i love the discussion in the comments about how to best frame their
plan so it doesn’t seem like they’re trying to take over the Bahamas,
even though from everything they’ve said it seems as though they
absolutely are at least considering the long-term goal of taking over
the Bahamas
> So beachside massages should be expensable.
There’s an anecdote from a podcast I listen to when I’m cooking (ALAB Series with @allahliker, formerly helldude) about being in a meeting with an executive at big multinational where the guy is asked “what does it mean to have work life balance” and the guy replies that there’s this one time when he’s on vacation, and he’s sitting in the hot tub and he realises he needs to do his emails, so he breaks out the iPad and he does his emails from his hot tub in the Hamptons, and that’s work-life balance
As horrifying as that story is, this is so much worse
I don't know man that's kind of like "how do you own things if you're a socialist".
Just because we don't like the idea of cryptocurrency doesn't mean it won't gain value.
Blockchain technology itself has useful applications anyway. If crypto is the last way to maintain capitalism they'll resort to it.
The point you're missing is that cryptocurrency is a.) really bad for the planet and b.) doesn't have many use-cases outside of speculation and criminal activity. If you're all about promoting altruistic values, relying on that kind of technology for funding is pretty antithetical to your stated aims.
(but in practice, it doesn't matter since the real goal of EA is to be "indulgences for nerds", and it's clearly working if you've managed to get a billionaire to assuage his guilt by buying you free trips to the Bahamas.)
Proof of work is bad for the planet. There are other methods which allow transactions to be validated without using tons and tons of electricity (this is what miners do, very costly for the environment)
Crypto is not dependant on mining. Certain cryptos are, but others are not.
Crypto does have use cases, it is easier to track than cash as all transactions are recorded in an unchangeable ledger, that is not controlled by any centralized system.
Many companies are dipping their toes into blockchain tech to see how it can improve/secure and provide transparency to supply chain/inventory.
What do you think the future of Crypto is? Bearing in mind that it does not require harming the environment through mining to exist or be used.
Regulation on crypto has been increasing since 2014, a regulated and fully traceable ledger has many advantages over untraceable cash. Keep in mind cash has been used to finance illegal activities since its inception. The crime we're seeing early on is a result of lack of regulation. Pretty standard for new and disruptive industries.
Legislation always has to catch up.
> What do you think the future of Crypto is?
Based on the **present** of Crypto, I think it's going to continue to be a series of various Ponzi schemes in an attempt to lure in more bagholders that will probably rise and fall for a few decades until all the money has been squeezed out. With a side of "being used for illegal activity" until the authorities are able and willing to catch up with that.
Its only fair to mention that the majority of illegal activity and ponzis are conducted through use of cash.
The early stages of crypto have been unregulated, bad actors will always find the path of least resistance. Given the current capabilities of the network, financial transactions are more traceable and transparent if processed on a blockchain (you also can't mess with the data after the fact, cooking books etc, all transactions recorded are final).
The transparency of blockchain finance would disallow governments and cartels from hiding their spending. Now whether or not a government should be able to hide it's spending is a separate argument, if they choose to, they can simply use cash to hide those transactions as they currently are.
We all know HSBC and other banks have laundered money for the cartels for long time. I think it is in the interests of all US citizens to put a stop to that behavior, especially since the taxpayers had to bail the banks out in 2008.
They continue to make risky financial decisions and are not held accountable for their illegal actions while we have to foot the bill. Regulators have proven they are not willing to put the effort into quelling these issues. Blockchain tech provides an avenue for their activities to be monitored and investigated by individuals/third parties who may be able to bring concerning activities to the authorities' attention.
This is an issue of governments failing to regulate both cash and crypto. Crypto has the advantage of being fully traceable without the ability to change/delete data after the fact.
It's really not bad for the planet. Wouldn't even matter if we were using renewable resources.
You think that printing and destroying money, having banks, bank workers, ATMs, the list goes on for miles. Is better for the environment?
It isn't but I would still hate to see cryptocurrency succeed as a pure form of Austrian economics.
Crypto the currency has little use outside capitalism. Just as regular currency has little use.
Personal ownership is still important even under socialism. You can prove you own something using the blockchain. Or better you can even verify documents and encrypt them. Better than a government sending you personal letters by post?
We don't need to be blind to capitalism and that direction it's heading just because we don't agree with it.
Cryptocurrency certainly would solve a lot of problems, but it will create even more massive wealth inequality.
Anyway this Bahamas thing is just a ponzi scheme yeah.
But let's be aware that our economic system is already ridiculous. I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss people like musk for example inspiring a lot of radicalised 'altruists', and if crypto actually took off we could have problems.
great points dude. as a socialist and anarchist, I really love banks and related industries. it's either a world of crypto or a world of banks and no other world is remotely plausible
Why are you so angry man, did you get stung day trading lol
Just being disingenuous of you're saying it has no applications.
To be clear I'm extremely against capitalism. And therefore money holds no interest to me.
Why can't you support the idea of blockchain without the use of cryptocurrency?
It'll be an up and coming industry whether you agree with the concept or not
Block chain has ONE useful application so far. distributed version control like Git and Mercurial. Oh, and maybe secure logging and secure databases. Everything else is hot garbage.
lol, what did you think you read? It's like you're responding to a completely different comment. I didn't say anything about the value of cryptocurrency or usefulness of blockchain tech.
I mean we don't all act totally ethically every day do we.
You seemed to be dismissing cryptocurrency as having no value when actually it has proven to be immensely valuable in a monetary sense.
If I buy crypto do I become a bad person even though I'd change to socialism tomorrow if I could have it my way?
I just see a lot of people who disagree with the idea, not understanding that blockchain technologies have value aside from being a form of currency.
The incentive can change from money, to simply being included in software. Then we can pool people's resources to perform calculations useful for scientists or other.
Unfortunately we live under capitalism and the coins connected to certain projects will probably appreciate in value. Doing good is the afterthought.
I don't believe cryptocurrency is 1) effective (i.e. efficient) as a currency or 2) that investment in it is motivated by altruistic ends - hence the irony.
The rest of your seeming is an overread, probably from beng a crypto wierdo but you do you.
lol well you're absolutely wrong. If capitalism is what we're going to be forced through crypto is a no brainer.
Unfortunately capitalism is extremely unethical.
I get you, but I'm saying don't underestimate your enemy.
But we're not likely to see this big change in our lifetime anyway 🤷
Just trying to have a genuine conversation.
You care so much about this that you frequent the bitcoin hate sub. Just weird man, if you don't like it ignore it. Far worse things in the world lol.
It's just another version of that anti kid sub, "I hate kids so much that I have to tell everyone about it".
Anyway I'm only interested in blockchain because I have a CS degree. No need to be on the offensive buddy.
I respect /u/dgerard specifically because he shares the same personality trait I have of obsessing over something that’s clearly bullshit enough to draw out exactly why it’s bullshit. That isn’t a bad thing, and it’s not *always* healthy, but it’s by no means a pathology in and of itself, even if it’s “weird”. Blockchain is clearly a useful technology (for a given definition of “useful”), but for all the wrong reasons and primarily to the worst possible people.
I think it's driven by emotion and not logic. That guy is disproportionately angry at bitcoin.
Immediately got very hostile with me. Think this sub should consider it's similarities with other echo chambers. Instant unfollow.
I mean capitalism is bullshit 🤷 hardly a revolutionary take he was having.
The guy literally wrote two full (and pretty successful) books explaining in detail his issues with crypto, this isn’t an echo chamber or emotion thing
My own graduate degree culminated in a dissertation examining in detail economic/financial issues during the GFC which I happily analogise to crypto and David’s take on it
Frankly, you can unfollow all you like but fuck me do CS people have thin skins and thinner knowledge about finance
“Screaming”? Is your skin actually that thin? He told you to go fuck yourself. I guess if you’re from Minnesota that’s a genuine actionable fuck off - unless you’re carrying an armalite - but in most of the world we can generally handle the diss. Well-adjusted people - and I will grant I’m not a particularly well-adjusted person, but I consider that less my own fault than the state of the world - don’t call “lol gfy” a form of “screaming”
No man it doesn't phase me lol but generally people that go from zero to one hundred like that are nutjobs
> I’m not a particularly well-adjusted person, but I consider that less my own fault than the state of the world
lol it's everyone else that's wrong ok
edit: Lol I see you got upset and banned more people than just me
This sub may as well be alt right with your weird emotional behaviour. L8r sk8r.
I've seen spring break plans created by heavily intoxicated undergrads that had more structure and organization. And probably better outcomes, honestly.
This seems the pattern with EA, apart from make money, distribute nets, fund agi friendly research, they have little other concrete top down actual altruist plans. Bit odd.
Like dont get me wrong it is at least a little bit good that they want to be altruistic it is just weirdly capitalist. The road to hell etc.
Love the guy in the comments saying 10k dollars is low pay and then
offering ‘translating their disagreement into a bet’ to a guy who said
the Bahamas are cheaper than the Bay Area
It’s a fairly small country, and I think if a lot of EAs move there
EA could end up being a somewhat influential force in the country: as is
I think there’s a decent chance of a lot more crypto moving there and it
becoming somewhat of a crypto/fintech hub.
Perhaps the second sons of our new Cryto lords will turn the Bahamas
into a Crytoligarchy, and when their imported peasants revolt from their
‘social experiment’ with effective indentured servitude, they’ll move to
Charleston and when the feds get uppity they’ll take Fort Sumter.
[deleted]
i love the discussion in the comments about how to best frame their plan so it doesn’t seem like they’re trying to take over the Bahamas, even though from everything they’ve said it seems as though they absolutely are at least considering the long-term goal of taking over the Bahamas
Of course, you would post this the day after applications have closed.
Painfully ironic to fund ‘effective altruism’ through cryptocurrency services.
So beachside massages should be expensable.
It’s not a EA comment section unless people start arguing/betting and updating priors over wether the food there is more expensive than in SF
Altruism is: using crypto profits to fly your friends to a tax haven
Well, that is a very clear job description.
And people ask to explain a bit in the comments, and it doesn’t seem to get clearer at all.
Love the guy in the comments saying 10k dollars is low pay and then offering ‘translating their disagreement into a bet’ to a guy who said the Bahamas are cheaper than the Bay Area
Free Keene!
Effective nationalists.
Perhaps the second sons of our new Cryto lords will turn the Bahamas into a Crytoligarchy, and when their imported peasants revolt from their ‘social experiment’ with effective indentured servitude, they’ll move to Charleston and when the feds get uppity they’ll take Fort Sumter.