#Blockchain Era

[agomes-nz]

Suspected ponzi and pyramid scheme Wewe Global or The Blockchain Era promoting Lyopay

We are aware that WEWE Global (also known as The Blockchain Era) and LYOPAY are offering crypto currency products and services via webinars and public event in New Zealand. We note they are not registered on the Financial Service Providers Register or regulated for providing their services and products to New Zealand retail clients, as required by the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act 2008 and Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013.

We recommend exercising caution when dealing with these entities.

Entity name:WEWE Global (also known as The Blockchain Era);and LYOPAY Websites: tbe.io; myblockchainid.io; Ifi.io; cloudminting.co; wewe.global; bit.ly/wewelink;lyopay.com; lyowallet.com; lyobanq.com; lyotrade.com; lyomerchant.com; lyopay.pro; lyotravel.com; lyotechlabs.comor lyoswapbot; t.me/lyoswapbot; lyocredit.io.

[sidewalk-scrawls]

Oh also, if Sherrod Brown doesn't win reelection in Ohio, I'm going to lose my actual shit

[tagnoob]

CCP's Andreesen Horowitz Backed Blockchain Bullshit Game is now Called EVE Frontiers

Am I letting my bias show in that headline?  Well, I just got back from a week’s vacation and am feeling refreshed and unwilling to pull punches.  So let’s go, because I am just getting warmed up. [If you are a blockchain fan, you might just want to just move along because I am not going to say a single nice thing about it.  If you want something less inflammatory you should check out Noizy’s…

[phneep]

[loscerritoscommunitynews]

The Evolution of Digital Asset Management in the Blockchain Era

In navigating the intricacies of organizing, storing, and retrieving digital assets within the expansive digital landscape, Digital Asset Management (DAM) plays a pivotal role. It involves a set of practices and technologies dedicated to efficiently managing the lifecycle of digital content. In the contemporary digital environment, effective asset management proves indispensable for businesses…

[fitnessitaliano]

Come le Criptovalute Stanno Cambiando le Nostre Finanze

Viviamo in un’era in cui la rapidità del progresso tecnologico si riflette chiaramente nella nostra vita finanziaria. Le criptovalute, con il loro impeto rivoluzionario, stanno emergendo come fulcri essenziali, sconvolgendo le fondamenta stesse del nostro approccio alle finanze. In questo contesto dinamico e in continua evoluzione, questo articolo si propone di sondare le profondità del…

[mobiloitte7]

Empowering Agriculture with Digital Solutions

Revolutionize the agriculture industry with Mobiloitte's advanced IT solutions. Leverage the power of Blockchain, AI, IoT, and the Metaverse to optimize farming processes, increase yields, and ensure sustainability. Our mobile and web apps, along with DevOps and cloud expertise, empower seamless operations and data-driven decision-making. Embrace the digital era and unlock the potential of agriculture with Mobiloitte.

[sunshinesmebdy]

Pluto in Aquarius: Brace for a Business Revolution (and How to Ride the Wave)

The Aquarian Revolution

Get ready, entrepreneurs and financiers, because a seismic shift is coming. Pluto, the planet of transformation and upheaval, has just entered the progressive sign of Aquarius, marking the beginning of a 20-year period that will reshape the very fabric of business and finance. Buckle up, for this is not just a ripple – it's a tsunami of change. Imagine a future where collaboration trumps competition, sustainability dictates success, and technology liberates rather than isolates. Aquarius, the sign of innovation and humanitarianism, envisions just that. Expect to see:

Rise of social impact businesses

Profits won't be the sole motive anymore. Companies driven by ethical practices, environmental consciousness, and social good will gain traction. Aquarius is intrinsically linked to collective well-being and social justice. Under its influence, individuals will value purpose-driven ventures that address crucial societal issues. Pluto urges us to connect with our deeper selves and find meaning beyond material gains. This motivates individuals to pursue ventures that resonate with their personal values and make a difference in the world.

Examples of Social Impact Businesses

Sustainable energy companies: Focused on creating renewable energy solutions while empowering local communities.

Fair-trade businesses: Ensuring ethical practices and fair wages for producers, often in developing countries.

Social impact ventures: Addressing issues like poverty, education, and healthcare through innovative, community-driven approaches.

B corporations: Certified businesses that meet rigorous social and environmental standards, balancing profit with purpose.

Navigating the Pluto in Aquarius Landscape

Align your business with social impact: Analyze your core values and find ways to integrate them into your business model.

Invest in sustainable practices: Prioritize environmental and social responsibility throughout your operations.

Empower your employees: Foster a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and contributes to the social impact mission.

Build strong community partnerships: Collaborate with organizations and communities that share your goals for positive change.

Embrace innovation and technology: Utilize technology to scale your impact and reach a wider audience.

Pluto in Aquarius presents a thrilling opportunity to redefine the purpose of business, moving beyond shareholder value and towards societal well-being. By aligning with the Aquarian spirit of innovation and collective action, social impact businesses can thrive in this transformative era, leaving a lasting legacy of positive change in the world.

Tech-driven disruption

AI, automation, and blockchain will revolutionize industries, from finance to healthcare. Be ready to adapt or risk getting left behind. Expect a focus on developing Artificial Intelligence with ethical considerations and a humanitarian heart, tackling issues like healthcare, climate change, and poverty alleviation. Immersive technologies will blur the lines between the physical and digital realms, transforming education, communication, and entertainment. Automation will reshape the job market, but also create opportunities for new, human-centered roles focused on creativity, innovation, and social impact.

Examples of Tech-Driven Disruption:

Decentralized social media platforms: User-owned networks fueled by blockchain technology, prioritizing privacy and community over corporate profits.

AI-powered healthcare solutions: Personalized medicine, virtual assistants for diagnostics, and AI-driven drug discovery.

VR/AR for education and training: Immersive learning experiences that transport students to different corners of the world or historical periods.

Automation with a human touch: Collaborative robots assisting in tasks while freeing up human potential for creative and leadership roles.

Navigating the Technological Tsunami:

Stay informed and adaptable: Embrace lifelong learning and upskilling to stay relevant in the evolving tech landscape.

Support ethical and sustainable tech: Choose tech products and services aligned with your values and prioritize privacy and social responsibility.

Focus on your human advantage: Cultivate creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence to thrive in a world increasingly reliant on technology.

Advocate for responsible AI development: Join the conversation about ethical AI guidelines and ensure technology serves humanity's best interests.

Connect with your community: Collaborate with others to harness technology for positive change and address the potential challenges that come with rapid technological advancements.

Pluto in Aquarius represents a critical juncture in our relationship with technology. By embracing its disruptive potential and focusing on ethical development and collective benefit, we can unlock a future where technology empowers humanity and creates a more equitable and sustainable world. Remember, the choice is ours – will we be swept away by the technological tsunami or ride its wave towards a brighter future?

Decentralization and democratization

Power structures will shift, with employees demanding more autonomy and consumers seeking ownership through blockchain-based solutions. Traditional institutions, corporations, and even governments will face challenges as power shifts towards distributed networks and grassroots movements. Individuals will demand active involvement in decision-making processes, leading to increased transparency and accountability in all spheres. Property and resources will be seen as shared assets, managed sustainably and equitably within communities. This transition won't be without its bumps. We'll need to adapt existing legal frameworks, address digital divides, and foster collaboration to ensure everyone benefits from decentralization.

Examples of Decentralization and Democratization

Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs): Self-governing online communities managing shared resources and projects through blockchain technology.

Community-owned renewable energy initiatives: Local cooperatives generating and distributing clean energy, empowering communities and reducing reliance on centralized grids.

Participatory budgeting platforms: Citizens directly allocate local government funds, ensuring public resources are used in line with community needs.

Decentralized finance (DeFi): Peer-to-peer lending and borrowing platforms, bypassing traditional banks and offering greater financial autonomy for individuals.

Harnessing the Power of the Tide:

Embrace collaborative models: Participate in co-ops, community projects, and initiatives that empower collective ownership and decision-making.

Support ethical technology: Advocate for blockchain platforms and applications that prioritize user privacy, security, and equitable access.

Develop your tech skills: Learn about blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and other decentralized technologies to navigate the future landscape.

Engage in your community: Participate in local decision-making processes, champion sustainable solutions, and build solidarity with others.

Stay informed and adaptable: Embrace lifelong learning and critical thinking to navigate the evolving social and economic landscape.

Pluto in Aquarius presents a unique opportunity to reimagine power structures, ownership models, and how we interact with each other. By embracing decentralization and democratization, we can create a future where individuals and communities thrive, fostering a more equitable and sustainable world for all. Remember, the power lies within our collective hands – let's use it wisely to shape a brighter future built on shared ownership, collaboration, and empowered communities.

Focus on collective prosperity

Universal basic income, resource sharing, and collaborative economic models may gain momentum. Aquarius prioritizes the good of the collective, advocating for equitable distribution of resources and opportunities. Expect a rise in social safety nets, universal basic income initiatives, and policies aimed at closing the wealth gap. Environmental health is intrinsically linked to collective prosperity. We'll see a focus on sustainable practices, green economies, and resource sharing to ensure a thriving planet for generations to come. Communities will come together to address social challenges like poverty, homelessness, and healthcare disparities, recognizing that individual success is interwoven with collective well-being. Collaborative consumption, resource sharing, and community-owned assets will gain traction, challenging traditional notions of ownership and fostering a sense of shared abundance.

Examples of Collective Prosperity in Action

Community-owned renewable energy projects: Sharing the benefits of clean energy production within communities, democratizing access and fostering environmental sustainability.

Cooperatives and worker-owned businesses: Sharing profits and decision-making within companies, leading to greater employee satisfaction and productivity.

Universal basic income initiatives: Providing individuals with a basic safety net, enabling them to pursue their passions and contribute to society in meaningful ways.

Resource sharing platforms: Platforms like carsharing or tool libraries minimizing individual ownership and maximizing resource utilization, fostering a sense of interconnectedness.

Navigating the Shift

Support social impact businesses: Choose businesses that prioritize ethical practices, environmental sustainability, and positive social impact.

Contribute to your community: Volunteer your time, skills, and resources to address local challenges and empower others.

Embrace collaboration: Seek opportunities to work together with others to create solutions for shared problems.

Redefine your own path to prosperity: Focus on activities that bring you personal fulfillment and contribute to the collective good.

Advocate for systemic change: Support policies and initiatives that promote social justice, environmental protection, and equitable distribution of resources.

Pluto in Aquarius offers a unique opportunity to reshape our definition of prosperity and build a future where everyone thrives. By embracing collective well-being, collaboration, and sustainable practices, we can create a world where abundance flows freely, enriching not just individuals, but the entire fabric of society. Remember, true prosperity lies not in what we hoard, but in what we share, and by working together, we can cultivate a future where everyone has the opportunity to flourish.

[sevenstorey]

SEJARAH SINGKAT CRYPTOCURRENCY

Tentu, berikut adalah sejarah singkat mengenai cryptocurrency:

1. Awal Mula (1980-an - 1990-an)

1982: Konsep uang digital pertama kali diperkenalkan oleh David Chaum, seorang kriptografer, dengan penerbitan "Blind Signatures for Untraceable Payments" yang menjadi dasar untuk e-cash.

1990-an: Chaum menciptakan DigiCash, salah satu bentuk uang elektronik pertama yang menggunakan kriptografi untuk menjaga privasi transaksi.

2. Bitcoin dan Era Baru (2008 - 2010)

2008: Satoshi Nakamoto, dengan nama samaran, menerbitkan whitepaper berjudul "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" yang memperkenalkan konsep Bitcoin, sebuah mata uang digital terdesentralisasi.

2009: Bitcoin secara resmi diluncurkan dan blok pertama (genesis block) ditambang. Bitcoin adalah cryptocurrency pertama yang menggunakan teknologi blockchain untuk mencatat transaksi secara aman dan transparan.

3. Pertumbuhan dan Inovasi (2011 - 2013)

2011: Cryptocurrency lain mulai muncul, seperti Litecoin, yang dibangun di atas kode Bitcoin dengan beberapa perubahan teknis untuk memperbaiki kelemahan yang ada.

2013: Ethereum diluncurkan oleh Vitalik Buterin, memperkenalkan kontrak pintar (smart contracts) yang memungkinkan pengembangan aplikasi terdesentralisasi (dApps) di blockchain.

4. Masa Depan dan Adopsi (2014 - 2017)

2014: Bitcoin mulai mendapatkan perhatian lebih dari investor institusi dan mainstream. Banyak proyek baru diluncurkan, termasuk sistem pembayaran dan platform blockchain baru.

2017: Bitcoin mencapai titik tertinggi baru dan mendapat perhatian global. Fenomena ICO (Initial Coin Offering) menjadi populer, memfasilitasi pendanaan proyek blockchain dengan cara menerbitkan token baru.

5. Regulasi dan Kemajuan Teknologi (2018 - 2020)

2018: Pasar cryptocurrency mengalami penurunan harga yang signifikan, dikenal sebagai "crypto winter". Namun, banyak proyek terus berkembang dan memperkuat teknologi mereka.

2020: DeFi (Decentralized Finance) menjadi tren besar, memungkinkan layanan keuangan seperti pinjaman dan trading dilakukan secara terdesentralisasi menggunakan smart contracts di blockchain.

6. Evolusi dan Masa Kini (2021 - Sekarang)

2021: Bitcoin dan Ethereum mencapai harga tertinggi baru, dan minat terhadap NFT (Non-Fungible Token) meroket. Banyak perusahaan dan lembaga keuangan besar mulai berinvestasi di cryptocurrency.

2023: Adopsi cryptocurrency semakin meluas dengan peluncuran berbagai solusi layer-2 untuk meningkatkan skalabilitas, serta peningkatan regulasi di berbagai negara untuk mengatur penggunaan dan perdagangan cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency terus berkembang dengan inovasi baru dan tantangan, dan dampaknya terhadap ekonomi global serta sistem keuangan masih terus terbentuk.

[solradguy]

If you don't have time for reviews, do you have a shortlist of your favorite Heavy Metal issues?

I've got a whole bunch from Humble Bundle, and it's a lot to sift through.

Oh shit I missed the Humble Bundle!! That's awesome they had one though. I haven't read every issue, but most of the really old ones from the 1970s to about 1991 are generally really good and worth reading. I don't care for the Kevin Eastman era at All. He bought the magazine in '92 and the vibe shifted from adult-oriented scifi/fantasy to what I could only describe as "horny teenage boy that just learned how to say fuck." It's awful. Edgy in the worst way. Some of those issues have a gem tucked in between porn VHS ad listings and dubiously consented sex, but they're hardly worth it if you've got access to other issues.

The more modern HM issues from roughly 2015 to... uh... Well. I guess Heavy Metal died in 2023 so... Until 2023, are decent.

I fell off with HM when they changed the subscription model to this boneheaded version that was almost twice as expensive, and then they got into NFTs/blockchain shit. Found out they just shut down while double checking what year Eastman bought the magazine. That's a shame.... Issue 320 was their last one, looks like.

Anyway, yeah. So I'd recommend starting with whatever issue is the oldest one you've got and working up to the newer stuff from there, skipping the 1990s entirely, and going into anything published from the 2010s to 2023.

There are usually several stories per issue that go across multiple issues, so skimming through until you find one that catches your eye and then reading subsequent issues for the rest of the story is a fair way to dig into these, too.

[lejellabsxd2e]

Panduan Pembelian Kripto untuk Pemula: Langkah-langkah Praktis Menuju Aset Digital

Dalam era digital ini, kriptocurrency telah menjadi topik hangat yang menarik minat banyak orang, termasuk para pemula. Memahami cara membeli dan menyimpan kripto adalah langkah awal yang penting untuk terlibat dalam dunia aset digital. Artikel ini bertujuan memberikan panduan praktis untuk pemula yang ingin memulai investasi kriptocurrency. 

1. Pemahaman Dasar Kriptocurrency

Sebelum memulai pembelian kripto, pemahaman dasar tentang teknologi blockchain, wallet, dan peran kripto dalam ekosistem digital sangat penting. Pemula sebaiknya memahami konsep dasar seperti enkripsi, desentralisasi, dan bagaimana transaksi dikonfirmasi.

2. Pilih Platform Pertukaran yang Tepercaya

Langkah selanjutnya adalah memilih platform pertukaran kripto yang tepercaya. Binance, Coinbase, dan Kraken adalah beberapa contoh platform yang populer dan andal. Pilih platform yang menyediakan berbagai kripto untuk memungkinkan diversifikasi portofolio.

3. Registrasi dan Verifikasi Akun

Setelah memilih platform, langkah selanjutnya adalah mendaftar dan memverifikasi akun. Proses ini melibatkan pemberian informasi pribadi dan verifikasi identitas untuk keamanan dan kepatuhan regulasi.

4. Pilih Wallet Kripto yang Aman

Penting untuk menyimpan kripto dengan aman. Pilih antara wallet online (hot wallet) atau wallet offline (cold wallet) tergantung pada tingkat keamanan yang diinginkan. Ledger Nano S atau Trezor adalah contoh cold wallet yang populer.

5. Pemilihan Kriptocurrency yang Cocok

Ada ribuan kriptocurrency yang beredar. Pilih kripto dengan hati-hati, pertimbangkan proyeknya, tujuannya, dan potensinya. Bitcoin dan Ethereum adalah pilihan umum untuk pemula, tetapi eksplorasi kripto lain juga disarankan.

6. Analisis Pasar dan Strategi Investasi

Sebelum membeli, pelajari tren pasar dan strategi investasi. Hindari membeli kripto hanya karena tren atau desas-desus. Pertimbangkan faktor-faktor seperti kapitalisasi pasar, volume perdagangan, dan berita terkini.

7. Lakukan Pembelian Pertama Anda

Setelah merencanakan strategi investasi, saatnya melakukan pembelian pertama Anda. Perhatikan harga, biaya transaksi, dan pastikan untuk mengonfirmasi alamat wallet dengan benar.

8. Keamanan dan Manajemen Risiko

Secara proaktif kelola keamanan akun dan manajemen risiko. Aktifkan otentikasi dua faktor (2FA) dan hindari berbagi informasi pribadi. Tetapkan batas kerugian dan keuntungan untuk mengelola risiko dengan lebih baik.

9. Pantau Investasi Anda secara Berkala

Pantau portofolio kripto secara berkala. Gunakan fitur analisis dan laporan yang disediakan oleh platform pertukaran. Perbaharui strategi investasi Anda berdasarkan perubahan tren pasar.

10. Drive to Earn: Mengarahkan Investasi ke Koin Kripto yang Inovatif

Poin terakhir dalam panduan ini adalah mengenai konsep "Drive to Earn." Ini merujuk pada koin kripto inovatif yang menawarkan potensi pendapatan tambahan melalui mekanisme tertentu, seperti staking atau yield farming. Salah satu contohnya adalah koin yang menyediakan penghasilan pasif kepada pemegangnya melalui partisipasi aktif dalam jaringan kripto tersebut.

Investasi ke dalam koin yang menerapkan konsep Drive to Earn dapat menjadi cara yang menarik untuk memanfaatkan potensi penghasilan tambahan sambil tetap mengikuti tren inovatif di dunia kriptocurrency.

Dengan mengikuti panduan ini, diharapkan para pemula dapat memasuki dunia kriptocurrency dengan pengetahuan yang cukup dan pemahaman yang baik tentang cara mengelola investasi mereka. Selalu lakukan penelitian menyeluruh sebelum membuat keputusan investasi dan terus belajar tentang perkembangan terbaru dalam ekosistem kriptocurrency.

[samueldays]

Sam Reviews: H. Beam Piper

I bought a fat collection of short stories and novels by H. Beam Piper, a sci-fi writer of the 50s and 60s. It holds up quite well, I think, as I reread the whole collection recently. There's a variety of content, from alien first contact to space-pirates and time travel, and a "thick" setting base for much of it with elements like carniculture or the veridicator that pop up in several stories without being the basis of one. Piper uses a pair of shared universes for many of his stories where you can see connections without needing to have read the previous. I think there's also less showing off wiseass references than in a lot of contemporary sci-fi, though I might simply have missed some.

The odd pair out is Graveyard of Dreams and its quasi-rewrite The Cosmic Computer, which belong to the first shared universe. Both books have the same start: Boy comes home to frontier colony planet after having studied at prestigious university in the core worlds, receives welcome as hometown hero, is now expected to solve planet's problems of being a run-down backwater after the space war, also find the allegedly war-winning supercomputer that's rumored to be located somewhere nearby and could be dug up like it's pirate treasure. Boy has learned at university the computer is probably imaginary, but it would break the community's hearts to tell them.

Graveyard takes the view that the population has been thinking too much in terms of blaming the war and hoping for the plot-device computer instead of doing anything, so the boy tells his dad the computer isn't real, and they start a conspiracy to reform the planet as part of the computer hunt: The computer might be on the moon, or another planet in the same solar system, so we'll need a spaceship. We can't search the whole planet in one go, so we'll need regular refueling and resupply and a spaceport here. We'll need radars and scanners and drones and other things bought from Earth, so we'll have to invite trade ships to our spaceport, and produce things to sell for Earth currency. Implementing the computer's economic plan once we find it will no doubt require infrastructure, which we should build up in advance. And so the colony gets better, ostensibly as part of looking for the computer.

Through all this, I never felt like Piper was dunking on people who put all their hopes and dreams in a problem-solving magic supercomputer, or on fellow sci-fi writers with their plot device computers. There's very little vitriol. Characters had simply built up their hopes too high. (If he had written it sixty years later, though, I might have thought it was a dunk on people going "crypto fixes this! put vegetables on the blockchain!")

The story is in one sense hard sci-fi, because it limits itself to realistic known capacities of computers, and in another sense, not sci-fi at all, because the computer is a pure McGuffin and the moral of the story is that people should work on solving their problems and improving their community instead of hoping for a McGuffin to fix everything.

The Cosmic Computer starts the same way with much the same plan, and a "salvage company" double-bluff that's supposedly supposedly for picking up other things while hiding the secret supercomputer, but supposedly actually for getting the computer, but actually just for looting abandoned military bases from the war as a way of revitalizing the economy.

Then they find the computer for real, and things get odd.

---

Uller Uprising is one of his earliest stories and the first I read that hinted at the specific timeline mentioned above, branching off from the era when he wrote, that did not come to pass but is an interesting speculation to read. The dating system is AE (Atomic Era), counting from 1942, when mankind first harnessed nuclear power. Most of the Northern Hemisphere nuked itself (or each other) in great power conflict in later world wars that timeline; the rebuilding of Earth and colonization of the stars was mostly done by Southern Hemisphere states such as South Africa and Argentina. The story features a pair of ships named Paul Kruger and Jan Smuts.

Oh for the South Africa that was! Piper saw a country that would reach for the stars once the US and SU had ground each other down. South Africa once had a nuclear power program. Now it can't keep the lights on. But I digress.

The scene for the Uprising is a Terran trading colony, in the 'colonialism' sense like the British India Company, on a world populated by aliens. Piper's aliens are polylithic*: among them is joy in prosperity, and resentment at colonists, and desire to learn, and factional infighting, variety "I want those fancy gadgets the Terrans have so I can crush my rival", and variety "I want to manipulate the Terrans into crushing my rival for me". They have personality of their own, rather then being mere foils or subjects of history. One can say that such infighting is the often the downfall of colonized people, but that begs the question of calling them "a people" in the first place, rather than two peoples who fought until they both lost to a third.

*I would have said "diverse" but that has other connotations these days.

There's an angry mob of Ullerians that's been inflamed into simply going out and murdering Terrans, and there's cunning Ullerians who have signed on for a term of work on Terran ships going to the uranium mines, to learn the secrets of nuclear power. There's also awful smut that's relevant in-universe. Quite good stuff.

---

Little Fuzzy is also set in the Atomic Era timeline. The Terran Federation is spreading across the stars, and on the planet Zarathustra, the prospector Jack Holloway stumbles across an odd creature:

He turned quickly to see two wide eyes staring up at him out of a ball of golden fur. Whatever it was, it had a round head and big ears and a vaguely humanoid face with a little snub nose. It was sitting on its haunches, and in that position it was about a foot high. It had two tiny hands with opposing thumbs.

He thinks it's cute, and adopts it to live in his house, and the critter brings its family, and he sees they're smart enough to use tools when eating some of the other local wildlife.

This raises a question of whether they're smart enough to count as native sapients and should have rights to the planet. We hear about the "talk and build a fire rule" which is the precedent of a future court case deciding that those two activities are sufficient proof of sapience, but not necessary for it, as shown in another court case when a woman murdered her infant baby and tried to plead that the baby couldn't talk nor build a fire, and was convicted of murder anyway.

Jack Holloway, of course, is all in favor of getting his cute adopted fuzzball recognized as sapient. The antagonist of the story is the Zarathustra Company which holds a Class-III legal charter for the settlement of an uninhabited planet; recognition of the Fuzzies would make it an inhabited Class-IV planet and void the corporate charter and make a lot of rich people lose a lot of money.

Again, there's a lack of dunking. The ZC is wrong, and commits crimes in an attempt to maintain its position, kidnapping the Fuzzies, fabricating evidence, and so forth. But I don't hear commie sneering from Piper as the ZC loses in court and one of its corrupt cops is put to a veridicator.

It's a very sci-fi piece of technology: an advanced mind-reading (brain-reading?) lie-detector helmet with the finesse to identify technically true but misleading statements.

There was a bright conical helmet on his head, and electrodes had been clamped to various portions of his anatomy. On the wall behind him was a circular screen which ought to have been a calm turquoise blue, but which was flickering from dark blue through violet to mauve. That was simple nervous tension and guilt and anger at the humiliation of being subjected to veridicated interrogation. Now and then there would be a stabbing flicker of bright red as he toyed mentally with some deliberate misstatement of fact.

---

The veridicator pops up again in Space Viking, farther in the future. The Terran Federation is disintegrating.

"Nifflheim, no! There aren't a dozen and a half planets in the Old Federation that still have hyperdrive, and they're all civilized. That's if 'civilized' is what Gilgamesh is," he added. "These are homemade barbarians. Workers and peasants who revolted to seize and divide the wealth and then found they'd smashed the means of production and killed off all the technical brains. Survivors on planets hit during the Interstellar Wars, from the Eleventh to the Thirteenth Centuries, who lost the machinery of civilization. Followers of political leaders on local-dictatorship planets. Companies of mercenaries thrown out of employment and living by pillage. Religious fanatics following self-appointed prophets."

The viking-esque privateers of the Sword Worlds are raiding the Federation worlds for loot and machinery and personnel to build anew on their own planets; this situation is already so far advanced that one character bemoans the Sword Worlds themselves sliding into decadence and barbarism as their best and brightest leave to outright conquer Federation worlds and live there. All this is the backdrop to a hunt for vengeance and a grudge to be settled between one Space Viking and another, which in the process results in taking over a world and becoming King, and watching another world collapse.

---

Some of the minor stories:

Naudsonce is about first contact with an alien species and the attempts to establish communication when the odd aliens make sounds, but do not seem to have language. They can gesture enough for trade, though, and sell off some of their spare livestock. The brass provisionally file it as Domesticated Type C. The enlisted men, wanting to discuss the barbecue, cut this down to "domsee" and the name sticks.

Lone Star Planet is rather comic: there's a planet settled by exaggerated Texans, the most Texan ones who wanted to live in Space Texas specifically, and they brought the Alamo with them on a spaceship. They breed dinosaur-like "supercows" on their ranches, their cowboys need tanks for herding the supercows and implicitly constitute small armies, and it's legal to kill politicians for the crime of attempted taxation. Our protagonist is a nervous new ambassador sent to this planet after his predecessor was killed, suspecting that his government wants him also killed as casus belli. (Partly inspired by H.L. Mencken's The Malevolent Jobholder.)

A Slave is a Slave concerns the imperialistic abolition of slavery on a planet where slavery has been the order of the day for so long that it's becoming an in-name-only matter: the "slaves" are the ones who operate everything important, while the "masters" spend their days in petty feuds with each other. The imperial potentate sent to oversee abolition is a first-timer, learning on the job how to administrate foreign planets. This does not go entirely smoothly.

Hunter Patrol is a time loop. A present-day soldier is drawn to the future to help overthrow a tyrant that has conquered the world and conditioned people into servile pacifism. Returning to his own time with a bit of loot and papers from the tyrant's office but without future memories of what they are or why, he uses the future knowledge to become rich and powerful, aims to establish world peace, and ironically becomes the tyrant murdered by his past self.

Null-ABC depicts a future where "Literate" has become a profession; most people aren't literate and look down on the concept. Instructions are usually pictographic, or you hire a Literate to read it for you. Data storage and messaging is commonly audio. TVs and videos are still around, naturally. This because Literacy is associated with propaganda pamphlets and hell-tomes like Mein Kampf and Das Kapital, and the four world wars they caused. This is the one story where I recall Piper does get in some cheap jokes, in the world news report of items such as,

"The Central Diplomatic Council of the Reunited Nations has just announced, for the hundred and seventy-eighth time, that the Arab-Israel dispute has been finally, definitely and satisfactorily settled."

unrelated to the plot of the story, which involves political strife about the status of Literates and literacy.

That joke has aged very well, I must say.

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Piper's second shared universe set of stories is the Paratime collection. In a future without interstellar travel, as Earth's resources run dry, mankind has instead developed the technology of visiting alternate timelines and parallell universe Earths. On the uninhabited ones, futuremen mine resources directly; on the inhabited ones, futuremen buy from the local miners.

This gives the protagonists reason to get involved pretty much anywhere in history or alt-history as they have to cover up the Paratime Secret, or stop a time crime, or catch the Venusian Nighthound that some dumbass let loose in a 1950s America before the cops ask too many questions about the unusually mutilated cattle. It is a really great Excuse Plot for whatever time period, technological level, and/or cultural group the author feels like writing about today.

It could easily have stopped there, and become a series of disconnected anecdotes and shiny distractions, but Piper executes it well and gives it context. Home Timeline has people and places and customs and strife, although some of the bits feel clunky to me.

Tortha Karf fingered them and nodded. Then he became as visibly angry as a man of his civilization and culture-level ever permitted himself. "What does that fool think we have a Paratime Code for?" he demanded. "It's entirely illegal to transport any extraterrestrial animal or object to any time-line on which space-travel is unknown. I don't care if he is a green-seal thavrad; he'll face charges, when he gets back, for this!"

It's very hard to make future ranks sound appropriately important while staying foreign, and "green-seal thavrad" falls short, IMO. (Also clunky: "We'll blow them to Em-See-Square!" elsewhere in Piper's writing.)

Most of the Paratime protagonists are time cops of some sort, though with a major exception: Calvin Morrison, a man from our time's America, gets sucked up in the wake of a paratime travel vehicle. Falling into a timeline where America was colonized by an eastward Indo-Aryan migration and the technology level is late medieval, he becomes Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen, protagonist of his own novel by the same name and several sequels by Piper's peers.

(A time cop stops by to check whether the Paratime secret has been leaked, and is very satisfied that Calvin has told everyone "a wizard did it" and is helping to keep the secret.)

In this alternate timeline, America is divided into kingdoms worshipping the Wolf-God and the Sky-Father and the Earth-Mother and other interpretations of ancient Aryan deities as filtered through 1950s historiography and then cultural drift as imagined by Piper, which makes it an interesting sort of foreign place. But the supreme god of the time is Styphon, whose priesthood alone holds the secret of making fireseed (gunpowder). This monopoly is the main source of their power, and Calvin is about to break it.

The plot outline "Contemporary man falls into the past/fantasy world and introduces gunpowder" has been recycled a thousand times by worse writers, and I wonder how many of them would trace their literary ancestry back to Piper if we could see who they'd copied. I know it's more than zero: like with Journey to the West but less famous, reading Lord Kalvan made several things click into place as I recognized elements other authors had been copy-pasting that made sense in the original but were weirdly out-of-place in the flimsy knockoffs. Literary cargo cult.

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In closing, Piper was an original writer, and I recommend his stories.

No man is entirely original, one can locate him easily in the late golden age of American scifi with peers and influences, but he stands out to me as the sort of person that others were copying a great deal. Lord Kalvan I mentioned above, the Sword-Worlds of Space Viking went right into the Traveller RPG, Little Fuzzy was rebooted by John Scalzi as Fuzzy Nation, Star Trek's "tribbles" were originally "fuzzies" before Legal got involved, the Paratime series was an inspiration for Charles Stross's Merchant Princes, the list goes on.

And it looks to me, as with several other of my favorite and respected authors, that this is partly because he could draw on a wide set of life experiences outside of the incestuous 'literary class'. (Vague, I know.) He worked on the railroad, he studied engineering, he collected firearms and helped compile a collection of archaic ones. His short story Omnilingual turns on the fact that science has a shared true referent: the Periodic Table of the Martians must refer to the same elements as on Earth, and so the long-dead Martians' language is deciphered.

I might say: he was a shape rotator. :-)

[emon-khalid]

The Evolution of Web 2.0

The Evolution of Web 2.0: Transforming the Internet Experience

The internet has come a long way since its inception, and one of the most significant milestones in its evolution is Web 2.0. This term, first coined in the early 2000s, represents the shift from static web pages to dynamic, user-driven platforms. With the rise of social media, user-generated content, and interactive online services, Web 2.0 has revolutionized the way we connect, communicate, and create.

What is Web 2.0?

In simple terms, Web 2.0 refers to the transformation of the web into a more interactive and collaborative space. Unlike its predecessor, Web 1.0, which primarily consisted of static websites where users could only consume content, Web 2.0 allows users to actively participate in the creation and sharing of information. This paradigm shift has led to the rise of social networks, blogs, wikis, and other platforms that encourage collaboration and community building.

Key Features of Web 2.0:

User-Generated Content: Platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and Wikipedia have made it easier than ever for users to create and share their own content, whether it's videos, articles, or social media posts.

Social Networking: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are prime examples of Web 2.0's emphasis on building online communities where people can connect, share experiences, and collaborate.

Interactive Interfaces: Technologies like AJAX and APIs enable more dynamic, responsive web pages that allow real-time updates without refreshing the page. This has greatly enhanced the user experience, particularly on social media platforms.

Rich User Experiences: Web 2.0 applications are designed with the user in mind, making it easy to navigate, interact with, and personalize their online experiences.

The Impact of Web 2.0 on Digital Culture

Web 2.0 has empowered individuals to have a voice in the digital world. Blogs, forums, and social media platforms have democratized content creation, giving anyone with an internet connection the ability to publish their thoughts, ideas, and creations to a global audience.

For businesses, this shift has created new opportunities for engagement with consumers. Brands are now able to interact with customers directly through social media platforms, fostering a sense of community and loyalty.

Moreover, the rise of influencers and content creators on platforms like YouTube and Instagram has changed the landscape of marketing. People trust recommendations from peers and influencers more than traditional advertising, and brands have quickly adapted to this new form of communication.

What’s Next After Web 2.0?

As technology continues to advance, discussions around the next phase of the web—often referred to as Web 3.0—have begun. While Web 2.0 focuses on user interaction and community-driven content, Web 3.0 promises to take things even further by incorporating artificial intelligence, machine learning, and decentralized technologies like blockchain. In this new era, the web could become even more personalized, secure, and user-centric.

Conclusion

Web 2.0 has truly transformed the way we interact with the internet, bringing about an age of collaboration, connection, and creativity. As we look forward to the future, it's exciting to imagine how the web will continue to evolve and shape our digital experiences.

What are your thoughts on the future of the web? Share in the comments below!

For more details on the history and significance of Web 2.0, check out these sources:

The History of Web 2.0

Understanding Web 2.0 Concept

[phneep]

[emerginic]

End of an Emerginic Era

In this class I learned that although we should not judge a book by it's cover, and that it's title does not necessarily imply what it's contents entail, I think the contents should still stay true to it's title and match it's meaning. I think this is an important lesson for me when it comes to reports and presentations as I do not want to clickbait readers or audiences about the contents of my project after having experienced it myself. I hope future emerging technology classes introduces and covers a bit more emerging technologies such as blockchain, AI, cloud, and robotics, albeit risk assessment and evaluation tools are vital for managing technology projects. #grateful #emergeyou #emergeme #survivor