside these companies, there’s often a push for maximum efficiency and lean operations — while working with hard money. This paradox is frequently overlooked. Hard money means a long term time horizon. While bitcoin jobs often offer the polar opposite.

Bitcoin jobs are highly competitive on a global scale as well. Much like remote fiat jobs, most bitcoin-related roles can be done from anywhere in the world, meaning candidates are competing with a vast international talent pool.\ This makes securing a position even more challenging (especially for Europeans) in an industry that operates in a fast-changing and often challenging technological landscape from a marketing and cost/benefits perspective.

For example, a company developing a bitcoin PoS (point-of-sale) system for cash registers and checkout online, needs traction to sell its product and grow its user base but needs fiat funds to acquire material and develop point of sale devices and software.\ \ This requires sales people, developers and a substantial portion of marketing efforts. That’s something that cannot be sustained solely by grassroots initiatives on bitcoin alone, and can’t be achieved by a single developer working out of a small studio on his own.\ To scale, these companies often rely on seed funding, venture capital or grants from larger bitcoin-focused firms. Even then, working for such companies, even if you’re really motivated often doesn’t pay the (fiat) bills.

The same applies to teams building something on Lightning Network, projects developing on Liquid or companies attempting to establish bitcoin-native lending platforms and the likes. If (like me) you want to work for them, be prepared to do it either for free, off the books or for peanuts… or become a peanut yourself.

The realities of bitcoin Jobs

\ Based on my experience working in bitcoin-related roles—particularly within the EU (where taxation and regulations are more rigid and social security systems are extensive) several common challenges emerged:

High intensity: The work often demands significant time and effort due to the passion-driven nature of the industry. This is good, a fiat job is often draining, while a bitcoin job is more energetic and intense in nature. We’re building something good. It’s also good to remember that this energy is often used to make you do the work, without the reward.

Lower pay: At least in my experience; salaries tend to be lower compared to traditional tech or finance roles, and I’ve even seen bickering over the price like it was a flee market.

Funding struggles: Many bitcoin startups face ongoing financial uncertainty, troubles finding investors, or getting investors that cancel their deals or disappear entirely.

Constant involvement: There’s little room to “clock out” at 5 PM; engagement is often expected beyond regular hours (it comes with the territory).

Lack of benefits: Many bitcoin jobs offer no social security, no formal employment status, and often operate in a gray area, or completely “off the books”.\ For a company selling their product the whole world over for example, you would expect something else than back alley deals with whispered price agreements. The contracts however, are usually centered about keeping the employee in check and their knowledge protected.

Presence of “grifters”: Some individuals with strong reputations or connections manage to secure more lucrative positions, despite contributing little meaningful work. That’s human nature of course, and it seems to happen in in fiat, bitcoin or voluntary work alike.

bitcoin employee receiving his contract and first payment

Some argue that receiving bitcoin as payment is, in itself, a form of financial (and social) security. However, this ignores the realities of daily life. In the absence of a global bitcoin standard, workers still depend on government regulations, taxation systems, and social security structures (in Europe).

For instance, if a bitcoiner falls ill for two weeks, they may lose their income entirely. Meanwhile, an employee at a tech firm, bank, or blue-chip company would typically receive paid sick leave or at least retain their job security.\ I know this is a fairly Euro-zone centered view, and the rest of the world has of course different ways to compensate for that. Either this happens through having lower taxation, or having more self-reliance on private savings and “buffers” to build up your own protection as an employee.\ \ It all comes down to either getting paid more to have your expenses and social security covered by yourself, or getting paid less and leaving a cut for some state fiat system that will take care of your social benefits if they’re needed.\ \ So far, from what I heard an experienced in a bitcoin job it’s the worst of both worlds: low(er) pay, more uncertainty and no security benefits. That’s something that can be fixed.

While social protections in the fiat system are funded through mechanisms like inflation and money printing, and a lot of taxation, their “benefits” are tangible (and expensive).\ \ In contrast, many bitcoin jobs rely on ideological commitment, which can sometimes be exploited, where individuals are expected to work for little or no compensation - while forgoing the protections that traditional employment offers.\ \ Even is we are more sovereign as bitcoiners you sooner or later get older, get sick, have a baby or have other phases in your life.\ For the companies themselves this is also a huge challenge: the hiring of people and paying them in hard money, means that their output and real life worth to the company needs to be higher in total over all employees than the holding of the same amount of bitcoin. Since bitcoin itself has the magnificent feature of not bearing yield (just holding 1 bitcoin doesn’t pay you 0.01 bitcoin dividend).\ Even more so, the employee is paid in bitcoin, and can thus be more free, have hard money that is inflation resistent over a longer time period. Retaining these employees for longer periods of time (if that’s your goal anyway as a bitcoin company) can be a real challenge. I don’t see how you can retain people doing an intense job while you pay them in the hardest money there is.\ I guess motivation is really the key here.\ \ The fiat world has that covered (we know how of course and we know they do it though printing money and taxation).\ \ The bitcoin world still needs to figure out how to deal with these situations. Just promising people some bitcoin is not enough.

Building a better future for bitcoin jobs

One of the biggest obstacles according to me, is to a true bitcoin standard — aside from the challenge of using bitcoin for manufacturing and basic goods (which I’ll address later)— is the lack of meaningful job opportunities that provide both bitcoin salaries and financial security on a mid to longer time frame.\ Bitcoiners or no bitcoiners, people don’t want to hop from one job to another every few weeks.

I think sooner or later the bitcoin space will need a global bitcoin social security framework — one that reimagines financial protection for workers without simply replicating the state-run systems of the fiat world, and certainly doesn’t replicate the European systems that failed so miserably (my country for example imposes the highest tax in the world counted from employer to employee in order to pay for social benefits).\ If the employer pays 6000€, the taxation causes the employee to receive a mere 3440€.\ \ Today, a bitcoin-only company is already rare.\ A bitcoin company that offers proper employment contracts, benefits, actually pays on time, has a future ànd has a minimal plan for some form of social protection is nearly nonexistent.

That’s why I argue: real bitcoin jobs are almost nonexistent.

What we have instead are:\ \ - A bunch of hobby projects and side gigs in the v4v space.

- Startups that offer little to no worker protection and rely on goodwill or fantastic ideas with a lack of fundamental backing.

- A handful of legitimate companies that still depend on fiat-based social security and payment structures to operate and attract and keep talent.

The missing link: financial and social security for bitcoin jobs

\ We need more companies like Bitwage3 as well where bitcoin jobs and their administrative and payment handlings are taken care of (also in Europe), They must be entirely bitcoin-only or have a subsidiary that works exclusively on pure bitcoin jobs.\ \ With a yet-to-be-invented social system which gives bitcoin employees a way to build up an securing their well-being in the long rung (bitcoiners don’t stay forever 21).\ That would increase this btc-job market and the legitimacy of its real life employment.\ \ Without this, working in bitcoin will continue to feel unstable, informal, or even go “off-the-books” because of a lack of alternatives.

If bitcoin companies want to attract top talent, they need to offer more than just ideology and goodwill.\ There are countless people that had bad experiences with this.\ \ Many skilled professionals currently enjoy secure fiat jobs with stable salaries, full benefits, and usually minimal effort. Yet, they want out. They know fiat jobs are a trip though quicksand.\ \ Without a competitive alternative however, bitcoin businesses will continue to rely on those willing to struggle financially and living like a “value4value” ideologist (or even worse: grifters), others will be people that contribute real value but are underpaid and face difficulties using their bitcoin earnings for everyday expenses like rent, groceries and utilities (without resorting to questionable third-party services)

That last category of employees or possible employees is often overlooked. There’s a whole generation that doesn’t sit on a stash of bitcoin in order to fund their own “ideal job” or have ideology of an open-source encrypt everything and live on bitcoin only warrior. Some people have to pay their rent, buy food or at least know they’ll be still having a job tomorrow if they work hard.\ \ In the oasis of a bitcoin job in 2025, you soon crawl to that one lousy coconut in that one palm tree in order to survive.

“Tick-tock next job”

\ Today, most so-called "bitcoin jobs" fall into one of two categories :

1. Not actually bitcoin-related – Corporate blockchain projects, scams, token-based schemes, memecoins, rugpull/defi/web3/NFT peddlers, and “anything on the blockchain” services without a proper oracle… and other type of distractions.\ These are sometimes presented as bitcoin jobs, yet they aren’t.

2. Paid in bitcoin but lacking real merit :\ Low or mediocre wages, no benefits and no worker protection, in an industry where your value lasts about as long as the average block time (pun intended).

3. Well-paid longer term real bitcoin jobs:\ Good pay, on the books, meaningful and well organized pure bitcoin job, for the happy few who have good connections.

If bitcoin employment is to be more than just a passion project where dedicated workers struggle while CEOs and media personalities live lavishly, we need a sustainable framework that provides real financial longevity, funding and real bitcoin jobs.

Without it, bitcoin will remain an industry with unstable or even sketchy niche job offerings, with neither long-term careers nor financial (let alone social) security.\ If people can’t build a future in bitcoin jobs, the right talent won’t be attracted in the first place. Which is amazing, come to thing of it, we’re probably the only industry that thrives on hard money, we should have the most quality jobs and most happy employees.

Passion alone isn’t enough.\ When everyone knows bitcoin jobs are short-term or unstable, motivation dwindles. The reality is that some people, myself included, would rather endure a dull fiat job, than waste their valuable time and money on an industry that fails to offer real career prospects and real support for their talent.\ \ All the billions held by all these big companies and fund, is not put to use for their actual builders and talent it seems. I can’t explain the billions of holdings and on the other side, the total lack of funding happening on projects and startups.\ \ More so, the vast majority of bitcoin jobs are nor jobs, nor bitcoin jobs or not anything that can be defined as such.\ And it shows.\ \ That’s why a lot of products and services are currently in the lousy (lazy) state they’re in and that’s why almost all bitcoiners are either stuck in a fiat job or work within the bitcoin system for peanuts out of ideology or through good connections.\ Right now, other than the possible btc in your wallet, there’s little to no difference between bitcoin jobs and fiat jobs in that regard.\ No wonder choosing safety of a fiat job still wins, and I hope that will change one day.\ Until then, working for Bill Lumbergh has it’s perks.

by Kim De Vos for AVB\ tips: here

Disclaimer: To provide content more regularly, I occasionally write my posts with AI assistance. Rest assured, the core ideas and writing are always 100% my own creation and it’s edited by at least two humans!

---

Footnotes:

1

definition : The word "sham" refers to something that is theater or designed to deceive. It describes a situation, scheme, or entity that appears legitimate on the surface but lacks substance, authenticity, or real core values.

2

https://t.me/bitvocationfeed

3

https://bitwage.com/en-us/

@ 2e8970de:63345c7a

In international tests, student scores for reading and maths sunk to a new low.

US 18 year olds increasingly say they have trouble concentrating and learning new things

Almost half of US teens said they "hardly ever" spend their leisure time reading a book

The share of adults who are unable to “use mathematical reasoning when reviewing and evaluating the validity of statements” has reached - 25% in high-income countries - 35% in the US

https://www.ft.com/content/a8016c64-63b7-458b-a371-e0e1c54a13fc

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/914140

@ 22050dd3:480c11ea

"Bitcoin is the stupidest thing in the world” – words spit out to me by a co-worker I have known for 8 years.

“I will never take money advice from you” – uttered by the same co-worker right before he spat on Bitcoin.

It wasn’t the words that stood out to me, but rather the hostility behind the eyes and facial expression.

This particular conversation was not the first time we had talked about Bitcoin.

I was already aware that my co-worker didn’t think highly of the world-changing technology.

However, this was the first time that I had ever encountered such hostility and seemingly repressed anger from my co-worker in my entire 8 years of knowing him.

Aside from being taken back by his comments and demeanor, my mind instantly flung itself to one of my all-time favorite quotes:

Nothing can be loved or hated unless it is first understood

Leonardo da Vinci

I think of this quote often and believe it is perfect and applicable to Bitcoin today.

By nature, we humans have a predisposition to dislike and oppose things we do not understand. It is the path of least resistance to oppose and automatically reject things that we do not automatically comprehend.

We will likely discard or oppose things that challenge our views, values, and thoughts.

Part of the reason personal growth and change are difficult is because to undergo growth means to effectively kill off a part of us that followed an old belief.

If something new and “mysterious” were to come along (Bitcoin) that tells you everything you knew and believed was wrong, it is logical that you oppose, criticize, and reject this disruptor.

It is with disappointment I say that this demeanor, negativity, and hostility towards Bitcoin are more or less normal for me when engaging in discussions with people about Bitcoin.

However, I understand why people react this way. The hostility makes sense.

Bitcoin challenges everything in the system that humans around the world have been living in for generations.

Everything that societies and cultures have accepted as fact as if it were a law of nature. It is my goal in these engagements to disarm this hostility.

I think that over the past decade or so we as a people have collectively forgotten how to disagree with each other and have cool-tempered and respectful discussions and arguments.

Arguing is good.

It means that two opposing ideas are being presented, discussed, and thought about.

The world would be dull if everyone agreed all of the time. I would even argue that discussions around ideas and thoughts would come off as ingenuine and fake. Though, I digress.

The best way to overcome this hostility is to kill it with kindness.

I approach every interaction I have about Bitcoin with kindness and try to understand the other person’s point of view. I then focus on teaching and educating them about Bitcoin.

My first question when someone says Bitcoin is stupid is “Why do you think that?”. Normally, the answer is full of inaccuracies and misconceptions about Bitcoin.

I love watching people’s facial expressions change and the gears begin to turn as I break down their misconceptions.

It’s fine if they don’t leave the conversation being orange-pilled.

My only goal in these interactions is to dismantle the misconceptions and misunderstandings about Bitcoin. I also like to think of it as planting “orange seeds”. Planting an idea in someone’s mind that they can choose to explore and research further if they desire.

At times it can be difficult to not combat hostility with hostility.

When you have put in the time, work, and effort to understand something, it is easy to want to deflect attacks and hostility with sarcasm and point out flaws in a topic that the other person does not understand.

While it may feel good, it feels even better to counter negativity with posivity.

Teaching and spreading education with open arms and kindness is the quickest way to a better, Bitcoin future.

@ df478568:2a951e67

People ask for my phone number. I don't want to give it to them because SMS is a spam swamp. I like SimpleX because • It's easy • All the cool people use it. • I can share it privately I decided to add ten private Simplex Chat invites. Each link can be used one time. This is my preferred private communication protocol. SMTP sucks. The world doesn't need any more damn emails. I would like to notify people of my new articles using SimpleX. Email is much too crowded with spam. I want to use Simplex to notify people of my blogs instead, but I need people to use it first. I will update this with private invite links periodically.

https://simplex.chat/invitation?ref=p66dxywd2xpyyrdfxwilqcxmchmfw2ixmn2vm74q3atf22du7qmkihyd.onion#/?v=2-7&smp=smp%3A%2F%2FZKe4uxF4Z_aLJJOEsC-Y6hSkXgQS5-oc442JQGkyP8M%3D%40smp17.simplex.im%2FoFKYBeyLn3V8BxU6eyFimpMyzcLd7Heu%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-3%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEAb_-U1ELuEqK7k-1VfSTpHiEvvTTylJCSVdlyJr4KxTY%253D%26k%3Ds%26srv%3Dogtwfxyi3h2h5weftjjpjmxclhb5ugufa5rcyrmg7j4xlch7qsr5nuqd.onion&e2e=v%3D2-3%26x3dh%3DMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkAaMPMWf7DFJzgDlx-PTdH79ieMnuOEf7MEpNhfy17KUNy_5w4W3VYjh_AAgee3cva_kSLZTvD5T8%3D%2CMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkAKQHIwe7J8wz2D3-4J9yKjxCMBHD7_vBfbsTIjL833ItytEUvbxjTuMxym1DOjcG3kisDJC5Jggs%3D https://simplex.chat/invitation?ref=p66dxywd2xpyyrdfxwilqcxmchmfw2ixmn2vm74q3atf22du7qmkihyd.onion#/?v=2-7&smp=smp%3A%2F%2F1OwYGt-yqOfe2IyVHhxz3ohqo3aCCMjtB-8wn4X_aoY%3D%40smp11.simplex.im%2F7Mo9qaOhegoIjXDru40AZAXy-q2upx0x%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-3%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEA_QH9YEhrzXzuvqJa7PyhQvd_C4jftuQvnot6ZkGhS1o%253D%26k%3Ds%26srv%3D6ioorbm6i3yxmuoezrhjk6f6qgkc4syabh7m3so74xunb5nzr4pwgfqd.onion&e2e=v%3D2-3%26x3dh%3DMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkAuNnygCt4YjXhUBLVjzlu5BH1CfRGF0QmokhJj1unseCdxdlZLCVV0_ZN8HgXpoxYpeZ4Fe13kik%3D%2CMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkAAUDEyHkg6LYnvvgkjjycfO6sk32xCfq_YdVRWW6NUWIsRxOuLOYGEnE4OkvND_tXm0usn7AU0KE%3D

I want to write about SimpleX chat, but it's one of those things where I need more contacts to properly learn about it. I am running SimpleX on my start99, but I haven't really used it. Therefore, I am pasting 10 SimpleX invites to grow my SimpleX networkhttps://simplex.chat/invitation?ref=p66dxywd2xpyyrdfxwilqcxmchmfw2ixmn2vm74q3atf22du7qmkihyd.onion#/?v=2-7&smp=smp%3A%2F%2Fhejn2gVIqNU6xjtGM3OwQeuk8ZEbDXVJXAlnSBJBWUA%3D%40smp16.simplex.im%2FalB0ziQ4M7mGsBvakfxtVeoci-mXV2J3%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-3%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEA4CmqlH1ryCLeIw1SlJCVpUU-ZtrislFqNThBB9xe9Q0%253D%26k%3Ds%26srv%3Dp3ktngodzi6qrf7w64mmde3syuzrv57y55hxabqcq3l5p6oi7yzze6qd.onion&e2e=v%3D2-3%26x3dh%3DMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkAV5wkqxrXI8X27RmKzgR-br_D2CmNyHULjhgoazNT-UgE7ad_V6ZYuRI9QTQXhGHRUKnXGircsf8%3D%2CMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkAHuHlr0trD4kCEcp2VU76xWMa0aBx-dozfnP3zzqdP-MuJZTJUNbi9EpIf39n0axlLAs-oatlgRE%3D

https://simplex.chat/invitation?ref=p66dxywd2xpyyrdfxwilqcxmchmfw2ixmn2vm74q3atf22du7qmkihyd.onion#/?v=2-7&smp=smp%3A%2F%2F1OwYGt-yqOfe2IyVHhxz3ohqo3aCCMjtB-8wn4X_aoY%3D%40smp11.simplex.im%2F_ZpCS9RDD08Qm-4pv17VRMzOFPxjBm7e%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-3%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEAWyMn7TQspaOj8HWZP0VfI5pqvpUYVXrSfxJMudxCrz8%253D%26k%3Ds%26srv%3D6ioorbm6i3yxmuoezrhjk6f6qgkc4syabh7m3so74xunb5nzr4pwgfqd.onion&e2e=v%3D2-3%26x3dh%3DMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkA4BJLjognkGR5ummsrQWVOpvvmWkLxS357R1q-WqpqG_hDIx3rfyiDlzOUQnHxbzhRrUbCiRT_WI%3D%2CMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkAEEOeu-31-VV1eWiWFjV5aGWg9yUNfSJC49FPiCqJ-So64VJ0mTFPNtcsyp9VbPWmWF5qRCeGnUI%3D

https://simplex.chat/invitation?ref=p66dxywd2xpyyrdfxwilqcxmchmfw2ixmn2vm74q3atf22du7qmkihyd.onion#/?v=2-7&smp=smp%3A%2F%2F1OwYGt-yqOfe2IyVHhxz3ohqo3aCCMjtB-8wn4X_aoY%3D%40smp11.simplex.im%2FmJRSaeobn11nDIB_2InF0MILK5qyjC1X%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-3%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEAYEpzs_Gls1GM8FrbwZGeYBVrdiCz8t8XtRpqCrNmgDc%253D%26k%3Ds%26srv%3D6ioorbm6i3yxmuoezrhjk6f6qgkc4syabh7m3so74xunb5nzr4pwgfqd.onion&e2e=v%3D2-3%26x3dh%3DMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkA_q_H_6iHMPJFBXzGDxkyN_haFd9371mMp-smLaS_inCU5EjHWJwsu5f2BQ0bdCXrLqSzb1q3eQU%3D%2CMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkAlnlyNlVa_qBZioVxKcQAg1pMZKffg0keoonJ3hqNlbTCI72EtqfhHYHczx4Mv5mWRGFhH0urOVs%3D I think this is a chat invitation:

https://simplex.chat/invitation?ref=p66dxywd2xpyyrdfxwilqcxmchmfw2ixmn2vm74q3atf22du7qmkihyd.onion#/?v=2-7&smp=smp%3A%2F%2FSkIkI6EPd2D63F4xFKfHk7I1UGZVNn6k1QWZ5rcyr6w%3D%40smp9.simplex.im%2FeAxDOPINZpOsYZJsrZ4Gbe8ZaSzQItsI%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-3%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEAniEhB6oxFBx6ZwTAsj4NpFfRpKJppT6cW_0P1zXYu1s%253D%26k%3Ds%26srv%3Djssqzccmrcws6bhmn77vgmhfjmhwlyr3u7puw4erkyoosywgl67slqqd.onion&e2e=v%3D2-3%26x3dh%3DMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkABY8g5tGJrQs0VzhK2whiO13jr9yKrRVU-wPhtqUcUQ2p7rMVAGh8aVX50bapEnIwQ9VEttBquFA%3D%2CMEIwBQYDK2VvAzkAeimBaOR40mjB8ErSbZNFmhDG_me6o9HlX2y093t_nR-7DV7XluI3LGOrbVAonfWd2HHmaxS-Hkk%3D

These are contacts:

https://simplex.chat/contact?ref=p66dxywd2xpyyrdfxwilqcxmchmfw2ixmn2vm74q3atf22du7qmkihyd.onion#/?v=2-7&smp=smp%3A%2F%2F1OwYGt-yqOfe2IyVHhxz3ohqo3aCCMjtB-8wn4X_aoY%3D%40smp11.simplex.im%2FDdy5d-fd63uxHSKnClTugOVFzhMTx61N%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-3%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEAil57Tnbh4KPs8LtX_khh2ZSU4_MZwmOzb6V6pYrExVA%253D%26srv%3D6ioorbm6i3yxmuoezrhjk6f6qgkc4syabh7m3so74xunb5nzr4pwgfqd.onion

@ c8841c9d:ae8048e2

What is Bitcoin ? Here are the fundamentals to understand the first crypto.

Created by the anonymous Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009, Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency with no central authority.

Censorship-resistant and peer-to-peer, it gives power to the people!

Check out my mind map for a dipper dive. #Bitcoin #Crypto #Cryptomindmap

\ \ Bitcoin runs on a blockchain—a distributed ledger secured by Nakamoto consensus & Proof of Work.

Miners earn BTC rewards by creating new blocks, while UTXO (Unspent Transaction Output) prevents double-spending. A block is added to chain every \~10min. If parallel chains form, the longest chain wins, after 6 blocks, a transaction is considered final.

Transactions are transparent yet private. Check my older cryptomindmaps for more details.

Bitcoin Economics

With a hard cap of 21 million coins, Bitcoin’s supply halves every 4 years(next in 2028), creating scarcity The smallest unit? A Satoshi - 0.00000001 BTC.

This decreasing supply is creating scarcity which drives value but also fuels volatility, with bull runs and corrections shaping its price since day one

What can you do with Bitcoin? Let’s explore!

Bitcoin was intended for payments, it's evolving into "digital gold", a store of value for the internet age.

It enables cheap, easy cross-border transfers and acts as an inflation edge.

Its Lightning Network improves the scalability for digital payments.

Bitcoin’s Challenges

The main hurdles addressed to Bitcoin is the scalability. The low number of possible transactions per second (TPS). Solutions, such as Lightning Network, provide ways to increase usage.

The energy consumption of block production in Proof of Work debate rages . Critics call it is too much electricity, while supporters argue that it is the elegant way to valorize renewable energy and ensure top-notch security.

No central authority means slow consensus via Bitcoin Improvement Proposals (BIPs) and there is no government regulation which can deter some adopters.

Bitcoin #Cryptomindmap

Thanks for reading! 🌟 Share your thoughts on Bitcoin !

@ bc52210b:20bfc6de

For over two centuries, the U.S. government has strategically managed federal lands to meet national needs, adapting its approach to address resource security, economic development, and conservation. From the establishment of forest reserves in the late 19th century to protect timber and watersheds, to the acquisition of lands under the Weeks Law of 1911 to safeguard water supplies. Federal land management has served as a flexible tool for ensuring long-term stability and resilience.

While not centralized like the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which was created in 1975 to mitigate oil supply disruptions, these lands have been reserved and managed with strategic intent—whether to support national defense, promote agriculture, or preserve ecological systems. This historical precedent demonstrates the government’s capacity to identify and manage critical assets for the public good, adapting to the evolving needs of the nation.

In a similar vein, establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) could be a forward-thinking extension of this strategic resource management, aligning with the U.S.’s history of leveraging assets to bolster economic and national security.

Just as the SPR provides a buffer against oil market volatility, an SBR could stabilize cryptocurrency markets, hedge against inflation, and position the U.S. as a leader in the digital economy.

Bitcoin, as a decentralized and finite asset, represents a new form of value that is increasingly influential in global finance. By holding a reserve, the U.S. could mitigate risks associated with currency devaluation, enhance its geopolitical leverage in a digital world, and support innovation in blockchain technology—much like federal lands have been used to secure resources and promote economic growth. Drawing on the government’s experience with strategic reserves and asset management, an SBR could be a modern tool to address 21st-century economic challenges, ensuring resilience in an era of digital transformation.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Was nützt die schönste Schuldenbremse, wenn der Russe vor der Tür steht? \ Wir können uns verteidigen lernen oder alle Russisch lernen. \ Jens Spahn

In der Politik ist buchstäblich keine Idee zu riskant, kein Mittel zu schäbig und keine Lüge zu dreist, als dass sie nicht benutzt würden. Aber der Clou ist, dass diese Masche immer noch funktioniert, wenn nicht sogar immer besser. Ist das alles wirklich so schwer zu durchschauen? Mir fehlen langsam die Worte.

Aktuell werden sowohl in der Europäischen Union als auch in Deutschland riesige Milliardenpakete für die Aufrüstung – also für die Rüstungsindustrie – geschnürt. Die EU will 800 Milliarden Euro locker machen, in Deutschland sollen es 500 Milliarden «Sondervermögen» sein. Verteidigung nennen das unsere «Führer», innerhalb der Union und auch an «unserer Ostflanke», der Ukraine.

Das nötige Feindbild konnte inzwischen signifikant erweitert werden. Schuld an allem und zudem gefährlich ist nicht mehr nur Putin, sondern jetzt auch Trump. Europa müsse sich sowohl gegen Russland als auch gegen die USA schützen und rüsten, wird uns eingetrichtert.

Und während durch Diplomatie genau dieser beiden Staaten gerade endlich mal Bewegung in die Bemühungen um einen Frieden oder wenigstens einen Waffenstillstand in der Ukraine kommt, rasselt man im moralisch überlegenen Zeigefinger-Europa so richtig mit dem Säbel.

Begleitet und gestützt wird der ganze Prozess – wie sollte es anders sein – von den «Qualitätsmedien». Dass Russland einen Angriff auf «Europa» plant, weiß nicht nur der deutsche Verteidigungsminister (und mit Abstand beliebteste Politiker) Pistorius, sondern dank ihnen auch jedes Kind. Uns bleiben nur noch wenige Jahre. Zum Glück bereitet sich die Bundeswehr schon sehr konkret auf einen Krieg vor.

Die FAZ und Corona-Gesundheitsminister Spahn markieren einen traurigen Höhepunkt. Hier haben sich «politische und publizistische Verantwortungslosigkeit propagandistisch gegenseitig befruchtet», wie es bei den NachDenkSeiten heißt. Die Aussage Spahns in dem Interview, «der Russe steht vor der Tür», ist das eine. Die Zeitung verschärfte die Sache jedoch, indem sie das Zitat explizit in den Titel übernahm, der in einer ersten Version scheinbar zu harmlos war.

Eine große Mehrheit der deutschen Bevölkerung findet Aufrüstung und mehr Schulden toll, wie ARD und ZDF sehr passend ermittelt haben wollen. Ähnliches gelte für eine noch stärkere militärische Unterstützung der Ukraine. Etwas skeptischer seien die Befragten bezüglich der Entsendung von Bundeswehrsoldaten dorthin, aber immerhin etwa fifty-fifty.

Eigentlich ist jedoch die Meinung der Menschen in «unseren Demokratien» irrelevant. Sowohl in der Europäischen Union als auch in Deutschland sind die «Eliten» offenbar der Ansicht, der Souverän habe in Fragen von Krieg und Frieden sowie von aberwitzigen astronomischen Schulden kein Wörtchen mitzureden. Frau von der Leyen möchte über 150 Milliarden aus dem Gesamtpaket unter Verwendung von Artikel 122 des EU-Vertrags ohne das Europäische Parlament entscheiden – wenn auch nicht völlig kritiklos.

In Deutschland wollen CDU/CSU und SPD zur Aufweichung der «Schuldenbremse» mehrere Änderungen des Grundgesetzes durch das abgewählte Parlament peitschen. Dieser Versuch, mit dem alten Bundestag eine Zweidrittelmehrheit zu erzielen, die im neuen nicht mehr gegeben wäre, ist mindestens verfassungsrechtlich umstritten.

Das Manöver scheint aber zu funktionieren. Heute haben die Grünen zugestimmt, nachdem Kanzlerkandidat Merz läppische 100 Milliarden für «irgendwas mit Klima» zugesichert hatte. Die Abstimmung im Plenum soll am kommenden Dienstag erfolgen – nur eine Woche, bevor sich der neu gewählte Bundestag konstituieren wird.

Interessant sind die Argumente, die BlackRocker Merz für seine Attacke auf Grundgesetz und Demokratie ins Feld führt. Abgesehen von der angeblichen Eile, «unsere Verteidigungsfähigkeit deutlich zu erhöhen» (ausgelöst unter anderem durch «die Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz und die Ereignisse im Weißen Haus»), ließ uns der CDU-Chef wissen, dass Deutschland einfach auf die internationale Bühne zurück müsse. Merz schwadronierte gefährlich mehrdeutig:

«Die ganze Welt schaut in diesen Tagen und Wochen auf Deutschland. Wir haben in der Europäischen Union und auf der Welt eine Aufgabe, die weit über die Grenzen unseres eigenen Landes hinausgeht.»

[Titelbild: Tag des Sieges]

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

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Elixir #Floki packs a punch!

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Monschau, Germany

Monschau is a charming medieval town in western Germany, near the Belgian border. Nestled in the Eifel region, it’s famous for its half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets, and the scenic Rur River flowing through the town. With a rich history, beautiful nature, and delicious local specialties, Monschau is a perfect destination for a romantic getaway or a peaceful weekend trip.

🏰 Top Things to See & Do in Monschau

1️⃣ Explore the Historic Old Town

Wander through the narrow, winding streets lined with half-timbered houses that look like they belong in a storybook. Don’t miss Marktplatz, the central square surrounded by cozy cafés and shops.

2️⃣ Monschau Castle (Burg Monschau)

This medieval castle sits on a hill overlooking the town. It offers breathtaking panoramic views and sometimes hosts concerts and events.

3️⃣ The Red House (Rotes Haus)

A beautifully preserved 18th-century mansion that belonged to a wealthy cloth merchant. Inside, you’ll find historic furniture, an impressive wooden staircase, and exhibits about Monschau’s textile history.

4️⃣ Monschau Christmas Market 🎄

During December, the town turns into a magical winter wonderland, with twinkling lights, festive stalls, and delicious treats like Glühwein (mulled wine) and Printen (local gingerbread).

5️⃣ Eifel National Park & Hiking Trails

Monschau is surrounded by the Eifel National Park, offering hiking and cycling routes through forests, hills, and scenic valleys. Popular trails include the Rursee Loop and the High Fens nature reserve.

🍽️ What to Eat in Monschau

• Monschauer Senf (Monschau Mustard) – A famous, locally made mustard with unique flavors. 🏺
• Aachener Printen – A type of gingerbread, perfect with coffee or tea. 🍪
• Hearty German Cuisine – Try Sauerbraten (marinated beef) or Reibekuchen (potato pancakes). 🍖🥔
• Eifel Cheese & Local Beer – Enjoy regional dairy products with a cold German beer. 🍺🧀

🚗 How to Get to Monschau

🚘 By Car:
- From Cologne (Köln): ~1.5-hour drive
- From Aachen: ~40 minutes

🚌 By Public Transport:
- Take a train to Aachen, then a bus (SB66 or 285) to Monschau.

💡 Tips for Visiting Monschau

✅ Best time to visit? Spring & summer for hiking, winter for the magical Christmas market 🎄
✅ Wear comfy shoes! The streets are cobbled & hilly 👟
✅ Great for photographers – Every corner looks like a postcard 📸