No, just being realistic. Tech exists to make our lives easier and while I think there's definitely a place for torrents, we can't expect most people to want to use them for most things.
I agree it shouldn't be political but the reason many Bitcoiners are right wing is because the left is obsessed with blaming capitalism, billionaires and private property instead of the real issues (fractional reserve banking, fiat, too much power in the federal government, etc). The left wants communism/socialism because they think hard money, freedom and small government are problems rather than the solution.
If they could at least rally behind the *actual* problems to the economic ills, Bitcoin wouldn't need to be seen as political. At the same time, together, we'd be a force to be reckoned with because we'd be united while the elite want us divided.
Can relate. As a broke, almost-30 dude in the middle of a career change who is still struggling to find ways to even buy Bitcoin in a way that works for me, it's frustrating to see so many influencers in this space who act like it fixes everything. Yes, Bitcoin is awesome. No, it doesn't cause world peace, end world hunger, cure cancer and send humanity to the stars. It also doesn't make someone rich automatically.
One example (without naming names) is a girl who started off on OF, quit that sleazy gig, turned anti-feminist (based) and Bitcoin hippy, and now continues her influencer lifestyle as if everything is perfect for her and her man in Central America.
Drives me nuts because just like the cultish maxis, those sorts of people create a false image of what Bitcoin can actually do for humanity. It's no wonder so many view Bitcoin as a scam if that's all they're seeing.
Eastern Europe and Asia really are the last hopes for sanity in this world (and that applies to many things in life).
Ah man, what a classic!
I keep Twitter because it's good for staying informed and because I have a good & positive community of friends there, but I've also found I sometimes have to stop myself or else I might get caught in doomscrolling. Way too easy to do. Then again, I have to limit myself with smartphones as well, since they're also designed to be addictive.
I'm a writer with a stupidly high WPM on physical keyboards and I make typos in virtually every convo. The reason they don't show up in my notes is because I usually proofread once or twice before I send.
Well said. It's why we need to do our best to take time to disconnect and do something entirely offline, preferably with family/friends (or at least something mentally productive, like reading books).
Just like you don't own your games if you can't access & hold offline installers. Or you don't own your music if you can't have lossless copies of the files. Or you can't own ebooks if they're not in downloadable, offline formats like PDF or EPUB.
Self-custody BTC, open source software and DRM-free media are crucial for the digital future.
I don't see it much on Amethyst but I've also added filters to block it. I see it occasionally on my web client (Snort; haven't messed around with my old one, Coracle).
If your client allows filtering names, there are terms you can use to block all of those IDs. You can also switch up your relay setup or move over to paid relays only.
What is the suggestion for people who can't fast due to conditions like hypoglycemia?
Its not exactly what you're likely thinking of but FUTO has their Polycentric system with Harbor IDs which are verified by linking to existing sites/social networks. The community can even vouch for the validity of an ID's claim. I can see a system similar to that working here. Decentralized and democratic digital ID is all good. We just have to make sure it never becomes anything like the centralized digital ID that the elite want to force on us.
I get that, but it's tough to get people to go for a slower option. I mean, I've hosted things with my system, such as a few gigs on LBRY and a few freedom applications on IPFS, but I have a hard time going for that as a first resort.
Genuinely a top 5 moment in cinema history for me. It also came at just the right time for me. I was going through the same thought process as Simon (Peter) when I first saw it, so it was like this scene was speaking to me directly.
I've tried to use them but unless you're trying to download something popular, it's not really feasible. Plus, there's also the privacy concern. The concept of P2P file sharing is cool but yeah, I've tried downloading Linux distros via torrents before (just an example) and even the popular ones ended up being slower than downloading direct from the distro's file host.
I understand the convenience of being able to freely move between EU territories if you're a legal citizen. However, if I'm not mistaken, this action by Germany is just applying to non-citizen illegal immigrants, right?
I'm genuinely not sure what my favorite quote/life lesson is, but as a Christian, I've found that Uncle Iroh's quote about drawing wisdom from other sources is applicable to my faith as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx7qNMLXmgw
For whatever reason, many of my fellow Christians think you cannot learn from other worldviews. I see it differently. I can learn great wisdom from Shintoism or Taoism without compromising my belief in the inerrancy and supremacy of Scripture.
Same goes for other denominations. I'm technically Protestant but draw a lot of wisdom from Eastern Orthodoxy (I even describe myself as "Orthodox adjacent"). I might have disagreements with some of their doctrines that keep me from committing fully to their worldview, but I'm still fully capable of learning many things from them which I can apply to my own perspective.
To be clear, I cut off any study of any worldview or religion that I firmly believe is staunchly opposed to my own (such as Islam or New Age), as I do still believe there's a danger to being friendly towards antagonistic religions or worldviews that naively play with spiritual powers. Doesn't mean I'm not friendly toward people that believe in those, I just won't study their beliefs in cases like that.
Nonetheless, I think a lot of Christians (and people of other worldviews) could majorly benefit from studying wisdom from other perspectives, particularly the aforementioned Tao and Shinto, which I find have plenty of wisdom that is completely compatible, and maybe even in line with, holy Scripture.
Anyways, apologies for the longwinded note but I hope it was an enjoyable read nevertheless!