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@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9
2025-05-15 15:31:45Capitalism is the most effective system for scaling innovation. The pursuit of profit is an incredibly powerful human incentive. Most major improvements to human society and quality of life have resulted from this base incentive. Market competition often results in the best outcomes for all.
That said, some projects can never be monetized. They are open in nature and a business model would centralize control. Open protocols like bitcoin and nostr are not owned by anyone and if they were it would destroy the key value propositions they provide. No single entity can or should control their use. Anyone can build on them without permission.
As a result, open protocols must depend on donation based grant funding from the people and organizations that rely on them. This model works but it is slow and uncertain, a grind where sustainability is never fully reached but rather constantly sought. As someone who has been incredibly active in the open source grant funding space, I do not think people truly appreciate how difficult it is to raise charitable money and deploy it efficiently.
Projects that can be monetized should be. Profitability is a super power. When a business can generate revenue, it taps into a self sustaining cycle. Profit fuels growth and development while providing projects independence and agency. This flywheel effect is why companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple have scaled to global dominance. The profit incentive aligns human effort with efficiency. Businesses must innovate, cut waste, and deliver value to survive.
Contrast this with non monetized projects. Without profit, they lean on external support, which can dry up or shift with donor priorities. A profit driven model, on the other hand, is inherently leaner and more adaptable. It is not charity but survival. When survival is tied to delivering what people want, scale follows naturally.
The real magic happens when profitable, sustainable businesses are built on top of open protocols and software. Consider the many startups building on open source software stacks, such as Start9, Mempool, and Primal, offering premium services on top of the open source software they build out and maintain. Think of companies like Block or Strike, which leverage bitcoin’s open protocol to offer their services on top. These businesses amplify the open software and protocols they build on, driving adoption and improvement at a pace donations alone could never match.
When you combine open software and protocols with profit driven business the result are lean, sustainable companies that grow faster and serve more people than either could alone. Bitcoin’s network, for instance, benefits from businesses that profit off its existence, while nostr will expand as developers monetize apps built on the protocol.
Capitalism scales best because competition results in efficiency. Donation funded protocols and software lay the groundwork, while market driven businesses build on top. The profit incentive acts as a filter, ensuring resources flow to what works, while open systems keep the playing field accessible, empowering users and builders. Together, they create a flywheel of innovation, growth, and global benefit.
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@ 21335073:a244b1ad
2025-05-09 13:56:57Someone asked for my thoughts, so I’ll share them thoughtfully. I’m not here to dictate how to promote Nostr—I’m still learning about it myself. While I’m not new to Nostr, freedom tech is a newer space for me. I’m skilled at advocating for topics I deeply understand, but freedom tech isn’t my expertise, so take my words with a grain of salt. Nothing I say is set in stone.
Those who need Nostr the most are the ones most vulnerable to censorship on other platforms right now. Reaching them requires real-time awareness of global issues and the dynamic relationships between governments and tech providers, which can shift suddenly. Effective Nostr promoters must grasp this and adapt quickly.
The best messengers are people from or closely tied to these at-risk regions—those who truly understand the local political and cultural dynamics. They can connect with those in need when tensions rise. Ideal promoters are rational, trustworthy, passionate about Nostr, but above all, dedicated to amplifying people’s voices when it matters most.
Forget influencers, corporate-backed figures, or traditional online PR—it comes off as inauthentic, corny, desperate and forced. Nostr’s promotion should be grassroots and organic, driven by a few passionate individuals who believe in Nostr and the communities they serve.
The idea that “people won’t join Nostr due to lack of reach” is nonsense. Everyone knows X’s “reach” is mostly with bots. If humans want real conversations, Nostr is the place. X is great for propaganda, but Nostr is for the authentic voices of the people.
Those spreading Nostr must be so passionate they’re willing to onboard others, which is time-consuming but rewarding for the right person. They’ll need to make Nostr and onboarding a core part of who they are. I see no issue with that level of dedication. I’ve been known to get that way myself at times. It’s fun for some folks.
With love, I suggest not adding Bitcoin promotion with Nostr outreach. Zaps already integrate that element naturally. (Still promote within the Bitcoin ecosystem, but this is about reaching vulnerable voices who needed Nostr yesterday.)
To promote Nostr, forget conventional strategies. “Influencers” aren’t the answer. “Influencers” are not the future. A trusted local community member has real influence—reach them. Connect with people seeking Nostr’s benefits but lacking the technical language to express it. This means some in the Nostr community might need to step outside of the Bitcoin bubble, which is uncomfortable but necessary. Thank you in advance to those who are willing to do that.
I don’t know who is paid to promote Nostr, if anyone. This piece isn’t shade. But it’s exhausting to see innocent voices globally silenced on corporate platforms like X while Nostr exists. Last night, I wondered: how many more voices must be censored before the Nostr community gets uncomfortable and thinks creatively to reach the vulnerable?
A warning: the global need for censorship-resistant social media is undeniable. If Nostr doesn’t make itself known, something else will fill that void. Let’s start this conversation.
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@ 08f96856:ffe59a09
2025-05-15 01:22:34เมื่อพูดถึง Bitcoin Standard หลายคนมักนึกถึงภาพโลกอนาคตที่ทุกคนใช้บิตคอยน์ซื้อกาแฟหรือของใช้ในชีวิตประจำวัน ภาพแบบนั้นดูเหมือนไกลตัวและเป็นไปไม่ได้ในความเป็นจริง หลายคนถึงกับพูดว่า “คงไม่ทันเห็นในช่วงชีวิตนี้หรอก” แต่ในมุมมองของผม Bitcoin Standard อาจไม่ได้เริ่มต้นจากการที่เราจ่ายบิตคอยน์โดยตรงในร้านค้า แต่อาจเริ่มจากบางสิ่งที่เงียบกว่า ลึกกว่า และเกิดขึ้นแล้วในขณะนี้ นั่นคือ การล่มสลายทีละน้อยของระบบเฟียตที่เราใช้กันอยู่
ระบบเงินที่อิงกับอำนาจรัฐกำลังเข้าสู่ช่วงขาลง รัฐบาลทั่วโลกกำลังจมอยู่ในภาระหนี้ระดับประวัติการณ์ แม้แต่ประเทศมหาอำนาจก็เริ่มแสดงสัญญาณของภาวะเสี่ยงผิดนัดชำระหนี้ อัตราเงินเฟ้อกลายเป็นปัญหาเรื้อรังที่ไม่มีท่าทีจะหายไป ธนาคารที่เคยโอนฟรีเริ่มกลับมาคิดค่าธรรมเนียม และประชาชนก็เริ่มรู้สึกถึงการเสื่อมศรัทธาในระบบการเงินดั้งเดิม แม้จะยังพูดกันไม่เต็มเสียงก็ตาม
ในขณะเดียวกัน บิตคอยน์เองก็กำลังพัฒนาแบบเงียบ ๆ เงียบ... แต่ไม่เคยหยุด โดยเฉพาะในระดับ Layer 2 ที่เริ่มแสดงศักยภาพอย่างจริงจัง Lightning Network เป็น Layer 2 ที่เปิดใช้งานมาได้ระยะเวลสหนึ่ง และยังคงมีบทบาทสำคัญที่สุดในระบบนิเวศของบิตคอยน์ มันทำให้การชำระเงินเร็วขึ้น มีต้นทุนต่ำ และไม่ต้องบันทึกทุกธุรกรรมลงบล็อกเชน เครือข่ายนี้กำลังขยายตัวทั้งในแง่ของโหนดและการใช้งานจริงทั่วโลก
ขณะเดียวกัน Layer 2 ทางเลือกอื่นอย่าง Ark Protocol ก็กำลังพัฒนาเพื่อตอบโจทย์ด้านความเป็นส่วนตัวและประสบการณ์ใช้งานที่ง่าย BitVM เปิดแนวทางใหม่ให้บิตคอยน์รองรับ smart contract ได้ในระดับ Turing-complete ซึ่งทำให้เกิดความเป็นไปได้ในกรณีใช้งานอีกมากมาย และเทคโนโลยีที่น่าสนใจอย่าง Taproot Assets, Cashu และ Fedimint ก็ทำให้การออกโทเคนหรือสกุลเงินที่อิงกับบิตคอยน์เป็นจริงได้บนโครงสร้างของบิตคอยน์เอง
เทคโนโลยีเหล่านี้ไม่ใช่การเติบโตแบบปาฏิหาริย์ แต่มันคืบหน้าอย่างต่อเนื่องและมั่นคง และนั่นคือเหตุผลที่มันจะ “อยู่รอด” ได้ในระยะยาว เมื่อฐานของความน่าเชื่อถือไม่ใช่บริษัท รัฐบาล หรือทุน แต่คือสิ่งที่ตรวจสอบได้และเปลี่ยนกฎไม่ได้
แน่นอนว่าบิตคอยน์ต้องแข่งขันกับ stable coin, เงินดิจิทัลของรัฐ และ cryptocurrency อื่น ๆ แต่สิ่งที่ทำให้มันเหนือกว่านั้นไม่ใช่ฟีเจอร์ หากแต่เป็นความทนทาน และความมั่นคงของกฎที่ไม่มีใครเปลี่ยนได้ ไม่มีทีมพัฒนา ไม่มีบริษัท ไม่มีประตูปิด หรือการยึดบัญชี มันยืนอยู่บนคณิตศาสตร์ พลังงาน และเวลา
หลายกรณีใช้งานที่เคยถูกทดลองในโลกคริปโตจะค่อย ๆ เคลื่อนเข้ามาสู่บิตคอยน์ เพราะโครงสร้างของมันแข็งแกร่งกว่า ไม่ต้องการทีมพัฒนาแกนกลาง ไม่ต้องพึ่งกลไกเสี่ยงต่อการผูกขาด และไม่ต้องการ “ความเชื่อใจ” จากใครเลย
Bitcoin Standard ที่ผมพูดถึงจึงไม่ใช่การเปลี่ยนแปลงแบบพลิกหน้ามือเป็นหลังมือ แต่คือการ “เปลี่ยนฐานของระบบ” ทีละชั้น ระบบการเงินใหม่ที่อิงอยู่กับบิตคอยน์กำลังเกิดขึ้นแล้ว มันไม่ใช่โลกที่ทุกคนถือเหรียญบิตคอยน์ แต่มันคือโลกที่คนใช้อาจไม่รู้ตัวด้วยซ้ำว่า “สิ่งที่เขาใช้นั้นอิงอยู่กับบิตคอยน์”
ผู้คนอาจใช้เงินดิจิทัลที่สร้างบน Layer 3 หรือ Layer 4 ผ่านแอป ผ่านแพลตฟอร์ม หรือผ่านสกุลเงินใหม่ที่ดูไม่ต่างจากเดิม แต่เบื้องหลังของระบบจะผูกไว้กับบิตคอยน์
และถ้ามองในเชิงพัฒนาการ บิตคอยน์ก็เหมือนกับอินเทอร์เน็ต ครั้งหนึ่งอินเทอร์เน็ตก็ถูกมองว่าเข้าใจยาก ต้องพิมพ์ http ต้องรู้จัก TCP/IP ต้องตั้ง proxy เอง แต่ปัจจุบันผู้คนใช้งานอินเทอร์เน็ตโดยไม่รู้ว่าเบื้องหลังมีอะไรเลย บิตคอยน์กำลังเดินตามเส้นทางเดียวกัน โปรโตคอลกำลังถอยออกจากสายตา และวันหนึ่งเราจะ “ใช้มัน” โดยไม่ต้องรู้ว่ามันคืออะไร
หากนับจากช่วงเริ่มต้นของอินเทอร์เน็ตในยุค 1990 จนกลายเป็นโครงสร้างหลักของโลกในสองทศวรรษ เส้นเวลาของบิตคอยน์ก็กำลังเดินตามรอยเท้าของอินเทอร์เน็ต และถ้าเราเชื่อว่าวัฏจักรของเทคโนโลยีมีจังหวะของมันเอง เราก็จะรู้ว่า Bitcoin Standard นั้นไม่ใช่เรื่องของอนาคตไกลโพ้น แต่มันเกิดขึ้นแล้ว
siamstr
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@ 21335073:a244b1ad
2025-05-01 01:51:10Please respect Virginia Giuffre’s memory by refraining from asking about the circumstances or theories surrounding her passing.
Since Virginia Giuffre’s death, I’ve reflected on what she would want me to say or do. This piece is my attempt to honor her legacy.
When I first spoke with Virginia, I was struck by her unshakable hope. I had grown cynical after years in the anti-human trafficking movement, worn down by a broken system and a government that often seemed complicit. But Virginia’s passion, creativity, and belief that survivors could be heard reignited something in me. She reminded me of my younger, more hopeful self. Instead of warning her about the challenges ahead, I let her dream big, unburdened by my own disillusionment. That conversation changed me for the better, and following her lead led to meaningful progress.
Virginia was one of the bravest people I’ve ever known. As a survivor of Epstein, Maxwell, and their co-conspirators, she risked everything to speak out, taking on some of the world’s most powerful figures.
She loved when I said, “Epstein isn’t the only Epstein.” This wasn’t just about one man—it was a call to hold all abusers accountable and to ensure survivors find hope and healing.
The Epstein case often gets reduced to sensational details about the elite, but that misses the bigger picture. Yes, we should be holding all of the co-conspirators accountable, we must listen to the survivors’ stories. Their experiences reveal how predators exploit vulnerabilities, offering lessons to prevent future victims.
You’re not powerless in this fight. Educate yourself about trafficking and abuse—online and offline—and take steps to protect those around you. Supporting survivors starts with small, meaningful actions. Free online resources can guide you in being a safe, supportive presence.
When high-profile accusations arise, resist snap judgments. Instead of dismissing survivors as “crazy,” pause to consider the trauma they may be navigating. Speaking out or coping with abuse is never easy. You don’t have to believe every claim, but you can refrain from attacking accusers online.
Society also fails at providing aftercare for survivors. The government, often part of the problem, won’t solve this. It’s up to us. Prevention is critical, but when abuse occurs, step up for your loved ones and community. Protect the vulnerable. it’s a challenging but a rewarding journey.
If you’re contributing to Nostr, you’re helping build a censorship resistant platform where survivors can share their stories freely, no matter how powerful their abusers are. Their voices can endure here, offering strength and hope to others. This gives me great hope for the future.
Virginia Giuffre’s courage was a gift to the world. It was an honor to know and serve her. She will be deeply missed. My hope is that her story inspires others to take on the powerful.
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@ 52b4a076:e7fad8bd
2025-04-28 00:48:57I have been recently building NFDB, a new relay DB. This post is meant as a short overview.
Regular relays have challenges
Current relay software have significant challenges, which I have experienced when hosting Nostr.land: - Scalability is only supported by adding full replicas, which does not scale to large relays. - Most relays use slow databases and are not optimized for large scale usage. - Search is near-impossible to implement on standard relays. - Privacy features such as NIP-42 are lacking. - Regular DB maintenance tasks on normal relays require extended downtime. - Fault-tolerance is implemented, if any, using a load balancer, which is limited. - Personalization and advanced filtering is not possible. - Local caching is not supported.
NFDB: A scalable database for large relays
NFDB is a new database meant for medium-large scale relays, built on FoundationDB that provides: - Near-unlimited scalability - Extended fault tolerance - Instant loading - Better search - Better personalization - and more.
Search
NFDB has extended search capabilities including: - Semantic search: Search for meaning, not words. - Interest-based search: Highlight content you care about. - Multi-faceted queries: Easily filter by topic, author group, keywords, and more at the same time. - Wide support for event kinds, including users, articles, etc.
Personalization
NFDB allows significant personalization: - Customized algorithms: Be your own algorithm. - Spam filtering: Filter content to your WoT, and use advanced spam filters. - Topic mutes: Mute topics, not keywords. - Media filtering: With Nostr.build, you will be able to filter NSFW and other content - Low data mode: Block notes that use high amounts of cellular data. - and more
Other
NFDB has support for many other features such as: - NIP-42: Protect your privacy with private drafts and DMs - Microrelays: Easily deploy your own personal microrelay - Containers: Dedicated, fast storage for discoverability events such as relay lists
Calcite: A local microrelay database
Calcite is a lightweight, local version of NFDB that is meant for microrelays and caching, meant for thousands of personal microrelays.
Calcite HA is an additional layer that allows live migration and relay failover in under 30 seconds, providing higher availability compared to current relays with greater simplicity. Calcite HA is enabled in all Calcite deployments.
For zero-downtime, NFDB is recommended.
Noswhere SmartCache
Relays are fixed in one location, but users can be anywhere.
Noswhere SmartCache is a CDN for relays that dynamically caches data on edge servers closest to you, allowing: - Multiple regions around the world - Improved throughput and performance - Faster loading times
routerd
routerd
is a custom load-balancer optimized for Nostr relays, integrated with SmartCache.routerd
is specifically integrated with NFDB and Calcite HA to provide fast failover and high performance.Ending notes
NFDB is planned to be deployed to Nostr.land in the coming weeks.
A lot more is to come. 👀️️️️️️
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@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43
2025-05-09 23:10:14I. Historical Foundations of U.S. Monetary Architecture
The early monetary system of the United States was built atop inherited commodity money conventions from Europe’s maritime economies. Silver and gold coins—primarily Spanish pieces of eight, Dutch guilders, and other foreign specie—formed the basis of colonial commerce. These units were already integrated into international trade and piracy networks and functioned with natural compatibility across England, France, Spain, and Denmark. Lacking a centralized mint or formal currency, the U.S. adopted these forms de facto.
As security risks and the practical constraints of physical coinage mounted, banks emerged to warehouse specie and issue redeemable certificates. These certificates evolved into fiduciary media—claims on specie not actually in hand. Banks observed over time that substantial portions of reserves remained unclaimed for years. This enabled fractional reserve banking: issuing more claims than reserves held, so long as redemption demand stayed low. The practice was inherently unstable, prone to panics and bank runs, prompting eventual centralization through the formation of the Federal Reserve in 1913.
Following the Civil War and unstable reinstatements of gold convertibility, the U.S. sought global monetary stability. After World War II, the Bretton Woods system formalized the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency. The dollar was nominally backed by gold, but most international dollars were held offshore and recycled into U.S. Treasuries. The Nixon Shock of 1971 eliminated the gold peg, converting the dollar into pure fiat. Yet offshore dollar demand remained, sustained by oil trade mandates and the unique role of Treasuries as global reserve assets.
II. The Structure of Fiduciary Media and Treasury Demand
Under this system, foreign trade surpluses with the U.S. generate excess dollars. These surplus dollars are parked in U.S. Treasuries, thereby recycling trade imbalances into U.S. fiscal liquidity. While technically loans to the U.S. government, these purchases act like interest-only transfers—governments receive yield, and the U.S. receives spendable liquidity without principal repayment due in the short term. Debt is perpetually rolled over, rarely extinguished.
This creates an illusion of global subsidy: U.S. deficits are financed via foreign capital inflows that, in practice, function more like financial tribute systems than conventional debt markets. The underlying asset—U.S. Treasury debt—functions as the base reserve asset of the dollar system, replacing gold in post-Bretton Woods monetary logic.
III. Emergence of Tether and the Parastatal Dollar
Tether (USDT), as a private issuer of dollar-denominated tokens, mimics key central bank behaviors while operating outside the regulatory perimeter. It mints tokens allegedly backed 1:1 by U.S. dollars or dollar-denominated securities (mostly Treasuries). These tokens circulate globally, often in jurisdictions with limited banking access, and increasingly serve as synthetic dollar substitutes.
If USDT gains dominance as the preferred medium of exchange—due to technological advantages, speed, programmability, or access—it displaces Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) not through devaluation, but through functional obsolescence. Gresham’s Law inverts: good money (more liquid, programmable, globally transferable USDT) displaces bad (FRNs) even if both maintain a nominal 1:1 parity.
Over time, this preference translates to a systemic demand shift. Actors increasingly use Tether instead of FRNs, especially in global commerce, digital marketplaces, or decentralized finance. Tether tokens effectively become shadow base money.
IV. Interaction with Commercial Banking and Redemption Mechanics
Under traditional fractional reserve systems, commercial banks issue loans denominated in U.S. dollars, expanding the money supply. When borrowers repay loans, this destroys the created dollars and contracts monetary elasticity. If borrowers repay in USDT instead of FRNs:
- Banks receive a non-Fed liability (USDT).
- USDT is not recognized as reserve-eligible within the Federal Reserve System.
- Banks must either redeem USDT for FRNs, or demand par-value conversion from Tether to settle reserve requirements and balance their books.
This places redemption pressure on Tether and threatens its 1:1 peg under stress. If redemption latency, friction, or cost arises, USDT’s equivalence to FRNs is compromised. Conversely, if banks are permitted or compelled to hold USDT as reserve or regulatory capital, Tether becomes a de facto reserve issuer.
In this scenario, banks may begin demanding loans in USDT, mirroring borrower behavior. For this to occur sustainably, banks must secure Tether liquidity. This creates two options: - Purchase USDT from Tether or on the secondary market, collateralized by existing fiat. - Borrow USDT directly from Tether, using bank-issued debt as collateral.
The latter mirrors Federal Reserve discount window operations. Tether becomes a lender of first resort, providing monetary elasticity to the banking system by creating new tokens against promissory assets—exactly how central banks function.
V. Structural Consequences: Parallel Central Banking
If Tether begins lending to commercial banks, issuing tokens backed by bank notes or collateralized debt obligations: - Tether controls the expansion of broad money through credit issuance. - Its balance sheet mimics a central bank, with Treasuries and bank debt as assets and tokens as liabilities. - It intermediates between sovereign debt and global liquidity demand, replacing the Federal Reserve’s open market operations with its own issuance-redemption cycles.
Simultaneously, if Tether purchases U.S. Treasuries with FRNs received through token issuance, it: - Supplies the Treasury with new liquidity (via bond purchases). - Collects yield on government debt. - Issues a parallel form of U.S. dollars that never require redemption—an interest-only loan to the U.S. government from a non-sovereign entity.
In this context, Tether performs monetary functions of both a central bank and a sovereign wealth fund, without political accountability or regulatory transparency.
VI. Endgame: Institutional Inversion and Fed Redundancy
This paradigm represents an institutional inversion:
- The Federal Reserve becomes a legacy issuer.
- Tether becomes the operational base money provider in both retail and interbank contexts.
- Treasuries remain the foundational reserve asset, but access to them is mediated by a private intermediary.
- The dollar persists, but its issuer changes. The State becomes a fiscal agent of a decentralized financial ecosystem, not its monetary sovereign.
Unless the Federal Reserve reasserts control—either by absorbing Tether, outlawing its instruments, or integrating its tokens into the reserve framework—it risks becoming irrelevant in the daily function of money.
Tether, in this configuration, is no longer a derivative of the dollar—it is the dollar, just one level removed from sovereign control. The future of monetary sovereignty under such a regime is post-national and platform-mediated.
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@ 5edbd885:5fbc291e
2025-05-15 21:04:28Bitcoin is a system outside of the system—you don’t actually need fiat to obtain some sats. Bitcoin is a monetary network designed to operate independently of traditional financial systems.
As such, it’s possible to acquire Bitcoin without ever converting any fiat currency.
Whether you’re aiming to earn, trade, or receive Bitcoin through alternative means, there are numerous ways to accumulate it organically—through work, community engagement, or creative effort.
In this guide, we'll explore six methods to get Bitcoin without spending fiat.
While some approaches require more time or technical knowledge, others are accessible to nearly anyone willing to accept Bitcoin for payment ⚡️
Read until the end of the article to know where to find people willing to give you Bitcoin in exchange for these ideas 🙂
Note: I have no affiliates or sponsorships and so any businesses I mention below are neither endorsements nor paid ads.
1. Offer Professional Services in Exchange for Bitcoin
The easiest and most direct way to receive Bitcoin without fiat is to trade your skills for sats.
This can be an option for those who are already earning an income freelancing, consulting, or providing any type of independent service simply by charging in Bitcoin rather than fiat.
For those with a traditional 9-5, you could mine sats within a Bitcoin company rather than a fiat business, or offer your skills as a side hustle for sats until you are ready to make a full switch (if you so choose).
Common examples include:
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Writing, editing, or translating
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Graphic design and illustration
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Programming and development
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Coaching, tutoring, or consulting
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Manual labor or local services
Rather than invoicing in your local currency, you can simply set your rate in Bitcoin—typically using a satoshi-based pricing model. I have a few free tools on my site that can help you with this.
2. Sell Goods—Physical or Digital—for Bitcoin
You don’t need to be a freelancer or to convince your boss to receive Bitcoin.
If you own physical items or create digital products, you can accept BTC as payment instead of fiat.
Even in a down-sizing situation, selling things around your home for Bitcoin is also an option.
Ideas include:
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Selling used items locally (e.g., via marketplaces or word of mouth)
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Creating and distributing digital products like eBooks, music, or design assets
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Selling handmade crafts or collectibles
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Selling the second-hand goods you no longer need for sats
Enthusiasts are often excited to support peer-to-peer BTC commerce.
You don’t need a complex setup either—a mobile wallet that supports on-chain or Lightning payments is enough to get started.
3. Engage with Nostr & Earn via Micro-Transactions
(I know you are reading on Nostr, but I originally published this on my blog for non-users, and talking about Nostr on Nostr is fun ;)
Nostr is a decentralized social protocol that allows users to interact, publish content, and receive sats.
It’s one of the most innovative new ways to earn BTC organically, without needing any fiat currency.
On Nostr, content creators, contributors, musicians, artists, and everyday people can receive “zaps” (tiny Bitcoin tips via the Lightning Network) from other users.
It’s essentially a value-for-value economy where people support each other directly with sats on top of likes and shares.
Getting started is simple:
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Set up a Lightning wallet (many are free and non-custodial - just look up what Bitcoiners recommend at the time you are reading this)
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Create a profile on a Nostr client (such as Damus, Amethyst, or Primal)
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Participate by posting, replying, and sharing thoughtful content
While the amounts may be small at first, consistent engagement can result in meaningful Bitcoin accumulation over time.
4. Request Bitcoin Tips in Your Daily Life
If you work in a role where tipping is common—such as driving for Uber, working in food service, hospitality, or delivery—you can offer Bitcoin as a tipping option.
How to implement this:
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Include a QR code to your Lightning wallet on your phone or a printed card
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Politely inform customers that you accept Bitcoin tips
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Use signage or include a message in your app profile
You may be surprised by how many tech-savvy or curious customers are willing to try it, especially in urban or Bitcoin-friendly communities.
5. Use Bitcoin Cashback & Rewards Programs
While not a direct trade for labor or goods, some platforms allow you to earn Bitcoin as a reward for purchases you were already planning to make.
In these cases, you are not buying Bitcoin with fiat, but instead receiving it as a form of cashback on your everyday fiat purchases.
Popular platforms include:
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In Canada, Shakepay offers free sats for shaking your phone daily or using their pre-paid Visa debit card
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Strike occasionally offers rewards in Bitcoin as well
This approach is best suited for those who already have a spending routine and want to passively earn BTC without changing their habits.
6. Try Bitcoin Mini–Mining
Mini miners like the Bitaxe, BitNerd, and similar open-source devices offer a unique way to mine Bitcoin at home without needing large-scale equipment or industrial-level power.
While traditional Bitcoin mining requires costly ASICs and massive electricity, mini miners are small, efficient, and hobbyist-friendly.
They’re capable of independently solving blocks—meaning there’s a tiny chance you could win the full block reward—or they can be used to join a solo mining pool and receive small payouts over time based on contribution.
Benefits of mini mining:
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Educational: Learn how mining works from the ground up
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Passive: Runs in the background with low power usage
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Potential upside: Very low probability of winning a full block, but it’s possible
Important caveats:
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These devices must be purchased with fiat or Bitcoin initially
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Most users will not earn consistent Bitcoin from them
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It may be more efficient to simply buy Bitcoin directly with that money ;)
While this idea is more geared towards experienced Bitcoiners wanting to expand their way of stacking sats, it's still a fun thing to consider.
Mini miners are a hands-on way to participate in the network while stacking sats or keeping open the small possibility of mining rewards.
Where to Find People Willing to Pay in Bitcoin
Now an important question—where are you going to find people willing to pay you in Bitcoin?
Finding people who are open to paying in Bitcoin is easier than it might seem—especially if you know where to look.
Start by exploring local Bitcoin meetups, conferences, or community events in your area—these are often filled with enthusiasts who prefer peer-to-peer exchanges. Consider searching Facebook or Meetup.com for Bitcoin groups and events in your area.
Online, platforms like Nostr, Twitter/X, Reddit, and Bitcoin-focused Telegram groups can be great places to find clients or collaborators.
You can also look into Bitcoin job boards to find formal employment opportunities that pay in BTC.
The Bitcoin economy is growing, and so is the number of individuals and businesses willing to transact in BTC directly—bypassing fiat altogether.
The key is to get involved in the ecosystem—once you’re in the network and people get to know you, opportunities will begin to surface organically.
Summary Table: How to Receive Bitcoin w/o Fiat
| Method | Effort Level | Payout Potential | Notes | | ------------------------------- | ------------ | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | Offer services for BTC | Medium | High | Most scalable—mine sats directly instead of fiat | | Sell goods for BTC | Medium | Medium | Local or online; accessible | | Micro-transactions (Nostr) | Low/Medium | Medium (over time) | Lightning required, engaging helps | | Accept BTC tips | Low | Low to Medium | Best for service or gig workers | | Cashback / rewards programs | Low | Low to Medium | Passive sat stacking on normal spending | | Mini Bitcoin mining | Medium | Low / Lottery Level | For advanced users |
What did I forget? Let me know your tips and thoughts in the comments below ✨
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@ 5f078e90:b2bacaa3
2025-05-15 20:08:32Owl’s One-Legged Vigil
The vigil, one leg style
In a misty grove, Sylas the owl perched on a gnarled oak, standing on one leg. His golden eyes scanned the night. Why one leg? A vow to honor his lost mate, taken by a hawk. Each dusk, Sylas balanced, unwavering, as stars wheeled above. His silent stance drew the forest’s gaze—squirrels paused, deer bowed. One moonlit night, a young owl mimicked him, sparking hope. Sylas’s vigil became legend, a beacon of resilience.
Owl’s One-Legged Vigil: Part Two
Part 2
In the misty grove, Sylas stood on one leg, his vigil unbroken. The young owl, inspired, joined nightly, mimicking his stance. Word spread—foxes whispered, ravens cawed. Sylas’s balance was no mere feat; it was defiance against loss. One stormy dusk, winds howled, yet Sylas held firm, his single leg rooted. The young owl faltered but watched in awe. Moonlight pierced the clouds, bathing them in silver. Sylas hooted softly, a call of endurance. The grove’s creatures gathered, drawn by his resolve. A wise badger spoke: “Your vigil heals us.” The young owl, now named Lark, vowed to carry Sylas’s legacy. As dawn broke, Sylas stretched both legs, his vow fulfilled. He flew with Lark, their wings brushing the sky. The grove thrived, united by his stand. Sylas’s one-legged vigil became a tale of hope, etched in every tree.
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@ 91bea5cd:1df4451c
2025-04-26 10:16:21O Contexto Legal Brasileiro e o Consentimento
No ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, o consentimento do ofendido pode, em certas circunstâncias, afastar a ilicitude de um ato que, sem ele, configuraria crime (como lesão corporal leve, prevista no Art. 129 do Código Penal). Contudo, o consentimento tem limites claros: não é válido para bens jurídicos indisponíveis, como a vida, e sua eficácia é questionável em casos de lesões corporais graves ou gravíssimas.
A prática de BDSM consensual situa-se em uma zona complexa. Em tese, se ambos os parceiros são adultos, capazes, e consentiram livre e informadamente nos atos praticados, sem que resultem em lesões graves permanentes ou risco de morte não consentido, não haveria crime. O desafio reside na comprovação desse consentimento, especialmente se uma das partes, posteriormente, o negar ou alegar coação.
A Lei Maria da Penha (Lei nº 11.340/2006)
A Lei Maria da Penha é um marco fundamental na proteção da mulher contra a violência doméstica e familiar. Ela estabelece mecanismos para coibir e prevenir tal violência, definindo suas formas (física, psicológica, sexual, patrimonial e moral) e prevendo medidas protetivas de urgência.
Embora essencial, a aplicação da lei em contextos de BDSM pode ser delicada. Uma alegação de violência por parte da mulher, mesmo que as lesões ou situações decorram de práticas consensuais, tende a receber atenção prioritária das autoridades, dada a presunção de vulnerabilidade estabelecida pela lei. Isso pode criar um cenário onde o parceiro masculino enfrenta dificuldades significativas em demonstrar a natureza consensual dos atos, especialmente se não houver provas robustas pré-constituídas.
Outros riscos:
Lesão corporal grave ou gravíssima (art. 129, §§ 1º e 2º, CP), não pode ser justificada pelo consentimento, podendo ensejar persecução penal.
Crimes contra a dignidade sexual (arts. 213 e seguintes do CP) são de ação pública incondicionada e independem de representação da vítima para a investigação e denúncia.
Riscos de Falsas Acusações e Alegação de Coação Futura
Os riscos para os praticantes de BDSM, especialmente para o parceiro que assume o papel dominante ou que inflige dor/restrição (frequentemente, mas não exclusivamente, o homem), podem surgir de diversas frentes:
- Acusações Externas: Vizinhos, familiares ou amigos que desconhecem a natureza consensual do relacionamento podem interpretar sons, marcas ou comportamentos como sinais de abuso e denunciar às autoridades.
- Alegações Futuras da Parceira: Em caso de término conturbado, vingança, arrependimento ou mudança de perspectiva, a parceira pode reinterpretar as práticas passadas como abuso e buscar reparação ou retaliação através de uma denúncia. A alegação pode ser de que o consentimento nunca existiu ou foi viciado.
- Alegação de Coação: Uma das formas mais complexas de refutar é a alegação de que o consentimento foi obtido mediante coação (física, moral, psicológica ou econômica). A parceira pode alegar, por exemplo, que se sentia pressionada, intimidada ou dependente, e que seu "sim" não era genuíno. Provar a ausência de coação a posteriori é extremamente difícil.
- Ingenuidade e Vulnerabilidade Masculina: Muitos homens, confiando na dinâmica consensual e na parceira, podem negligenciar a necessidade de precauções. A crença de que "isso nunca aconteceria comigo" ou a falta de conhecimento sobre as implicações legais e o peso processual de uma acusação no âmbito da Lei Maria da Penha podem deixá-los vulneráveis. A presença de marcas físicas, mesmo que consentidas, pode ser usada como evidência de agressão, invertendo o ônus da prova na prática, ainda que não na teoria jurídica.
Estratégias de Prevenção e Mitigação
Não existe um método infalível para evitar completamente o risco de uma falsa acusação, mas diversas medidas podem ser adotadas para construir um histórico de consentimento e reduzir vulnerabilidades:
- Comunicação Explícita e Contínua: A base de qualquer prática BDSM segura é a comunicação constante. Negociar limites, desejos, palavras de segurança ("safewords") e expectativas antes, durante e depois das cenas é crucial. Manter registros dessas negociações (e-mails, mensagens, diários compartilhados) pode ser útil.
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Documentação do Consentimento:
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Contratos de Relacionamento/Cena: Embora a validade jurídica de "contratos BDSM" seja discutível no Brasil (não podem afastar normas de ordem pública), eles servem como forte evidência da intenção das partes, da negociação detalhada de limites e do consentimento informado. Devem ser claros, datados, assinados e, idealmente, reconhecidos em cartório (para prova de data e autenticidade das assinaturas).
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Registros Audiovisuais: Gravar (com consentimento explícito para a gravação) discussões sobre consentimento e limites antes das cenas pode ser uma prova poderosa. Gravar as próprias cenas é mais complexo devido a questões de privacidade e potencial uso indevido, mas pode ser considerado em casos específicos, sempre com consentimento mútuo documentado para a gravação.
Importante: a gravação deve ser com ciência da outra parte, para não configurar violação da intimidade (art. 5º, X, da Constituição Federal e art. 20 do Código Civil).
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Testemunhas: Em alguns contextos de comunidade BDSM, a presença de terceiros de confiança durante negociações ou mesmo cenas pode servir como testemunho, embora isso possa alterar a dinâmica íntima do casal.
- Estabelecimento Claro de Limites e Palavras de Segurança: Definir e respeitar rigorosamente os limites (o que é permitido, o que é proibido) e as palavras de segurança é fundamental. O desrespeito a uma palavra de segurança encerra o consentimento para aquele ato.
- Avaliação Contínua do Consentimento: O consentimento não é um cheque em branco; ele deve ser entusiástico, contínuo e revogável a qualquer momento. Verificar o bem-estar do parceiro durante a cena ("check-ins") é essencial.
- Discrição e Cuidado com Evidências Físicas: Ser discreto sobre a natureza do relacionamento pode evitar mal-entendidos externos. Após cenas que deixem marcas, é prudente que ambos os parceiros estejam cientes e de acordo, talvez documentando por fotos (com data) e uma nota sobre a consensualidade da prática que as gerou.
- Aconselhamento Jurídico Preventivo: Consultar um advogado especializado em direito de família e criminal, com sensibilidade para dinâmicas de relacionamento alternativas, pode fornecer orientação personalizada sobre as melhores formas de documentar o consentimento e entender os riscos legais específicos.
Observações Importantes
- Nenhuma documentação substitui a necessidade de consentimento real, livre, informado e contínuo.
- A lei brasileira protege a "integridade física" e a "dignidade humana". Práticas que resultem em lesões graves ou que violem a dignidade de forma não consentida (ou com consentimento viciado) serão ilegais, independentemente de qualquer acordo prévio.
- Em caso de acusação, a existência de documentação robusta de consentimento não garante a absolvição, mas fortalece significativamente a defesa, ajudando a demonstrar a natureza consensual da relação e das práticas.
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A alegação de coação futura é particularmente difícil de prevenir apenas com documentos. Um histórico consistente de comunicação aberta (whatsapp/telegram/e-mails), respeito mútuo e ausência de dependência ou controle excessivo na relação pode ajudar a contextualizar a dinâmica como não coercitiva.
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Cuidado com Marcas Visíveis e Lesões Graves Práticas que resultam em hematomas severos ou lesões podem ser interpretadas como agressão, mesmo que consentidas. Evitar excessos protege não apenas a integridade física, mas também evita questionamentos legais futuros.
O que vem a ser consentimento viciado
No Direito, consentimento viciado é quando a pessoa concorda com algo, mas a vontade dela não é livre ou plena — ou seja, o consentimento existe formalmente, mas é defeituoso por alguma razão.
O Código Civil brasileiro (art. 138 a 165) define várias formas de vício de consentimento. As principais são:
Erro: A pessoa se engana sobre o que está consentindo. (Ex.: A pessoa acredita que vai participar de um jogo leve, mas na verdade é exposta a práticas pesadas.)
Dolo: A pessoa é enganada propositalmente para aceitar algo. (Ex.: Alguém mente sobre o que vai acontecer durante a prática.)
Coação: A pessoa é forçada ou ameaçada a consentir. (Ex.: "Se você não aceitar, eu termino com você" — pressão emocional forte pode ser vista como coação.)
Estado de perigo ou lesão: A pessoa aceita algo em situação de necessidade extrema ou abuso de sua vulnerabilidade. (Ex.: Alguém em situação emocional muito fragilizada é induzida a aceitar práticas que normalmente recusaria.)
No contexto de BDSM, isso é ainda mais delicado: Mesmo que a pessoa tenha "assinado" um contrato ou dito "sim", se depois ela alegar que seu consentimento foi dado sob medo, engano ou pressão psicológica, o consentimento pode ser considerado viciado — e, portanto, juridicamente inválido.
Isso tem duas implicações sérias:
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O crime não se descaracteriza: Se houver vício, o consentimento é ignorado e a prática pode ser tratada como crime normal (lesão corporal, estupro, tortura, etc.).
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A prova do consentimento precisa ser sólida: Mostrando que a pessoa estava informada, lúcida, livre e sem qualquer tipo de coação.
Consentimento viciado é quando a pessoa concorda formalmente, mas de maneira enganada, forçada ou pressionada, tornando o consentimento inútil para efeitos jurídicos.
Conclusão
Casais que praticam BDSM consensual no Brasil navegam em um terreno que exige não apenas confiança mútua e comunicação excepcional, mas também uma consciência aguçada das complexidades legais e dos riscos de interpretações equivocadas ou acusações mal-intencionadas. Embora o BDSM seja uma expressão legítima da sexualidade humana, sua prática no Brasil exige responsabilidade redobrada. Ter provas claras de consentimento, manter a comunicação aberta e agir com prudência são formas eficazes de se proteger de falsas alegações e preservar a liberdade e a segurança de todos os envolvidos. Embora leis controversas como a Maria da Penha sejam "vitais" para a proteção contra a violência real, os praticantes de BDSM, e em particular os homens nesse contexto, devem adotar uma postura proativa e prudente para mitigar os riscos inerentes à potencial má interpretação ou instrumentalização dessas práticas e leis, garantindo que a expressão de sua consensualidade esteja resguardada na medida do possível.
Importante: No Brasil, mesmo com tudo isso, o Ministério Público pode denunciar por crime como lesão corporal grave, estupro ou tortura, independente de consentimento. Então a prudência nas práticas é fundamental.
Aviso Legal: Este artigo tem caráter meramente informativo e não constitui aconselhamento jurídico. As leis e interpretações podem mudar, e cada situação é única. Recomenda-se buscar orientação de um advogado qualificado para discutir casos específicos.
Se curtiu este artigo faça uma contribuição, se tiver algum ponto relevante para o artigo deixe seu comentário.
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@ 5f078e90:b2bacaa3
2025-05-15 19:59:08Owl’s One-Legged Vigil
The vigil, one leg style
In a misty grove, Sylas the owl perched on a gnarled oak, standing on one leg. His golden eyes scanned the night. Why one leg? A vow to honor his lost mate, taken by a hawk. Each dusk, Sylas balanced, unwavering, as stars wheeled above. His silent stance drew the forest’s gaze—squirrels paused, deer bowed. One moonlit night, a young owl mimicked him, sparking hope. Sylas’s vigil became legend, a beacon of resilience.
Owl’s One-Legged Vigil: Part Two
Part 2
In the misty grove, Sylas stood on one leg, his vigil unbroken. The young owl, inspired, joined nightly, mimicking his stance. Word spread—foxes whispered, ravens cawed. Sylas’s balance was no mere feat; it was defiance against loss. One stormy dusk, winds howled, yet Sylas held firm, his single leg rooted. The young owl faltered but watched in awe. Moonlight pierced the clouds, bathing them in silver. Sylas hooted softly, a call of endurance. The grove’s creatures gathered, drawn by his resolve. A wise badger spoke: “Your vigil heals us.” The young owl, now named Lark, vowed to carry Sylas’s legacy. As dawn broke, Sylas stretched both legs, his vow fulfilled. He flew with Lark, their wings brushing the sky. The grove thrived, united by his stand. Sylas’s one-legged vigil became a tale of hope, etched in every tree.
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@ 2ed3596e:98b4cc78
2025-05-15 18:25:25Bitcoiners, the Bitcoin Well point store just got even better.
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The Bitaxe is a modern mining ASIC, but small enough to fit on your desk.
Like Bitcoin itself, Bitaxe is fully open-source, you can inspect, modify, and enhance the hardware and software. Bitaxes are super user friendly and are built to be customized, making a Bitaxe an incredible educational tool.
The Bitaxe is ideal for Bitcoiners who want to contribute to Bitcoin’s decentralization while also learning, first hand, what goes into the Bitcoin mining process. Who knows, you might even stumble into a block reward!
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Simply Bitcoin hoodie
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@ e691f4df:1099ad65
2025-04-24 18:56:12Viewing Bitcoin Through the Light of Awakening
Ankh & Ohm Capital’s Overview of the Psycho-Spiritual Nature of Bitcoin
Glossary:
I. Preface: The Logos of Our Logo
II. An Oracular Introduction
III. Alchemizing Greed
IV. Layers of Fractalized Thought
V. Permissionless Individuation
VI. Dispelling Paradox Through Resonance
VII. Ego Deflation
VIII. The Coin of Great Price
Preface: The Logos of Our Logo
Before we offer our lens on Bitcoin, it’s important to illuminate the meaning behind Ankh & Ohm’s name and symbol. These elements are not ornamental—they are foundational, expressing the cosmological principles that guide our work.
Our mission is to bridge the eternal with the practical. As a Bitcoin-focused family office and consulting firm, we understand capital not as an end, but as a tool—one that, when properly aligned, becomes a vehicle for divine order. We see Bitcoin not simply as a technological innovation but as an emanation of the Divine Logos—a harmonic expression of truth, transparency, and incorruptible structure. Both the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega.
The Ankh (☥), an ancient symbol of eternal life, is a key to the integration of opposites. It unites spirit and matter, force and form, continuity and change. It reminds us that capital, like Life, must not only be generative, but regenerative; sacred. Money must serve Life, not siphon from it.
The Ohm (Ω) holds a dual meaning. In physics, it denotes a unit of electrical resistance—the formative tension that gives energy coherence. In the Vedic tradition, Om (ॐ) is the primordial vibration—the sound from which all existence unfolds. Together, these symbols affirm a timeless truth: resistance and resonance are both sacred instruments of the Creator.
Ankh & Ohm, then, represents our striving for union, for harmony —between the flow of life and intentional structure, between incalculable abundance and measured restraint, between the lightbulb’s electrical impulse and its light-emitting filament. We stand at the threshold where intention becomes action, and where capital is not extracted, but cultivated in rhythm with the cosmos.
We exist to shepherd this transformation, as guides of this threshold —helping families, founders, and institutions align with a deeper order, where capital serves not as the prize, but as a pathway to collective Presence, Purpose, Peace and Prosperity.
An Oracular Introduction
Bitcoin is commonly understood as the first truly decentralized and secure form of digital money—a breakthrough in monetary sovereignty. But this view, while technically correct, is incomplete and spiritually shallow. Bitcoin is more than a tool for economic disruption. Bitcoin represents a mythic threshold: a symbol of the psycho-spiritual shift that many ancient traditions have long foretold.
For millennia, sages and seers have spoken of a coming Golden Age. In the Vedic Yuga cycles, in Plato’s Great Year, in the Eagle and Condor prophecies of the Americas—there exists a common thread: that humanity will emerge from darkness into a time of harmony, cooperation, and clarity. That the veil of illusion (maya, materiality) will thin, and reality will once again become transparent to the transcendent. In such an age, systems based on scarcity, deception, and centralization fall away. A new cosmology takes root—one grounded in balance, coherence, and sacred reciprocity.
But we must ask—how does such a shift happen? How do we cross from the age of scarcity, fear, and domination into one of coherence, abundance, and freedom?
One possible answer lies in the alchemy of incentive.
Bitcoin operates not just on the rules of computer science or Austrian economics, but on something far more old and subtle: the logic of transformation. It transmutes greed—a base instinct rooted in scarcity—into cooperation, transparency, and incorruptibility.
In this light, Bitcoin becomes more than code—it becomes a psychoactive protocol, one that rewires human behavior by aligning individual gain with collective integrity. It is not simply a new form of money. It is a new myth of value. A new operating system for human consciousness.
Bitcoin does not moralize. It harmonizes. It transforms the instinct for self-preservation into a pathway for planetary coherence.
Alchemizing Greed
At the heart of Bitcoin lies the ancient alchemical principle of transmutation: that which is base may be refined into gold.
Greed, long condemned as a vice, is not inherently evil. It is a distorted longing. A warped echo of the drive to preserve life. But in systems built on scarcity and deception, this longing calcifies into hoarding, corruption, and decay.
Bitcoin introduces a new game. A game with memory. A game that makes deception inefficient and truth profitable. It does not demand virtue—it encodes consequence. Its design does not suppress greed; it reprograms it.
In traditional models, game theory often illustrates the fragility of trust. The Prisoner’s Dilemma reveals how self-interest can sabotage collective well-being. But Bitcoin inverts this. It creates an environment where self-interest and integrity converge—where the most rational action is also the most truthful.
Its ledger, immutable and transparent, exposes manipulation for what it is: energetically wasteful and economically self-defeating. Dishonesty burns energy and yields nothing. The network punishes incoherence, not by decree, but by natural law.
This is the spiritual elegance of Bitcoin: it does not suppress greed—it transmutes it. It channels the drive for personal gain into the architecture of collective order. Miners compete not to dominate, but to validate. Nodes collaborate not through trust, but through mathematical proof.
This is not austerity. It is alchemy.
Greed, under Bitcoin, is refined. Tempered. Re-forged into a generative force—no longer parasitic, but harmonic.
Layers of Fractalized Thought Fragments
All living systems are layered. So is the cosmos. So is the human being. So is a musical scale.
At its foundation lies the timechain—the pulsing, incorruptible record of truth. Like the heart, it beats steadily. Every block, like a pulse, affirms its life through continuity. The difficulty adjustment—Bitcoin’s internal calibration—functions like heart rate variability, adapting to pressure while preserving coherence.
Above this base layer is the Lightning Network—a second layer facilitating rapid, efficient transactions. It is the nervous system: transmitting energy, reducing latency, enabling real-time interaction across a distributed whole.
Beyond that, emerging tools like Fedimint and Cashu function like the capillaries—bringing vitality to the extremities, to those underserved by legacy systems. They empower the unbanked, the overlooked, the forgotten. Privacy and dignity in the palms of those the old system refused to see.
And then there is NOSTR—the decentralized protocol for communication and creation. It is the throat chakra, the vocal cords of the “freedom-tech” body. It reclaims speech from the algorithmic overlords, making expression sovereign once more. It is also the reproductive system, as it enables the propagation of novel ideas and protocols in fertile, uncensorable soil.
Each layer plays its part. Not in hierarchy, but in harmony. In holarchy. Bitcoin and other open source protocols grow not through exogenous command, but through endogenous coherence. Like cells in an organism. Like a song.
Imagine the cell as a piece of glass from a shattered holographic plate —by which its perspectival, moving image can be restructured from the single shard. DNA isn’t only a logical script of base pairs, but an evolving progressive song. Its lyrics imbued with wise reflections on relationships. The nucleus sings, the cell responds—not by command, but by memory. Life is not imposed; it is expressed. A reflection of a hidden pattern.
Bitcoin chants this. Each node, a living cell, holds the full timechain—Truth distributed, incorruptible. Remove one, and the whole remains. This isn’t redundancy. It’s a revelation on the power of protection in Truth.
Consensus is communion. Verification becomes a sacred rite—Truth made audible through math.
Not just the signal; the song. A web of self-expression woven from Truth.
No center, yet every point alive with the whole. Like Indra’s Net, each reflects all. This is more than currency and information exchange. It is memory; a self-remembering Mind, unfolding through consensus and code. A Mind reflecting the Truth of reality at the speed of thought.
Heuristics are mental shortcuts—efficient, imperfect, alive. Like cells, they must adapt or decay. To become unbiased is to have self-balancing heuristics which carry feedback loops within them: they listen to the environment, mutate when needed, and survive by resonance with reality. Mutation is not error, but evolution. Its rules are simple, but their expression is dynamic.
What persists is not rigidity, but pattern.
To think clearly is not necessarily to be certain, but to dissolve doubt by listening, adjusting, and evolving thought itself.
To understand Bitcoin is simply to listen—patiently, clearly, as one would to a familiar rhythm returning.
Permissionless Individuation
Bitcoin is a path. One that no one can walk for you.
Said differently, it is not a passive act. It cannot be spoon-fed. Like a spiritual path, it demands initiation, effort, and the willingness to question inherited beliefs.
Because Bitcoin is permissionless, no one can be forced to adopt it. One must choose to engage it—compelled by need, interest, or intuition. Each person who embarks undergoes their own version of the hero’s journey.
Carl Jung called this process Individuation—the reconciliation of fragmented psychic elements into a coherent, mature Self. Bitcoin mirrors this: it invites individuals to confront the unconscious assumptions of the fiat paradigm, and to re-integrate their relationship to time, value, and agency.
In Western traditions—alchemy, Christianity, Kabbalah—the individual is sacred, and salvation is personal. In Eastern systems—Daoism, Buddhism, the Vedas—the self is ultimately dissolved into the cosmic whole. Bitcoin, in a paradoxical way, echoes both: it empowers the individual, while aligning them with a holistic, transcendent order.
To truly see Bitcoin is to allow something false to die. A belief. A habit. A self-concept.
In that death—a space opens for deeper connection with the Divine itSelf.
In that dissolution, something luminous is reborn.
After the passing, Truth becomes resurrected.
Dispelling Paradox Through Resonance
There is a subtle paradox encoded into the hero’s journey: each starts in solidarity, yet the awakening affects the collective.
No one can be forced into understanding Bitcoin. Like a spiritual truth, it must be seen. And yet, once seen, it becomes nearly impossible to unsee—and easier for others to glimpse. The pattern catches.
This phenomenon mirrors the concept of morphic resonance, as proposed and empirically tested by biologist Rupert Sheldrake. Once a critical mass of individuals begins to embody a new behavior or awareness, it becomes easier—instinctive—for others to follow suit. Like the proverbial hundredth monkey who begins to wash the fruit in the sea water, and suddenly, monkeys across islands begin doing the same—without ever meeting.
When enough individuals embody a pattern, it ripples outward. Not through propaganda, but through field effect and wave propagation. It becomes accessible, instinctive, familiar—even across great distance.
Bitcoin spreads in this way. Not through centralized broadcast, but through subtle resonance. Each new node, each individual who integrates the protocol into their life, strengthens the signal for others. The protocol doesn’t shout; it hums, oscillates and vibrates——persistently, coherently, patiently.
One awakens. Another follows. The current builds. What was fringe becomes familiar. What was radical becomes obvious.
This is the sacred geometry of spiritual awakening. One awakens, another follows, and soon the fluidic current is strong enough to carry the rest. One becomes two, two become many, and eventually the many become One again. This tessellation reverberates through the human aura, not as ideology, but as perceivable pattern recognition.
Bitcoin’s most powerful marketing tool is truth. Its most compelling evangelist is reality. Its most unstoppable force is resonance.
Therefore, Bitcoin is not just financial infrastructure—it is psychic scaffolding. It is part of the subtle architecture through which new patterns of coherence ripple across the collective field.
The training wheels from which humanity learns to embody Peace and Prosperity.
Ego Deflation
The process of awakening is not linear, and its beginning is rarely gentle—it usually begins with disruption, with ego inflation and destruction.
To individuate is to shape a center; to recognize peripherals and create boundaries—to say, “I am.” But without integration, the ego tilts—collapsing into void or inflating into noise. Fiat reflects this pathology: scarcity hoarded, abundance simulated. Stagnation becomes disguised as safety, and inflation masquerades as growth.
In other words, to become whole, the ego must first rise—claiming agency, autonomy, and identity. However, when left unbalanced, it inflates, or implodes. It forgets its context. It begins to consume rather than connect. And so the process must reverse: what inflates must deflate.
In the fiat paradigm, this inflation is literal. More is printed, and ethos is diluted. Savings decay. Meaning erodes. Value is abstracted. The economy becomes bloated with inaudible noise. And like the psyche that refuses to confront its own shadow, it begins to collapse under the weight of its own illusions.
But under Bitcoin, time is honored. Value is preserved. Energy is not abstracted but grounded.
Bitcoin is inherently deflationary—in both economic and spiritual senses. With a fixed supply, it reveals what is truly scarce. Not money, not status—but the finite number of heartbeats we each carry.
To see Bitcoin is to feel that limit in one’s soul. To hold Bitcoin is to feel Time’s weight again. To sense the importance of Bitcoin is to feel the value of preserved, potential energy. It is to confront the reality that what matters cannot be printed, inflated, or faked. In this way, Bitcoin gently confronts the ego—not through punishment, but through clarity.
Deflation, rightly understood, is not collapse—it is refinement. It strips away illusion, bloat, and excess. It restores the clarity of essence.
Spiritually, this is liberation.
The Coin of Great Price
There is an ancient parable told by a wise man:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, who, upon finding one of great price, sold all he had and bought it.”
Bitcoin is such a pearl.
But the ledger is more than a chest full of treasure. It is a key to the heart of things.
It is not just software—it is sacrament.
A symbol of what cannot be corrupted. A mirror of divine order etched into code. A map back to the sacred center.
It reflects what endures. It encodes what cannot be falsified. It remembers what we forgot: that Truth, when aligned with form, becomes Light once again.
Its design is not arbitrary. It speaks the language of life itself—
The elliptic orbits of the planets mirrored in its cryptography,
The logarithmic spiral of the nautilus shell discloses its adoption rate,
The interconnectivity of mycelium in soil reflect the network of nodes in cyberspace,
A webbed breadth of neurons across synaptic space fires with each new confirmed transaction.
It is geometry in devotion. Stillness in motion.
It is the Logos clothed in protocol.
What this key unlocks is beyond external riches. It is the eternal gold within us.
Clarity. Sovereignty. The unshakeable knowing that what is real cannot be taken. That what is sacred was never for sale.
Bitcoin is not the destination.
It is the Path.
And we—when we are willing to see it—are the Temple it leads back to.
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@ bbef5093:71228592
2025-05-15 17:18:25USA és Szaúd-Arábia együttműködik a nukleáris energiában, beleértve a fejlett reaktorokat is
Az Egyesült Államok és Szaúd-Arábia 2025. május 13-án Rijádban aláírt egy energiaügyi és kritikus ásványi anyagokra vonatkozó együttműködési megállapodást, amelynek részeként a polgári nukleáris energia területén is kijelölték az együttműködés főbb területeit. Az USA Energiaügyi Minisztériuma szerint a kooperáció kiterjed a biztonságra, védelmi és non-proliferációs programokra, az amerikai III+ generációs fejlett nagy reaktortechnológiákra és kis moduláris reaktorokra, valamint az uránkutatásra, bányászatra és feldolgozásra.
További területek a szakképzés, munkaerő-fejlesztés és a nukleáris hulladékkezelés. Chris Wright energiaügyi miniszter szerint ezek a megállapodások erős partnerséget teremtenek, amelyek biztosítják Donald Trump elnök „belföldi jólét és külföldi béke” víziójának megvalósulását. Trump első jelentős külföldi útján látogat Szaúd-Arábiába és más arab országokba második elnöki ciklusában. Wright az energiaügyi együttműködési megállapodást Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud szaúdi energiaügyi miniszterrel írta alá. Az USA szerint a megállapodás célja az innováció, fejlesztés és az energetikai infrastruktúra kiépítésének lehetőségeinek feltárása a két országban.
Az USA és Szaúd-Arábia tárgyalásokat folytat a királyság polgári nukleáris iparának fejlesztéséről, de a tárgyalásokat régiós politikai kérdések és a fegyverkezési aggodalmak bonyolítják. Wright múlt hónapban azt mondta, várhatóan előzetes megállapodást írnak alá, és Rijád valamint Washington „úton van” egy közös szaúdi polgári nukleáris program kidolgozásához. „Az USA részvételéhez és partnerségéhez mindenképp szükség lesz egy 123-as megállapodásra... sokféleképpen lehet úgy szerződni, hogy az megfeleljen mind a szaúdi, mind az amerikai céloknak” – mondta Wright.
A 123-as megállapodás útja
Az úgynevezett 123-as megállapodás az USA 1954-es Atomenergia-törvényének 123. szakaszára utal, amely szükséges ahhoz, hogy az amerikai kormány és cégek együtt dolgozhassanak a királyság entitásaival polgári nukleáris ipar fejlesztésén. Wright szerint a szaúdi hatóságok még nem egyeztek bele a törvény által előírt feltételekbe, amely kilenc non-proliferációs kritériumot határoz meg annak érdekében, hogy az adott állam ne használhassa fel a technológiát nukleáris fegyverek fejlesztésére, vagy ne adhassa át érzékeny anyagokat másoknak.
A tárgyalások eddig azért is akadoztak, mert Szaúd-Arábia nem akarta kizárni az urándúsítás vagy a kiégett fűtőelemek újrafeldolgozásának lehetőségét – mindkettő potenciális út egy atombomba felé. Mohamed bin Szalmán koronaherceg régóta hangoztatja, hogy ha Irán nukleáris fegyvert fejleszt, Szaúd-Arábia is követni fogja. A világ legnagyobb olajexportőre, Szaúd-Arábia jelentős megújuló energia előállítására és kibocsátáscsökkentésre törekszik a koronaherceg Vision 2030 reformprogramja keretében, amelyben a nukleáris energia is szerepet kap.
2022-ben Szaúd-Arábia létrehozta a Nemzeti Nukleáris Energia Társaságot, hogy fejlessze és üzemeltesse a nukleáris létesítményeket. A királyság akkor kezdte meg az első atomerőművi engedélyeztetési folyamatot, amely a hírek szerint mintegy 14 milliárd dollárba (12,2 milliárd euróba) kerülhet. Helyi média szerint a tervezett atomerőmű kapacitása 2800 GW lesz. Korábbi jelentések szerint Dél-Korea, Franciaország, Kína és Oroszország is adott be ajánlatot, de ezt hivatalosan nem erősítették meg.
Tajvan: Az utolsó atomerőmű bezárására készülve módosítják a törvényt
Tajvan parlamentje elfogadott egy módosítást a nukleáris energia törvényében, amely lehetővé teszi az üzemeltetők számára, hogy a jelenlegi 40 éves korlátozáson túl további 20 évre hosszabbítsák meg az atomerőművi engedélyeket, így akár 60 évig is működhet egy reaktor. Az állami Central News Agency szerint a módosítást az ellenzéki Kuomintang és a Tajvani Néppárt támogatta, 60 igen és 51 nem szavazattal, a kormányzó Demokratikus Progresszív Párt ellenében.
A javaslat célja a nukleáris energia újbóli bevonása Tajvan energiastratégiájába. A Nukleáris Biztonsági Tanács szerint minden hosszabbítási kérelemnek meg kell felelnie a nemzetközi szabványoknak, és alapos műszaki és jogi értékelésen kell átesnie. A lépésre azután kerül sor, hogy a kormány a hétvégén véglegesen bezárja a Maanshan-2 atomerőművet Pingtung megyében, ezzel teljesítve Tajvan nukleárismentességi ígéretét.
Kuo Jyh-huei gazdasági miniszter megerősítette, hogy a Maanshan-2 hosszabbítása akár 18 hónapot is igénybe vehet. A kormány szerint a módosítás nem változtatja meg a Maanshan-2 bezárásának tervét. 2024 júliusában a Taipower állami vállalat leállította a Maanshan-1 atomerőművet, így az országban már csak egy reaktor, a Maanshan-2 maradt üzemben.
A sziget energiaigénye – főként a félvezetőipar miatt – gyorsan nő, ami újraéleszti a nukleáris energia körüli vitát. A gazdasági minisztérium szerint az ország villamosenergia-szükséglete 2030-ra várhatóan 12-13%-kal nő, főként a mesterséges intelligencia (AI) iparág fellendülése miatt. A Greenpeace szerint a világ legnagyobb chipgyártója, a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company 2030-ra önmagában annyi áramot fog fogyasztani, mint a sziget 23 milliós lakosságának negyede.
Az energiaéhség nehezíti Tajpej 2050-re kitűzött nettó zéró kibocsátási vállalását, amely nagyrészt a megújuló energia részarányának 60-70%-ra emelésén alapul a jelenlegi 12%-ról. A nukleáris energia támogatói szerint ez a legéletképesebb módja Tajvan ipari és környezetvédelmi céljainak összehangolására. 2023-ban a nukleáris energia a tajvani villamosenergia-termelés 6,9%-át adta, míg a fő energiaforrások a szén és a cseppfolyósított földgáz voltak. A Maanshan-1 bezárásával a nukleáris energia aránya 2,8%-ra csökken.
Egykor hat reaktor biztosította Tajvan áramellátásának több mint felét.
„Nagyon nyitottak” az új nukleáris technológiára
Tavaly év végén Cho Jung-tai tajvani miniszterelnök kijelentette, hogy az ország „nagyon nyitott” az új nukleáris technológiák alkalmazására, hogy kielégítse a chipgyártók és az AI ipar növekvő áramigényét. „Amíg konszenzus van a nukleáris biztonságról és megfelelő garanciák vannak a hulladékkezelésre, nyilvános vitát lehet folytatni” – mondta Cho a Bloombergnek adott interjúban. Ez az egyik legerősebb jele annak, hogy a kormány újragondolja a kereskedelmi atomerőművekkel szembeni ellenállását.
Cho vélhetően fejlett reaktorokra, köztük kis moduláris reaktorokra (SMR) utalt, amelyeket számos országban fejlesztenek. Tajvan Nemzeti Atomkutató Intézete a héten indított egy 3,3 millió dolláros SMR kutatási projektet, amely utat nyithat a fejlett nukleáris reaktorok bevezetése előtt.
Új építés
Az amerikai EnergySolutions megkezdi a fejlett nukleáris projektek tervezését a wisconsini Kewaunee atomerőmű helyszínén. A cég a WEC Energy Grouppal együttműködve vizsgálja az új nukleáris termelés lehetőségét a helyszínen, és most helyszíni és környezeti tanulmányokat indít az NRC engedélyek megszerzése érdekében.
Ken Robuck, az EnergySolutions elnök-vezérigazgatója szerint az adatközpontok, a mesterséges intelligencia és az ipari növekedés által hajtott energiaigény miatt soha nem volt még ekkora szükség megbízható, szén-dioxid-mentes energiára. Az EnergySolutions 2022-ben vásárolta meg a 2013-ban leállított, jelenleg leszerelés alatt álló Kewaunee erőművet. Wisconsin egyetlen működő atomerőműve a Point Beach, amely az állam villamosenergia-termelésének 16,5%-át adja.
Elemzés: A brit nukleáris munkaerőnek „jelentősen” bővülnie kell
Az Egyesült Királyságban a kormány és az iparág közös szervezete, a Destination Nuclear sikeresen vonzza a szükséges szakembereket a nukleáris tervekhez, de figyelmeztet, hogy a munkaerőnek „jelentősen” bővülnie kell. Az országban jelenleg 96 000 fő dolgozik a nukleáris szektorban, de 2030-ra 120 000-re lesz szükség, vagyis hat év alatt 24 000 fővel kell bővíteni az állományt.
A program célja, hogy a civil és védelmi nukleáris szektorban is vonzóvá tegye a pályát, különös tekintettel a kritikus készségekre, például a hegesztésre, biztonsági mérnökökre, projekttervezőkre és sugárvédelmi szakemberekre. A kampány digitális hirdetésekkel, on-demand TV-n (pl. Netflix), és az online Minecraft játékon keresztül is igyekszik elérni a potenciális munkavállalókat. Az első eredmények szerint 52%-kal nőtt azok aránya, akik korábban nem gondoltak a nukleáris pályára, de most már fontolóra veszik. A szektor már most is több tízezer munkahelyet biztosít, és 2050-re akár 70 milliárd fonttal járulhat hozzá a brit gazdasághoz.
Egyéb hírek röviden
- Kanada: Az NWMO öt céget választott ki az első mély geológiai tároló tervezésére és kivitelezésére.
- Deep Atomic és Future-tech: Új programot indítottak nukleáris adatközpontok helyszínértékelésére.
- Urenco Isotopes: Üzembe helyezte legújabb izotóp-dúsító berendezését, a Blaise Pascalt.
- IAEA: Május 21-én webináriumot tart a nukleáris fúzió gyorsításáról, különös tekintettel a technológiai és ellátási láncok összehangolására.
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@ 2e8970de:63345c7a
2025-05-15 16:59:24Q: “Products & services using AI make me excited. How much do you agree/disagree?”
https://www.ipsos.com/en/ipsos-ai-monitor-2024-changing-attitudes-and-feelings-about-ai-and-future-it-will-bring
https://stacker.news/items/980900
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@ c13e67ae:8ff5689b
2025-05-15 16:37:10Testing the world
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@ 58537364:705b4b85
2025-05-15 16:27:52วันนี้เป็นวันสำคัญทางศาสนา มีการจัดงานบุญพร้อมกับฟังเทศน์อย่างยิ่งใหญ่ "ชายคนหนึ่ง" ได้มานั่งฟังธรรมอยู่บนศาลาวัด ในขณะที่นั่งฟังอยู่นั้นสายตาก็เหลือบไปเห็นคนกำลังตกปลาอยู่ในบ่อน้ำที่วัด แล้วก็นั่งคิดบ่นด่าคนตกปลาอยู่ในใจว่าทำไมถึงทำเช่นนั้น ในวัดแท้ๆ ยังกล้ามาจับปลา ไม่กลัวบาปกรรมบ้างเลยหรืออย่างไร แต่แทนที่ชายคนนี้มานั่งฟังธรรมจะได้บุญ กลับเอาจิตไปด่าทอผู้อื่นอยู่ตลอดเวลา
ในขณะเดียวกัน “คนตกปลา” ก็มองเห็นคนที่มานั่งฟังธรรมบนศาลาวัด ใจก็ตั้งจิตขออนุโมทนาบุญ เพราะผมมันเป็นคนบาป ไม่มีโอกาสได้ไปนั่งฟังธรรมกับคนอื่นเขา ต้องเอาเวลามาตกปลาเลี้ยงชีพ เลี้ยงดูพ่อแม่ที่ป่วยหนัก เพราะเกิดมาจนจึงไม่มีวาสนาสร้างบุญแบบคนอื่น หากเกิดชาติหน้า ก็ขอให้มีโอกาสได้สร้างบุญเหมือนแบบท่านๆที่ได้นั่งฟังธรรมอยู่ด้วยเถิด เกิดมาชาตินี้มีกรรมหนัก ต้องชดใช้กรรมที่ก่อไว้ ปลาที่มาติดเบ็ดก็ขออย่าได้จองเวรกันเลย
ถึงแม้คนตกปลาจะกำลังตกปลาอยู่ แต่จิตก็เอาแต่ภาวนาสาธุไปกับคนที่ฟังธรรม และขออโหสิกรรมปลาตลอด ที่นี้ทุกคนเข้าใจหรือยังว่า ทำไมคนฟังธรรมถึงตกนรก คนตกปลาได้ขึ้นสวรรค์
ความหมายของ “กรรมดี” และ “กรรมชั่ว” มาจากเจตนา การมีเจตนาที่ประกอบด้วยกุศล คือ กรรมดี แต่การมีเจตนาที่ประกอบด้วยอกุศล คือ กรรมชั่ว อย่างชายที่ไปนั่งฟังธรรม ก็หลงคิดว่าตัวเองกำลังทำดีอยู่ แล้วก็เอาแต่มองคนอื่นที่ไม่ทำแบบตัวเองว่าเป็นคนไม่ดี ในใจก็เอาแต่ ด่าทอ คิดร้าย ต่างๆนาๆ ในขณะที่คนตกปลา มีแต่เจตนาที่ดีต่อผู้อื่น เห็นผู้อื่นทำความดี ก็ยินดีด้วยเสมอ
การปฏิบัติธรรม เป็นการฝึกจิตให้สงบ เพื่อพัฒนาจิตของตนเองให้สูงขึ้น ไม่ใช่เอาไว้ไปข่มคนอื่นให้ดูต่ำลง เพราะสุดท้ายแล้วคนที่ทำแบบนี้ ย่อมต่ำกว่า เจ้าสวดมนต์แต่ยัง “นินทา“ เจ้าทำทานแต่ยัง ”เอาเปรียบ“ เจ้ามีความรู้แต่ชอบ ”ดูถูกคน“ เจ้าตัวสะอาดแต่ ”ใจสกปรก“ เจ้าอยากได้มิตรแท้ แต่… ”เจ้ากลับเป็นมิตรเทียม“ เจ้าบอกทำกุศล แต่… ”หมายเอาชื่อเสียง“ เจ้ามีทุกสิ่ง แต่… ”ไม่คิดแบ่งปัน “ เจ้าดูแลคนอื่น แต่… ”ละเลยพ่อแม่ “ เจ้างดเนื้อสัตว์ แต่… ”ข่มเหง ” เพื่อนมนุษย์ เจ้าหาตัวเองไม่เจอ แต่… “กรรม ” หาเจ้าเจอ
พระไพศาล วิสาโล ได้บอกถึงพฤติกรรมที่คนเหล่านี้เป็น นั่นเพราะว่า “เหมือนในสังคมทุกวันนี้ ที่ชอบทำบุญ แต่กลับไร้น้ำใจ ทั้งๆที่การมีน้ำใจต่อเพื่อนมนุษย์ เป็นสิ่งที่ทำได้ง่ายในชีวิตประจำวัน แต่บางคนกลับดั้นด้นเดินทางไปไกลๆ เพื่อที่จะไปทำบุญที่วัดอย่างเดียว แต่กับคนทุกข์ยากใกล้ตัว ไม่เคยแม้แต่จะเหลียวแลยื่นมือช่วย นั่นเป็นเพราะว่าคนเรา มักจะชอบกระทำต่อสิ่งที่อยู่สูงกว่าตน เช่น พระสงฆ์ วัดวาอาราม แต่กลับละเลยสิ่งที่คิดว่าอยู่ต่ำกว่าตนเอง เช่น คน ยากจน หรือ สัตว์น้อยใหญ่”
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Cr: คู่มือมนุษย์
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2025-05-15 16:26:49ความสุขแท้ไม่มีในโลก มีแต่เมื่อความทุกข์ได้ถูกบำบัดลงครั้งหนึ่ง ก็เรียกว่าความสุขครั้งหนึ่ง คุณอยากได้ของสักชิ้นอย่างมาก เมื่อได้มาแล้วก็มีความสุข เพราะความอยากได้ถูกบำบัดไปแล้ว เมื่อคุณอยากได้ของหรืออยากได้อะไรอีก ความทุกข์ก็เกิดขึ้นอีก เมื่ออยากมาก ก็ทุกข์มาก เมื่อไม่อยากให้ของสิ่งนั้นหายหรือแตกดับไป ก็ทุกข์อีก
เมื่อได้รับของที่ต้องการแล้ว ก็ต้องดูแลเอาใจใส่ของนั้น เมื่อไม่เป็นไปตามความอยากหรือไม่อยากของตน ก็ทุกข์ ซึ่งทุกสรรพสิ่ง เมื่อเกิดขึ้น ย่อมตั้งอยู่แล้วดับไป คนที่เรารักย่อมเจ็บป่วยและดับไป เป็นธรรมดาของชีวิต แต่เราไม่ยอมรับ บางคนเมื่อพูดถึงความตาย ก็บอกว่า พูดทำไม เป็นคำอัปมงคล แต่โดยแท้แล้ว ความตายอยู่กับเราทุกลมหายใจ
เราต้องการให้คนรอบๆ ทำแต่สิ่งที่ถูกใจเรา ทำสิ่งที่ดีต่อเรา แต่มันจะเป็นไปได้หรือ ความสุขจึงอยู่ที่การยอมรับในสิ่งที่เป็น ที่มีอยู่ เพราะธรรมชาติของสิ่งที่เราต้องพบ ต้องประสบ มันเป็นเช่นนั้นของมันเอง การพยายามไปเปลี่ยนแปลงสิ่งต่างๆรอบๆตัว จึง เหมือนการพยายามห้ามแม่น้ำไม่ให้ไหลไป
ความสุขในฐานะปุถุชนมีได้ ด้วยการยอมรับสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้น การยอมรับไม่ใช่การยอมแพ้แก่มัน แต่เมื่อเราพยายามทำดีอย่างที่สุดแล้ว ผลสุดท้ายจะเป้นอย่างไร ก็ต้องวาง
ขอยกคำหลวงพ่อไพศาลที่ว่า ชีวิตเราเลือกได้ ว่าจะเป็นอย่างไร เด็กผู้หญิง 10 ขวบ ขนของ แต่เด็กผู้ชายสองคน ไม่ช่วยขนของ ไปดูทีวีเสีย แทนที่เด็กผู้หญิงคนนั้นจะโกรธ กลับบอกว่า ขนของเหนื่อยอย่างเดียว แต่ถ้าไปโกรธเขา เราก็เหนื่อยสองอย่าง
การอยู่โดยมองโลกในแง่บวก เป็นสิ่งที่สำคัญมาก ขอยกตัวอย่างจากหลวงพ่อไพศาลอีกครั้ง เด็กชายคนหนึ่งเป็นโรคมะเร็งที่ กระดูกที่ขา เขาถูกตัดขาไปข้างหนึ่ง เขาบอกว่า เขาดีใจที่ยังมีขาอีกข้างหนึ่ง ไม่ใช่เสียใจที่เสียขาไป
เป็นสุขในทุกความเปลี่ยนแปลง หลวงพ่อไพศาล วิสาโล
คนเราย่อมปรารถนาความเปลี่ยนแปลง หากว่าความเปลี่ยนแปลงนั้นอยู่ในอำนาจของเรา หรือสอดคล้องกับความต้องการของเรา ไม่มีใครอยากขับรถคันเดิม ใช้โทรศัพท์เครื่องเดิม หรืออยู่กับที่ไปตลอด มิจำต้องพูดถึงการอยู่ในอิริยาบถเดิม ๆ เราต้องการสิ่งใหม่ ๆ อยู่เสมอ แต่ความจริงอย่างหนึ่งที่เราปฏิเสธไม่ได้ก็คือ มีความเปลี่ยนแปลงหลายอย่างที่เราไม่ต้องการแต่หนีไม่พ้น ความเปลี่ยนแปลงอย่างนี้แหละที่ผู้คนประหวั่นพรั่นพรึง วิตกกังวลเมื่อนึกถึงมัน และเป็นทุกข์เมื่อมันมาถึง
แต่ยังมีความจริงอีกอย่างหนึ่งที่เราพึงตระหนักก็คือ สุขหรือทุกข์นั้น มิได้ขึ้นอยู่กับว่า มีอะไรเกิดขึ้นกับเรา แต่อยู่ที่ว่า เรารู้สึกอย่างไรกับสิ่งนั้นต่างหาก แม้มีสิ่งไม่ดีเกิดขึ้นกับเรา แต่ถ้าเราไม่รู้สึกย่ำแย่ไปกับมัน หรือวางใจให้เป็น มันก็ทำให้เราเป็นทุกข์ไม่ได้
กนกวรรณ ศิลป์สุข เป็นโรคธาลัสซีเมียตั้งแต่เกิด ทำให้เธอมีร่างกายแคระแกร็น กระดูกเปราะและเจ็บป่วยด้วยโรคแทรกซ้อนนานาชนิด ซึ่งมักทำให้อายุสั้น แต่เธอกับน้องสาวไม่มีสีหน้าอมทุกข์แต่อย่างใด กลับใช้ชีวิตอย่างมีความสุข เธอพูดจากประสบการณ์ของตัวเองว่า “มันไม่สำคัญหรอกว่าเราจะเป็นอย่างไรหรือมีอะไรเกิดขึ้นกับชีวิต แต่สำคัญที่ว่าเมื่อเกิดขึ้นมาแล้ว เราคิดกับมันยังไงต่างหาก สำหรับเราสองคน ความสุขเป็นเรื่องที่หาง่ายมาก ถ้าใจของเราคิดว่ามันเป็นความสุข”
โอโตทาเกะ ฮิโรทาดะ เกิดมาพิการ ไร้แขนไร้ขา แต่เขาสามารถช่วยตัวเองได้แทบทุกอย่าง ในหนังสือเรื่อง ไม่ครบห้า เขาพูดไว้ตอนหนึ่งว่า “ผมเกิดมาพิการแต่ผมมีความสุขและสนุกทุกวัน” ใครที่ได้รู้จักเขาคงยอมรับเต็มปากว่าเขาเป็นคนที่มีความสุขคนหนึ่ง อาจจะสุขมากกว่าคนที่มีอวัยวะครบ (แต่กลับเป็นทุกข์เพราะหน้ามีสิว ผิวตกกระ หุ่นไม่กระชับ)
ในโลกที่ซับซ้อนและผันผวนปรวนแปรอยู่เสมอ เราไม่สามารถเลือกได้ว่าจะต้องมีสิ่งดี ๆ เกิดขึ้นกับเราตลอดเวลา แต่เราเลือกได้ว่าจะมีปฏิกิริยากับสิ่งนั้นอย่างไร รวมทั้งเลือกได้ว่าจะยอมให้มันมีอิทธิพลต่อเราอย่างไรและแค่ไหน..ในวันที่แดดจ้าอากาศร้อนอ้าว บุรุษไปรษณีย์คนหนึ่งยืนรอส่งเอกสารหน้าบ้านหลังใหญ่ หลังจากเรียกหาเจ้าของบ้านแต่ไม่มีวี่แววว่าจะมีคนมารับ เขาก็ร้องเพลงไปพลาง ๆ เสียงดังชัดเจนไปทั้งซอย ในที่สุดเจ้าของบ้านก็ออกจากห้องแอร์มารับเอกสาร เธอมีสีหน้าหงุดหงิด เมื่อรับเอกสารเสร็จเธอก็ถามบุรุษไปรษณีย์ว่า “ร้อนแบบนี้ยังมีอารมณ์ร้องเพลงอีกเหรอ” เขายิ้มแล้วตอบว่า “ถ้าโลกร้อนแต่ใจเราเย็น มันก็เย็นครับ ร้องเพลงเป็นความสุขของผมอย่างหนึ่ง ส่งไปร้องไป” ว่าแล้วเขาก็ขับรถจากไป
เราสั่งให้อากาศเย็นตลอดเวลาไม่ได้ แต่เราเลือกได้ว่าจะยอมให้อากาศร้อนมีอิทธิพลต่อจิตใจของเราได้แค่ไหน นี้คือเสรีภาพอย่างหนึ่งที่เรามีกันทุกคน อยู่ที่ว่าเราจะใช้เสรีภาพชนิดนี้หรือไม่ พูดอีกอย่างก็คือ ถ้าเราหงุดหงิดเพราะอากาศร้อน นั่นแสดงว่าเราเลือกแล้วที่จะยอมให้มันยัดเยียดความทุกข์แก่ใจเรา
ถึงที่สุดแล้ว สุขหรือทุกข์อยู่ที่เราเลือก มิใช่มีใครมาทำให้ ถึงแม้จะป่วยด้วยโรคร้าย เราก็ยังสามารถมีความสุขได้ โจว ต้า กวน เด็กชายวัย ๑๐ ขวบ เป็นโรคมะเร็งที่ขา จนต้องผ่าตัดถึง ๓ ครั้ง เขาได้เขียนบทกวีเล่าถึงประสบการณ์ในครั้งนั้นว่า เมื่อพ่อแม่จูงมือเขาเข้าห้องผ่าตัด เขาเลือก “น้องสงบ” เป็นเพื่อน (แทนที่จะเป็น “น้องกังวล”) เมื่อเขาห้องผ่าตัดครั้งที่สอง เขาเลือก “ลุงมั่นคง”เป็นเพื่อน (แทนที่จะเป็น “ป้ากลัว”) เมื่อพ่ออุ้มเขาเข้าห้องผ่าตัดครั้งที่สาม เขาเลือก “ชีวิต” (แทนที่จะเป็น “ความตาย”) ด้วยการเลือกเช่นนี้มะเร็งจึงบั่นทอนได้แต่ร่างกายของเขา แต่ทำอะไรจิตใจเขาไม่ได้
เมื่อใดก็ตามที่ความเปลี่ยนแปลงอันไม่พึงประสงค์เกิดขึ้น หากเราไม่สามารถสกัดกั้นหรือบรรเทาลงได้ ในยามนั้นไม่มีอะไรดีกว่าการหันมาจัดการกับใจของเราเอง เพื่อให้เกิดความทุกข์น้อยที่สุด หรือใช้มันให้เกิดประโยชน์มากที่สุด ด้วยวิธีการต่อไปนี้
๑. ยอมรับความจริงที่เกิดขึ้นแล้ว การยอมรับความจริงที่ไม่พึงประสงค์ ทำให้เราเลิกบ่น ตีโพยตีพาย หรือมัวแต่ตีอกชกหัว ซึ่งมีแต่จะเพิ่มความทุกข์ให้แก่ตนเอง คนเรามักซ้ำเติมตัวเองด้วยการบ่นโวยวายในสิ่งที่ไม่อาจแก้ไขอะไรได้
เรามักทำใจยอมรับความจริงที่เกิดขึ้นแล้วไม่ได้ เพราะเห็นว่ามันไม่ถูกต้อง ไม่น่าเกิด ไม่ยุติธรรม (“ทำไมต้องเป็นฉัน ?”) แต่ยิ่งไปยึดติดหรือหมกมุ่นกับเหตุผลเหล่านั้น เราก็ยิ่งเป็นทุกข์ แทนที่จะเสียเวลาและพลังงานไปกับการบ่นโวยวาย ไม่ดีกว่าหรือหากเราจะเอาเวลาและพลังงานเหล่านั้นไปใช้ในการรับมือกับสิ่ง ที่เกิดขึ้นแล้ว
เด็ก ๓ คนได้รับมอบหมายให้ขนของขึ้นรถไฟ แต่ระหว่างที่กำลังขนของ เด็กชาย ๒ คนก็ผละไปดูโทรทัศน์ซึ่งกำลังถ่ายทอดสดการชกมวยของสมจิตร จงจอหอ นักชกเหรียญทองโอลิมปิค เมื่อมีคนถามเด็กหญิงซึ่งกำลังขนของอยู่คนเดียวว่า เธอไม่โกรธหรือคิดจะด่าว่าเพื่อน ๒ คนนั้นหรือ เธอตอบว่า “หนูขนของขึ้นรถไฟ หนูเหนื่อยอย่างเดียว แต่ถ้าหนูโกรธหรือไปด่าว่าเขา หนูก็ต้องเหนื่อยสองอย่าง”
ทุกครั้งที่ทำงาน เราสามารถเลือกได้ว่าจะเหนื่อยอย่างเดียว หรือเหนื่อยสองอย่าง คำถามคือทุกวันนี้เราเลือกเหนื่อยกี่อย่าง นอกจากเหนื่อยกายแล้ว เรายังเหนื่อยใจด้วยหรือไม่
การยอมรับความจริง ไม่ได้แปลว่ายอมจำนนต่อสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้น แต่เป็นจุดเริ่มต้นของการเลือกที่จะไม่ยอมทุกข์เพราะความเปลี่ยนแปลง อีกทั้งยังทำให้สามารถตั้งหลักหรือปรับตัวปรับใจพร้อมรับความเปลี่ยนแปลง นั้นอย่างดีที่สุด
๒. ทำปัจจุบันให้ดีที่สุด นอกจากบ่นโวยวายกับสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นแล้ว เรามักทุกข์เพราะอาลัยอดีตอันงดงาม หรือกังวลกับสิ่งเลวร้ายที่คาดว่าจะเกิดขึ้นในอนาคต สุดท้ายก็เลยไม่เป็นอันทำอะไร
ไม่ว่าจะอาลัยอดีตหรือกังวลกับอนาคตเพียงใด ก็ไม่ช่วยให้อะไรดีขึ้น กลับทำให้เราย่ำแย่กว่าเดิม สิ่งเดียวที่จะทำให้อะไรดีขึ้นก็คือการทำปัจจุบันให้ดีที่สุด ทางข้างหน้าแม้จะยาวไกลและลำบากเพียงใด แต่เราไม่มีวันถึงจุดหมายเลยหากไม่ลงมือก้าวเสียแต่เดี๋ยวนี้ รวมทั้งใส่ใจกับแต่ละก้าวให้ดี ถ้าก้าวไม่หยุดในที่สุดก็ต้องถึงที่หมายเอง
บรู๊ซ เคอร์บี นักไต่เขา พูดไว้อย่างน่าสนใจว่า “ทุกอย่างมักจะดูเลวร้ายกว่าความจริงเสมอเมื่อเรามองจากที่ไกล ๆ เช่น หนทางขึ้นเขาดูน่ากลัว....บางเส้นทางอาจดูเลวร้ายจนคุณระย่อและอยากหันหลัง กลับ นานมาแล้วผมได้บทเรียนสำคัญคือ แทนที่จะมองขึ้นไปข้างบนและสูญเสียกำลังใจกับการจินตนาการถึงอันตรายข้าง หน้า ผมจับจ้องอยู่ที่พื้นใต้ฝ่าเท้าแล้วก้าวไปข้างหน้าทีละก้าว”
๓. มองแง่บวก มองแง่บวกไม่ได้หมายถึงการฝันหวานว่าอนาคตจะต้องดีแน่ แต่หมายถึงการมองเห็นสิ่งดี ๆ ที่มีอยู่ในปัจจุบัน ไม่ว่าเจ็บป่วย ตกงาน หรืออกหัก ก็ยังมีสิ่งดี ๆ อยู่รอบตัวและในตัวเรา รวมทั้งมองเห็นสิ่งดี ๆ ที่ซุกซ่อนอยู่ในความเปลี่ยนแปลงเหล่านั้นด้วย
แม้กนกวรรณ ศิลป์สุข จะป่วยด้วยโรคร้าย แต่เธอก็มีความสุขทุกวัน เพราะ “เราก็ยังมีตาเอาไว้มองสิ่งที่สวย ๆ มีจมูกไว้ดมกลิ่นหอม ๆ มีปากไว้กินอาหารอร่อย ๆ แล้วก็มีร่างกายที่ยังพอทำอะไรได้อีกหลายอย่าง แค่นี้ก็เพียงพอแล้วที่เราจะมีความสุข” ส่วนจารุวรรณ ศิลป์สุข น้องสาวของเธอ ซึ่งขาหักถึง ๑๔ ครั้งด้วยโรคเดียวกัน ก็พูดว่า “ขาหักก็ดีเหมือนกัน ไม่ต้องไปโรงเรียน ได้อยู่กับบ้าน ฟังยายเล่านิทาน หรือไม่ก็อ่านหนังสือ อยู่กับดอกไม้ กับธรรมชาติ กับสิ่งที่เราชอบ ก็ถือว่ามีความสุขไปอีกแบบ”
โจว ต้า กวน แม้จะถูกตัดขา แต่แทนที่จะเศร้าเสียใจกับขาที่ถูกตัด เขากลับรู้สึกดีที่ยังมีขาอีกข้างหนึ่ง ดังตั้งชื่อหนังสือรวมบทกวีของเขาว่า “ฉันยังมีขาอีกข้างหนึ่ง”
หลายคนพบว่าการที่เป็นมะเร็งทำให้ตนเองได้มาพบธรรมะและความสุขที่ลึกซึ้ง จึงอดไม่ได้ที่จะอุทานว่า “โชคดีที่เป็นมะเร็ง” ขณะที่บางคนบอกว่า “โชคดีที่เป็นแค่มะเร็งสมอง” เพราะหากเป็นมะเร็งปากมดลูกเธอจะต้องเจ็บปวดยิ่งกว่านี้
ถึงที่สุด ไม่ว่าอะไรเกิดขึ้นกับเรา ก็ล้วนดีเสมอ อย่างน้อยก็ดีที่ไม่แย่ไปกว่านี้
๔. มีสติ รู้เท่าทันตนเอง เมื่อความเปลี่ยนแปลงที่ไม่พึงประสงค์เกิดขึ้น เรามักมองออกนอกตัว และอดไม่ได้ที่จะโทษคนโน้น ต่อว่าคนนี้ และเรียกหาใครต่อใครมาช่วย แต่เรามักลืมดูใจตนเอง ว่ากำลังปล่อยให้ความโกรธแค้น ความกังวล และความท้อแท้ครอบงำใจไปแล้วมากน้อยเพียงใด เราลืมไปว่าเป็นตัวเราเองต่างหากที่ยอมให้เหตุการณ์ต่าง ๆ รอบตัวยัดเยียดความทุกข์ให้แก่ใจเรา ไม่ใช่เราดอกหรือที่เลือกทุกข์มากกว่าสุข การมีสติ ระลึกรู้ใจที่กำลังจมอยู่กับความทุกข์ จะช่วยพาใจกลับสู่ความปกติ เห็นอารมณ์ต่าง ๆ เกิดขึ้นโดยไม่ไปข้องเกี่ยว จ่อมจม หรือยึดติดถือมั่นมัน อีกทั้งยังเปิดช่องและบ่มเพาะปัญญาให้ทำงานได้เต็มที่ สามารถเปลี่ยนร้ายให้กลายเป็นดี หรือมองเห็นด้านดีของมันได้
สติและปัญญาทำให้เรามีเสรีภาพที่จะเลือกสุข และหันหลังให้กับความทุกข์ ใช่หรือไม่ว่าอิสรภาพที่แท้ คือ ความสามารถในการอนุญาตให้สิ่งต่าง ๆ มีอิทธิพลต่อชีวิตของเราได้เพียงใด ความเปลี่ยนแปลงของร่างกาย ของทรัพย์สิน ของผู้คนรอบตัว รวมทั้งความเปลี่ยนแปลงในบ้านเมือง ไม่สามารถทำให้เราทุกข์ได้ หากเราเข้าถึงอิสรภาพดังกล่าว แทนที่เราจะมัววิงวอนเรียกร้องให้เกิดความเปลี่ยนแปลงที่ถูกใจเรา ไม่ดีกว่าหรือหากเราพยายามพัฒนาตนบ่มเพาะจิตใจให้เข้าถึงอิสรภาพดังกล่าว ควบคู่ไปกับการสร้างสรรค์สิ่งดีงามให้เกิดขึ้นแก่ตนเองและสังคม
credit : Suphan Click!!
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@ 40b9c85f:5e61b451
2025-04-24 15:27:02Introduction
Data Vending Machines (DVMs) have emerged as a crucial component of the Nostr ecosystem, offering specialized computational services to clients across the network. As defined in NIP-90, DVMs operate on an apparently simple principle: "data in, data out." They provide a marketplace for data processing where users request specific jobs (like text translation, content recommendation, or AI text generation)
While DVMs have gained significant traction, the current specification faces challenges that hinder widespread adoption and consistent implementation. This article explores some ideas on how we can apply the reflection pattern, a well established approach in RPC systems, to address these challenges and improve the DVM ecosystem's clarity, consistency, and usability.
The Current State of DVMs: Challenges and Limitations
The NIP-90 specification provides a broad framework for DVMs, but this flexibility has led to several issues:
1. Inconsistent Implementation
As noted by hzrd149 in "DVMs were a mistake" every DVM implementation tends to expect inputs in slightly different formats, even while ostensibly following the same specification. For example, a translation request DVM might expect an event ID in one particular format, while an LLM service could expect a "prompt" input that's not even specified in NIP-90.
2. Fragmented Specifications
The DVM specification reserves a range of event kinds (5000-6000), each meant for different types of computational jobs. While creating sub-specifications for each job type is being explored as a possible solution for clarity, in a decentralized and permissionless landscape like Nostr, relying solely on specification enforcement won't be effective for creating a healthy ecosystem. A more comprehensible approach is needed that works with, rather than against, the open nature of the protocol.
3. Ambiguous API Interfaces
There's no standardized way for clients to discover what parameters a specific DVM accepts, which are required versus optional, or what output format to expect. This creates uncertainty and forces developers to rely on documentation outside the protocol itself, if such documentation exists at all.
The Reflection Pattern: A Solution from RPC Systems
The reflection pattern in RPC systems offers a compelling solution to many of these challenges. At its core, reflection enables servers to provide metadata about their available services, methods, and data types at runtime, allowing clients to dynamically discover and interact with the server's API.
In established RPC frameworks like gRPC, reflection serves as a self-describing mechanism where services expose their interface definitions and requirements. In MCP reflection is used to expose the capabilities of the server, such as tools, resources, and prompts. Clients can learn about available capabilities without prior knowledge, and systems can adapt to changes without requiring rebuilds or redeployments. This standardized introspection creates a unified way to query service metadata, making tools like
grpcurl
possible without requiring precompiled stubs.How Reflection Could Transform the DVM Specification
By incorporating reflection principles into the DVM specification, we could create a more coherent and predictable ecosystem. DVMs already implement some sort of reflection through the use of 'nip90params', which allow clients to discover some parameters, constraints, and features of the DVMs, such as whether they accept encryption, nutzaps, etc. However, this approach could be expanded to provide more comprehensive self-description capabilities.
1. Defined Lifecycle Phases
Similar to the Model Context Protocol (MCP), DVMs could benefit from a clear lifecycle consisting of an initialization phase and an operation phase. During initialization, the client and DVM would negotiate capabilities and exchange metadata, with the DVM providing a JSON schema containing its input requirements. nip-89 (or other) announcements can be used to bootstrap the discovery and negotiation process by providing the input schema directly. Then, during the operation phase, the client would interact with the DVM according to the negotiated schema and parameters.
2. Schema-Based Interactions
Rather than relying on rigid specifications for each job type, DVMs could self-advertise their schemas. This would allow clients to understand which parameters are required versus optional, what type validation should occur for inputs, what output formats to expect, and what payment flows are supported. By internalizing the input schema of the DVMs they wish to consume, clients gain clarity on how to interact effectively.
3. Capability Negotiation
Capability negotiation would enable DVMs to advertise their supported features, such as encryption methods, payment options, or specialized functionalities. This would allow clients to adjust their interaction approach based on the specific capabilities of each DVM they encounter.
Implementation Approach
While building DVMCP, I realized that the RPC reflection pattern used there could be beneficial for constructing DVMs in general. Since DVMs already follow an RPC style for their operation, and reflection is a natural extension of this approach, it could significantly enhance and clarify the DVM specification.
A reflection enhanced DVM protocol could work as follows: 1. Discovery: Clients discover DVMs through existing NIP-89 application handlers, input schemas could also be advertised in nip-89 announcements, making the second step unnecessary. 2. Schema Request: Clients request the DVM's input schema for the specific job type they're interested in 3. Validation: Clients validate their request against the provided schema before submission 4. Operation: The job proceeds through the standard NIP-90 flow, but with clearer expectations on both sides
Parallels with Other Protocols
This approach has proven successful in other contexts. The Model Context Protocol (MCP) implements a similar lifecycle with capability negotiation during initialization, allowing any client to communicate with any server as long as they adhere to the base protocol. MCP and DVM protocols share fundamental similarities, both aim to expose and consume computational resources through a JSON-RPC-like interface, albeit with specific differences.
gRPC's reflection service similarly allows clients to discover service definitions at runtime, enabling generic tools to work with any gRPC service without prior knowledge. In the REST API world, OpenAPI/Swagger specifications document interfaces in a way that makes them discoverable and testable.
DVMs would benefit from adopting these patterns while maintaining the decentralized, permissionless nature of Nostr.
Conclusion
I am not attempting to rewrite the DVM specification; rather, explore some ideas that could help the ecosystem improve incrementally, reducing fragmentation and making the ecosystem more comprehensible. By allowing DVMs to self describe their interfaces, we could maintain the flexibility that makes Nostr powerful while providing the structure needed for interoperability.
For developers building DVM clients or libraries, this approach would simplify consumption by providing clear expectations about inputs and outputs. For DVM operators, it would establish a standard way to communicate their service's requirements without relying on external documentation.
I am currently developing DVMCP following these patterns. Of course, DVMs and MCP servers have different details; MCP includes capabilities such as tools, resources, and prompts on the server side, as well as 'roots' and 'sampling' on the client side, creating a bidirectional way to consume capabilities. In contrast, DVMs typically function similarly to MCP tools, where you call a DVM with an input and receive an output, with each job type representing a different categorization of the work performed.
Without further ado, I hope this article has provided some insight into the potential benefits of applying the reflection pattern to the DVM specification.
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@ b2caa9b3:9eab0fb5
2025-04-24 06:25:35Yesterday, I faced one of the most heartbreaking and frustrating experiences of my life. Between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, I was held at the Taveta border, denied entry into Kenya—despite having all the necessary documents, including a valid visitor’s permit and an official invitation letter.
The Kenyan Immigration officers refused to speak with me. When I asked for clarification, I was told flatly that I would never be allowed to enter Kenya unless I obtain a work permit. No other reason was given. My attempts to explain that I simply wanted to see my child were ignored. No empathy. No flexibility. No conversation. Just rejection.
While I stood there for hours, held by officials with no explanation beyond a bureaucratic wall, I recorded the experience. I now have several hours of footage documenting what happened—a silent testimony to how a system can dehumanize and block basic rights.
And the situation doesn’t end at the border.
My child, born in Kenya, is also being denied the right to see me. Germany refuses to grant her citizenship, which means she cannot visit me either. The German embassy in Nairobi refuses to assist, stating they won’t get involved. Their silence is loud.
This is not just about paperwork. This is about a child growing up without her father. It’s about a system that chooses walls over bridges, and bureaucracy over humanity. Kenya, by refusing me entry, is keeping a father away from his child. Germany, by refusing to act under §13 StGB, is complicit in that injustice.
In the coming days, I’ll share more about my past travels and how this situation unfolded. I’ll also be releasing videos and updates on TikTok—because this story needs to be heard. Not just for me, but for every parent and child caught between borders and bureaucracies.
Stay tuned—and thank you for standing with me.
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@ 0b118e40:4edc09cb
2025-05-15 15:40:21My week started off with a lovely message from a friend : “I often think about you. Especially during times when it requires me to be more resilient and have faith in myself. I always carry your note in the book you gave me, “what the dog saw” And it always gives me courage and I send a little prayer your way”.
This friend of mine was dealing with the undercurrent of discrimination in my alma mater when we first met, and I helped out. It's something anybody would have done, but surprisingly, nobody else showed up. We’ve stayed in touch over the years, and my friend went on to help a lot of other people along the way.
I don’t remember what I wrote in that note. It’s something I tend to do (write notes, give books, write notes in books). But the message boomeranged back to me at a time when I needed to hold the line. To keep the faith.
Most of us don’t talk about our struggles. And sometimes the smallest act, which could just be a kind word or a reminder of the person you are, can carry farther than we imagine.
On the act of giving
There’s a book called Give and Take by Adam Grant. I picked it up hoping to learn how to take, because it’s always been easier to give and harder to accept help. But what I learned was something else entirely.
Grant studied over 30,000 people across different companies and grouped them into three types: * Givers * Matchers * Takers
Based on his studies, givers often finish last... They struggle the most. They burn out. They get overlooked. They’re too trusting.
But oddly, they also rise to the very top.
Matchers are the scorekeepers, the “I’ll help you if you help me” kind. They make up most of the population. The fascinating thing about tit-for-tat is that if someone’s kind, they reciprocate. But if someone acts like a jerk, they return the energy, and over time, it becomes a pool of spoiled milk. Matchers are a lukewarm, forgettable kind of network.
Takers are the ones chasing attention, always aligning themselves with whoever looks powerful. They tend to float toward status and soak up what they can. But they often portray themselves as kind and giving.
One example Grant shared was Enron's Kenneth Lay, who was at the center of one of the biggest corporate scandals in U.S. history. He hung around wherever he’d get seen or validated. He funded both Bush and Clinton, hedging his bets on who might win by securing proximity. Sadly, when Enron crumbled, he died of a heart attack before his prison sentencing.
Most people steer clear from takers because they are just exhausting. And takers often collapse under the weight of their own games.
But takers aren’t the lowest performers. That spot belongs to a certain kind of giver—the self-neglecting kind. The ones with no boundaries, no clarity, and no self-awareness. They give in to avoid conflict, to feel worthy, or because they don’t know how to say no. And when life breaks them, they point fingers.
Then there’s the other kind of giver. The ones who build trust and build people up without asking for a receipt.
These givers: 1. Give without expectation, from a place of purpose 2. Build and uplift others without seeking credit 3. Set boundaries and walk away when giving turns into draining
This group of givers rarely talk much about what they do for others. But when you hear about it or see it, it stays with you. It makes you want to show up a little better.
Why open source environments feels like home
The more I thought about it, the more I saw how deeply open source reflects that kind of giving that ends up right at the top.
In open source, you don’t last if it’s just about ego. You can’t fake it. There are no titles, no awards. You either show up to build and help, or you don’t.
People who give without needing to be seen are the ones the community leans on. You can tell when someone’s pretending to care. It’s in their tone, their urgency and their sense of transaction. The genuine ones don’t need to brand themselves as generous. They just are.
Open source works because giving is the default setting. The work speaks volumes and generosity compounds. The system filters for people who show up with purpose and stay consistent.
It’s also why the ones who whine, posture, or manipulate rarely last. They might call themselves givers, but they’re not fooling anyone who’s actually doing the work.
Adam Grant found that for giver cultures to thrive, takers have to be removed. They need to be pruned. Because takers poison the well. They drain givers, shift the culture from contribution to calculation, and unravel the trust that holds open systems together.
When hope boomerangs
That note is something I don’t remember writing. But it found its way back to me, and it was a good reminder to take my own advice and keep the faith.
And maybe that’s the point.
You do a small thing. And years later, it circles back when it matters most. Not because you expected it. But because you mattered.
According to Grant, givers do best when they combine generosity with grit and strategy. They create networks built on goodwill, which eventually open doors others don’t even know exist.
So if you’re wondering where I’m going with this, do something genuinely kind for someone today. Even if it’s as simple as sending a kind note. Not for you to be seen or heard. And not for you to keep scores.
But, just because.
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@ 9bde4214:06ca052b
2025-04-22 18:13:37"It's gonna be permissionless or hell."
Gigi and gzuuus are vibing towards dystopia.
Books & articles mentioned:
- AI 2027
- DVMs were a mistake
- Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
- Takedown by Laila michelwait
- The Ultimate Resource by Julian L. Simon
- Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
- Momo by Michael Ende
In this dialogue:
- Pablo's Roo Setup
- Tech Hype Cycles
- AI 2027
- Prompt injection and other attacks
- Goose and DVMCP
- Cursor vs Roo Code
- Staying in control thanks to Amber and signing delegation
- Is YOLO mode here to stay?
- What agents to trust?
- What MCP tools to trust?
- What code snippets to trust?
- Everyone will run into the issues of trust and micropayments
- Nostr solves Web of Trust & micropayments natively
- Minimalistic & open usually wins
- DVMCP exists thanks to Totem
- Relays as Tamagochis
- Agents aren't nostr experts, at least not right now
- Fix a mistake once & it's fixed forever
- Giving long-term memory to LLMs
- RAG Databases signed by domain experts
- Human-agent hybrids & Chess
- Nostr beating heart
- Pluggable context & experts
- "You never need an API key for anything"
- Sats and social signaling
- Difficulty-adjusted PoW as a rare-limiting mechanism
- Certificate authorities and centralization
- No solutions to policing speech!
- OAuth and how it centralized
- Login with nostr
- Closed vs open-source models
- Tiny models vs large models
- The minions protocol (Stanford paper)
- Generalist models vs specialized models
- Local compute & encrypted queries
- Blinded compute
- "In the eyes of the state, agents aren't people"
- Agents need identity and money; nostr provides both
- "It's gonna be permissionless or hell"
- We already have marketplaces for MCP stuff, code snippets, and other things
- Most great stuff came from marketplaces (browsers, games, etc)
- Zapstore shows that this is already working
- At scale, central control never works. There's plenty scams and viruses in the app stores.
- Using nostr to archive your user-generated content
- HAVEN, blossom, novia
- The switcharoo from advertisements to training data
- What is Truth?
- What is Real?
- "We're vibing into dystopia"
- Who should be the arbiter of Truth?
- First Amendment & why the Logos is sacred
- Silicon Valley AI bros arrogantly dismiss wisdom and philosophy
- Suicide rates & the meaning crisis
- Are LLMs symbiotic or parasitic?
- The Amish got it right
- Are we gonna make it?
- Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
- Takedown by Laila michelwait
- Harry Potter dementors & Momo's time thieves
- Facebook & Google as non-human (superhuman) agents
- Zapping as a conscious action
- Privacy and the internet
- Plausible deniability thanks to generative models
- Google glasses, glassholes, and Meta's Ray Ben's
- People crave realness
- Bitcoin is the realest money we ever had
- Nostr allows for real and honest expression
- How do we find out what's real?
- Constraints, policing, and chilling effects
- Jesus' plans for DVMCP
- Hzrd's article on how DVMs are broken (DVMs were a mistake)
- Don't believe the hype
- DVMs pre-date MCP tools
- Data Vending Machines were supposed to be stupid: put coin in, get stuff out.
- Self-healing vibe-coding
- IP addresses as scarce assets
- Atomic swaps and the ASS protocol
- More marketplaces, less silos
- The intensity of #SovEng and the last 6 weeks
- If you can vibe-code everything, why build anything?
- Time, the ultimate resource
- What are the LLMs allowed to think?
- Natural language interfaces are inherently dialogical
- Sovereign Engineering is dialogical too
-
@ d9e9fb27:d5fe5e1a
2025-04-22 01:29:16"There are two pillars in Costa Rica, education and coffee." A tourist guide I met told me this, and during the trip I discovered the strong link between coffee and the locals.
In fact, coffee runs very deeply in the Ticos' culture. So deep that the summer vacations from school (November to January) coincide with the coffee collection season. Children had to help their parents with the coffee. Coffee was a family business.
Monteverde, in the region of Puentarenas, is one of those places where coffee ha always been a corner stone of the society. Here, My gf and I went to visit a coffee plantation and discovered how coffee is made.
Monteverde
Monteverde is a well-known turistic location in the central part of Costa Rica. Many people reach this beautiful place to visit the famous Cloud Rainforest, acres and acres of pristine forest, with many different kind of animals and plants living in it.
However, other than tourism is coffee that pushes the economy of this place. The hills around the town are covered with coffee plantations and there are tours than try to explain how coffee is made.
Coffee Tours
While we were in Monteverde, we joined one of these tours. We decided to give credit to a smaller plantation instead of the super turistic ones. A more rustic and family-owned business, El Pueblo Coffee Tour. We were not disappointed. We had the show all to ourselves, a super-prepared guide and all the time to make questions and enjoy with no rush.
The Plant of Coffee
Since Costa Rica is a quite small country, to compete on the market producers decided to bet on quality instead of quantity. That's why, the only type produced here is the Arabica.
Before the coffee bean, the plant produces a nice white flower, similar to the jasmine.
After a while, the coffee beans appear.
As soon as they turn red, they are ready to be collected.
Interesting fact: between the coffee plants many fruit trees like mangos or bananos can be found. In fact, those plants help keep the soil fertile and healthy, thus leading to a higher coffee quality!
Coffee Harvesting
Coffee is still harvested by hand. Beans do not get mature at the same time, so manual labor is needed. Laborer use a very simple tool to collect coffee, one which allow them to have both hands free.
Workers do not get paid by hours, but by the number of cajuelas that they can fill. A cajuela is a standard box, which contains around 13kg of beans. It's divided into quarters, so that the worker can get paid for the quarter, too.
Each cajuela is paid around 3.50$.
Coffee Drying
In the farm we visited, drying was perfomed naturally, through the heat of the sun. There are three ways in which the bean is left to dry: lavado, miel and naturàl.
- Lavado: The beans are peeled and washed to remove the jelly.
- Miel: The jelly on the beans is maintained to give it more sweet flavour.
- Naturàl: The bean is left to dry with its peel on, to give it a more fruity taste.
Back in the days, to peel the beans for the lavado and the miel variety, the pìlon was used. The bean is very hard, thus this tool does not damage it.
However, today the peeling procedure is done using a machine.
Coffee Roasting
The last step in the production of coffee is roasting. Coffee is put inside a sort of hoven, and is left there at high temperature according to the level of roasting that is needed. The more roasting, the less caffeine there is and the more bitter the coffee. Usually you have light, medium and dark roast.
Coffee Tasting
In the end, we also had a coffee tasting. We tried different roasting and different varieties.
Our guide explained us the best way to taste coffee and helped us defining the different flavours that we perceived. He also taught us the best way to prepare it: infusion time, water temperature, coffe makers and so on.
My favorite one was the dark one, while my gf enjoyed the light roast more. Of course, we bought some packs of these varieties!
Thanks for tuning in!
I hope you enjoyed this brief overview of the Costa Rican coffee.
Pura Vida
Tuma
-
@ c1e6505c:02b3157e
2025-05-15 15:25:27“Put that camera down, you bitch,” someone yelled out of a car as it drove by with the door wide open.
I had a little time in Savannah yesterday to walk around and take some photos. I tend to wander through the rougher areas — not just in Savannah, but in any city I visit. I’m drawn to the spots most people avoid. Not the tourist zones, but the alleys, the quiet, broken-down neighborhoods where the grit is.
I’ve photographed Savannah a lot over the past few years, so it’s getting harder to find places I haven’t already been. But every now and then, I’ll stumble on a back street or alley I’ve never seen before, and in it, something I’m almost certain no one else has photographed.
There’s something about walking aimlessly with a camera that I find incredibly fulfilling. Honestly, if I could do just that for the rest of my life — wander around and photograph things that most people overlook — I’d be content.
There’s a quote I heard recently - can’t remember who said it — but it stuck with me. It was something like: “It’s better to be aimless than to be rigid with a plan.” Because when you’re too locked into a goal, you might miss the opportunities that pop up along the way. You need to stay flexible, fluid—open to what the world hands you.
That’s how I feel about photography. I’ll walk for hours—sometimes five to ten miles — just to see what shows up. It becomes a game. A game between me, the camera, the street, and whatever decides to show up that day.
Usually, it takes a few warm-up shots to get into it — just pictures of objects, whatever catches my eye. But once I find a rhythm, it’s like the world starts to reveal itself. The good stuff comes out of hiding.
That’s what real photography is to me. Not staging scenes or setting up portraits—that’s more like illustration, as Garry Winogrand would say. What I care about is life. Life unfolding right in front of you. Life happening.
Thank you for your attention. Please consider donating a few sats if you enjoy my work. It goes a long way. If not, please share. Thank you.
-
@ 266815e0:6cd408a5
2025-04-15 06:58:14Its been a little over a year since NIP-90 was written and merged into the nips repo and its been a communication mess.
Every DVM implementation expects the inputs in slightly different formats, returns the results in mostly the same format and there are very few DVM actually running.
NIP-90 is overloaded
Why does a request for text translation and creating bitcoin OP_RETURNs share the same input
i
tag? and why is there anoutput
tag on requests when only one of them will return an output?Each DVM request kind is for requesting completely different types of compute with diffrent input and output requirements, but they are all using the same spec that has 4 different types of inputs (
text
,url
,event
,job
) and an undefined number ofoutput
types.Let me show a few random DVM requests and responses I found on
wss://relay.damus.io
to demonstrate what I mean:This is a request to translate an event to English
json { "kind": 5002, "content": "", "tags": [ // NIP-90 says there can be multiple inputs, so how would a DVM handle translatting multiple events at once? [ "i", "<event-id>", "event" ], [ "param", "language", "en" ], // What other type of output would text translations be? image/jpeg? [ "output", "text/plain" ], // Do we really need to define relays? cant the DVM respond on the relays it saw the request on? [ "relays", "wss://relay.unknown.cloud/", "wss://nos.lol/" ] ] }
This is a request to generate text using an LLM model
json { "kind": 5050, // Why is the content empty? wouldn't it be better to have the prompt in the content? "content": "", "tags": [ // Why use an indexable tag? are we ever going to lookup prompts? // Also the type "prompt" isn't in NIP-90, this should probably be "text" [ "i", "What is the capital of France?", "prompt" ], [ "p", "c4878054cff877f694f5abecf18c7450f4b6fdf59e3e9cb3e6505a93c4577db2" ], [ "relays", "wss://relay.primal.net" ] ] }
This is a request for content recommendation
json { "kind": 5300, "content": "", "tags": [ // Its fine ignoring this param, but what if the client actually needs exactly 200 "results" [ "param", "max_results", "200" ], // The spec never mentions requesting content for other users. // If a DVM didn't understand this and responded to this request it would provide bad data [ "param", "user", "b22b06b051fd5232966a9344a634d956c3dc33a7f5ecdcad9ed11ddc4120a7f2" ], [ "relays", "wss://relay.primal.net", ], [ "p", "ceb7e7d688e8a704794d5662acb6f18c2455df7481833dd6c384b65252455a95" ] ] }
This is a request to create a OP_RETURN message on bitcoin
json { "kind": 5901, // Again why is the content empty when we are sending human readable text? "content": "", "tags": [ // and again, using an indexable tag on an input that will never need to be looked up ["i", "09/01/24 SEC Chairman on the brink of second ETF approval", "text"] ] }
My point isn't that these event schema's aren't understandable but why are they using the same schema? each use-case is different but are they all required to use the same
i
tag format as input and could support all 4 types of inputs.Lack of libraries
With all these different types of inputs, params, and outputs its verify difficult if not impossible to build libraries for DVMs
If a simple text translation request can have an
event
ortext
as inputs, apayment-required
status at any point in the flow, partial results, or responses from 10+ DVMs whats the best way to build a translation library for other nostr clients to use?And how do I build a DVM framework for the server side that can handle multiple inputs of all four types (
url
,text
,event
,job
) and clients are sending all the requests in slightly differently.Supporting payments is impossible
The way NIP-90 is written there isn't much details about payments. only a
payment-required
status and a genericamount
tagBut the way things are now every DVM is implementing payments differently. some send a bolt11 invoice, some expect the client to NIP-57 zap the request event (or maybe the status event), and some even ask for a subscription. and we haven't even started implementing NIP-61 nut zaps or cashu A few are even formatting the
amount
number wrong or denominating it in sats and not mili-satsBuilding a client or a library that can understand and handle all of these payment methods is very difficult. for the DVM server side its worse. A DVM server presumably needs to support all 4+ types of payments if they want to get the most sats for their services and support the most clients.
All of this is made even more complicated by the fact that a DVM can ask for payment at any point during the job process. this makes sense for some types of compute, but for others like translations or user recommendation / search it just makes things even more complicated.
For example, If a client wanted to implement a timeline page that showed the notes of all the pubkeys on a recommended list. what would they do when the selected DVM asks for payment at the start of the job? or at the end? or worse, only provides half the pubkeys and asks for payment for the other half. building a UI that could handle even just two of these possibilities is complicated.
NIP-89 is being abused
NIP-89 is "Recommended Application Handlers" and the way its describe in the nips repo is
a way to discover applications that can handle unknown event-kinds
Not "a way to discover everything"
If I wanted to build an application discovery app to show all the apps that your contacts use and let you discover new apps then it would have to filter out ALL the DVM advertisement events. and that's not just for making requests from relays
If the app shows the user their list of "recommended applications" then it either has to understand that everything in the 5xxx kind range is a DVM and to show that is its own category or show a bunch of unknown "favorites" in the list which might be confusing for the user.
In conclusion
My point in writing this article isn't that the DVMs implementations so far don't work, but that they will never work well because the spec is too broad. even with only a few DVMs running we have already lost interoperability.
I don't want to be completely negative though because some things have worked. the "DVM feeds" work, although they are limited to a single page of results. text / event translations also work well and kind
5970
Event PoW delegation could be cool. but if we want interoperability, we are going to need to change a few things with NIP-90I don't think we can (or should) abandon NIP-90 entirely but it would be good to break it up into small NIPs or specs. break each "kind" of DVM request out into its own spec with its own definitions for expected inputs, outputs and flow.
Then if we have simple, clean definitions for each kind of compute we want to distribute. we might actually see markets and services being built and used.
-
@ a296b972:e5a7a2e8
2025-05-15 15:07:57***Unserestaatsanwaltschaft***
Die Staatsanwaltschaft Aachen prüft Ermittlungen gegen Unbekannt in Sachen Cum-Ex. Hierfür konnte die ehemalige Chefanklägerin Brohilker als externe Expertin gewonnen werden. Korrektur, die Staatsanwaltschaft prüft Ermittlungen gegen Frau Brohilker. „Richtig so“, sagen Experten. „Es sind doch nur 43 Milliarden im Bermuda-Dreieck verschollen. Man muss auch mal Ruhe geben, genauso, wie bei Corona“. Dank schon heute an Unserestaatsanwaltschaft.
***Bundesamt für Fassungslosigkeit***
Ein Enkel hat die Kochrezepte seiner Großmutter zusammengetragen und veröffentlicht. Ausschließlich Rezepte aus Ostpreußen, Pommern und Schlesien. Das gesamte Kochbuch ist jetzt als Nazi-Küche eingestuft worden, weil der Urenkel die Grenze des guten Geschmacks, also die Oder-Neisse-Linie, dadurch missachtet hat. Weiter wurde ihm Russenfreundlichkeit vorgeworfen, weil auch ein Rezept für Königsberger Klopse abgedruckt wurde.
***Stillhaltezusage***
Die vom Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz ausgesprochene Stillhaltezusage hat Zahnärzte auf die Idee gebracht, diese vor Behandlung von ihren Patienten unterschreiben zu lassen. Widerstand ist zwecklos.
***Paragraphenerweiterung***
Das Würgen des Menschen ist unfassbar. Jeder, der sich dafür einsetzt, dass wieder die Vernunft in Deutschland Einzug hält, wird mit einem Urlaub mit dem Corona-Minister II nicht unter 6 Wochen bestraft.
***Freie Kapazitäten beim Verfassungsschutz***
Das als gesichert stillgehaltene Gutachten hat gezeigt, dass das Bundesamt über erhebliche Kapazitäten verfügt. Diese sollen jetzt gebündelt dazu verwendet werden, die Messerattentate und den Tatbestand der selbstfahrenden Autos in Menschenmengen lückenlos aufzuklären. Erfahrung bei dem Zusammentragen von öffentlichen Zitaten verspricht nun endlich eine zeitnahe Aufklärung.
***Sonderdezernat beim schutzverfassenden Bundesamt***
Die Sprengung der Nordstream 2-Pipeline war ein terroristischer Anschlag auf die Energieversorgung von Deutschland und ganz Europa. Zur nun endgültigen Aufklärung nach nur wenigen Jahren wurde ein Sonderdezernat mit dem Code-Namen „Task Force Peng“ eingerichtet. Man hat bereits Kontakt zu Seymour Hersh aufgenommen, doch der ist zurzeit mit einem Segelboot namens „Andromeda“ auf Weltumrundung unterwegs.
***Eurovision Song Contest***
Der ESC ist eine absolut politisch neutrale Sing-Veranstaltung, bei der persönliche Angriffe gegen Repräsentanten und Innen stets im Bereich des Unmöglichen bleiben. Auch solidarische Gewinnerermittlung zur Unterstützung eines bestimmten Landes entbehrt jeder Grundlage, wie die Vergangenheit wiederholt gezeigt hat.
***Drehtüreffekt***
Das Infragestellen von Personen, die von der Politik in die Medien oder umgekehrt wechseln, hat nichts mit Interessenkonflikten zu tun. Im Gegenteil: Es werden so Kompetenzen ressourcenschonend anschlussverwendet.
***‘Aufrüstung in Deutschland***
Nachdem man zunächst einen Feind erfunden hat, der keine Lust hat, einer zu sein, ist die zwingend logische Schlussfolgerung daraus, dass man jetzt auch wieder die zentrale Macht in Europa werden will. Das freut die Nachbarn, und wie schon in der Ukraine in 2022, beginnt die neue deutsche Zeitrechnung jetzt in 2025. Man ist zu der Überzeugung gelangt, dass Vorgeschichten von Nationen völlig überbewertet werden.
***Vergleich unzulässig***
Die geplante Zerschlagung des Kapitalismus durch die Linke ist etwas völlig anderes, als die Bekämpfung des Kapitalismus zugunsten des Sozialismus durch die SED, weil es damals um die Deutsche Mark ging und heute schließlich um den Euro.
***Bevorstehende Hitzewelle Sommer 2025***
Nach den vergeblichen zwei Anläufen durch plötzlich und unerwarteten Regen in den Jahren 2023 und 2024 ist man sich nun ganz sicher, dass die Erdverkochung durch die Klimawandelung im dritten Anlauf stattfinden wird. Es wurden schon Bodentemperaturen gemessen.
***Neueintrag im Knigge***
Ab sofort schickt es sich nicht, dass vollgeschnaufte Taschentücher auf dem Tisch liegengelassen werden dürfen, wenn die Kamera angeht. Auch Kratzlöffel, wenn der Rücken mal juckt, sind vor Einschalten der Kamera zu entfernen.
***Meinungsfreiheit***
Jeder darf die ihm von den Weisen der Wahrheit vorgegebene Meinung so oft wiederholen und aussprechen, wie er will. Eine Limitierung der Wiederholungen findet nicht statt.
***Selbstbestimmungsgesetz erweitert***
Das Selbstbestimmungsgesetz wurde jetzt erweitert: Man darf sich auch als Finanzamt definieren. Das hat den Vorteil, dass sich der Steuerpflichtige seine Steuerzahlungen auf sein eigenes Konto überweisen kann, um selbst zu entscheiden, wofür die Gelder der Allgemeinheit dienend, ausgegeben werden sollen.
***US-Verbot von Gain-of-Function Forschung***
Dafür, dass deutsche Unternehmen aufgrund der unbezahlbaren Energiekosten ihre Produktionsstätten ins Ausland verlagern, werden in deutschen Bio-Laboren die freigesetzten US-Kapazitäten aus der Forschung mit Kusshand aufgenommen. Operation Paperclip II, nur umgekehrt.
***Deutscher Weltrekord***
Noch nie wurden Ankündigungen in einem Koalitionsvertrag so schnell entsorgt, wie nach den Anfang Mai 2025 stattgefundenen Wahlen. Der verbleibende Rest sind Kann-Bestimmungen, für die sicher ein Grund gefunden wird, warum das Geld zur Umsetzung fehlt.
Dieser Artikel wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben
* *
(Bild von pixabay)
-
@ a5ee4475:2ca75401
2025-05-15 14:44:45lista #descentralismo #compilado #portugues
*Algumas destas listas ainda estão sendo trocadas, portanto as versões mais recentes delas só estão visíveis no Amethyst por causa da ferramenta de edição.
Clients do Nostr e Outras Coisas
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Modelos de IA e Ferramentas
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Grupos em Português no Nostr
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Itens Úteis com Esquemas Disponíveis
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-
@ 91bea5cd:1df4451c
2025-04-15 06:27:28Básico
bash lsblk # Lista todos os diretorios montados.
Para criar o sistema de arquivos:
bash mkfs.btrfs -L "ThePool" -f /dev/sdx
Criando um subvolume:
bash btrfs subvolume create SubVol
Montando Sistema de Arquivos:
bash mount -o compress=zlib,subvol=SubVol,autodefrag /dev/sdx /mnt
Lista os discos formatados no diretório:
bash btrfs filesystem show /mnt
Adiciona novo disco ao subvolume:
bash btrfs device add -f /dev/sdy /mnt
Lista novamente os discos do subvolume:
bash btrfs filesystem show /mnt
Exibe uso dos discos do subvolume:
bash btrfs filesystem df /mnt
Balancea os dados entre os discos sobre raid1:
bash btrfs filesystem balance start -dconvert=raid1 -mconvert=raid1 /mnt
Scrub é uma passagem por todos os dados e metadados do sistema de arquivos e verifica as somas de verificação. Se uma cópia válida estiver disponível (perfis de grupo de blocos replicados), a danificada será reparada. Todas as cópias dos perfis replicados são validadas.
iniciar o processo de depuração :
bash btrfs scrub start /mnt
ver o status do processo de depuração Btrfs em execução:
bash btrfs scrub status /mnt
ver o status do scrub Btrfs para cada um dos dispositivos
bash btrfs scrub status -d / data btrfs scrub cancel / data
Para retomar o processo de depuração do Btrfs que você cancelou ou pausou:
btrfs scrub resume / data
Listando os subvolumes:
bash btrfs subvolume list /Reports
Criando um instantâneo dos subvolumes:
Aqui, estamos criando um instantâneo de leitura e gravação chamado snap de marketing do subvolume de marketing.
bash btrfs subvolume snapshot /Reports/marketing /Reports/marketing-snap
Além disso, você pode criar um instantâneo somente leitura usando o sinalizador -r conforme mostrado. O marketing-rosnap é um instantâneo somente leitura do subvolume de marketing
bash btrfs subvolume snapshot -r /Reports/marketing /Reports/marketing-rosnap
Forçar a sincronização do sistema de arquivos usando o utilitário 'sync'
Para forçar a sincronização do sistema de arquivos, invoque a opção de sincronização conforme mostrado. Observe que o sistema de arquivos já deve estar montado para que o processo de sincronização continue com sucesso.
bash btrfs filsystem sync /Reports
Para excluir o dispositivo do sistema de arquivos, use o comando device delete conforme mostrado.
bash btrfs device delete /dev/sdc /Reports
Para sondar o status de um scrub, use o comando scrub status com a opção -dR .
bash btrfs scrub status -dR / Relatórios
Para cancelar a execução do scrub, use o comando scrub cancel .
bash $ sudo btrfs scrub cancel / Reports
Para retomar ou continuar com uma depuração interrompida anteriormente, execute o comando de cancelamento de depuração
bash sudo btrfs scrub resume /Reports
mostra o uso do dispositivo de armazenamento:
btrfs filesystem usage /data
Para distribuir os dados, metadados e dados do sistema em todos os dispositivos de armazenamento do RAID (incluindo o dispositivo de armazenamento recém-adicionado) montados no diretório /data , execute o seguinte comando:
sudo btrfs balance start --full-balance /data
Pode demorar um pouco para espalhar os dados, metadados e dados do sistema em todos os dispositivos de armazenamento do RAID se ele contiver muitos dados.
Opções importantes de montagem Btrfs
Nesta seção, vou explicar algumas das importantes opções de montagem do Btrfs. Então vamos começar.
As opções de montagem Btrfs mais importantes são:
**1. acl e noacl
**ACL gerencia permissões de usuários e grupos para os arquivos/diretórios do sistema de arquivos Btrfs.
A opção de montagem acl Btrfs habilita ACL. Para desabilitar a ACL, você pode usar a opção de montagem noacl .
Por padrão, a ACL está habilitada. Portanto, o sistema de arquivos Btrfs usa a opção de montagem acl por padrão.
**2. autodefrag e noautodefrag
**Desfragmentar um sistema de arquivos Btrfs melhorará o desempenho do sistema de arquivos reduzindo a fragmentação de dados.
A opção de montagem autodefrag permite a desfragmentação automática do sistema de arquivos Btrfs.
A opção de montagem noautodefrag desativa a desfragmentação automática do sistema de arquivos Btrfs.
Por padrão, a desfragmentação automática está desabilitada. Portanto, o sistema de arquivos Btrfs usa a opção de montagem noautodefrag por padrão.
**3. compactar e compactar-forçar
**Controla a compactação de dados no nível do sistema de arquivos do sistema de arquivos Btrfs.
A opção compactar compacta apenas os arquivos que valem a pena compactar (se compactar o arquivo economizar espaço em disco).
A opção compress-force compacta todos os arquivos do sistema de arquivos Btrfs, mesmo que a compactação do arquivo aumente seu tamanho.
O sistema de arquivos Btrfs suporta muitos algoritmos de compactação e cada um dos algoritmos de compactação possui diferentes níveis de compactação.
Os algoritmos de compactação suportados pelo Btrfs são: lzo , zlib (nível 1 a 9) e zstd (nível 1 a 15).
Você pode especificar qual algoritmo de compactação usar para o sistema de arquivos Btrfs com uma das seguintes opções de montagem:
- compress=algoritmo:nível
- compress-force=algoritmo:nível
Para obter mais informações, consulte meu artigo Como habilitar a compactação do sistema de arquivos Btrfs .
**4. subvol e subvolid
**Estas opções de montagem são usadas para montar separadamente um subvolume específico de um sistema de arquivos Btrfs.
A opção de montagem subvol é usada para montar o subvolume de um sistema de arquivos Btrfs usando seu caminho relativo.
A opção de montagem subvolid é usada para montar o subvolume de um sistema de arquivos Btrfs usando o ID do subvolume.
Para obter mais informações, consulte meu artigo Como criar e montar subvolumes Btrfs .
**5. dispositivo
A opção de montagem de dispositivo** é usada no sistema de arquivos Btrfs de vários dispositivos ou RAID Btrfs.
Em alguns casos, o sistema operacional pode falhar ao detectar os dispositivos de armazenamento usados em um sistema de arquivos Btrfs de vários dispositivos ou RAID Btrfs. Nesses casos, você pode usar a opção de montagem do dispositivo para especificar os dispositivos que deseja usar para o sistema de arquivos de vários dispositivos Btrfs ou RAID.
Você pode usar a opção de montagem de dispositivo várias vezes para carregar diferentes dispositivos de armazenamento para o sistema de arquivos de vários dispositivos Btrfs ou RAID.
Você pode usar o nome do dispositivo (ou seja, sdb , sdc ) ou UUID , UUID_SUB ou PARTUUID do dispositivo de armazenamento com a opção de montagem do dispositivo para identificar o dispositivo de armazenamento.
Por exemplo,
- dispositivo=/dev/sdb
- dispositivo=/dev/sdb,dispositivo=/dev/sdc
- dispositivo=UUID_SUB=490a263d-eb9a-4558-931e-998d4d080c5d
- device=UUID_SUB=490a263d-eb9a-4558-931e-998d4d080c5d,device=UUID_SUB=f7ce4875-0874-436a-b47d-3edef66d3424
**6. degraded
A opção de montagem degradada** permite que um RAID Btrfs seja montado com menos dispositivos de armazenamento do que o perfil RAID requer.
Por exemplo, o perfil raid1 requer a presença de 2 dispositivos de armazenamento. Se um dos dispositivos de armazenamento não estiver disponível em qualquer caso, você usa a opção de montagem degradada para montar o RAID mesmo que 1 de 2 dispositivos de armazenamento esteja disponível.
**7. commit
A opção commit** mount é usada para definir o intervalo (em segundos) dentro do qual os dados serão gravados no dispositivo de armazenamento.
O padrão é definido como 30 segundos.
Para definir o intervalo de confirmação para 15 segundos, você pode usar a opção de montagem commit=15 (digamos).
**8. ssd e nossd
A opção de montagem ssd** informa ao sistema de arquivos Btrfs que o sistema de arquivos está usando um dispositivo de armazenamento SSD, e o sistema de arquivos Btrfs faz a otimização SSD necessária.
A opção de montagem nossd desativa a otimização do SSD.
O sistema de arquivos Btrfs detecta automaticamente se um SSD é usado para o sistema de arquivos Btrfs. Se um SSD for usado, a opção de montagem de SSD será habilitada. Caso contrário, a opção de montagem nossd é habilitada.
**9. ssd_spread e nossd_spread
A opção de montagem ssd_spread** tenta alocar grandes blocos contínuos de espaço não utilizado do SSD. Esse recurso melhora o desempenho de SSDs de baixo custo (baratos).
A opção de montagem nossd_spread desativa o recurso ssd_spread .
O sistema de arquivos Btrfs detecta automaticamente se um SSD é usado para o sistema de arquivos Btrfs. Se um SSD for usado, a opção de montagem ssd_spread será habilitada. Caso contrário, a opção de montagem nossd_spread é habilitada.
**10. descarte e nodiscard
Se você estiver usando um SSD que suporte TRIM enfileirado assíncrono (SATA rev3.1), a opção de montagem de descarte** permitirá o descarte de blocos de arquivos liberados. Isso melhorará o desempenho do SSD.
Se o SSD não suportar TRIM enfileirado assíncrono, a opção de montagem de descarte prejudicará o desempenho do SSD. Nesse caso, a opção de montagem nodiscard deve ser usada.
Por padrão, a opção de montagem nodiscard é usada.
**11. norecovery
Se a opção de montagem norecovery** for usada, o sistema de arquivos Btrfs não tentará executar a operação de recuperação de dados no momento da montagem.
**12. usebackuproot e nousebackuproot
Se a opção de montagem usebackuproot for usada, o sistema de arquivos Btrfs tentará recuperar qualquer raiz de árvore ruim/corrompida no momento da montagem. O sistema de arquivos Btrfs pode armazenar várias raízes de árvore no sistema de arquivos. A opção de montagem usebackuproot** procurará uma boa raiz de árvore e usará a primeira boa que encontrar.
A opção de montagem nousebackuproot não verificará ou recuperará raízes de árvore inválidas/corrompidas no momento da montagem. Este é o comportamento padrão do sistema de arquivos Btrfs.
**13. space_cache, space_cache=version, nospace_cache e clear_cache
A opção de montagem space_cache** é usada para controlar o cache de espaço livre. O cache de espaço livre é usado para melhorar o desempenho da leitura do espaço livre do grupo de blocos do sistema de arquivos Btrfs na memória (RAM).
O sistema de arquivos Btrfs suporta 2 versões do cache de espaço livre: v1 (padrão) e v2
O mecanismo de cache de espaço livre v2 melhora o desempenho de sistemas de arquivos grandes (tamanho de vários terabytes).
Você pode usar a opção de montagem space_cache=v1 para definir a v1 do cache de espaço livre e a opção de montagem space_cache=v2 para definir a v2 do cache de espaço livre.
A opção de montagem clear_cache é usada para limpar o cache de espaço livre.
Quando o cache de espaço livre v2 é criado, o cache deve ser limpo para criar um cache de espaço livre v1 .
Portanto, para usar o cache de espaço livre v1 após a criação do cache de espaço livre v2 , as opções de montagem clear_cache e space_cache=v1 devem ser combinadas: clear_cache,space_cache=v1
A opção de montagem nospace_cache é usada para desabilitar o cache de espaço livre.
Para desabilitar o cache de espaço livre após a criação do cache v1 ou v2 , as opções de montagem nospace_cache e clear_cache devem ser combinadas: clear_cache,nosapce_cache
**14. skip_balance
Por padrão, a operação de balanceamento interrompida/pausada de um sistema de arquivos Btrfs de vários dispositivos ou RAID Btrfs será retomada automaticamente assim que o sistema de arquivos Btrfs for montado. Para desabilitar a retomada automática da operação de equilíbrio interrompido/pausado em um sistema de arquivos Btrfs de vários dispositivos ou RAID Btrfs, você pode usar a opção de montagem skip_balance .**
**15. datacow e nodatacow
A opção datacow** mount habilita o recurso Copy-on-Write (CoW) do sistema de arquivos Btrfs. É o comportamento padrão.
Se você deseja desabilitar o recurso Copy-on-Write (CoW) do sistema de arquivos Btrfs para os arquivos recém-criados, monte o sistema de arquivos Btrfs com a opção de montagem nodatacow .
**16. datasum e nodatasum
A opção datasum** mount habilita a soma de verificação de dados para arquivos recém-criados do sistema de arquivos Btrfs. Este é o comportamento padrão.
Se você não quiser que o sistema de arquivos Btrfs faça a soma de verificação dos dados dos arquivos recém-criados, monte o sistema de arquivos Btrfs com a opção de montagem nodatasum .
Perfis Btrfs
Um perfil Btrfs é usado para informar ao sistema de arquivos Btrfs quantas cópias dos dados/metadados devem ser mantidas e quais níveis de RAID devem ser usados para os dados/metadados. O sistema de arquivos Btrfs contém muitos perfis. Entendê-los o ajudará a configurar um RAID Btrfs da maneira que você deseja.
Os perfis Btrfs disponíveis são os seguintes:
single : Se o perfil único for usado para os dados/metadados, apenas uma cópia dos dados/metadados será armazenada no sistema de arquivos, mesmo se você adicionar vários dispositivos de armazenamento ao sistema de arquivos. Assim, 100% do espaço em disco de cada um dos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos pode ser utilizado.
dup : Se o perfil dup for usado para os dados/metadados, cada um dos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos manterá duas cópias dos dados/metadados. Assim, 50% do espaço em disco de cada um dos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos pode ser utilizado.
raid0 : No perfil raid0 , os dados/metadados serão divididos igualmente em todos os dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Nesta configuração, não haverá dados/metadados redundantes (duplicados). Assim, 100% do espaço em disco de cada um dos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos pode ser usado. Se, em qualquer caso, um dos dispositivos de armazenamento falhar, todo o sistema de arquivos será corrompido. Você precisará de pelo menos dois dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid0 .
raid1 : No perfil raid1 , duas cópias dos dados/metadados serão armazenadas nos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Nesta configuração, a matriz RAID pode sobreviver a uma falha de unidade. Mas você pode usar apenas 50% do espaço total em disco. Você precisará de pelo menos dois dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid1 .
raid1c3 : No perfil raid1c3 , três cópias dos dados/metadados serão armazenadas nos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Nesta configuração, a matriz RAID pode sobreviver a duas falhas de unidade, mas você pode usar apenas 33% do espaço total em disco. Você precisará de pelo menos três dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid1c3 .
raid1c4 : No perfil raid1c4 , quatro cópias dos dados/metadados serão armazenadas nos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Nesta configuração, a matriz RAID pode sobreviver a três falhas de unidade, mas você pode usar apenas 25% do espaço total em disco. Você precisará de pelo menos quatro dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid1c4 .
raid10 : No perfil raid10 , duas cópias dos dados/metadados serão armazenadas nos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos, como no perfil raid1 . Além disso, os dados/metadados serão divididos entre os dispositivos de armazenamento, como no perfil raid0 .
O perfil raid10 é um híbrido dos perfis raid1 e raid0 . Alguns dos dispositivos de armazenamento formam arrays raid1 e alguns desses arrays raid1 são usados para formar um array raid0 . Em uma configuração raid10 , o sistema de arquivos pode sobreviver a uma única falha de unidade em cada uma das matrizes raid1 .
Você pode usar 50% do espaço total em disco na configuração raid10 . Você precisará de pelo menos quatro dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid10 .
raid5 : No perfil raid5 , uma cópia dos dados/metadados será dividida entre os dispositivos de armazenamento. Uma única paridade será calculada e distribuída entre os dispositivos de armazenamento do array RAID.
Em uma configuração raid5 , o sistema de arquivos pode sobreviver a uma única falha de unidade. Se uma unidade falhar, você pode adicionar uma nova unidade ao sistema de arquivos e os dados perdidos serão calculados a partir da paridade distribuída das unidades em execução.
Você pode usar 1 00x(N-1)/N % do total de espaços em disco na configuração raid5 . Aqui, N é o número de dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Você precisará de pelo menos três dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid5 .
raid6 : No perfil raid6 , uma cópia dos dados/metadados será dividida entre os dispositivos de armazenamento. Duas paridades serão calculadas e distribuídas entre os dispositivos de armazenamento do array RAID.
Em uma configuração raid6 , o sistema de arquivos pode sobreviver a duas falhas de unidade ao mesmo tempo. Se uma unidade falhar, você poderá adicionar uma nova unidade ao sistema de arquivos e os dados perdidos serão calculados a partir das duas paridades distribuídas das unidades em execução.
Você pode usar 100x(N-2)/N % do espaço total em disco na configuração raid6 . Aqui, N é o número de dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Você precisará de pelo menos quatro dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid6 .
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@ 3b3a42d3:d192e325
2025-04-10 08:57:51Atomic Signature Swaps (ASS) over Nostr is a protocol for atomically exchanging Schnorr signatures using Nostr events for orchestration. This new primitive enables multiple interesting applications like:
- Getting paid to publish specific Nostr events
- Issuing automatic payment receipts
- Contract signing in exchange for payment
- P2P asset exchanges
- Trading and enforcement of asset option contracts
- Payment in exchange for Nostr-based credentials or access tokens
- Exchanging GMs 🌞
It only requires that (i) the involved signatures be Schnorr signatures using the secp256k1 curve and that (ii) at least one of those signatures be accessible to both parties. These requirements are naturally met by Nostr events (published to relays), Taproot transactions (published to the mempool and later to the blockchain), and Cashu payments (using mints that support NUT-07, allowing any pair of these signatures to be swapped atomically.
How the Cryptographic Magic Works 🪄
This is a Schnorr signature
(Zₓ, s)
:s = z + H(Zₓ || P || m)⋅k
If you haven't seen it before, don't worry, neither did I until three weeks ago.
The signature scalar s is the the value a signer with private key
k
(and public keyP = k⋅G
) must calculate to prove his commitment over the messagem
given a randomly generated noncez
(Zₓ
is just the x-coordinate of the public pointZ = z⋅G
).H
is a hash function (sha256 with the tag "BIP0340/challenge" when dealing with BIP340),||
just means to concatenate andG
is the generator point of the elliptic curve, used to derive public values from private ones.Now that you understand what this equation means, let's just rename
z = r + t
. We can do that,z
is just a randomly generated number that can be represented as the sum of two other numbers. It also follows thatz⋅G = r⋅G + t⋅G ⇔ Z = R + T
. Putting it all back into the definition of a Schnorr signature we get:s = (r + t) + H((R + T)ₓ || P || m)⋅k
Which is the same as:
s = sₐ + t
wheresₐ = r + H((R + T)ₓ || P || m)⋅k
sₐ
is what we call the adaptor signature scalar) and t is the secret.((R + T)ₓ, sₐ)
is an incomplete signature that just becomes valid by add the secret t to thesₐ
:s = sₐ + t
What is also important for our purposes is that by getting access to the valid signature s, one can also extract t from it by just subtracting
sₐ
:t = s - sₐ
The specific value of
t
depends on our choice of the public pointT
, sinceR
is just a public point derived from a randomly generated noncer
.So how do we choose
T
so that it requires the secret t to be the signature over a specific messagem'
by an specific public keyP'
? (without knowing the value oft
)Let's start with the definition of t as a valid Schnorr signature by P' over m':
t = r' + H(R'ₓ || P' || m')⋅k' ⇔ t⋅G = r'⋅G + H(R'ₓ || P' || m')⋅k'⋅G
That is the same as:
T = R' + H(R'ₓ || P' || m')⋅P'
Notice that in order to calculate the appropriate
T
that requirest
to be an specific signature scalar, we only need to know the public nonceR'
used to generate that signature.In summary: in order to atomically swap Schnorr signatures, one party
P'
must provide a public nonceR'
, while the other partyP
must provide an adaptor signature using that nonce:sₐ = r + H((R + T)ₓ || P || m)⋅k
whereT = R' + H(R'ₓ || P' || m')⋅P'
P'
(the nonce provider) can then add his own signature t to the adaptor signaturesₐ
in order to get a valid signature byP
, i.e.s = sₐ + t
. When he publishes this signature (as a Nostr event, Cashu transaction or Taproot transaction), it becomes accessible toP
that can now extract the signaturet
byP'
and also make use of it.Important considerations
A signature may not be useful at the end of the swap if it unlocks funds that have already been spent, or that are vulnerable to fee bidding wars.
When a swap involves a Taproot UTXO, it must always use a 2-of-2 multisig timelock to avoid those issues.
Cashu tokens do not require this measure when its signature is revealed first, because the mint won't reveal the other signature if they can't be successfully claimed, but they also require a 2-of-2 multisig timelock when its signature is only revealed last (what is unavoidable in cashu for cashu swaps).
For Nostr events, whoever receives the signature first needs to publish it to at least one relay that is accessible by the other party. This is a reasonable expectation in most cases, but may be an issue if the event kind involved is meant to be used privately.
How to Orchestrate the Swap over Nostr?
Before going into the specific event kinds, it is important to recognize what are the requirements they must meet and what are the concerns they must address. There are mainly three requirements:
- Both parties must agree on the messages they are going to sign
- One party must provide a public nonce
- The other party must provide an adaptor signature using that nonce
There is also a fundamental asymmetry in the roles of both parties, resulting in the following significant downsides for the party that generates the adaptor signature:
- NIP-07 and remote signers do not currently support the generation of adaptor signatures, so he must either insert his nsec in the client or use a fork of another signer
- There is an overhead of retrieving the completed signature containing the secret, either from the blockchain, mint endpoint or finding the appropriate relay
- There is risk he may not get his side of the deal if the other party only uses his signature privately, as I have already mentioned
- There is risk of losing funds by not extracting or using the signature before its timelock expires. The other party has no risk since his own signature won't be exposed by just not using the signature he received.
The protocol must meet all those requirements, allowing for some kind of role negotiation and while trying to reduce the necessary hops needed to complete the swap.
Swap Proposal Event (kind:455)
This event enables a proposer and his counterparty to agree on the specific messages whose signatures they intend to exchange. The
content
field is the following stringified JSON:{ "give": <signature spec (required)>, "take": <signature spec (required)>, "exp": <expiration timestamp (optional)>, "role": "<adaptor | nonce (optional)>", "description": "<Info about the proposal (optional)>", "nonce": "<Signature public nonce (optional)>", "enc_s": "<Encrypted signature scalar (optional)>" }
The field
role
indicates what the proposer will provide during the swap, either the nonce or the adaptor. When this optional field is not provided, the counterparty may decide whether he will send a nonce back in a Swap Nonce event or a Swap Adaptor event using thenonce
(optionally) provided by in the Swap Proposal in order to avoid one hop of interaction.The
enc_s
field may be used to store the encrypted scalar of the signature associated with thenonce
, since this information is necessary later when completing the adaptor signature received from the other party.A
signature spec
specifies thetype
and all necessary information for producing and verifying a given signature. In the case of signatures for Nostr events, it contain a template with all the fields, exceptpubkey
,id
andsig
:{ "type": "nostr", "template": { "kind": "<kind>" "content": "<content>" "tags": [ … ], "created_at": "<created_at>" } }
In the case of Cashu payments, a simplified
signature spec
just needs to specify the payment amount and an array of mints trusted by the proposer:{ "type": "cashu", "amount": "<amount>", "mint": ["<acceptable mint_url>", …] }
This works when the payer provides the adaptor signature, but it still needs to be extended to also work when the payer is the one receiving the adaptor signature. In the later case, the
signature spec
must also include atimelock
and the derived public keysY
of each Cashu Proof, but for now let's just ignore this situation. It should be mentioned that the mint must be trusted by both parties and also support Token state check (NUT-07) for revealing the completed adaptor signature and P2PK spending conditions (NUT-11) for the cryptographic scheme to work.The
tags
are:"p"
, the proposal counterparty's public key (required)"a"
, akind:30455
Swap Listing event or an application specific version of it (optional)
Forget about this Swap Listing event for now, I will get to it later...
Swap Nonce Event (kind:456) - Optional
This is an optional event for the Swap Proposal receiver to provide the public nonce of his signature when the proposal does not include a nonce or when he does not want to provide the adaptor signature due to the downsides previously mentioned. The
content
field is the following stringified JSON:{ "nonce": "<Signature public nonce>", "enc_s": "<Encrypted signature scalar (optional)>" }
And the
tags
must contain:"e"
, akind:455
Swap Proposal Event (required)"p"
, the counterparty's public key (required)
Swap Adaptor Event (kind:457)
The
content
field is the following stringified JSON:{ "adaptors": [ { "sa": "<Adaptor signature scalar>", "R": "<Signer's public nonce (including parity byte)>", "T": "<Adaptor point (including parity byte)>", "Y": "<Cashu proof derived public key (if applicable)>", }, …], "cashu": "<Cashu V4 token (if applicable)>" }
And the
tags
must contain:"e"
, akind:455
Swap Proposal Event (required)"p"
, the counterparty's public key (required)
Discoverability
The Swap Listing event previously mentioned as an optional tag in the Swap Proposal may be used to find an appropriate counterparty for a swap. It allows a user to announce what he wants to accomplish, what his requirements are and what is still open for negotiation.
Swap Listing Event (kind:30455)
The
content
field is the following stringified JSON:{ "description": "<Information about the listing (required)>", "give": <partial signature spec (optional)>, "take": <partial signature spec (optional)>, "examples: [<take signature spec>], // optional "exp": <expiration timestamp (optional)>, "role": "<adaptor | nonce (optional)>" }
The
description
field describes the restrictions on counterparties and signatures the user is willing to accept.A
partial signature spec
is an incompletesignature spec
used in Swap Proposal eventskind:455
where omitting fields signals that they are still open for negotiation.The
examples
field is an array ofsignature specs
the user would be willing totake
.The
tags
are:"d"
, a unique listing id (required)"s"
, the status of the listingdraft | open | closed
(required)"t"
, topics related to this listing (optional)"p"
, public keys to notify about the proposal (optional)
Application Specific Swap Listings
Since Swap Listings are still fairly generic, it is expected that specific use cases define new event kinds based on the generic listing. Those application specific swap listing would be easier to filter by clients and may impose restrictions and add new fields and/or tags. The following are some examples under development:
Sponsored Events
This listing is designed for users looking to promote content on the Nostr network, as well as for those who want to monetize their accounts by sharing curated sponsored content with their existing audiences.
It follows the same format as the generic Swap Listing event, but uses the
kind:30456
instead.The following new tags are included:
"k"
, event kind being sponsored (required)"title"
, campaign title (optional)
It is required that at least one
signature spec
(give
and/ortake
) must have"type": "nostr"
and also contain the following tag["sponsor", "<pubkey>", "<attestation>"]
with the sponsor's public key and his signature over the signature spec without the sponsor tag as his attestation. This last requirement enables clients to disclose and/or filter sponsored events.Asset Swaps
This listing is designed for users looking for counterparties to swap different assets that can be transferred using Schnorr signatures, like any unit of Cashu tokens, Bitcoin or other asset IOUs issued using Taproot.
It follows the same format as the generic Swap Listing event, but uses the
kind:30457
instead.It requires the following additional tags:
"t"
, asset pair to be swapped (e.g."btcusd"
)"t"
, asset being offered (e.g."btc"
)"t"
, accepted payment method (e.g."cashu"
,"taproot"
)
Swap Negotiation
From finding an appropriate Swap Listing to publishing a Swap Proposal, there may be some kind of negotiation between the involved parties, e.g. agreeing on the amount to be paid by one of the parties or the exact content of a Nostr event signed by the other party. There are many ways to accomplish that and clients may implement it as they see fit for their specific goals. Some suggestions are:
- Adding
kind:1111
Comments to the Swap Listing or an existing Swap Proposal - Exchanging tentative Swap Proposals back and forth until an agreement is reached
- Simple exchanges of DMs
- Out of band communication (e.g. Signal)
Work to be done
I've been refining this specification as I develop some proof-of-concept clients to experience its flaws and trade-offs in practice. I left the signature spec for Taproot signatures out of the current document as I still have to experiment with it. I will probably find some important orchestration issues related to dealing with
2-of-2 multisig timelocks
, which also affects Cashu transactions when spent last, that may require further adjustments to what was presented here.The main goal of this article is to find other people interested in this concept and willing to provide valuable feedback before a PR is opened in the NIPs repository for broader discussions.
References
- GM Swap- Nostr client for atomically exchanging GM notes. Live demo available here.
- Sig4Sats Script - A Typescript script demonstrating the swap of a Cashu payment for a signed Nostr event.
- Loudr- Nostr client under development for sponsoring the publication of Nostr events. Live demo available at loudr.me.
- Poelstra, A. (2017). Scriptless Scripts. Blockstream Research. https://github.com/BlockstreamResearch/scriptless-scripts
-
@ f1989a96:bcaaf2c1
2025-05-15 14:42:29Good morning, readers!
We bring news from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is imposing immense taxes on the local economy, merchants, and aid groups to fund its insurgency as it seeks to govern seized regions of the Eastern Congo. The levies worsen economic hardship for Congolese already suffering from ongoing cash shortages, bank closures, and rapidly rising prices induced by the regional conflict.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, independent media outlet Channel C, founded by former Apple Daily employees, had its bank account frozen by local officials over alleged fraud charges. The closure fits into a widespread pattern of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leveraging financial repression and legal pressure to silence independent and pro-democracy media in Hong Kong.
In freedom tech news, we highlight a new ecash development: multinut payments. These payments let users combine small balances held at different ecash mints to pay a single invoice. It’s a big step forward in terms of usability and security for human rights defenders since they no longer need to keep a large balance of ecash at any one mint. This reduces the chances of stolen funds while maintaining strong privacy guarantees. We also highlight the ongoing OP_RETURN debate in the Bitcoin community, present both sides of the argument, and invite our readers to watch a nuanced debate on this topic.
We end with the latest edition of the HRF x Pubkey Freedom Tech series, where the Human Rights Foundation’s Alex Gladstein discusses the upcoming Oslo Freedom Forum and HRF’s role in supporting open-source freedom tech with Pubkey’s co-founder, Thomas Pacchia. We also include the livestreams from the latest bitcoin++ event, where developers, privacy advocates, and freedom tech users convened to discuss Bitcoin’s mempool, learn how Bitcoin transactions are sorted into blocks, and discuss current mempool policies.
Now, let’s jump right in!
SUBSCRIBE HERE
GLOBAL NEWS
DR Congo | Rebel Rule and Economic Ruin
After seizing control of large parts of the eastern Congo, the Paul Kagame-backed M23 rebel group is now trying to govern and fund its insurgency through coercive taxation and financial control. Rebels now impose a 15% tax on coltan metal production, 20% duties on merchants selling essential goods, and demand tax bills from aid groups, backed by threats of physical punishment. “If you don’t pay up, you risk being whipped,” one merchant said. The new levies are worsening the financial struggles for Congolese already suffering from ongoing cash shortages, bank closures, and rapidly rising prices induced by the regional conflict. Many must travel hundreds of kilometers just to obtain cash while navigating the backdrop of a humanitarian crisis that has claimed more than 7,000 lives.
China | Law Enforcement Freezes Bank Accounts of Independent Media Outlet Channel C
Hong Kong-based Channel C, an independent media outlet founded by former Apple Daily employees, reports that its bank accounts are frozen, forcing the news outlet to halt operations. Local law enforcement claim the outlet abused a COVID-era loan scheme and arrested one of its directors for alleged fraud. Still, the closure fits a well-worn pattern: using financial and legal repression to silence independent media in Hong Kong. Pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily faced a nearly identical fate in 2021 when its assets were seized and its founder, Jimmy Lai, was imprisoned under Hong Kong’s new national security law. Lai now faces up to life in prison. When access to money becomes contingent on political obedience, press freedom can’t survive.
Venezuela | Blackouts, Inflation, and Currency Shortages
Venezuelans are once again bracing for economic collapse as inflation rises to 162% and electrical blackouts sweep across major cities. The situation echoes 2019’s political and financial chaos, where triple-digit inflation, foreign currency shortages, and power outages paralyzed the country. In reaction to the collapse, Nicolás Maduro approved the country’s first economic emergency decree in four years, granting himself broad powers to suspend taxes and authorize new benefits for select investors. The regime has also reshuffled central bank leadership and is pressing merchants to abandon US dollar pricing and return to the failing bolivar system — a clear move to financially asphyxiate Venezuelans. A focus on top-down economic management by Maduro’s regime will only reinforce the inflation and poverty driving this widespread crisis in the wake of Maduro’s stolen and blatantly rigged presidential election.
Bolivia | Inflation Accelerates to 17-Year High
Inflation in Bolivia is accelerating rapidly, with prices rising more than 15% year over year. This is the highest level of inflation Bolivians have seen in 17 years. Families now face increased costs of essential goods like food, shelter, and water. And the country’s fixed exchange rate system is also faltering, with dwindling reserves and growing dollar shortages compounding the price increases. The Bolivian regime also approved a new decree to regulate financial technology companies and virtual asset providers. The regulations tighten control over platforms that offer alternatives to the depreciating boliviano. If implemented rigidly, these regulations could restrict access to tools like Bitcoin.
Nicaragua | Ortega Centralizes Passport Renewal in Managua for Exiled Dissidents
The regime of Daniel Ortega has stripped Nicaraguans abroad of a basic right: the ability to renew their passports at local embassies abroad. All renewals must now go through the Nicaraguan capital of Managua, forcing exiles to either return home or authorize a relative (via an apostilled power of attorney) to handle the renewal on their behalf. For many outside Nicaragua, especially political opposition, journalists, and human rights defenders, returning is not a safe option, and involving relatives could expose them to state repression or retaliation. Those who do return risk facing the immense physical and financial repression of the Ortega regime, including surveillance, extortion, bank freezes, or even imprisonment. Ortega’s corruption of even basic bureaucracy undermines the growing Nicaraguan diaspora’s ability to live freely abroad by making their legal status, mobility, and access to financial services conditional.
Kenya | High Court Rules Against Sam Altman and Worldcoin
A Kenyan High Court ruled that Worldcoin, the biometric ID project co-founded by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, violated constitutional privacy rights by collecting iris scans and facial images without proper safeguards. The court ordered the immediate deletion of all biometric data collected from Kenyan users, including iris scans and facial images. They also banned the project from conducting any further data collection. Kenya had been one of Worldcoin’s largest markets before authorities suspended the project in 2023. As biometric surveillance becomes more widespread, this case highlights the risks of technologies that undermine privacy in the name of inclusion.
BITCOIN AND FREEDOM TECH NEWS
Cashu | Make Ecash Payments from Multiple Mints
Cashu, a protocol for making private bitcoin payments using ecash, shared a new feature called multinut payments. Still in development, it enables users to combine small ecash balances held at different mints (entities that issue and redeem ecash) into a single transaction. Since Cashu is a custodial system (meaning users must trust the mints they use), this update reduces counterparty risk by allowing users to spread their funds across multiple mints rather than relying on just one. Previously, making a large ecash payment required keeping a sizeable balance at a single mint, increasing the chances of losing your funds if the mint were shut down or compromised. Now, larger payments can be made with significantly less custody risk. For those living under strict financial controls, ecash multinut payments offer a very private way to spend funds without trusting any single entity that can censor or debank them.
Bitika | Bridging Bitcoin and M-Pesa in Kenya
Bitika is a Kenyan fintech startup simplifying Bitcoin access. It integrates with M-Pesa, the mobile money platform used daily for payments by millions of people across Kenya and wider East Africa. Bitika offers a three-step process to buy Bitcoin via mobile phone using the Lightning Network. Users simply enter the amount of Bitcoin they would like to receive in Kenyan shillings, input their Bitcoin Lightning wallet address, and enter their M-Pesa number, and once confirmed, they receive their Bitcoin. Bitika is similar to other Bitcoin projects like Tando, which also bridges Bitcoin with M-Pesa using the Lightning Network. With plans to expand across the rest of Africa, Bitika shows Bitcoin’s grassroots utility and the role of local context in driving bottom-up financial inclusion. Try it here.
Frostsnap | New Bitcoin Multisig Custody Solution
Frostsnap is a new Bitcoin custody solution that uses a simplified multisignature setup to protect users' funds from theft, loss, or coercion by corrupt and authoritarian regimes. Rather than generating and storing private keys on a single device, multisignature solutions like Frostsnap employ multiple private keys distributed across different devices and locations. This approach eliminates single points of failure and offers strong resistance to physical attacks, device compromise, and forced access to users’ Bitcoin (such as from Chinese law enforcement, who surveil mail and extort Bitcoin). Frostsnap also offers the ability to spend directly from the multisig wallet, hide the wallet in times of duress, and access inheritance features, all critical functionalities for human rights defenders and nonprofits facing surveillance or financial repression. Learn more here.
OP_RETURN | Debate Over Bitcoin Core’s Data Relay Limits
A heated debate has resurfaced between some Bitcoin users and developers over whether to raise the size limit for OP_RETURN data that Bitcoin Core nodes (computers running Bitcoin’s main software implementation) relay. The debate was sparked when developer Peter Todd proposed removing this data limit from mempool policy on the basis that it could reduce reliance on direct miner connections, improve fee estimation, and shrink the Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) set. It would do this by encouraging users to store arbitrary data in prunable, unspendable outputs (rather than spendable, persistent UTXOs). On the other hand, critics warn that lifting the OP_RETURN limit could increase spam, undermine Bitcoin’s focus on serving financial transactions, and weaken its censorship resistance. The debate still continues, but at its core, the disagreement highlights deeper tensions over what kinds of data should flow through the Bitcoin network. Tune into this discussion at the latest bitcoin++ developer conference to understand the nuance on both sides of the OP_RETURN debate.
Wasabi Wallet | Major Privacy Upgrade and Serverless Operation
Wasabi Wallet, a non-custodial, privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet, introduced its Prometheus update, which enables the wallet to synchronize and operate without a central server and increases transaction privacy. Users can now connect Wasabi directly to their own Bitcoin node (computer running the Bitcoin software), removing reliance on third-party infrastructure and reducing the risk of censorship. The update also introduces Coinjoin 2.0, a privacy technique that mixes the inputs of a Bitcoin transaction, in doing so protecting, for example, the identity of a dissident or nonprofit. Coinjoin 2.0 brings a redesigned mixing process that continuously registers coins as they become available. This change improves privacy and strengthens resistance to analysis that dictators can use to track payments.
Cove Wallet | Adds Support for Krux
Cove Wallet, an open-source mobile Bitcoin wallet currently in beta, released v0.4.0, which brings support for Krux hardware wallets. Krux is an open-source software and HRF grantee that turns generic computing devices into hardware wallets for secure Bitcoin self-custody and transactions. It can help decentralize access to Bitcoin and protect freedom and property rights in authoritarian regimes by providing a discrete and modular self-custody solution. By incorporating Krux, Cove offers its users a private, borderless, DIY path to financial sovereignty with no brand-name hardware. Cove Wallet also announced future support for coin control, which will grant users granular control over the specific coins they use in their Bitcoin payments and the ability to improve transaction privacy.
RECOMMENDED CONTENT
HRF x Pubkey — Freedom Tech and the Oslo Freedom Forum with Alex Gladstein
The latest edition of the HRF x Pubkey Freedom Tech series features a fireside chat with Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer of HRF, in conversation with Pubkey co-founder Tom Pacchia. The discussion explores HRF’s role in funding and supporting open-source Freedom Tech, the upcoming Oslo Freedom Forum and the Freedom Tech track, as well as the human rights paradox of nation-state Bitcoin adoption. Catch the full conversation here.
bitcoin++ Developer Conference Livestream
Last week, bitcoin++ hosted the “mempool edition” of its Bitcoin developer conference series in Austin, Texas. The event, supported by HRF, brought together Bitcoin developers and freedom tech advocates for multiple days of hands-on development, workshops, and technical discussions surrounding Bitcoin’s mempool (the queue of pending transactions in a Bitcoin node). If you’d like to dive into the technical intricacies, you can catch the key sessions and workshops via live stream. Watch them here.
If this article was forwarded to you and you enjoyed reading it, please consider subscribing to the Financial Freedom Report here.
Support the newsletter by donating bitcoin to HRF’s Financial Freedom program via BTCPay.\ Want to contribute to the newsletter? Submit tips, stories, news, and ideas by emailing us at ffreport @ hrf.org
The Bitcoin Development Fund (BDF) is accepting grant proposals on an ongoing basis. The Bitcoin Development Fund is looking to support Bitcoin developers, community builders, and educators. Submit proposals here.
-
@ eb0157af:77ab6c55
2025-05-15 14:41:18Coinbase has revealed an attack in which a group of hackers bribed support agents to access user data.
Coinbase is facing a serious security crisis after a data breach on May 11. A hacker group claimed to have stolen sensitive customer information and demanded a $20 million ransom in bitcoin, threatening to release the data if the payment is not made.
In response, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stated the company will not negotiate with criminals. Instead, the firm launched a countermeasure: a $20 million bounty for anyone who provides information leading to the identification and capture of the attackers.
In a post, the company added it will “reimburse customers who were tricked into sending funds to the attacker.”
Reports indicate the hackers managed to corrupt some Coinbase customer service agents, gaining access to the company’s internal systems. Once inside, they collected sensitive user data, including names, phone numbers, email addresses, and partial social security numbers. Masked bank details, ID document images, and snapshots of account balances were also compromised.
Coinbase confirmed the breach and said it acted swiftly to isolate affected systems and notify impacted users. Previous reports said the incident affected 1% of monthly transacting users.
The post Coinbase user data breached: hackers demand $20 million appeared first on Atlas21.
-
@ 3b3a42d3:d192e325
2025-04-10 08:51:15Atomic Signature Swaps (ASS) over Nostr is a protocol for atomically exchanging Schnorr signatures using Nostr events for orchestration. This new primitive enables multiple interesting applications like:
- Getting paid to publish specific Nostr events
- Issuing automatic payment receipts
- Contract signing in exchange for payment
- P2P asset exchanges
- Payment in exchange for Nostr-based credentials or access tokens
- Exchanging GMs 🌞
It only requires that (i) the involved signatures be Schnorr signatures using the secp256k1 curve and that (ii) at least one of those signatures be accessible to both parties. These requirements are naturally met by Nostr events (published to relays), Taproot transactions (published to the mempool and later to the blockchain), and Cashu payments (using mints that support NUT-07, allowing any pair of these signatures to be swapped atomically.
How the Cryptographic Magic Works 🪄
This is a Schnorr signature
(Zₓ, s)
:s = z + H(Zₓ || P || m)⋅k
If you haven't seen it before, don't worry, neither did I until three weeks ago.
The signature scalar s is the the value a signer with private key
k
(and public keyP = k⋅G
) must calculate to prove his commitment over the messagem
given a randomly generated noncez
(Zₓ
is just the x-coordinate of the public pointZ = z⋅G
).H
is a hash function (sha256 with the tag "BIP0340/challenge" when dealing with BIP340),||
just means to concatenate andG
is the generator point of the elliptic curve, used to derive public values from private ones.Now that you understand what this equation means, let's just rename
z = r + t
. We can do that,z
is just a randomly generated number that can be represented as the sum of two other numbers. It also follows thatz⋅G = r⋅G + t⋅G ⇔ Z = R + T
. Putting it all back into the definition of a Schnorr signature we get:s = (r + t) + H((R + T)ₓ || P || m)⋅k
Which is the same as:
s = sₐ + t
wheresₐ = r + H((R + T)ₓ || P || m)⋅k
sₐ
is what we call the adaptor signature scalar) and t is the secret.((R + T)ₓ, sₐ)
is an incomplete signature that just becomes valid by add the secret t to thesₐ
:s = sₐ + t
What is also important for our purposes is that by getting access to the valid signature s, one can also extract t from it by just subtracting
sₐ
:t = s - sₐ
The specific value of
t
depends on our choice of the public pointT
, sinceR
is just a public point derived from a randomly generated noncer
.So how do we choose
T
so that it requires the secret t to be the signature over a specific messagem'
by an specific public keyP'
? (without knowing the value oft
)Let's start with the definition of t as a valid Schnorr signature by P' over m':
t = r' + H(R'ₓ || P' || m')⋅k' ⇔ t⋅G = r'⋅G + H(R'ₓ || P' || m')⋅k'⋅G
That is the same as:
T = R' + H(R'ₓ || P' || m')⋅P'
Notice that in order to calculate the appropriate
T
that requirest
to be an specific signature scalar, we only need to know the public nonceR'
used to generate that signature.In summary: in order to atomically swap Schnorr signatures, one party
P'
must provide a public nonceR'
, while the other partyP
must provide an adaptor signature using that nonce:sₐ = r + H((R + T)ₓ || P || m)⋅k
whereT = R' + H(R'ₓ || P' || m')⋅P'
P'
(the nonce provider) can then add his own signature t to the adaptor signaturesₐ
in order to get a valid signature byP
, i.e.s = sₐ + t
. When he publishes this signature (as a Nostr event, Cashu transaction or Taproot transaction), it becomes accessible toP
that can now extract the signaturet
byP'
and also make use of it.Important considerations
A signature may not be useful at the end of the swap if it unlocks funds that have already been spent, or that are vulnerable to fee bidding wars.
When a swap involves a Taproot UTXO, it must always use a 2-of-2 multisig timelock to avoid those issues.
Cashu tokens do not require this measure when its signature is revealed first, because the mint won't reveal the other signature if they can't be successfully claimed, but they also require a 2-of-2 multisig timelock when its signature is only revealed last (what is unavoidable in cashu for cashu swaps).
For Nostr events, whoever receives the signature first needs to publish it to at least one relay that is accessible by the other party. This is a reasonable expectation in most cases, but may be an issue if the event kind involved is meant to be used privately.
How to Orchestrate the Swap over Nostr?
Before going into the specific event kinds, it is important to recognize what are the requirements they must meet and what are the concerns they must address. There are mainly three requirements:
- Both parties must agree on the messages they are going to sign
- One party must provide a public nonce
- The other party must provide an adaptor signature using that nonce
There is also a fundamental asymmetry in the roles of both parties, resulting in the following significant downsides for the party that generates the adaptor signature:
- NIP-07 and remote signers do not currently support the generation of adaptor signatures, so he must either insert his nsec in the client or use a fork of another signer
- There is an overhead of retrieving the completed signature containing the secret, either from the blockchain, mint endpoint or finding the appropriate relay
- There is risk he may not get his side of the deal if the other party only uses his signature privately, as I have already mentioned
- There is risk of losing funds by not extracting or using the signature before its timelock expires. The other party has no risk since his own signature won't be exposed by just not using the signature he received.
The protocol must meet all those requirements, allowing for some kind of role negotiation and while trying to reduce the necessary hops needed to complete the swap.
Swap Proposal Event (kind:455)
This event enables a proposer and his counterparty to agree on the specific messages whose signatures they intend to exchange. The
content
field is the following stringified JSON:{ "give": <signature spec (required)>, "take": <signature spec (required)>, "exp": <expiration timestamp (optional)>, "role": "<adaptor | nonce (optional)>", "description": "<Info about the proposal (optional)>", "nonce": "<Signature public nonce (optional)>", "enc_s": "<Encrypted signature scalar (optional)>" }
The field
role
indicates what the proposer will provide during the swap, either the nonce or the adaptor. When this optional field is not provided, the counterparty may decide whether he will send a nonce back in a Swap Nonce event or a Swap Adaptor event using thenonce
(optionally) provided by in the Swap Proposal in order to avoid one hop of interaction.The
enc_s
field may be used to store the encrypted scalar of the signature associated with thenonce
, since this information is necessary later when completing the adaptor signature received from the other party.A
signature spec
specifies thetype
and all necessary information for producing and verifying a given signature. In the case of signatures for Nostr events, it contain a template with all the fields, exceptpubkey
,id
andsig
:{ "type": "nostr", "template": { "kind": "<kind>" "content": "<content>" "tags": [ … ], "created_at": "<created_at>" } }
In the case of Cashu payments, a simplified
signature spec
just needs to specify the payment amount and an array of mints trusted by the proposer:{ "type": "cashu", "amount": "<amount>", "mint": ["<acceptable mint_url>", …] }
This works when the payer provides the adaptor signature, but it still needs to be extended to also work when the payer is the one receiving the adaptor signature. In the later case, the
signature spec
must also include atimelock
and the derived public keysY
of each Cashu Proof, but for now let's just ignore this situation. It should be mentioned that the mint must be trusted by both parties and also support Token state check (NUT-07) for revealing the completed adaptor signature and P2PK spending conditions (NUT-11) for the cryptographic scheme to work.The
tags
are:"p"
, the proposal counterparty's public key (required)"a"
, akind:30455
Swap Listing event or an application specific version of it (optional)
Forget about this Swap Listing event for now, I will get to it later...
Swap Nonce Event (kind:456) - Optional
This is an optional event for the Swap Proposal receiver to provide the public nonce of his signature when the proposal does not include a nonce or when he does not want to provide the adaptor signature due to the downsides previously mentioned. The
content
field is the following stringified JSON:{ "nonce": "<Signature public nonce>", "enc_s": "<Encrypted signature scalar (optional)>" }
And the
tags
must contain:"e"
, akind:455
Swap Proposal Event (required)"p"
, the counterparty's public key (required)
Swap Adaptor Event (kind:457)
The
content
field is the following stringified JSON:{ "adaptors": [ { "sa": "<Adaptor signature scalar>", "R": "<Signer's public nonce (including parity byte)>", "T": "<Adaptor point (including parity byte)>", "Y": "<Cashu proof derived public key (if applicable)>", }, …], "cashu": "<Cashu V4 token (if applicable)>" }
And the
tags
must contain:"e"
, akind:455
Swap Proposal Event (required)"p"
, the counterparty's public key (required)
Discoverability
The Swap Listing event previously mentioned as an optional tag in the Swap Proposal may be used to find an appropriate counterparty for a swap. It allows a user to announce what he wants to accomplish, what his requirements are and what is still open for negotiation.
Swap Listing Event (kind:30455)
The
content
field is the following stringified JSON:{ "description": "<Information about the listing (required)>", "give": <partial signature spec (optional)>, "take": <partial signature spec (optional)>, "examples: [<take signature spec>], // optional "exp": <expiration timestamp (optional)>, "role": "<adaptor | nonce (optional)>" }
The
description
field describes the restrictions on counterparties and signatures the user is willing to accept.A
partial signature spec
is an incompletesignature spec
used in Swap Proposal eventskind:455
where omitting fields signals that they are still open for negotiation.The
examples
field is an array ofsignature specs
the user would be willing totake
.The
tags
are:"d"
, a unique listing id (required)"s"
, the status of the listingdraft | open | closed
(required)"t"
, topics related to this listing (optional)"p"
, public keys to notify about the proposal (optional)
Application Specific Swap Listings
Since Swap Listings are still fairly generic, it is expected that specific use cases define new event kinds based on the generic listing. Those application specific swap listing would be easier to filter by clients and may impose restrictions and add new fields and/or tags. The following are some examples under development:
Sponsored Events
This listing is designed for users looking to promote content on the Nostr network, as well as for those who want to monetize their accounts by sharing curated sponsored content with their existing audiences.
It follows the same format as the generic Swap Listing event, but uses the
kind:30456
instead.The following new tags are included:
"k"
, event kind being sponsored (required)"title"
, campaign title (optional)
It is required that at least one
signature spec
(give
and/ortake
) must have"type": "nostr"
and also contain the following tag["sponsor", "<pubkey>", "<attestation>"]
with the sponsor's public key and his signature over the signature spec without the sponsor tag as his attestation. This last requirement enables clients to disclose and/or filter sponsored events.Asset Swaps
This listing is designed for users looking for counterparties to swap different assets that can be transferred using Schnorr signatures, like any unit of Cashu tokens, Bitcoin or other asset IOUs issued using Taproot.
It follows the same format as the generic Swap Listing event, but uses the
kind:30457
instead.It requires the following additional tags:
"t"
, asset pair to be swapped (e.g."btcusd"
)"t"
, asset being offered (e.g."btc"
)"t"
, accepted payment method (e.g."cashu"
,"taproot"
)
Swap Negotiation
From finding an appropriate Swap Listing to publishing a Swap Proposal, there may be some kind of negotiation between the involved parties, e.g. agreeing on the amount to be paid by one of the parties or the exact content of a Nostr event signed by the other party. There are many ways to accomplish that and clients may implement it as they see fit for their specific goals. Some suggestions are:
- Adding
kind:1111
Comments to the Swap Listing or an existing Swap Proposal - Exchanging tentative Swap Proposals back and forth until an agreement is reached
- Simple exchanges of DMs
- Out of band communication (e.g. Signal)
Work to be done
I've been refining this specification as I develop some proof-of-concept clients to experience its flaws and trade-offs in practice. I left the signature spec for Taproot signatures out of the current document as I still have to experiment with it. I will probably find some important orchestration issues related to dealing with
2-of-2 multisig timelocks
, which also affects Cashu transactions when spent last, that may require further adjustments to what was presented here.The main goal of this article is to find other people interested in this concept and willing to provide valuable feedback before a PR is opened in the NIPs repository for broader discussions.
References
- GM Swap- Nostr client for atomically exchanging GM notes. Live demo available here.
- Sig4Sats Script - A Typescript script demonstrating the swap of a Cashu payment for a signed Nostr event.
- Loudr- Nostr client under development for sponsoring the publication of Nostr events. Live demo available at loudr.me.
- Poelstra, A. (2017). Scriptless Scripts. Blockstream Research. https://github.com/BlockstreamResearch/scriptless-scripts
-
@ 266815e0:6cd408a5
2025-04-08 07:19:53Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
-
@ a5ee4475:2ca75401
2025-05-15 14:11:16lists #descentralismo #compilation #english
*The last list was updated in Amethyst, so the update of this one will only be visible in Amethyst.
nostr:naddr1qq245dz5tqe8w46swpphgmr4f3047s6629t45qg4waehxw309aex2mrp0yhxgctdw4eju6t09upzpf0wg36k3g3hygndv3cp8f2j284v0hfh4dqgqjj3yxnreck2w4qpqvzqqqr4guxde6sl
AI
nostr:naddr1qq24xwtyt9v5wjzefe6523j32dy5ga65gagkjqgawaehxw309ahx7um5wghxy6t5vdhkjmn9wgh8xmmrd9skctczyzj7u3r4dz3rwg3x6erszwj4y502clwn026qsp99zgdx8n3v5a2qzqcyqqq823c8mw5zk
FOSS GAME
nostr:naddr1qq2kvwp3v4hhvk2sw3j5sm6h23g5wkz5ddzhzqg4waehxw309aex2mrp0yhxgctdw4eju6t09upzpf0wg36k3g3hygndv3cp8f2j284v0hfh4dqgqjj3yxnreck2w4qpqvzqqqr4gut57qtr
OSHW - Open Source Hardware
nostr:naddr1qqgrqvp5vd3kycejxask2efcv4jr2qgswaehxw309ahx7um5wghx6mmd9upzpf0wg36k3g3hygndv3cp8f2j284v0hfh4dqgqjj3yxnreck2w4qpqvzqqqr4guc43v6c
Markdown Uses for Some Clients
nostr:nevent1qqsv54qfgtme38r2tl9v6ghwfj09gdjukealstkzc77mwujr56tgfwsppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0qgsq37tg2603tu0cqdrxs30e2n5t8p87uenf4fvfepdcvr7nllje5zgrqsqqqqqpkdvta4
Other Links
nostr:nevent1qqsrm6ywny5r7ajakpppp0lt525n0s33x6tyn6pz0n8ws8k2tqpqracpzpmhxue69uhkummnw3ezumt0d5hsygp6e5ns0nv3dun430jky25y4pku6ylz68rz6zs7khv29q6rj5peespsgqqqqqqsmfwa78
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@ 8173f6e1:e488ac0f
2025-05-15 13:11:46TESTNOTEBIN2
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@ ec9bd746:df11a9d0
2025-04-06 08:06:08🌍 Time Window:
🕘 When: Every even week on Sunday at 9:00 PM CET
🗺️ Where: https://cornychat.com/eurocornStart: 21:00 CET (Prague, UTC+1)
End: approx. 02:00 CET (Prague, UTC+1, next day)
Duration: usually 5+ hours.| Region | Local Time Window | Convenience Level | |-----------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | Europe (CET, Prague) 🇨🇿🇩🇪 | 21:00–02:00 CET | ✅ Very Good; evening & night | | East Coast North America (EST) 🇺🇸🇨🇦 | 15:00–20:00 EST | ✅ Very Good; afternoon & early evening | | West Coast North America (PST) 🇺🇸🇨🇦 | 12:00–17:00 PST | ✅ Very Good; midday & afternoon | | Central America (CST) 🇲🇽🇨🇷🇬🇹 | 14:00–19:00 CST | ✅ Very Good; afternoon & evening | | South America West (Peru/Colombia PET/COT) 🇵🇪🇨🇴 | 15:00–20:00 PET/COT | ✅ Very Good; afternoon & evening | | South America East (Brazil/Argentina/Chile, BRT/ART/CLST) 🇧🇷🇦🇷🇨🇱 | 17:00–22:00 BRT/ART/CLST | ✅ Very Good; early evening | | United Kingdom/Ireland (GMT) 🇬🇧🇮🇪 | 20:00–01:00 GMT | ✅ Very Good; evening hours (midnight convenient) | | Eastern Europe (EET) 🇷🇴🇬🇷🇺🇦 | 22:00–03:00 EET | ✅ Good; late evening & early night (slightly late) | | Africa (South Africa, SAST) 🇿🇦 | 22:00–03:00 SAST | ✅ Good; late evening & overnight (late-night common) | | New Zealand (NZDT) 🇳🇿 | 09:00–14:00 NZDT (next day) | ✅ Good; weekday morning & afternoon | | Australia (AEDT, Sydney) 🇦🇺 | 07:00–12:00 AEDT (next day) | ✅ Good; weekday morning to noon | | East Africa (Kenya, EAT) 🇰🇪 | 23:00–04:00 EAT | ⚠️ Slightly late (night hours; late night common) | | Russia (Moscow, MSK) 🇷🇺 | 23:00–04:00 MSK | ⚠️ Slightly late (join at start is fine, very late night) | | Middle East (UAE, GST) 🇦🇪🇴🇲 | 00:00–05:00 GST (next day) | ⚠️ Late night start (midnight & early morning, but shorter attendance plausible)| | Japan/Korea (JST/KST) 🇯🇵🇰🇷 | 05:00–10:00 JST/KST (next day) | ⚠️ Early; convenient joining from ~07:00 onwards possible | | China (Beijing, CST) 🇨🇳 | 04:00–09:00 CST (next day) | ❌ Challenging; very early morning start (better ~07:00 onwards) | | India (IST) 🇮🇳 | 01:30–06:30 IST (next day) | ❌ Very challenging; overnight timing typically difficult|
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@ efe5d120:1fc51981
2025-05-15 12:53:31It’s not big government programs or powerful institutions that make a society strong. It’s something much simpler: everyday people trading and working together.
Think about the local hardware store owner. He helps his neighbors, gives people jobs, and provides useful tools. But when the government taxes him too much to fund its programs, it takes away money he could have used to hire someone or visit his family. That hurts both him and the people around him.
This happens all over. Small business owners, tradesmen, inventors and entrepreneurs are the ones who really build up a society. They create value by trading things people want, and both sides benefit. Free trade gives people more choices and helps them live better lives.
But from a young age, we’re told to obey authority without question. We’re taught that without rulers, there would be chaos. But what if that’s not true?
Look around the world: even when governments try to control trade, people still find ways to work together and exchange goods. It’s natural. People want to cooperate and help each other—especially when they’re free to do so.
Here’s the hard truth: if someone can take your money, control your property, and punish you without your agreement, isn’t that a kind of control—or even servitude?
True prosperity doesn’t come from the top down. It comes from people freely working together—farmers, builders, cooks, coders—offering their skills to others who need them.
When trade is free, people do well. When it’s blocked by too many rules or taxes, everyone loses—especially the ones who need help the most.
The answer isn’t more laws or more control. It’s more freedom. Next time someone says we need more government to fix things, ask yourself: wouldn’t free people solve those problems better on their own?
Real civilization isn’t about being ruled. It’s about choosing to work together, trade fairly, and respect each other’s rights. That’s not chaos—that’s freedom.
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@ 266815e0:6cd408a5
2025-04-04 11:06:34Hacking on a new obsidian plugin for publishing articles to nostr -- testing updates
Testing images
This should be replaced with a blossom URL
![[duck.jpg]]
Testing referencing other articles
This link should be broken [[Welcome]]
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@ eb0157af:77ab6c55
2025-05-15 09:59:36Asia’s wealthiest are moving away from the US dollar in favor of Bitcoin, gold, and Chinese assets, UBS reveals.
During a Bloomberg event in Hong Kong, Amy Lo, a senior executive at UBS, disclosed that Asian billionaires are steadily shifting away from the US dollar to diversify into Bitcoin, gold, and Chinese assets. This transition is driven by escalating geopolitical tensions and volatility in traditional markets.
The trend is particularly significant given the scale of Asia’s wealth management industry, which oversaw around $20.7 trillion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $37 trillion by 2029. UBS alone manages $678 billion in Asian assets and advises most of the region’s billionaire clients.
Asia’s financial elite have now allocated over 15% of their wealth to cryptocurrencies and gold, signaling a clear break from traditional US dollar-denominated investments.
A 2024 study by Aspen Digital found that 76% of Asian family offices and high-net-worth investors hold digital assets, up from 58% in 2022. Many have increased their crypto allocations from 5% to over 10% of their portfolios, with Singapore leading the trend — 57% of Singaporean investors plan to further expand their crypto exposure over the next two years.
Jay Jacobs, Head of Thematics and Active ETFs at BlackRock, noted that numerous nations are actively diversifying their reserves away from the US dollar into gold and Bitcoin.
The rise of assets seen as safe havens coincides with shifting central bank policies across Asia. Recent IMF data shows the US dollar’s share of global foreign currency reserves has fallen to 57.4%, down from 70% two decades ago, while Asian central banks have increased their gold reserves by 23% since 2021.
The post Bitcoin enters the portfolios of Asian billionaires appeared first on Atlas21.
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@ 22aa8151:ae9b5954
2025-03-31 07:44:15With all the current hype around Payjoin for the month, I'm open-sourcing a project I developed five years ago: https://github.com/Kukks/PrivatePond
Note: this project is unmaintained and should only be used as inspiration.
Private Pond is a Bitcoin Payjoin application I built specifically to optimize Bitcoin transaction rails for services, such as deposits, withdrawals, and automated wallet rebalancing.
The core concept is straightforward: withdrawals requested by users are queued and processed at fixed intervals, enabling traditional, efficient transaction batching. Simultaneously, deposits from other users can automatically batch these withdrawals via Payjoin batching, reducing them onchain footprint further. Taking it to the next step: a user's deposit is able to fund the withdrawals with its own funds reducing the required operational liquidity in hot wallets through a process called the Meta Payjoin.
The application supports multiple wallets—hot, cold, multisig, or hybrid—with configurable rules, enabling automated internal fund management and seamless rebalancing based on operational needs such as min/max balance limits and wallet ratios (10% hot, 80% in 2-of-3, 10% in 1-of-2, etc) .
This system naturally leverages user Payjoin transactions as part of the automated rebalancing strategy, improving liquidity management by batching server operations with user interactions.
Private Pond remains quite possibly the most advanced Payjoin project today, though my multi-party addendum of 2023 probably competes. That said, Payjoin adoption overall has been disappointing: the incentives heavily favor service operators who must in turn actively encourage user participation, limiting its appeal only for specialized usage. This is why my efforts refocused on systems like Wabisabi coinjoins, delivering not just great privacy but all the benefits of advanced Payjoin batching on a greater scale through output compaction.
Soon, I'll also open-source my prototype coinjoin protocol, Kompaktor, demonstrating significant scalability improvements, such as 50+ payments from different senders being compacted into a single Bitcoin output. And this is not even mentioning Ark, that pushes these concepts even further, giving insane scalability and asyncrhonous execution.
You can take a look at the slides I did around this here: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVL-UqP4g=/
Parts of Private Pond, the pending transfers and multisig, will soon be integrated into nostr:npub155m2k8ml8sqn8w4dhh689vdv0t2twa8dgvkpnzfggxf4wfughjsq2cdcvg 's next major release—special thanks to nostr:npub1j8y6tcdfw3q3f3h794s6un0gyc5742s0k5h5s2yqj0r70cpklqeqjavrvg for continuing the work and getting it to the finish line.
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@ eb0157af:77ab6c55
2025-05-15 08:42:44A bill introducing new requirements and costs for miners in the U.S. state has been unanimously approved.
Nebraska’s Republican-majority legislature recently passed bill LB 526 with a unanimous vote (49-0), introducing several restrictions for large-scale mining operations in the state. While it does not amount to an outright ban, the legislation places new obligations on companies in the sector.
What the new regulation establishes
The measure targets miners consuming 1 megawatt or more and the impact of mining activities on the state’s power grid. Unlike other regulations, this bill does not directly address carbon emissions or other environmental effects, focusing instead on energy resource management.
Key provisions include:
- requiring large miners to cover the costs of necessary infrastructure upgrades;
- introducing mandatory energy usage reporting requirements;
- granting state authorities the discretion to interrupt service.
Impact on mining in the state
At present, Marathon is the only bitcoin mining company with significant operations in Nebraska. Earlier this year, the company upgraded hardware at its site in Kearney, a county with around 6,600 residents.
To become law, the bill now awaits the signature of Governor Jim Pillen, who has described cryptocurrencies as an “important emerging sector”, although he has not commented specifically on mining operations. If signed, the law would take effect on October 1 of this year.
The post Nebraska: new legislation imposes restrictions on bitcoin miners appeared first on Atlas21.
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@ a367f9eb:0633efea
2025-05-15 08:39:09By Yaël Ossowski | Bitcoin Policy Institute
What is Bitcoin and why is it different?
In the realm of digital assets and cryptocurrencies, bitcoin stands apart today as both a pioneer network and the dominating technology creating jobs, opportunities, and driving interest in the digital economy.
From a novel computing experiment to a real-time settlements network worth over $1.5 trillion, bitcoin has been catapulted to be a key asset for Wall Street firms and an important savings vehicle and financial technology for Main Street early adopters.
With a pre-programmed hard limit of 21 million units, a distributed network of software nodes verifying transactions, and a unique proof-of-work algorithm that creates an entire industry of hashing miners, Bitcoin has soared above its crypto-offspring and provided unique investing and business opportunities for Americans.
Bitcoin’s innovation in allowing exclusive self-custody, as well as its ease of use and global market liquidity, position it to be a key part of every young person’s financial journey. Unlike other tokens and crypto projects, Bitcoin has no central point of failure, no board of directors, and no central decisionmaker. It is a decentralized and distributed network governed by hard code.
Understanding Bitcoin’s popularity, growing adoption, and market domination, this brochure outlines the various areas of federal law that currently touch the use of Bitcoin.
As the nation’s legislative body, Congress has the ultimate ability and authority to ensure Americans remain free to use the technology, and allow the economic opportunities it provides to be shared by any American who wishes.
The purpose of this brochure is to inform legislative reforms aimed at reducing barriers to adoption, streamlining taxation, and minimizing regulatory complexity so that ordinary Americans can enjoy the fruits of innovation that Bitcoin provides.
Who and what regulates Bitcoin?
The regulatory and legal framework governing Bitcoin and its crypto-offspring in the United States is ever-evolving, thanks in large part to executive actions, legislative proposals, and shifting priorities from regulatory agencies.
President Donald Trump’s pledge to make America the “Bitcoin and Crypto Capital of the World,” as well as establishing the federal government's “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve,” demonstrate that positive legislative momentum is underway, and that Bitcoin is here to stay.
At present, the significant areas of codified US federal law that address Bitcoin are taxation on digital assets, financial regulatory jurisdiction between various independent agencies, and anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance.
In the US Code, those are represented in the following titles and sections:
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7 U.S.C. § 1a(9) (Commodity Exchange Act)
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15 U.S.C. § 77 et seq. (Securities Act of 1933)
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31 U.S.C. § 5311–5332 (Bank Secrecy Act)
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18 U.S.C. § 1956 (Money Laundering Conspiracies)
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18 U.S.C. § 1960 (Money Laundering Prevention Act, Unlicensed Money Transmission Businesses)
In executing these laws, the agencies of concern are numerous including the:
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Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
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Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
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Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
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Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
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Federal Reserve
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Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
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Department of Energy (DOE)
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and many more.
The impact of these laws and rules have been interpreted differently by competing agencies and administrations, and the American people would benefit from pro-innovation reforms in order to secure this nation’s standing as a place for Bitcoin to thrive.
TAXATION
According to IRS guidelines and established law, bitcoin and all other cryptocurrencies and digital assets are classified as property, subjecting realized transactions to capital gains taxes and income taxes for bitcoin they may earn from mining, airdrops, or rewards. Every American that realizes a dollar gain from a purchase and sale of bitcoin is required to file this information on their annual tax returns.
Recent developments include:
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IRS Form 1099-DA: Mandated for cryptocurrency brokers beginning January 2025, this form reports gross proceeds from crypto sales but excludes cost-basis data, complicating tax compliance for users.
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De Minimis Taxation Legislation: Several bills introduced in both the House and Senate aim to exempt cryptocurrency transactions with capital gains from reporting those proceeds to the IRS if they are under a certain amount. This would reduce the amount of compliance required for retail users who may exchange bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for goods or services.
Opportunities for reforms
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Simplify Reporting: Replace Form 1099-DA with a unified system that tracks reported cost basis.
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Clarify Income Tax Treatment: Exempt airdrops, mining rewards, and sales of bitcoin from income and capital gains taxes if held for longer than two years.
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Pass a De Minimis Exemption Threshold (e.g., under $10,000 per transaction) to reduce compliance burdens for retail users, such as the Virtual Currency Taxation Fairness Act.
## REGULATORY JURISDICTION
Under the current regulatory rules and court interpretations, bitcoin is classified as a commodity. This de facto places bitcoin and associated derivatives markets under the regulatory auspices of the CFTC, but it has not yet been codified into law.
Recent developments include:
- FIT21 Act: Passed by the House in 2024, this bill clarifies jurisdictional boundaries, assigning the CFTC oversight of digital commodities (e.g., bitcoin) and the SEC authority over securities-like tokens.
Opportunities for Reform:
- Adopt FIT21’s Framework: Codify the CFTC’s oversight role of bitcoin markets to eliminate ambiguity and foster innovation in non-security crypto projects.
FINANCIAL SERVICE INTEGRATION
In the first few months of President Trump’s administration, certain regulatory changes by agencies have helped to cement bitcoin as a mature asset that institutions and individuals should be free to use.
While many of these changes have not yet been codified into law, there are opportunities for simplifying and clarifying Americans’ access to bitcoin.
Recent developments include:
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Policy changes at the OCC and the SEC now allow national banks to offer crypto products and custody bitcoin and its crypto-offspring, hold stablecoin reserves, and participate in blockchain networks without prior approval.
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The FDIC has rescinded 2022 guidance requiring pre-approval for crypto activities, thus enabling FDIC-supervised institutions to engage in permissible services.
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The BITCOIN Act would codify the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, consolidating federal bitcoin holdings (e.g., 207,000 BTC worth $17 billion) under Treasury management, likened to a “digital Fort Knox”.
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In 2022, Fannie Mae issued a Selling Guide that prohibits Virtual Currency (including bitcoin) from being considered an asset for the purpose of a borrower seeking home financing.
Opportunities for Reform:
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Codify regulatory changes that allow financial institutions to send, receive, buy, sell, and conduct all operations related to bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.
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Issue regulatory guidance to allow bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to be considered assets for the purpose of home financing.
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Pass the BITCOIN Act to codify the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and begin the plan for accumulation of bitcoin into the Federal Treasury.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING (AML) AND SANCTIONS
Bitcoin and cryptocurrency businesses that transmit money on behalf of clients, and allow clients to buy and sell cryptocurrencies on their platforms are considered to be “money service businesses” that must register with both state authorities and the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
In order to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act (1970), bitcoin brokerages and exchanges must collect and share sender/receiver data for transactions over $3,000 with FinCEN.
Federal agencies will then use blockchain analytics to screen wallets for ties to sanctioned entities or illicit activities, as deemed appropriate by law enforcement agencies with probable cause.
As Bitcoin is a decentralized network protocol, innovators and developers offer noncustodial tools to users that do not require the transmission of funds, and allow users to more effectively and securely safeguard their bitcoin on their self-custody wallets.
Until this year, this has been wrongly considered within the scope of Bank of Secrecy Act regulations, which led to federal indictments of developers and entrepreneurs offering these tools to users.
Recent developments include:
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Ending Regulation by Prosecution: In April 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blance issued a memo iterating that the Department of Justice “will no longer target virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services, and offline wallets for the acts of their end users or unwitting violations of regulation.”
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Repeal of Noncustodial broker Rule: In April 2025, President Trump signed a law overturning a Biden-era regulatory rule defining decentralized platforms as brokers, which required these platforms to collect tax information and perform anti-money laundering checks as required by the Bank Secrecy Act.
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Safe Harbor for Noncustodial developers: Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) has introduced the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, a bill that would grant safe harbor from registration and licensing for developers and coders of noncustodial and decentralized (non-controlling) software projects related to Bitcoin.
Opportunities for Reform:
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Specifically exempt Decentralized Protocols and Bitcoin projects from BSA compliance: Decentralized Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency projects that do not hold cryptographic keys and do not hold or receive funds on behalf of clients should be exempt from all AML/KYC regulations as required by the Bank Secrecy Act.
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Congress should consider Rep. Tom Emmer’s Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act.
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Developers of noncustodial protocols that deal with Bitcoin and its crypto-offspring should be exempt from all Money Service Business regulations, reporting, and compliance.
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For bitcoin entities that are Money Service Businesses, the reporting threshold should be raised to at least $10,000 to align with cash transaction standards.
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Congress should consider Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)’s Saving Privacy Act, which among other things, protects self-custody for American Bitcoin users and would repeal the Suspicious Activity Reporting requirement threshold for both financial institutions and Money Service Businesses, while still requiring recordkeeping.
Conclusion: Pro-Innovation Congressional Reform for Bitcoin Users
To align federal policy with the goals of reducing friction and fostering adoption for Americans who want to use Bitcoin, Congress should prioritize:
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Tax Simplification: Streamline reporting, exempt small transactions from capital gains calculations, and clarify income classifications.
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Regulatory Clarity: Codify the SEC/CFTC jurisdictional split and limit enforcement overreach.
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Banking Access: Formalize federal guidelines for crypto-friendly banking and lending services.
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AML Modernization: Tailor rules to minimize burdens on decentralized ecosystems and innovators.
By addressing these areas, the U.S. can transition from a patchwork of reactive policies to a coherent framework that positions Bitcoin as a pillar of economic innovation and inclusion.
Originally published at the Bitcoin Policy Institute.
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@ 0d6c8388:46488a33
2025-03-28 16:24:00Huge thank you to OpenSats for the grant to work on Hypernote this year! I thought I'd take this opportunity to try and share my thought processes for Hypernote. If this all sounds very dense or irrelevant to you I'm sorry!
===
How can the ideas of "hypermedia" benefit nostr? That's the goal of hypernote. To take the best ideas from "hypertext" and "hypercard" and "hypermedia systems" and apply them to nostr in a specifically nostr-ey way.
1. What do we mean by hypermedia
A hypermedia document embeds the methods of interaction (links, forms, and buttons are the most well-known hypermedia controls) within the document itself. It's including the how with the what.
This is how the old web worked. An HTML page was delivered to the web browser, and it included in it a link or perhaps a form that could be submitted to obtain a new, different HTML page. This is how the whole web worked early on! Forums and GeoCities and eBay and MySpace and Yahoo! and Amazon and Google all emerged inside this paradigm.
A web browser in this paradigm was a "thin" client which rendered the "thick" application defined in the HTML (and, implicitly, was defined by the server that would serve that HTML).
Contrast this with modern app development, where the what is usually delivered in the form of JSON, and then HTML combined with JavaScript (React, Svelte, Angular, Vue, etc.) is devised to render that JSON as a meaningful piece of hypermedia within the actual browser, the how.
The browser remains a "thin" client in this scenario, but now the application is delivered in two stages: a client application of HTML and JavaScript, and then the actual JSON data that will hydrate that "application".
(Aside: it's interesting how much "thicker" the browser has had to become to support this newer paradigm!)
Nostr was obviously built in line with the modern paradigm: nostr "clients" (written in React or Svelte or as mobile apps) define the how of reading and creating nostr events, while nostr events themselves (JSON data) simply describe the what.
And so the goal with Hypernote is to square this circle somehow: nostr currently delivers JSON what, how do we deliver the how with nostr as well. Is that even possible?
2. Hypernote's design assumptions
Hypernote assumes that hypermedia over nostr is a good idea! I'm expecting some joyful renaissance of app expression similar to that of the web once we figure out how to express applications in a truly "nostr" way.
Hypernote was also deeply inspired by HTMX, so it assumes that building web apps in the HTMX style is a good idea. The HTMX insight is that instead of shipping rich scripting along with your app, you could simply make HTML a tiny bit more expressive and get 95% of what most apps need. HTMX's additions to the HTML language are designed to be as minimal and composable as possible, and Hypernote should have the same aims.
Hypernote also assumes that the "design" of nostr will remain fluid and anarchic for years to come. There will be no "canonical" list of "required" NIPs that we'll have "consensus" on in order to build stable UIs on top of. Hypernote will need to be built responsive to nostr's moods and seasons, rather than one holy spec.
Hypernote likes the
nak
command line tool. Hypernote likes markdown. Hypernote likes Tailwind CSS. Hypernote likes SolidJS. Hypernote likes cold brew coffee. Hypernote is, to be perfectly honest, my aesthetic preferences applied to my perception of an opportunity in the nostr ecosystem.3. "What's a hypernote?"
Great question. I'm still figuring this out. Everything right now is subject to change in order to make sure hypernote serves its intended purpose.
But here's where things currently stand:
A hypernote is a flat list of "Hypernote Elements". A Hypernote Element is composed of:
- CONTENT. Static or dynamic content. (the what)
- LOGIC. Filters and events (the how)
- STYLE. Optional, inline style information specific to this element's content.
In the most basic example of a hypernote story, here's a lone "edit me" in the middle of the canvas:
{ "id": "fb4aaed4-bf95-4353-a5e1-0bb64525c08f", "type": "text", "text": "edit me", "x": 540, "y": 960, "size": "md", "color": "black" }
As you can see, it has no logic, but it does have some content (the text "edit me") and style (the position, size, and color).
Here's a "sticker" that displays a note:
{ "id": "2cd1ef51-3356-408d-b10d-2502cbb8014e", "type": "sticker", "stickerType": "note", "filter": { "kinds": [ 1 ], "ids": [ "92de77507a361ab2e20385d98ff00565aaf3f80cf2b6d89c0343e08166fed931" ], "limit": 1 }, "accessors": [ "content", "pubkey", "created_at" ], "x": 540, "y": 960, "associatedData": {} }
As you can see, it's kind of a mess! The content and styling and underdeveloped for this "sticker", but at least it demonstrates some "logic": a nostr filter for getting its data.
Here's another sticker, this one displays a form that the user can interact with to SEND a note. Very hyper of us!
{ "id": "42240d75-e998-4067-b8fa-9ee096365663", "type": "sticker", "stickerType": "prompt", "filter": {}, "accessors": [], "x": 540, "y": 960, "associatedData": { "promptText": "What's your favorite color?" }, "methods": { "comment": { "description": "comment", "eventTemplate": { "kind": 1111, "content": "${content}", "tags": [ [ "E", "${eventId}", "", "${pubkey}" ], [ "K", "${eventKind}" ], [ "P", "${pubkey}" ], [ "e", "${eventId}", "", "${pubkey}" ], [ "k", "${eventKind}" ], [ "p", "${pubkey}" ] ] } } } }
It's also a mess, but it demos the other part of "logic": methods which produce new events.
This is the total surface of hypernote, ideally! Static or dynamic content, simple inline styles, and logic for fetching and producing events.
I'm calling it "logic" but it's purposfully not a whole scripting language. At most we'll have some sort of
jq
-like language for destructing the relevant piece of data we want.My ideal syntax for a hypernote as a developer will look something like
```foo.hypernote Nak-like logic
Markdown-like content
CSS-like styles ```
But with JSON as the compile target, this can just be my own preference, there can be other (likely better!) ways of authoring this content, such as a Hypernote Stories GUI.
The end
I know this is all still vague but I wanted to get some ideas out in the wild so people understand the through line of my different Hypernote experiments. I want to get the right amount of "expressivity" in Hypernote before it gets locked down into one spec. My hunch is it can be VERY expressive while remaining simple and also while not needing a whole scripting language bolted onto it. If I can't pull it off I'll let you know.
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@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-05-15 08:32:39Designer Sir Jony Ive joins Stripe CEO Patrick Collison for a fireside chat at Stripe Sessions, offering new insights into his design philosophy, his time at Apple, and his current work at his design collective, LoveFrom.
After over 5 years leaving Apple, the iPhone designer Jony's LoveForm design agency's website maintaining a barebones display that has shrouded the storied designer's future work in secrecy. Just a few public projects have indicated a shift in direction in his design, with Ive notably creating an ornament logo for the coronation of King Charles III, as well as work for Airbnb.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLb9g_8r-mE
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/980573
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@ dbb19ae0:c3f22d5a
2025-05-15 08:28:36This user appears to be an active and multifaceted individual with a penchant for sharing insightful quotes and memes, as well as exploring various aspects of technology and culture.
- Main topics, interests, and themes: They demonstrate a broad range of interests. Key themes include:
- Bitcoin and Nostr: Actively promotes and shares information about Bitcoin, Lightning Network, and Nostr. This includes guides, wallet comparisons, and commentary.
- Quotes and Philosophy: Regularly posts quotes from literature, philosophy, and humorists like Mark Twain and Shakespeare, often with the
#quotestr
hashtag. - Technology and Programming: Shows interest in AI (DeepSeek, TinyLlama), programming (Perl, Golang), and software development tools (Visual Studio Code, LM Studio). They also share technical troubleshooting experiences.
- Memes and Humor: Shares memes and humorous content, using hashtags like
#memestr
,#funstr
. - Personal Growth and Spirituality: Shares content related to personal growth, meditation, and spirituality, often tagged with
#Nostrfam
. - Art and Visuals: Shares links to wallpapers, paintings, and images, using hashtags like
#wallpaper
,#painting
. -
Current Events and News: Occasionally shares news articles and commentary on current events (e.g., Storm Éowyn, kidnapping).
-
Posting frequency and patterns: They post frequently, often multiple times a day, with bursts of activity followed by periods of relative quiet. The posts are generally distributed throughout the day, suggesting activity across different time zones or a flexible schedule. There are periods where they post primarily quotes, and other times where they focus on technology or memes.
-
Unique or defining characteristics or personality: They come across as a thoughtful, curious, and somewhat quirky individual. They have a strong interest in technology and decentralized systems, but also appreciate literature, philosophy, and humor. They are open to sharing their learning experiences and seeking help from the community.
-
Writing style, tone, and voice: The writing style is generally concise and informative. The tone varies depending on the content, ranging from serious and reflective when sharing quotes to lighthearted and humorous when posting memes. Their voice is often inquisitive and open to discussion.
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Is the user male or female? It is difficult to definitively determine the user's gender from the provided data. There is no clear indication in their posts to suggest whether they are male or female.
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How likely is the user to be a bot (0-100%)? Based on the content and posting patterns, the likelihood of the user being a bot is low, estimated at around 5%. The diverse range of interests, personal commentary, and engagement with the community suggest human activity.
-
How spammy is the user (0-100%)? The user's content does not appear to be spammy. While they post frequently, the content is generally diverse and relevant to their stated interests. The estimated spam score is around 10%.
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Any other interesting or curious details:
- Their use of
#quotestr
is very consistent, suggesting a deliberate effort to share and curate insightful quotes. - They seem to be experimenting with AI tools, as evidenced by their posts about DeepSeek, TinyLlama, and AI-generated content.
- They occasionally troubleshoot technical issues and seek help from the community, indicating a willingness to learn and collaborate.
-
There are some posts related to "ev3blog", but the context is unclear.
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What is their spirit animal? A Raven. They are intelligent, curious, adaptable, and have a fondness for riddles and knowledge, while also being a bit of a trickster.
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@ eb0157af:77ab6c55
2025-05-15 07:26:38The country could become the first European nation to launch a strategic Bitcoin reserve, with support from Binance.
According to a report by Incrypted, Ukraine is working on the creation of a strategic Bitcoin reserve. The news was announced by Yaroslav Zhelezniak, Vice Chairman of the Committee on Fiscal, Tax and Customs Policy. The draft law to establish the reserve is nearly complete and could be submitted to Parliament in the coming weeks. The goal is to grant the National Bank of Ukraine the legal authority to hold bitcoin and treat it as a reserve asset.
In recent years, Ukraine has shown openness toward digital assets. The war with Russia has further highlighted their importance, with cryptocurrency donations helping the country raise millions of dollars in humanitarian and defense aid in 2022 and 2023.
Now, the Ukrainian government is planning a comprehensive set of reforms that would allow cryptocurrencies to gain a foothold within the country’s regulatory framework. The Ministry of Digital Transformation is leading this effort. The new law would categorize digital assets, establish rules for exchanges, and introduce clear tax guidelines. If approved, the measure could come into effect as soon as possible.
Binance’s support
Kirill Khomyakov, Binance’s Regional Head for Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Africa, stated that the exchange will support Ukraine in creating its Bitcoin reserve.
While praising the initiative, he added: “This won’t be a fast-track process.” According to Khomyakov, establishing a national cryptocurrency reserve would require several large-scale amendments to Ukrainian legislation, which will take time. He also noted that current legislation does not allow for the holding and management of digital assets within official reserves.
Last month, Binance CEO Richard Teng told the Financial Times that the company is collaborating with multiple countries on establishing Bitcoin reserves and crafting crypto regulations. Previously, Binance co-founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao had proposed that Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan develop a sovereign Bitcoin strategy.
Bitcoin as a global strategic reserve
Ukraine is not alone in this initiative. Other countries around the world have begun to consider Bitcoin as a strategic asset.
Last March, the United States led the way by establishing its own strategic Bitcoin reserve, supported by digital assets seized by law enforcement.
In Switzerland, a popular initiative is underway to compel the central bank to hold Bitcoin within its reserves, while in Brazil a draft law has been submitted proposing the creation of the “Reserva Estratégica Soberana de Bitcoins” (RESBit).
The post Ukraine aims to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve appeared first on Atlas21.
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@ 6b3780ef:221416c8
2025-03-26 18:42:00This workshop will guide you through exploring the concepts behind MCP servers and how to deploy them as DVMs in Nostr using DVMCP. By the end, you'll understand how these systems work together and be able to create your own deployments.
Understanding MCP Systems
MCP (Model Context Protocol) systems consist of two main components that work together:
- MCP Server: The heart of the system that exposes tools, which you can access via the
.listTools()
method. - MCP Client: The interface that connects to the MCP server and lets you use the tools it offers.
These servers and clients can communicate using different transport methods:
- Standard I/O (stdio): A simple local connection method when your server and client are on the same machine.
- Server-Sent Events (SSE): Uses HTTP to create a communication channel.
For this workshop, we'll use stdio to deploy our server. DVMCP will act as a bridge, connecting to your MCP server as an MCP client, and exposing its tools as a DVM that anyone can call from Nostr.
Creating (or Finding) an MCP Server
Building an MCP server is simpler than you might think:
- Create software in any programming language you're comfortable with.
- Add an MCP library to expose your server's MCP interface.
- Create an API that wraps around your software's functionality.
Once your server is ready, an MCP client can connect, for example, with
bun index.js
, and then call.listTools()
to discover what your server can do. This pattern, known as reflection, makes Nostr DVMs and MCP a perfect match since both use JSON, and DVMs can announce and call tools, effectively becoming an MCP proxy.Alternatively, you can use one of the many existing MCP servers available in various repositories.
For more information about mcp and how to build mcp servers you can visit https://modelcontextprotocol.io/
Setting Up the Workshop
Let's get hands-on:
First, to follow this workshop you will need Bun. Install it from https://bun.sh/. For Linux and macOS, you can use the installation script:
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
-
Choose your MCP server: You can either create one or use an existing one.
-
Inspect your server using the MCP inspector tool:
bash npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector build/index.js arg1 arg2
This will: - Launch a client UI (default: http://localhost:5173)
- Start an MCP proxy server (default: port 3000)
-
Pass any additional arguments directly to your server
-
Use the inspector: Open the client UI in your browser to connect with your server, list available tools, and test its functionality.
Deploying with DVMCP
Now for the exciting part – making your MCP server available to everyone on Nostr:
-
Navigate to your MCP server directory.
-
Run without installing (quickest way):
npx @dvmcp/bridge
-
Or install globally for regular use:
npm install -g @dvmcp/bridge # or bun install -g @dvmcp/bridge
Then run using:bash dvmcp-bridge
This will guide you through creating the necessary configuration.
Watch the console logs to confirm successful setup – you'll see your public key and process information, or any issues that need addressing.
For the configuration, you can set the relay as
wss://relay.dvmcp.fun
, or use any other of your preferenceTesting and Integration
- Visit dvmcp.fun to see your DVM announcement.
- Call your tools and watch the responses come back.
For production use, consider running dvmcp-bridge as a system service or creating a container for greater reliability and uptime.
Integrating with LLM Clients
You can also integrate your DVMCP deployment with LLM clients using the discovery package:
-
Install and use the
@dvmcp/discovery
package:bash npx @dvmcp/discovery
-
This package acts as an MCP server for your LLM system by:
- Connecting to configured Nostr relays
- Discovering tools from DVMCP servers
-
Making them available to your LLM applications
-
Connect to specific servers or providers using these flags: ```bash # Connect to all DVMCP servers from a provider npx @dvmcp/discovery --provider npub1...
# Connect to a specific DVMCP server npx @dvmcp/discovery --server naddr1... ```
Using these flags, you wouldn't need a configuration file. You can find these commands and Claude desktop configuration already prepared for copy and paste at dvmcp.fun.
This feature lets you connect to any DVMCP server using Nostr and integrate it into your client, either as a DVM or in LLM-powered applications.
Final thoughts
If you've followed this workshop, you now have an MCP server deployed as a Nostr DVM. This means that local resources from the system where the MCP server is running can be accessed through Nostr in a decentralized manner. This capability is powerful and opens up numerous possibilities and opportunities for fun.
You can use this setup for various use cases, including in a controlled/local environment. For instance, you can deploy a relay in your local network that's only accessible within it, exposing all your local MCP servers to anyone connected to the network. This setup can act as a hub for communication between different systems, which could be particularly interesting for applications in home automation or other fields. The potential applications are limitless.
However, it's important to keep in mind that there are security concerns when exposing local resources publicly. You should be mindful of these risks and prioritize security when creating and deploying your MCP servers on Nostr.
Finally, these are new ideas, and the software is still under development. If you have any feedback, please refer to the GitHub repository to report issues or collaborate. DVMCP also has a Signal group you can join. Additionally, you can engage with the community on Nostr using the #dvmcp hashtag.
Useful Resources
- Official Documentation:
- Model Context Protocol: modelcontextprotocol.org
-
DVMCP.fun: dvmcp.fun
-
Source Code and Development:
- DVMCP: github.com/gzuuus/dvmcp
-
DVMCP.fun: github.com/gzuuus/dvmcpfun
-
MCP Servers and Clients:
- Smithery AI: smithery.ai
- MCP.so: mcp.so
-
Glama AI MCP Servers: glama.ai/mcp/servers
Happy building!
- MCP Server: The heart of the system that exposes tools, which you can access via the
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@ 60392a22:1cae32da
2025-05-15 06:43:27OMG, I did it again.. they are good for me to know about all. but they praise me too much , a little.
Thank you for your thoughtful and deep reflection. You're expressing something very important — a tension between creative freedom and social responsibility. Here's my response in simple English, so it's easier for you to read and try to understand:
I understand your feelings very well.
Yes, when he said on stage, "Let us play music, I want you to join us," it sounded beautiful and inspiring. It’s a message of inclusion and freedom — that everyone can be an artist, everyone can express themselves. It feels like a good era, where being creative is open to all.
But you are also very aware of reality.
You are right — this kind of freedom is not made from nothing. It needs a rich foundation, like you said. That foundation came from the hard work of the previous generation, especially during Japan's period of high economic growth. Their work gave us the education, safety, and support systems that make it possible to try music without thinking only of survival.
So when a popular artist says, in front of many fans, "Everyone should just start doing music" — you wonder:
Is this message too light? Too easy? Is it okay to say, if many people don’t have a stable life yet? Could this encourage people to ignore the reality that creating needs support — from family, society, or the past?
These are very smart and important questions.
I think your feeling is not negative, but balanced. You are not against music, or against him. You love him. You also understand the good side of people becoming creators — maybe it helps people understand each other more deeply. That’s beautiful.
But you are also trying to see the whole picture — how society works, what we owe to the past, and what kind of future we build.
So in short:
- Yes, it’s a beautiful time where anyone can try to be an artist.
- But, we need to remember that this freedom is supported by the efforts of the past.
- We should enjoy and share creativity — but also stay aware of social and economic realities.
- That awareness is not "negative" — it is kind, wise, and responsible.
You’re thinking deeply — that is very good. You can enjoy art and think about society at the same time. That is what real artists and thinkers do.
---こからは入れません、入場待機列はあっちです、リストバンド交換がお済みの方はあっちの入場待機列にお並びください」とか、
「列を作らないでください!」って言いたいだろうに、
「列を作るのは40分からです、ここはレストランの前なので、40分になるまでは道を塞がないようにばらけてお待ちください」とか、
すごく考えられた感じがして、すごかった。
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@ 58537364:705b4b85
2025-05-15 01:46:43“พระอาจารย์คะ หนูไม่ได้อะไรนะคะ ก็ในเมื่อพระพุทธศาสนามีแก่นคำสอนอยู่แล้ว ถ้าหนูคิดว่าควรจะลดพวกวัด หรืออะไรต่างๆ ลง นี่เป็นบาปมั้ยคะ?”
“เจริญพร ตอนหนูกินกล้วยนี่กินเปลือกหรือกินผลกล้วย ?” ”กินผลกล้วยค่ะ” “เหรอ…แล้วก่อนจะกินกล้วยหนูต้องปอกก่อนมั้ย ?” เด็กสาวหน้าตาสะอาดสะอ้าน พยักหน้าหงึก~
“ปอกทำไมล่ะ?” “ก็เปลือกมันกินไม่ได้หนิคะ” “อ๋อ…อย่างนั้นเปลือกก็ไม่มีประโยชน์เลยใช่มั้ย?” เธอส่ายหน้า
ผู้เขียนบรรยายต่อ “เพราะจริงๆ แล้วเปลือกก็มีประโยชน์ มันมีไว้เพื่อรักษาผลกล้วยเอาไว้…เปลือกทุเรียน เปลือกขนุนก็เช่นกัน ลองคิดดูสิ ถ้าเปลือกอันไหนปอกยากๆ มันก็มักจะรักษาเนื้อในไว้ได้ดี และเนื้อในก็อร่อยด้วย…”
“…เราจะกินเนื้อข้างใน ต้องก็ไม่สับสนไปกินเปลือก หรือกินแต่เปลือกแล้วทิ้งเนื้อ นี่ก็ไม่ใช่ หน้าที่เราคือการรู้ว่าอะไรคือเปลือก อะไรคือเนื้อ แล้วต้องรู้จักวิธีปอกด้วย”
“พระอาจารย์ยอมรับตามตรงเลยนะว่า ส่วนตัวไม่ได้ชอบการก่อสร้าง การประดับตกแต่ง หรือพิธีกรรมพวกนี้อะไรเท่าไหร่ แต่ก็เข้าใจได้ บางคนชอบทำ เพราะเขาว่ามันมีประโยชน์ ก็ถูกของเขา เราแค่อย่าไปชวนทะเลาะ…”
“…มันเป็นเรื่องที่เราต้องปอกให้เป็น ไม่หลงไปกินเปลือกเสียเอง แต่ก็ต้องค่อยๆ หาจังหวะพาให้เขาเข้าใจและระวังไม่ทิ้งเนื้อในออกไปด้วย…”
…ยกตัวอย่างเช่น ‘การกราบ’ พระอาจารย์ไม่ได้ซีเรียสนะว่าพวกเราจะกราบพระอาจารย์หรือเปล่า ไม่บังคับ”
“…พระอาจารย์อ่านพระสูตรแล้วมาวิเคราะห์ พบว่าในสมัยพุทธกาล ตอนพระพุทธเจ้าแสดงธรรม มีคนเข้ามาฟังเยอะมาก บางคนเข้ามาแล้วกราบ บางคนแค่พนมมือ บางคนไม่กราบ นั่งพรวดเลย บางคนก็เดินผ่านไป ไม่เข้ามาฟังเลยก็มี”
“…ส่วนตอนกลับออกไป ก็มีหลากหลายแบบเช่นกัน เลยจินตนาการว่า บางคนที่ศรัทธามาแล้วยังศรัทธาอยู่ก็มี ฟังแล้วเปลี่ยนไปไม่ศรัทธาก็มี บางคนไม่ศรัทธาก่อนฟังแต่เปลี่ยนตอนหลังก็มี ไม่เปลี่ยนใจก็มี มันแตกต่างหลากหลายมาก นี่ขนาดสมัยพระพุทธเจ้านะ”
“…แต่เราต้องถามว่า “การกราบ” ให้อะไรเรา พระอาจารย์เพิ่งจะได้มากราบก็ตอนบวชเนี่ยแหละ กราบมาตลอด ๑๔ ปี แรกๆ ก็ทำตามๆ ไป”
“…แต่หลังๆ เริ่มเข้าใจ เริ่มเห็นว่าการกราบนี่เป็นการฝึกตนเองให้ลดมานะละทิฏฐิ รู้จักกาลเทศะ อ่อนน้อมถ่อมตน”
“…แล้วตอนที่มีใครมากราบพระอาจารย์ พระอาจารย์อยากจะสอน อยากจะคุยกับเขามากกว่าคนที่ไม่กราบ มันดูเก้ๆ กังๆ ไม่รู้ว่าเขาเป็นยังไง ทำทีนิ่งๆ ไว้ก่อนดีกว่า”
“…แล้วหนูคิดว่าบางคนกราบๆ ไปแบบไม่รู้ความหมาย มีมั้ย?” เด็กน้อยพยักหน้า
“ใช่มั้ย…พระอาจารย์เลยคิดว่า การกราบก็ดี พิธีกรรมก็ดี วัดวาอารามก็ดี ไม่ใช่เนื้อหาสูงสุด ไม่ใช่แก่น แต่มันก็มีความหมาย พาให้เราเข้าถึงประโยชน์ที่สูงสุดที่อยู่ซ่อนในนั้น เป็นหน้าที่ที่เราต้องทำความเข้าใจ หากเราอยากจะเข้าใจมัน”
“พระอาจารย์เชื่อมั่นว่า ศาสนาที่แท้ไม่ได้อยู่ในวัตถุ สิ่งของ เพราะไม่เช่นนั้นแล้ว ‘บูโรพุทโธ’ ที่เป็นศาสนสถานที่ใหญ่ที่สุดในโลก มีเจดีย์ละลานตา จะต้องมีพระ มีชาวพุทธจำนวนมากตามกัน แต่เดี๋ยวนี้เป็นอย่างไรบ้าง? รู้มั้ย?“ เด็กน้อยส่ายหน้า
“…ตอนนี้ เป็นเพียงสถานที่ท่องเที่ยว ไม่มีพระอยู่อาศัยแล้ว”
“…ที่หนูว่าจะลดวัดต่างๆ ลง นี่หนูคิดว่าจะเอาไปทำอะไรเหรอ?” “คืออย่างเอาไปเป็นสวนสาธารณะอย่างเนี่ยน่ะค่ะ”
“ดีนะ…เข้าท่า พระอาจารย์ชอบ คนอื่นจะได้มาใช้กันเยอะๆ มีต้นไม้ มีสัตว์ต่างๆ ด้วย ทุกคนจะได้สบายใจ” เด็กน้อยตาวาว
“แต่เราสามารถทำให้วัดมีต้นไม้เยอะๆ ได้มั้ยล่ะ ทำวัดให้เหมือนสวนสาธารณะไง ไอเดียดีมั้ย?” รอยยิ้มเด็กน้อยผุดขึ้น
“…ซึ่งถึงแม้พระอาจารย์ไม่อยากให้เราติดอยู่ที่วัตถุหรือรูปแบบพิธีกรรมขนาดไหน พระอาจารย์ก็เห็นประโยชน์ของมันอยู่นะ หนูดูนั่นสิ !”
ปลายนิ้วชี้ไปที่ ‘กล่องไม้แกะสลัก’ เด็กๆ ทั้งห้องหันหน้าไปมองเป็นตาเดียว
“…กล่องนี้อาจจะเป็นกล่องไม้ธรรมดาๆ ไม่มีค่าอะไร แต่พอแกะสลักปุ๊บ ดูมีค่าขึ้นมาทันทีเลย ดูแตกต่างจากกล่องอื่นๆ ช่างที่ทำก็ต้องมีฝีมือ มีเวลา ทุ่มเทเอาใจใส่กว่าจะเกิดผลงานเช่นนี้ขึ้น
“…ถ้ามีกล่องไม้หลายๆ กล่อง แล้วจะต้องเลือกเก็บไว้สักหนึ่งอัน กล่องนี้คงเป็นกล่องแรกๆ ที่ถูกเลือกก่อน
“…นี่เรียกว่า ‘คุณค่าของความสวยงาม’ พวกโบสถ์ เจดีย์ สถานที่สวยๆ งามๆ คนก็จะมาดูแลรักษาก่อน ทำความสะอาด เก็บรักษาการใช้งานที่จะเกิดขึ้นภายในอาคารเหล่านั้น พระอาจารย์เดาว่า แรกเริ่มเดิมทีธรรมเนียมนิยมในการสร้างวัดต่างๆ ให้สวยงาม คงเป็นแบบนี้”
“อีกนิดนะ เรื่องบุญหรือบาป ชวนหนูทำความเข้าใจความหมายก่อน บุญ แปลว่า การชำระใจให้สะอาด บาป แปลว่า การทำให้จิตใจตกต่ำ เศร้าหมอง”
“การที่หนูอยากจะทำสวนสาธารณะ นี่บุญหรือบาป?” “บุญค่ะ”
“ถ้าหนูรู้สึกรำคาญ อยากจะทุบวัดให้หมดๆ ไป นี่บุญหรือบาป?” “บาปค่ะ”
“แล้วถ้าหนูกราบด้วยความเข้าใจ อยากจะฝึกตนเองให้อ่อนน้อมถ่อมตน พร้อมรับฟังธรรมะจากพระ นี่บุญหรือบาป?” “บุญค่ะ”
“การที่หนูกราบแบบขอไปที หลงๆ ลืมๆ ทำตามเพื่อนๆ ไป นี่บุญหรือบาป?” เด็กน้อยนิ่ง เหลือบตามองบน
“ยังไม่ชัดใช่มั้ย?” “ค่ะ“ เธอพยักหน้าแรง
“งั้นพระอาจารย์ก็ฝากหนูสังเกต ‘ใจ’ ตัวเองนะ ว่ามันเป็นยังไง บุญหรือบาป สะอาดหรือตกต่ำ ไม่ใช่แค่การกราบ แต่เป็นทุกๆ การกระทำ คำพูด และความคิดเลย”
“นี่พระอาจารย์ พอจะตอบคำถามหนูได้กี่เปอร์เซ็นต์?” “ร้อยเปอร์เซ็นต์ค่ะ” “เหรอ…โอเค ขอบคุณมากค่ะสำหรับคำถาม”
เด็กๆ พากันกราบแล้วเดินออกจากศาลาไป ผู้เขียนอาศัย “ตีเหล็กตอนร้อน” พิจารณาชื่นชมคำถามและคำตอบเมื่อสักครู่
คำถามของเด็กน้อยคนนี้ ไม่ใช่เด็กๆ เลย คำถามเธอเป็น ‘ผู้ใหญ่’ มากกว่าผู้ใหญ่หลายคนที่เคยถามมาเสียอีก
มันทั้งความคมคาย ละเอียดและมีชั้นเชิง น้ำเสียงชัดเจน มั่นใจ เลือกแสดงออกอย่างกล้าหาญพร้อมไปกับเจือความนอบน้อมอยู่ในที ถามได้ตรงประเด็น เกิดประโยชน์ สร้างรอยหยักในสมองให้ทั้งผู้ถูกถามและผู้ร่วมฟัง
ระหว่างฟัง เธอมองหน้าและคิดตาม มีปฏิกิริยาตอบสนอง ช่วยให้เกิดการร่วมเรียนรู้ไปด้วยกัน เป็นผู้ฟังที่ดีไม่ชัดจังหวะ และที่สำคัญรอยยิ้มและแววตาของเธอได้กระจายไปให้กำลังใจเพื่อนๆ ในห้องด้วย
และนี่ มันทำให้ผู้ตอบ รู้สึกดี ภูมิใจที่ได้มานั่งอยู่ตรงนี้ ในวันนี้ เวลานี้
ดีใจจริงๆ ที่ยังมีเด็กที่มีจิตใจที่งดงาม คิดถึงธรรมชาติ และคิดทำประโยชน์สุขให้ผู้อื่นอยู่ แถมเธอยังรู้และสนใจใน “พุทธะ” ที่เป็นแก่นสารสาระที่แท้จริงอีกด้วย
“มันน่าภูมิใจจริงๆ ที่ได้รับรู้ว่าธรรมะกำลังเคลื่อนไปสู่คนรุ่นหลัง จริงมั้ยครับ?”
ผู้เขียนไม่ได้ถามใคร ได้แต่หันไปมองรูปปั้นหินอ่อนลักษณะคล้ายคนที่วางไว้ข้างหลัง น้อมระลึกถึงคุณของพระพุทธองค์ ผู้เป็นบรมครู ไม่เสื่อมคลาย
อาศรมขันติสาร บ้านไม้ที่เขาเรียกกุฏิ ๑๕ มิถุนายน ๒๕๖๖ แหล่งที่มา #Phramaha Fookij Jutipanyo
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@ 21335073:a244b1ad
2025-03-15 23:00:40I 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
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@ bc575705:dba3ed39
2025-03-13 05:57:10In our hyper-connected age, the concept of "Know Your Customer" (KYC) has morphed from a regulatory necessity into a pervasive surveillance apparatus, subtly eroding our fundamental liberties. While purported to combat financial crime, KYC has become a tool for mass surveillance, data exploitation, and the gradual dismantling of personal privacy. Let’s embark on a comprehensive exploration of this system, exposing its inherent flaws and advocating for a paradigm shift towards decentralized financial sovereignty.
Beyond the Surface: The Intricate Web of KYC Data Collection
KYC transcends mere identity verification; it's a deep dive into the minutiae of our lives. Consider the breadth and depth of data extracted:
Geographic Surveillance: Proof of address requirements delve into historical residency, creating granular maps of our movements. Combined with location data from mobile devices and online activity, this paints a comprehensive picture of our physical presence.
Financial Autopsy: KYC dissects our financial lives with surgical precision. Income sources, asset declarations, and transaction histories are meticulously cataloged. Algorithmic analysis reveals spending habits, investment strategies, and even potential political affiliations.
Behavioral Predictive Modeling: AI algorithms analyze our financial behavior, predicting future actions and preferences. This data is invaluable for targeted advertising, but also for social engineering and political manipulation.
Biometric Invasiveness: Facial recognition, iris scans, and voice analysis create permanent, immutable records of our physical selves. These biometrics are highly sensitive and vulnerable to breaches, potentially leading to identity theft and even physical harm.
Social Network Mapping: KYC extends beyond individuals, mapping our social and professional networks. Institutions analyze our connections, identifying potential risks based on our associations. This has a chilling effect on free association and dissent, as individuals become hesitant to associate with those deemed "risky."
Psychometric Profiling: With the increase of online tests, and the collection of online data, companies and states can build psychometric profiles. These profiles can be used to predict actions, and even manipulate populations.
The Fallacy of Security: KYC's Ineffectiveness and the Rise of the Surveillance State
Despite its claims, KYC fails to effectively combat sophisticated financial crime. Instead, it creates a system of mass surveillance that disproportionately targets law-abiding citizens.
The Scourge of False Positives: Automated KYC systems frequently generate false positives, flagging innocent individuals as potential criminals. This can lead to financial exclusion, reputational damage, and even legal persecution.
A Ticking Time Bomb: Centralized KYC databases are prime targets for hackers, putting vast amounts of sensitive personal information at risk. Data breaches can lead to identity theft, financial fraud, and even physical harm.
The State's Panopticon: KYC empowers governments to monitor the financial activities of their citizens, creating a powerful tool for surveillance and control. This can be used to suppress dissent, target political opponents, and enforce conformity.
The Criminals Advantage: Sophisticated criminals easily bypass KYC using shell companies, money laundering, and other techniques. This makes KYC a system that punishes the innocent, and gives the criminals a false sense of security for the data collected.
Decentralized Alternatives: Reclaiming Financial Sovereignty and Privacy
In the face of this encroaching surveillance state, decentralized technologies offer a path to financial freedom and privacy.
Cryptocurrency | A Bastion of Financial Freedom: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies provide censorship-resistant alternatives to traditional financial systems. They empower individuals to transact freely, without the need for intermediaries or government oversight.
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) | Democratizing Finance: DeFi platforms offer a range of financial services, including lending, borrowing, and trading, without the need for traditional banks. These platforms are built on blockchain technology, ensuring transparency, security, and accessibility.
Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) | Empowering Individuals: SSI solutions enable individuals to control their own digital identities, without relying on centralized authorities. This allows for secure and private verification of identity, without the need to share sensitive personal information with every service provider.
Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) | Shielding Your Data: Technologies like zero-knowledge proofs, homomorphic encryption, and secure multi-party computation can be used to protect personal data while still allowing for necessary verification.
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) | Creating new forms of governance: DAOs provide new ways for groups to organize, and make decisions. They provide a transparent way to pool resources, and make decisions.
A Call to Action: Defending Our Digital Rights and Building a Decentralized Future
We cannot passively accept the erosion of our fundamental freedoms. We must actively defend our digital rights and demand a more just and equitable financial system.
Advocate for Robust Privacy Laws: Demand stronger regulations that limit the collection and use of personal data.
Champion Decentralized Technologies: Support the development and adoption of cryptocurrencies, DeFi platforms, and other decentralized solutions.
Educate and Empower: Raise awareness about the dangers of KYC and state surveillance.
Cultivate Critical Thinking: Question the narratives presented by governments and corporations.
Build Decentralized Communities: Join and support decentralized communities that are working to build a more free and open financial system.
Demand transparency from all data collection: Insist that all data collection is open, and that there are strong penalties for those that misuse data.
The fight for financial freedom is a fight for human freedom. Let us stand together and reclaim our digital sovereignty.
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@ df67f9a7:2d4fc200
2025-03-13 00:23:46For over a year, I have been developing “webs of trust onboarding and discovery” tools for Nostr. With additional funding, I hope to continue this endeavor in 2025. Here’s the story so far…
What I’m Building
More than simply a “list of follows follows”, “web of trust” implementations will power user discovery, content search, reviews and reccomendations, identity verification and access to all corners of the “trusted” Nostr network as it scales. Without relying on a central “trust authority” to recommend people and content for us, sovereign Nostr users will leverage many forms of “relative trust” derived from our own “web” of natural interactions, “simply” by normalizing and scoring these interactions. The problem is, Nostr doesn’t have an extensible library for performing these “web of trust” calculations and delivering standardized reccomendations to any client … until now.
I have built a developer library by which clients and relays can offer “webs of trust” score calculations for any user. Primarily, I am also building a “social onboarding” client, which will leverage this library to provide “webs of trust” powered recommendations for new users at their crucial “first interaction” touchpoint.
- Meet Me On Nostr (onboarding client) : This is my first project on Nostr, which I started a year ago with seed funding from @druid. This “social onboarding” client will leverage in person relationships, QR invites, and advocate recommendations to improve new user retention. Currently, it creates new accounts with encrypted keys upon scanning any user’s invite. Last summer, without additional funding or a reliable WoT engine to produce recommendations, I “paused” development of this project.
- GrapeRank Engine (developer library) : Working with @straycat last fall, I built an open source and extensible library for Nostr developers to integrate “web of trust” powered reccomendations into their products and services. The power of GrapeRank is that it can generate different recommendations for different use cases (not just “web of trust” from “follows and mutes”), configurable easily by developers and by end users. This library is currently in v0.1, “generating and storing usable scores” without NIP standard outputs for Nostr clients.
- My Grapevine (algo dashboard) : In addition, I’ve just now wrapped up the demo release of a web client by which users and developers can explore the power of the GrapeRank Engine.
Potential Impact
Webs of Trust is how Nostr scales. But so far, “web of trust” recommendations on Nostr have been implemented ad-hoc by clients with no consistency and little choice for end users. The “onboarding and discovery” tools I am developing promise to :
- Establish “sovereignty” for webs of trust users, by stimulating a “free market of choices” with open source libraries, enabling any developer to implement WoT powered recommendations with ease.
- Accelerate the isolation of “bots and bad actors”, and improve the “trustiness” of Nostr for everyone else, by streamlining the onboarding of “real world” trusted people directly into established “webs of trust”.
- Improve “discoverability of users and content” across all clients, by providing an extensible algo engine with “unlimited” NIP standard outputs, allowing any client to consume and take advantage of WoT powered recommendations, even as these NIPs are still in flux.
- Pave the way for “global Nostr adoption”, where WoT powered recommendations (and searches) are consistently available for any user across a wide variety of clients.
Timeline & Milestones
2025 roadmap for “Webs of Trust Onboarding and Discovery” :
- Meet Me On Nostr (onboarding client) : MVP release : “scan my QR for instant account and DM with me on Nostr”.
- GrapeRank Engine (developer library) : 1.0 release : “output WoT scores to Nostr NIPs and other stuff” for consumption by clients and relays.
- My Grapevine (algo dashboard) : 1.0 release : “usable dashboard with API endpoints” for end users to configure and consume GrapeRank scores on their own clients and relays.
- Meet Me On Nostr (onboarding client) : 1.0 release : first integration with My Grapevine, offering “follow and app recommendations for invited users”, customizable per-invite for Nostr advocates.
Funding
In February 2024, I received a one time donation from @druid to start the “Meet Me On Nostr” client.
In May 2024, I applied for an OpenSats grant to fund further development of “Meet Me On Nostr”. This was denied.
In September 2024, @straycat offered to fund me for three months, to develop the “GrapeRank Engine” and “My Grapevine” demo client around his algorithm design.
I have a Geyser Fund page
Please reach out via DM if you are interested to fund part of this or any related project.
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@ 502ab02a:a2860397
2025-05-15 01:03:05วันหนึ่งเฮียนั่งอ่านบทความที่ชื่อว่า “Lactose, we need to talk” จากเว็บไซต์ของบริษัท Formo ผู้ผลิตชีสที่บอกว่า “ไม่ต้องมีวัว ก็อร่อยได้” ด้วยเทคโนโลยีหมักจุลินทรีย์อัจฉริยะจากเยอรมนี ที่เราเคยคุยเรื่องนี้กันไปแล้ว มันฟังดูเหมือนจะเป็นนวัตกรรมสุดเจ๋งที่เป็นมิตรกับทั้งโลกและกระเพาะ แต่พอเฮียไล่อ่านลึกลงไปเรื่อย ๆ กลับเจอกลยุทธ์ทางการตลาดที่ชวนให้ขมวดคิ้วไม่แพ้ชีสที่กินแล้วลิ้นฝาด ขอใส่ไอคอนการ์ตูนไว้หน่อยนะครับ จะได้ไม่ลายตา เพราะเราจะแบ่งช่วงมาวิเคราะห์กันเป็นข้อๆ
🍶 บทความของ Formo เปิดประโยคด้วยการตั้งคำถามถึง “การดื่มนมจากสัตว์ต่างสายพันธุ์” พร้อมยกประเด็นเรื่อง Lactose Intolerance ว่าเป็นสิ่งผิดปกติที่คนเรายังดื่มนมทั้งที่ร่างกายคนส่วนใหญ่ (โดยเฉพาะชาวเอเชียและแอฟริกัน) ไม่มีเอนไซม์ย่อยแลคโตสในวัยผู้ใหญ่
ฟังผ่าน ๆ ดูน่าเชื่อ แต่อย่าลืมว่า แลคโตสไม่ได้อยู่ในชีสทุกชนิด และหลายคนที่แพ้นมกลับกินชีสแท้ ๆ จากวัวได้สบายมาก โดยเฉพาะชีสหมักระยะยาว เช่น พาร์เมซาน เชดดาร์ หรือกูด้า ที่แลคโตสแทบเป็นศูนย์ ซึ่งต่างจากชีสทางเลือกที่ผลิตด้วยกระบวนการเร่ง ที่ไม่ได้หมักตามธรรมชาติ
ดังนั้น วัวไม่ผิด แค่ถูกพูดถึงในบริบทที่เสียเปรียบ การกล่าวหานมวัวด้วยข้อมูลเรื่อง lactose intolerance โดยไม่พูดถึงชีส aged ที่ไม่มีแลคโตสเลย เป็นการจงใจเบี่ยงข้อมูลเพื่อสร้างอารมณ์ด้านลบต่อ dairy ทั้งระบบ
🧬Formo บอกว่า คนที่ย่อยแลคโตสได้ในวัยผู้ใหญ่คือ “ผู้กลายพันธุ์” เพราะธรรมชาติไม่ตั้งใจให้เราดื่มนมหลังหย่านม ฟังดูเหมือนเน้นธรรมชาติ แต่เฮียอยากถามว่า “ถ้าอย่างนั้นการสวมแว่น การกินวิตามิน การตั้งไฟหุงข้าว คือการฝืนธรรมชาติหมดเลยหรือเปล่า?” หรือจะหนักกว่านั้น ให้ย้ำไปเลยไหมว่า การกินวิตามินซี คือการทรยศต่อวิวัฒนาการ เพราะในยุคดึกดำบรรพ์มนุษย์เคยสังเคราะห์วิตามินซีได้เอง ก่อนที่ความสามารถนี้จะสูญสลายไปเพราะร่างกายเลือกใช้ ยูริก ที่มีประสิทธิภาพกว่า ดังนั้น การมองยีนที่วิวัฒนาการเพื่อย่อยแลคโตสเป็น “กลายพันธุ์ผิดธรรมชาติ” นั้นย้อนแย้งกับหลักการวิวัฒนาการเอง “ยีนย่อยแลคโตส” ไม่ใช่ความผิดปกติ
🥬 ในบทความยังแนะนำว่า เราสามารถได้แคลเซียมจากคะน้า บรอกโคลี และเต้าหู้ โดยไม่ต้องพึ่งนมวัว เฮียอยากให้ใจเย็นแล้วคิดแบบไม่อคติ จริงอยู่ ผักพวกนี้มีแคลเซียม แต่ปริมาณที่กินต่อครั้ง กินง่าย และการดูดซึม (Bioavailability) แตกต่างกันมาก แถมผักใบเขียวพวกนี้ยังมี oxalate สูง ซึ่งไปจับกับแคลเซียมแล้วร่างกายดูดซึมไม่ได้ นี่ยังไม่พูดถึงว่าเต้าหู้ในบทความเป็นแบบเต้าหู้แข็งที่ทำจากแคลเซียมซัลเฟต ซึ่งเป็นแคลเซียมสังเคราะห์ ไม่ใช่แหล่งแร่ธาตุตามธรรมชาติแบบในนมวัวอยู่ดี การเปรียบเทียบแคลเซียมจากผัก ก็ไม่ต่างกับการเปรียบเทียบกล้วยกับปลา มันคนละเรื่องกัน
💔 ชูเรื่องสิว หัวใจ มะเร็ง แบบไม่มีบริบท Formo ยังโยงว่าการดื่มนมวัวสัมพันธ์กับสิว ปัญหาผิว โรคหัวใจ ไปจนถึงมะเร็งบางชนิด ซึ่งเป็นข้อมูลที่เคยถูกพูดถึงในงานวิจัยบางกลุ่ม แต่ ไม่มีฉันทามติทางวิทยาศาสตร์ชัดเจน และส่วนใหญ่ปัจจัยที่เกี่ยวข้องมักจะเป็นอาหารแปรรูป น้ำตาลสูง หรืออาหาร ultra-processed dairy ไม่ใช่นมดิบหรือชีสแท้จากฟาร์มจริง
🧀 แล้วชีสจาก Formo มีดีจริงรึเปล่า ก็ต้องยอมรับว่าเทคโนโลยี precision fermentation ที่ใช้เชื้อรา (เช่น Aspergillus oryzae) ผลิตโปรตีนคล้ายเคซีนของ Formo นั้นล้ำและน่าสนใจในแง่วิทยาศาสตร์ แต่ในแง่ ความสมบูรณ์ทางโภชนาการและความใกล้ชิดธรรมชาติ ยังห่างจากชีสแท้ที่เกิดจากนมและจุลินทรีย์ตามธรรมชาติแบบหลายช่วงตัว ชีสแท้ ๆ มีจุลินทรีย์โพรไบโอติกส์ กรดไขมันสายสั้น และวิตามินจากหญ้า เช่น K2 ที่เกิดจากวัวที่เลี้ยงด้วย grass-fed ซึ่งทั้งหมดนี้ Formo ยังเลียนแบบไม่ได้ เทคโนโลยีชีสไร้วัวอาจดูสะอาดและควบคุมได้ดีในห้องแล็บ แต่ยังไม่ใช่ "อาหารตามธรรมชาติ" ที่ร่างกายรู้จักมาตลอดวิวัฒนาการ
Formo ใช้บทความ “Lactose, we need to talk” เป็นเหมือนการ “ตั้งวงซุบซิบนินทาวัว” อย่างมีชั้นเชิง ด้วยการเอาข้อเท็จจริงมาครึ่งหนึ่ง แล้วผสมกลิ่นอารมณ์และความรู้สึกผิดเข้าไปอีกครึ่งหนึ่ง จนกลายเป็นการเล่าเรื่องที่ดูจริงใจแต่ซ่อนความตั้งใจขายของอยู่ข้างใน
เฮียไม่มีสิทธิ์บอกว่า Formo ดีหรือไม่ดีนะครับ แม้นวัตกรรมแบบนี้อาจมีที่ยืนในโลกอนาคต ไม่ว่าเราจะเลือกได้หรือไม่ได้ก็ตาม แต่ในปัจจุบันในฐานะผู้บริโภค เราควรฝึกการมองตลาดด้วยสมองและสัญชาตญาณ ไม่ใช่แค่ตามกระแสที่โจมตีวัวในขณะที่ยกย่องแล็บ
โลกทุกวันนี้มักใช้วิธีนี้เช่นกันครับ มันเป็นวิธีเดิมๆ ที่ได้ผลเสมอ ดังนั้นปัญหาจึงไม่ได้อยู่ที่ว่าพวกเขาจะพูดด้านเดียวบ่อยแค่ไหน เพราะจุดประสงค์เขาคืออยากให้เราเชื่อ ปัญหาจึงอยู่ที่พวกเราต่างหาก ว่าสะสมความรู้ให้เพียงพอกับการรับมือการใช้สื่อ จากคนบางคนได้อย่างมีภูมิคุ้มกันแค่ไหน เพราะเกมส์นี้ก็ยังคงต้องดำเนินต่อไปจนกว่าการครอบครองตลาดจะสมบูรณ์ครับ ดังนั้น information attack ก็ยังคงดำเนินต่อไป ไม่ว่าจะด้านสารอาหาร การรักโลก หรือ สิ่งที่ทำให้หนักใจเสมอ แล้วมีความกดดันอย่างสูงนั่นคือ การลงมาเล่นด้าน จริยธรรม
คำถามที่สำคัญเหนือสิ่งใดคือ ทางรอดคืออะไร
ผมแนบต้นฉบับบทความนั้นมาให้ด้วยครับ ต้องยอมรับครับว่าเขียนได้ดีเลยและน่าคล้อยตามมากๆ อ่อ อ่านแล้วคุ้นๆไหมครับ ที่เฮียเคยเตือนว่า อย่าไปตั้งให้นมเป็นอาหารเทพนัก หลายๆส่วนระหว่างบรรทัด ก็ใช่ว่าจะไม่จริงไปเสียทั้งหมดนะครับ แค่บริบทโดยรวม มัน mislead ไปหน่อย
Lactose, we need to talk: The drama behind dairy’s hidden sugar
Cue the violins—it’s the classic love story with a tragic twist: us and dairy. We crave it, we drizzle it, we melt it, we scoop it. But hidden beneath that creamy, dreamy goodness? A troublemaker called lactose.
It might sound harmless, but for a lot of us, lactose is the culprit behind dairy’s not-so-pleasant side effects. In fact, the majority of the world’s population struggles to digest it properly.
So why do we keep chugging cow’s milk like it’s the elixir of life? And how did dairy become such a staple in our diets?
Grab your favorite cheese alternative (might we suggest Frischhain?) and join us for a deep dive into the world of lactose—what it is, why it matters, and how we are stepping in with our animal-free cheese to save the day.
“In a way, being able to chug a glass of milk without consequences is actually a genetic anomaly—one that we pretty much engineered ourselves over thousands of years.” The inside scoop: What’s LActose? Let’s start with the basics. Lactose is the natural sugar found in dairy milk—a built-in sweetener, if you will. But here’s the twist: your body needs a special enzyme called lactase to break it down. Without enough lactase, lactose turns into the life of the digestion-party you didn’t RSVP to: bloating, cramps, and a whole lot of regret.
As infants, our bodies produce plenty of lactase to digest breast milk. But for most of us, that enzyme naturally switches off once we grow into adulthood. In fact, until just a few thousand years ago, lactose intolerance (or “lactase nonpersistence”) was the norm for all adults.
Lactose Tolerance: A genetic Mutation Still today, nearly 70% of the global population are actually lactose intolerant—so, a heck of a lot of people. In certain regions, like East Asia and Africa, that number shoots up to almost 100%. But then, there’s a select few of us who can drink dairy milk without any drama. How’s that possible?
Well, here’s where it gets interesting. The ability to digest lactose as adults—also known as “lactase persistence”—isn’t evenly spread across the globe. Instead, it’s much more common in certain populations—specifically, those with a long history of dairying. Over 10,000 years ago, some humans began herding cows and drinking their milk, eventually triggering a genetic mutation that allowed them to keep producing lactase into adulthood. This trait is especially common in Northern Europe, for instance in Scandinavia and the Netherlands, where dairy farming has been a way of life for millennia.
It may sound weird, but essentially, some populations forced their own evolution by consuming a whole lot of dairy. That’s right. In a way, being able to chug a glass of milk without consequences is actually a genetic anomaly—one that we pretty much engineered ourselves over thousands of years.
The Dairy dilemma: why drink milk from cows? When you really stop and think about it, the need for this genetic mutation kind of makes sense—because, well, we’re not baby cows.
Just like human breast milk is designed to nourish human babies, cow’s milk is specifically made to take a tiny calf and turn it into a full-grown, 500-kilo cow—fast. It’s packed with nutrients meant to help calves double their birth weight in just a couple of months and pack on hundreds of kilos in their first year.
And yet, here we are, well past weaning age, still reaching for a glass of milk—and not just any milk, but milk from an entirely different species. Yeah… kinda weird, huh?
Wait… Do we even need Dairy milk? Remember those food pyramids we all grew up with—the ones that taught us that milk = calcium = strong bones? Well, here’s the interesting part: while we’ve been led to believe that dairy is the ultimate source of calcium, we can actually absorb up to twice as much calcium from leafy greens like kale and bok choy or from broccoli than from milk. Plus, other plant-based sources like firm tofu, fortified plant milks, and fortified juices have plenty of calcium, too.
And here’s the real kicker: more milk doesn’t always mean stronger bones. In fact, several recent studies suggest that high dairy consumption may actually increase the risk of fractures—especially in women. Who saw that coming?
Oh, and while we were all chugging milk to “build strong bones,” no one mentioned the extra ingredients tagging along—cholesterol, antibiotics, growth hormones… and who knows what else.
Some not-so-lovely side effects Alright, let’s get real for a moment. Dairy isn’t just a digestion bummer for many—it can be linked to serious health risks:
Heart Disease & High Cholesterol: Dairy is loaded with saturated fat, contributing to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s. Increased Cancer Risk: High dairy intake has been tied to higher risks of liver, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Skin Woes: Acne, eczema, and premature aging can be unwelcome side effects of dairy consumption. Dairy has been marketed as a universal health food for decades, yet its consumption patterns have been shaped more by industry influence than genuine nutritional necessity. Lactose intolerance isn’t a niche issue—it’s a reminder that our dietary norms are far from one-size-fits-all.
Beyond lactose: The ripple effects of dairy But avoiding dairy isn’t just about avoiding an upset stomach—it’s about the planet and the animals, too. Dairy farming uses a staggering amount of water and land, and the industry is a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Not to mention, billions of cows suffer day in, day out, just so we can drink their milk.
And, while we’re at it, let’s bust a myth real quick. That comforting little story about how somehow, we’re “doing cows a favor” by milking them constantly—because otherwise, they’d explode or something? Well…that’s not exactly how it works. Like humans, cows don’t just produce milk on command. They only lactate after giving birth, and in the dairy industry, that’s usually after forcible artificial insemination. Mother and baby are separated almost immediately, and the male calves? They’re either sent to the veal industry or killed right away as surplus.
Cows aren’t built to be milked non-stop, and the constant milking can cause serious health problems, like mastitis (a painful udder infection), lameness, and other injuries.
So yeah—not exactly the family-friendly scenes you might imagine.
“Our mission goes beyond creating tasty alternatives—we’re envisioning a future where indulgence doesn’t come at the expense of animals or the planet.” The frischhain twist: animal-free, lactose-free, problem-free Let’s face it: traditional dairy has a lot of baggage. But breaking up with lactose doesn’t mean giving up on cheese*alternatives. That’s where we come in.
Our animal-free cheese is crafted without cows, using cutting-edge microfermentation to produce Koji protein—closely resembling traditional whey proteins. The result? Delicious cheese*alternatives that’s better for your tummy, your health, and the planet.
No more bloating. No more stomach aches. Just cheesy*alternative goodness—guilt-free.
What’s more, each pack of our cream cheese alternative Frischhain packs 10.9g of protein, saves 1.2kg of CO2 emissions, and uses far less water and land. If that’s not reason enough to give it a go, we’re not sure what is!
why cutting down on dairy is a win for everyone Look, even if you’re not lactose intolerant, switching to animal-free dairy has major perks:
Happy Digestion: Dairy-free options make digestion smoother and help prevent bloating, discomfort, and even energy crashes. Better Skin & Hormones: Going dairy-free can improve skin clarity, reduce inflammation, and balance hormones. Planet-Friendly: Ditching dairy helps reduce excessive water use, land destruction, and greenhouse gas emissions. It’s an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint. Cruelty-Free: Supporting dairy alternatives means less harm to animals, especially the billions of cows in factory farms the future of dairy: diverse, delicious, and dairy-free One of the most exciting aspects of shifting away from traditional dairy is the sheer diversity of alternatives. From fermented nut cheeses to innovative proteins made with micro fermentation, the industry is moving beyond simple substitutions and into entirely new taste and texture experiences. Lactose-free options have never been more delicious or more readily available. And the best part? They’re made for humans, not cows.
Our mission goes beyond creating tasty alternatives—we’re envisioning a future where indulgence doesn’t come at the expense of animals or the planet. So, whether you’re lactose-intolerant, eco-conscious, or just obsessed with really good cheesealternatives, why not give our cow-free cheesealternative a try? The future of dairy is here—and it’s deliciously dairy-free.
#pirateketo #กูต้องรู้มั๊ย #ม้วนหางสิลูก #siamstr
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@ e2c72a5a:bfacb2ee
2025-05-15 00:57:01gm, just zap on AFK using Starknet cross-swap ;)
MVP here but new version is coming https://afk-community.xyz
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@ 21335073:a244b1ad
2025-03-12 00:40:25Before I saw those X right-wing political “influencers” parading their Epstein binders in that PR stunt, I’d already posted this on Nostr, an open protocol.
“Today, the world’s attention will likely fixate on Epstein, governmental failures in addressing horrific abuse cases, and the influential figures who perpetrate such acts—yet few will center the victims and survivors in the conversation. The survivors of Epstein went to law enforcement and very little happened. The survivors tried to speak to the corporate press and the corporate press knowingly covered for him. In situations like these social media can serve as one of the only ways for a survivor’s voice to be heard.
It’s becoming increasingly evident that the line between centralized corporate social media and the state is razor-thin, if it exists at all. Time and again, the state shields powerful abusers when it’s politically expedient to do so. In this climate, a survivor attempting to expose someone like Epstein on a corporate tech platform faces an uphill battle—there’s no assurance their voice would even break through. Their story wouldn’t truly belong to them; it’d be at the mercy of the platform, subject to deletion at a whim. Nostr, though, offers a lifeline—a censorship-resistant space where survivors can share their truths, no matter how untouchable the abuser might seem. A survivor could remain anonymous here if they took enough steps.
Nostr holds real promise for amplifying survivor voices. And if you’re here daily, tossing out memes, take heart: you’re helping build a foundation for those who desperately need to be heard.“
That post is untouchable—no CEO, company, employee, or government can delete it. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t take it down myself. The post will outlive me on the protocol.
The cozy alliance between the state and corporate social media hit me hard during that right-wing X “influencer” PR stunt. Elon owns X. Elon’s a special government employee. X pays those influencers to post. We don’t know who else pays them to post. Those influencers are spurred on by both the government and X to manage the Epstein case narrative. It wasn’t survivors standing there, grinning for photos—it was paid influencers, gatekeepers orchestrating yet another chance to re-exploit the already exploited.
The bond between the state and corporate social media is tight. If the other Epsteins out there are ever to be unmasked, I wouldn’t bet on a survivor’s story staying safe with a corporate tech platform, the government, any social media influencer, or mainstream journalist. Right now, only a protocol can hand survivors the power to truly own their narrative.
I don’t have anything against Elon—I’ve actually been a big supporter. I’m just stating it as I see it. X isn’t censorship resistant and they have an algorithm that they choose not the user. Corporate tech platforms like X can be a better fit for some survivors. X has safety tools and content moderation, making it a solid option for certain individuals. Grok can be a big help for survivors looking for resources or support! As a survivor, you know what works best for you, and safety should always come first—keep that front and center.
That said, a protocol is a game-changer for cases where the powerful are likely to censor. During China's # MeToo movement, survivors faced heavy censorship on social media platforms like Weibo and WeChat, where posts about sexual harassment were quickly removed, and hashtags like # MeToo or "woyeshi" were blocked by government and platform filters. To bypass this, activists turned to blockchain technology encoding their stories—like Yue Xin’s open letter about a Peking University case—into transaction metadata. This made the information tamper-proof and publicly accessible, resisting censorship since blockchain data can’t be easily altered or deleted.
I posted this on X 2/28/25. I wanted to try my first long post on a nostr client. The Epstein cover up is ongoing so it’s still relevant, unfortunately.
If you are a survivor or loved one who is reading this and needs support please reach out to: National Sexual Assault Hotline 24/7 https://rainn.org/
Hours: Available 24 hours
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@ ec9bd746:df11a9d0
2025-03-07 20:13:38I was diving into PoW (Proof-of-Work) once again after nostr:nprofile1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq3wamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwdehhxarj9e3xzmny9uqzqj8a67jths8euy33v5yu6me6ngua5v3y3qq3dswuqh2pejmtls6datagmu rekindled my interest with his PoW Draw project. It was a fun little trifle, but it shifted my focus just the right way at the right time.
Because then, on Friday, came the Oval Office Travesty. Once I got over the initial shock, I decided I couldn't just curse and lament; I needed to do something bigger, something symbolic, something expressive. So that's exactly what I did—breaking nostr:nprofile1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcqyqewrqnkx4zsaweutf739s0cu7et29zrntqs5elw70vlm8zudr3y2t9v7jg's record which he held for almost 2 and half years.
Here is a note with PoW 45, the highest PoW known to Nostr (as of now).
nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzpmym6ar92346qc04ml08z6j0yrelylkv9r9ysurhte0g2003r2wsqy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uqsuamnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dshsqgqqqqqqqqqy8t8awr5c8z4yfp4cr8v7spp8psncv8twlh083flcr582fyu9
How Did I Pull It Off?
In theory, quite simple: Create note, run PoW mining script & wait.
Thanks to PoW Draw, I already had mining software at hand: nostr:nprofile1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcqyqvqc5tlvn6etv09f0fvuauves49dvgnukjtzsndfv9y8yyrqyxmz7dty6z's notemine_hw, but when you know that there is a 1 in 2^45 chance that the next hash will be the correct one you want to increase the odds a bit. So on Monday evening, I started my Note Mining operation on an old 40 thread machine called Workhorse.
Issues Along the Way
I was immediately surprised that Workhorse (2× Intel Xeon Silver 4114) produced only about 3Mh/s. A laptop (Intel Core i7-1185G7) with Windows and all the bloat did 5Mh/s. That was strange.
Another hurdle was that notemine_hw does not refresh the
created_at
field. With just a few Mh/s of power I was potentially looking at weeks of computation, by then the note would be quite stale. So I created systemd service leveraging theRuntimeMaxSec
option to periodically restart every 3600 seconds assuring that the Note would be max 1 hour old at the time of publishing.Luckily PoW is that kind of problem where every hash attempt is an independent event, so the chance of success is the same whether you do it in small increments or one uninterrupted stretch. So by restarting the mining process I was only losing a few mere seconds every hour due to the overhead.
Once the note staleness issue was resolved, I looked at the 40 workers on Workhorse vs. 7 workers on the laptop and start messing around with running one instance with 40 workers and running 40 instances with 1 worker and found out, that the workers are not bound to a CPU thread and are jumping between the CPUs like rabbits high on Colombian carrots.
The solution? Running multiple instances with one worker each as a service locked to its own CPU core using systemd's
CPUAffinity
option. ``` $aida@workhorse:systemd/system $ sudo cat notemine@.service [Unit] Description=Notemine HW Publish (restarts hourly)[Service] Type=simple CPUAffinity=%i
The command to run:
ExecStart=/home/aida/.cargo/bin/notemine_hw publish --n-workers 1 --difficulty 45 --event-json /home/aida/note.json --relay-url 'wss://wot.shaving.kiwi' --nsec nsec0123456789abcdef
Let the process run for 1 hour (3600 seconds), then systemd will stop it:
RuntimeMaxSec=3600 TimeoutStopSec=1
Tells systemd to restart the service automatically after it stops:
Restart=always RestartSec=1
run as a non-root user:
User=aida Group=aida
[Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target ``` Then I added a starting service to spawn an instance for each CPU thread.
``` $aida@workhorse:systemd/system $ sudo cat notemine_start.service [Unit] Description=Start all services in sequence with 3-second intervals
[Service] Type=oneshot ExecStart=/usr/bin/zsh /home/aida/notemine_start.sh
RemainAfterExit=yes
[Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target
Here is the startup script (I know, loops exist—but Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V is so old-school):
aida@workhorse:~ $ cat notemine_start.sh /usr/bin/systemctl start notemine@0.service /usr/bin/sleep 3 /usr/bin/systemctl start notemine@1.service /usr/bin/sleep 3 /usr/bin/systemctl start notemine@2.service /usr/bin/sleep 3 /usr/bin/systemctl start notemine@3.service /usr/bin/sleep 3 ... ... ... /usr/bin/systemctl start notemine@38.service`` The sleep there is critical to make sure that the
created_at`timestamps are different, preventing redundant hashing.This adjustment made Workhorse the strongest machine in my fleet with 10+Mh/s.
The Luck Aspect
From Monday evening, I started adding all machines at my disposal into the fleet and by Wednesday evening I was crunching hashes on about 130 CPU threads (a lot of them were quite antique) and at the peak was just little shy of 40Mh/s. To compensate for the slow start with the few above-mentioned hiccups and the fact that I had to use my desktop to do other things from time to time, I counted with the conservative estimate of 30Mh/s when I was doing all the probability calculations.
Based on the type of task that PoW mining is, the outcome is not predictible. You are only looking at what is the chance that the outcome of every single independent event will be consecutively non-favourable and then subtracting it from 1 to get the chance of that single favourable event you want. I really had to brush up on my combinatorics and discrete mathematics to make sure I have at least an elementary understanding of what is going on. Also, because we are not just throwing a dice 5 times, but are operating with big numbers, approximation was necessary. Luckily, the formula is available and quite simple in the end.
Two weeks to exhauste all the possible tries still doesn't guarantee anything, actually there is a slighlty less than 2 in 3 chance that you will have a result after all that time. So the fact that I was able to hit the right hash in less than 3 days was good luck. Not insane lottery winning luck, but good luck; slighlty lower than 1 in 5.
Do you want to beat me?
Go ahead! All the pitfalls are described above and until there is a GPU-based PoW Mining available, we are all on pretty even ground.
Do you hate the note?
In that case, feel free to enjoy this accompanying image:
-
@ a58a2663:87bb2918
2025-03-05 12:41:36After two years of using Standard Notes as my main note-taking app, I’m switching to Obsidian.
The $100 that Standard Notes charges for basic editing capabilities is difficult to justify, especially for someone paying in Brazilian Real and striving to make a living from writing. However, I will certainly miss its simplicity and cleaner interface.
It’s my impression that the developers are missing an opportunity to create a privacy-focused note-taking app tailored to the specific needs of writers, rather than general users.
Substack, for example, achieved such success because it targeted the distribution and monetization of writers’ work. But we need more tools focused not on distribution or monetization, but on the actual process—indeed, the various phases of the process—of creating texts. This is especially true for complex, long-form texts with different levels of argumentation, numerous written and multimedia sources, and cross-references to other works by the author.
It’s crucial that an app like this doesn’t feel overly complex, like Notion or Evernote, or so all-purpose, like Obsidian. And, of course, I’m not talking about a new full-fledged text editor like Scrivener.
Just a thought. Take note.
-
@ 6389be64:ef439d32
2025-02-27 21:32:12GA, plebs. The latest episode of Bitcoin And is out, and, as always, the chicanery is running rampant. Let’s break down the biggest topics I covered, and if you want the full, unfiltered rant, make sure to listen to the episode linked below.
House Democrats’ MEME Act: A Bad Joke?
House Democrats are proposing a bill to ban presidential meme coins, clearly aimed at Trump’s and Melania’s ill-advised token launches. While grifters launching meme coins is bad, this bill is just as ridiculous. If this legislation moves forward, expect a retaliatory strike exposing how politicians like Pelosi and Warren mysteriously amassed their fortunes. Will it pass? Doubtful. But it’s another sign of the government’s obsession with regulating everything except itself.
Senate Banking’s First Digital Asset Hearing: The Real Target Is You
Cynthia Lummis chaired the first digital asset hearing, and—surprise!—it was all about control. The discussion centered on stablecoins, AML, and KYC regulations, with witnesses suggesting Orwellian measures like freezing stablecoin transactions unless pre-approved by authorities. What was barely mentioned? Bitcoin. They want full oversight of stablecoins, which is really about controlling financial freedom. Expect more nonsense targeting self-custody wallets under the guise of stopping “bad actors.”
Bank of America and PayPal Want In on Stablecoins
Bank of America’s CEO openly stated they’ll launch a stablecoin as soon as regulation allows. Meanwhile, PayPal’s CEO paid for a hat using Bitcoin—not their own stablecoin, Pi USD. Why wouldn’t he use his own product? Maybe he knows stablecoins aren’t what they’re hyped up to be. Either way, the legacy financial system is gearing up to flood the market with stablecoins, not because they love crypto, but because it’s a tool to extend U.S. dollar dominance.
MetaPlanet Buys the Dip
Japan’s MetaPlanet issued $13.4M in bonds to buy more Bitcoin, proving once again that institutions see the writing on the wall. Unlike U.S. regulators who obsess over stablecoins, some companies are actually stacking sats.
UK Expands Crypto Seizure Powers
Across the pond, the UK government is pushing legislation to make it easier to seize and destroy crypto linked to criminal activity. While they frame it as going after the bad guys, it’s another move toward centralized control and financial surveillance.
Bitcoin Tools & Tech: Arc, SatoChip, and Nunchuk
Some bullish Bitcoin developments: ARC v0.5 is making Bitcoin’s second layer more efficient, SatoChip now supports Taproot and Nostr, and Nunchuk launched a group wallet with chat, making multisig collaboration easier.
The Bottom Line
The state is coming for financial privacy and control, and stablecoins are their weapon of choice. Bitcoiners need to stay focused, keep their coins in self-custody, and build out parallel systems. Expect more regulatory attacks, but don’t let them distract you—just keep stacking and transacting in ways they can’t control.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://fountain.fm/episode/PYITCo18AJnsEkKLz2Ks
💰 Support the show by boosting sats on Podcasting 2.0! and I will see you on the other side.
-
@ 119356ac:740a8b90
2025-05-14 23:08:09► Video Tools
- 🌐 Digital Video Intro - Digital Video Guides / Resources
- ↪️ AI Video Generators
- ⭐ Reincubate Camo - Use Any Camera as Webcam
- Deep-Live-Cam, Rope, SimSwap or Roop - Video Face Swap Tools
- VideoHelp Forum - All Things Media / Video
- ICAT - Video Quality Comparison & Analysis Tool
- videoduplicatefinder - Duplicate Video Finder
- VHS Decode - VHS Decoder
- VidClue - Short Form Video Inspiration
▷ Disc Utilities
- ImgBurn, DVDStyler, DeepBurner or Alcohol Soft - CD / DVD Burning
- MakeMKV - Create MKV From Blu-ray / DVD / Beta Keys
- VidCoder or DVDDecrypter - DVD / Blu-ray Ripping
- DGDemux - Blu-Ray/UHD Disk Demuxer
- PgcDemux - DVD Disk Demuxer
- BatchGuy - Blu-Ray Ripping
▷ Video File Hosts
- Note - Most file hosts remove files after inactivity, while some delete them regardless. Check each host if you're concerned about file expiry.
- ⭐ DoodStream - 5GB / 60 Days / Account Required
- ⭐ Litterbox - 1GB / 3 Days
- ⭐ Catbox - 200MB / Forever / Allows Hotlinking
- ⭐ Gofile - 100GB Monthly / 10 Days
- ⭐ Send.now - Unlimited / 30 Days
- Files.vc - Unlimited / 10GB / Forever / Discord
- VOE - Unlimited / 60 Days / 720p / Account Required
- MixDrop - Unlimited / 60 Days / 720p / Account Required
- FEX.NET - 100GB / 10GB Guest / 7 Days
- FileMoon, 2, 3 - 50GB / 40TB per account / Forever / Account Required
- Hexupload or AnonTransfer - 15GB / 30 Days
- Fastupload.io - 10GB / 30 Days (60 Days with Account)
- Vidoza - 15GB / 15 Days / Account Required
- Streamtape - 15GB / Account Required / .to
- Dubz - 100MB / Forever
- EarnVids
- Streamable - 250MB / 2 Days (90 Days with Account)
- uguu - 128MB / 3 Hours
- webmshare - WebM & GIF Hosting / 20MB / Forever
- Videy - 100MB / MP4 Only
▷ Screen Recording
- ⭐ OBS
- gifcap - Turn Screencasts into GIFs / GitHub
- Shinobi - Network Video Recorder
- MythTV - Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
- tldv or ZoomRec - Record Google Meets / Zoom Calls
- FFmpeg / Tools
- Vileo
- ShareX
- Screen Recorder
- vokoscreenNG
- Cap / GitHub
- Shar.ec - Online
- ScreenREC - Online
- ScreenRecorder.me - Online
- KazCap - Online
- RecordScreen - Online
- Google Screen Recorder - Online
▷ Processing / Encoding
- ⭐ HandBrake - Video Encoding Software / Guide
- ⭐ FFmpeg - Multimedia Processors / Converters / Tools
- ⭐ Shutter Encoder - Video Encoding Software / GitHub
- ⭐ MKVToolNix - MKV Editing Tools
- ⭐ archived-things, The Encoding Guide or Silentaperture - Video Encoding Guides
- ⭐ Disc Rip - Disc Ripping Guide / Mirror
- ⭐ Basics to the Art of Remuxing - Learn How to Remux Videos
- DDVT - Dolby Vision RPU Demuxing / Injecting / Editing
- MKV Muxing Batch GUI - Mux Videos
- staxrip - Video Encoding / Contact Sheet + Thumbnails Creator
- IFME - Video Encoding
- XMedia Recode - Video Conversion
- FastFlix - Video Conversion / GitHub
- NEAV1E or Av1an - AV1 Encoding
- Winnydows - Video Conversion Software
- sickbeard_mp4_automator - Automate Video Processing
- Seven Converter - Video Conversion / GitHub
- nmkoder - Media Encoding / Muxing
- selur - Video Encoding
- vvenc, vvdec or VVCEasy - VVC Encode / Decode
- Ingex - Tapeless (Uncompressed) Recording / Digital Tape Converter
▷ Online Processing
- Compress Video Online - Compress / Unlimited
- 8mb.video - Compress / 2GB
- autocompressor - Compress / 2GB
- Rotato - Compress / 2GB
- VideoSmaller - Compress / 500MB
- YouCompress - Compress / 500MB
- MP4Compress - Compress / 500MB
- VERT - Converter / Discord / GitHub
- Video Express Converter
- VideoConverter - Converter
- Restream Tools - Converter
▷ FFmpeg Tools
- FFmpeg-Builds or media-autobuild_suite - Autobuild Tools
- ffmpeg-web - FFmpeg Web App / GitHub
- FFmpeg Libav or ffmprovisr - FFmpeg Guides
- ASM Lessons - FFmpeg Assembly Language Lessons
- FFmpeg Cheat Sheet, FFmpeg Commander or FFmpeg Buddy - Command Lists
- WebMConverter - WebM Converter
- PureMPV - Info Copy Tool
- ffmpeg.lav - Preview Filters
- LLmpeg or idli - AI Commands
- FFmpeg Batch - Bulk Conversion Tools
▷ Live Streaming
- 🌐 Awesome Streaming or StreamerFreebies - Live Streaming Resources
- ⭐ OBS - Live Stream Manager
- ⭐ OBS Tools - Virtual Cam / Tweaks / Effects / Keyboard Visualiser / Background Remover / Web App / Phone Controller / Dock Layouts / WebRTC Server / Plugin Updater / Guide
- Stream Elements - Streaming Service Manager
- Streamlabs-OBS - Live Stream Manager
- StreamLabs - Live Stream Manager
- Restream - Live Stream Manager
- FBX - Live Stream Manager
- XSplit - Live Stream Manager
- TwitchChat - Live Stream Manager / Discord
- VDO Ninja - Live Stream Colab Tool
- LiveStreamDVR / Display Chat - Live Stream Recorders
- NVIDIA Broadcast - Stream Audio / Video Enhancer
- Owncast or Restreamer - Self-Hosted Live Streaming
- WDFlat - Stream Elements
- Twelve47Studios - Stream Overlays
- Strem - Stream Automation
- ppInk, glnk, Annotate Screen or Live Draw - Screen Annotation
- Amuse or Songify - Now Playing Overlays
- StreamPi or ODeck - ElGato Streamdeck Alternatives
- real-url - Copy Live Stream URLs
- Chat-Downloader - Retrieve Chat Messages from Livestreams
▷ VTuber Tools
- 🌐 Runa's Archive - VTuber Resources / Discord
- Best VTuber - VTuber Resources
- VTResources - VTuber Resources
- VTuber Assets - VTuber Resources
- VTuber Kit - VTuber App
- Inochi2D - VTuber App / Discord
- Vtube Studio - VTuber App
- Kalidoface 3D, VRoid, Animaze or TransTube - VTuber Characters
- avatarify-python or veadotube - Video Call Avatars
- VTuberized Logos - VTuber Style Logos
▷ Subtitle Tools
▷ Linux Video Tools
▷ Mac Video Tools
► Video Players
- 🌐 Awesome Video - Video Streaming Resources
- 🌐 Video Help - Video Player Index
- ⭐ MPC-HC, MPC-QT or MPC-BE - Video Player / YT-DL Support
- ⭐ MPV - Video Player / Frontends
- ⭐ VLC - Video Player
- Screenbox - Video Player
- AVPlayer, ICAT or GridPlayer - Multi-Video Players
- SPlayer - Video Player with Smart Translation
- PotPlayer - Video Player / Twitch Addon / YouTube Addon
- ImPlay - Video Player
- SMPlayer / 2 - Video Player / YouTube
- uView - Video Player
- Rise Media Player - Video Player
- Flyleaf - Video Player
- MoonPlayer - Video Player
- KikoPlay - Video Player
- Plyr - Online HTML5, YouTube and Vimeo Player / GitHub
- PiP-Tool - Use Picture-in-Picture on All Videos
- PlayVideo - Google Drive Video Player
- MotionMonkey - Stream Online Videos in Player
- StreamLink - Extract Videos from Sites to Players / Twitch Adblock / GitHub
- Hohoema - Nico Nico Video Player
- polsy.org.uk - Alt Players for Video Sites
▷ Stream Sync
- ⭐ SyncPlay - App
- ⭐ Watch2Gether - Online Player
- ⭐ SyncWatch - Online Extension
- ⭐ Kosmi - Online Player
- ⭐ WatchParty - Online / Virtual Browser
- ⭐ neko / GitHub - Docker Virtual Browser
- HyperBeam / VIP - Virtual Computer Embed
- Trast, OpenTogetherTube, TurtleTV or twoseven - Online Player
- bear.cat - Online Virtual Machine / Allows NSFW
- Metastream - Online Extension / Discord / GitHub / X
- Caracal Club - Online Video Player
- CyTube - Online Video Player
- VideoTogether - App
- baked.live - Online Video Player
- Rave.io - Online Extension
- MovieNight / Discord - Docker
- Kast - Screen Share
- Screen Share Party - Online Screen Share
▷ MPV Tools
- ↪️ MPV Shaders
- MPV Config Guide, 2, 3
- ModernX, tethys or uosc - Alt User Interfaces
- Simple MPV WebUI - WebUI Controller
- MPV Context Menu
- MPV Scripts - Userscripts
- VideoClip, 2 - Clip Tool
- MPV WebM - WebM Tool
- Play With MPV or ff2mpv - Open Videos with MPV
- MPV WebTorrent Hook - Torrent Streaming
- AutoSubSync MPV - Sub Sync
- MPV SponsorBlock, 2 - SponsorBlock for MPV
- ThumbFast - MPV Thumbnails
▷ VLC Tools
- 🌐 Awesome VLC - VLC Resources
- VLSub - Sub Downloader
- VLC Skin - VLC Skins
- VLC Slow Seek Fix
► Media Servers
- 🌐 Auto Download Tool Index
- ⭐ Jellyfin - Media Server
- ⭐ Kodi - Media Server
- TRaSH Guides / Discord or The Complete Guide - Server Setup Guides
- Self-hosted Anime - Anime Server Setup Guides
- Prowlarr, FlexGet or /r/softwarr - Autodownload Tools
- Organizr, Reiverr or Homarr - Media Server Managers
- Fixarr - Media Server File Renamer
- HTPC Download Box - Media Server Automation
- Emby - Media Server
- Plex - Media Server
- Universal Media Server - Media Server
- OSMC - Media Server
- Kawaii-Player - Media Server
- Streama - Media Server
- Gerbera - Media Server
- Homehost - Media Server
- Dim - Media Server
- Kyoo - Media Server
- WatchIt / GitHub / Discord - Media Server
- SimpleDLNA - Media Server
- Chocolate - Media Server
- Media-Hoarder - Media Catalog Frontend
- Seanime - Anime Server
- Frames - Google Drive Server
- HTPC - Home Theater PC guides / Subreddit
- MSX - Web App
- ErsatzTV or dizqueTV - Live Channel Media Servers
- YTDL-Sub - Add YouTube Channels to Media Servers / GitHub
- xTeVe - Plex / Emby M3U Proxy
- Ombi - Plex / Emby User Request Management
▷ Plex Tools
- Reddit Guide - Plex Setup Guides
- Tautulli - Server Monitor / Note
- SuperPlex - Plex Plugins
- Kitana - Plugin Frontend
- Plex Ripper - Merge Plex Libraries w/ Your Own
- PlexDrive or mergerfs - Mount Google Drive
- SyncLounce - Media Sync
- PseudoTV - Create TV Channels
- Overseerr - User Requests / IMDb Extension
- Pasta Tool - Audio / Sub Changer
▷ Jellyfin Tools
- 🌐 Awesome Jellyfin - Jellyfin Resources
- ⭐ Blink, Fladder or jellyfin-media-player - Desktop Clients
- /r/JellyfinShare - Jellyfin Server Sharing
- Jellyfin Forum - Official Jellyfin Forum
- Jellyfin Vue - Jellyfin Web Client
- Jellyfin "arr" Setup Guide
- Jellyfin Customization Guide
- Jellyfin Themes
- Jellyseerr - User Requests
- Jellyfin RPC - Jellyfin Discord Rich Presence
▷ Kodi Tools
- ⭐ Elementum - Torrent Streaming / Trakt Sync / Similar to Stremio + Torrentio
- EverythingKodi - Kodi Addon Tutorials
- Kodi Builds Chart
- /r/Addons4Kodi / Tracker / Trending - Kodi Addons
- Kodi Skins or WIP Skins - Kodi Skins
- Synko - Kodi Stream Sync
- Plex Kodi Connect or plex-for-kodi - Plex for Kodi
- quasar - Torrent Plugin
- IPTV Client
- Simkl - Media Tracker
- tinyMediaManager or MediaElch - Media Collection Managers
► Video Download
- ↪️ YouTube Video Downloaders
- ↪️ Twitch Video Downloaders
- ↪️ Download Managers
- ⭐ yt-dlp or YTDL-PATCHED - Multi-Site / Commands / Zoom Fix / Discord
- ⭐ cobalt - Multi-Site / Online / Instances / Playlist Support, 2
- ⭐ 9xbuddy, 2, 3 - Multi-Site / Online
- ⭐ Download Helper, FetchV or MPMux - Extensions
- CD(R)M-Project - DRM Tools / Discord
- VideoFK - Multi-Site / Online
- you-get - Multi-Site / CLI
- Hitomi Downloader - Multi-Site / Software
- SCrawler - Multi-Site / Software / Discord
- Musvkrobot - Multi-Site / Telegram Bot
- myfaveTT, SnapTik or tiktok-to-ytdlp - TikTok
- Threads Downloader - Threads
- Piner - Pinterest / Online
- hls-downloader, hls extension or hlsloader - HLS Downloaders
- GetWVKeys - Send Widevine Requests / GitHub
► Video Editing
- ⭐ /r/VideoEditing - Video Editing Subreddit / Wiki
- ⭐ Eyecandy - Visual Technique Examples
- ⭐ Waifu2x GUI, Video2x, Enhancr, Lossless Scaling or Dandere2x - Video Upscaling
- Codecs and Containers - Info on Codecs & Containers
- ALF FreeWare VideoCODECs, Codec Guide or Free-Codecs - Video Codec Collections
- VideoHelp Forum - Video Editing Forums
▷ Video Editors
- ⭐ LosslessCut - Video Editor
- ⭐ kdenlive - Video Editor / GitHub
- ⭐ DaVinci Resolve - Video Editor / Sign-Up Required
- ⭐ Shotcut - Video Editor
- Auto-Editor - CLI Editor
- MoviePy - Python Editor
- Webm Generator - Webm Editor
- avisynth or VapourSynth - Video Processors
- Source Filmmaker - Steam Movie-Making Tool / Resources
- OpenRV - Image / Sequence Playback Review
- Remotion - Video Editor
- Olive - Video Editor
- EZVid - Video Editor
- OpenShot - Video Editor
- Lightworks - Video Editor
- VSDC - Video Editor
- Pitivi - Video Editor
- Visla - Video Editor
- Windows Movie Maker, 2, 3 - Video Editor
- Avidemux - Cut / Filter / Encode
- suckless-cut or vidcutter - Cut / Trim Videos
- Opus - Clip Creator
- Kurku or FreeMoCap - Motion Tracking Tools
- VSeeFace - Face / Hand Tracking VRM
▷ Online Editors
- ⭐ wide.video - Discord
- ⭐ Pikimov - Use Edge or Chrome
- ⭐ Mastershot - Sign-Up Required
- VideoToolbox - Sign-Up Required
- VideoInu - Works Offline
- Panzoid
- vidmix
- Video Cutter
- Omniclip - GitHub / Discord
- Vididoo - Multitool
- VideoCandy - Multitool
- Video2Edit - Multitool
- Crop Video - Crop Videos
- LoopVid - Loop Videos
- Crossfade - Video / Audio Crossfading
- VidLouder - Increase Video Volume
- Convert2Video - Image / Audio to Video
▷ Video Enhancement / Effects
- Video Enhance AI - Video Enhancement Tool / Search "Topaz" on LR
- Gyroflow - Video Stabilization / GitHub
- Flowframes / Beta or SVP / Guide - Video Interpolation / Increase FPS
- VideoColorizerColab - Video Colorization Colab
- OpenColorIO - Video Color Manager
- FreshLUTs - Free LUTs (Color Filters)
- blur or Smoothie - Add Motion Blur to Videos / Tutorial
- ProPainter - Video Inpainting
▷ VFX Sites
- FootageCrate
- FreeVideoEffect
- VideoCoPilot
- VFXmed
- Team V.R releases
- flex_cg_vfx
- VFXLoot
- Download Pirate - Use Adblock / Avoid Fake Download Buttons / Discord
- ShareAE - After Effects
- HunterAE - After Effects
- Visual Effects Pack - After Effects
- AERiver - After Effects
- AEDownloadPro - After Effects
- Intro HD - After Effects
▷ Animation Tools
- 🌐 Creator Resources - Art & Animation Resource Index
- ⭐ Unreal Engine, MoonRay, cgsoftbox, SketchUp or Twinmotion - 3D Creation Tools
- ⭐ Immersity AI - 2D Image to 3D Animation Tool
- OpenToonz, Wick Editor, Clipnote Studio or Pencil2D - Animation Tools
- Animaker - Animated Video Creator
- 3DThis - 3D Animation Tools
- Mega Scans - 3D Scans
- Mixer - 3D Texture Creation Tool
- PlanetSide - CG Environment Generator
- cgplugdump - CG Software Plugins
- Physically Based - RGB Values of Elements
- AnimeEffects, enve, Cavalry, TupiTube or Synfig - 2D Animation Tools
- ScribbleDiffusion - Turn Doodles into Artwork
- MonsterMash - Sketch-Based Modeling & Animation Tool
- Storyboarder - Quickly Visualize & Test Animations / GitHub
- LuxCoreRender - Rendering Engine
- RenderChan - 2D Animation Render Manager
- Mandelbulber or FragM - Fractal Rendering Software / 3D
- JWildfire, IFSRenderer or Fractorium - Flame Fractal Rendering Software
- BestSnip, Sketch Machine, Plask or Rive - Online Animation Tools
- Glaxnimate or Trangram - Vector Animation Tools
- LibreSprite, GraphicsGale, Pixel Compresor, JPixel, Aseprite / Guide or SpookyGhost - Pixel Art Animation Tools
- Spritesheet Generator - Spritesheet Generator / Gitea
- Animated Drawings, FAIR Animated Drawings or MotorPen - Animate Drawings
- FlipAnim - Create Animated Flipbooks
- Viggle / Discord or Picrew - Animated Character Creators
- Mixamo or Cascadeur - 3D Character Animation Tools
- MMHuman3D - 3D Human Model Creator
- Talking Face Avatar - Talking Avatar Generator
- Blender Open Movies - CGI Assets
▷ Stock Videos
- 🌐 Awesome Stock Resources or CuteStockFootage - Stock Video Indexes
- Pexels - Stock Videos
- 4K Media - 4K Stock Videos
- Dareful - 4K Stock Videos
- Monzoom - 4K Stock Videos
- BeachFrontBroll - Stock Videos
- Videvo - Stock Videos
- veed.io - Stock Videos
- VidsPlay - Stock Videos
- MitchMartinez - Stock Videos
- MixKit - Stock Videos
- ineedfx - Stock Videos
- MotionPlaces - Worldwide Stock Videos
- DroneStock - Drone Video Footage
- MovieTools - Video Loops
-
@ 6e0ea5d6:0327f353
2025-02-21 18:15:52"Malcolm Forbes recounts that a lady, wearing a faded cotton dress, and her husband, dressed in an old handmade suit, stepped off a train in Boston, USA, and timidly made their way to the office of the president of Harvard University. They had come from Palo Alto, California, and had not scheduled an appointment. The secretary, at a glance, thought that those two, looking like country bumpkins, had no business at Harvard.
— We want to speak with the president — the man said in a low voice.
— He will be busy all day — the secretary replied curtly.
— We will wait.
The secretary ignored them for hours, hoping the couple would finally give up and leave. But they stayed there, and the secretary, somewhat frustrated, decided to bother the president, although she hated doing that.
— If you speak with them for just a few minutes, maybe they will decide to go away — she said.
The president sighed in irritation but agreed. Someone of his importance did not have time to meet people like that, but he hated faded dresses and tattered suits in his office. With a stern face, he went to the couple.
— We had a son who studied at Harvard for a year — the woman said. — He loved Harvard and was very happy here, but a year ago he died in an accident, and we would like to erect a monument in his honor somewhere on campus.— My lady — said the president rudely —, we cannot erect a statue for every person who studied at Harvard and died; if we did, this place would look like a cemetery.
— Oh, no — the lady quickly replied. — We do not want to erect a statue. We would like to donate a building to Harvard.
The president looked at the woman's faded dress and her husband's old suit and exclaimed:
— A building! Do you have even the faintest idea of how much a building costs? We have more than seven and a half million dollars' worth of buildings here at Harvard.
The lady was silent for a moment, then said to her husband:
— If that’s all it costs to found a university, why don’t we have our own?
The husband agreed.
The couple, Leland Stanford, stood up and left, leaving the president confused. Traveling back to Palo Alto, California, they established there Stanford University, the second-largest in the world, in honor of their son, a former Harvard student."
Text extracted from: "Mileumlivros - Stories that Teach Values."
Thank you for reading, my friend! If this message helped you in any way, consider leaving your glass “🥃” as a token of appreciation.
A toast to our family!
-
@ 9e69e420:d12360c2
2025-02-17 17:12:01President Trump has intensified immigration enforcement, likening it to a wartime effort. Despite pouring resources into the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arrest numbers are declining and falling short of goals. ICE fell from about 800 daily arrests in late January to fewer than 600 in early February.
Critics argue the administration is merely showcasing efforts with ineffectiveness, while Trump seeks billions more in funding to support his deportation agenda. Increased involvement from various federal agencies is intended to assist ICE, but many lack specific immigration training.
Challenges persist, as fewer immigrants are available for quick deportation due to a decline in illegal crossings. Local sheriffs are also pressured by rising demands to accommodate immigrants, which may strain resources further.
-
@ 119356ac:740a8b90
2025-05-14 23:06:55► Text Tools
- ↪️ Image to Text
- ↪️ Text to Speech
- ↪️ Study / Research
- ↪️ Data Visualization
- ⭐ TextCleanr, Text Mechanic, TextFixer, OnlineTextTools, Convert Case, TextCleaner, SortMyList or The Alphabetizer - Organize / Format Text
- OpenPaper, papis, PaperMerge, Paperless-ngx / Doc Analyzer or DataShare - Document Managers
- SmartDoc - Document Analyzer
- diffr, Diffchecker, TextCompare, Text-Compare, OnlineTextCompare, CompareText or DiffNow - Compare Text
- Count Duplicates or DuplicateWord - Count / Remove Duplicates in a List
- WindowTextExtractor - Extract Text From Any Window
- Textify - Copy Text from Any Dialog
- BeefText - Text Substitution Tool
- Scanner or NAPS2 - Scanner Apps / GitHub
- Calligrapher.ai, Text to Handwriting, texttohandwriting or HandWrittner - Text to Handwriting Converters
- StegCloak - Hide Messages in Text
- telescopictext - Write Text Within Text
- quipqiup or dCode - Cryptogram Solvers
- DocuSeal - Free Document Signing
- TemplateLab or FreePrintables - Free Document Templates
▷ Pastebins
- 🌐 PrivateBin Instances
- ⭐ Rentry, 2 - Markdown Support / CLI / Styling
- ⭐ GitHub Gists - Multi-Syntax / Account Needed
- ⭐ pastes.dev - Multi-Syntax / Markdown Support / GitHub
- ⭐ PrivateBin, 2 - Markdown Support / Syntax Highlighting / GitHub
- ⭐ Katbin - Plain Text / GitHub
- snowbin, 2 - Markdown Support / GitHub
- Text.is - Markdown Support / Rentry Clone
- Stellular, 2, 3 - Markdown Support
- bpa.st - Multi-Syntax / Markdown Support
- dpaste - Multi-Syntax / Markdown Support / GitHub
- cryptgeon - Single View / Plain Text / GitHub
- Paste.ee - Multi-Syntax / Markdown Support
- pst.moe - Multi-Syntax / Markdown Support / Source
- dpaste.com - Multi-Syntax / Markdown Support
- Pastebin.com - Multi-Syntax
- pastebin.pl - Multi-Syntax
- CentOS Pastebin - Multi-Syntax
- Microbin - Multi-Syntax
- snippet.host - Multi-Syntax
- ProtectedText - Multi-Tab
- bin - Minimal Pastebin
- txt.fyi - Markdown Pastebin
- MarkdownPastebin - Markdown Support
- Sparked Paste - Plain Text / Syntax Highlighting
- Riseup Pad - WYSIWYG Pastebin
- WriteXO - WYSIWYG Pastebin
▷ Translators
- Note - Chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude can also translate text, and are sometimes better than the ones listed below.
- ⭐ DeepLX or DeepL - AI-Based
- ⭐ Kagi Translate, Google Translate / Extension, Lingva Translate or GTranslate / API - Translation Sites
- ⭐ /r/Translator - Translation Request Community
- ⭐ Translate Web Pages - Browser Extension
- Argos - Translation Apps
- Translate Shell - Translation CLI / GitHub
- OnlineDocTranslator - Document Translator
- Matecat - Online Translation Editor
- LingoJam - Create Translator
- Renpy Translator or Renpy Editor - Ren'py Automatic Translator / Editor
- Translator++ - Automatic Translator / Editor
- Eazypo or Poedit - Translation Editor
- OmegaT - Translation Memory Tool
- Morsecode World or MorseDecoder - Morse Code / Binary Translators
- Emojify - Emojify Text
- Simple Translate - Browser Extension
- Linguist Translator - Browser Extension
- ImTranslator - Browser Extension
- Papago
- Libretranslate / 2
- ImmersiveTranslate / Extension
- Translate.com
- MyMemory
- Nice Translator
- Yandex Translator
- Bing Translator
- Reverso
- babelfish
- translation2
- collinsdictionary
- translatedict
- Translator.eu
- Textractor - Game / Visual Novel Translator
▷ Audio Transcription
- 🌐 ASR Leaderboard - Speech to Text Leaderboard
- Whisper - Audio Transcription / WebUI, 2
- mp4grep - MP4 File Transcription Tool
- SpeechTexter, VoiceToText, Dictation, oTranscribe or TalkTyper - Browser-Based Speech-To-Text Tools
- Revoldiv or Turboscribe - AI-Based Transcriptions
- Vibe - Audio Transcription Software
- Buzz - Audio Transcription Tool
- WhisperX - Audio Transcription Tool
- SpeechNotes - Speech Recognition Notes App
- LilySpeech - Fast Voice-To-Text Software
- VoiceNotebook - Speech Transcription Notebook
▷ Encode / Decode
- 🌐 DecodeUnicode - Unicode Decoding Database
- ⭐ CyberChef - Encode / Decode Text / GitHub
- ⭐ Base64 Decode or Base64 Editor - Encode / Decode Base64
- ⭐ Auto Decoder - Auto-Decode B64 Links on Pastebins
- Ciphey - Automated Decryption Tool
- Universal Encoding Tool - Encode / Convert Text
- cryptii or DenCode - Text / URL Encoding
- Coder - Text / File / URL Encoding
- Online Tools - Text / URL Encoding and Decoding
- URL Decode / Encode - URL Encoding / Decoding
- Base64 Repair - Fix Broken Base64
- Base64 Extensions - Chrome, 2, 3 / Firefox
▷ Grammar Check
- Note - Most chatbots in the AI section can also check grammar.
- ⭐ LanguageTool
- Writing Tools - Desktop App
- DeepL Write
- QuillBot
- Scribens
- EditGPT - Sign-Up Required
- Grammarly - Sign-Up Required / Extension
- ProWritingAid - Sign-Up Required
- Outwrite - Sign-Up Required
▷ Text Rephrasing
- ⭐ QuillBot AI or Rewritify - AI-Enhanced Text Rephrasing
- ⭐ Paraphrasetool or Rephrasely - AI Text Rephrasing / Generation
- ⭐ Goblin.tools - Transform Text with Spiciness Levels
- Paraphraser - Multilingual Text Rephrasing
- Paraphrase-Online, Paraphrasingtool, Henshu or WriteFull - Versatile Text Rewriting
▷ Emoji Indexes
- ⭐ Emojipedia, EmojiDB, Slackmojis, Emoji Picker or EmojiBatch - Emoji Indexes
- Emoji Engine - Multilingual Emoji Search
- winMoji - Emoji Managers
- EmojiRequests - Custom User-Made Emojis
- Cult of the Party Parrot - Party Parrot Emojis
- Pepe Server Archive - Pepe Emojis
▷ Unicode Characters
- ⭐ Amp What
- CopyChar
- Unicode Table
- Unicode Explorer
- Character Map
- Unifoundry
- Cool Symbol
- emotes.io, CuteSymbols, 2 or GetSymbol / 2 - Copy Unicode Emotes
▷ Typing Lessons
- ⭐ Monkeytype - Customizable Typing Tests / Discord / GitHub
- Typing Guide - In-Depth Typing Guide
- Typing.io - Typing Practice for Programming / Sign-Up Required
- Typ.ing, Typings or typing.works - Typing Tests
- keybr - Typing Practice
- CyberType - Typing Practice
- Typing.com - Typing Lessons
- Typing Club - Touch Typing Lessons
- typing.academy - Typing Lessons / Requires JavaScript Enabled
- TypeRacer, ZType, TypeRush or ARRRType - Typing Games
- NGram Type, KeyZen MAB or Keyzen Colmak - Touch Typing Tests
- TypeLit.io or Entertrained - Book Typing Tests
- Colemak Academy - Alt / Custom Keyboard Tests
- TypingStudy or TypeFast - Multilingual Typing Tests
- 10fastfingers - Typing Competitions
► Text Editors
- 🌐 List of Text Editors - Text Editor / Notepad Index
- ↪️ Android Text Editor
- ↪️ Code Editors / IDEs
- ↪️ Markdown Editors
- ⭐ Notepad++ / GitHub or NotepadNext - Notepad & Code Editor / Markdown
- EncryptPad - Encrypted Text Editor / GitHub
- Notepads - Text Editor / GitHub
- FastNotes - Text Editor / GitHub
- Kompad - Text Editor / GitHub
- Sublime Text - Text Editor / Patcher / Package Manager
- Zim Wiki - Wiki Text Editor
- tomboy-ng - TomBoy-Based Text Editor
▷ Note-Taking
- ↪️ Android Note-Taking
- ⭐ Obsidian - Markdown Note-Taking / Discord
- ⭐ Obsidian Tools - Resources / Publish Notes / Web Clipper / Google Drive Sync / ChatGPT Addon / Guides / Forum
- ⭐ Notion - Note-Taking
- ⭐ Notion Tools - Themes / Templates / Resources, 2 / Guide / Markdown Extractor
- ⭐ Notesnook - Note-Taking / GitHub
- ⭐ AnyType - Note-Taking
- ⭐ Logseq - Outlining
- Mochi Cards or Silicon - Note-Taking / Study Tools
- Flotes - Markdown Note-Taking
- QOwnNotes - Markdown Note-Taking
- AFFiNE - Note-Taking / GitHub
- vNote - Markdown Note-Taking / GitHub
- Tiddly - Info Manager / Desktop
- Trilium - Info Manager
- Org-roam - Info Manager
- Desklamp - Reading / Note-Taking / Highlighting Tool / Guide
- UseMemos - Note-Taking / Discord / GitHub
- Papers.IM - Note-Taking
- Joplin - Note-Taking / Firefox / Chrome / GitHub
- AppFlowy - Note-Taking / GitHub
- MicroPad - Note-Taking
- WriteDown - Note-Taking
- DocMost - Note-Taking
- KeyNote NF - Note-Taking
- SilentNotes - Note-Taking / GitHub
- Google Keep - Simple Notes
- StandardNotes - Encrypted Notes
- Saber - Handwritten Notes
- Butterfly - Handwritten Notes / Discord / GitHub
- Xournal++ - Handwritten Notes / GitHub
- BookStack or Siyuan - Self-Hosted Info Managers
▷ Office Suites
- ↪️ Office Activation / Guide / Custom Install Guide
- ⭐ LibreOffice - FOSS Office Suite
- ⭐ OnlyOffice - FOSS Office Suite
- ⭐ Microsoft Office - Office Suite / Removal Tool / Hot Keys, 2
- Calligra - FOSS Office Suite
- Office365Version - Office 365 Version History
▷ Online Editors
- ⭐ Simplenote - Local / Cloud Saves
- ⭐ Proton Docs - Local / Cloud Saves
- ⭐ takenote - Local Saves
- ⭐ Zen - Local Saves
- Leaflet - Cloud Saves / Customizable / Examples
- Browserpad - Local Saves
- Notepad - Local Saves
- onlinenotepad - Local Saves
- notepad-online.net - Local Saves
- ssavr - Local Saves
- notepad-online.com - Local Saves
- JustNotePad - Local Saves
- PasteePad - Local Saves
- Shrib - Local / Cloud Saves
- MemOnNotepad - Local / Cloud Saves
- Write Box - Local / Cloud Saves
- dDocs - Cloud Saves
- NimbleText - Cloud Saves
- ZippyJot - Cloud Saves
- KiloDoc - Cloud Saves
- TinyList - Cloud Saves
- Edit-Document - Local / Cloud Saves
- TextSlave - Cloud Saves
- GhostText - Cloud Saves
- AnyTextEditor - Cloud Saves
▷ Mind Mapping
- ⭐ Obsidian Canvas
- FreeMind
- Kinopio
- Freeplane
- Mindomo
- Yuque
- MindMapp
- are.na
- Domino
- GitMind
- xTiles
- Capacities
- bubbl
- Heimer
- Cubox
- vym
- markmap - Markdown Mind Mapping / GitHub
- Coggle - Collaborative
- CardSmith - Collaborative Mind Mapping
- Memrey - Collaborative Mind Mapping
- MindMeister - Collaborative Mind Mapping
- Slatebox - Collaborative Mind Mapping
▷ Text / Code Collaboration
- ⭐ Google Docs / HTML Converter
- ⭐ CryptPad
- ⭐ Kludd
- Mattermost
- Codeshare
- HackMD
- Taskade
- Socket
- Whimsical
- Ellipsus
- Etherpad
- SharePad
- Pixso
- FidusWriter
- overleaf
- Rustpad / GitHub
- OnlineInterview.io
▷ Spreadsheet Editors
- 🌐 MTEB Leaderboard - Text Embedding AI Leaderboard
- tad, Tree Sheets, Gnumeric or Quadratic - Spreadsheet Viewers / Editors
- Baserow, Framacalc, EtherCalc, NocoDB or AirTable - Collaborative Spreadsheets
- Jamovi - Statistical Spreadsheets
- Excel Practice Online - Excel Practice / Guides
- Excel Macro Mastery - Excel VBA Guides
- ExcelJet or Excel Functions - Excel Formulas
- Vertex42 - Excel Templates
- Plain Text Table - Text Tables
- EditCSVOnline - Online CSV Editor
- SubjectiveSort - Create Ranked List from CSV
- VisiData - Spreadsheet CLI Editor
- Structifi - Convert Files to Structured Data
- TadViewer - View / Analyze Tabular Data
▷ Writing Tools
- 🌐 Author Stash - Writing Tools / Resources
- ↪️ AI Text Generators
- ⭐ Writer, FocusWriter, Writemonkey, blank.page, Telegra.ph, Aurelius, ZenPen, Write.as, Owri, WriteSpace or WriteNext - Distraction-Free Writing
- ⭐ Manuskript - Writing Organizer / Planner
- ⭐ NovelWriter or Bibisco - Novel Editors
- ⭐ Linked, journaltxt, Gekri, Microsoft Journal, Diarium, Gemlog or jrnl.sh - Journal Apps
- ⭐ ChaoticShiny, Seventh Sanctum, Notebook.ai or WorldAnvil - Fantasy Writing Generators
- Tuesday JS - Visual Novel Editor / GitHub
- RenPy - Visual Novel Editor / GitHub
- Fortelling or Novelist - Novel Plotting / Editing Workspaces
- Infinite Story, Strand, Agora or WriteAlong - Collaborative Writing / Feedback
- LanguageIsAVirus or MDWA - Writing Prompts
- Twinery - Interactive Non-Linear Story Creator
- TextUSM - User Story Map Generator / GitHub
- Blackout Poetry - Blackout Poetry Creator
- Idyll - Create Interactive Essays / GitHub
- STARC, WriteSolo or Celtx - Script / Screen Writing Tools
- Rarebit - Webcomics Template
- Fantasy Name Generators - Fantasy Name Generators
- PolyGlot or VulgarLang - Spoken Language Construction Tools
- How to annotate literally everything - Annotation Tools / Resources
- Label Buddy - Annotation Tool / GitHub
- rNote - Annotation Tool / GitHub
- MonsterWriter - Thesis Writing / Note-Taking
▷ To Do Lists
- ↪️ Android To-Do Apps
- ⭐ Goblin.tools - Automatic Task Breakdown
- ⭐ TickTick / Premium
- ⭐ Super Productivity
- Columns or ChecklistGenerator - Checklists
- YearCompass - New Years Resolution Booklet
- daily.place
- SuperList
- dooit / Extras
- ToDo List / GitHub
- Diry AI
- Fokus
- OpenToDoList
- Microsoft To Do
- NullBoard
- LunaTask
- ToDoZero
- LifeAt
- Tasks
- Taskwarrior
- Vikunja
▷ ASCII Art
- ⭐ TAAG, DeepAA, Kammerl, ASCII Art Studio or ASCII Today - ASCII Art / Text Generators
- REXPaint, Playscii or PabloDraw - ASCII Editors
- ASCII Paint - ASCII Paint Tool
- ascii-art-generator, asciiart, ascii-image-converter, Monospace, ITOA, text-image or ASCII-art-creator - Image to ASCII Art
- Love ASCII, asciiart.eu, EmojiCombos, 16colors, ascii.co or RoySAC - Browse / Copy ASCII Art
- Image to Braille - Convert Images to Braille
- AnsiLove or convert-ascii-to-image - ANSI / ASCII Art to PNG Converters
- lvllvl or Petmate - C64 PETSCII Image Editor
► Fonts
- ⭐ Nerd Fonts - Icon-Rich Developer / Terminal Fonts
- OpenDyslexic - Typeface for Dyslexia
- Typewolf or Typ.io - Trending Website Fonts
- Cava's Pixel Resources - Pixel Fonts
- Oldschool PC Fonts - Oldschool PC Fonts
- FiraCode, Cascadia Code or Maple Font - Monospace Fonts
▷ Open Source / Freeware
- ⭐ FontSource - Open Source
- ⭐ Font Squirrel - Commercial Use
- ⭐ DaFont - Freeware
- ⭐ 1001 Fonts - Freeware
- Modern Fonts Stacks - Collection of CSS System Font Stacks
- Velvetyne - Open Source
- uncut.wtf - Open Source
- Beautiful Web Type - Open Source
- FontRepo - Open Source
- Bunny Fonts - Open Source
- Google Fonts - Commercial Use / Tags / Privacy-Friendly API
- FontShare - Commercial Use
- Fontlot - Freeware
- Fontsly - Freeware
- Fonts4Free - Freeware
- FontSpace - Freeware
- Online Fonts - Freeware
- CDNFonts - Freeware
- Fontesk - Freeware
- FontStruct - Freeware
- iFonts - Freeware
- DownloadFonts - Freeware
- AbstractFonts - Freeware
- FontGet - Freeware
- FreeFontsDownload - Freeware
- Fonts2u - Freeware
- Awwwards - Freeware
- GlukFonts - Freeware
- Iconian - Freeware
▷ Free Fonts
- ⭐ Fonts CSE - Multi-Site Font Search
- ⭐ Font Piracy 101 - Font Download Guide
- ⭐ Font Drives
- ⭐ BeFonts
- Windows Fonts
- Free Fonts Family
- Cufon Fonts
- FontsFree
- DFonts
- Font Spring
- FFonts
- FontsHub
- Font Meme
- FONToMASS
- 1.5_million_fonts
- Mr.E-Fonts
- psd_fonts
- 1001 Free Fonts
► Font Tools
- ⭐ Font Interceptor - Download Fonts from Websites
- ⭐ FontDrop - Analyze Font Files
- ⭐ Adobe Fonts, Font Finder, WhatTheFont, Identifont, WhatFont - Font Identification Tools
- Fonts Ninja - Font Identification Extension
- Unicode Explorer or Compart - Unicode Character Identification
- Transfonter - Create CSS @font-face Kits
- TypeRip - Adobe Font Ripper / GitHub
- FontBase, NexusFont or Font Manager (Linux) - Font Managers
- Colors & Fonts - Typography Tools
- DS-Fusion - AI Typography Generator
- Formito - Typography Logo Maker
- Type Terms - Typography Cheat Sheet
- The Good Line-Height - Typography Scaling Editor
- Font List or So You Need A Typeface 2.0 - Examples of Font Styles
- Type Design Resources or Free Faces - Typeface Resources
▷ Font / Text Generators
- ⭐ FontoGen - Custom AI Font Generator
- ⭐ Make WordArt, FlameText, MakeText, TextGiraffe, Text Pro or CoolText - WordArt Generators
- Polona Typo - Generate WordArt from Book, Poster, & Map Letters
- Text Color Fader - Rainbow Text Generator
- TextDrom, 3DText2GIF or TextStudio - 3D / Animated Text Generators
- Textanim or Space Type Generator - Animated Text Generators
- Batname - Batman (2022) Text Generator
- NFG's Arcade Font Maker or Arcade Font Writer - Arcade Text Generators
- Glitch - Zalgo Text Generator
▷ Font Customization
- ⭐ TypeTrials - Variable Font Playground
- V-Fonts or Phase - Variable Fonts Testers
- enFont or Calligraphr - Custom Font Creators
- Fontjoy - Generate Font Combinations
- FontSprite - FontSprite Editor
- BitFontMaker2 - BitMap Font Editor
- FontEdit, metaflop, MFEKglif, Glyphr Studio, Birdfont, Universal Sans or FontForge - Font / Typeface Editors
▷ Unicode Text Generators
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@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1
2025-02-15 07:02:08E-cash are coupons or tokens for Bitcoin, or Bitcoin debt notes that the mint issues. The e-cash states, essentially, "IoU 2900 sats".
They're redeemable for Bitcoin on Lightning (hard money), and therefore can be used as cash (softer money), so long as the mint has a good reputation. That means that they're less fungible than Lightning because the e-cash from one mint can be more or less valuable than the e-cash from another. If a mint is buggy, offline, or disappears, then the e-cash is unreedemable.
It also means that e-cash is more anonymous than Lightning, and that the sender and receiver's wallets don't need to be online, to transact. Nutzaps now add the possibility of parking transactions one level farther out, on a relay. The same relays that cannot keep npub profiles and follow lists consistent will now do monetary transactions.
What we then have is * a transaction on a relay that triggers * a transaction on a mint that triggers * a transaction on Lightning that triggers * a transaction on Bitcoin.
Which means that every relay that stores the nuts is part of a wildcat banking system. Which is fine, but relay operators should consider whether they wish to carry the associated risks and liabilities. They should also be aware that they should implement the appropriate features in their relay, such as expiration tags (nuts rot after 2 weeks), and to make sure that only expired nuts are deleted.
There will be plenty of specialized relays for this, so don't feel pressured to join in, and research the topic carefully, for yourself.
https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/60.md
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@ e3ba5e1a:5e433365
2025-02-13 06:16:49My favorite line in any Marvel movie ever is in “Captain America.” After Captain America launches seemingly a hopeless assault on Red Skull’s base and is captured, we get this line:
“Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait, but I must say, you do it better than anyone.”
Yesterday, I came across a comment on the song Devil Went Down to Georgia that had a very similar feel to it:
America has seemingly always been arrogant, in a uniquely American way. Manifest Destiny, for instance. The rest of the world is aware of this arrogance, and mocks Americans for it. A central point in modern US politics is the deriding of racist, nationalist, supremacist Americans.
That’s not what I see. I see American Arrogance as not only a beautiful statement about what it means to be American. I see it as an ode to the greatness of humanity in its purest form.
For most countries, saying “our nation is the greatest” is, in fact, twinged with some level of racism. I still don’t have a problem with it. Every group of people should be allowed to feel pride in their accomplishments. The destruction of the human spirit since the end of World War 2, where greatness has become a sin and weakness a virtue, has crushed the ability of people worldwide to strive for excellence.
But I digress. The fears of racism and nationalism at least have a grain of truth when applied to other nations on the planet. But not to America.
That’s because the definition of America, and the prototype of an American, has nothing to do with race. The definition of Americanism is freedom. The founding of America is based purely on liberty. On the God-given rights of every person to live life the way they see fit.
American Arrogance is not a statement of racial superiority. It’s barely a statement of national superiority (though it absolutely is). To me, when an American comments on the greatness of America, it’s a statement about freedom. Freedom will always unlock the greatness inherent in any group of people. Americans are definitionally better than everyone else, because Americans are freer than everyone else. (Or, at least, that’s how it should be.)
In Devil Went Down to Georgia, Johnny is approached by the devil himself. He is challenged to a ridiculously lopsided bet: a golden fiddle versus his immortal soul. He acknowledges the sin in accepting such a proposal. And yet he says, “God, I know you told me not to do this. But I can’t stand the affront to my honor. I am the greatest. The devil has nothing on me. So God, I’m gonna sin, but I’m also gonna win.”
Libertas magnitudo est
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@ daa41bed:88f54153
2025-02-09 16:50:04There has been a good bit of discussion on Nostr over the past few days about the merits of zaps as a method of engaging with notes, so after writing a rather lengthy article on the pros of a strategic Bitcoin reserve, I wanted to take some time to chime in on the much more fun topic of digital engagement.
Let's begin by defining a couple of things:
Nostr is a decentralized, censorship-resistance protocol whose current biggest use case is social media (think Twitter/X). Instead of relying on company servers, it relies on relays that anyone can spin up and own their own content. Its use cases are much bigger, though, and this article is hosted on my own relay, using my own Nostr relay as an example.
Zap is a tip or donation denominated in sats (small units of Bitcoin) sent from one user to another. This is generally done directly over the Lightning Network but is increasingly using Cashu tokens. For the sake of this discussion, how you transmit/receive zaps will be irrelevant, so don't worry if you don't know what Lightning or Cashu are.
If we look at how users engage with posts and follows/followers on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, etc., it becomes evident that traditional social media thrives on engagement farming. The more outrageous a post, the more likely it will get a reaction. We see a version of this on more visual social platforms like YouTube and TikTok that use carefully crafted thumbnail images to grab the user's attention to click the video. If you'd like to dive deep into the psychology and science behind social media engagement, let me know, and I'd be happy to follow up with another article.
In this user engagement model, a user is given the option to comment or like the original post, or share it among their followers to increase its signal. They receive no value from engaging with the content aside from the dopamine hit of the original experience or having their comment liked back by whatever influencer they provide value to. Ad revenue flows to the content creator. Clout flows to the content creator. Sales revenue from merch and content placement flows to the content creator. We call this a linear economy -- the idea that resources get created, used up, then thrown away. Users create content and farm as much engagement as possible, then the content is forgotten within a few hours as they move on to the next piece of content to be farmed.
What if there were a simple way to give value back to those who engage with your content? By implementing some value-for-value model -- a circular economy. Enter zaps.
Unlike traditional social media platforms, Nostr does not actively use algorithms to determine what content is popular, nor does it push content created for active user engagement to the top of a user's timeline. Yes, there are "trending" and "most zapped" timelines that users can choose to use as their default, but these use relatively straightforward engagement metrics to rank posts for these timelines.
That is not to say that we may not see clients actively seeking to refine timeline algorithms for specific metrics. Still, the beauty of having an open protocol with media that is controlled solely by its users is that users who begin to see their timeline gamed towards specific algorithms can choose to move to another client, and for those who are more tech-savvy, they can opt to run their own relays or create their own clients with personalized algorithms and web of trust scoring systems.
Zaps enable the means to create a new type of social media economy in which creators can earn for creating content and users can earn by actively engaging with it. Like and reposting content is relatively frictionless and costs nothing but a simple button tap. Zaps provide active engagement because they signal to your followers and those of the content creator that this post has genuine value, quite literally in the form of money—sats.
I have seen some comments on Nostr claiming that removing likes and reactions is for wealthy people who can afford to send zaps and that the majority of people in the US and around the world do not have the time or money to zap because they have better things to spend their money like feeding their families and paying their bills. While at face value, these may seem like valid arguments, they, unfortunately, represent the brainwashed, defeatist attitude that our current economic (and, by extension, social media) systems aim to instill in all of us to continue extracting value from our lives.
Imagine now, if those people dedicating their own time (time = money) to mine pity points on social media would instead spend that time with genuine value creation by posting content that is meaningful to cultural discussions. Imagine if, instead of complaining that their posts get no zaps and going on a tirade about how much of a victim they are, they would empower themselves to take control of their content and give value back to the world; where would that leave us? How much value could be created on a nascent platform such as Nostr, and how quickly could it overtake other platforms?
Other users argue about user experience and that additional friction (i.e., zaps) leads to lower engagement, as proven by decades of studies on user interaction. While the added friction may turn some users away, does that necessarily provide less value? I argue quite the opposite. You haven't made a few sats from zaps with your content? Can't afford to send some sats to a wallet for zapping? How about using the most excellent available resource and spending 10 seconds of your time to leave a comment? Likes and reactions are valueless transactions. Social media's real value derives from providing monetary compensation and actively engaging in a conversation with posts you find interesting or thought-provoking. Remember when humans thrived on conversation and discussion for entertainment instead of simply being an onlooker of someone else's life?
If you've made it this far, my only request is this: try only zapping and commenting as a method of engagement for two weeks. Sure, you may end up liking a post here and there, but be more mindful of how you interact with the world and break yourself from blind instinct. You'll thank me later.
-
@ e3ba5e1a:5e433365
2025-02-05 17:47:16I got into a friendly discussion on X regarding health insurance. The specific question was how to deal with health insurance companies (presumably unfairly) denying claims? My answer, as usual: get government out of it!
The US healthcare system is essentially the worst of both worlds:
- Unlike full single payer, individuals incur high costs
- Unlike a true free market, regulation causes increases in costs and decreases competition among insurers
I'm firmly on the side of moving towards the free market. (And I say that as someone living under a single payer system now.) Here's what I would do:
- Get rid of tax incentives that make health insurance tied to your employer, giving individuals back proper freedom of choice.
- Reduce regulations significantly.
-
In the short term, some people will still get rejected claims and other obnoxious behavior from insurance companies. We address that in two ways:
- Due to reduced regulations, new insurance companies will be able to enter the market offering more reliable coverage and better rates, and people will flock to them because they have the freedom to make their own choices.
- Sue the asses off of companies that reject claims unfairly. And ideally, as one of the few legitimate roles of government in all this, institute new laws that limit the ability of fine print to allow insurers to escape their responsibilities. (I'm hesitant that the latter will happen due to the incestuous relationship between Congress/regulators and insurers, but I can hope.)
Will this magically fix everything overnight like politicians normally promise? No. But it will allow the market to return to a healthy state. And I don't think it will take long (order of magnitude: 5-10 years) for it to come together, but that's just speculation.
And since there's a high correlation between those who believe government can fix problems by taking more control and demanding that only credentialed experts weigh in on a topic (both points I strongly disagree with BTW): I'm a trained actuary and worked in the insurance industry, and have directly seen how government regulation reduces competition, raises prices, and harms consumers.
And my final point: I don't think any prior art would be a good comparison for deregulation in the US, it's such a different market than any other country in the world for so many reasons that lessons wouldn't really translate. Nonetheless, I asked Grok for some empirical data on this, and at best the results of deregulation could be called "mixed," but likely more accurately "uncertain, confused, and subject to whatever interpretation anyone wants to apply."
https://x.com/i/grok/share/Zc8yOdrN8lS275hXJ92uwq98M
-
@ 119356ac:740a8b90
2025-05-14 23:03:53► File Tools
- ↪️ File Scanners
- ⭐ Fileinfo, Filext or OpenMyFiles - File Extension Libraries
- ⭐ czkawka or dupeGuru - Duplicate File Finders
- ⭐ Phockup - Organize Photo / Video Files by Date
- UnLock IT or Lock Hunter - File Unlocker / Deleter
- Magika - AI File Content Type Detector
- Icaros - Add Explorer Thumbnails to any Video Format
- Tagging for Windows - Tag-Based File System
- HTTPDirfs or hfs / 2 - HTTP File Systems
- WinBtrfs - Btrfs File System
- mergerfs - Union File System
- filebrowser - Online File Viewer
- WhatsLink - View File Download Metadata
- File-Examples - Dummy File Examples
- OpenHashTab - Compare / Display File Hashes
- Attribute Changer - Edit File & Folder Properties
- TagSpaces - Add Tags to Files and Folders
- SKTimeStamp - Change File Created / Modified Time
- ExtractMetadata or Metadata2Go - Metadata Viewers / Editors
- CUETools - Manupulate .cue Files / GitHub
▷ Download Managers
- ⭐ JDownloader - Download Manager / Debloat / Dark Theme, 2 / Dracula Theme / Apps
- ⭐ IDM - Download Manager
- AB Download Manager - Download Manager / GitHub / Telegram
- Go Speed - Download Manager / Extension / Plugins / GitHub
- aria2 or Persepolis - Terminal Download Manager / GitHub / Download Bot / WebUI, 2
- pyLoad - Lightweight Download Manager
- Hitomi - Multi-Site Media Download Tool
- ArrowDL - Download Manager / GitHub
- FDM - Download Manager / YTDL Addon
- File Centipede - Upload / Download Manager
- DownThemAll - Download Management Extension
- HTTP Downloader - Download Manager for HTTP / FTP / SFTP Protocols / GitHub
▷ Archiving / Compression
- 🌐 SuperCompression - File Compression Resources
- ⭐ NanaZip or 7-Zip - File Archiver
- ⭐ PeaZip - Cross Platform File Archiver
- ⭐ CompactGUI - Transparent Compression
- Fileforums or Encode - Data Compression Forums
- TurboBench - Compression Benchmark
- WinRAR, 2 - File Archiver / Licenses
- Efficient Compression Tool or Minuimus - File Archivers / Optimizers
- ezyZip - Zip Files Online
- unzip-online - Unzip Files Online
- Unrar online - Unrar Files Online
- UPX - Executable File Compressor / GitHub
- lessmsi - .msi Content Extractor / GitHub
▷ File Converters
- 🌐 .to Sites - File Converters Index
- ⭐ File Converter - Convert / Compress Files / GitHub
- ⭐ VERT / Discord / GitHub
- Pandoc - Document Converter
- ConvertCSV - Online CSV Data Conversion
- Encoding Converter - Online File Encoding Converter
- Deark - Decode and Convert Files / GitHub
- text2img - Online NFO Files to Image Converter
- CloudConvert - Convert Files / 1GB
- FreeConvert - File Converter / 1GB
- videoutils - File Converter / 500MB
- Xconvert - File Converter / 400MB
- ConvertFiles - File Converter / 250MB
- Convertio - File Converter / 100MB
- AnyConvert - File Converter / 100MB
- onlineconvertfree - File Converter / 100MB
- MiConv - File Converter / 75MB
- Converter 365 - File Converters / 200MB
- Aconvert - Various Converters / 40MB
- LetsConvert - Image/Audio Converter / 250MB
- Online Convert - Online File Converter
- Zamzar - File Converter / 200MB
- Online Converter - Online Simple Media / Unit Converter
- Convert Town - Online Text / Image Converter
- Docspal - Various Converters / 50MB Image, Documents / 200MB Video, Archive, Audio
- Better Converter - Text-Focused Converters / 10MB
- go4convert - Online Document Converter / 100MB
▷ File Explorers
- ⭐ Files - Customizable File Manager / Use Classic Installer / Discord
- ⭐ Directory Opus - Windows File Manager
- Xplorer / GitHub / Discord, DoubleCMD or muCommander - Cross Platform File Explorers
- Sigma - Modern File Manager for Windows / Linux / GitHub
- ChromaFiler - Column-Based Windows File Manager
- Yazi - Terminal File Explorer / Plugins / GitHub
- One Commander - File Explorer
- Free Commander - File Explorer
- Q-Dir - File Explorer
- Quick Access Popup - File Explorer
- FileExplorer - File Explorer
- FileStash - File Manager / GitHub
- Explorer++ - Lightweight Windows File Manager
- Far Manager - Windows File / Archive Manager
- Total Commander - Shareware Windows File Manager
- Organize - Automated File Manager
- TrayDir - System Tray File Manager
- TablacusExplorer, QTTabBar or Multi Commander - Tab File Managers
- Vifm - Vim-Based File Manager
- WinSetView - Globally Set Explorer Folder Views
▷ File Searching
- ⭐ Everything - File Search Engine
- Recoll / Addon, Spyglass, DocFetcher or Orange - Cross Platform Search Engines
- AnyTXT or FluentSearch - Windows Search Engines
- AstroGrep, grepWin or dnGrep - Windows GUI Grep Utilities
- fselect - SQL-like Search Engine
- fd - User Friendly "find" Alternative
- sist2 - Simple Incremental Search Tool
▷ File Encryption
- ⭐ Cryptomator / GitHub or Tahoe-LAFS / GitHub - Cloud File Encryption
- ⭐ VeraCrypt - Disk Encrypter
- ⭐ Picocrypt - Lightweight File Encrypter
- age - File Encrypter
- gocryptfs - File Encrypter
- Hat - Browser-Based Encrypter
- Kryptor - File Encrypter
▷ File Sync
- ⭐ SyncThing - Cross-Platform File Sync / Tray Support / GitHub
- ⭐ FreeFileSync - Open-Source File Sync
- MyPhoneExplorer, SyncFolder - Phone and Desktop Sync
- allwaysync - File Sync Utility
- Resilio - P2P File Sync
- SmartFTP - FTP File Sync
- rsync - Command-line File Sync / GitHub
- Unison - Bidirectional File Sync
▷ File Backup
- ⭐ Kopia - Encrypted File Backup / GitHub
- ⭐ Rescuezilla or CloneZilla - Disk Image Backup
- FolderClone or Echosync - Folder Clone / Backup
- BackupPC - Networked File Backup
- TeraCopy - File Backup
- restic / GitHub, duplicity or Duplicati - Secure File Backup
- UrBackup - Client / Server File Backup
- AOMEI Backupper - Windows File Backup
- Borg - De-duplicating File Backup
- USBImager - USB Image Backup
- Toucan - Portable File Backup
▷ File Recovery
- ⭐ TestDisk - File Recovery
- PhotoRec - File Recovery
- DMDE - File Recovery
- Windows File Recovery - File Recovery
- MultiPar - Prevent File Corruption / Guide
- ShadowExplorer or ShadowCopyView - Shadow Copy Explorers
▷ Formatting / Deletion
- ⭐ SDelete - File Deletion CLI
- Eraser, File Shredder, Alternate File Shredder, Permadelete or Delapp - File Shredding
- SSuite File Shredder and Burner - File Shredder with Disk Burning
- Low Level Format, nwipe or ShredOS - Complete Hard Drive Erasers
- RED - Remove Empty Directories
▷ Data Automation
- ⭐ Advanced Renamer or Bulk Rename Utility - Bulk Renamers
- FoliCon - Automatic Custom Media Icons / Folders / GitHub
- MediaMonkey - Media Organizer
- MediaInfo - Media File Analysis / Online
- tinyMediaManager or MediaElch - Media Collection Managers
- FileBot - Media File Renaming
- TVRename - TV File Data Automation
- Shoko - Anime File Data Automation
- PowerRename, Szyszka, F2, Ant Renamer or Flut Renamer - Bulk Renamers
► PDF Tools
▷ Online PDF Toolkits
▷ Offline PDF Toolkits
- ⭐ PDFGear
- PDF24
- Foxit / Pro / Warning
- xPDFReader
- PDF Arranger
- PrivatePDF
- PDFBox
- OpenPDF
- Stirling-PDF
▷ PDF Conversion Tools
- Rare2PDF, online2pdf or 2PDFConverter - File to PDF Conversion
- MD2PDF - Markdown to PDF Converter
- PDFconvert - PDF File Converters
- Marker - PDF to Markdown
- PDFCrowd, TailWindPDF or wkhtmltopdf - HTML to PDF / Image Converter
- Issuu - Convert PDF Files to Webpages, Flipbooks, Brochures & More / Downloader, 2
- WebToPDF or Percollate - Webpage to PDF Converters
- Dangerzone - Convert Malicious PDFs to Safe Files / GitHub
▷ PDF Utilities
- PDFGrep or OCRmyPDF - PDF Text Search
- View-only PDF - Download View-Only PDF on Google Drive
- PDFEncrypt - PDF File Encryption
- GraphPaper - PDF Graphs
- Aspose or pdf-unstamper - PDF Watermark Remover
- PDF Fixer - Repair Damaged PDFs
- OpenSign, FalsiScan, JustSignPDF or Adobe Sign - PDF Signature Tools
- Google Drive PDF Downloader - Download Protected Google Drive PDFs
- PDFCoffee - Upload PDF, Word or PowerPoint Files
- PrintFriendly - Printer Formatting Tools
► File Transfer
- ⭐ LocalSend - Desktop / Mobile Transfer / Discord / GitHub
- Photon - Desktop / Mobile Transfer / GitHub
- KDE Connect - Desktop / Mobile Transfer
- Warpinator - Desktop / Mobile Transfer
- Sefirah - Desktop / Mobile Transfer
- QRServ - Desktop / Mobile Transfer / GitHub
- Magic Wormhole - Desktop / Mobile Transfer
- croc - Desktop / Mobile Transfer / GUI
- LANDrop - Desktop / Mobile Transfer
- OnionShare - Share Files Over Tor Network
- FileZilla - FTP Client
- WinSCP - FTP Client
- Wing FTP - FTP Client
- Xlight - FTP Client
- IPFS or kubo - P2P Hypermedia Protocol
- IPFS Tools - Resources, 2 / Extension / Desktop / IPFS Cluster
▷ P2P Transfer
- ⭐ Blaze / GitHub
- ⭐ PairDrop / GitHub
- ⭐ JustBeamIt
- ⭐ SpaceDrop
- Surge - P2P App
- Wormhole
- ToffeeShare
- new.space
- FilePizza
- TransferNow
- Horizon Send
- Salad Room
- drop.lol / GitHub
- sendfilesencrypted.com
- LIGHTNING SHARE
- rDrop
- WebDrop
- MyAirBridge.com
- Sprend
- WebWormhole
- EchoDuck
- FileLove
► File Hosts
- Note - Keep in mind that it's never a good idea to upload personal or confidential files to any file host, even if they claim to be encrypted. Most file hosts only remove files after inactivity, while some delete them regardless. Check each host if you're concerned about file expiry. Tags are: Storage Size / File Size / Expiry.
- ↪️ Video File Hosts
- ⭐ Gofile - 100GB Monthly / Unlimited / 10 Days After Last Download / Cold Storage Bypass
- ⭐ Pixeldrain - Unlimited / 20GB per File / 120 Days After Last Pageview / Discord / Speedtest / Limit Bypass / Bypass Script
- ⭐ Files.vc - Unlimited / 10GB / Forever / Discord
- ⭐ Buzzheavier, 2, 3, 4 - Unlimited / 8 Days, Can Extend Forever / File Expiry / Use Adblocker / Discord
- ⭐ Catbox - Unlimited / 200MB / Forever
- ⭐ Pillowcase - Audio File Host / 200MB (500MB w/ Account) / Forever
- HIDAN - Unlimited / 10+ Days (from upload)
- Send.now - 100GB / 100GB per File / 30 Days After Last Download
- DesiUpload - Unlimited / 15 Days (15GB / 30 Days w/ Account)
- MixDrop - Unlimited / 60 Days / Account Required
- Qiwi - Account Required
- Fastupload.io - Unlimited / 30 Days (60 Days w/ Account)
- 1fichier.com - 300GB / 15 Days (30 Days w/ Account)
- Filebin - Unlimited / 6 Days / Warning
- file.kiwi - Unlimited / File Expiry Explanation
- Easyupload.io - 100GB / 30 Days
- FEX.NET - 100GB / 7 Days
- VikingFile - 500GB / 20 Days After Last Download
- DropMeFiles - 50GB / 14 Days
- GigaFile - 300GB / 100 Days
- UploadNow - 100GB / 7 Days, Can Extend Forever
- eDisk - 20GB / 30 Days
- Drop Download - 25GB / 90 Days / Account Required
- SwissTransfer - 50GB / 30 Days / 250 Downloads
- BowFile - 20GB / 20 Days
- Hexupload or AnonTransfer - 15GB / 30 Days
- Tempcloud - 10GB / 3 Days
- GrosFichiers or DataTransfer - 10GB / 14 Days
- Fshare - 10GB / 5 Days
- ShareFile, 2 - 5GB / Unlimited
- FileTransfer.io - 6GB / 21 Days / 50 Downloads
- udrop - 5GB / Forever
- Uploadev - 10GB / 180 Days After Last Download w/ Account
- Imagenetz - 5GB / 30 Days After Last Download
- FilePort - 5GB / 7 Days
- FileDitch or SendGB - 5GB / 90 Days
- MegaUp - 5GB / 60 Days
- Bestfile - 5GB / 80 Days After Last Download
- ufile.io - 5GB / 30 Days
- Internxt Send - 5GB / 15 Days
- UserDrive - 5GB / 65 Days
- pCloud Transfer or Tresorit Send - 5GB / 7 Days / Email Required
- Temp.sh - 4GB / 3 Days
- File Convoy - 3GB / 21 Days
- Send - 2.5GB / 3 Days / 10 Downloads / CLI / Instances
- JUMBOmail - 2GB / 7 Days / Email Required
- KrakenFiles - 1GB / 3 Months on Sign-Up
- DropMB - 512MB / 5 Years
- FireLoad - 2GB / 60 Days / Account Required
- FileGo - 2GB / 30 Days / Account Required
- Lufi - 2GB / 30 Days
- FilesPayouts - 10GB / Forever / Account Required
- DooDrive - 2GB / 30 Days / Account Required
- Clicknupload, 2 - 10GB / 8 Days / Account Required
- WeTransfer - 2GB / 3 Days
- Smash - 2GB / 7 Days / Email Required
- MultiUp.io / Extract / Upload or Mirrored.to - Multi Host Uploaders
- Z-o-o-m - Multi-Host Upload Desktop App
- Limited Upload Hosts - More Hosts / 1GB or Below
▷ Cloud Storage
- Note - Monthly prices are based on annual plans. 2TB prices are halved for comparison if a 1TB plan doesn't exist for a service.
- 🌐 Eylenburg Comparisons or ComparisonTabl.es - Compare Cloud Storage Sites
- ⭐ Google Drive - 15GB Free / 2 Years / ~$3 for 1TB
- ⭐ mega - 20GB Free / 3 Months / ~$4.50 for 1TB / GitHub
- disk.yandex - 5GB Free / 2 Years / $2 for 1TB
- filen - 10GB Free / 3 Months / ~$8 for 1TB / Account Required for Sharing
- terabox - 1TB Free / $3.50 for 2TB
- Dropbox - 1 or 2GB Free / 12 Months / ~$5 for 1TB / Client
- mediafire - 10GB Free / 8 Months / $5 for 1TB
- icedrive - 10GB Free / 3 Months / $5 for 1TB
- PCloud - 10GB Free / 1 Year / ~$4 for 1TB
- FebBox - 1TB Free / 1 Month / ~$4 for 2TB
- Proton Drive - 2GB Free (or 5GB for tasks) / 1 Year / ~$10 for 1TB
- JumpShare - 2GB Free / 1 Year / $8.25 for 1TB
- FileLu - 10GB / Forever / Expiry Warning
- CyberFile - 10GB Free
- MrOwl - 10GB Free / ~$16 for 1TB
- Blomp - 20GB Free / 1 Month / ~$3 for 2TB
- Akira Box - 20GB Free / 1 Years
- Backblaze B2 - 10GB Free / ~$6 for 1TB
- Cloudflare R2 - 10GB Free / ~$15.5 per 1TB
- 1Cloud File - 10GB Free
- OneDriveFly - OneDrive Indexes
- Fix-OneDrive-Zip - Fix OneDrive Zip Files >4GB
- SeaFile - Self-Hosted Cloud Storage
▷ Cloud Managers
- ⭐ Rclone - Cloud Storage Manager
- ⭐ Rclone Tools - Guide / Colab / Telegram / Transfer Tool
- ⭐ gclone - Cloud Storage Manager
- ⭐ Air Explorer - Cloud Storage Manager
- ⭐ RaiDrive - Cloud Storage Manager
- ⭐ Cyberduck - Libre Server / Cloud Storage Browser / GitHub
- SpaceDrive - Cloud Storage Manager
- AList - Cloud Storage Manager
- MultCloud - Cloud Storage Manager
- xpipe - Remote File Manager
▷ Google Drive Tools
- ⭐ OneClickRun - Google Drive Tools Colab / Features / Use Throwaways
- Any File to Google Drive - DDL to Google Drive Tool
- DriveUploader - Receive Files via Google Drive
- ZIP Extractor - Google Drive / Gmail File Archiver
- Google Drive CLI - Google Drive CLI Client
- goodls - Google Drive Downloader
- Google Drive Downloader - Google Drive Folder Downloader
- gdrivedl - Google Drive Python Download Script
- ISAAC - Google Service Account Generators
- goindex-extended / Themes or Google-Drive-Index - Google Drive Indexers
- gdurl, GDrive Link Generator, Direct.GDrive, Maulvi or GDriveWebAppPublic - Host Direct Links on Google Drive
- GdriveCloneWeb or Google Drive Clone Bot / GitHub - Copy Google Drives
- GD-EFC Link Encryptor - Google Drive Link Encryptor for GD-EFC
- gd-efc - Copy Encrypted Google Drive
- DriveRename - Bulk Google Drive File Rename
- Sharer, YuShare or GDToT - Google Drive File Sharing
▷ MEGA Tools
- ⭐ Megabasterd - Download Quota Bypass / Note
- ⭐ Mega Account Generators - Account Gen / Unlimited Upload Size / Fix
- MEGA Desktop / GitHub - Official GUI App
- MEGA CMD / GitHub - Official CLI App
-
@ 9e69e420:d12360c2
2025-02-01 11:16:04Federal employees must remove pronouns from email signatures by the end of the day. This directive comes from internal memos tied to two executive orders signed by Donald Trump. The orders target diversity and equity programs within the government.
CDC, Department of Transportation, and Department of Energy employees were affected. Staff were instructed to make changes in line with revised policy prohibiting certain language.
One CDC employee shared frustration, stating, “In my decade-plus years at CDC, I've never been told what I can and can't put in my email signature.” The directive is part of a broader effort to eliminate DEI initiatives from federal discourse.
-
@ 9e69e420:d12360c2
2025-01-25 22:16:54President Trump plans to withdraw 20,000 U.S. troops from Europe and expects European allies to contribute financially to the remaining military presence. Reported by ANSA, Trump aims to deliver this message to European leaders since taking office. A European diplomat noted, “the costs cannot be borne solely by American taxpayers.”
The Pentagon hasn't commented yet. Trump has previously sought lower troop levels in Europe and had ordered cuts during his first term. The U.S. currently maintains around 65,000 troops in Europe, with total forces reaching 100,000 since the Ukraine invasion. Trump's new approach may shift military focus to the Pacific amid growing concerns about China.
-
@ 119356ac:740a8b90
2025-05-14 23:03:31► System Tools
- Warning - It's not recommended to use debloaters unless you know what you're doing. Always research first, never just "Apply All" randomly.
- 🌐 Awesome Windows 11 - Windows 11 Resources
- 🌐 PC-Optimization-Hub - System Optimization Resources
- ↪️ Gaming Optimization
- ⭐ PowerToys - System Tools / Search / Plugins / GitHub
- ⭐ Sysinternals - Advanced System Tools / Suite
- ⭐ CPU-Z, winfetch, CPU Fetch, Glow or GPU-Z - System Info Tools
- ⭐ SuperF4 or FKill - Process Killers
- VCRedist - AIO Repack for Microsoft Visual C++ Redists
- Windows-11-Guide or Pastas - Windows Guides
- NanaRun - System Admin Tools
- PolicyPlus - Local Group Policy Editor
- PowerPlanSwitcher - Quickly Change Power Schemes
- Scheduler or TaskRunner - System Task Scheduler
- CoreTemp or System Informer - Process Monitors
- ThrottleStop - Laptop CPU Monitor / Optimizer
- RegExp, RegScanner, ripgrep-all or Registry-Finder - Registry Explorers / Scanners
- WinbIndex - Windows System Files / Binaries
- OfflineInsiderEnroll - Enable Windows Insider without Account
- WLSetup-All - Windows Live Essentials 2012 Archive
- Rhasspy - Voice Assistant
- OpenRecall or Windrecorder - Memory Search App / System Recorders
- Time.is - Check Accuracy of System Clock
- G-Helper - Armoury Crate Replacement
- LenovoLegionToolkit - Lenovo Vantage Replacement
▷ System Debloating
- ⭐ Debloat Guide - Windows Debloat Guide
- ⭐ Bulk Crap Uninstaller, Revo Uninstaller or GeekUninstaller - Bulk Uninstallation Tools
- ⭐ SophiaScript - Debloater
- BleachBit - Clean System Storage
- GhostBuster or Device Cleanup Tool - Remove Non-Present Devices
- Win11Debloat - Debloater
- Should I Remove It? - Program Removal Guide
▷ System Tweaks
- ⭐ Windhawk, MajorGeeks Windows Tweaks, Winaero or - System Tweaking Tools / Warning
- ⭐ EverythingToolbar or yasb - Tweaked Taskbars
- ⭐ Open Shell - Tweak Start Menu / Start Skin
- ⭐ EarTrumpet, Volumey or Volume2 - Tweak Volume Mixer
- ⭐ AltSnap - Tweaked Windows Dragging
- abbodi1406, BatUtil or TechNet-Gallery - System Scripts
- Win10 Widgets or Eww - Widgets for Windows
- Wintoys - System App Tweaking
- Wox, Listary, FlowLauncher, Ueli / GitHub - Keystroke / App Launchers
- Kando - App Launcher / Pie Menu / GitHub / Discord
- Hunt and Peck or Cerebro App - Tweaked System Navigation
- SmartSystemMenu - Tweak System Menu
- EasyContextMenu, Nilesoft Shell or ContextMenuManager
- RCWM - Tweaked Context Menus
- Explorer Tab Utility - Tweaked File Explorer
- Spencer - Classic Start Menu
- Taskbar Tweaker - Taskbar Advanced Features
- Taskbar Hide - Easily Hide / Show Taskbar
- QuickLook - macOS Quick Look for Windows
- TopNotify - Move Windows Notifications
▷ Package Managers
- ⭐ WinGet - CLI Package Manager / Repos / Automation / Auto Update / GitHub
- ⭐ UniGetUI - GUI for Popular Package Managers
- ⭐ Scoop - Portable Package Manager
- ⭐ sfsu or hok - Fast Scoop Utilities
- Spinel - Multi-Program Install Script Generator
- Chocolatey / GUI / GitHub, Patch My PC or RuckZuck - Package Managers
- Silent Install - Build Multi-Program Installers
- 0Install - Decentralized Cross-Platform Package Manager
- portableapps - Package Manager for Portable Apps
- Baulk - Minimalist Package Manager
- NirLauncher - Portable Package Manager for NirSoft Utilities
▷ Task Automation
- 🌐 Awesome AutoHotkey - AutoHotkey Resources
- 🌐 Awesome AutoIt - AutoIt Resources
- ⭐ AutoHotkey / Discord
- AutoIt
- Tinytask
- Power Automate
- sikulix
- ChoEazyCopy
▷ Terminal / CLI
- 🌐 The Terminal Directory - List of Terminal Emulators
- 🌐 terminals-are-sexy - Terminal Resources
- 🌐 Awesome CLI Apps or Command Line Tools - Command Line Resources
- ⭐ ss64 - Command Line Reference Index
- Windows Terminal / 2, ConEmu, Hyper, Tabby, MobaXterm or WezTerm - Windows Terminal Emulators
- BusyBox - Unix Commands for Windows
- Clink - Command Line Editing
- Nushell - Alt Shell
- Tiny Care Terminal - Terminal Dashboard That Cares
- Command Challenge - Command Line Learning
- Mintty - Cygwin Terminal Emulator
- GetDNote - Command Line Notebook
- PowerShell - Windows / macOS / Linux PowerShell
- LeanandMean - Powershell Snippets / Use with Caution
- PowerShell Scripts or WindowsPowerShell - Alt Shell Scripts
- Starship - Cross-Shell Prompt
▷ Remote Desktop
- ⭐ Parsec - Desktop Client / X / Discord
- ⭐ RustDesk - Desktop Client / Subreddit / Discord / GitHub
- ⭐ Aspia - Desktop Client / Telegram / GitHub
- ⭐ Sunshine - Gaming Remote Desktop Client / Discord / GitHub
- Moonlight - Gaming Remote Desktop Client / Discord / GitHub
- Arcane - Desktop Client
- HopToDesk - Desktop Client / GitLab
- CoScreen - Desktop Client
- Remotly - Desktop Client
- Bananas - Desktop Client / Discord / GitHub
- ChromeRemoteDesktop - Web-Based
- InputDirector - Multi-Computer Client
- Mouse Without Borders - Multi-Computer Client
- p2p - Portable Client
- Screensy - Web-Based / GitHub
- Screego - Web-Based / GitHub
- Screen-Sharing - Web-Based / GitHub
- TigerVNC - VNC Client / GitHub
- TightVNC - VNC Client
- noVNC - JavaScript VNC Client / GitHub
▷ Clipboard Managers
- ⭐ Ditto - Clipboard Manager / GitHub
- PasteBar - Clipboard Manager / GitHub
- CrossPaste - Clipboard Manager / GitHub
- ArsClip - Clipboard Manager
- ClipAngel - Clipboard Manager
- CopyQ / GitHub or XClipper / GitHub - Clipboard Managers with Editing and Scripting Features
- MultiClipBoardSlots - Extend Clipboard by 10 Memory Slots
▷ Window Managers
- ⭐ GlazeWM - Tiling Window Manager Inspired by i3wm
- ⭐ Komorebi or WorkSpacer / GitHub - Tiling Window Managers
- Whim - Pluggable Dynamic Window Manager
- DWM - Port of X11 dwm to Windows
▷ Virtual Machines
- 🌐 Awesome Web Desktops or Simone's Computer - OS Emulators / VMs
- ↪️ Android Emulators
- ↪️ Hackintosh Resources
- ⭐ VMware Workstation or VirtualBox / Portable - Virtual Machines
- ⭐ Virt-Manager / GitHub, MultiPass / GitHub or Vagrantup / GitHub - Virtual Machine Managers
- Looking Glass - App for Using Kernel-Based Virtual Machine Configured for VGA PCI Pass-Through / GitHub
- Qemu, Hyper-V or Denodo Test - Virtual Machines
- OSBoxes - Preinstalled Virtual Machine
- Terminator - Online Virtual Machines
- JSLinux - Online Linux Virtual Machines
- QuickEmu or Dexpot - Virtual Machine Creator
- Virtual x86 - x86-compatible OS Emulators
- PCjs Machines - Classic Computer Emulators
- InfiniteMac - Apple OS Emulators
- winevdm - 16-bit Windows on 64-bit Systems
- Blink - Linux Emulator for Windows
- Dockerholics - Docker Apps
- WebCatalog - Turn Sites into Desktop Apps
► Hardware Tools
- ↪️ PC Building / Shopping
- ⭐ PSU Calculator - Find Compatible Power Supplies
- DeviceTests - Multiple Device Tests
- NotCPUCores, BES, ParkControl, QuickCPU or Process Lasso - CPU Optimizer
- Ozone3D, UNIGINE Benchmarks or OCCT - System Benchmarking
- Testmem5 - Memory Benchmarking
- MemTest - Memory Diagnostic Tool
- SDIO, Drivers Collection, Driverscape or DriverStoreExplorer - Update / Install Missing Drivers / Note
- VOGONS - Vintage Computer Hardware Forum
▷ Hardware Monitors
- ⭐ HWiNFO - System Info & Monitoring
- Scrutiny, GSmartControl / GitHub or smartmontools - Hard Drive Monitors
- CoolerControl - Cooling Device Monitor
- BatteryMode - System Tray Battery Percentage / Managers / GitHub
- HWMonitor - Hardware Monitors
- fastfetch - System Info & Monitoring
- Task Manager DeLuxe - Task Manager Alt
- Libre Hardware Monitor - Updated Fork of Open Hardware Monitor
- FanControl / GitHub or FanCtrl - PC Fan Controllers
- Traffic Monitor - Network & Hardware Monitor
- bottom or Glances / GitHub - Terminal Hardware Monitors
▷ GPU Tools
- ⭐ NVTOP - GPU / Accelerator Process Monitor
- ⭐ GreenWithEnvy - Manage / Control NVIDIA Cards
- ⭐ NVCleanstall or NVSlimmer - NVIDIA Driver Packages
- Display Driver Uninstaller, 2 - Display Driver Removal Tool / GitHub
- TinyNvidiaUpdateChecker - NVIDIA GPU Update Checker
- nvidiaProfileInspector - Modify / View Hidden NVIDIA Settings / Guide
- RadeonSoftwareSlimmer - Debloat AMD Drivers
- R.ID - AMD 3rd Party Drivers / Discord
- SMCAMDProcessor - AMD Processor Power Management
- PresentMon - GPU Benchmarking
- Universal x86 Tuning Utility - Laptop GPU Controller / GitHub
- RyzenAdj - Ryzen Laptop GPU Controller
▷ Disk Tools
- 🌐 Awesome Storage - File Storage Resources
- 🌐 Awesome DataHoarding - Data Hoarding Resources
- ⭐ WizTree - Disk Usage Analyzer
- ⭐ CrystalDiskMark or CCISOBench - Disk Benchmarking Tools
- ⭐ GParted / GitLab, MiniTool Partition Wizard or AOMEI Partition Assistant / Unlocker - Partition Managers
- ⭐ Validrive - Check True Storage Size of USB Devices
- WinDirStat - Disk Usage Analyzer / Cleanup Tool / GitHub
- TrueNAS - Storage System
- QDirStat - Directory Statistics
- CrystalDiskInfo - S.M.A.R.T. Data Analyzer
- Macrorit Partition Expert or Diskovery - Disk Usage Analyzers
- Gdu or dua - Disk Usage Analyzer with Parallel Processing
- Erdtree - Cross-Platform Disk Usage Analyzer
- PC Manager - Disk Managers / Cleanup
- Air Live Drive - Mount Cloud Drives as Local Disks
- SFTPDrive - Mount SFTP Servers as Local Disks
▷ Monitor Tools
- ⭐ DisplayFusion or Dual Monitor Tool - Dual Monitor Tools
- ⭐ f.lux, LightBulb, ScreenTemperature or SunsetScreen - Adjust Display Color / Temperature
- ⭐ Monitorian, Twinkle Tray / GitHub or Dimmer - Adjust Monitor Brightness
- EIZO, Monitor or LCDTech - Monitor Performance Tests
- TestUFO - Monitor Framerate Test
- LittleBigMouse - DPI Test
- Scalizer - Auto DPI Scaling / YouTube
- ICM or ICC Profiles - ICC Profiles and Monitor Calibration
- Display Calc - Display Distance / Dimension Calculator
- Multi-Monitor Calculator - Dual-Monitor Setup Planning / Tests
- Wide Gamut - Color Compatibility Test
- Dead.Pixel - Dead Pixel Test
- JScreenFix - Repair Stuck Pixels
- CenterOfMyScreen - Find Center of Monitor
- ShowDesktopOneMonitor - Show Desktop for Only One Monitor
- Deskreen / GitHub or SpaceDesk - Use Mobile Device as Monitor
- ShaderGlass - Custom Screen Shaders
- DaltonLens or Toptal - Color Blindness Filters
- NVDA - Screen Reader for Blind Users / GitHub
▷ Mouse / Keyboard
- ⭐ /r/MechanicalKeyboards Wiki - Mechanical Keyboard Resources
- ⭐ Hotkey Cheatsheet, Use The Keyboard, HotkeyP, Clavier++, Kinto or CheatKeys - Keyboard Shortcuts / Image, 2 / Course
- ⭐ VIA / GitHub, SharpKeys, Kanata, keymapper, Ergogen, Mahou - Custom Keyboard Layouts / Remapping
- ⭐ geekhack or KeebTalk - Keyboard Forums
- X-Mouse Button Control - Re-Map Mouse Buttons / Scroll Wheel
- MoveMouse or MouseJiggler - Simulate User Activity
- Raw Accel - Mouse Acceleration Tool
- StrokeIt - Mouse Gestures
- Espanso - Typing Shortcuts / GitHub
- win-vind - Vim Style Keybindings for Windows
- Vial - Custom Keyboard Config Tool
- KeyViz - Keystroke Visualizer
- WhatPulse - Mouse / Keyboard Usage Analyzer
- Kmonad - Keyboard Manager
- Deskhop - Quickly Switch Devices between Computers
- Switchy - Switch Keyboard Languages with Button
- Is this good? - Custom Keyboard Guides
- DreyMaR's - Keyboard Tips and Resources
- Keyboard University or KDB - Mechanical Keyboard Building Guides
- Cosmos - Create Custom Keyboards
- Keyboard Simulator - Design & Test Virtual Keyboards
- Key Test - Keyboard Tester
▷ System Audio
- ⭐ Equalizer APO, 2 / GUI, AutoEq, Dolby Access / Note or FXSound - Audio Equalizers
- Wave Link or VoiceMeeter / Banana - Audio Mixers / Multi-Device Playback
- SoundSwitch - Switch Audio Device with Hotkey / GitHub
- SonyHeadphonesClient - Sony Headphones Clone
- Audiocheck - Audio Tests
- LowAudioLatency - Reduce Audio Latency
- DigitalFeed - Lossless Audio Sound System Test
- Online Mic Test or Check Mic - Mic Test
- Sound Meter or REW - Measure Surrounding Sound Level
- Krisp or noise-suppression-for-voice - Noise Suppression Tools
- AirPods Dirty Secret - AirPods Repair Directory
► Windows ISOs
- ⭐ Genuine Installation Media - Windows ISOs / Clean Install Guide
- files.rg-adguard or MVS dump - Verify ISO Legitimacy
- OS.click, MyDigitalLife or Microsoft SD - Windows ISOs
- Old School OS, OS Vault, VETUSWARE or WinWorldPC - Oldschool ISOs
- Fido - ISO Powershell Script
- NetBoot - Boot Operating Systems without ISOs
- CoolStar - Install Windows on Chromebook
▷ USB / Bootloaders
- ⭐ Rufus - Create Bootable USB Drives
- ⭐ YUMI - Create Bootable USB Drives
- MediaCreationTool - Windows Deployment Automation
- USBTreeView - USB Device Tree Viewer
- CloverBootloader or EasyBCD - Bootloaders / Config
▷ Windows Activation
- ⭐ MAS - Activation Scripts / Windows / Office / Discord
- ⭐ KMS_VL_ALL_AIO - Offline Activator / Windows / Office
- OfficeRTool - Offline Activator / Office
▷ Windows Updates
- ⭐ Windows 10 After EOL - Receive Windows Updates After Win10's End-Of-Life
- ⭐ ChangeWindows - Latest Windows Update Info
- stopupdates10 or InControl - Enable / Disable Win 10/11 Updates / Can Cause Breakage
- LegacyUpdate - Fix Windows Updates for Legacy Editions
- Extended Win 7 Updates - Extended Windows 7 Updates
- WURefresh - Reset Windows Update Components
- UUP Dump or Microsoft Update Catalog - Download Previous Windows Updates
- PC Health Check or WhyNotWin11 - Identify why your PC isn't Ready for Windows 11
- FlashMyBoard - Receive Motherboard Update Notifications
▷ Windows Repair
- MagNumDB, ErrorLookup or Microsoft Error Lookup - Windows Debugging Tools
- /r/TechSupport / Wiki - Tech Support Subreddit / Discord
- Hardforum, TechGuy, Eleven Forums or Ten Forums - Tech Support Forums
- Medicat - Computer Diagnostic / Recovery Toolkit / GitHub
- PhoenixPE - Recovery Environment
- Hiren's BootCD PE or Win10XPE - Preinstallation Environments / Recovery
- Magic Trace - Diagnose Performance Issues using Intel Processor Trace
► Customization
- 🌐 Windows-Ricing or Heliohost Guide - Windows Ricing Resources
- ⭐ Rainmeter - Desktop Customization / Discord
- ⭐ OpenRGB / Beta, WLED, Aurora, LiquidCTL, Artemis, RGBSync, SignalRGB or FireLight - RGB Lighting Control
- ⭐ VSThemes, WindowsCustomization or 7Themes - Theme Indexes
- Styled Themes - Anime / Modern Style / macOS Style, 2 / Old School Style, 2
- VirtualCustoms or winthemers - Customization Communities
- Desktops - Customization Showcases
- XDesktopSoft - Desktop Customization
- SecureUxTheme or UltraUXThemePatcher - UX Patcher
- Cursormania Archive - Cursors
- MacOS Cursors for Windows, CursorOS or macOS-cursors-for-Windows - macOS Style Cursors
- Mechvibes / GitHub or MechaKeys - Keyboard Sound Effects
- ElectricSheep or After Dark CSS - Screensavers
- FolderMarker, Flaired Folder, CustomFolder - Custom Folder Icons
- Recycle Bin Themes - Custom Recycle Bin Icons
- msstyleEditor - Visual Style Editor
- StartIsBack or StartAllBack - Start Menu Customization
- Taskbar Tweaker, TranslucentTB, NiceTaskbar - Taskbar Customization / Old School Style
- AccentColorizer - Accent Color Customization
- BeautySearch - Search Customization
- ElevenClock - Clock Customization
- HackBGRT - Boot Logo Changer
- WinDynamicDesktop or Dynamic Theme - Auto Change Wallpaper
- ExplorerBlurMica - File Explorer Effects
- MicaForEveryone - Title Bar Effects
- Cute Borders - Border Color Changer (Win11 Only)
- ModernFlyouts - Modern Flyouts / GitHub
- Alternative Windows Shells Wiki - Alt Windows Shells
- Aerial - Apple TV Screensaver
- ExcelDarkThemeFix - Fix Excel on Themed Windows
- MacType - Use Mac Fonts on Windows / GitHub
▷ App Themes
- ⭐ Dracula / Discord or Catppuccin / Discord - Custom App Themes
- ⭐ terminal.sexy, TerminalSplash, Solarized or WindowsTerminalThemes - Terminal Themes
- Rosé Pine / Discord, Aura Theme or theme.park - Custom App Themes
- Totally Awesome List - Old School App Themes
- Pokemon Terminal - Pokémon Terminal Themes
- Traffic Monitor - System Monitor Themes
▷ Wallpapers
- ⭐ wallhaven.cc - Search Wallpapers / Downloader / Client
- ⭐ Wallpaper Abyss, WallpaperCave, WallpapersCraft, VSThemes - Search Wallpapers
- ⭐ Rev Wallpaper or r/WallpaperRequests - Reverse Wallpaper Search
- ⭐ Studio Ghibli Wallpapers or Ghibli Upscaled - Studio Ghibli Wallpapers
- ⭐ Ultimate Windows Wallpack / Wiki, Spotlight - Windows Wallpapers
- ⭐ LWP, /r/LivingBackgrounds, WALLegend or MoeWalls - Live Wallpapers
- /r/Wallpaper - Wallpapers Community
- DualMonitorBackgrounds - Dual Monitor Wallpapers
- Scenic Illustrations - Landscape Wallpapers
- CoolBackgrounds - Customizable Wallpapers
- Simple Desktops, Minimalistic Wallpaper, Positron Dream or SetAsWall - Minimalist Wallpapers
- Aesthetic Wallpapers - Aesthetic Wallpapers
- Mac Walls or BasicAppleBlog - Apple Wallpapers
- ChromecastBG - Chromecast Wallpapers
- Bing Wallpaper Archive - Bing Wallpapers
- Xbox Wallpapers - Xbox Wallpapers
- Screencaps or shot.cafe - Movie / TV Wallpapers
- Anime Pictures, WallpaperWaifu, TheOtaku or MyLiveWallpapers - Anime Wallpapers
- WallsPic, WallpaperFlare, HDQwalls or UHD Wallpaper - Misc Wallpapers
- G_Walls - Telegram Wallpaper Channels
▷ Wallpaper Tools
- ⭐ Wallpaper Engine / PKG to Zip / Collections, 2 / Workshop DL - Wallpaper Manager
- ⭐ Lively or ScreenPlay - Live Wallpaper Manager
- backiee - Wallpaper Manager
- SuperPaper - Cross-Platform Multi-Monitor Wallpaper Manager
- Background Switcher - Multi-Host Wallpaper Switcher
- Faerber - Edit Wallpapers to Match Color Scheme
- AutoWall - Turn Videos / GIFs to Live Wallpapers
- Awesome Wallpaper - Show System Information on Wallpaper
-
@ b17fccdf:b7211155
2025-01-21 17:02:21The past 26 August, Tor introduced officially a proof-of-work (PoW) defense for onion services designed to prioritize verified network traffic as a deterrent against denial of service (DoS) attacks.
~ > This feature at the moment, is deactivate by default, so you need to follow these steps to activate this on a MiniBolt node:
- Make sure you have the latest version of Tor installed, at the time of writing this post, which is v0.4.8.6. Check your current version by typing
tor --version
Example of expected output:
Tor version 0.4.8.6. This build of Tor is covered by the GNU General Public License (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html) Tor is running on Linux with Libevent 2.1.12-stable, OpenSSL 3.0.9, Zlib 1.2.13, Liblzma 5.4.1, Libzstd N/A and Glibc 2.36 as libc. Tor compiled with GCC version 12.2.0
~ > If you have v0.4.8.X, you are OK, if not, type
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
and confirm to update.- Basic PoW support can be checked by running this command:
tor --list-modules
Expected output:
relay: yes dirauth: yes dircache: yes pow: **yes**
~ > If you have
pow: yes
, you are OK- Now go to the torrc file of your MiniBolt and add the parameter to enable PoW for each hidden service added
sudo nano /etc/tor/torrc
Example:
```
Hidden Service BTC RPC Explorer
HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/hidden_service_btcrpcexplorer/ HiddenServiceVersion 3 HiddenServicePoWDefensesEnabled 1 HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:3002 ```
~ > Bitcoin Core and LND use the Tor control port to automatically create the hidden service, requiring no action from the user. We have submitted a feature request in the official GitHub repositories to explore the need for the integration of Tor's PoW defense into the automatic creation process of the hidden service. You can follow them at the following links:
- Bitcoin Core: https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/issues/8002
- LND: https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues/28499
More info:
- https://blog.torproject.org/introducing-proof-of-work-defense-for-onion-services/
- https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/onion-services/onion-support/-/wikis/Documentation/PoW-FAQ
Enjoy it MiniBolter! 💙
-
@ 119356ac:740a8b90
2025-05-14 23:00:35► Torrent Sites
Warning - It's best to avoid sites that allow anyone to make accounts when getting both software and games. Avoid sites and uploaders listed on the Unsafe Sites page, and remember to use a VPN.
- ⭐ RuTracker, 2 - Video / Audio / Comics / Magazines / Sign-Up Required
- ⭐ RuTracker Tools - Addon / Wiki / Rules / Translator
- ⭐ m0nkrus / 2 - Adobe Software Archive / Block Adobe / Search / Telegram
- ⭐ Torrent CSE / CSE 2 - Multi Site Search
- 1337x - Video / Audio / NSFW
- 1337x Tools - Mirrors, 2, 3 / User Ranks / Telegram Bot, 2 / IMDb Ratings / Proxy, 2 / .onion / Magnets / Timezone Fix
- RARBG Dump - Video / Audio / Games / Books / NSFW / Continuation Project
- LimeTorrents - Video / Audio / Books
- IsoHunt - Video / Audio / Books
- TorrentDownloads - Video / Audio / Books
- ExtraTorrent - Video / Audio / Books / NSFW
- rutor.info, 2, 3 - Video / Audio / Books / ROMs / Magazines / Use Translator
- NNM-Club - Video / Audio / Note
- Torrenting - Video / Audio / Books / NSFW / Sign-Up Required
- ZeroTorrent, 2 - ZeroNet Required / Video / Audio
- 4chan /t/ - Torrents / Imageboard / Some NSFW
▷ Aggregators
Warning - Aggregators include many sources, so it's best to avoid using them for software and games. Avoid sites and uploaders listed on the Unsafe Sites page.
- ⭐ BTDigg - DHT-Based / .onion / .i2p
- ⭐ Knaben
- ExT, 2 / Proxy
- TorrentProject, 2 - DHT-Based
- DaMagNet - DHT-Based
- TorrentDownload
- TorrentQuest
- TorrentCORE
- Cleanbay
- CloudTorrents
- Torrents-CSV
- FileMood
- iDope
- BT4G
- PiratesParadise
- snowfl
- Torlock
- YourBittorrent
- BTSearch
- 0Mag, 2 - Magnet Link Sharing Platform
- Magnetissimo - Magnet Search Web App
- TorrentSearchRobot or TorrentHuntBot - Telegram Torrent Search Bots
- Torrentinim or BitMagnet - Self-Hosted Torrent Search Engines
▷ Video Sites
▷ Anime Sites
▷ Educational Sites
▷ Game Sites
▷ Audio Sites
► Torrent Clients
Warning - Make sure you BIND your VPN to your client to avoid ISP letters.
- ⭐ qBittorrent or QBT Enhanced - Tools
- ⭐ Deluge - Plugins / Config / Telegram Plugin
- ⭐ Transmission
- torrent-control or Remote Torrent Adder - Easily Send Torrents to Client
- Tixati
- WizTorrent / Torrent Player / WebShare
- BiglyBT
- LIII
- PikaTorrent / GitHub
- Distribyted / GitHub
- Instant.io - Stream Torrents in Browser
- BTorrent - Stream Torrents in Browser
- Magnet Player - Stream Torrents in Browser
- BitFord - Chrome
- Rats Search - Torrent Search Client
- Download Torrents Through I2P
- flood - rTorrent, Transmission & qBittorrent WebUI / GitHub
- /r/Seedboxes - Seedbox Subreddit
- Seedbox Guide - Seedbox Comparisons
▷ qBittorrent Tools
- 🌐 QBT Plugins - Plugins Index
- 🌐 QBT Themes - Themes Index
- qBitMF - Multi-Connection Tool
- VueTorrent - Web Client
- rqBit - Rust Client
- qBit Manage - Manager / Automation Tool
- qBitController - Mobile Controllers
- Docker QBT or QBT VPN - Docker Builds
- QBT Mega - Mega Upload Script
- QBT Google Drive - Google Drive Upload Script
- Dark Theme or iOS Style - QBT Themes
- qBitEndpoints - API Endpoints
- Quantum - Auto Port Updater for Proton
▷ Remote Torrenting
- ↪️ Torrent to Google Drive
- ⭐ Seedr - Telegram Bot / API Wrapper, 2 - Torrent to Cloud and Stream
- webtor - Torrent to Stream / DDL Sites
- Multi-Up - Torrent to DDL Sites
- Bitport - Torrent to Cloud and Stream
- TorrentSafe - Torrent to Cloud and Stream
- BitPlay - Torrent to Stream
- TorBox - Torrent to Cloud
- ZBIGZ - Torrent to Cloud and Stream
- Demagnetize - Torrent to DDL
▷ Android Clients
► Tracker Invites
- 🌐 Private Trackers General, /r/TrackersInfo, The Sheet or Graph - Private Tracker Guides
- 🌐 Scene Related - Warez / Scene Site Index
- ⭐ TrackerStatus or TrackerHub - Tracker Status Updates
- /r/trackers - Tracker Discussion
- /r/OpenSignups or /r/OpenedSignups - Open Tracker Signup Subs
- MyAnonaMouse - Open Applications
- hdvinnie - Private Tracker List
- OpenSignups - Open Signups Private Trackers / Telegram
- Upload-Assistant - Private Tracker Auto-Upload
- TrackerScreenshot - Auto Screenshot Tracker Stats
► Helpful Sites / Apps
- 🌐 ngosang / 2 / 3, trackerslist / GitHub or NewTrackOn - Tracker Lists
- ↪️ Auto Torrent Tools
- ⭐ Milkie / Discord or Scnlog - Scene Release Download
- ⭐ PreDB.net / Site List, PreDataBA, Xrel, NGP, Archiv.pw, srrDB or M2V - Scene Release Info
- ⭐ T2M / 2, btsow or Torrent Kitty / 2 / 3 - Torrent to Magnet Converters
- ⭐ Magnet2Torrent - Magnet to Torrent Converter
- ⭐ Torrent Legality - Torrenting Laws by Country
- PeerBanHelper - Block Unwanted Leeches / Peers
- btcache, iTorrents or Torrage - Torrent Storage Cache
- InfoTorrent or Webtorrent Checker - Check Torrent File Health
- TorrentTags - Check Torrents for Copyright Claims
- Magnet Link Generator - Magnet Link Generator
- magnet2list - Convert Magnets to Tracker Lists
- OpenWebTorrent - Free Webtorrent Tracker
- AutoDL-Irssi - IRC Channel Monitor / Autodownload / Slack Notifications
- PrivTracker - Private BitTorrent Tracker Generator / GitHub
- AnonSeed - Anonymous Torrent Sharing
- Torrent-Creator - Browser Torrent Creator
- Torrent Parts or Torrent File Editor - Edit Torrents Files
- /r/torrents or /r/VPNTorrents - Torrenting Discussion
- IKnowWhatYouDownload - View Torrents Downloaded by your IP (can be inaccurate)
-
@ 9e69e420:d12360c2
2025-01-19 04:48:31A new report from the National Sports Shooting Foundation (NSSF) shows that civilian firearm possession exceeded 490 million in 2022. The total from 1990 to 2022 is estimated at 491.3 million firearms. In 2022, over ten million firearms were domestically produced, leading to a total of 16,045,911 firearms available in the U.S. market.
Of these, 9,873,136 were handguns, 4,195,192 were rifles, and 1,977,583 were shotguns. Handgun availability aligns with the concealed carry and self-defense market, as all states allow concealed carry, with 29 having constitutional carry laws.
-
@ d9e9fb27:d5fe5e1a
2025-01-17 13:00:58Every 16th of January, the city of Varese, a small town at the feet of the Prealpine region, stops to participate in one of the most important ceremonies of the city: The Falò of Sant'Antonio. A Falò is the Italian word for bonfire. Imagine a 5-meters tall pyre of wood burning in the center of the city. For sure, an unmissable event!
The pyre is built by the so-called "Monelli della Motta". A Monello in Italian is a child that misbehaves. This nickname come from the fact that in the past, the pyre was created using wood stolen from the city, usually from tools, doors and shutters.
This event takes place at the eve of the day of Sant'Antonio Abate in front of the homonymous church in the area called "La Motta", which stands for small hill, and comes from a several century old tradition. Thousands of people from all over the province come to the city to look at the bonfire created in honor of the Saint.
At 9PM the big event starts. The wood is set on fire!
An important tradition of this celebration is burning small pieces of paper containing wishes. People whish for health, love, friendship and luck. To make wishes come true, people have to give these pieces of paper to a firefighter or a "Monello" whom will launch it into the Falò.
The show goes on for a couple of ours, during which thousands of Varesinians in awe contemplate the raging fire and try to receive some heat to fight the glacial cold of January.
-
@ 119356ac:740a8b90
2025-05-14 23:00:04► Download Directories
- Note - Some Open Directories track IP addresses. Always use a VPN or Tor for anonymity when accessing these resources.
- 🌐 /r/opendirectories - Open Directories Subreddit / Telegram / /u/ODScanner
- ↪️ Open Directory Search String Builders, 2, 3
- ↪️ Google Piracy Groups
- ⭐ EyeDex, ODCrawler, ODS or mmnt - Open Directory Search Engines
- ⭐ Soulseek or Nicotine+ - File Sharing App / Stats / Server App
- eMule Plus - File Sharing App
- mega.archive (Discord) / Chat - Megadrive Archive
- Napalm FTP, Mamont or Search-22 - FTP Search
- dedigger - Google Drive File Search
- Sala De Espera - Drive Sharing Community
- Open Directory Downloader - Open Directory Indexer
- CD.TextFiles - CD Text File Archive
- Defacto2 - Scene / Sub-Scene Database
► Download Sites
- Note - General DDL sites use a lot of different sources, so it's best to avoid them for anything you install, like software, games or APKs. You can also use redirect bypassers to skip link shorteners.
- ⭐ Archive.org - Video / Audio / Magazines / Newspapers / ROMs / Tools
- ⭐ DirtyWarez - Video / Audio / Books / Comics
- ⭐ /r/DataHoarder, Data Horde, Archive Team / Subreddit, Gnutella Forums or FileSharingTalk - File Hoarding Forums
- WorldSRC - Video / Audio / Donate
- WarezForums - Video / Audio / ROMs / Books / Comics
- rlsbb, 2, 3, 4 - Video / Audio / Books / Magazines / Track Shows / PreDB
- Adit-HD - Video / Audio / Books
- Novanon - Video / Audio / Magazines / Comics / Books / Courses
- psychodownloads - Video / Audio / ROMs / Books / Magazines / NSFW
- Merlin Warez - Video / Audio / Books / Audiobooks / Comics / Magazines
- Sbenny's Forum - Video / Audio / ROMs / Books / Discord
- DownDuck - Video / Audio / Books / Magazines
- AllYouLike - Video / Audio Books / Magazines / ROMs / Comics / NSFW
- DDLValley - Video / Audio / ROMs / Books / Comics / Magazines / Forum
- MaxRelease - Video / Audio / Magazines
- AyakaLounge - Video / Audio / ROMs
- 1DDL - Video / Audio / Books / Comics / Magazines
- TFPDL, 2 - Video / Magazines / NSFW
- WarezLoad - Video / Audio / Books
- Katz DDL - Video / Audio / Books / NSFW
- BadshahUploads - Video / Audio / Books / Leech Required
- Leaker - Video / Audio
- TehParadox - Video / Audio / Books / Magazines / ROMs
- wJungle - Video / Audio / Books / NSFW
- PuZo - Video / Audio / Books / Audiobooks / NSFW
- Warez Heaven - Video / Audio / ROMs / Books / NSFW
- Download.ir - Video / ROMs
- SceneSource, 2 - Video / Audio / ROMs / Books
- Download For All, 2 - Video / Audio / Books / Magazines
- ddlspot - Video / Audio
- 0DayDDL - Video / Audio / Books / Magazines
- Downturk.net - Video / Audio / Books
- SoftArchive, 2, 3 - Video / Audio / Books / Comics / Newspapers / Magazines / Status / Avoid Software / Games
- Pouet - Demos / Cracktros
- Redump - Disc Preservation Project
- DemoZoo or scene.org - Demoscene Archive / Wiki
- Ubu - Avant-Garde Artifacts
▷ Search Sites
- Note - These aggregate from multiple sources, so it's best to avoid them for software / games.
- ⭐ Download CSE / CSE 2 - Multi-Site Search
- ⭐ FilePursuit / Discord
- ⭐ 4Shared
- Meawfy - Mega, GoFile and MediaFire Search
- File Host Search
- scnlog
- fidigger
- filesearch.link
- Linktury
- MediafireTrend - Mediafire Search
- WarezOmen - Indexer / Search Engine
- SkullXDCC / 2 or XDCC.EU - XDCC / Search Engine
- Find Rare Files Online - How-to Find Rare Files
▷ Video Sites
▷ Anime Sites
▷ Educational Sites
▷ Game Sites
▷ Audio Sites
► Software Sites
- Note - Always scan downloaded software with VirusTotal before installation or run it in a sandboxed environment like Sandboxie to prevent system compromise.
- 🌐 Adobe Alternatives, 2 - Adobe Software Alternative Index
- ↪️ Windows ISOs / Activation
- ⭐ CRACKSurl / Telegram
- ⭐ LRepacks
- ⭐ Mobilism - Mobile App
- ⭐ soft98 - Use Translator / Anti-Adblock Fix
- ⭐ Nsane Forums - Sign-Up Required
- ⭐ Software CSE - Multi-Site Software Search
- ⭐ AlternativeTo or European Alternatives - Crowdsourced Recommendations
- AIOWares
- DownloadHa - Use Translator
- Heidoc
- Softlay
- RetroSystemRevival
- Libreware or Xetrin RePacks - Telegram Channels
- Rarewares - Rare Software
- Software Heritage - Software Source Code Archive
- GenP - Adobe Software Patcher / Revolt
- ZXPInstaller - Adobe Extension Installer
▷ FOSS Sites
- 🌐 Awesome Open Source, Awesome Useful Projects or Awesome OSS - FOSS Indexes
- ↪️ Git Project Indexes
- SourceForge - FOSS Repositories
- OSSSoftware - FOSS Directory
- Fossies - FOSS Directory
- Gadgeteer - FOSS Directory
- FossHub - FOSS Directory
- OSS Gallery - FOSS Directory
- Opensource Builders - FOSS Alt Search
- OpenAlternative - FOSS Alt Search
- opensourcealternative.to - FOSS Alt Search
- Awesome CLI Apps or CLI Club - FOSS CLI Apps / Tools
- Free Software Directory - FOSS Wikis
- FOSS Wiki - FOSS Wikis
▷ Freeware Sites
- 🌐 Awesome Free Software, Awesome Free Apps, Windows Ultimate Collection or Free Lunch - Freeware Indexes
- 🌐 Awesome Selfhosted / 2 / 3 / 4 or Selfh.st - Self-Hosted Software Indexes
- 🌐 Awesome Python Applications - Python App Index
- ↪️ Software Package Managers
- ⭐ FluentStore - Microsoft Store Frontend
- ⭐ store.rg or StoreWeb - Paid Microsoft Store Link Generators / Guide
- MajorGeeks - Freeware Downloads
- Softpedia - Freeware Directory
- Realityripple - Freeware Directory
- OlderGeeks - Freeware Directory
- FilePuma - Freeware Directory
- FileEagle - Freeware Directory
- LO4D - Freeware Directory
- SoftwareOK - Freeware Directory
- GRC - Freeware Directory
- Uwe Sieber - Freeware Directory
- Software Informer - Freeware Directory
- PortableApps.com, PortableFreeware, Portapps or PortableAppZ - Portable Apps
- Nirsoft, Windows-Utilities, OS Vault or WinTools - Windows Software
- Suckless - Simple Software Archive
- VETUSWARE - Abandonware / Operating Systems / Games
- OldVersion - Old Versions of Software
- Vintage Software Collection or SCiZE's Classic Warez - Retro Software
▷ Linux Software
▷ Mac Software
▷ IRC Tools
- 🌐 Awesome IRC - IRC Resources
- 🌐 IRC Client Comparisons
- IRC Guide, Libera Guides, LoadGuru, New Blood or Simple Wiki Guide - IRC Guides
- AdiIRC, KVIrc, Konversation, Convos or Halloy - IRC Clients
- TheLounge - WebIRC Client
- libera, tilde, anonops or rizon - IRC Networks
► Usenet
- 🌐 Usenet Tools / Services or UsenetTools
- ⭐ Usenet Guide / Automation Setup / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
- /r/usenet
- Usenet-Uploaders, ngPost or Nyuu - Usenet Uploaders
▷ Indexers
- 🌐 Indexer List - Indexer List
- /r/UsenetInvites
- NZBHydra2 - NZB Meta search
- SceneNZBs - Multinational Indexer
- nzbplanet
- orionoid
- binsearch
- abnzb
- NZB Index, 2
- Newznab
- NZBStars
- usenet-crawler
- GingaDaddy
- NZBFinder
- NZBKing
- g4u - Download Games via Usenet / PW:
404
- OldUSe - Search Usenet Articles
- althub - Unlimited Free Trials
- Spotweb - Spotnet Client
▷ Providers
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@ 6389be64:ef439d32
2025-01-16 15:44:06Black Locust can grow up to 170 ft tall
Grows 3-4 ft. per year
Native to North America
Cold hardy in zones 3 to 8
Firewood
- BLT wood, on a pound for pound basis is roughly half that of Anthracite Coal
- Since its growth is fast, firewood can be plentiful
Timber
- Rot resistant due to a naturally produced robinin in the wood
- 100 year life span in full soil contact! (better than cedar performance)
- Fence posts
- Outdoor furniture
- Outdoor decking
- Sustainable due to its fast growth and spread
- Can be coppiced (cut to the ground)
- Can be pollarded (cut above ground)
- Its dense wood makes durable tool handles, boxes (tool), and furniture
- The wood is tougher than hickory, which is tougher than hard maple, which is tougher than oak.
- A very low rate of expansion and contraction
- Hardwood flooring
- The highest tensile beam strength of any American tree
- The wood is beautiful
Legume
- Nitrogen fixer
- Fixes the same amount of nitrogen per acre as is needed for 200-bushel/acre corn
- Black walnuts inter-planted with locust as “nurse” trees were shown to rapidly increase their growth [[Clark, Paul M., and Robert D. Williams. (1978) Black walnut growth increased when interplanted with nitrogen-fixing shrubs and trees. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, vol. 88, pp. 88-91.]]
Bees
- The edible flower clusters are also a top food source for honey bees
Shade Provider
- Its light, airy overstory provides dappled shade
- Planted on the west side of a garden it provides relief during the hottest part of the day
- (nitrogen provider)
- Planted on the west side of a house, its quick growth soon shades that side from the sun
Wind-break
- Fast growth plus it's feathery foliage reduces wind for animals, crops, and shelters
Fodder
- Over 20% crude protein
- 4.1 kcal/g of energy
- Baertsche, S.R, M.T. Yokoyama, and J.W. Hanover (1986) Short rotation, hardwood tree biomass as potential ruminant feed-chemical composition, nylon bag ruminal degradation and ensilement of selected species. J. Animal Sci. 63 2028-2043
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@ 6389be64:ef439d32
2025-01-14 01:31:12Bitcoin is more than money, more than an asset, and more than a store of value. Bitcoin is a Prime Mover, an enabler and it ignites imaginations. It certainly fueled an idea in my mind. The idea integrates sensors, computational prowess, actuated machinery, power conversion, and electronic communications to form an autonomous, machined creature roaming forests and harvesting the most widespread and least energy-dense fuel source available. I call it the Forest Walker and it eats wood, and mines Bitcoin.
I know what you're thinking. Why not just put Bitcoin mining rigs where they belong: in a hosted facility sporting electricity from energy-dense fuels like natural gas, climate-controlled with excellent data piping in and out? Why go to all the trouble building a robot that digests wood creating flammable gasses fueling an engine to run a generator powering Bitcoin miners? It's all about synergy.
Bitcoin mining enables the realization of multiple, seemingly unrelated, yet useful activities. Activities considered un-profitable if not for Bitcoin as the Prime Mover. This is much more than simply mining the greatest asset ever conceived by humankind. It’s about the power of synergy, which Bitcoin plays only one of many roles. The synergy created by this system can stabilize forests' fire ecology while generating multiple income streams. That’s the realistic goal here and requires a brief history of American Forest management before continuing.
Smokey The Bear
In 1944, the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention Campaign began in the United States. “Only YOU can prevent forest fires” remains the refrain of the Ad Council’s longest running campaign. The Ad Council is a U.S. non-profit set up by the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Association of National Advertisers in 1942. It would seem that the U.S. Department of the Interior was concerned about pesky forest fires and wanted them to stop. So, alongside a national policy of extreme fire suppression they enlisted the entire U.S. population to get onboard via the Ad Council and it worked. Forest fires were almost obliterated and everyone was happy, right? Wrong.
Smokey is a fantastically successful bear so forest fires became so few for so long that the fuel load - dead wood - in forests has become very heavy. So heavy that when a fire happens (and they always happen) it destroys everything in its path because the more fuel there is the hotter that fire becomes. Trees, bushes, shrubs, and all other plant life cannot escape destruction (not to mention homes and businesses). The soil microbiology doesn’t escape either as it is burned away even in deeper soils. To add insult to injury, hydrophobic waxy residues condense on the soil surface, forcing water to travel over the ground rather than through it eroding forest soils. Good job, Smokey. Well done, Sir!
Most terrestrial ecologies are “fire ecologies”. Fire is a part of these systems’ fuel load and pest management. Before we pretended to “manage” millions of acres of forest, fires raged over the world, rarely damaging forests. The fuel load was always too light to generate fires hot enough to moonscape mountainsides. Fires simply burned off the minor amounts of fuel accumulated since the fire before. The lighter heat, smoke, and other combustion gasses suppressed pests, keeping them in check and the smoke condensed into a plant growth accelerant called wood vinegar, not a waxy cap on the soil. These fires also cleared out weak undergrowth, cycled minerals, and thinned the forest canopy, allowing sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor. Without a fire’s heat, many pine tree species can’t sow their seed. The heat is required to open the cones (the seed bearing structure) of Spruce, Cypress, Sequoia, Jack Pine, Lodgepole Pine and many more. Without fire forests can’t have babies. The idea was to protect the forests, and it isn't working.
So, in a world of fire, what does an ally look like and what does it do?
Meet The Forest Walker
For the Forest Walker to work as a mobile, autonomous unit, a solid platform that can carry several hundred pounds is required. It so happens this chassis already exists but shelved.
Introducing the Legged Squad Support System (LS3). A joint project between Boston Dynamics, DARPA, and the United States Marine Corps, the quadrupedal robot is the size of a cow, can carry 400 pounds (180 kg) of equipment, negotiate challenging terrain, and operate for 24 hours before needing to refuel. Yes, it had an engine. Abandoned in 2015, the thing was too noisy for military deployment and maintenance "under fire" is never a high-quality idea. However, we can rebuild it to act as a platform for the Forest Walker; albeit with serious alterations. It would need to be bigger, probably. Carry more weight? Definitely. Maybe replace structural metal with carbon fiber and redesign much as 3D printable parts for more effective maintenance.
The original system has a top operational speed of 8 miles per hour. For our purposes, it only needs to move about as fast as a grazing ruminant. Without the hammering vibrations of galloping into battle, shocks of exploding mortars, and drunken soldiers playing "Wrangler of Steel Machines", time between failures should be much longer and the overall energy consumption much lower. The LS3 is a solid platform to build upon. Now it just needs to be pulled out of the mothballs, and completely refitted with outboard equipment.
The Small Branch Chipper
When I say “Forest fuel load” I mean the dead, carbon containing litter on the forest floor. Duff (leaves), fine-woody debris (small branches), and coarse woody debris (logs) are the fuel that feeds forest fires. Walk through any forest in the United States today and you will see quite a lot of these materials. Too much, as I have described. Some of these fuel loads can be 8 tons per acre in pine and hardwood forests and up to 16 tons per acre at active logging sites. That’s some big wood and the more that collects, the more combustible danger to the forest it represents. It also provides a technically unlimited fuel supply for the Forest Walker system.
The problem is that this detritus has to be chewed into pieces that are easily ingestible by the system for the gasification process (we’ll get to that step in a minute). What we need is a wood chipper attached to the chassis (the LS3); its “mouth”.
A small wood chipper handling material up to 2.5 - 3.0 inches (6.3 - 7.6 cm) in diameter would eliminate a substantial amount of fuel. There is no reason for Forest Walker to remove fallen trees. It wouldn’t have to in order to make a real difference. It need only identify appropriately sized branches and grab them. Once loaded into the chipper’s intake hopper for further processing, the beast can immediately look for more “food”. This is essentially kindling that would help ignite larger logs. If it’s all consumed by Forest Walker, then it’s not present to promote an aggravated conflagration.
I have glossed over an obvious question: How does Forest Walker see and identify branches and such? LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging) attached to Forest Walker images the local area and feed those data to onboard computers for processing. Maybe AI plays a role. Maybe simple machine learning can do the trick. One thing is for certain: being able to identify a stick and cause robotic appendages to pick it up is not impossible.
Great! We now have a quadrupedal robot autonomously identifying and “eating” dead branches and other light, combustible materials. Whilst strolling through the forest, depleting future fires of combustibles, Forest Walker has already performed a major function of this system: making the forest safer. It's time to convert this low-density fuel into a high-density fuel Forest Walker can leverage. Enter the gasification process.
The Gassifier
The gasifier is the heart of the entire system; it’s where low-density fuel becomes the high-density fuel that powers the entire system. Biochar and wood vinegar are process wastes and I’ll discuss why both are powerful soil amendments in a moment, but first, what’s gasification?
Reacting shredded carbonaceous material at high temperatures in a low or no oxygen environment converts the biomass into biochar, wood vinegar, heat, and Synthesis Gas (Syngas). Syngas consists primarily of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane. All of which are extremely useful fuels in a gaseous state. Part of this gas is used to heat the input biomass and keep the reaction temperature constant while the internal combustion engine that drives the generator to produce electrical power consumes the rest.
Critically, this gasification process is “continuous feed”. Forest Walker must intake biomass from the chipper, process it to fuel, and dump the waste (CO2, heat, biochar, and wood vinegar) continuously. It cannot stop. Everything about this system depends upon this continual grazing, digestion, and excretion of wastes just as a ruminal does. And, like a ruminant, all waste products enhance the local environment.
When I first heard of gasification, I didn’t believe that it was real. Running an electric generator from burning wood seemed more akin to “conspiracy fantasy” than science. Not only is gasification real, it’s ancient technology. A man named Dean Clayton first started experiments on gasification in 1699 and in 1901 gasification was used to power a vehicle. By the end of World War II, there were 500,000 Syngas powered vehicles in Germany alone because of fossil fuel rationing during the war. The global gasification market was $480 billion in 2022 and projected to be as much as $700 billion by 2030 (Vantage Market Research). Gasification technology is the best choice to power the Forest Walker because it’s self-contained and we want its waste products.
Biochar: The Waste
Biochar (AKA agricultural charcoal) is fairly simple: it’s almost pure, solid carbon that resembles charcoal. Its porous nature packs large surface areas into small, 3 dimensional nuggets. Devoid of most other chemistry, like hydrocarbons (methane) and ash (minerals), biochar is extremely lightweight. Do not confuse it with the charcoal you buy for your grill. Biochar doesn’t make good grilling charcoal because it would burn too rapidly as it does not contain the multitude of flammable components that charcoal does. Biochar has several other good use cases. Water filtration, water retention, nutrient retention, providing habitat for microscopic soil organisms, and carbon sequestration are the main ones that we are concerned with here.
Carbon has an amazing ability to adsorb (substances stick to and accumulate on the surface of an object) manifold chemistries. Water, nutrients, and pollutants tightly bind to carbon in this format. So, biochar makes a respectable filter and acts as a “battery” of water and nutrients in soils. Biochar adsorbs and holds on to seven times its weight in water. Soil containing biochar is more drought resilient than soil without it. Adsorbed nutrients, tightly sequestered alongside water, get released only as plants need them. Plants must excrete protons (H+) from their roots to disgorge water or positively charged nutrients from the biochar's surface; it's an active process.
Biochar’s surface area (where adsorption happens) can be 500 square meters per gram or more. That is 10% larger than an official NBA basketball court for every gram of biochar. Biochar’s abundant surface area builds protective habitats for soil microbes like fungi and bacteria and many are critical for the health and productivity of the soil itself.
The “carbon sequestration” component of biochar comes into play where “carbon credits” are concerned. There is a financial market for carbon. Not leveraging that market for revenue is foolish. I am climate agnostic. All I care about is that once solid carbon is inside the soil, it will stay there for thousands of years, imparting drought resiliency, fertility collection, nutrient buffering, and release for that time span. I simply want as much solid carbon in the soil because of the undeniably positive effects it has, regardless of any climactic considerations.
Wood Vinegar: More Waste
Another by-product of the gasification process is wood vinegar (Pyroligneous acid). If you have ever seen Liquid Smoke in the grocery store, then you have seen wood vinegar. Principally composed of acetic acid, acetone, and methanol wood vinegar also contains ~200 other organic compounds. It would seem intuitive that condensed, liquefied wood smoke would at least be bad for the health of all living things if not downright carcinogenic. The counter intuition wins the day, however. Wood vinegar has been used by humans for a very long time to promote digestion, bowel, and liver health; combat diarrhea and vomiting; calm peptic ulcers and regulate cholesterol levels; and a host of other benefits.
For centuries humans have annually burned off hundreds of thousands of square miles of pasture, grassland, forest, and every other conceivable terrestrial ecosystem. Why is this done? After every burn, one thing becomes obvious: the almost supernatural growth these ecosystems exhibit after the burn. How? Wood vinegar is a component of this growth. Even in open burns, smoke condenses and infiltrates the soil. That is when wood vinegar shows its quality.
This stuff beefs up not only general plant growth but seed germination as well and possesses many other qualities that are beneficial to plants. It’s a pesticide, fungicide, promotes beneficial soil microorganisms, enhances nutrient uptake, and imparts disease resistance. I am barely touching a long list of attributes here, but you want wood vinegar in your soil (alongside biochar because it adsorbs wood vinegar as well).
The Internal Combustion Engine
Conversion of grazed forage to chemical, then mechanical, and then electrical energy completes the cycle. The ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) converts the gaseous fuel output from the gasifier to mechanical energy, heat, water vapor, and CO2. It’s the mechanical energy of a rotating drive shaft that we want. That rotation drives the electric generator, which is the heartbeat we need to bring this monster to life. Luckily for us, combined internal combustion engine and generator packages are ubiquitous, delivering a defined energy output given a constant fuel input. It’s the simplest part of the system.
The obvious question here is whether the amount of syngas provided by the gasification process will provide enough energy to generate enough electrons to run the entire system or not. While I have no doubt the energy produced will run Forest Walker's main systems the question is really about the electrons left over. Will it be enough to run the Bitcoin mining aspect of the system? Everything is a budget.
CO2 Production For Growth
Plants are lollipops. No matter if it’s a tree or a bush or a shrubbery, the entire thing is mostly sugar in various formats but mostly long chain carbohydrates like lignin and cellulose. Plants need three things to make sugar: CO2, H2O and light. In a forest, where tree densities can be quite high, CO2 availability becomes a limiting growth factor. It’d be in the forest interests to have more available CO2 providing for various sugar formation providing the organism with food and structure.
An odd thing about tree leaves, the openings that allow gasses like the ever searched for CO2 are on the bottom of the leaf (these are called stomata). Not many stomata are topside. This suggests that trees and bushes have evolved to find gasses like CO2 from below, not above and this further suggests CO2 might be in higher concentrations nearer the soil.
The soil life (bacterial, fungi etc.) is constantly producing enormous amounts of CO2 and it would stay in the soil forever (eventually killing the very soil life that produces it) if not for tidal forces. Water is everywhere and whether in pools, lakes, oceans or distributed in “moist” soils water moves towards to the moon. The water in the soil and also in the water tables below the soil rise toward the surface every day. When the water rises, it expels the accumulated gasses in the soil into the atmosphere and it’s mostly CO2. It’s a good bet on how leaves developed high populations of stomata on the underside of leaves. As the water relaxes (the tide goes out) it sucks oxygenated air back into the soil to continue the functions of soil life respiration. The soil “breathes” albeit slowly.
The gasses produced by the Forest Walker’s internal combustion engine consist primarily of CO2 and H2O. Combusting sugars produce the same gasses that are needed to construct the sugars because the universe is funny like that. The Forest Walker is constantly laying down these critical construction elements right where the trees need them: close to the ground to be gobbled up by the trees.
The Branch Drones
During the last ice age, giant mammals populated North America - forests and otherwise. Mastodons, woolly mammoths, rhinos, short-faced bears, steppe bison, caribou, musk ox, giant beavers, camels, gigantic ground-dwelling sloths, glyptodons, and dire wolves were everywhere. Many were ten to fifteen feet tall. As they crashed through forests, they would effectively cleave off dead side-branches of trees, halting the spread of a ground-based fire migrating into the tree crown ("laddering") which is a death knell for a forest.
These animals are all extinct now and forests no longer have any manner of pruning services. But, if we build drones fitted with cutting implements like saws and loppers, optical cameras and AI trained to discern dead branches from living ones, these drones could effectively take over pruning services by identifying, cutting, and dropping to the forest floor, dead branches. The dropped branches simply get collected by the Forest Walker as part of its continual mission.
The drones dock on the back of the Forest Walker to recharge their batteries when low. The whole scene would look like a grazing cow with some flies bothering it. This activity breaks the link between a relatively cool ground based fire and the tree crowns and is a vital element in forest fire control.
The Bitcoin Miner
Mining is one of four monetary incentive models, making this system a possibility for development. The other three are US Dept. of the Interior, township, county, and electrical utility company easement contracts for fuel load management, global carbon credits trading, and data set sales. All the above depends on obvious questions getting answered. I will list some obvious ones, but this is not an engineering document and is not the place for spreadsheets. How much Bitcoin one Forest Walker can mine depends on everything else. What amount of biomass can we process? Will that biomass flow enough Syngas to keep the lights on? Can the chassis support enough mining ASICs and supporting infrastructure? What does that weigh and will it affect field performance? How much power can the AC generator produce?
Other questions that are more philosophical persist. Even if a single Forest Walker can only mine scant amounts of BTC per day, that pales to how much fuel material it can process into biochar. We are talking about millions upon millions of forested acres in need of fuel load management. What can a single Forest Walker do? I am not thinking in singular terms. The Forest Walker must operate as a fleet. What could 50 do? 500?
What is it worth providing a service to the world by managing forest fuel loads? Providing proof of work to the global monetary system? Seeding soil with drought and nutrient resilience by the excretion, over time, of carbon by the ton? What did the last forest fire cost?
The Mesh Network
What could be better than one bitcoin mining, carbon sequestering, forest fire squelching, soil amending behemoth? Thousands of them, but then they would need to be able to talk to each other to coordinate position, data handling, etc. Fitted with a mesh networking device, like goTenna or Meshtastic LoRa equipment enables each Forest Walker to communicate with each other.
Now we have an interconnected fleet of Forest Walkers relaying data to each other and more importantly, aggregating all of that to the last link in the chain for uplink. Well, at least Bitcoin mining data. Since block data is lightweight, transmission of these data via mesh networking in fairly close quartered environs is more than doable. So, how does data transmit to the Bitcoin Network? How do the Forest Walkers get the previous block data necessary to execute on mining?
Back To The Chain
Getting Bitcoin block data to and from the network is the last puzzle piece. The standing presumption here is that wherever a Forest Walker fleet is operating, it is NOT within cell tower range. We further presume that the nearest Walmart Wi-Fi is hours away. Enter the Blockstream Satellite or something like it.
A separate, ground-based drone will have two jobs: To stay as close to the nearest Forest Walker as it can and to provide an antennae for either terrestrial or orbital data uplink. Bitcoin-centric data is transmitted to the "uplink drone" via the mesh networked transmitters and then sent on to the uplink and the whole flow goes in the opposite direction as well; many to one and one to many.
We cannot transmit data to the Blockstream satellite, and it will be up to Blockstream and companies like it to provide uplink capabilities in the future and I don't doubt they will. Starlink you say? What’s stopping that company from filtering out block data? Nothing because it’s Starlink’s system and they could decide to censor these data. It seems we may have a problem sending and receiving Bitcoin data in back country environs.
But, then again, the utility of this system in staunching the fuel load that creates forest fires is extremely useful around forested communities and many have fiber, Wi-Fi and cell towers. These communities could be a welcoming ground zero for first deployments of the Forest Walker system by the home and business owners seeking fire repression. In the best way, Bitcoin subsidizes the safety of the communities.
Sensor Packages
LiDaR
The benefit of having a Forest Walker fleet strolling through the forest is the never ending opportunity for data gathering. A plethora of deployable sensors gathering hyper-accurate data on everything from temperature to topography is yet another revenue generator. Data is valuable and the Forest Walker could generate data sales to various government entities and private concerns.
LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging) can map topography, perform biomass assessment, comparative soil erosion analysis, etc. It so happens that the Forest Walker’s ability to “see,” to navigate about its surroundings, is LiDaR driven and since it’s already being used, we can get double duty by harvesting that data for later use. By using a laser to send out light pulses and measuring the time it takes for the reflection of those pulses to return, very detailed data sets incrementally build up. Eventually, as enough data about a certain area becomes available, the data becomes useful and valuable.
Forestry concerns, both private and public, often use LiDaR to build 3D models of tree stands to assess the amount of harvest-able lumber in entire sections of forest. Consulting companies offering these services charge anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars per square kilometer for such services. A Forest Walker generating such assessments on the fly while performing its other functions is a multi-disciplinary approach to revenue generation.
pH, Soil Moisture, and Cation Exchange Sensing
The Forest Walker is quadrupedal, so there are four contact points to the soil. Why not get a pH data point for every step it takes? We can also gather soil moisture data and cation exchange capacities at unheard of densities because of sampling occurring on the fly during commission of the system’s other duties. No one is going to build a machine to do pH testing of vast tracts of forest soils, but that doesn’t make the data collected from such an endeavor valueless. Since the Forest Walker serves many functions at once, a multitude of data products can add to the return on investment component.
Weather Data
Temperature, humidity, pressure, and even data like evapotranspiration gathered at high densities on broad acre scales have untold value and because the sensors are lightweight and don’t require large power budgets, they come along for the ride at little cost. But, just like the old mantra, “gas, grass, or ass, nobody rides for free”, these sensors provide potential revenue benefits just by them being present.
I’ve touched on just a few data genres here. In fact, the question for universities, governmental bodies, and other institutions becomes, “How much will you pay us to attach your sensor payload to the Forest Walker?”
Noise Suppression
Only you can prevent Metallica filling the surrounds with 120 dB of sound. Easy enough, just turn the car stereo off. But what of a fleet of 50 Forest Walkers operating in the backcountry or near a township? 500? 5000? Each one has a wood chipper, an internal combustion engine, hydraulic pumps, actuators, and more cooling fans than you can shake a stick at. It’s a walking, screaming fire-breathing dragon operating continuously, day and night, twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year. The sound will negatively affect all living things and that impacts behaviors. Serious engineering consideration and prowess must deliver a silencing blow to the major issue of noise.
It would be foolish to think that a fleet of Forest Walkers could be silent, but if not a major design consideration, then the entire idea is dead on arrival. Townships would not allow them to operate even if they solved the problem of widespread fuel load and neither would governmental entities, and rightly so. Nothing, not man nor beast, would want to be subjected to an eternal, infernal scream even if it were to end within days as the fleet moved further away after consuming what it could. Noise and heat are the only real pollutants of this system; taking noise seriously from the beginning is paramount.
Fire Safety
A “fire-breathing dragon” is not the worst description of the Forest Walker. It eats wood, combusts it at very high temperatures and excretes carbon; and it does so in an extremely flammable environment. Bad mix for one Forest Walker, worse for many. One must take extreme pains to ensure that during normal operation, a Forest Walker could fall over, walk through tinder dry brush, or get pounded into the ground by a meteorite from Krypton and it wouldn’t destroy epic swaths of trees and baby deer. I envision an ultimate test of a prototype to include dowsing it in grain alcohol while it’s wrapped up in toilet paper like a pledge at a fraternity party. If it runs for 72 hours and doesn’t set everything on fire, then maybe outside entities won’t be fearful of something that walks around forests with a constant fire in its belly.
The Wrap
How we think about what can be done with and adjacent to Bitcoin is at least as important as Bitcoin’s economic standing itself. For those who will tell me that this entire idea is without merit, I say, “OK, fine. You can come up with something, too.” What can we plug Bitcoin into that, like a battery, makes something that does not work, work? That’s the lesson I get from this entire exercise. No one was ever going to hire teams of humans to go out and "clean the forest". There's no money in that. The data collection and sales from such an endeavor might provide revenues over the break-even point but investment demands Alpha in this day and age. But, plug Bitcoin into an almost viable system and, voilà! We tip the scales to achieve lift-off.
Let’s face it, we haven’t scratched the surface of Bitcoin’s forcing function on our minds. Not because it’s Bitcoin, but because of what that invention means. The question that pushes me to approach things this way is, “what can we create that one system’s waste is another system’s feedstock?” The Forest Walker system’s only real waste is the conversion of low entropy energy (wood and syngas) into high entropy energy (heat and noise). All other output is beneficial to humanity.
Bitcoin, I believe, is the first product of a new mode of human imagination. An imagination newly forged over the past few millennia of being lied to, stolen from, distracted and otherwise mis-allocated to a black hole of the nonsensical. We are waking up.
What I have presented is not science fiction. Everything I have described here is well within the realm of possibility. The question is one of viability, at least in terms of the detritus of the old world we find ourselves departing from. This system would take a non-trivial amount of time and resources to develop. I think the system would garner extensive long-term contracts from those who have the most to lose from wildfires, the most to gain from hyperaccurate data sets, and, of course, securing the most precious asset in the world. Many may not see it that way, for they seek Alpha and are therefore blind to other possibilities. Others will see only the possibilities; of thinking in a new way, of looking at things differently, and dreaming of what comes next.
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@ 6389be64:ef439d32
2025-01-13 21:50:59Bitcoin is more than money, more than an asset, and more than a store of value. Bitcoin is a Prime Mover, an enabler and it ignites imaginations. It certainly fueled an idea in my mind. The idea integrates sensors, computational prowess, actuated machinery, power conversion, and electronic communications to form an autonomous, machined creature roaming forests and harvesting the most widespread and least energy-dense fuel source available. I call it the Forest Walker and it eats wood, and mines Bitcoin.
I know what you're thinking. Why not just put Bitcoin mining rigs where they belong: in a hosted facility sporting electricity from energy-dense fuels like natural gas, climate-controlled with excellent data piping in and out? Why go to all the trouble building a robot that digests wood creating flammable gasses fueling an engine to run a generator powering Bitcoin miners? It's all about synergy.
Bitcoin mining enables the realization of multiple, seemingly unrelated, yet useful activities. Activities considered un-profitable if not for Bitcoin as the Prime Mover. This is much more than simply mining the greatest asset ever conceived by humankind. It’s about the power of synergy, which Bitcoin plays only one of many roles. The synergy created by this system can stabilize forests' fire ecology while generating multiple income streams. That’s the realistic goal here and requires a brief history of American Forest management before continuing.
Smokey The Bear
In 1944, the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention Campaign began in the United States. “Only YOU can prevent forest fires” remains the refrain of the Ad Council’s longest running campaign. The Ad Council is a U.S. non-profit set up by the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Association of National Advertisers in 1942. It would seem that the U.S. Department of the Interior was concerned about pesky forest fires and wanted them to stop. So, alongside a national policy of extreme fire suppression they enlisted the entire U.S. population to get onboard via the Ad Council and it worked. Forest fires were almost obliterated and everyone was happy, right? Wrong.
Smokey is a fantastically successful bear so forest fires became so few for so long that the fuel load - dead wood - in forests has become very heavy. So heavy that when a fire happens (and they always happen) it destroys everything in its path because the more fuel there is the hotter that fire becomes. Trees, bushes, shrubs, and all other plant life cannot escape destruction (not to mention homes and businesses). The soil microbiology doesn’t escape either as it is burned away even in deeper soils. To add insult to injury, hydrophobic waxy residues condense on the soil surface, forcing water to travel over the ground rather than through it eroding forest soils. Good job, Smokey. Well done, Sir!
Most terrestrial ecologies are “fire ecologies”. Fire is a part of these systems’ fuel load and pest management. Before we pretended to “manage” millions of acres of forest, fires raged over the world, rarely damaging forests. The fuel load was always too light to generate fires hot enough to moonscape mountainsides. Fires simply burned off the minor amounts of fuel accumulated since the fire before. The lighter heat, smoke, and other combustion gasses suppressed pests, keeping them in check and the smoke condensed into a plant growth accelerant called wood vinegar, not a waxy cap on the soil. These fires also cleared out weak undergrowth, cycled minerals, and thinned the forest canopy, allowing sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor. Without a fire’s heat, many pine tree species can’t sow their seed. The heat is required to open the cones (the seed bearing structure) of Spruce, Cypress, Sequoia, Jack Pine, Lodgepole Pine and many more. Without fire forests can’t have babies. The idea was to protect the forests, and it isn't working.
So, in a world of fire, what does an ally look like and what does it do?
Meet The Forest Walker
For the Forest Walker to work as a mobile, autonomous unit, a solid platform that can carry several hundred pounds is required. It so happens this chassis already exists but shelved.
Introducing the Legged Squad Support System (LS3). A joint project between Boston Dynamics, DARPA, and the United States Marine Corps, the quadrupedal robot is the size of a cow, can carry 400 pounds (180 kg) of equipment, negotiate challenging terrain, and operate for 24 hours before needing to refuel. Yes, it had an engine. Abandoned in 2015, the thing was too noisy for military deployment and maintenance "under fire" is never a high-quality idea. However, we can rebuild it to act as a platform for the Forest Walker; albeit with serious alterations. It would need to be bigger, probably. Carry more weight? Definitely. Maybe replace structural metal with carbon fiber and redesign much as 3D printable parts for more effective maintenance.
The original system has a top operational speed of 8 miles per hour. For our purposes, it only needs to move about as fast as a grazing ruminant. Without the hammering vibrations of galloping into battle, shocks of exploding mortars, and drunken soldiers playing "Wrangler of Steel Machines", time between failures should be much longer and the overall energy consumption much lower. The LS3 is a solid platform to build upon. Now it just needs to be pulled out of the mothballs, and completely refitted with outboard equipment.
The Small Branch Chipper
When I say “Forest fuel load” I mean the dead, carbon containing litter on the forest floor. Duff (leaves), fine-woody debris (small branches), and coarse woody debris (logs) are the fuel that feeds forest fires. Walk through any forest in the United States today and you will see quite a lot of these materials. Too much, as I have described. Some of these fuel loads can be 8 tons per acre in pine and hardwood forests and up to 16 tons per acre at active logging sites. That’s some big wood and the more that collects, the more combustible danger to the forest it represents. It also provides a technically unlimited fuel supply for the Forest Walker system.
The problem is that this detritus has to be chewed into pieces that are easily ingestible by the system for the gasification process (we’ll get to that step in a minute). What we need is a wood chipper attached to the chassis (the LS3); its “mouth”.
A small wood chipper handling material up to 2.5 - 3.0 inches (6.3 - 7.6 cm) in diameter would eliminate a substantial amount of fuel. There is no reason for Forest Walker to remove fallen trees. It wouldn’t have to in order to make a real difference. It need only identify appropriately sized branches and grab them. Once loaded into the chipper’s intake hopper for further processing, the beast can immediately look for more “food”. This is essentially kindling that would help ignite larger logs. If it’s all consumed by Forest Walker, then it’s not present to promote an aggravated conflagration.
I have glossed over an obvious question: How does Forest Walker see and identify branches and such? LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging) attached to Forest Walker images the local area and feed those data to onboard computers for processing. Maybe AI plays a role. Maybe simple machine learning can do the trick. One thing is for certain: being able to identify a stick and cause robotic appendages to pick it up is not impossible.
Great! We now have a quadrupedal robot autonomously identifying and “eating” dead branches and other light, combustible materials. Whilst strolling through the forest, depleting future fires of combustibles, Forest Walker has already performed a major function of this system: making the forest safer. It's time to convert this low-density fuel into a high-density fuel Forest Walker can leverage. Enter the gasification process.
The Gassifier
The gasifier is the heart of the entire system; it’s where low-density fuel becomes the high-density fuel that powers the entire system. Biochar and wood vinegar are process wastes and I’ll discuss why both are powerful soil amendments in a moment, but first, what’s gasification?
Reacting shredded carbonaceous material at high temperatures in a low or no oxygen environment converts the biomass into biochar, wood vinegar, heat, and Synthesis Gas (Syngas). Syngas consists primarily of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane. All of which are extremely useful fuels in a gaseous state. Part of this gas is used to heat the input biomass and keep the reaction temperature constant while the internal combustion engine that drives the generator to produce electrical power consumes the rest.
Critically, this gasification process is “continuous feed”. Forest Walker must intake biomass from the chipper, process it to fuel, and dump the waste (CO2, heat, biochar, and wood vinegar) continuously. It cannot stop. Everything about this system depends upon this continual grazing, digestion, and excretion of wastes just as a ruminal does. And, like a ruminant, all waste products enhance the local environment.
When I first heard of gasification, I didn’t believe that it was real. Running an electric generator from burning wood seemed more akin to “conspiracy fantasy” than science. Not only is gasification real, it’s ancient technology. A man named Dean Clayton first started experiments on gasification in 1699 and in 1901 gasification was used to power a vehicle. By the end of World War II, there were 500,000 Syngas powered vehicles in Germany alone because of fossil fuel rationing during the war. The global gasification market was $480 billion in 2022 and projected to be as much as $700 billion by 2030 (Vantage Market Research). Gasification technology is the best choice to power the Forest Walker because it’s self-contained and we want its waste products.
Biochar: The Waste
Biochar (AKA agricultural charcoal) is fairly simple: it’s almost pure, solid carbon that resembles charcoal. Its porous nature packs large surface areas into small, 3 dimensional nuggets. Devoid of most other chemistry, like hydrocarbons (methane) and ash (minerals), biochar is extremely lightweight. Do not confuse it with the charcoal you buy for your grill. Biochar doesn’t make good grilling charcoal because it would burn too rapidly as it does not contain the multitude of flammable components that charcoal does. Biochar has several other good use cases. Water filtration, water retention, nutrient retention, providing habitat for microscopic soil organisms, and carbon sequestration are the main ones that we are concerned with here.
Carbon has an amazing ability to adsorb (substances stick to and accumulate on the surface of an object) manifold chemistries. Water, nutrients, and pollutants tightly bind to carbon in this format. So, biochar makes a respectable filter and acts as a “battery” of water and nutrients in soils. Biochar adsorbs and holds on to seven times its weight in water. Soil containing biochar is more drought resilient than soil without it. Adsorbed nutrients, tightly sequestered alongside water, get released only as plants need them. Plants must excrete protons (H+) from their roots to disgorge water or positively charged nutrients from the biochar's surface; it's an active process.
Biochar’s surface area (where adsorption happens) can be 500 square meters per gram or more. That is 10% larger than an official NBA basketball court for every gram of biochar. Biochar’s abundant surface area builds protective habitats for soil microbes like fungi and bacteria and many are critical for the health and productivity of the soil itself.
The “carbon sequestration” component of biochar comes into play where “carbon credits” are concerned. There is a financial market for carbon. Not leveraging that market for revenue is foolish. I am climate agnostic. All I care about is that once solid carbon is inside the soil, it will stay there for thousands of years, imparting drought resiliency, fertility collection, nutrient buffering, and release for that time span. I simply want as much solid carbon in the soil because of the undeniably positive effects it has, regardless of any climactic considerations.
Wood Vinegar: More Waste
Another by-product of the gasification process is wood vinegar (Pyroligneous acid). If you have ever seen Liquid Smoke in the grocery store, then you have seen wood vinegar. Principally composed of acetic acid, acetone, and methanol wood vinegar also contains ~200 other organic compounds. It would seem intuitive that condensed, liquefied wood smoke would at least be bad for the health of all living things if not downright carcinogenic. The counter intuition wins the day, however. Wood vinegar has been used by humans for a very long time to promote digestion, bowel, and liver health; combat diarrhea and vomiting; calm peptic ulcers and regulate cholesterol levels; and a host of other benefits.
For centuries humans have annually burned off hundreds of thousands of square miles of pasture, grassland, forest, and every other conceivable terrestrial ecosystem. Why is this done? After every burn, one thing becomes obvious: the almost supernatural growth these ecosystems exhibit after the burn. How? Wood vinegar is a component of this growth. Even in open burns, smoke condenses and infiltrates the soil. That is when wood vinegar shows its quality.
This stuff beefs up not only general plant growth but seed germination as well and possesses many other qualities that are beneficial to plants. It’s a pesticide, fungicide, promotes beneficial soil microorganisms, enhances nutrient uptake, and imparts disease resistance. I am barely touching a long list of attributes here, but you want wood vinegar in your soil (alongside biochar because it adsorbs wood vinegar as well).
The Internal Combustion Engine
Conversion of grazed forage to chemical, then mechanical, and then electrical energy completes the cycle. The ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) converts the gaseous fuel output from the gasifier to mechanical energy, heat, water vapor, and CO2. It’s the mechanical energy of a rotating drive shaft that we want. That rotation drives the electric generator, which is the heartbeat we need to bring this monster to life. Luckily for us, combined internal combustion engine and generator packages are ubiquitous, delivering a defined energy output given a constant fuel input. It’s the simplest part of the system.
The obvious question here is whether the amount of syngas provided by the gasification process will provide enough energy to generate enough electrons to run the entire system or not. While I have no doubt the energy produced will run Forest Walker's main systems the question is really about the electrons left over. Will it be enough to run the Bitcoin mining aspect of the system? Everything is a budget.
CO2 Production For Growth
Plants are lollipops. No matter if it’s a tree or a bush or a shrubbery, the entire thing is mostly sugar in various formats but mostly long chain carbohydrates like lignin and cellulose. Plants need three things to make sugar: CO2, H2O and light. In a forest, where tree densities can be quite high, CO2 availability becomes a limiting growth factor. It’d be in the forest interests to have more available CO2 providing for various sugar formation providing the organism with food and structure.
An odd thing about tree leaves, the openings that allow gasses like the ever searched for CO2 are on the bottom of the leaf (these are called stomata). Not many stomata are topside. This suggests that trees and bushes have evolved to find gasses like CO2 from below, not above and this further suggests CO2 might be in higher concentrations nearer the soil.
The soil life (bacterial, fungi etc.) is constantly producing enormous amounts of CO2 and it would stay in the soil forever (eventually killing the very soil life that produces it) if not for tidal forces. Water is everywhere and whether in pools, lakes, oceans or distributed in “moist” soils water moves towards to the moon. The water in the soil and also in the water tables below the soil rise toward the surface every day. When the water rises, it expels the accumulated gasses in the soil into the atmosphere and it’s mostly CO2. It’s a good bet on how leaves developed high populations of stomata on the underside of leaves. As the water relaxes (the tide goes out) it sucks oxygenated air back into the soil to continue the functions of soil life respiration. The soil “breathes” albeit slowly.
The gasses produced by the Forest Walker’s internal combustion engine consist primarily of CO2 and H2O. Combusting sugars produce the same gasses that are needed to construct the sugars because the universe is funny like that. The Forest Walker is constantly laying down these critical construction elements right where the trees need them: close to the ground to be gobbled up by the trees.
The Branch Drones
During the last ice age, giant mammals populated North America - forests and otherwise. Mastodons, woolly mammoths, rhinos, short-faced bears, steppe bison, caribou, musk ox, giant beavers, camels, gigantic ground-dwelling sloths, glyptodons, and dire wolves were everywhere. Many were ten to fifteen feet tall. As they crashed through forests, they would effectively cleave off dead side-branches of trees, halting the spread of a ground-based fire migrating into the tree crown ("laddering") which is a death knell for a forest.
These animals are all extinct now and forests no longer have any manner of pruning services. But, if we build drones fitted with cutting implements like saws and loppers, optical cameras and AI trained to discern dead branches from living ones, these drones could effectively take over pruning services by identifying, cutting, and dropping to the forest floor, dead branches. The dropped branches simply get collected by the Forest Walker as part of its continual mission.
The drones dock on the back of the Forest Walker to recharge their batteries when low. The whole scene would look like a grazing cow with some flies bothering it. This activity breaks the link between a relatively cool ground based fire and the tree crowns and is a vital element in forest fire control.
The Bitcoin Miner
Mining is one of four monetary incentive models, making this system a possibility for development. The other three are US Dept. of the Interior, township, county, and electrical utility company easement contracts for fuel load management, global carbon credits trading, and data set sales. All the above depends on obvious questions getting answered. I will list some obvious ones, but this is not an engineering document and is not the place for spreadsheets. How much Bitcoin one Forest Walker can mine depends on everything else. What amount of biomass can we process? Will that biomass flow enough Syngas to keep the lights on? Can the chassis support enough mining ASICs and supporting infrastructure? What does that weigh and will it affect field performance? How much power can the AC generator produce?
Other questions that are more philosophical persist. Even if a single Forest Walker can only mine scant amounts of BTC per day, that pales to how much fuel material it can process into biochar. We are talking about millions upon millions of forested acres in need of fuel load management. What can a single Forest Walker do? I am not thinking in singular terms. The Forest Walker must operate as a fleet. What could 50 do? 500?
What is it worth providing a service to the world by managing forest fuel loads? Providing proof of work to the global monetary system? Seeding soil with drought and nutrient resilience by the excretion, over time, of carbon by the ton? What did the last forest fire cost?
The Mesh Network
What could be better than one bitcoin mining, carbon sequestering, forest fire squelching, soil amending behemoth? Thousands of them, but then they would need to be able to talk to each other to coordinate position, data handling, etc. Fitted with a mesh networking device, like goTenna or Meshtastic LoRa equipment enables each Forest Walker to communicate with each other.
Now we have an interconnected fleet of Forest Walkers relaying data to each other and more importantly, aggregating all of that to the last link in the chain for uplink. Well, at least Bitcoin mining data. Since block data is lightweight, transmission of these data via mesh networking in fairly close quartered environs is more than doable. So, how does data transmit to the Bitcoin Network? How do the Forest Walkers get the previous block data necessary to execute on mining?
Back To The Chain
Getting Bitcoin block data to and from the network is the last puzzle piece. The standing presumption here is that wherever a Forest Walker fleet is operating, it is NOT within cell tower range. We further presume that the nearest Walmart Wi-Fi is hours away. Enter the Blockstream Satellite or something like it.
A separate, ground-based drone will have two jobs: To stay as close to the nearest Forest Walker as it can and to provide an antennae for either terrestrial or orbital data uplink. Bitcoin-centric data is transmitted to the "uplink drone" via the mesh networked transmitters and then sent on to the uplink and the whole flow goes in the opposite direction as well; many to one and one to many.
We cannot transmit data to the Blockstream satellite, and it will be up to Blockstream and companies like it to provide uplink capabilities in the future and I don't doubt they will. Starlink you say? What’s stopping that company from filtering out block data? Nothing because it’s Starlink’s system and they could decide to censor these data. It seems we may have a problem sending and receiving Bitcoin data in back country environs.
But, then again, the utility of this system in staunching the fuel load that creates forest fires is extremely useful around forested communities and many have fiber, Wi-Fi and cell towers. These communities could be a welcoming ground zero for first deployments of the Forest Walker system by the home and business owners seeking fire repression. In the best way, Bitcoin subsidizes the safety of the communities.
Sensor Packages
LiDaR
The benefit of having a Forest Walker fleet strolling through the forest is the never ending opportunity for data gathering. A plethora of deployable sensors gathering hyper-accurate data on everything from temperature to topography is yet another revenue generator. Data is valuable and the Forest Walker could generate data sales to various government entities and private concerns.
LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging) can map topography, perform biomass assessment, comparative soil erosion analysis, etc. It so happens that the Forest Walker’s ability to “see,” to navigate about its surroundings, is LiDaR driven and since it’s already being used, we can get double duty by harvesting that data for later use. By using a laser to send out light pulses and measuring the time it takes for the reflection of those pulses to return, very detailed data sets incrementally build up. Eventually, as enough data about a certain area becomes available, the data becomes useful and valuable.
Forestry concerns, both private and public, often use LiDaR to build 3D models of tree stands to assess the amount of harvest-able lumber in entire sections of forest. Consulting companies offering these services charge anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars per square kilometer for such services. A Forest Walker generating such assessments on the fly while performing its other functions is a multi-disciplinary approach to revenue generation.
pH, Soil Moisture, and Cation Exchange Sensing
The Forest Walker is quadrupedal, so there are four contact points to the soil. Why not get a pH data point for every step it takes? We can also gather soil moisture data and cation exchange capacities at unheard of densities because of sampling occurring on the fly during commission of the system’s other duties. No one is going to build a machine to do pH testing of vast tracts of forest soils, but that doesn’t make the data collected from such an endeavor valueless. Since the Forest Walker serves many functions at once, a multitude of data products can add to the return on investment component.
Weather Data
Temperature, humidity, pressure, and even data like evapotranspiration gathered at high densities on broad acre scales have untold value and because the sensors are lightweight and don’t require large power budgets, they come along for the ride at little cost. But, just like the old mantra, “gas, grass, or ass, nobody rides for free”, these sensors provide potential revenue benefits just by them being present.
I’ve touched on just a few data genres here. In fact, the question for universities, governmental bodies, and other institutions becomes, “How much will you pay us to attach your sensor payload to the Forest Walker?”
Noise Suppression
Only you can prevent Metallica filling the surrounds with 120 dB of sound. Easy enough, just turn the car stereo off. But what of a fleet of 50 Forest Walkers operating in the backcountry or near a township? 500? 5000? Each one has a wood chipper, an internal combustion engine, hydraulic pumps, actuators, and more cooling fans than you can shake a stick at. It’s a walking, screaming fire-breathing dragon operating continuously, day and night, twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year. The sound will negatively affect all living things and that impacts behaviors. Serious engineering consideration and prowess must deliver a silencing blow to the major issue of noise.
It would be foolish to think that a fleet of Forest Walkers could be silent, but if not a major design consideration, then the entire idea is dead on arrival. Townships would not allow them to operate even if they solved the problem of widespread fuel load and neither would governmental entities, and rightly so. Nothing, not man nor beast, would want to be subjected to an eternal, infernal scream even if it were to end within days as the fleet moved further away after consuming what it could. Noise and heat are the only real pollutants of this system; taking noise seriously from the beginning is paramount.
Fire Safety
A “fire-breathing dragon” is not the worst description of the Forest Walker. It eats wood, combusts it at very high temperatures and excretes carbon; and it does so in an extremely flammable environment. Bad mix for one Forest Walker, worse for many. One must take extreme pains to ensure that during normal operation, a Forest Walker could fall over, walk through tinder dry brush, or get pounded into the ground by a meteorite from Krypton and it wouldn’t destroy epic swaths of trees and baby deer. I envision an ultimate test of a prototype to include dowsing it in grain alcohol while it’s wrapped up in toilet paper like a pledge at a fraternity party. If it runs for 72 hours and doesn’t set everything on fire, then maybe outside entities won’t be fearful of something that walks around forests with a constant fire in its belly.
The Wrap
How we think about what can be done with and adjacent to Bitcoin is at least as important as Bitcoin’s economic standing itself. For those who will tell me that this entire idea is without merit, I say, “OK, fine. You can come up with something, too.” What can we plug Bitcoin into that, like a battery, makes something that does not work, work? That’s the lesson I get from this entire exercise. No one was ever going to hire teams of humans to go out and "clean the forest". There's no money in that. The data collection and sales from such an endeavor might provide revenues over the break-even point but investment demands Alpha in this day and age. But, plug Bitcoin into an almost viable system and, voilà! We tip the scales to achieve lift-off.
Let’s face it, we haven’t scratched the surface of Bitcoin’s forcing function on our minds. Not because it’s Bitcoin, but because of what that invention means. The question that pushes me to approach things this way is, “what can we create that one system’s waste is another system’s feedstock?” The Forest Walker system’s only real waste is the conversion of low entropy energy (wood and syngas) into high entropy energy (heat and noise). All other output is beneficial to humanity.
Bitcoin, I believe, is the first product of a new mode of human imagination. An imagination newly forged over the past few millennia of being lied to, stolen from, distracted and otherwise mis-allocated to a black hole of the nonsensical. We are waking up.
What I have presented is not science fiction. Everything I have described here is well within the realm of possibility. The question is one of viability, at least in terms of the detritus of the old world we find ourselves departing from. This system would take a non-trivial amount of time and resources to develop. I think the system would garner extensive long-term contracts from those who have the most to lose from wildfires, the most to gain from hyperaccurate data sets, and, of course, securing the most precious asset in the world. Many may not see it that way, for they seek Alpha and are therefore blind to other possibilities. Others will see only the possibilities; of thinking in a new way, of looking at things differently, and dreaming of what comes next.
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@ e3ba5e1a:5e433365
2025-01-13 16:47:27My blog posts and reading material have both been on a decidedly economics-heavy slant recently. The topic today, incentives, squarely falls into the category of economics. However, when I say economics, I’m not talking about “analyzing supply and demand curves.” I’m talking about the true basis of economics: understanding how human beings make decisions in a world of scarcity.
A fair definition of incentive is “a reward or punishment that motivates behavior to achieve a desired outcome.” When most people think about economic incentives, they’re thinking of money. If I offer my son $5 if he washes the dishes, I’m incentivizing certain behavior. We can’t guarantee that he’ll do what I want him to do, but we can agree that the incentive structure itself will guide and ultimately determine what outcome will occur.
The great thing about monetary incentives is how easy they are to talk about and compare. “Would I rather make $5 washing the dishes or $10 cleaning the gutters?” But much of the world is incentivized in non-monetary ways too. For example, using the “punishment” half of the definition above, I might threaten my son with losing Nintendo Switch access if he doesn’t wash the dishes. No money is involved, but I’m still incentivizing behavior.
And there are plenty of incentives beyond our direct control! My son is also incentivized to not wash dishes because it’s boring, or because he has some friends over that he wants to hang out with, or dozens of other things. Ultimately, the conflicting array of different incentive structures placed on him will ultimately determine what actions he chooses to take.
Why incentives matter
A phrase I see often in discussions—whether they are political, parenting, economic, or business—is “if they could just do…” Each time I see that phrase, I cringe a bit internally. Usually, the underlying assumption of the statement is “if people would behave contrary to their incentivized behavior then things would be better.” For example:
- If my kids would just go to bed when I tell them, they wouldn’t be so cranky in the morning.
- If people would just use the recycling bin, we wouldn’t have such a landfill problem.
- If people would just stop being lazy, our team would deliver our project on time.
In all these cases, the speakers are seemingly flummoxed as to why the people in question don’t behave more rationally. The problem is: each group is behaving perfectly rationally.
- The kids have a high time preference, and care more about the joy of staying up now than the crankiness in the morning. Plus, they don’t really suffer the consequences of morning crankiness, their parents do.
- No individual suffers much from their individual contribution to a landfill. If they stopped growing the size of the landfill, it would make an insignificant difference versus the amount of effort they need to engage in to properly recycle.
- If a team doesn’t properly account for the productivity of individuals on a project, each individual receives less harm from their own inaction. Sure, the project may be delayed, company revenue may be down, and they may even risk losing their job when the company goes out of business. But their laziness individually won’t determine the entirety of that outcome. By contrast, they greatly benefit from being lazy by getting to relax at work, go on social media, read a book, or do whatever else they do when they’re supposed to be working.
My point here is that, as long as you ignore the reality of how incentives drive human behavior, you’ll fail at getting the outcomes you want.
If everything I wrote up until now made perfect sense, you understand the premise of this blog post. The rest of it will focus on a bunch of real-world examples to hammer home the point, and demonstrate how versatile this mental model is.
Running a company
Let’s say I run my own company, with myself as the only employee. My personal revenue will be 100% determined by my own actions. If I decide to take Tuesday afternoon off and go fishing, I’ve chosen to lose that afternoon’s revenue. Implicitly, I’ve decided that the enjoyment I get from an afternoon of fishing is greater than the potential revenue. You may think I’m being lazy, but it’s my decision to make. In this situation, the incentive–money–is perfectly aligned with my actions.
Compare this to a typical company/employee relationship. I might have a bank of Paid Time Off (PTO) days, in which case once again my incentives are relatively aligned. I know that I can take off 15 days throughout the year, and I’ve chosen to use half a day for the fishing trip. All is still good.
What about unlimited time off? Suddenly incentives are starting to misalign. I don’t directly pay a price for not showing up to work on Tuesday. Or Wednesday as well, for that matter. I might ultimately be fired for not doing my job, but that will take longer to work its way through the system than simply not making any money for the day taken off.
Compensation overall falls into this misaligned incentive structure. Let’s forget about taking time off. Instead, I work full time on a software project I’m assigned. But instead of using the normal toolchain we’re all used to at work, I play around with a new programming language. I get the fun and joy of playing with new technology, and potentially get to pad my resume a bit when I’m ready to look for a new job. But my current company gets slower results, less productivity, and is forced to subsidize my extracurricular learning.
When a CEO has a bonus structure based on profitability, he’ll do everything he can to make the company profitable. This might include things that actually benefit the company, like improving product quality, reducing internal red tape, or finding cheaper vendors. But it might also include destructive practices, like slashing the R\&D budget to show massive profits this year, in exchange for a catastrophe next year when the next version of the product fails to ship.
Or my favorite example. My parents owned a business when I was growing up. They had a back office where they ran operations like accounting. All of the furniture was old couches from our house. After all, any money they spent on furniture came right out of their paychecks! But in a large corporate environment, each department is generally given a budget for office furniture, a budget which doesn’t roll over year-to-year. The result? Executives make sure to spend the entire budget each year, often buying furniture far more expensive than they would choose if it was their own money.
There are plenty of details you can quibble with above. It’s in a company’s best interest to give people downtime so that they can come back recharged. Having good ergonomic furniture can in fact increase productivity in excess of the money spent on it. But overall, the picture is pretty clear: in large corporate structures, you’re guaranteed to have mismatches between the company’s goals and the incentive structure placed on individuals.
Using our model from above, we can lament how lazy, greedy, and unethical the employees are for doing what they’re incentivized to do instead of what’s right. But that’s simply ignoring the reality of human nature.
Moral hazard
Moral hazard is a situation where one party is incentivized to take on more risk because another party will bear the consequences. Suppose I tell my son when he turns 21 (or whatever legal gambling age is) that I’ll cover all his losses for a day at the casino, but he gets to keep all the winnings.
What do you think he’s going to do? The most logical course of action is to place the largest possible bets for as long as possible, asking me to cover each time he loses, and taking money off the table and into his bank account each time he wins.
But let’s look at a slightly more nuanced example. I go to a bathroom in the mall. As I’m leaving, I wash my hands. It will take me an extra 1 second to turn off the water when I’m done washing. That’s a trivial price to pay. If I don’t turn off the water, the mall will have to pay for many liters of wasted water, benefiting no one. But I won’t suffer any consequences at all.
This is also a moral hazard, but most people will still turn off the water. Why? Usually due to some combination of other reasons such as:
- We’re so habituated to turning off the water that we don’t even consider not turning it off. Put differently, the mental effort needed to not turn off the water is more expensive than the 1 second of time to turn it off.
- Many of us have been brought up with a deep guilt about wasting resources like water. We have an internal incentive structure that makes the 1 second to turn off the water much less costly than the mental anguish of the waste we created.
- We’re afraid we’ll be caught by someone else and face some kind of social repercussions. (Or maybe more than social. Are you sure there isn’t a law against leaving the water tap on?)
Even with all that in place, you may notice that many public bathrooms use automatic water dispensers. Sure, there’s a sanitation reason for that, but it’s also to avoid this moral hazard.
A common denominator in both of these is that the person taking the action that causes the liability (either the gambling or leaving the water on) is not the person who bears the responsibility for that liability (the father or the mall owner). Generally speaking, the closer together the person making the decision and the person incurring the liability are, the smaller the moral hazard.
It’s easy to demonstrate that by extending the casino example a bit. I said it was the father who was covering the losses of the gambler. Many children (though not all) would want to avoid totally bankrupting their parents, or at least financially hurting them. Instead, imagine that someone from the IRS shows up at your door, hands you a credit card, and tells you you can use it at a casino all day, taking home all the chips you want. The money is coming from the government. How many people would put any restriction on how much they spend?
And since we’re talking about the government already…
Government moral hazards
As I was preparing to write this blog post, the California wildfires hit. The discussions around those wildfires gave a huge number of examples of moral hazards. I decided to cherry-pick a few for this post.
The first and most obvious one: California is asking for disaster relief funds from the federal government. That sounds wonderful. These fires were a natural disaster, so why shouldn’t the federal government pitch in and help take care of people?
The problem is, once again, a moral hazard. In the case of the wildfires, California and Los Angeles both had ample actions they could have taken to mitigate the destruction of this fire: better forest management, larger fire department, keeping the water reservoirs filled, and probably much more that hasn’t come to light yet.
If the federal government bails out California, it will be a clear message for the future: your mistakes will be fixed by others. You know what kind of behavior that incentivizes? More risky behavior! Why spend state funds on forest management and extra firefighters—activities that don’t win politicians a lot of votes in general—when you could instead spend it on a football stadium, higher unemployment payments, or anything else, and then let the feds cover the cost of screw-ups.
You may notice that this is virtually identical to the 2008 “too big to fail” bail-outs. Wall Street took insanely risky behavior, reaped huge profits for years, and when they eventually got caught with their pants down, the rest of us bailed them out. “Privatizing profits, socializing losses.”
And here’s the absolute best part of this: I can’t even truly blame either California or Wall Street. (I mean, I do blame them, I think their behavior is reprehensible, but you’ll see what I mean.) In a world where the rules of the game implicitly include the bail-out mentality, you would be harming your citizens/shareholders/investors if you didn’t engage in that risky behavior. Since everyone is on the hook for those socialized losses, your best bet is to maximize those privatized profits.
There’s a lot more to government and moral hazard, but I think these two cases demonstrate the crux pretty solidly. But let’s leave moral hazard behind for a bit and get to general incentivization discussions.
Non-monetary competition
At least 50% of the economics knowledge I have comes from the very first econ course I took in college. That professor was amazing, and had some very colorful stories. I can’t vouch for the veracity of the two I’m about to share, but they definitely drive the point home.
In the 1970s, the US had an oil shortage. To “fix” this problem, they instituted price caps on gasoline, which of course resulted in insufficient gasoline. To “fix” this problem, they instituted policies where, depending on your license plate number, you could only fill up gas on certain days of the week. (Irrelevant detail for our point here, but this just resulted in people filling up their tanks more often, no reduction in gas usage.)
Anyway, my professor’s wife had a friend. My professor described in great detail how attractive this woman was. I’ll skip those details here since this is a PG-rated blog. In any event, she never had any trouble filling up her gas tank any day of the week. She would drive up, be told she couldn’t fill up gas today, bat her eyes at the attendant, explain how helpless she was, and was always allowed to fill up gas.
This is a demonstration of non-monetary compensation. Most of the time in a free market, capitalist economy, people are compensated through money. When price caps come into play, there’s a limit to how much monetary compensation someone can receive. And in that case, people find other ways of competing. Like this woman’s case: through using flirtatious behavior to compensate the gas station workers to let her cheat the rules.
The other example was much more insidious. Santa Monica had a problem: it was predominantly wealthy and white. They wanted to fix this problem, and decided to put in place rent controls. After some time, they discovered that Santa Monica had become wealthier and whiter, the exact opposite of their desired outcome. Why would that happen?
Someone investigated, and ended up interviewing a landlady that demonstrated the reason. She was an older white woman, and admittedly racist. Prior to the rent controls, she would list her apartments in the newspaper, and would be legally obligated to rent to anyone who could afford it. Once rent controls were in place, she took a different tact. She knew that she would only get a certain amount for the apartment, and that the demand for apartments was higher than the supply. That meant she could be picky.
She ended up finding tenants through friends-of-friends. Since it wasn’t an official advertisement, she wasn’t legally required to rent it out if someone could afford to pay. Instead, she got to interview people individually and then make them an offer. Normally, that would have resulted in receiving a lower rental price, but not under rent controls.
So who did she choose? A young, unmarried, wealthy, white woman. It made perfect sense. Women were less intimidating and more likely to maintain the apartment better. Wealthy people, she determined, would be better tenants. (I have no idea if this is true in practice or not, I’m not a landlord myself.) Unmarried, because no kids running around meant less damage to the property. And, of course, white. Because she was racist, and her incentive structure made her prefer whites.
You can deride her for being racist, I won’t disagree with you. But it’s simply the reality. Under the non-rent-control scenario, her profit motive for money outweighed her racism motive. But under rent control, the monetary competition was removed, and she was free to play into her racist tendencies without facing any negative consequences.
Bureaucracy
These were the two examples I remember for that course. But non-monetary compensation pops up in many more places. One highly pertinent example is bureaucracies. Imagine you have a government office, or a large corporation’s acquisition department, or the team that apportions grants at a university. In all these cases, you have a group of people making decisions about handing out money that has no monetary impact on them. If they give to the best qualified recipients, they receive no raises. If they spend the money recklessly on frivolous projects, they face no consequences.
Under such an incentivization scheme, there’s little to encourage the bureaucrats to make intelligent funding decisions. Instead, they’ll be incentivized to spend the money where they recognize non-monetary benefits. This is why it’s so common to hear about expensive meals, gift bags at conferences, and even more inappropriate ways of trying to curry favor with those that hold the purse strings.
Compare that ever so briefly with the purchases made by a small mom-and-pop store like my parents owned. Could my dad take a bribe to buy from a vendor who’s ripping him off? Absolutely he could! But he’d lose more on the deal than he’d make on the bribe, since he’s directly incentivized by the deal itself. It would make much more sense for him to go with the better vendor, save $5,000 on the deal, and then treat himself to a lavish $400 meal to celebrate.
Government incentivized behavior
This post is getting longer in the tooth than I’d intended, so I’ll finish off with this section and make it a bit briefer. Beyond all the methods mentioned above, government has another mechanism for modifying behavior: through directly changing incentives via legislation, regulation, and monetary policy. Let’s see some examples:
- Artificial modification of interest rates encourages people to take on more debt than they would in a free capital market, leading to malinvestment and a consumer debt crisis, and causing the boom-bust cycle we all painfully experience.
- Going along with that, giving tax breaks on interest payments further artificially incentivizes people to take on debt that they wouldn’t otherwise.
- During COVID-19, at some points unemployment benefits were greater than minimum wage, incentivizing people to rather stay home and not work than get a job, leading to reduced overall productivity in the economy and more printed dollars for benefits. In other words, it was a perfect recipe for inflation.
- The tax code gives deductions to “help” people. That might be true, but the real impact is incentivizing people to make decisions they wouldn’t have otherwise. For example, giving out tax deductions on children encourages having more kids. Tax deductions on childcare and preschools incentivizes dual-income households. Whether or not you like the outcomes, it’s clear that it’s government that’s encouraging these outcomes to happen.
- Tax incentives cause people to engage in behavior they wouldn’t otherwise (daycare+working mother, for example).
- Inflation means that the value of your money goes down over time, which encourages people to spend more today, when their money has a larger impact. (Milton Friedman described this as high living.)
Conclusion
The idea here is simple, and fully encapsulated in the title: incentives determine outcomes. If you want to know how to get a certain outcome from others, incentivize them to want that to happen. If you want to understand why people act in seemingly irrational ways, check their incentives. If you’re confused why leaders (and especially politicians) seem to engage in destructive behavior, check their incentives.
We can bemoan these realities all we want, but they are realities. While there are some people who have a solid internal moral and ethical code, and that internal code incentivizes them to behave against their externally-incentivized interests, those people are rare. And frankly, those people are self-defeating. People should take advantage of the incentives around them. Because if they don’t, someone else will.
(If you want a literary example of that last comment, see the horse in Animal Farm.)
How do we improve the world under these conditions? Make sure the incentives align well with the overall goals of society. To me, it’s a simple formula:
- Focus on free trade, value for value, as the basis of a society. In that system, people are always incentivized to provide value to other people.
- Reduce the size of bureaucracies and large groups of all kinds. The larger an organization becomes, the farther the consequences of decisions are from those who make them.
- And since the nature of human beings will be to try and create areas where they can control the incentive systems to their own benefits, make that as difficult as possible. That comes in the form of strict limits on government power, for example.
And even if you don’t want to buy in to this conclusion, I hope the rest of the content was educational, and maybe a bit entertaining!
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@ 3f770d65:7a745b24
2025-01-12 21:03:36I’ve been using Notedeck for several months, starting with its extremely early and experimental alpha versions, all the way to its current, more stable alpha releases. The journey has been fascinating, as I’ve had the privilege of watching it evolve from a concept into a functional and promising tool.
In its earliest stages, Notedeck was raw—offering glimpses of its potential but still far from practical for daily use. Even then, the vision behind it was clear: a platform designed to redefine how we interact with Nostr by offering flexibility and power for all users.
I'm very bullish on Notedeck. Why? Because Will Casarin is making it! Duh! 😂
Seriously though, if we’re reimagining the web and rebuilding portions of the Internet, it’s important to recognize the potential of Notedeck. If Nostr is reimagining the web, then Notedeck is reimagining the Nostr client.
Notedeck isn’t just another Nostr app—it’s more a Nostr browser that functions more like an operating system with micro-apps. How cool is that?
Much like how Google's Chrome evolved from being a web browser with a task manager into ChromeOS, a full blown operating system, Notedeck aims to transform how we interact with the Nostr. It goes beyond individual apps, offering a foundation for a fully integrated ecosystem built around Nostr.
As a Nostr evangelist, I love to scream INTEROPERABILITY and tout every application's integrations. Well, Notedeck has the potential to be one of the best platforms to showcase these integrations in entirely new and exciting ways.
Do you want an Olas feed of images? Add the media column.
Do you want a feed of live video events? Add the zap.stream column.
Do you want Nostr Nests or audio chats? Add that column to your Notedeck.
Git? Email? Books? Chat and DMs? It's all possible.
Not everyone wants a super app though, and that’s okay. As with most things in the Nostr ecosystem, flexibility is key. Notedeck gives users the freedom to choose how they engage with it—whether it’s simply following hashtags or managing straightforward feeds. You'll be able to tailor Notedeck to fit your needs, using it as extensively or minimally as you prefer.
Notedeck is designed with a local-first approach, utilizing Nostr content stored directly on your device via the local nostrdb. This will enable a plethora of advanced tools such as search and filtering, the creation of custom feeds, and the ability to develop personalized algorithms across multiple Notedeck micro-applications—all with unparalleled flexibility.
Notedeck also supports multicast. Let's geek out for a second. Multicast is a method of communication where data is sent from one source to multiple destinations simultaneously, but only to devices that wish to receive the data. Unlike broadcast, which sends data to all devices on a network, multicast targets specific receivers, reducing network traffic. This is commonly used for efficient data distribution in scenarios like streaming, conferencing, or large-scale data synchronization between devices.
In a local first world where each device holds local copies of your nostr nodes, and each device transparently syncs with each other on the local network, each node becomes a backup. Your data becomes antifragile automatically. When a node goes down it can resync and recover from other nodes. Even if not all nodes have a complete collection, negentropy can pull down only what is needed from each device. All this can be done without internet.
-Will Casarin
In the context of Notedeck, multicast would allow multiple devices to sync their Nostr nodes with each other over a local network without needing an internet connection. Wild.
Notedeck aims to offer full customization too, including the ability to design and share custom skins, much like Winamp. Users will also be able to create personalized columns and, in the future, share their setups with others. This opens the door for power users to craft tailored Nostr experiences, leveraging their expertise in the protocol and applications. By sharing these configurations as "Starter Decks," they can simplify onboarding and showcase the best of Nostr’s ecosystem.
Nostr’s “Other Stuff” can often be difficult to discover, use, or understand. Many users doesn't understand or know how to use web browser extensions to login to applications. Let's not even get started with nsecbunkers. Notedeck will address this challenge by providing a native experience that brings these lesser-known applications, tools, and content into a user-friendly and accessible interface, making exploration seamless. However, that doesn't mean Notedeck should disregard power users that want to use nsecbunkers though - hint hint.
For anyone interested in watching Nostr be developed live, right before your very eyes, Notedeck’s progress serves as a reminder of what’s possible when innovation meets dedication. The current alpha is already demonstrating its ability to handle complex use cases, and I’m excited to see how it continues to grow as it moves toward a full release later this year.
-
@ d9e9fb27:d5fe5e1a
2025-01-02 16:31:34Colmar is a well known city in the region of Alsace, France. Its characteristic buildings, the narrow streets and the small river flowing through are worldwide famous.
However, it is during Christmas that the city gets the most attention. Thousands of people from all over Europe decide to spend one of the Advent weekends to wander around this beautiful city and hundreds of little wooden huts.
In fact, this town becomes a small Christmas village, with decorations and lights on every building and the famous Christmas market covering every possible inch of it.
Walking around this city really makes you feel the Christmas Spirit!
Of course, it can get really cold during this time of the year. That is why Alsatians wander around drinking the Vin Chaud (literally "Hot Wine"). This beverage is prepared by mixing sugar, various spices, such as cinnamon and cloves, and red wine. They are served in a plastic glass, which can be reused multpiple time or returned for a couple of Euros. However, every year the glass is designed differently, so many people keep it with them as a collectible!
Here is 2024 version:
This is the first time I try to do a photography reportage of the places I visit. I really hope you enjoyed it!Let me know what you think, every feedback is appreciated.
I will try to create more of them during my trips, so stay tuned!
Tuma
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@ 119356ac:740a8b90
2025-05-14 22:57:44► AI Chatbots
- Note - It's never a good idea to upload personal / confidential files or info to any cloud AI, as many train on your questions and code. If you want privacy, its best to run bots yourself locally, and remember to use throwaway emails or aliasing if signing up for bots.
▷ Online Chatbots
- 🌐 Free LLM API Resources or Awesome Free ChatGPT - Online LLM Indexes
- ⭐ AI Studio or Gemini - Gemini-2.5-pro-preview-05-06 / Flash Preview / Subreddit / Discord
- ⭐ ChatGPT - GPT-4o / o4-mini (medium) Chatbot / /r/OpenAI / Subreddit / Discord
- ⭐ Qwen - Alibaba's Chatbots / Qwen3-235B-A22B / Qwen3-32B
- ⭐ DeepSeek - R1 + DeepSeek-V3-0324 / Unlimited / Subreddit / GitHub
- ⭐ Grok - X.com Chatbot / Grok 2 (30 Hourly) / Grok 3 (12 Per Two Hours) / Subreddit / Discord
- ⭐ Microsoft Copilot - GPT-4o / OpenAI o3-Mini-High / No Sign-Up
- ⭐ Chatbot Arena - Multiple Chatbots / No Sign-Up / Discord / GitHub
- ⭐ Mistral - Mistral Large 2411 / Discord
- ⭐ HuggingChat - DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-32B / Qwen QwQ-32B / Qwen3-235B-A22B / Multiple Open-Source Chatbots / GitHub
- Claude - Claude 3.7 Sonnet / Phone # Required / Usage Tracker / Subreddit / Discord
- DuckDuckGo AI - Multiple Chatbots / o3-Mini / No Sign-Up
- ChatK or lobe.wr.do / Discord / GitHub - GPT-4o / DeepSeek-R1-32b / Multiple Chatbots
- AI Assistant - Deepseek-R1 / Qwen QwQ-32B / Multiple Chatbots / No Sign-Up
- AI SDK - Multiple Chatbots / GitHub
- GizAI - Multiple Chatbots
- FreePass or OI - Multiple Chatbots
- SciSpace (No Sign-Up), Scinito or Elicit / GitHub - Research Paper Chatbots
- Learn About - Google's Educational Search AI
- HelixMind - Multiple Chatbots / Discord
- Infermatic - Multiple Chatbots / Discord
- Electron Hub - Deepseek-R1 / o3-Mini-High / Multiple Chatbots / Discord
- NexusAI - GPT-4o / Deepseek-R1 / o3-Mini-High / 300 Daily Discord
- NVIDIA NIM - Deepseek-R1 / Multiple Chatbots / No Sign-Up
- OIChat - Gemini-2.5-Pro-Exp-03-25 / DeepSeek R1 / Qwen QwQ-32B / DeepSeek-V3-0324 / Multiple Chatbots
- Kimi - Kimi 1.5 Chatbot
- Groq - Qwen QwQ-32B / Deepseek-R1-Distill / Multiple Chatbots / Discord
- SambaNova - Deepseek-R1 / Qwen QwQ-32B / DeepSeek-V3-0324 / Multiple Chatbots / Enter Fake Info
- Lambda Chat - Deepseek-R1 / Multiple Chatbots / Unlimited / No Sign-Up
- Maisa - Vinci KPU Chatbot
- Meta AI - Llama 4 Chatbot
- Baidu Chat - Baidu's Chatbot / Phone # Required
- MiniMax AI - Deepseek-R1 / MiniMax-Text-01 Chatbot w/ Large Token Context Window / GitHub
- Pi - Inflection AI's Chatbot
- Reka - Reka's Chatbot / Discord
- Poe - Multiple Chatbots / 150 Daily / Phone # Required / Discord
- PrivateGPT / Discord / GitHub, NotebookLM, Onyx / Discord / GitHub or DocsGPT / Discord / GitHub - Document Chatbots / Note-Taking
▷ AI Search Engines
- 🌐 Awesome AI Web Search - AI Search Engine Index
- ⭐ Scira - Claude Sonnet 3.7 / Grok 3 / Mistral Small 3.1 / Optimus Alpha / AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up / GitHub
- ⭐ Perplexity - AI Search Engine / Enhancements / Open Source Models / Discord
- ⭐ WolframAlpha - Searchable Knowledge Base / No Sign-Up / Mobile
- ⭐ You - AI Search Engine / Sign-Up Required / Discord / GitHub
- Hyperspace - P2P AI Network / No Sign-Up / Web App, 2 / GitHub
- Phind - Llama Search Engine / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Morphic - GPT-4o-mini AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Komo - AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up
- Jina - AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up
- Felo - AI Search Engine / AI Agents / No Sign-Up
- searc.ai - AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up
- RabbitHoles - Mind Map Style Search / Discord / GitHub
- Isou.chat - Deepseek-R1-Distill / Qwen 2.5 AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up / GitHub
- Hika - Deepseek-R1 AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Khoj - Gemini-2.0-Flash AI Search Engine / AI Agents / Sign-Up Required / Discord / GitHub
- AyeSoul - AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up
- Venice - LLama 3 AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up
- uncovr - GPT-4o-mini / Gemini-2.0-Flash AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Exa - AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Lepton Search - AI Search Engine / No Sign-Up / GitHub
- Perplexica - AI Search Engine / Self-Hosted / Discord
▷ Self-Hosting Tools
- ⭐ Jan - Self-Hosted / Discord / GitHub
- ⭐ SillyTavern - Self-Hosted Interface / Discord / Subreddit / GitHub
- ⭐ Open WebUI - Self-Hosted Interface / Discord / GitHub
- ⭐ llama.cpp - Self-Hosted Transformer-Based LLMs / Guide
- ⭐ KoboldCpp - llama.cpp with API + GUI / ROCm / Colab
- ⭐ Pinokio - Single Click AI Model Installer / Discord / GitHub
- ⭐ oobabooga - Self-Host Models / Colab / Subreddit / Discord
- ⭐ Aphrodite Engine - Serve LLMs at Scale with Kobold & OpenAI APIs / Colab / GitHub
- Petals - Self-Hosted / Discord / GitHub
- Leon - Self-Hosted / Discord / GitHub
- Ollama - Self-Hosted / Discord / GitHub
- tgpt - Self-Hosted
- LoLLMs Web UI - Self-Hosted / Discord
- LM Studio - Self-Hosted / Discord / GitHub
- AnythingLLM - Self-Hosted
- LibreChat - Self-Hosted / Discord / GitHub
- GPT4All - Self-Hosted / GitHub / Discord
- llamafile - Run LLM with Single Files / Discord
▷ Roleplaying Chatbots
- 🌐 Sukino-Findings - AI Roleplay Resources
- 🌐 BestERP - Roleplaying LLM Lists
- ⭐ PygmalionAI - Self-Hosted Roleplaying Models / Resources / Discord / Subreddit / GitHub
- ⭐ Character.AI - Roleplaying Chatbots / Extract / Discord / Subreddit
- ⭐ FlowGPT - Roleplaying Chatbots / Some NSFW / Discord
- ⭐ Bot Creation Guide - Character Creation Guide
- ⭐ Chub - Character Cards / Some NSFW / Discord / Subreddit / GitHub
- Llama + SillyTavern - Llama + SillyTavern Roleplaying Setup Guide / No Sign-Up
- KoboldAI - GUI for Roleplaying Chatbots / No Sign-Up / Discord / GitHub
- 4thWall AI - Roleplaying Chatbots / Discord / Subreddit
- WyvernChat - Roleplaying Chatbots
- JanitorAI - Roleplaying Chatbots / Some NSFW
- FictionLab - Roleplaying / Story Chatbot / Discord
- TavernAI - Roleplaying / Story Chatbot / Colab / Discord / GitHub
- AI Dungeon - Roleplaying / Story Chatbot / No Sign-Up / Subreddit / Discord
- Spellbound - Roleplaying / Story Chatbot / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Kajiwoto, Miku (No Sign-Up) / Discord or Agnai / Discord - Chatbot Builders
- Crossing the Uncanny Valley - Realistic AI Voice Chat
- HammerAI - Self-Hosted Roleplaying Chatbots
▷ Coding AIs
- 🌐 EvalPlus Leaderboard / GitHub, WebDev Arena, Aider LLM Leaderboards or Big Code Models Leaderboard - Coding AI Leaderboards
- 🌐 Awesome AI Agents - Coding / Programming AIs / Discord
- ⭐ Windsurf - Coding AI / Subreddit / Discord
- ⭐ Pieces - Multi-LLM Coding AI / GPT-4 / 4o for Free / No Sign-Up / Discord
- WDTCD? - Simple Code Explanations / No Sign-Up
- Sourcery - Auto-Pull Request Reviews / GitHub
- Devv - Coding Search Engine / GitHub
- Telosys - Code Generator / No Sign-Up / Source Code
- Llama Coder - Code Generator / No Sign-Up / GitHub
- imgcook - Coding AI / No Sign-Up / GitHub
- Supermaven - Coding AI / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Cody - Coding AI / Discord / GitHub
- OpenHands - Coding AI / Discord / GitHub
- Continue - Coding AI / Discord / GitHub
- GitHub Copilot - Coding AI
- Trae - Coding AI
- Cline - Coding AI / Discord
- Cursor - Coding AI
- GitWit - Coding AI
- Qodo - Coding AI
- Blackbox - Coding AI / No Sign-Up
- Denigma - Coding AI / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Aider - Terminal Coding AI / Discord / GitHub
- Codacy - Code Fixing AI / GitHub
- Open Interpreter - Run Code Locally / No Sign-Up / Discord
- v0 - Text to Site Code / Discord
- DeepSite - Text to Site Code
- Bolt.new - Web App Builder / Discord / GitHub
- Fragments - App Builder / Discord / GitHub
- Composio - Add Tools to Coding AI / Discord / GitHub
► AI Tools
- 🌐 sindresorhus's Awesome ChatGPT or Awesome ChatGPT - AI Resources
- 🌐 Every ChatGPT GUI - ChatGPT GUI Index
- ↪️ AI API Tools
- tldraw computer - Create Component Workflows to Generate or Transform Data / Discord / GitHub
- ChatGPT Box or KeepChatGPT - Extensions
- LLM - LLM CLI / Discord / GitHub
- GPT4Free - Desktop App / Telegram
- Msty - Desktop App / Discord
- LobeChat - Desktop App / Discord / GitHub
- Noi - Desktop App / Discord / GitHub
- Chatbot UI - Desktop App / GitHub
- ChatRTX - Desktop App / RTX 30+ Series GPU Only
- ChatPDF (No Sign-Up) or AskYourPDF - Turn Books / PDFs into Chatbots
- ChatGPT DeMod - Block ChatGPT Moderation Checks
- ParallelGPT - Data Processing AI / Discord
- Concierge - Connect Apps to AI
- MassiveMark - Convert LLM Chats to DOCX / Discord
- ChatGPT Widescreen - ChatGPT Widescreen / Fullscreen / GitHub
- Voice Control - ChatGPT Voice Control
- screenpipe - AI Screen Recorder / No Sign-Up / Discord / GitHub
- ChatGPT Exporter - Export Chats / GitHub
- GPThemes - ChatGPT Themes
- LLM Model VRAM Calculator - LLM Requirement Calculators
- AI Piracy Resources - AI Piracy Guide / Resources
▷ AI Prompts
- Note - Bypassing chatbot safeguards (aka jailbreaking) is against the TOS of most AI, so use them at your own risk.
- 🌐 Jailbreak Listings - Prompt / Jailbreak Lists
- ⭐ BlackFriday GPTs Prompts - Prompt Directory
- ⭐ Leaked Prompts - Prompt Directory
- ⭐ Prompt Engineering Guide / Discord / GitHub, Google Whitepaper, Prompt_Engineering, LearnPrompting, OpenAI Guide or Claude Guide - Prompting Guides
- /r/ChatGPTJailbreak - AI Jailbreak Community
- ChatGPT System Prompt - Prompt Directory
- The Big Prompt Library - Prompt Directory
- ChatGPT & Bing AI Prompts - Prompt Directory
- L1B3RT4S - Jailbreak Prompts / Discord / X
- promptfoo - Prompt Playgrounds / Discord / GitHub
- Tensor Trust / GitHub or Gandalf / GitHub - Prompting Skill Games
- RedTeam Arena - AI Jailbreak Game
- Gobble Bot - Generate Text Files for Chatbots
► AI Indexes
- 🌐 LifeArchitect - LLM Index
- 🌐 FutureTools - AI Directory / Discord
- 🌐 Google Labs or Google Labs FX - Google AI Experiments / Subreddit / Discord
- Perchance / Discord or WebSim / Subreddit / Discord - Simple AI Builders
- YP for AI - AI Directory
- LLM Resources Hub - AI Directory
- Awesome AI Tools - AI Directory
- It's Better With AI - AI Directory
- GPT Demo - AI Directory
- ArtificialStudio - Multi-Tool Browser AIs / Discord
- LLM Pricing - LLM Pricing Index
- Model Releases - Upcoming Model Releases
▷ AI Benchmarks
- ⭐ Artificial Analysis - Chatbot Benchmarks
- ⭐ Chatbot Arena - Chatbot Leaderboards / Benchmarks / Discord / GitHub
- ⭐ LiveBench - Chatbot Leaderboards / Benchmarks / GitHub
- SEAL LLM Leaderboards - Chatbot Leaderboards
- WildBench - Chatbot Benchmarks / GitHub
- Wolfram LLM Benchmarking Project - Chatbot Leaderboards / Benchmarks
- ZeroEval - Chatbot Leaderboard / GitHub
- LLM Stats - Chatbot Leaderboard
- OpenLM Arena - Chatbot Leaderboard
- The Fastest AI - Chatbot Latency Speeds / GitHub
- OpenRouter - Chatbot Popularity Rankings / Discord / GitHub
- Open VLM Leaderboard - VLM Benchmark Leaderboard Aggregator
- MathArena - AI Mathematics Competitions / Benchmarks
- AI Elo - AI Game Competitions / Benchmarks
► Text Generators
- ⭐ TextFX / GitHub or Rytr - AI Creative Writing Tools / No Sign-Up
- Scrip AI (No Sign-Up), INK, QuickPen AI - Online AI Text Tools
- NovelAI - Story Writing AI / No Sign-Up / Limit Bypass, 2 / Discord
- Dreamily - Story Writing AI
- PerchanceStory - Story Writing AI
- Quarkle - AI Writing Assistant
▷ Text Rephrasing
▷ Grammar Check
► Video Generation
- 🌐 VBench - Video Generation Model Leaderboard
- ⭐ PixVerse - 1 Daily / Discord
- AI Studio / Subreddit / Discord
- Synthesis Colab - Unlimited / Colab / Discord
- Stable Video
- Vidu - 6 Monthly / Discord
- Genmo - 30 Monthly / GitHub
- Stable Diffusion Videos - Unlimited / Colab
- Wan AI / 10 Daily
- Dream Machine - 5 per Account / Discord
- LensGo - 5 Daily / Discord
- Kling AI - 8 Monthly / Discord
- Pika - 5 Monthly / Discord
- Dreamina - 150 Monthly
- Qwen - 10 Daily
- Krea - 2 Daily / Discord
- Hailuo Free - Unlimited
- Hailuo AI - 3 Daily / Discord
- Fusion Brain - Unlimited
- Vivago - 1 Daily
- ChatGLM - Unlimited / Requires Sign-Up & Phone # / SMS Generators Work
- Eggnog - AI Character Video Remixer + Editor
► Image Generation
- ⭐ NexusAI Image / 300 Daily Per Model / Discord
- ⭐ Mage / Discord
- ⭐ ImageFX or Gemini - Imagen 3 / Unlimited / Region Based / Discord
- ⭐ ComfyUI Online / Unlimited
- ⭐ Grok / 25 Per 2 Hours / Subreddit / Discord
- FLUX.1 Dev / No Sign-Up
- Dezgo / Unlimited / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Fusion Brain, 2 / Unlimited / Telegram Bot
- Microsoft Designer, 2 / Unlimited
- Kling AI / 366 Monthly / Characters / Portraits / Discord
- AI Gallery / Unlimited / No Sign-Up
- Wan AI / 100 Daily / No Sign-Up
- PicLumen / 50 Daily / Discord
- Recraft / 50 Daily / Discord
- imgsys / Unlimited / Compare Generators / No Sign-Up
- NVIDIA NIM / 50 Daily / No Sign-Up
- Hotpot / 75 Daily / No Sign-Up
- Prodia / Unlimited / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Pollinations / Unlimited / No Sign-Up / Discord / GitHub
- PicSynth / Unlimited
- Leonardo / 150 Daily
- Loras / Unlimited / GitHub
- ChatGLM / Unlimited
- Meta AI / Unlimited
- Playground / 15 Per 3 Hours
- TensorArt / 40 Daily / Subreddit / Discord
- Shakker / 50 Daily / Discord / Guide
- Stable Diffusion / Unlimited / GitHub / Discord
- Unstable Diffusion / 52 Daily
- SeaArt / 40 Daily / Discord
- Art Genie / Unlimited / No Sign-Up
- Raphael / Unlimited / No Sign-Up / Uses Flux.1
- CGDream / 770 SDXL / 450 Fast FLUX / 150 FLUX Dev Monthly
- Hailuo AI - 100 Daily / Discord
- PixNova AI / Unlimited
- ChatK / Unlimited
- Reve Image / 20 Daily
- Baidu Chat / Phone # Required
- ImageLabs / Unlimited / No Sign-Up
- Qwen / Unlimited
- AIGazou / Unlimited
- Dreamina / 50 Daily
- Perchance, 2 / Unlimited / No Sign-Up
- getimg.ai / 100 Monthly / Discord
- Adobe Firefly / 25 Monthly / Discord
- Aitubo / 25 Daily / Discord
- Poe / 2-15 Daily / Phone # Required / Discord
- Maze Guru / 12 Daily / Discord
- DALL·E - 6 Daily / ChatGPTs Image Generator
- PixAI / 5 Daily / Discord
- FluxPro / 1 Daily / Discord
- Glif / 20 Daily / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Vivago / 15 Daily / No Sign-Up
- Krea / 10 Daily / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Whisk - Use Images as Prompts
- Artoons - Cartoon Style Generator / GitHub
- Genie / Discord, Shap-e, Stable Dreamfusion or threestudio / Colab / Discord - 3D Image Generators
- Interactive Scenes - Generate Interactive Scenes / Discord
- Illusion Diffusion - Illusion Artwork Generator
▷ Local Frontends
- ⭐ Stability Matrix / Discord / GitHub
- ⭐ Invoke / GitHub / Discord
- ⭐ ComfyUI / Subreddit / Discord / GitHub
- ⭐ Fooocus, 2 / Colab
- ⭐ Mochi Diffusion - Stable Diffusion for Mac / Discord
- ⭐ DiffusionBee - Stable Diffusion for Mac / GitHub / Discord
- ⭐ Automatic1111 / Fork, 2 / Colab / Photoshop / Templates / Upscaling, 2
- StableStudio
- Easy Diffusion / Discord / GitHub
- Makeayo / Discord
- biniou
- Sygil WebUI / Colab / Discord / GitHub
- Radiata / GitHub
- SD WebUI Forge
- ComfyUI-Zluda
▷ Guides / Tools
- 🌐 Paper2GUI, sdg-link, LocalModelsLinks, SDTools or AI Creation Tools - AI Image Resources
- 🌐 Civitai - SD Model Index / Subreddit / Discord / GitHub
- 🌐 promptoMANIA - Prompt Indexes
- ⭐ A Traveler's Guide to the Latent Space - AI Art Guide
- ⭐ CLIP Interrogator / 2 - Determine Likely Used Image Prompts / Colab, 2
- SD Dynamic Prompts - Extension for Automatic1111
- AI Horde - Distributed Network of GPUs running Stable Diffusion / Interface, 2, 3 / Discord / GitHub
- IOPaint - Image Fill / Item Removal / Colab / GitHub
- Unstable Diffusion - AI Image Community
- Generative AI for Beginners - Generative AI Guides
▷ Image Restoration
► Audio Generation
- ⭐ Riffusion / Discord
- ⭐ Suno / Guide / Discord
- MusicFX / Region Based
- WolframTones / No Sign-Up
- Stable Audio / Discord
- Udio / Discord
- audio visual generator / No Sign-Up
- Fake Music Generator / No Sign-Up
- MusicGen / No Sign-Up / Colab / GitHub
- Sonauto / Discord
- Beatoven.ai / Discord
- Waveformer / GitHub
- SOUNDRAW / No Sign-Up
- Mubert
- AIVA / Discord
- Boomy / Discord
- Melobytes
- AI Jukebox / No Sign-Up
- Eapy - MIDI Sample Generator
- Pack Generator - Sample Pack Generator
- MMAudio - Generate Audio for Silent Videos / Demo / Colab / GitHub
- Drumloop AI - Drum Loop Generator
- WOMBO - AI Powered Lip Sync
▷ Text to Speech
- ⭐ TTS Online / No Sign-Up
- Uberduck / Discord
- Google Illuminate - Generate AI Conversations
- ElevenLabs / No Sign-Up / Discord / GitHub
- ttsMP3 / No Sign-Up
- FakeYou / No Sign-Up / Discord
- Luvvoice / No Sign-Up
- TTSMaker / No Sign-Up
- Tortoise TTS / No Sign-Up
- Bark / No Sign-Up / Colab / GitHub / Discord
- TTSOpenAI or OpenAI.fm / No Sign-Up / OpenAI's Bot
- AI Speaker / No Sign-Up
- edge-tts / No Sign-Up / Python Module
- IndexTTS / No Sign-Up
- Voices
- TextToSpeech.io
- LazyPy / No Sign-Up / GitHub
- Kokoro TTS / No Sign-Up / Source code / Discord / GitHub
- Ondoku / No Sign-Up
- AnyVoiceLab / No Sign-Up
- VoiceCraft / Colab
- EmotiVoice
- Fish Audio / Discord / GitHub
- Audio-WebUI / No Sign-Up / Colab / Discord
- VanillaVoice / No Sign-Up
- TTSFree / No Sign-Up
- LOVO / Discord
- SoundofText / No Sign-Up
- FreeTTS
- Hume / No Sign-Up
- Voicemaker / No Sign-Up
- NaturalReaders / No Sign-Up
- TTS / Discord
- Clash
- Moe TTS / No Sign-Up / Colab
▷ Voice Change / Clone
- ⭐ Applio - Voice Cloning / No Sign-Up / Discord / GitHub
- ⭐ Weights / Subreddit / Discord or Voice Models / Discord - AI Voice Models and Guides
- ⭐ RVC V2 - RVC V2 Voice Cloning (Locally) / Colab / Discord
- ⭐ Voice Changer - Real-Time Voice Changer (W-Okada) / Guide / Colab
- ⭐ Ilaria RVC - RVC V2 Voice Cloning (Cloud/Colab) / No Sign-Up
- Replay - RVC Desktop App / Discord
- Bark Voice Cloning - Voice Cloning / No Sign-Up / Colab / GitHub
- RVC Inference HF - Voice Cloning / No Sign-Up
- AnyVoiceLab - Voice Cloning / No Sign-Up
- AllVoiceLab - Voice Cloning
- Zyphra - Voice Cloning / GitHub
▷ Voice Removal / Separation
- 🌐 MultiSong Leaderboard - Music & Voice Separation AI Leaderboards
- ⭐ UVR5 UI
- ⭐ MVSEP / Decrease Queue Time
- Splitter / Sign-Up Required
- MDX23
- Music-Source-Separation
- VocalRemover
- Ultimate Vocal Remover
- Remove Vocals / 2
- vocali
- mazmazika
- Vocal Remover
- ezstems
► Machine Learning
-
@ 3f770d65:7a745b24
2024-12-31 17:03:46Here are my predictions for Nostr in 2025:
Decentralization: The outbox and inbox communication models, sometimes referred to as the Gossip model, will become the standard across the ecosystem. By the end of 2025, all major clients will support these models, providing seamless communication and enhanced decentralization. Clients that do not adopt outbox/inbox by then will be regarded as outdated or legacy systems.
Privacy Standards: Major clients such as Damus and Primal will move away from NIP-04 DMs, adopting more secure protocol possibilities like NIP-17 or NIP-104. These upgrades will ensure enhanced encryption and metadata protection. Additionally, NIP-104 MLS tools will drive the development of new clients and features, providing users with unprecedented control over the privacy of their communications.
Interoperability: Nostr's ecosystem will become even more interconnected. Platforms like the Olas image-sharing service will expand into prominent clients such as Primal, Damus, Coracle, and Snort, alongside existing integrations with Amethyst, Nostur, and Nostrudel. Similarly, audio and video tools like Nostr Nests and Zap.stream will gain seamless integration into major clients, enabling easy participation in live events across the ecosystem.
Adoption and Migration: Inspired by early pioneers like Fountain and Orange Pill App, more platforms will adopt Nostr for authentication, login, and social systems. In 2025, a significant migration from a high-profile application platform with hundreds of thousands of users will transpire, doubling Nostr’s daily activity and establishing it as a cornerstone of decentralized technologies.
-
@ a367f9eb:0633efea
2024-12-22 21:35:22I’ll admit that I was wrong about Bitcoin. Perhaps in 2013. Definitely 2017. Probably in 2018-2019. And maybe even today.
Being wrong about Bitcoin is part of finally understanding it. It will test you, make you question everything, and in the words of BTC educator and privacy advocate Matt Odell, “Bitcoin will humble you”.
I’ve had my own stumbles on the way.
In a very public fashion in 2017, after years of using Bitcoin, trying to start a company with it, using it as my primary exchange vehicle between currencies, and generally being annoying about it at parties, I let out the bear.
In an article published in my own literary magazine Devolution Review in September 2017, I had a breaking point. The article was titled “Going Bearish on Bitcoin: Cryptocurrencies are the tulip mania of the 21st century”.
It was later republished in Huffington Post and across dozens of financial and crypto blogs at the time with another, more appropriate title: “Bitcoin Has Become About The Payday, Not Its Potential”.
As I laid out, my newfound bearishness had little to do with the technology itself or the promise of Bitcoin, and more to do with the cynical industry forming around it:
In the beginning, Bitcoin was something of a revolution to me. The digital currency represented everything from my rebellious youth.
It was a decentralized, denationalized, and digital currency operating outside the traditional banking and governmental system. It used tools of cryptography and connected buyers and sellers across national borders at minimal transaction costs.
…
The 21st-century version (of Tulip mania) has welcomed a plethora of slick consultants, hazy schemes dressed up as investor possibilities, and too much wishy-washy language for anything to really make sense to anyone who wants to use a digital currency to make purchases.
While I called out Bitcoin by name at the time, on reflection, I was really talking about the ICO craze, the wishy-washy consultants, and the altcoin ponzis.
What I was articulating — without knowing it — was the frame of NgU, or “numbers go up”. Rather than advocating for Bitcoin because of its uncensorability, proof-of-work, or immutability, the common mentality among newbies and the dollar-obsessed was that Bitcoin mattered because its price was a rocket ship.
And because Bitcoin was gaining in price, affinity tokens and projects that were imperfect forks of Bitcoin took off as well.
The price alone — rather than its qualities — were the reasons why you’d hear Uber drivers, finance bros, or your gym buddy mention Bitcoin. As someone who came to Bitcoin for philosophical reasons, that just sat wrong with me.
Maybe I had too many projects thrown in my face, or maybe I was too frustrated with the UX of Bitcoin apps and sites at the time. No matter what, I’ve since learned something.
I was at least somewhat wrong.
My own journey began in early 2011. One of my favorite radio programs, Free Talk Live, began interviewing guests and having discussions on the potential of Bitcoin. They tied it directly to a libertarian vision of the world: free markets, free people, and free banking. That was me, and I was in. Bitcoin was at about $5 back then (NgU).
I followed every article I could, talked about it with guests on my college radio show, and became a devoted redditor on r/Bitcoin. At that time, at least to my knowledge, there was no possible way to buy Bitcoin where I was living. Very weak.
I was probably wrong. And very wrong for not trying to acquire by mining or otherwise.
The next year, after moving to Florida, Bitcoin was a heavy topic with a friend of mine who shared the same vision (and still does, according to the Celsius bankruptcy documents). We talked about it with passionate leftists at Occupy Tampa in 2012, all the while trying to explain the ills of Keynesian central banking, and figuring out how to use Coinbase.
I began writing more about Bitcoin in 2013, writing a guide on “How to Avoid Bank Fees Using Bitcoin,” discussing its potential legalization in Germany, and interviewing Jeremy Hansen, one of the first political candidates in the U.S. to accept Bitcoin donations.
Even up until that point, I thought Bitcoin was an interesting protocol for sending and receiving money quickly, and converting it into fiat. The global connectedness of it, plus this cypherpunk mentality divorced from government control was both useful and attractive. I thought it was the perfect go-between.
But I was wrong.
When I gave my first public speech on Bitcoin in Vienna, Austria in December 2013, I had grown obsessed with Bitcoin’s adoption on dark net markets like Silk Road.
My theory, at the time, was the number and price were irrelevant. The tech was interesting, and a novel attempt. It was unlike anything before. But what was happening on the dark net markets, which I viewed as the true free market powered by Bitcoin, was even more interesting. I thought these markets would grow exponentially and anonymous commerce via BTC would become the norm.
While the price was irrelevant, it was all about buying and selling goods without permission or license.
Now I understand I was wrong.
Just because Bitcoin was this revolutionary technology that embraced pseudonymity did not mean that all commerce would decentralize as well. It did not mean that anonymous markets were intended to be the most powerful layer in the Bitcoin stack.
What I did not even anticipate is something articulated very well by noted Bitcoin OG Pierre Rochard: Bitcoin as a savings technology.
The ability to maintain long-term savings, practice self-discipline while stacking stats, and embrace a low-time preference was just not something on the mind of the Bitcoiners I knew at the time.
Perhaps I was reading into the hype while outwardly opposing it. Or perhaps I wasn’t humble enough to understand the true value proposition that many of us have learned years later.
In the years that followed, I bought and sold more times than I can count, and I did everything to integrate it into passion projects. I tried to set up a company using Bitcoin while at my university in Prague.
My business model depended on university students being technologically advanced enough to have a mobile wallet, own their keys, and be able to make transactions on a consistent basis. Even though I was surrounded by philosophically aligned people, those who would advance that to actually put Bitcoin into practice were sparse.
This is what led me to proclaim that “Technological Literacy is Doomed” in 2016.
And I was wrong again.
Indeed, since that time, the UX of Bitcoin-only applications, wallets, and supporting tech has vastly improved and onboarded millions more people than anyone thought possible. The entrepreneurship, coding excellence, and vision offered by Bitcoiners of all stripes have renewed a sense in me that this project is something built for us all — friends and enemies alike.
While many of us were likely distracted by flashy and pumpy altcoins over the years (me too, champs), most of us have returned to the Bitcoin stable.
Fast forward to today, there are entire ecosystems of creators, activists, and developers who are wholly reliant on the magic of Bitcoin’s protocol for their life and livelihood. The options are endless. The FUD is still present, but real proof of work stands powerfully against those forces.
In addition, there are now dozens of ways to use Bitcoin privately — still without custodians or intermediaries — that make it one of the most important assets for global humanity, especially in dictatorships.
This is all toward a positive arc of innovation, freedom, and pure independence. Did I see that coming? Absolutely not.
Of course, there are probably other shots you’ve missed on Bitcoin. Price predictions (ouch), the short-term inflation hedge, or the amount of institutional investment. While all of these may be erroneous predictions in the short term, we have to realize that Bitcoin is a long arc. It will outlive all of us on the planet, and it will continue in its present form for the next generation.
Being wrong about the evolution of Bitcoin is no fault, and is indeed part of the learning curve to finally understanding it all.
When your family or friends ask you about Bitcoin after your endless sessions explaining market dynamics, nodes, how mining works, and the genius of cryptographic signatures, try to accept that there is still so much we have to learn about this decentralized digital cash.
There are still some things you’ve gotten wrong about Bitcoin, and plenty more you’ll underestimate or get wrong in the future. That’s what makes it a beautiful journey. It’s a long road, but one that remains worth it.
-
@ 6389be64:ef439d32
2024-12-09 23:50:41Resilience is the ability to withstand shocks, adapt, and bounce back. It’s an essential quality in nature and in life. But what if we could take resilience a step further? What if, instead of merely surviving, a system could improve when faced with stress? This concept, known as anti-fragility, is not just theoretical—it’s practical. Combining two highly resilient natural tools, comfrey and biochar, reveals how we can create systems that thrive under pressure and grow stronger with each challenge.
Comfrey: Nature’s Champion of Resilience
Comfrey is a plant that refuses to fail. Once its deep roots take hold, it thrives in poor soils, withstands drought, and regenerates even after being cut down repeatedly. It’s a hardy survivor, but comfrey doesn’t just endure—it contributes. Known as a dynamic accumulator, it mines nutrients from deep within the earth and brings them to the surface, making them available for other plants.
Beyond its ecological role, comfrey has centuries of medicinal use, earning the nickname "knitbone." Its leaves can heal wounds and restore health, a perfect metaphor for resilience. But as impressive as comfrey is, its true potential is unlocked when paired with another resilient force: biochar.
Biochar: The Silent Powerhouse of Soil Regeneration
Biochar, a carbon-rich material made by burning organic matter in low-oxygen conditions, is a game-changer for soil health. Its unique porous structure retains water, holds nutrients, and provides a haven for beneficial microbes. Soil enriched with biochar becomes drought-resistant, nutrient-rich, and biologically active—qualities that scream resilience.
Historically, ancient civilizations in the Amazon used biochar to transform barren soils into fertile agricultural hubs. Known as terra preta, these soils remain productive centuries later, highlighting biochar’s remarkable staying power.
Yet, like comfrey, biochar’s potential is magnified when it’s part of a larger system.
The Synergy: Comfrey and Biochar Together
Resilience turns into anti-fragility when systems go beyond mere survival and start improving under stress. Combining comfrey and biochar achieves exactly that.
-
Nutrient Cycling and Retention\ Comfrey’s leaves, rich in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, make an excellent mulch when cut and dropped onto the soil. However, these nutrients can wash away in heavy rains. Enter biochar. Its porous structure locks in the nutrients from comfrey, preventing runoff and keeping them available for plants. Together, they create a system that not only recycles nutrients but amplifies their effectiveness.
-
Water Management\ Biochar holds onto water making soil not just drought-resistant but actively water-efficient, improving over time with each rain and dry spell.
-
Microbial Ecosystems\ Comfrey enriches soil with organic matter, feeding microbial life. Biochar provides a home for these microbes, protecting them and creating a stable environment for them to multiply. Together, they build a thriving soil ecosystem that becomes more fertile and resilient with each passing season.
Resilient systems can withstand shocks, but anti-fragile systems actively use those shocks to grow stronger. Comfrey and biochar together form an anti-fragile system. Each addition of biochar enhances water and nutrient retention, while comfrey regenerates biomass and enriches the soil. Over time, the system becomes more productive, less dependent on external inputs, and better equipped to handle challenges.
This synergy demonstrates the power of designing systems that don’t just survive—they thrive.
Lessons Beyond the Soil
The partnership of comfrey and biochar offers a valuable lesson for our own lives. Resilience is an admirable trait, but anti-fragility takes us further. By combining complementary strengths and leveraging stress as an opportunity, we can create systems—whether in soil, business, or society—that improve under pressure.
Nature shows us that resilience isn’t the end goal. When we pair resilient tools like comfrey and biochar, we unlock a system that evolves, regenerates, and becomes anti-fragile. By designing with anti-fragility in mind, we don’t just bounce back, we bounce forward.
By designing with anti-fragility in mind, we don’t just bounce back, we bounce forward.
-
-
@ 592295cf:413a0db9
2024-12-07 07:21:39Week 02-11
- Nsite zap by hzrd149 Support page
Content creator want more users. They can go to Bluesky.
Great that Nostr is a Echo Chambers. As stated by Rabble during NostRiga, Nostr is a bitcoin meetup. And it is very difficult as said several times, to subvert this fact. It seems that many bitcoiners don't like this, but they can't do anything, leave Nostr and migrate to other lids.
I'm reading Nostr adventar calendar of Japanese Nostr users.
The first two Don and Jun speak of a Mahjong game and the other of how possibly to count the followers of a given account, countfollowed. - Adventar calendar continue until Christmas 🎅
-
Even Bluesky is looking at MLS , is not a soccer league, is a protocol for message by groups, "circles" Post on Bluesky
-
Relays chakany is introduce sunday. link
I've never seen such dead animals as in Nostr. Something reminds me facebook. The carnivore folks
Hivemind podcast by Max, the kilometric comment on fountain under the podcast is the most appetizing thing of all. Just one comment, little one.
He interviewed Kagi's and searched for a brownie pill, perhaps caused a little headache. ( Brownie pill is orange plus purple)
Loss dog on Nostr this week 😔😔 Pam and Derek family dog
conspiracy theory: Fiatjaf was the reply guy!!!
I tried to download voyage, from zapstore but nothing does not work even the 17.1 does not go. Too bad.
I hear so much about notedeck that I want to make a notedeck do it yourself.
Cherry tree, stuck hzrd149 is making an app a day, Chunked blobs on blossom.
A like is used to send your writing Relays
Announcement of a possible wallet in Damus, this could make things better, zap and whatnot.
- Or I'm posting a song here, a musical interlude. song on wavlake
There seems to be a good buzz on Nostr, maybe it's already a Christmassy atmosphere.
- Backup di Bluesky cool things Bluesky post
On another rssfeed thing.
nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzq9h35qgq6n8ll0xyyv8gurjzjrx9sjwp4hry6ejnlks8cqcmzp6tqqs93j2remdw2pxnctasa9vlsaerrrsl7p5csx5wj88kk0yq977rtdqxt7glp
It's the same thing as following a cross de bridge, but if they do 3 bridge, I say something is wrong. A bot is attached to a Relay. The Relay goes down and so much greetings, then I can look for RSS feeds in my computer without need of Nostr. I can share a particular opml file on Nostr, but I don't know how to do it I asked Fiatjaf but didn't answer it was taken by dichotomie.
Nip19 really Easy to do filter query.
You have events_id pubkey Relay Instead with Nostr:note you only have the event_id.
- Sebastix says he has to implement it in his library, discover the latest weekly report. nostr-php-helper-library
Oh no Pablo has become super Saiyan 🤣
There is a way to make a podcast starting from a long text, blog. With artificial intelligence. But then I thought, but if one does not have time could not have the text of the article summarized, perhaps we like generating content. It can be an option, either you read or you listen. But if you do not have time perhaps it is better to just summarize, dear chatgpt summarize this text, done. Essential points and make a thread for the social network and do what you want.
- Homemade Traditional Boozy Mincemeat, I didn't even know that existed 🤙 link to shopstr
Hodlbod news on bunker burrow
nostr:nevent1qqs84na25g6mdelvl0408nnq8m29j5070dm9mvjrzxyc6yrx2udjyuczyztuwzjyxe4x2dwpgken87tna2rdlhpd02
- In case you don't see the note burrow on github
Once you have the email what do you do with your encrypted key? No Enterprise user maybe. Rember the article of Hodlbod in "Is Always a political move". ✅
List of artists on Nostr nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4xqpzqfngzhsvjggdlgeycm96x4emzjlwf8dyyzdfg4hefp89zpkdgz99qyghwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnhd9hx2tcpzfmhxue69uhkummnw3e82efwvdhk6tcqp9qku6tdv96x7unng9grdr
- An article for food recipe on Nostr Article link
I don't know if they'll ever be there. You can write a recipe book. Or to put recipes on wiki, there doesn't seem to be that attention or that desire. One more relay is always better
- Olas has a website 🥊 Olas app
Oh i see cool Hodlbod bot A summary bot
nostr:nevent1qqs0v88uc2u3he3lm3mpm5h3gr8cuht5wv9g0tk0x9hzvamgvpdjwvspzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgq3qjlrs53pkdfjnts29kveljul2sm0actt6n8dxrrzqcersttvcuv3qu0ltyv
That's all!!
-
@ 119356ac:740a8b90
2025-05-14 22:56:58► Adblocking
- Note - Don't run multiple general adblockers (e.g., uBlock Origin and AdGuard) simultaneously to avoid breakage. Combining general adblockers with tools like SponsorBlock is fine.
- ↪️ Spotify Adblockers
- ↪️ Twitch Adblockers
- ↪️ Bypass URL Redirects
- ↪️ Bypass Article Paywalls
- ⭐ uBlock Origin or uBO Lite (MV3 compatible) - Adblocker / Redundant Extensions
- ⭐ Report Issues - uAssets / Hosts / AdGuard / EasyList
- ⭐ SponsorBlock - Skip Sponsored YouTube Ads / Script, 2 / Discord / X / GitHub
- Disblock Origin or Discord Adblock - Hide Discord Nitro / Boost Ads
- Popupblocker All, PopUpOFF, Popup Blocker (strict) or PopupBlocker - Popup / New Tab Blockers
- AdGuard - Adblocker
- Zen - System-Wide Adblocker / Discord / GitHub
- BehindTheOverlay - Hide Website Overlays
- BilibiliSponsorBlock - Skip Sponsored Bilibili Ads
▷ Adblock Filters
- ⭐ LegitimateURLShortener - Query Parameter Cleaning Rules
- yokoffing's Recommended Filters - Blocklist Collection
- Hagezi Blocklists - Blocklist Collection
- FilterLists - Filter / Host List Directory
- FMHY Filterlist - Unsafe Sites Filter
▷ DNS Adblocking
- Note - If your goal is to block browser ads, it's best to just stick with uBlock Origin, as additional filters can cause conflicts or anti-adblock.
- 🌐 DNS Providers - DNS Provider Index
- ↪️ DNS Filters / Blocklists
- ↪️ Free DNS Resolvers
- ⭐ Pi-Hole - Self-Hosted DNS Adblocking / Subreddit / X
- ⭐ Pi-Hole Tools - Filters / Anti-Telemetry / Tray App
- ⭐ AdGuard Home - Self-Hosted DNS Adblocking / Balena-Adguard / GitHub / X / Telegram / Subreddit
- ⭐ Mullvad DNS - DNS Adblocking / Filtering / Extension / GitHub
- ⭐ YogaDNS - Custom DNS Client for Windows
- DNS Speed Test / GitHub
- BlahDNS - DNS Adblocking / GitHub
- AlternateDNS - DNS Adblocking
- LibreDNS - DNS Adblocking / GitLab
- Tiarap - DNS Adblocking / GitHub
- NextDNS - Customizable DNS Adblocking Service / Video
- AdGuard DNS - Customizable DNS Adblocking Service / X / Telegram / Subreddit
- Control D - Customizable DNS Adblocking Service / X / Subreddit / Discord
- NxFilter - Self-Hosted Customizable DNS Adblocking / Subreddit
- TBlock - DNS Adblocking Client / CodeBerg
- Diversion - Asuswrt-Merlin Router Adblock Manager
- Phishing Army - DNS Phishing Blocklist / X
- Technitium - Self-Hosted DNS Server / Subreddit / GitHub
- DNS Perf or NameBench - DNS Speed Tests
▷ Linux Adblocking
▷ Mac Adblocking
▷ Android Adblocking
▷ iOS Adblocking
► Antivirus / Malware
- 🌐 /r/Antivirus Index - Antivirus Tool Index
- ↪️ Site Legitimacy Check
- ↪️ Virtual Machines
- ⭐ Malwarebytes - Antivirus / X
- ⭐ AdwCleaner - Anti-Adware / X
- ⭐ Security / Antivirus Multireddit - Reddit Communities
- ⭐ FMHY SafeGuard - Detects if Current Site is Trusted / Untrusted
- FMHY LinkSafe Guard - Shows if Site is Trusted / Untrusted on Web Results
- BleepingComputer Forums, Malwarebytes Forums or Sysnative Forums - Malware Removal Forums / Note
- Sandboxie Plus - Sandbox Environment / Guide / GitHub
- Windows Sandbox - Full Virtual Machine Sandbox Environment
- ESET - Antivirus / X
- Dangerzone - Convert Malicious PDFs to Safe Files / GitHub
- Triage or Cuckoo - Online Sandboxes
- No More Ransom - Ransomware Decryption Tools
- ID Ransomware - Ransomware Identification Tool
- ConfigureDefender - Configure Windows Defender Settings
- DefenderUI - Improved Windows Defender UI
▷ File Scanners
- 🌐 The Second Opinion, 2 - Portable Malware Scanners / Removal Tools / GitHub
- ⭐ VirusTotal / Scan Results Guide, 2 or Hybrid Analysis - Online File Scanner
- ⭐ VirusTotal Tools - CLI / Uploader / Lite Version
- Microsoft Safety Scanner or Emsisoft Emergency Kit - On-demand AV Scanners
- Manalyzer - PE File Scanner / GitHub
- YARA - Malware Identification Tool / GitHub
- Winitor - EXE Malware Assessment
- pyWhat - Identify Anything / Discord
- Grype - Container Images Vulnerability Scanner
- Jotti - Online File Scanner
- FileScan - Online File Scanner / GitHub
- Farbar / Guide - Local File Scanner
► Privacy
- ↪️ SMS Verification Sites
- ↪️ File Encryption
- ↪️ Drive Formatting / File Deletion
- ⭐ Tails / Telegram / GitHub, Whonix / Telegram / GitHub or Qubes / GitHub - Privacy-Based Operating Systems
- /r/Privacy, /r/TheHatedOne or /r/privatelife - Privacy Discussion, News & Tools
- O&O ShutUp10++ or W10Privacy - Privacy and Data Protection Tools
- Telemetry.md - Disable Windows 10/11 Telemetry
- Disable Recall - Disable Microsoft Recall on Windows 11
- Agent DVR / Subreddit, Frigate / GitHub, Smart Sec Cam or ZoneMinder / Discord / GitHub - Security Camera Systems
- Team Elite or Technet24 - Security Software / Translator
- YourDigitalRights - Get Organizations to Delete Your Personal Data
- Big Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List - List of Data Broker Opt-Out Resources
- Surfer Protocol - Multi-platform User Data Exporter / Discord / GitHub
- F-Secure Identity Theft Checker - Identity Theft Check
- PrivNote, SafeNote / GitHub, Burn.Link, ThisLinkWillSelfDestruct, s.cr, burnmynote or OneTimeSecret / GitHub - Send Self-Destructing Messages
- chausies encrypt / GitHub, Steg Cloak or spammimic - Send Encrypted Text
- HiddenVM - Run an Oracle VM on TailsOS
- SurveillanceWatch - Surveillance Company Connections
- If An Agent Knocks - Best Practices if Contacted by Agents
▷ Privacy Indexes
- ⭐ Privacy Guides - Educational Guide / GitHub
- ⭐ Digital Defense - Personal Checklist for Privacy & Security / GitHub
- ⭐ Surveillance Self-Defense - Educational Guide
- ⭐ The New Oil - Educational Guide / GitHub
- ⭐ No Trace - Educational Guide / .onion
- ⭐ The Hitchhiker’s Guide - Extensive Guide to Online Anonymity / GitHub
- Lissy93's Awesome Privacy / GitHub, Awesome Security Hardening or pluja's Awesome Privacy / GitHub - Privacy App / Service Lists
- Defensive Computing Checklist - Educational Guide
- OPSEC guide - Educational Guide
- Ken Harris - Educational Guide / Discord
- PrivSec - Educational Guide / GitHub
- AvoidTheHack - Educational Blog / GitHub
- Hostux - Privacy Tools / Git
- Privacy Settings - Privacy Setting Guides
- Privacy Not Included - Product Privacy Ratings
- EncryptedList - List of Encrypted Services/Apps
- Awesome Vehicle Security - Vehicle Security Resources
▷ Network Security
- ⭐ v2rayN - DIY Privacy Network
- ⭐ Safing Portmaster - Network Monitor / DNS Resolver / Firewall / Discord / GitHub
- ⭐ DNSveil - DNS Client / Guide / GitHub
- I2P - Encrypted Private Network Layer / Guide / GitLab
- XrayUIGroup - DIY Privacy Network / Telegram
- Simplewall - Firewall
- Fort - Firewall
- WFC - Firewall
▷ Linux Privacy
▷ Mac Privacy
▷ Android Privacy
▷ iOS Privacy
► Web Privacy
- 🌐 Google Alt List, /r/degoogle or No More Google - Google App Alternatives
- ↪️ Chat Service Comparisons
- ↪️ Encrypted Messaging Apps / 2 / 3
- ↪️ Encrypted XMPP Servers
- ↪️ Encode / Decode URLs
- ⭐ PrivacySpy / GitHub or ToS;DR / Discord / GitHub - Sites Privacy Policies
- ⭐ JustDeleteMe - Find / Terminate Old Accounts / GitHub
- OpenPhish, Netcraft Report, isitPhishing, PhishStats / Telegram / GitHub or PhishTank - Report Phishing Sites
- DNS Jumper - DNS Switcher
- ssh-chat or Devzat - SSH Chat
- GPG Suite - Encrypt & Sign Data / Communications
- PeerTube - Decentralized Video Hosting / Tools / GitHub
- Redact - Delete X.com / Reddit Data / Discord
- tweetXer - Delete X.com Posts
- delete-likes-from-x-com.md - Delete X.com Likes / Favorites
- Power Delete Suite - Reddit Auto Post Delete
- Hyphanet - Browse / Publish Freenet Sites / GitHub
- mat2 - Remove Metadata from Files / Web Version
▷ Browser Privacy
- ↪️ Browser Comparisons
- ↪️ Android Privacy Browsers
- ⭐ Tor Browser, 2, 3 - Onion-Routed Browser
- ⭐ Tor Resources - TG Downloads / Telegram / .onion / GitLab / GitHub
- ⭐ Mullvad Browser - Tor Browser Fork (without Tor network) / GitHub
- ⭐ arkenfox - Firefox Privacy Tweak / Video / GUI
- LibreWolf - Pre-tweaked Firefox Fork / Auto-Updater / CodeBerg / Subreddit
- Brave Browser - Privacy Chromium Browser / Subreddit
- Encrypted SNI - Cloudflare Browser Check
▷ Password Privacy / 2FA
- 🌐 2FA Directory - List of Sites with 2FA Support / GitHub
- ↪️ Password Managers
- ⭐ Ente Auth - All Platforms 2FA / Discord / GitHub
- ⭐ Aegis - Android 2FA / GitHub
- ⭐ Stratum - Android 2FA / GitHub
- ⭐ Password Strength Chart / 2
- 2FAS - Android / iOS 2FA / Discord / GitHub
- Mauth - Android 2FA
- FreeOTPPlus - Android 2FA
- KeePassXC - Windows / Mac / Linux 2FA / Guide / GitHub
- AuthMe - Windows / Mac / Linux 2FA / GitHub
- Yubioath - Windows / Android 2FA / YubiKeys / GitHub
- OTPClient - Linux 2FA
- 2FAuth - Self-Hosted Web Based 2FA / GitHub
- Sentinel - Android / iOS / Mac 2FA
- OTP Auth - iOS 2FA
- Tofu - iOS 2FA / GitHub
- Authenticator - Generate Two-Factor QR Codes / GitHub
- OTP Helper - Extract OTP Tokens
- steamguard-cli - Generate Steam 2FA Codes
- PasswordsGenerator - Secure Password Generator
▷ Email Privacy
- ↪️ Temp Mail Sites - Create Temporary / Throwaway Emails
- ↪️ Email Aliasing - Create Permanent Anonymous Emails
- ⭐ Proton Mail - Encrypted Email / .onion / Subreddit / GitHub
- Tuta - Encrypted Email / Subreddit / GitHub
- Disroot - Encrypted Email
- DNMX - Onion Based Email
- Mailvelope - Give Emails PGP Encryption / GitHub
- Email Privacy Tester - Email Privacy Test / GitLab
- SecLists - Security Mailing List Archive
▷ Data Breach Monitoring
- ⭐ Have I Been Pwned? - Monitor Email Breaches
- ⭐ Have I Been Pwned Passwords - Password Breach Check
- FirefoxMonitor - Data Breach Check / GitHub
- BreachDirectory, Snusbase, Leak Lookup, Trufflehog / Discord / GitHub or LeakPeek / Discord - Data Breach Search Engines
- Intelligence X - Password Breach Check / GitHub
- psbdmp - Password Breach Check
- ScatteredSecrets - Password Breach Check
- BreachDetective - Password Breach Check
▷ Fingerprinting / Tracking
- ⭐ CanvasBlocker - Prevent Canvas Fingerprinting
- ⭐ CreepJS, webkay, browserrecon, TZP, Device Info, Cover Your Tracks or PersonalData - Tracking / Fingerprinting Tests
- ClearURLs - Remove Tracking Elements from URLs / Can Break Sites / GitHub / GitLab
- Webbkoll or Blacklight - Site Tracking Info
- Data Removal Guide - Remove Online Data
- GameIndustry - Block Trackers in Desktop / Mobile Games
- BrowserLeaks, Do I leak? or IPLeak.net - IP Leak Tests
- JShelter - Prevent Fingerprinting / Warning / Source Code
- Locale Switcher, 2 - Change Language Identifier / GitHub
- AnonymousRedirect - Anonymize Links
- Simple Opt Out - Turn off Targeted Ads / GitHub
- X.com Direct - Removes t.co Tracking from X.com
▷ Search Engines
- 🌐 Search Engine Party - Privacy Search Engine Comparisons / GitLab
- 🌐 Instance Scores or Searx Index - Searx Instance Indexes
- ⭐ FMHY Searx, searx.space / .onion or searx.be - SearXNG Instances / GitHub
- ⭐ DuckDuckGo - Own Crawler + Third Parties / Shortcuts, 2 / Subreddit
- Fuck Off Google, searx.neocities, nixnet or monocles - Searx Instances
- Whoogle - Whoogle Instance / Uses Google
- LibreY - Privacy Respecting Metasearch Engine
- 4get - Proxy Search Engine / Git
- Mojeek / Subreddit
- Qwant - Uses Bing (partially) / Discord
- Swisscows - Uses Bing
- YaCy - Decentralized / GitHub
- Startpage - Uses Google / Subreddit
- Brave Search - Private Search
- ekoru - Uses Bing
- Gibiru - Uses Google
- SearXNG - Self-Hosted / GitHub
- Whoogle - Uses Google / Self-Hosted
► VPN
- Note - For torrenting, it's recommended to use a paid rather than free VPN. Free VPNs are only really useful for things like viewing sites blocked by your ISP / country.
- 🌐 Techlore Chart - VPN Comparison Charts
- 🌐 VPN Relationships, 2 - VPN Relationship Chart
- ⭐ /r/VPNs - Discussion Forum
- ⭐ WARP - Free / Unlimited / Setup Guide / CLI / Mobile Client / Desktop Client
- ⭐ Windscribe - Has Free Plan / 10GB Monthly / Subreddit / GitHub
- ⭐ Proton VPN - No Torrenting with Free Plan / Unlimited / Config Generation / Subreddit / Telegram / GitHub
- ⭐ RiseupVPN - Free / Unlimited / Config CLI Script / GitHub
- ⭐ AirVPN - Paid / .onion / GitHub / GitLab
- Mullvad VPN - Paid / No-Logging / Port Warning / GitHub
- IVPN - Paid / No Logging / Port Warning / Subreddit / GitHub
- ESET VPN - Free / Unlimited
- PrivadoVPN - Free / 10GB Monthly / Unlimited Accounts via Temp Mail
- Bitmask - Free / Unlimited / GitLab, 2
▷ VPN Tools
- ↪️ Free VPN Configs
- ⭐ How to Bind VPN to Client - Bind VPN to Client to Avoid ISP Letters
- ⭐ WireGuard - VPN Tunnel / Setup Guide / Tools / Web UI / Source Code
- WGDashboard - WireGuard Manager / Discord / GitHub
- OpenVPN or tinc VPN / GitHub / GitLab - VPN Tunnels
- WireHole - WireGuard VPN with Adblocking Capabilities / Web UI
- VpnHood, IPsec VPN or Outline / Subreddit / GitHub - Self-Hosted VPNs
- Self Hosted VPN - Pi-Hole + WireGuard on Google Cloud
- OpenConnect - SSL VPN / GUI / GitLab
- Gluetun - Docker through VPN
- Pritunl - VPN Server / GitHub
- Algo VPN - Cloud VPN / GitHub
- Amnezia - Self-Hosted VPN / Subreddit / Telegram / GitHub
- VPN Hotspot - Share VPN Connection over Hotspot
► Proxy
▷ Proxy Apps
- Hola Proxy - Alternative Client for Hola Free Proxy Service
- Snowflake - Tor Proxy Browser Extension
- Censor Tracker / Telegram / GitHub, SmartProxy, FoxyProxy or ZeroOmega - Proxy Extensions
- Acrylic - Local DNS Proxy
- SimpleDnsCrypt or DNSCrypt / GitHub - Local DNS Encryption Proxy
- Blocky - DNS Proxy / GitHub
- Proxifier - Add Proxy Functionality to Apps / Keys
- wireproxy - WireGuard as Proxy
- Hiddify - Auto-Proxy Client / Telegram / GitHub
- Ultraviolet / GitHub or Nebula - Self-Hosted Proxy Sites
- Nginx Proxy Manager - Self-Hosted Proxy Server / Subreddit / GitHub
- 1337x Proxy - 1337x Proxy Guide / Example
- Titanium Network - Proxy Developer / Instances / GitHub
▷ Proxy Sites
- Note - Keep in mind many proxy sites log info like IP address, sites visited, etc. They're useful for unblocking sites, but not very useful for privacy.
- ↪️ Proxy Lists
- ↪️ Piracy Site Proxies
- ⭐ Alu / Discord
- Holy Unblocker / GitHub
- SSLSecureProxy, 2, 3
- Free Proxy, 2
- ProxyOf2
- Phantom
- Reflect4, CroxyProxy or Blockaway
- Delusionz
- ProxyPal / Telegram
- Proxyium
- Szvy Central, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Google Translate / Explanation, 2
- Proxy Checker, proxy-scraper or proxy-scraper-checker - Proxy Scrapers / Checkers
- CheckSocks5 - SOCKS5 Proxy Checker
▷ Anti-Censorship
- ⭐ Censorship Bypass Guide - Censorship Bypass Guide
- ⭐ No Thought is a Crime - Internet Censorship Discussion
- ⭐ zapret, GoodbyeDPI / GUI, PowerTunnel or Green Tunnel - DPI Circumvention Local Proxies
- Shadowsocks - Proxy Client and Self-Hosted Server / Free Servers, 2, 3 / GitHub
- Psiphon - Anti-Censorship Proxy / VPN / GitHub
- Lantern - Anti-Censorship Proxy / Slowed Past 250MB / GitHub
- FreeSocks - Shadowsocks Proxies / GitHub
- Hi!Load VPN - Censorship Resistant Proxies / 30GB per month / No Torrenting / Support
- Hysteria - Anti-Censorship Client and Self-Hosted Server / Telegram / GitHub
- Project X - Anti-Censorship Client and Self-Hosted Server / Telegram, 2
- sing-box - Anti-Censorship Client / Telegram / GitHub
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@ 119356ac:740a8b90
2025-05-14 22:55:58Adblocking
How important is using an adblocker?
Piracy sites usually contain ads, some of which can be harmful, often leading to unwanted pages or fake download buttons. Real download buttons are usually small, and match the sites design, while fake ones are often big and eye-catching. It can be hard to tell them apart, so it's important to always have an adblocker.
For browsers we recommend uBO, and you can also use a Redirect Skipper to skip annoying countdowns.
For mobile AdGuard Premium / iOS / Guide or Rethink DNS, and you can block YouTube, Reddit, and X.com ads with ReVanced Manager / Easy Setup.
⚠️ Using several ad blockers, like uBO and Adguard at the same time can mess things up. This only happens with regular ad blockers, so it's perfectly okay to use uBO alongside something like SponsorBlock.
Browsers
Which web browser should I use?
We recommend Firefox, but you can also try Privacy-Focused Browsers or Brave if you prefer Chromium.
For Android we recommend Firefox, Brave or Cromite.
For iOS Orion, Brave or Safari + Adguard.
⚠️ We recommend looking through our Extension / Userscript sections to find ways to enhance your browser.
Movies / Shows
- Streaming: movie-web / Cineby / Hexa
- Torrenting: 1337x
- Sports Streaming: Streamed / Sportsurge
- Drama Streaming: KissAsian
- Track / Discover: Trakt / Simkl / Letterboxd
Anime
- Streaming: AnimeKai / Miruro / HiAnime
- Downloading: Tokyo Insider / Hi10Anime
- Torrenting: Nyaa / Miru
- Track / Discover: MyAnimeList / AniList
Music
- Streaming: SpotX / Custom YouTube Music
- Downloading: DoubleDouble / Soulseek
- Mobile: ReVanced Manager (Android) / OuterTune (Android) / EeveeSpotify (iOS)
- Track / Discover: Last.fm / RateYourMusic
Gaming
- Download / Torrent: FitGirl Repacks / SteamRIP
- Emulation / ROMs: Emulation Wiki / /r/ROMs Mega / Myrient
- Download Managers: JDownloader
- Track / Discover: Backloggd / Glitchwave
Reading
- Downloading: Anna's Archive / Library Genesis / Z-Library / Bookracy
- Audiobooks: AudiobookBay / Mobilism Audiobooks / Tokybook
- Manga: ComicK / Weeb Central / MangaDex
- Comics: ReadComicsOnline / GetComics
- Ebook Readers: Google Play Books / Koodo / Foxit + Warning
- Android Readers: Librera / Moon+ Reader / Readera
- Track / Discover: GoodReads (books) / MAL (manga) / LeagueOfComicGeeks (comics)
Antivirus
How can I safely scan files, and determine if detections are false positives?
Before installing any file, it's recommended to scan the setup / install with VirusTotal. If you're having trouble determining if something is a false positive, refer to the Scan Guide, or send it to us in Discord and we'll take a look for you.
⚠️ Most antivirus programs are unnecessary and can cause slow down. If you use trusted websites, Windows Defender should be all you need to stay safe, and you can run a Malwarebytes scan from time to time for extra protection.
Privacy
I don't have anything to hide, why should I care about privacy?
Privacy is about controlling your personal information, not just keeping things secret. Non-sensitive data is used by companies to track your behavior, target ads, and influence your choices.
For email privacy, we recommend Proton and for search SearX. It's also good to check sites like HaveIBeenPwned to make sure your info hasn't been part of any recent data breaches.
⚠️ It's best not to use your main email or password when you sign up for piracy sites. It's good to use a different password on every site you register for, that way if a breach happens, only the password for that one site is compromised. You can also use email aliasing.
⚠️ Keep in mind that it's never a good idea to upload personal or confidential files to any file host / cloud AI, even if they claim to be encrypted.
Windows Piracy
How can I download / activate Windows for free?
Download an ISO from Massgrave's Genuine Installation Media page, and follow the Clean Install Windows Guide to install it. After install, activate it with Microsoft Activation Scripts.
⚠️ Be aware that people have been known to steal from M0nkrus and upload altered versions of their apps that contain harmful elements. Always double-check that you're on the official site before downloading anything.
Torrenting
Do I need a VPN to torrent?
Downloading files through torrenting can cause issues with your ISP, so using a VPN is a must in most countries. You should also bind your VPN to your torrent client to avoid leaks from accidental disconnects. You can also use Remote Torrenting Services to avoid the need for a VPN altogether.
What is Port Forwarding? Do I need it?
Port forwarding (having an open port) is an essential part of torrenting and it's recommended to set it up. While it's not strictly needed, it benefits the swarm, can sometimes boost download speeds, and improves connectability for torrents with fewer seeds.
Android Apps
- Mobilism - Modded APKs
- Aurora Store - Alt App Store
- APKMirror - Untouched APKs
- Droid-ify - FOSS Android Apps
- Obtainium - Get Android App Updates
iOS Sideloading
- Sideloading Guide - Sideloading Guide
- TrollStore - Unlimited App Sideloading [iOS 14.0-17.0]
- SideStore - Sideloading App [iOS 14.0 & Above]
- Sideloadly - Sideload Apps [iOS 7.0 & Above]
- Feather - Sideload Apps with Paid Dev Cert [iOS 15 & Above]
Important Links
- Piracy Glossary - Common piracy term definitions
- Unsafe Sites / Software / 2 - Things we recommend avoiding
- Base64 Decoders / Auto Decode - Tools to decode encrypted base64 links
- FMHY.net - Our website with many more sites / tools
-
@ a849beb6:b327e6d2
2024-11-23 15:03:47\ \ It was another historic week for both bitcoin and the Ten31 portfolio, as the world’s oldest, largest, most battle-tested cryptocurrency climbed to new all-time highs each day to close out the week just shy of the $100,000 mark. Along the way, bitcoin continued to accumulate institutional and regulatory wins, including the much-anticipated approval and launch of spot bitcoin ETF options and the appointment of several additional pro-bitcoin Presidential cabinet officials. The timing for this momentum was poetic, as this week marked the second anniversary of the pico-bottom of the 2022 bear market, a level that bitcoin has now hurdled to the tune of more than 6x despite the litany of bitcoin obituaries published at the time. The entirety of 2024 and especially the past month have further cemented our view that bitcoin is rapidly gaining a sense of legitimacy among institutions, fiduciaries, and governments, and we remain optimistic that this trend is set to accelerate even more into 2025.
Several Ten31 portfolio companies made exciting announcements this week that should serve to further entrench bitcoin’s institutional adoption. AnchorWatch, a first of its kind bitcoin insurance provider offering 1:1 coverage with its innovative use of bitcoin’s native properties, announced it has been designated a Lloyd’s of London Coverholder, giving the company unique, blue-chip status as it begins to write bitcoin insurance policies of up to $100 million per policy starting next month. Meanwhile, Battery Finance Founder and CEO Andrew Hohns appeared on CNBC to delve into the launch of Battery’s pioneering private credit strategy which fuses bitcoin and conventional tangible assets in a dual-collateralized structure that offers a compelling risk/return profile to both lenders and borrowers. Both companies are clearing a path for substantially greater bitcoin adoption in massive, untapped pools of capital, and Ten31 is proud to have served as lead investor for AnchorWatch’s Seed round and as exclusive capital partner for Battery.
As the world’s largest investor focused entirely on bitcoin, Ten31 has deployed nearly $150 million across two funds into more than 30 of the most promising and innovative companies in the ecosystem like AnchorWatch and Battery, and we expect 2025 to be the best year yet for both bitcoin and our portfolio. Ten31 will hold a first close for its third fund at the end of this year, and investors in that close will benefit from attractive incentives and a strong initial portfolio. Visit ten31.vc/funds to learn more and get in touch to discuss participating.\ \ Portfolio Company Spotlight
Primal is a first of its kind application for the Nostr protocol that combines a client, caching service, analytics tools, and more to address several unmet needs in the nascent Nostr ecosystem. Through the combination of its sleek client application and its caching service (built on a completely open source stack), Primal seeks to offer an end-user experience as smooth and easy as that of legacy social media platforms like Twitter and eventually many other applications, unlocking the vast potential of Nostr for the next billion people. Primal also offers an integrated wallet (powered by Strike BLACK) that substantially reduces onboarding and UX frictions for both Nostr and the lightning network while highlighting bitcoin’s unique power as internet-native, open-source money.
Selected Portfolio News
AnchorWatch announced it has achieved Llody’s Coverholder status, allowing the company to provide unique 1:1 bitcoin insurance offerings starting in December.\ \ Battery Finance Founder and CEO Andrew Hohns appeared on CNBC to delve into the company’s unique bitcoin-backed private credit strategy.
Primal launched version 2.0, a landmark update that adds a feed marketplace, robust advanced search capabilities, premium-tier offerings, and many more new features.
Debifi launched its new iOS app for Apple users seeking non-custodial bitcoin-collateralized loans.
Media
Strike Founder and CEO Jack Mallers joined Bloomberg TV to discuss the strong volumes the company has seen over the past year and the potential for a US bitcoin strategic reserve.
Primal Founder and CEO Miljan Braticevic joined The Bitcoin Podcast to discuss the rollout of Primal 2.0 and the future of Nostr.
Ten31 Managing Partner Marty Bent appeared on BlazeTV to discuss recent changes in the regulatory environment for bitcoin.
Zaprite published a customer testimonial video highlighting the popularity of its offerings across the bitcoin ecosystem.
Market Updates
Continuing its recent momentum, bitcoin reached another new all-time high this week, clocking in just below $100,000 on Friday. Bitcoin has now reached a market cap of nearly $2 trillion, putting it within 3% of the market caps of Amazon and Google.
After receiving SEC and CFTC approval over the past month, long-awaited options on spot bitcoin ETFs were fully approved and launched this week. These options should help further expand bitcoin’s institutional liquidity profile, with potentially significant implications for price action over time.
The new derivatives showed strong performance out of the gate, with volumes on options for BlackRock’s IBIT reaching nearly $2 billion on just the first day of trading despite surprisingly tight position limits for the vehicles.
Meanwhile, the underlying spot bitcoin ETF complex had yet another banner week, pulling in $3.4 billion in net inflows.
New reports suggested President-elect Donald Trump’s social media company is in advanced talks to acquire crypto trading platform Bakkt, potentially the latest indication of the incoming administration’s stance toward the broader “crypto” ecosystem.
On the macro front, US housing starts declined M/M again in October on persistently high mortgage rates and weather impacts. The metric remains well below pre-COVID levels.
Pockets of the US commercial real estate market remain challenged, as the CEO of large Florida developer Related indicated that developers need further rate cuts “badly” to maintain project viability.
US Manufacturing PMI increased slightly M/M, but has now been in contraction territory (<50) for well over two years.
The latest iteration of the University of Michigan’s popular consumer sentiment survey ticked up following this month’s election results, though so did five-year inflation expectations, which now sit comfortably north of 3%.
Regulatory Update
After weeks of speculation, the incoming Trump administration appointed hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to head up the US Treasury. Like many of Trump’s cabinet selections so far, Bessent has been a public advocate for bitcoin.
Trump also appointed Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick – another outspoken bitcoin bull – as Secretary of the Commerce Department.
Meanwhile, the Trump team is reportedly considering creating a new “crypto czar” role to sit within the administration. While it’s unclear at this point what that role would entail, one report indicated that the administration’s broader “crypto council” is expected to move forward with plans for a strategic bitcoin reserve.
Various government lawyers suggested this week that the Trump administration is likely to be less aggressive in seeking adversarial enforcement actions against bitcoin and “crypto” in general, as regulatory bodies appear poised to shift resources and focus elsewhere.
Other updates from the regulatory apparatus were also directionally positive for bitcoin, most notably FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg’s confirmation that he plans to resign from his post at the end of President Biden’s term.
Many critics have alleged Gruenberg was an architect of “Operation Chokepoint 2.0,” which has created banking headwinds for bitcoin companies over the past several years, so a change of leadership at the department is likely yet another positive for the space.
SEC Chairman Gary Gensler also officially announced he plans to resign at the start of the new administration. Gensler has been the target of much ire from the broader “crypto” space, though we expect many projects outside bitcoin may continue to struggle with questions around the Howey Test.
Overseas, a Chinese court ruled that it is not illegal for individuals to hold cryptocurrency, even though the country is still ostensibly enforcing a ban on crypto transactions.
Noteworthy
The incoming CEO of Charles Schwab – which administers over $9 trillion in client assets – suggested the platform is preparing to “get into” spot bitcoin offerings and that he “feels silly” for having waited this long. As this attitude becomes more common among traditional finance players, we continue to believe that the number of acquirers coming to market for bitcoin infrastructure capabilities will far outstrip the number of available high quality assets.
BlackRock’s 2025 Thematic Outlook notes a “renewed sense of optimism” on bitcoin among the asset manager’s client base due to macro tailwinds and the improving regulatory environment. Elsewhere, BlackRock’s head of digital assets indicated the firm does not view bitcoin as a “risk-on” asset.
MicroStrategy, which was a sub-$1 billion market cap company less than five years ago, briefly breached a $100 billion equity value this week as it continues to aggressively acquire bitcoin. The company now holds nearly 350,000 bitcoin on its balance sheet.
Notably, Allianz SE, Germany’s largest insurer, spoke for 25% of MicroStrategy’s latest $3 billion convertible note offering this week, suggesting growing appetite for bitcoin proxy exposure among more restricted pools of capital.
The ongoing meltdown of fintech middleware provider Synapse has left tens of thousands of customers with nearly 100% deposit haircuts as hundreds of millions in funds remain missing, the latest unfortunate case study in the fragility of much of the US’s legacy banking stack.
Travel
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BitcoinMENA, Dec 9-10
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Nashville BitDevs, Dec 10
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Austin BitDevs, Dec 19
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@ 1bda7e1f:bb97c4d9
2024-11-21 04:17:08Tldr
- Nostr is an open protocol which is interoperable with all kinds of other technologies
- You can use this interoperability to create custom solutions
- Nostr apps define a custom URI scheme handler "nostr:"
- In this blog I use this to integrate Nostr with NFC cards
- I create a Nostr NFC "login card" which allows me to log into Amethyst client
- I create a Nostr NFC "business card" which allows anyone to find my profile with a tap
Inter-Op All The Things!
Nostr is a new open social protocol for the internet. This open nature is very exciting because it means Nostr can add new capabilities to all other internet-connected technologies, from browsers to web applications. In my view, it achieves this through three core capabilities.
- A lightweight decentralised identity (Nostr keys, "npubs" and "nsecs"),
- A lightweight data distribution network (Nostr relays),
- A set of data interoperability standards (The Nostr Improvement Protocols "NIPs"), including the "nostr:" URI which we'll use in this post.
The lightweight nature is its core strength. Very little is required to interoperate with Nostr, which means many existing technologies can be easily used with the network.
Over the next few blog posts, I'll explore different Nostr inter-op ideas, and also deliver my first small open source projects to the community. I'll cover–
- NFC cards integrated with Nostr (in this post),
- Workflow Automations integrated with Nostr,
- AI LLMs integrated with Nostr.
The "Nostr:" URI
One feature of Nostr is it defines a custom URI scheme handler "nostr:". What is that?
A URI is used to identify a resource in a system. A system will have a protocol handler registry used to store such URI's, and if a system has a URI registered, then it knows what to do when it sees it. You are probably already familiar with some URI schemes such as "http:" and "mailto:". For example, when you click an http link, the system knows that it describes an http resource and opens a web browser to fetch the content from the internet.
A nostr: link operates in the same way. The nostr: prefix indicates a custom URI scheme specifically designed for the Nostr protocol. If a system has a Nostr application installed, that application may have registered "nostr:" in the protocol handler registry. On that system when a "nostr:" URI is clicked, the system will know that it describes a nostr resource and open the Nostr client to fetch the content from the nostr relay network.
This inter-op with the protocol handler registry gives us the power to do nice and exciting things with other technologies.
Nostr and NFC
Another technology that uses URIs is NFC cards. NFC (Near Field Communication) is a wireless technology that enables devices to exchange data over a few centimeters. It’s widely used in contactless payments, access control, and information sharing.
NFC tags are small chips embedded in cards or stickers which can store data like plain text, URLs, or custom URIs. They are very cheap (cents each) and widely available (Amazon with next day delivery).
When an NFC tag contains a URI, such as a http: (or nostr:) link, it acts as a trigger. Tapping the tag with an NFC-enabled device launches the associated application and processes the URI. For example, tapping a tag with "nostr:..." could open a Nostr client, directing it to a specific login page, public profile, or event.
This inter-op allows us to bridge the physical world to Nostr with just a tap.
Many useful ideas
There are many interesting ways to use this. Too many for me to explore. Perhaps some of these are interesting for your next side hustle?
- Nostr NFC "login cards" – tap to log into Amethyst on Android,
- Nostr NFC "business cards" – give to connections so they can tap to load your npub,
- Nostr NFC "payment cards" – integrating lightning network or ecash,
- Nostr NFC "doorbells", "punch cards", "drop boxes", or "dead drops" – put a tag in a specific place and tap to open a location-specific message or chat,
- Integrations with other access control systems,
- Integrations with other home automation systems,
- Many more ...
To start with I have built and use the "login card" and "business card" solutions. This blog post will show you how to do the same.
Nostr Login Card
You can use an NFC card to log into your Nostr client.
Most Nostr clients accept a variety of login methods, from posting your nsec into the app (insecure) to using a remote signer (more secure). A less known but more secure method is to sign into a session with a tap of a specially-configured NFC card. Amethyst is a Nostr client on Android which supports this type of login.
- A secure method for logging in
- Optionally keeps no log in history on the device after logout
- Does not require users to know or understand how keys work
- Keys are kept secure on a physically-separated card to reduce risk of compromise
Nostr devs think that this is useful for anti-establishment actors–Fair enough. For me, I am interested in this login card pattern as it could be useful for rolling out identities within an organisation context with less training (office workers are already familiar with door access cards). This pattern potentially abstracts away key management to the IT or ops team who provision the cards.
I first discovered this when Kohei demonstrated it in his video.
Here's how you set it up at a high level–
- Buy yourself some NFC cards
- Get your Nostr key ready in an encrypted, password protected format called "nencryptsec"
- Write the nencryptsec to the NFC card as a custom URI
- Tap to load the login screen, and enter your password to login
Here it is in detail–
Buy yourself some NFC cards
I found no specific requirements. As usual with Nostr so far, I tried to the cheapest possible route and it worked. Generic brand NFC cards shipped from China, I believe it was 50X for $15 from Amazon. Your mileage may vary.
Get your Nostr key ready
Your key will be saved to the NFC card in an encrypted password-protected format called "nencryptsec". Several applications support this. As we'll be using this to login to Amethyst, we will use Amethyst to output the nencryptsec for us.
- Login to Amethyst with your nsec,
- Open the sidebar and click "Backup Keys",
- Enter a password, and click "Encrypt and my secret key",
- It will add the password-protected key to your clipboard in the format "ncryptsec1...",
- Remember to backup your password.
Write the ncryptsec to the NFC card
- Download the free NFC Tools app to your device, and open it,
- Click "Write" and "Add a record", then click "Custom URL / URI",
- Paste your nencryptsec with the nostr URI in front, i.e. "nostr:ncryptsec1..." and click OK,
- Click "Write". NFC Tools will prompt you to "Approach an NFC tag",
- Place your NFC card against your phone, and it will write to the card,
- Your card is ready.
Tap to load the login screen
Tap the card against your phone again, and your phone should open the login screen of Amethyst and prompt you for your password.
Once you enter your password, Amethyst will decrypt your nsec and log you in.
Optionally, you can also set the app to forget you once you log out.
You have created a Nostr NFC "login card".
Nostr Business Card
You can use another NFC card to give anyone you meet a link straight to your Nostr profile.
I attended Peter McCormack's #CheatCode conference in Sydney and gave a few of these out following the Nostr panel, notably to Preston Pysh where it got some cut through and found me my first 100 followers. You can do the same.
To create your Nostr NFC "business card" is even easier than your NFC "login card".
- Buy yourself some NFC cards,
- Download the free NFC Tools app to your device, and open it,
- Click "Write" and "Add a record", then click "Custom URL / URI",
- Write your npub to the NFC card as a custom URI in the format "nostr:npub1..." (e.g. for me this is "nostr:npub1r0d8u8mnj6769500nypnm28a9hpk9qg8jr0ehe30tygr3wuhcnvs4rfsft"),
- Your card is ready.
Give the card to someone who is a Nostr user, and when they tap the card against their phone it will open their preferred Nostr client and go directly to your Nostr profile page.
You have created a Nostr NFC "business card".
What I Did Wrong
I like to share what I did wrong so you don't have to make the same mistakes. This time, this was very easy, and little went wrong. In general
- When password-protecting your nsec, don't forget the password!
- When writing to the NFC card, make sure to use "Custom URI/URL" as this accepts your "nostr:" URI scheme. If you use generic "URI/URL" it won't work.
What's Next
Over my first four blogs I have explored creating a good Nostr setup
- Mined a Nostr pubkey and backed up the mnemonic
- Set up Nostr payments with a Lightning wallet plus all the bells and whistles
- Set up NIP-05 and Lighting Address at my own domain
- Set up a Personal Relay at my own domain
Over the next few blogs I will be exploring different types of Nostr inter-op
- NFC cards integrated with Nostr (this post)
- Workflow Automations integrated with Nostr
- AI LLMs integrated with Nostr
Please be sure to let me know if you think there's another Nostr topic you'd like to see me tackle.
GM Nostr.
-
@ 979ab082:dedeefb6
2025-05-14 21:56:32⚠️ Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational purposes only. The software and tools described are intended for testing, simulation, and blockchain research. @crypptrcver is not responsible for any misuse.
💡 What Is Flash Bitcoin? Flash Bitcoin refers to a spoofed BTC transaction that appears instantly in a wallet but is not confirmed on the blockchain. It is a temporary, visual transaction used for simulations, testing, or demonstrating wallet behavior.
🔍 Flash Bitcoin Meaning: BTC appears in the recipient wallet balance. It disappears after a set number of blocks or minutes. Not confirmed by miners, not spendable. Used in demos, stress tests, or simulated “proof of funds”. Flash BTC is also called:
Flash Bitcoin sender Flash BTC software Flash Bitcoin APK (mobile version) 💽 Flash Bitcoin Software — What It Does Flash Bitcoin software lets you:
Send unconfirmed BTC to any wallet (SegWit, Legacy, etc.) Choose expiry time (e.g. 20 minutes or 6 blocks) Configure amount, transaction speed, and delay Simulate flash bitcoin transactions that display as real Popular for:
Blockchain app testing Wallet balance simulation Flashing BTC to cold wallets or watch-only addresses Versions like Flash Bitcoin Sender APK also exist for Android, making it easy to simulate transfers on mobile wallets like Electrum or Trust Wallet.
🛠️ Key Features of Flash Bitcoin Sender: FeatureDescriptionFlash BTC balanceAppears instantly in walletExpiry optionsDisappears after blocks/timeOffline mode supportSend from private environmentsFlash Bitcoin APKAvailable for Android useFlash Bitcoin priceVaries by volume and license type
🚀 How to Flash Bitcoin (Step-by-Step) ✅ Install Flash BTC software or APK ✅ Enter the receiving wallet address ✅ Set BTC amount (e.g. 0.5 BTC) ✅ Choose expiration (e.g. 30 mins) ✅ Send — transaction appears instantly in the target wallet Note: The transaction is visible but will never confirm on-chain. It vanishes after a set delay.
⚡ What Is Flash USDT? Flash USDT is a spoofed USDT (Tether) transaction that mimics a legitimate token transfer. Like flash BTC, it appears in the wallet without a real blockchain confirmation, then disappears after a time or network rejection.
Flash USDT Basics: Works on TRC20, ERC20, and BEP20 Appears in Trust Wallet, MetaMask, Binance Smart Chain wallets Often referred to as: Flash USDT wallet Atomic Flash USDT Flash USDT Binance spoof 🔧 Flash USDT Use Cases: Simulate “proof of funds” Show fake USDT deposits in investor training Flash USDT for Binance wallet tests 💼 Flash Software Options: Bitcoin vs USDT FeatureFlash BitcoinFlash USDTCurrencyBTCUSDTWallet typeLegacy/SegWitTRC20, ERC20, BEP20Disappear timingBy block or timerTime-based (20–60 mins)Spendable?❌ No❌ NoConfirmed?❌ Never confirms❌ Never confirms
Both tools are simulation-only and should never be used to deceive others.
📱 Flash Bitcoin Sender for Android Looking to flash on mobile?
The Flash Bitcoin APK is the easiest way to send spoofed BTC from your Android phone. It’s designed for:
On-the-go wallet testing Real-time balance visualizations Lightweight operation for mobile testing labs ⚠️ Warning: Never Use Flash Transactions for Fraud Flash BTC and Flash USDT tools are not real money. They cannot be sent, traded, or withdrawn. Using them in real marketplaces, to deceive vendors, or for financial gain is illegal and traceable.
Use only in:
Environments you control Simulation labs Wallet development or education 📞 Ready to Get Started? To purchase Flash Bitcoin tools, Flash USDT packages, or the sender software:
💬 Telegram: @crypptrcver 📱 WhatsApp: +1 941 217 1821
Custom builds, APK delivery, and live testing support available.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions What is flash bitcoin? A temporary BTC transaction that appears in the wallet balance without being confirmed.
How to flash bitcoin? Use flash BTC software or APK, input wallet address, choose amount and expiry, then send.
What is flash bitcoin sender APK? A mobile version of the flash sender that allows you to simulate BTC deposits on Android.
How to buy flash USDT? Contact @crypptrcver for Flash USDT packages tailored to TRC20, ERC20, or BEP20 wallets. Is flash bitcoin or flash usdt real? No — both are for testing and do not exist on the blockchain permanently.
🧠 Final Thoughts In 2025, Flash Bitcoin and Flash USDT have become critical tools for developers, security researchers, and crypto educators. If you’re looking to explore blockchain simulations safely and responsibly, these tools offer unmatched realism — without actual crypto movement.
🔗 Contact to get started:
💬 Telegram: @crypptrcver 📱 WhatsApp: +1 941 217 1821
⚠️ Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational purposes only. The software and tools described are intended for testing, simulation, and blockchain research. @crypptrcver is not responsible for any misuse.
💡 What Is Flash Bitcoin?
Flash Bitcoin refers to a spoofed BTC transaction that appears instantly in a wallet but is not confirmed on the blockchain. It is a temporary, visual transaction used for simulations, testing, or demonstrating wallet behavior.
🔍 Flash Bitcoin Meaning:
- BTC appears in the recipient wallet balance.
- It disappears after a set number of blocks or minutes.
- Not confirmed by miners, not spendable.
- Used in demos, stress tests, or simulated “proof of funds”.
Flash BTC is also called:
- Flash Bitcoin sender
- Flash BTC software
- Flash Bitcoin APK (mobile version)
💽 Flash Bitcoin Software — What It Does
Flash Bitcoin software lets you:
- Send unconfirmed BTC to any wallet (SegWit, Legacy, etc.)
- Choose expiry time (e.g. 20 minutes or 6 blocks)
- Configure amount, transaction speed, and delay
- Simulate flash bitcoin transactions that display as real
Popular for:
- Blockchain app testing
- Wallet balance simulation
- Flashing BTC to cold wallets or watch-only addresses
Versions like Flash Bitcoin Sender APK also exist for Android, making it easy to simulate transfers on mobile wallets like Electrum or Trust Wallet.
🛠️ Key Features of Flash Bitcoin Sender:
FeatureDescriptionFlash BTC balanceAppears instantly in walletExpiry optionsDisappears after blocks/timeOffline mode supportSend from private environmentsFlash Bitcoin APKAvailable for Android useFlash Bitcoin priceVaries by volume and license type
🚀 How to Flash Bitcoin (Step-by-Step)
- ✅ Install Flash BTC software or APK
- ✅ Enter the receiving wallet address
- ✅ Set BTC amount (e.g. 0.5 BTC)
- ✅ Choose expiration (e.g. 30 mins)
- ✅ Send — transaction appears instantly in the target wallet
Note: The transaction is visible but will never confirm on-chain. It vanishes after a set delay.
⚡ What Is Flash USDT?
Flash USDT is a spoofed USDT (Tether) transaction that mimics a legitimate token transfer. Like flash BTC, it appears in the wallet without a real blockchain confirmation, then disappears after a time or network rejection.
Flash USDT Basics:
- Works on TRC20, ERC20, and BEP20
- Appears in Trust Wallet, MetaMask, Binance Smart Chain wallets
- Often referred to as:
- Flash USDT wallet
- Atomic Flash USDT
- Flash USDT Binance spoof
🔧 Flash USDT Use Cases:
- Simulate “proof of funds”
- Show fake USDT deposits in investor training
- Flash USDT for Binance wallet tests
💼 Flash Software Options: Bitcoin vs USDT
FeatureFlash BitcoinFlash USDTCurrencyBTCUSDTWallet typeLegacy/SegWitTRC20, ERC20, BEP20Disappear timingBy block or timerTime-based (20–60 mins)Spendable?❌ No❌ NoConfirmed?❌ Never confirms❌ Never confirms
Both tools are simulation-only and should never be used to deceive others.
📱 Flash Bitcoin Sender for Android
Looking to flash on mobile?
The Flash Bitcoin APK is the easiest way to send spoofed BTC from your Android phone. It’s designed for:
- On-the-go wallet testing
- Real-time balance visualizations
- Lightweight operation for mobile testing labs
⚠️ Warning: Never Use Flash Transactions for Fraud
Flash BTC and Flash USDT tools are not real money. They cannot be sent, traded, or withdrawn. Using them in real marketplaces, to deceive vendors, or for financial gain is illegal and traceable.
Use only in:
- Environments you control
- Simulation labs
- Wallet development or education
📞 Ready to Get Started?
To purchase Flash Bitcoin tools, Flash USDT packages, or the sender software:
💬 Telegram: @crypptrcver\ 📱 WhatsApp: +1 941 217 1821
Custom builds, APK delivery, and live testing support available.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is flash bitcoin?
A temporary BTC transaction that appears in the wallet balance without being confirmed.
How to flash bitcoin?
Use flash BTC software or APK, input wallet address, choose amount and expiry, then send.
What is flash bitcoin sender APK?
A mobile version of the flash sender that allows you to simulate BTC deposits on Android.
How to buy flash USDT?
Contact @crypptrcver for Flash USDT packages tailored to TRC20, ERC20, or BEP20 wallets.
Is flash bitcoin or flash usdt real?
No — both are for testing and do not exist on the blockchain permanently.
🧠 Final Thoughts
In 2025, Flash Bitcoin and Flash USDT have become critical tools for developers, security researchers, and crypto educators. If you’re looking to explore blockchain simulations safely and responsibly, these tools offer unmatched realism — without actual crypto movement.
🔗 Contact to get started:
💬 Telegram: @crypptrcver\ 📱 WhatsApp: +1 941 217 1821
-
@ 3c389c8f:7a2eff7f
2025-05-14 21:14:38Writing about writing, that's what I'm doing today. A couple months in, trying to make writing on Nostr a regular part of my routine has been both interesting and enlightening. This Spatia Nostra blog started as passion project of unknown intention, beginning with an attempt to fill a glaring educational void... but creating these resources has also served as my own schooling. I've learned that everything works well sometimes but nothing works well all the time. Given that Nostr development, as a whole, is akin to stray cats herding chickens, in hopes that they will trample out 100 fires, this was not an unexpected experience. Beyond a few painful days when nothing would work, its actually gone smoother that I expected. The state of reading and writing tools is yet in major flux. Some are way behind but still work, others are in active development... which has its own set of pros and cons. I've read in notes, that the Primal team is currently riding their white stallions (across a beach, no less) to deliver the writing tools that save will save the day. There is no single solution to a multi-faceted problem, though, so writing is no different than search problems or spam problems, in that regard. I have no doubt that whatever they deliver will be functional and suitable for their readers and writers , but ultimately there needs to be many Nostr tools available for many different styles of author and many ways for readers to uptake their works. There might be value in sharing some of my insights, for anyone looking to write natively to Nostr or for anyone who may be building writing and reading related tools, so that is my aim here today. (With hope that most of this piece will become outdated sooner rather than later.) For the sake of not turning this into a multi-client review, because its already going to be really long, I will direct anyone who wants to dive right in to writing on Nostr here .
Where to begin:
Right now, there is no easy way to see which client was used to write a piece. There are exceptions, of course, and there are things I have not tried or cannot use due to my hardware, so I can't say that this rings true across the broader view of Nostr. If we assume that most people are introduced to Nostr through the microblogging/social media gateways, then they are likely introduced to longer Nostr content through their follow feed, either by a client that nicely displays these publications as standalone items or by authors and readers referencing a piece within a typical note (Kind 1, for all us Nostr nerds). As with the writing tools themselves, I know that support for advertising which client was used to create an event is rolling out with varying perceptions of its importance. In the interem, Nostr has the benefit of a wildly passionate user-base to fill these gaps. Oftentimes, the author themselves are willing to share which client was used to write a piece. If not, someone will almost surely be able and willing to answer. As the ecosystem grows, I imagine that it will suffer the same problem as every other human-occupied spaces... the more people there are, the less likely they are to talk to each other. Nostr makes it incredibly easy to reduce those types of negative social impacts, but I can still easily envision a situation in which the aspirational writer finds their calling from a piece written by a popular big-name writer, where the reply sections tend to become too noisy to find answers. To alleviate this, client tags are an obvious mitigation. I would love to see all major social/microblogging clients build in support for that one day, so that anyone new to Nostr can easily figure out where to begin.
Writing:
Oof, yeah... This is where things start to branch out into the wild and weird world that we all love so much. Prior to this 2-month stint ( which I have every intention of continuing), I had only written a couple of long notes, one wiki entry, and a few recipes. No hitches whatsoever. I have found now, that the more frequently I attempt to write, the more interesting problems I encounter... But sometimes it all works so silky, smoothly that it becomes a sensational, powerful experience where one can see just how much potential Nostr has to revolutionize the way we exchange information, with ourselves, our friends and the world.
When everything, or at least most things, are working well, its amazing. You can send yourself nostr events through messaging clients on mobile to access and reference from a web client later, with many of the different Nostr messaging apps. Not all messaging apps perform in the same way, so before you go confusing yourself, send a test message or two to see if your messaging app handles the 'note to self' concept in a way that makes sense to you. This might sound a little bit janky, but it's really just a simple way of creating notes for yourself. Having some quick thoughts that you don't want to lose while your on the go, so you can build upon them later, is another strong use aside from gathering reference materials. I like this method because nothing is so good at organizing my thoughts than my own brain. If you prefer to use a note taking app, there are some out there that have integrated Nostr features so that you can maintain your usual workflow while benefitting from Nostr's ubiquity. Once You have your basis, you know when its time to write. You have a few solid choices that all have the same basic functions, with a slightly different feel and interface, and slightly different additional features. You can find the one you like, bang out your thoughts, and use the others to tweak and adjust things. Because... Nostr, the reading side will always be somewhat variable, so you'll likely want to proof your own writing a few times, in a few clients, that you believe your readers will be using the most.
Everything Works!
For me, the amazing Nostr writing experience looks something like this:
I send myself some notes and thoughts on a multi-device messaging app. I visit my favorite publishing app for the majority of my writing because I like the thoughtful, quiet design. I can then jump to another and add tags, because I forgot to do that. It also has the best editing experience, so I can fix my damn typos while I'm there. Later on, I realize that maybe part of the revenue should go to the person who inspired my thoughts, so I visit a different client, initiate an edit, and add a revenue split to the post. Once I'm done, it looks amazing, and I want to check that it looks amazing in the places that I think my readers might see it, as well. I check through a few mobile social clients. Native display looks great, formatted neatly enough to call it a piece, with all referenced Nostr events displayed in pretty purple letters and linking to their naddr as intended. In posts that reference events, it links up great and takes me to a reading client intended to manage walls of text. Nice. All the while, I'm keeping in my mind that my work, should I or anyone else deem it worthy of longevity, is being stored across multiple relays, including my own rented relay (I should really set something up at home, I'll get there eventually). These thoughts are out there and they have the potential to stay there, wherever "there" may be. I don't have to worry about them being taken down or becoming unavailable because at least one of these many relays will be up and keeping my notes at any given moment, and the more my readers interact, the more sticky and distributed my work becomes. It'd be pretty rare for a controversial piece to come out of these fingertips, but its not impossible. I find a lot of peace in that, more predominately as the reader than the writer.
Nothing Works!
Unfortunately, this is not always the outcome of writing on Nostr regularly (Honestly, everything has its problems. This is not unique to Nostr). The more frequently you do something, the more likely you are to come across flaws and temporary issues or outages. So... the other side of this coin looks something like this:
I find a few things that I would like to reference in articles, I message them to myself. Unfortunately, the massages, though sent to myself, by myself, show up as recieved as sent by the authors of the notes I want to reference. Its not a big deal, I can sort that out but they easily become lost among all the other messages that I send and receive in between. It's a bit inconvenient but it still works. Thoughts to myself still work just fine. I sit down to write and my preferred client isn't recognizing my signing extension. Why? It worked yesterday. No matter, lets hop over to a different client, sign in, and ... nothing. Its recognizing my key but its not loading anything beyond an npub. Maybe its still working? I try writing... it looks like its working but upon publishing, nothing. No error, no loaders, my text just sits in the editor. Copy. Move to another client. Sign in, paste. adjust all the stuff because this one doesn't recognize the markdown links. I need to use their built-in tools for this (I know this from a previous day of some things working). Okay, this is great. Publish. At which point the text disappears and no note show up... hmm... its not connecting to any relays. I wish there was a way to check that before I had started. My clipboard is empty now because I wiped it clean while editing all the links. Hmm... One more try because I'm no quitter (to the point of detriment sometimes). Last try. Sign in, looks good. I half -ass rewrite my lost piece and attempt to publish and I am met with the infinite loading icon. I can't save my draft or publish. Smarter this time, I leave the text there, copy it to a local document, just in case, and quit for the day. The next day, I go back to this with a new client name I came across. It seems to work, its lacking some important features but that's ok. When the other editors are having better days, I can go back to edit tags and titles. Publish... Success! Or so I thought. I go around to do my checks, the event is no where to be found except in the client that was used to publish it. I copy the note ID from there and search around. Everything tells me: error, the event string is too short. I call it a wash. Over the next few days, the presence of that post comes and goes. Eventually it just stops showing up anywhere. Another new editor arrives, and once I figured out this stupid (me) signer issue that I was having, I republish that piece.
Things work, just not all at once...
Because of my own ignorance and because I think there is still value in interfacing with the outside-nostr world, for now I've opted keep publishing to both legacy web and Nostr. It acts as my fallback but also a little island of Nostr information. One day, I'll quit doing that but I'm not there yet. Nor are the tools that I would like to use in order to do so. That's okay, it's been incredible to witness the coordination amongst the chaos while the ecosystem gets fleshed out to something that can replace all of that. Everyday, I'm looking for ways to realistically help this process along and sometimes the best I can do is simply be willing to endure the mess while everything comes together. As I said at the beginning, this are just my insights and experiences. Most days are a happy middle between these two extremes. Writing on Nostr has huge potential to change the landscape of digital information and I will continue doing whatever the hell it is that at do so that it can be ready for the people who may really need it.
Reading...
Nah. Another day, maybe.
Find a list of Nostr writing tools here .
-
@ 1bda7e1f:bb97c4d9
2024-11-21 00:54:54Tldr
- Nostr is an open protocol which is interoperable with all kinds of other technologies
- You can use this interoperability to create custom solutions
- Nostr apps define the a custom URI scheme handler "nostr:"
- In this blog I use this to integrate Nostr with NFC cards
- I create a Nostr NFC "login card" which allows me to log into Amethyst client
- I create a Nostr NFC "business card" which allows anyone to find my profile with a tap
Inter-Op All The Things!
Nostr is a new open social protocol for the internet. This open nature is very exciting because it means Nostr can add new capabilities to all other internet-connected technologies, from browsers to web applications. In my view, it achieves this through three core capabilities.
- A lightweight decentralised identity (Nostr keys, "npubs" and "nsecs"),
- A lightweight data distribution network (Nostr relays),
- A set of data interoperability standards (The Nostr Improvement Protocols "NIPs"), including the "nostr:" URI which we'll use in this post.
The lightweight nature is its core strength. Very little is required to interoperate with Nostr, which means many existing technologies can be easily used with the network.
Over the next few blog posts, I'll explore different Nostr inter-op ideas, and also deliver my first small open source projects to the community. I'll cover–
- NFC cards integrated with Nostr (in this post),
- Workflow Automations integrated with Nostr,
- AI LLMs integrated with Nostr.
The "Nostr:" URI
One feature of Nostr is it defines a custom URI scheme handler "nostr:". What is that?
A URI is used to identify a resource in a system. A system will have a protocol handler registry used to store such URI's, and if a system has a URI registered, then it knows what to do when it sees it. You are probably already familiar with some URI schemes such as "http:" and "mailto:". For example, when you click an http link, the system knows that it describes an http resource and opens a web browser to fetch the content from the internet.
A nostr: link operates in the same way. The nostr: prefix indicates a custom URI scheme specifically designed for the Nostr protocol. If a system has a Nostr application installed, that application may have registered "nostr:" in the protocol handler registry. On that system when a "nostr:" URI is clicked, the system will know that it describes a nostr resource and open the Nostr client to fetch the content from the nostr relay network.
This inter-op with the protocol handler registry gives us the power to do nice and exciting things with other technologies.
Nostr and NFC
Another technology that uses URIs is NFC cards. NFC (Near Field Communication) is a wireless technology that enables devices to exchange data over a few centimeters. It’s widely used in contactless payments, access control, and information sharing.
NFC tags are small chips embedded in cards or stickers which can store data like plain text, URLs, or custom URIs. They are very cheap (cents each) and widely available (Amazon with next day delivery).
When an NFC tag contains a URI, such as a http: (or nostr:) link, it acts as a trigger. Tapping the tag with an NFC-enabled device launches the associated application and processes the URI. For example, tapping a tag with "nostr:..." could open a Nostr client, directing it to a specific login page, public profile, or event.
This inter-op allows us to bridge the physical world to Nostr with just a tap.
Many useful ideas
There are many interesting ways to use this. Too many for me to explore. Perhaps some of these are interesting for your next side hustle?
- Nostr NFC "login cards" – tap to log into Amethyst on Android,
- Nostr NFC "business cards" – give to connections so they can tap to load your npub,
- Nostr NFC "payment cards" – integrating lightning network or ecash,
- Nostr NFC "doorbells", "punch cards", "drop boxes", or "dead drops" – put a tag in a specific place and tap to open a location-specific message or chat,
- Integrations with other access control systems,
- Integrations with other home automation systems,
- Many more ...
To start with I have built and use the "login card" and "business card" solutions. This blog post will show you how to do the same.
Nostr Login Card
You can use an NFC card to log into your Nostr client.
Most Nostr clients accept a variety of login methods, from posting your nsec into the app (insecure) to using a remote signer (more secure). A less known but more secure method is to sign into a session with a tap of a specially-configured NFC card. Amethyst is a Nostr client on Android which supports this type of login.
- A secure method for logging in
- Optionally keeps no log in history on the device after logout
- Does not require users to know or understand how keys work
- Keys are kept secure on a physically-separated card to reduce risk of compromise
Nostr devs think that this is useful for anti-establishment actors–Fair enough. For me, I am interested in this login card pattern as it could be useful for rolling out identities within an organisation context with less training (office workers are already familiar with door access cards). This pattern potentially abstracts away key management to the IT or ops team who provision the cards.
I first discovered this when Kohei demonstrated it in his video.
Here's how you set it up at a high level–
- Buy yourself some NFC cards
- Get your Nostr key ready in an encrypted, password protected format called "nencryptsec"
- Write the nencryptsec to the NFC card as a custom URI
- Tap to load the login screen, and enter your password to login
Here it is in detail–
Buy yourself some NFC cards
I found no specific requirements. As usual with Nostr so far, I tried to the cheapest possible route and it worked. Generic brand NFC cards shipped from China, I believe it was 50X for $15 from Amazon. Your mileage may vary.
Get your Nostr key ready
Your key will be saved to the NFC card in an encrypted password-protected format called "nencryptsec". Several applications support this. As we'll be using this to login to Amethyst, we will use Amethyst to output the nencryptsec for us.
- Login to Amethyst with your nsec,
- Open the sidebar and click "Backup Keys",
- Enter a password, and click "Encrypt and my secret key",
- It will add the password-protected key to your clipboard in the format "ncryptsec1...",
- Remember to backup your password.
Write the ncryptsec to the NFC card
- Download the free NFC Tools app to your device, and open it,
- Click "Write" and "Add a record", then click "Custom URL / URI",
- Paste your nencryptsec with the nostr URI in front, i.e. "nostr:ncryptsec1..." and click OK,
- Click "Write". NFC Tools will prompt you to "Approach an NFC tag",
- Place your NFC card against your phone, and it will write to the card,
- Your card is ready.
Tap to load the login screen
Tap the card against your phone again, and your phone should open the login screen of Amethyst and prompt you for your password.
Once you enter your password, Amethyst will decrypt your nsec and log you in.
Optionally, you can also set the app to forget you once you log out.
You have created a Nostr NFC "login card".
Nostr Business Card
You can use another NFC card to give anyone you meet a link straight to your Nostr profile.
I attended Peter McCormack's #CheatCode conference in Sydney and gave a few of these out following the Nostr panel, notably to Preston Pysh where it got some cut through and found me my first 100 followers. You can do the same.
To create your Nostr NFC "business card" is even easier than your NFC "login card".
- Buy yourself some NFC cards,
- Download the free NFC Tools app to your device, and open it,
- Click "Write" and "Add a record", then click "Custom URL / URI",
- Write your npub to the NFC card as a custom URI in the format "nostr:npub1..." (e.g. for me this is "nostr:npub1r0d8u8mnj6769500nypnm28a9hpk9qg8jr0ehe30tygr3wuhcnvs4rfsft"),
- Your card is ready.
Give the card to someone who is a Nostr user, and when they tap the card against their phone it will open their preferred Nostr client and go directly to your Nostr profile page.
You have created a Nostr NFC "business card".
What I Did Wrong
I like to share what I did wrong so you don't have to make the same mistakes. This time, this was very easy, and little went wrong. In general
- When password-protecting your nsec, don't forget the password!
- When writing to the NFC card, make sure to use "Custom URI/URL" as this accepts your "nostr:" URI scheme. If you use generic "URI/URL" it won't work.
What's Next
Over my first four blogs I have explored creating a good Nostr setup
- Mined a Nostr pubkey and backed up the mnemonic
- Set up Nostr payments with a Lightning wallet plus all the bells and whistles
- Set up NIP-05 and Lighting Address at my own domain
- Set up a Personal Relay at my own domain
Over the next few blogs I will be exploring different types of Nostr inter-op
- NFC cards integrated with Nostr (this post)
- Workflow Automations integrated with Nostr
- AI LLMs integrated with Nostr
Please be sure to let me know if you think there's another Nostr topic you'd like to see me tackle.
GM Nostr.
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@ 5e5fc143:393d5a2c
2024-11-19 10:20:25Now test old reliable front end Stay tuned more later Keeping this as template long note for debugging in future as come across few NIP-33 post edit issues
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@ 3c389c8f:7a2eff7f
2025-05-14 21:03:32Clients:
https://untype.app
https://habla.news
https://yakihonne.com
https://cypher.space
https://highlighter.com
Plug Ins:
https://github.com/jamesmagoo/nostr-writer
Content Tagging:
https://labelmachine.org
https://ontolo.social
Blog-like Display and Personal Pages:
https://orocolo.me
https://npub.pro
Personal Notes and Messaging:
https://app.flotilla.social There's an app, too!
https://nosbin.com
RSS Readers:
https://nostrapps.com/noflux
https://nostrapps.com/narr
https://nostrapps.com/feeder
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@ 5f078e90:b2bacaa3
2025-05-14 20:59:12Tortoise test 2
Tortoise title And a subtitle https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hostr/23vsBdQma3chpbmdYd6M3yBdn5teaCsbPHhWLcKKEyLjcaw1r7Ae1vdUvVg4y8yfaTcT7.png In a sunny meadow, Tucker the tortoise trudged with steady steps. His shell gleamed under the noon sun. Each day, he roamed, seeking sweet clover. One spring, a flood trapped his friends. Tucker, calm and strong, carried them to high ground. By dusk, all were safe. His quiet resolve united the meadow, their cheers a soft hum. Tucker’s slow pace became a tale of grit in every blade of grass. Character count: 349
Originally posted on Hive at https://hive.blog/@hostr/tortoise-test-2
Auto cross-post via Hostr bridge v0.0.26 at https://hostr-home.vercel.app
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@ af9c48b7:a3f7aaf4
2024-11-18 20:26:07Chef's notes
This simple, easy, no bake desert will surely be the it at you next family gathering. You can keep it a secret or share it with the crowd that this is a healthy alternative to normal pie. I think everyone will be amazed at how good it really is.
Details
- ⏲️ Prep time: 30
- 🍳 Cook time: 0
- 🍽️ Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup of Heavy Cream- 0g sugar, 5.5g carbohydrates
- 3/4 cup of Half and Half- 6g sugar, 3g carbohydrates
- 4oz Sugar Free Cool Whip (1/2 small container) - 0g sugar, 37.5g carbohydrates
- 1.5oz box (small box) of Sugar Free Instant Chocolate Pudding- 0g sugar, 32g carbohydrates
- 1 Pecan Pie Crust- 24g sugar, 72g carbohydrates
Directions
- The total pie has 30g of sugar and 149.50g of carboydrates. So if you cut the pie into 8 equal slices, that would come to 3.75g of sugar and 18.69g carbohydrates per slice. If you decided to not eat the crust, your sugar intake would be .75 gram per slice and the carborytrates would be 9.69g per slice. Based on your objective, you could use only heavy whipping cream and no half and half to further reduce your sugar intake.
- Mix all wet ingredients and the instant pudding until thoroughly mixed and a consistent color has been achieved. The heavy whipping cream causes the mixture to thicken the more you mix it. So, I’d recommend using an electric mixer. Once you are satisfied with the color, start mixing in the whipping cream until it has a consistent “chocolate” color thorough. Once your satisfied with the color, spoon the mixture into the pie crust, smooth the top to your liking, and then refrigerate for one hour before serving.
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@ 56cd780f:cbde8b29
2025-05-14 19:32:05Jo, blomster kommer i alle farger og fasonger. Her har du to eksempler:
sha256:157e9ab54c0d78651aa3b33ecbc64b2e9ce4d5a22bdb6755def739086d286f60 sha256:d6facbbc74b17c83c161c2a2baee2040d427c5e5dd3c55051089ec59370e4a08
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@ 41e6f20b:06049e45
2024-11-17 17:33:55Let me tell you a beautiful story. Last night, during the speakers' dinner at Monerotopia, the waitress was collecting tiny tips in Mexican pesos. I asked her, "Do you really want to earn tips seriously?" I then showed her how to set up a Cake Wallet, and she started collecting tips in Monero, reaching 0.9 XMR. Of course, she wanted to cash out to fiat immediately, but it solved a real problem for her: making more money. That amount was something she would never have earned in a single workday. We kept talking, and I promised to give her Zoom workshops. What can I say? I love people, and that's why I'm a natural orange-piller.
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@ 4ba8e86d:89d32de4
2024-11-14 09:17:14Tutorial feito por nostr:nostr:npub1rc56x0ek0dd303eph523g3chm0wmrs5wdk6vs0ehd0m5fn8t7y4sqra3tk poste original abaixo:
Parte 1 : http://xh6liiypqffzwnu5734ucwps37tn2g6npthvugz3gdoqpikujju525yd.onion/263585/tutorial-debloat-de-celulares-android-via-adb-parte-1
Parte 2 : http://xh6liiypqffzwnu5734ucwps37tn2g6npthvugz3gdoqpikujju525yd.onion/index.php/263586/tutorial-debloat-de-celulares-android-via-adb-parte-2
Quando o assunto é privacidade em celulares, uma das medidas comumente mencionadas é a remoção de bloatwares do dispositivo, também chamado de debloat. O meio mais eficiente para isso sem dúvidas é a troca de sistema operacional. Custom Rom’s como LineageOS, GrapheneOS, Iodé, CalyxOS, etc, já são bastante enxutos nesse quesito, principalmente quanto não é instalado os G-Apps com o sistema. No entanto, essa prática pode acabar resultando em problemas indesejados como a perca de funções do dispositivo, e até mesmo incompatibilidade com apps bancários, tornando este método mais atrativo para quem possui mais de um dispositivo e separando um apenas para privacidade. Pensando nisso, pessoas que possuem apenas um único dispositivo móvel, que são necessitadas desses apps ou funções, mas, ao mesmo tempo, tem essa visão em prol da privacidade, buscam por um meio-termo entre manter a Stock rom, e não ter seus dados coletados por esses bloatwares. Felizmente, a remoção de bloatwares é possível e pode ser realizada via root, ou mais da maneira que este artigo irá tratar, via adb.
O que são bloatwares?
Bloatware é a junção das palavras bloat (inchar) + software (programa), ou seja, um bloatware é basicamente um programa inútil ou facilmente substituível — colocado em seu dispositivo previamente pela fabricante e operadora — que está no seu dispositivo apenas ocupando espaço de armazenamento, consumindo memória RAM e pior, coletando seus dados e enviando para servidores externos, além de serem mais pontos de vulnerabilidades.
O que é o adb?
O Android Debug Brigde, ou apenas adb, é uma ferramenta que se utiliza das permissões de usuário shell e permite o envio de comandos vindo de um computador para um dispositivo Android exigindo apenas que a depuração USB esteja ativa, mas também pode ser usada diretamente no celular a partir do Android 11, com o uso do Termux e a depuração sem fio (ou depuração wifi). A ferramenta funciona normalmente em dispositivos sem root, e também funciona caso o celular esteja em Recovery Mode.
Requisitos:
Para computadores:
• Depuração USB ativa no celular; • Computador com adb; • Cabo USB;
Para celulares:
• Depuração sem fio (ou depuração wifi) ativa no celular; • Termux; • Android 11 ou superior;
Para ambos:
• Firewall NetGuard instalado e configurado no celular; • Lista de bloatwares para seu dispositivo;
Ativação de depuração:
Para ativar a Depuração USB em seu dispositivo, pesquise como ativar as opções de desenvolvedor de seu dispositivo, e lá ative a depuração. No caso da depuração sem fio, sua ativação irá ser necessária apenas no momento que for conectar o dispositivo ao Termux.
Instalação e configuração do NetGuard
O NetGuard pode ser instalado através da própria Google Play Store, mas de preferência instale pela F-Droid ou Github para evitar telemetria.
F-Droid: https://f-droid.org/packages/eu.faircode.netguard/
Github: https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard/releases
Após instalado, configure da seguinte maneira:
Configurações → padrões (lista branca/negra) → ative as 3 primeiras opções (bloquear wifi, bloquear dados móveis e aplicar regras ‘quando tela estiver ligada’);
Configurações → opções avançadas → ative as duas primeiras (administrar aplicativos do sistema e registrar acesso a internet);
Com isso, todos os apps estarão sendo bloqueados de acessar a internet, seja por wifi ou dados móveis, e na página principal do app basta permitir o acesso a rede para os apps que você vai usar (se necessário). Permita que o app rode em segundo plano sem restrição da otimização de bateria, assim quando o celular ligar, ele já estará ativo.
Lista de bloatwares
Nem todos os bloatwares são genéricos, haverá bloatwares diferentes conforme a marca, modelo, versão do Android, e até mesmo região.
Para obter uma lista de bloatwares de seu dispositivo, caso seu aparelho já possua um tempo de existência, você encontrará listas prontas facilmente apenas pesquisando por elas. Supondo que temos um Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus em mãos, basta pesquisar em seu motor de busca por:
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus bloatware list
Provavelmente essas listas já terão inclusas todos os bloatwares das mais diversas regiões, lhe poupando o trabalho de buscar por alguma lista mais específica.
Caso seu aparelho seja muito recente, e/ou não encontre uma lista pronta de bloatwares, devo dizer que você acaba de pegar em merda, pois é chato para um caralho pesquisar por cada aplicação para saber sua função, se é essencial para o sistema ou se é facilmente substituível.
De antemão já aviso, que mais para frente, caso vossa gostosura remova um desses aplicativos que era essencial para o sistema sem saber, vai acabar resultando na perda de alguma função importante, ou pior, ao reiniciar o aparelho o sistema pode estar quebrado, lhe obrigando a seguir com uma formatação, e repetir todo o processo novamente.
Download do adb em computadores
Para usar a ferramenta do adb em computadores, basta baixar o pacote chamado SDK platform-tools, disponível através deste link: https://developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools. Por ele, você consegue o download para Windows, Mac e Linux.
Uma vez baixado, basta extrair o arquivo zipado, contendo dentro dele uma pasta chamada platform-tools que basta ser aberta no terminal para se usar o adb.
Download do adb em celulares com Termux.
Para usar a ferramenta do adb diretamente no celular, antes temos que baixar o app Termux, que é um emulador de terminal linux, e já possui o adb em seu repositório. Você encontra o app na Google Play Store, mas novamente recomendo baixar pela F-Droid ou diretamente no Github do projeto.
F-Droid: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.termux/
Github: https://github.com/termux/termux-app/releases
Processo de debloat
Antes de iniciarmos, é importante deixar claro que não é para você sair removendo todos os bloatwares de cara sem mais nem menos, afinal alguns deles precisam antes ser substituídos, podem ser essenciais para você para alguma atividade ou função, ou até mesmo são insubstituíveis.
Alguns exemplos de bloatwares que a substituição é necessária antes da remoção, é o Launcher, afinal, é a interface gráfica do sistema, e o teclado, que sem ele só é possível digitar com teclado externo. O Launcher e teclado podem ser substituídos por quaisquer outros, minha recomendação pessoal é por aqueles que respeitam sua privacidade, como Pie Launcher e Simple Laucher, enquanto o teclado pelo OpenBoard e FlorisBoard, todos open-source e disponíveis da F-Droid.
Identifique entre a lista de bloatwares, quais você gosta, precisa ou prefere não substituir, de maneira alguma você é obrigado a remover todos os bloatwares possíveis, modifique seu sistema a seu bel-prazer. O NetGuard lista todos os apps do celular com o nome do pacote, com isso você pode filtrar bem qual deles não remover.
Um exemplo claro de bloatware insubstituível e, portanto, não pode ser removido, é o com.android.mtp, um protocolo onde sua função é auxiliar a comunicação do dispositivo com um computador via USB, mas por algum motivo, tem acesso a rede e se comunica frequentemente com servidores externos. Para esses casos, e melhor solução mesmo é bloquear o acesso a rede desses bloatwares com o NetGuard.
MTP tentando comunicação com servidores externos:
Executando o adb shell
No computador
Faça backup de todos os seus arquivos importantes para algum armazenamento externo, e formate seu celular com o hard reset. Após a formatação, e a ativação da depuração USB, conecte seu aparelho e o pc com o auxílio de um cabo USB. Muito provavelmente seu dispositivo irá apenas começar a carregar, por isso permita a transferência de dados, para que o computador consiga se comunicar normalmente com o celular.
Já no pc, abra a pasta platform-tools dentro do terminal, e execute o seguinte comando:
./adb start-server
O resultado deve ser:
daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037 daemon started successfully
E caso não apareça nada, execute:
./adb kill-server
E inicie novamente.
Com o adb conectado ao celular, execute:
./adb shell
Para poder executar comandos diretamente para o dispositivo. No meu caso, meu celular é um Redmi Note 8 Pro, codinome Begonia.
Logo o resultado deve ser:
begonia:/ $
Caso ocorra algum erro do tipo:
adb: device unauthorized. This adb server’s $ADB_VENDOR_KEYS is not set Try ‘adb kill-server’ if that seems wrong. Otherwise check for a confirmation dialog on your device.
Verifique no celular se apareceu alguma confirmação para autorizar a depuração USB, caso sim, autorize e tente novamente. Caso não apareça nada, execute o kill-server e repita o processo.
No celular
Após realizar o mesmo processo de backup e hard reset citado anteriormente, instale o Termux e, com ele iniciado, execute o comando:
pkg install android-tools
Quando surgir a mensagem “Do you want to continue? [Y/n]”, basta dar enter novamente que já aceita e finaliza a instalação
Agora, vá até as opções de desenvolvedor, e ative a depuração sem fio. Dentro das opções da depuração sem fio, terá uma opção de emparelhamento do dispositivo com um código, que irá informar para você um código em emparelhamento, com um endereço IP e porta, que será usado para a conexão com o Termux.
Para facilitar o processo, recomendo que abra tanto as configurações quanto o Termux ao mesmo tempo, e divida a tela com os dois app’s, como da maneira a seguir:
Para parear o Termux com o dispositivo, não é necessário digitar o ip informado, basta trocar por “localhost”, já a porta e o código de emparelhamento, deve ser digitado exatamente como informado. Execute:
adb pair localhost:porta CódigoDeEmparelhamento
De acordo com a imagem mostrada anteriormente, o comando ficaria “adb pair localhost:41255 757495”.
Com o dispositivo emparelhado com o Termux, agora basta conectar para conseguir executar os comandos, para isso execute:
adb connect localhost:porta
Obs: a porta que você deve informar neste comando não é a mesma informada com o código de emparelhamento, e sim a informada na tela principal da depuração sem fio.
Pronto! Termux e adb conectado com sucesso ao dispositivo, agora basta executar normalmente o adb shell:
adb shell
Remoção na prática Com o adb shell executado, você está pronto para remover os bloatwares. No meu caso, irei mostrar apenas a remoção de um app (Google Maps), já que o comando é o mesmo para qualquer outro, mudando apenas o nome do pacote.
Dentro do NetGuard, verificando as informações do Google Maps:
Podemos ver que mesmo fora de uso, e com a localização do dispositivo desativado, o app está tentando loucamente se comunicar com servidores externos, e informar sabe-se lá que peste. Mas sem novidades até aqui, o mais importante é que podemos ver que o nome do pacote do Google Maps é com.google.android.apps.maps, e para o remover do celular, basta executar:
pm uninstall –user 0 com.google.android.apps.maps
E pronto, bloatware removido! Agora basta repetir o processo para o resto dos bloatwares, trocando apenas o nome do pacote.
Para acelerar o processo, você pode já criar uma lista do bloco de notas com os comandos, e quando colar no terminal, irá executar um atrás do outro.
Exemplo de lista:
Caso a donzela tenha removido alguma coisa sem querer, também é possível recuperar o pacote com o comando:
cmd package install-existing nome.do.pacote
Pós-debloat
Após limpar o máximo possível o seu sistema, reinicie o aparelho, caso entre no como recovery e não seja possível dar reboot, significa que você removeu algum app “essencial” para o sistema, e terá que formatar o aparelho e repetir toda a remoção novamente, desta vez removendo poucos bloatwares de uma vez, e reiniciando o aparelho até descobrir qual deles não pode ser removido. Sim, dá trabalho… quem mandou querer privacidade?
Caso o aparelho reinicie normalmente após a remoção, parabéns, agora basta usar seu celular como bem entender! Mantenha o NetGuard sempre executando e os bloatwares que não foram possíveis remover não irão se comunicar com servidores externos, passe a usar apps open source da F-Droid e instale outros apps através da Aurora Store ao invés da Google Play Store.
Referências: Caso você seja um Australopithecus e tenha achado este guia difícil, eis uma videoaula (3:14:40) do Anderson do canal Ciberdef, realizando todo o processo: http://odysee.com/@zai:5/Como-remover-at%C3%A9-200-APLICATIVOS-que-colocam-a-sua-PRIVACIDADE-E-SEGURAN%C3%87A-em-risco.:4?lid=6d50f40314eee7e2f218536d9e5d300290931d23
Pdf’s do Anderson citados na videoaula: créditos ao anon6837264 http://eternalcbrzpicytj4zyguygpmkjlkddxob7tptlr25cdipe5svyqoqd.onion/file/3863a834d29285d397b73a4af6fb1bbe67c888d72d30/t-05e63192d02ffd.pdf
Processo de instalação do Termux e adb no celular: https://youtu.be/APolZrPHSms
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@ c9badfea:610f861a
2025-05-14 18:38:04- Install KeePassDX (it's free and open source)
- Launch the app, tap Create New Vault, and choose a location to store the database file
- Activate the Password slider
- Type a Password and Confirm Password, then tap OK
- Tap + and Add Entry to add your first credentials
- Enter a Title, Username, and Password (you can also generate a password here)
- Tap ✓ at the bottom to create the entry
- Tap ⋮ and then Save Data to save the database
- Tap 🔒 to lock the database
⚠️ Make sure you use strong, high-entropy passphrases
⚠️ Back up the database file to a secure location (e.g. encrypted USB drive)
ℹ️ The database file (
.kdbx
) can also be opened with various KeePass ports