#third-party payment systems

[m-ultraarticles]

Play Store policy breaches to face action

The announcement follows the controversy over its Play Store policies which led to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) directing the tech behemoth to allow third-party payment systems for apps on the Play Store. Google complied with CCI’s direction, allowing developers to start using third-party payment tools for subscription as well as in-app payments. However, it had set a 6 April…

[mostlysignssomeportents]

An Epic antitrust loss for Google

A jury just found Google guilty on all counts of antitrust violations stemming from its dispute with Epic, maker of Fortnite, which brought a variety of claims related to how Google runs its app marketplace. This is huge:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/11/technology/epic-games-google-antitrust-ruling.html

The mobile app store world is a duopoly run by Google and Apple. Both use a variety of tactics to prevent their customers from installing third party app stores, which funnels all app makers into their own app stores. Those app stores cream an eye-popping 30% off every purchase made in an app.

This is a shocking amount to charge for payment processing. The payments sector is incredibly monopolized and notorious for its price-gouging – and its standard (wildly inflated) rate is 2-5%:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/04/owning-the-libs/#swiper-no-swiping

Now, in theory, Epic doesn't have to sell in Google Play, the official Android app store. Unlike Apple's iOS, Android permit both sideloading (installing an app directly without using an app store) and configuring your device to use a different app store. In practice, Google uses a variety of anticompetitive tricks to prevent these app stores from springing up and to dissuade Android users from sideloading. Proving that Google's actions – like paying Activision $360m as part of "Project Hug" (no, really!) – were intended to prevent new app storesfrom springing up was a big lift for Epic. But they managed it, in large part thanks to Google's own internal communications, wherein executives admitted that this was exactly why Project Hug existed. This is part of a pattern with Big Tech antitrust: many of the charges are theoretically very hard to make stick, but because the companies put their evil plans in writing (think of the fraudulent crypto exchange FTX, whose top execs all conferred in a groupchat called "Wirefraud"), Big Tech keeps losing in court:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/03/big-tech-cant-stop-telling-on-itself/

Now, I do like to dunk on Big Tech for this kind of thing, because it's objectively funny and because the companies make so many unforced errors. But in an important sense, this kind of written record is impossible to avoid. Any large institution can only make and enact policy through administrative systems, and those systems leave behind a paper-trail: memos, meeting minutes, etc. Yes, we all know that quote from The Wire: "Is you taking notes on a fucking criminal conspiracy?" But inevitably, any ambitious conspiracy can only exist if someone is taking notes.

What's more, any large conspiracy involving lots of parties will inevitably produce leaks. Think of this as the corollary to the idea that the moon landing can't be a hoax, because there's no way 400,000 co-conspirators could keep the secret. Big Tech's conspiracies required hundreds or even thousands of collaborators to keep their mouths shut, and eventually someone blabs:

https://www.science.org/content/article/fake-moon-landing-you-d-need-400000-conspirators

This is part of a wave of antitrust cases being brought against the tech giants. As Matt Stoller writes, the guilty-on-all-counts jury verdict will leak into current and future actions. Remember, Google spent much of this year in court fighting the DoJ, who argued that the company bribed Apple not to make a competing search engine, paying tens of billions every year to keep a competitor from emerging. Now that a jury has convinced Google of doing that to prevent alternative app stores from emerging, claims that it used these pay-for-delay tactics in other sectros get a lot more credible:

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/boom-google-loses-antitrust-case

On that note: what about Apple? Epic brought a very similar case against Apple and lost. Both Apple and Epic are appealing that case to the Supreme Court, and now that Google has been convicted in a similar case, it might prompt the Supremes to weigh in and resolve the seeming inconsistencies in the interpretation of federal law.

This is a key moment in the long project to wrest antitrust away from the pro-monopoly side, who spent decades "training" judges to produce verdicts that run counter to the plain language of America's antitrust law:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/13/post-bork-era/#manne-down

There's 40 years' worth of bad precedent to overturn. The good news is that we've got the law on our side. Literally, the wording of the laws and the records of the Congressional debate leading to their passage, all militate towards the (incredibly obvious) conclusion that the purpose of anti-monopoly law is to fight monopoly, not defend it:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/14/aiming-at-dollars/#not-men

It's amazing to realize that we got into this monopoly quagmire because judges just literally refused to enforce the law. That's what makes one part of the jury verdict against Google so exciting: the jury found that Google's insistence that Play Store sellers use its payment processor was an act of illegal tying. Today, "tying" is an obscure legal theory, but few doctrines would be more useful in disenshittifying the internet. A company is guilty of illegal tying when it forces you to use unrelated products or services as a condition of using the product you actually want. The abandonment of tying led to a host of horribles, from printer companies forcing you to buy ink at $10,000/gallon to Livenation forcing venues to sell tickets through its Ticketmaster subsidiary.

The next phase of this comes when the judge decides on the penalty. Epic doesn't want cash damages – it wants the judge to order Google to fulfill its promise of "an open, competitive Android ecosystem for all users and industry participants." They've asked the judge to order Google to facilitate third-party app stores, and to separate app stores from payment processors. As Stoller puts it, they want to "crush Google’s control over Android":

https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/epic-v-google-trial-verdict-a-win-for-all-developers

Google has sworn to appeal, surprising no one. The Times's expert says that they will have a tough time winning, given how clear the verdict was. Whatever this means for Google and Android, it means a lot for a future free from monopolies.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/12/im-feeling-lucky/#hugger-mugger

[pienaur]

!! TW EARTHQUAKE !!

As you may have heard, there has been a major earthquake (7.7 magnitude) in southeastern Turkey. The earthquake lasted for 40-45 seconds and there are 1710 buildings that demolished.

If you're at the age of 18 or older and want to help, you can help by donating from AFAD's website (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey) Here is how to do it with pictures

There's also AHBAP Derneği, a very well known organization for help, and you can see how to donate them from THIS post made by @meliswiftie13

link: https://www.afad.gov.tr/depremkampanyasi2

This is the official website

I couldn't find how to donate in the English page, so I turned it into Turkish like this. I translated what each thing says but you could use Google translate just to make sure.

This page will appear. Then we click "Gündem (Order of the day)" (It's on the up right)

After we click "Gündem" we click "Yardım Kampanyaları" which means "Aid campaigns"

When we click, we see the list of aid campaigns. The one for the earthquake is on top of the list (As you can see the date is today)

(Dates are written as day/month/year in Turkish)

"Deprem Bağışları" aka "Earthquake Donations"

You can write the number you would like to donate and change the currency (and even 1 euro would be so much help since it's equal to 20 Turkish liras)

Then in this page you write:

Your name Your Last Name (not necessary)

Your phone number (not necessary)

Your E-mail (not necessary)

The amount you want to donate (and the money currency is next to it)

in the exact order (again, if it's confusing, you could use translation)

This part down below is sort of the "I read and I accept" part so I translated what it was about and what it says in this page:

What does KVKK approval mean? Explicit consent within the framework of the law means that the person gives his/her consent to the processing of his/her data, voluntarily or upon request from the other party.

Information and Approval Text About the Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK) The information shared by the donors for donation purposes can only be recorded, stored, preserved, rearranged by system administrators assigned by AFAD and who have the right to access and view the system, and they are legally willing to request these personal data. It can be shared with authorized institutions and, under the conditions stipulated by KVKK, it can be transferred to third parties, transferred, classified and deleted. Information shared by individuals while making a donation cannot be shared with any third party, institution and organization for any reason, and this information cannot be disclosed with any other exception, unless a situation develops that requires disclosure of this information by judicial decision and/or legal regulations, without the consent of the individuals.

If you're okay with what you read here, you click "evet (yes)" and then "onayla (confirm)"

For safety reasons I'm not goint to be sharing the last page (due to the fact that it has my personal information) but all you gotta do is to click "Gönder (send)"

And after you verify the payment from your card it's all done

Thank you for your time

[wander-wren]

every once in a while i like to poke my head into "anti [x]" tags just to see what the other side thinks. recently i was looking through "anti ao3" and found a really funny post claiming that ao3 is not anticapitalist, but actually the Definition Of Capitalism, bc it relies on volunteer labor while supposedly having the money to pay a staff.

oh, honey.

but i am not going to make unsubstantiated claims on the internet, no, and this gives me an excuse to look at ao3's whole budget myself, which i've been meaning to do for a while. these numbers are taken from the 2022 budget post and budget spreadsheet.

ao3's total income for 2022, from the two donation drives, regular donations, donation matching programs, interest, and royalties was $1,012,543.42. less than $300 of that was from interest and royalties, so it's almost all donations. and that's a lot, right? surely an organization making a million dollars a year can afford to pay some staff, right?

well, let's look at expenses. first of all, they lose almost $37,000 to transaction fees right away. ao3 and fanlore (~$341k and ~$18k, respectively) take up the biggest chunks of the budget by far. that money pays for, to quote the 2022 budget post, "server expenses—both new purchases and ongoing colocation and maintenance—website performance monitoring tools, and various systems-related licenses."

in some years, otw also pays external contractors to perform audits for security issues, and for more servers to handle the growing userbase. servers are expensive as hell, guys. in 2022, new server costs alone were $203k.

each of their other programs only cost around $3,000 or less, and otw paid around $78k for fundraising and development. wait, how do you lose so much money on your fundraising?? from the 2022 budget post: "Our fundraising and development expenses consist of transaction fees charged by our third-party payment processors for each donation, thank-you gift purchases and shipping, and the tools used to host the OTW’s membership database and track communications with donors and potential donors."

then the otw paid an additional $74k in administration expenses, which covers "hosting for our website, trademarks, domains, insurance, tax filing, and annual financial statement audits, as well as communication, management, and accounting tools."

in case you weren't following all of that math, the total expenses for 2022 come out to $518,978.48. woah! that's a lot! but it's still only a little over half of their net revenue. weird. i wonder what they do with that extra $494k?

well, $400k of it goes to the reserves, which i'll get to in a second. the last $93k, near as i can tell, gets rolled over to the next year. i'll admit this part i'm a little unsure about, as it's not clear on the spreadsheet, but that's the only thing that makes sense.

the reserves, though are clear. the most recent post i could find on the otw site about it were in the board meeting minutes from april 2, 2022: "We’re holding about $1million in operating cash that is about twice the amount of our annual operating costs. There is another $1million in reserves due to highly successful fundraisers in the past. The current plan for the reserves is to hold the money for paid staff in the future. It’s been talked about before in the past and we’re still working out the details, but it’s a rather expensive undertaking that will result in large annual expenses in addition to the initial cost of implementation."

woah....they're PLANNING to have paid staff eventually! wild!

so let's assume, for easy numbers, that the otw currently has $1.5 million in reserves. before we even get to how to use that money, let's look at the issues with implementing paid staff:

deciding which positions are going to be paid, because it can't be all of them

deciding how much to pay them, bc minimum wage sure as hell isn't enough, and cost of living is different everywhere, and volunteers come from all over the world

hiring staff and implementing new systems/tools to handle things like payroll and accounting

making sure you continue to earn enough money both to pay all of the staff and have some in reserves for emergencies or leaner donation drives

probably even more stuff than that! i don't run a nonprofit, that's just what i can think of off the top of my head.

okay, okay, okay. for the sake of argument, let's assume there is a best-case scenario where the otw starts paying some staff tomorrow. how much should they be paid? i'm picking $15 an hour, since that's what we fought for the minimum wage to be. by now, it should be closer to $20 or $25, but i'm trying to give "ao3 is capitalism" the fairest shot it can get here, okay?

ideally, if someone is being paid to help run ao3, they shouldn't need a second job. every job should pay enough to live off of. and running a nonprofit is hard work that leads to a lot of burnout--two board members JUST resigned before their terms were up. what i'm saying is, i'm going to assume a paid otw staff is getting paid for 40 hours of work a week, minimum. that's $31,200.

at $400,000 per year, the otw can afford to pay 12 people. that's WITHOUT taking into account the new systems, tools, software, etc they would have to pay for, any kind of fees, etc, etc.

oh, and btw, if you're an american you're still making barely enough to survive in most places, AND you don't have universal healthcare, vision, or dental. want otw to give people insurance, too? the number of people they can pay goes down.

it's. not. possible.

a million dollars is a lot of money on the face of it, but once you realize how MUCH goes into running something like the otw, it goes away fast.

just for reference, wikipedia also has donation drives every year. wikipedia, as of 2021, has $86.8 million in cash reserves and $137.4 million in investments. sure, wikipedia and ao3 are very different entities, but that disparity is massive. and i should note that if you give $10 to wikipedia they don't give you voting rights, i'm just saying.

by the way, you may have noticed that i didn't mention legal costs at all here. isn't one of otw's big Things about how they do legal advocacy?

yes, it is. they have a whole page about that work. and i can't for the life of me find a source on otw's website (and i'm running out of time to write this post, i'll look harder later), but i am 90% sure i learned before that most, if not all, of otw's legal work/advice/etc is done pro bono. i've also seen an anti-ao3 person claim their legal budget is only $5k or so, but they didn't have a source. but keep in mind that if they don't have a legal budget, all the numbers above stay the same, and if they do, there is even less money available for paid staff.

you can criticize ao3 and the otw all you want! there are many valid reasons to criticize them, and i do not think they're perfect either. but if you're going to do so, you should at least make sure you can back up your claims, bc otherwise you just look silly.

[elsewhereuniversity]

I don’t suppose there’s a program that registers our ability to fulfill Deals promptly as factors on our credit score, is there? One of these days I’d love to buy a house...

I know you can occasionally register your rent payments through third-party folks, so maybe an alumni through something together?

Unfortunately the two systems of debt are disconnected, although you could possibly, with careful phrasing and pulling of strings, find some way to cash in those favors and goodwill for a way of influencing the actual credit system on an individual basis. Most people just opt for wealth, though, or something else more tangible.

[keganexe]

D&D, The OGL, and a Better Future for Actual Play Content

So this is spinning out of a post I made on twitter about how I legitimately believe the future of Actual Play (or AP for short) is in working alongside indie rpg folks

You can see that thread here, but I'm gonna recap anyway

Lets talk about the OGL and D&D first

Thanks to some great reporting from journalist Linda Codega (@lincodega), we know the general shape of the new Open Gaming License (or OGL) that WotC is running for Dungeons & Dragons moving forward. In short it sucks, I am not super interested in getting into it here, especially because Linda (once again) did really solid reporting here. Generally this spells a very bad time for a number of bigger third party creators (Green Ronin, Paizo, Kobold Press, probably Critical Role if we assume they aren't in on it which I would not assume tbh), and it also spells out specifically that Hasbro's desire to monetize even harder is in full swing.

One of the more interesting bits to this whole thing to me though, is how Wizards is looking at Fan Content, and I think its very likely this is going to be a major rub for AP Producers in the future. The OGL is now much clearer that AP work needs to fall under the Fan Content Policy, which means in broad strokes there is to be no monetization of your content. This is an old policy, but one I think a lot of folks are blithely unaware of. Specifically

You can't require payments, downloads, subscriptions, or email registration to access your content

You can't sell or license this content to a third party

Your content must be free for others to view, access, share, and use without paying you anything, obtaining approval, or giving credit.

You specifically can run things like a Ko-Fi or a Patreon, but you can't hide content behind a paywall. It also is... unclear on the ability to do things like live shows for money? I'm not a lawyer.

Regardless I think its high time people left, and that brings me to part 2 here

D&D and APs

Fundamentally D&D has always been bad for Actual Play. It's a quagmire of conflicting rules and bubblegum fixes, it crunches in weird spots, it doesn't do half the things people play it for, and its expensive to get into. Furthermore, it requires a lot of prep, it doesn't adapt well, and fundamentally it makes bad radio.

Where we see the most successes in the niche of D&D APs is hyper edited, super slick, and wildly unachievable setups; with major changes in rules, players who can make a living doing it, and entire production studios working on them (looking at you Critical Role, Dimension 20, etc). Within these (and within a ton of other APs) we also see a wild amount of homebrew to bend an inflexible and inelegant system into something that tells the stories we're interested in telling in games. Be this the wild changes to death in Dimension 20's Neverafter, full new classes and mechanics across Critical Role, magic items and homebrew in every AP I can think of, etc.

Generally also D&D is bad radio. The exacting measurements on battle maps don't make great Theatre of the Mind (certainly not as well as games designed for it), the rolls + stat modifiers + misc. shit on your sheet requires a lot of boring and frequently had to follow math*, etc.

Point here being, when we see it done well** it's less on the hands of D&D being good at these things, and more because production is changing major aspects of gameplay to make a game make good radio.

We should also talk about the messy legacy of D&D, but honestly that would be a few thousand extra words from me, and I don't have it in me. If the OGL doesn't scare you, it's worth thinking about what you're cosigning by staying around. Here's some extra articles if this is the first you're hearing about Wizards having major problems tho

Why Race is Still a Problem by Linda Codega gets into a lot of it

Wizards is still making money off of Oriental Adventures (and an article on that)

Mike Mearls still works there, this was weirdly hard to find a good article on, but here's a reddit post where its discussed

A Better Future for Actual Plays

This brings me to the point of this thread, which is that I don't think the future of Actual Plays has ever... actually been in making 5e content. This is a thing I feel pretty strongly about as a person who makes non-5e ap content (and this is a bias, sure). To me a better future has always been in indie rpgs, and in making content hand in hand with designers and producers working together.

What does this look like though? In short it rocks, and it's a thing bigger folks in the AP sphere are clearly already looking it. I'll list some examples below, and then I'll talk more about what it looks like on smaller scale, and what my experience with that has been like

So first off here's a few examples of what this looks like on the higher production end of the scale. I'm specifically looking at examples of campaign APs, working with the designer of the system, and not one shots which are doing this a bunch already.

Dimension 20's Shriek Week with Gabe Hick's Mythic System

Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast Podcast getting made alongside Possum Creek (it is a series of one shots, but also a shared universe, so I'm counting it here)

Into the Motherlands moving to their own system eventually

Iron Edda: Puppet Strings with Tracy Hicks on the One Shot Podcasting Network (edited to add this example)

On the smaller end this is something I legitimately have some experience with, and this is where the thread was always heading. Let's talk about Renegade Racers, the game I made specifically for one person, what that has looked like for me, and why I think it's the future of APs to make content this way.

So a while ago I got on a Fast & Furious bend and watched all the movies. Not content to just watch movies though, I talked to some folks about if they had seen games based on it, and got linked to a video of @0sarahxfrank0 running a F&F inspired honey heist hack (I'm not gonna link it because the community it spun out of has had a lot happen and I don't wanna give them clicks tbh).

The short version of this is that I watched the game, built a system to better handle what folks were trying to do, and then sent it back to Sarah. She loved it. We made some changes, we rebuilt around the players and stories people wanted to tell, we released the game and the first AP together afterwards. Now Sarah and I do a lot of work together, we're planning bigger things like this for the future, and it's so far been a lot of fun and super rewarding for everyone involved.

We've seen some other stuff like this as well, even if not in campaign play. Offhand, Plus One Exp's home Down We Go system is a great example of working with a designer to stamp a system as the home system, and find community within it. We've been able to watch sorta in slow motion as DWG moved from a little one page OSR hack that potentially gets lost in the shuffle, to something big and exciting that both parties are happy to put a stamp on.

This is the exact future I see for AP campaign play, and not a wild dream I don't think.

What does Actual Play look like when it's tied to designers who want to help you tell your stories in the ways you want to tell them? What would it look like for a community to say "actually we've had enough"? What happens when we work with people who give a shit instead of faceless megacorps? What does it look like when we invest in people willing to invest in us?

I've seen the future and it's golden, we just have to reach for it.

*hard to follow in that if the players aren't saying out loud what exactly they're adding the numbers are nonsense **by well here I do mean "expensive and award winning" I do not mean I think they're particularly master classes in game running or production, but that's a whole separate topic

[atalienart]

@magneto-manifesto replied to your post “Well, it's unfortunate with P*treon. I'll probably...”:

and its like not even "illegal" its just american puritanical bullshit! like, your point about the age system is very valid. and i can also see patreon using ppls info for nefarious purposes.

​I don't believe their system for uploading the info is even safe. I already see the inevitable leak of data from miles away. And why would anyone need my personal information in the first place just because I draw a nude figure?? It's okay to take out a loan via phone call without confirming your identity but I need to reveal my face, birthday and address because I drew a dick and people tipped me for that. They never cared about children, they never do, it's just to inconvenience people and collect data to sell it. Why won't the credit card company check their bank users age when they set the bank account and give their credit cards to their clients instead of policing a third party company that enables payment through their bank?? They just need people's data, that's it. There's already no privacy on the internet but they still want to know every little detail about you. I hate it. I don't even use their credit cards.

[stupittmoran]

This is Ross Ulbricht. 10 years ago today, Ross was arrested for creating a website.

If the government gets their way, he'll die in prison.

Ross is serving a double life sentence plus 40 years for, again, creating a website.

If that sounds ridiculous and infuriating to you, keep reading. It gets worse.

Ross created a website called Silk Road, which he designed to be a free market, secure, anonymous marketplace. It used Bicoin for payment, and utilized a system called Tor which allowed buyers and sellers to access it anonymously and without any trace.

An avid libertarian, Ross prohibited anything being sold on Silk Road that violated the Non-Aggression Principle.

This included stolen items, counterfeit/fraudulent items, child p**n, assassinations, etc.

A devout believer in nonviolence, Ross also prohibited the sale of weapons.

Many items that were sold on Silk Road were legal, and a third-party study of the site inventory by Carnegie-Mellon University concluded that the drugs most commonly sold were small amounts of cannabis.

Most importantly, Ross was not convicted for selling, buying, or being in proximity to any of the items that were sold on Silk Road, legal or illegal.

He was convicted for what others did on the site.

Imagine if Elon, or Zuck, or any of the other owners of web platforms were charged for what other people did on them.

On October of 2013, Ross was arrested by the FBI and charged with money laundering conspiracy, computer hacking conspiracy, fake ID trafficking conspiracy and narcotics trafficking. (Ross did not actually launder money, hack computers or sell illegal items himself. These charges were based on what users listed on the site.)

After his arrest, the prosecution fraudulently alleged that Ross attempted to have several people killed, but never charged him for this at trial, and his supposed "victim", Curtis Green, publicly stated that those allegations were false. He is a fervent supporter of Ross.

Despite the fact that these false, unproven allegations were never prosecuted, the federal government used them in the media to paint Ross as some kind of violent criminal kingpin, despite the fact that he was nonviolent and lived a very meager life, living with 3 other roommates in an apartment.

The FBI also seized over 144,000 Bitcoin that they found in a shared wallet on Ross's computer, which today is worth over $3.8 billion.

During Ross's trial:

Evidence and testimony showing that multiple people ran the website was banned from being discussed at trial.

Ross's defense team was not allowed to cross-examine the prosecution's witnesses or present their own witnesses

Key exonerating evidence was blocked by the judge

The prosecution was permitted to allege to the jury that Ross had hired hits on people despite never charging him with this or allowing him the opportunity to defend himself against the allegation

The jury found Ross guilty on all charges, and the judge sentenced this first-time, nonviolent person to double life plus 40 years without parole.

After Ross's trial, two of the key investigating federal agents were convicted on corruption charges related to Ross's case. Their existence was hidden from the jury during trial.

Despite all of this, Ross’s conviction was lost on appeal, and the Supreme Court refused to hear his case.

There is no other way to say it: Ross was railroaded by a corrupt federal government that wanted to make an example of him and steal his Bitcoin.

During his 10 years in prison, Ross has continued to be a model citizen, teaching classes and tutoring his fellow inmates and helping them to earn their GEDs. He has also completed several educational programs himself and has never received a single disciplinary sanction.

Ross Ulbricht is a peaceful, nonviolent man who has never harmed anyone and whose only "crime" was to create a website that other people used to sell drugs that shouldn't be illegal in the first place.

And for this, he's already spent a decade in prison.

If he is not pardoned, or his sentence commuted, he will die there.

That is unacceptable, and it is long past time for Ross to be set free.

Obama could have set Ross free with the stroke of a pen, but he wouldn't.

Neither would Trump.

Neither has Biden.

Let's replace them with someone who will.

Ross, I am sorry for what you're going through, and I will not stop fighting for your freedom until you're back home where you belong.

Free Ross Ulbricht.

Spike Cohen on Twitter/X

[baidudownloader]

How to download from CSDN.net without an account | New method 2023-2024

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[unpluggedfinancial]

The Philosophy Behind Bitcoin

Introduction

In the world of finance, few innovations have sparked as much intrigue and debate as Bitcoin. But beyond its role as a digital currency, Bitcoin embodies a profound philosophy that challenges traditional financial systems and proposes a new paradigm for economic freedom. Understanding the philosophy behind Bitcoin is essential to grasp its potential impact on our world.

The Origins of Bitcoin

In 2008, amid the global financial crisis, a mysterious figure known as Satoshi Nakamoto published the Bitcoin whitepaper. This document outlined a revolutionary idea: a decentralized digital currency that operates without the need for a central authority. The financial turmoil of the time, characterized by bank failures and government bailouts, underscored the need for a system that could function independently of traditional financial institutions.

Core Philosophical Principles

Decentralization-Decentralization lies at the heart of Bitcoin’s philosophy. Unlike traditional financial systems that rely on centralized authorities such as banks and governments, Bitcoin operates on a decentralized network of computers (nodes). Each node maintains a copy of the blockchain, Bitcoin's public ledger, ensuring that no single entity has control over the entire network. This decentralization is crucial for maintaining the integrity and security of the system, as it prevents any one party from manipulating the currency or its underlying data.

Trustlessness-Bitcoin's trustless nature is another fundamental principle. In traditional financial systems, trust is placed in intermediaries like banks and payment processors to facilitate transactions. Bitcoin eliminates the need for these intermediaries by using blockchain technology, where transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography. This system ensures that transactions are secure and reliable without requiring trust in any third party.

Transparency-The transparency of Bitcoin’s blockchain is a key philosophical aspect. Every transaction that has ever occurred on the Bitcoin network is recorded on the blockchain, which is publicly accessible. This transparency allows anyone to verify transactions and ensures accountability. However, while the ledger is public, the identities of the individuals involved in transactions remain pseudonymous, balancing transparency with privacy.

Immutability-Immutability is the concept that once a transaction is recorded on the blockchain, it cannot be altered or deleted. This is achieved through cryptographic hashing and the decentralized nature of the network. Immutability ensures the integrity of the blockchain, making it a reliable and tamper-proof record of transactions. This principle is crucial for maintaining trust in the system, as it prevents fraudulent activities and data corruption.

Financial Sovereignty-Bitcoin empowers individuals by giving them full control over their own money. In traditional financial systems, access to funds can be restricted by banks or governments. Bitcoin, however, allows users to hold and transfer funds without relying on any central authority. This financial sovereignty is particularly valuable in regions with unstable economies or oppressive governments, where individuals may face restrictions on their financial freedom.

The Ideological Spectrum

Bitcoin’s philosophy is deeply rooted in libertarian values, emphasizing personal freedom and minimal government intervention. It also draws inspiration from the cypherpunk movement, a group of activists advocating for privacy-enhancing technologies to promote social and political change. These ideological influences shape Bitcoin's emphasis on decentralization, privacy, and individual empowerment.

Real-World Applications and Challenges

Bitcoin's philosophy extends beyond theory into practical applications. It is used for various purposes, from everyday transactions to a store of value akin to digital gold. However, this revolutionary system also faces challenges. Regulatory issues, scalability concerns, and environmental impact are some of the hurdles that need addressing to realize Bitcoin’s full potential.

Conclusion

The philosophy behind Bitcoin is a radical departure from traditional financial systems. Its principles of decentralization, trustlessness, transparency, immutability, and financial sovereignty offer a new vision for economic freedom and integrity. As Bitcoin continues to evolve, its underlying philosophy will play a crucial role in shaping its future and potentially transforming the global financial landscape.

Call to Action

Explore more about Bitcoin and consider its implications for your own financial freedom. Engage with the community, stay informed, and think critically about the role Bitcoin can play in our economic future. Let’s continue the journey of understanding and embracing the Bitcoin revolution together.

[rideboomindia]

Description of product/service offering; define value proposition; define competitive differentiation of RideBoom

RideBoom is a transportation service that aims to provide convenient and reliable rides for customers. Our product/service offering revolves around connecting riders with professional drivers through a user-friendly mobile app. Whether you need a ride to work, the airport, or any other destination, RideBoom strives to make your transportation experience seamless and efficient.

Value proposition: Our value proposition lies in the following key aspects:

Convenience: RideBoom offers a simple and intuitive mobile app that allows users to request rides with just a few taps on their smartphones. With our extensive network of drivers, we strive to provide quick pick-ups and drop-offs, reducing wait times and ensuring you reach your destination on time.

Reliability: We prioritize reliability by thoroughly vetting and training our drivers to ensure they meet our high standards. Our drivers are professional, courteous, and committed to passenger safety. Additionally, our advanced technology enables real-time tracking of rides, providing transparency and peace of mind to our customers.

Affordability: RideBoom offers competitive pricing, providing cost-effective transportation options for riders. With transparent fare structures and no hidden charges, we aim to deliver value for money.

Safety: Safety is a top priority at RideBoom. We employ rigorous driver screening processes, including background checks and vehicle inspections, to ensure passenger security. Furthermore, our app features emergency assistance buttons and the ability to share ride details with trusted contacts, enhancing user safety.

Competitive differentiation: RideBoom stands out from competitors through several competitive differentiators:

Diverse Vehicle Options: We offer a range of vehicle categories to suit different customer preferences and needs. From standard sedans to luxury cars and larger vehicles for group travel, RideBoom provides a variety of options to accommodate diverse passenger requirements.

Exceptional Customer Support: We pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service. Our dedicated support team is available 24/7 to address any concerns or inquiries. We aim to resolve customer issues promptly and ensure a positive experience throughout the ride.

Focus on Sustainability: RideBoom is committed to environmental sustainability. We are actively working towards incorporating electric and hybrid vehicles into our fleet and exploring other eco-friendly initiatives. By providing greener transportation options, we strive to contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable future.

Seamless Integration: Our app integrates smoothly with popular third-party services and platforms, such as payment gateways and mapping systems. This integration enhances user convenience and provides a seamless experience when using RideBoom alongside other applications.

Overall, RideBoom aims to provide a reliable, convenient, and affordable transportation service that prioritizes customer satisfaction, safety, and sustainability, setting us apart from our competitors in the market.

[voskhozhdeniye]

“Courts usually aren’t allowed to hold someone in jail before evidence has been presented and they’ve had a chance to defend themselves,” explained Spokesman Marlon Kautz for the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, which operates out of Atlanta and pays bail for protesters. “But there’s a loophole: the court can demand a cash bail payment, and if the defendant can’t afford it they’re jailed indefinitely.” “Bail funds close this loophole in the cash bail system by leveling the playing field: they ensure that anyone—regardless of how poor or marginalized they are—can access the resources to make bail,” Kautz continued. “SB63 exposes that the loophole is not an accident, it’s the intended purpose of the bail system. Police, prosecutors, and politicians want a bail system which allows them to punish their political enemies, poor people, and people of color without trial.” The bill adds thirty additional charges that are ineligible for unsecured judicial releases, popularly known as signature bonds. The list includes charges commonly associated with protesting, like unlawful assembly and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and street racing, like reckless stunt driving and promoting drag races. Additionally, the bill only allows elected and appointed judges to set bond in Georgia. Currently, unelected and unappointed judges may serve in vacant positions to help courts provide speedier bond hearings. The changes expanding cash bail were not unexpected based on previous iterations, but the last-minute addition to the final language of the bill significantly hindering the ability of individuals and organizations to pay bail on behalf of jailed people in the state came as a surprise. That addition to the bill did not appear in the state’s online legislation management system until sometime between late Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning.  “No more than three cash bonds maybe posted per year by any individual, corporation, organization, charity, nonprofit corporation, or group in any jurisdiction,” the bill now reads.  This change will severely impact the operational ability of bail funds in the state of Georgia like the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. To continue paying bail for arrested individuals, Georgia bail funds would need to register as professional bail bondsman with the respective sheriffs in each county they intend to operate, which requires fingerprinting and a full background check conducted by the respective sheriffs and the FBI. Registered bail bondsman organizations are still unable to pay more than three cash bonds per year, they must instead go to a third party company to attain a surety bond. Existing Georgia law also prohibits professional bondsmen from recommending defense attorneys to clients seeking bond. Pairing defendants with attorneys is another common function of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. Violating this provision will constitute a misdemeanor in Georgia.

The use of bail funds gained new prominence in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd Protest, with new funds popping up in cities all around the country to help free the hundreds of protesters arrested that summer. In response, various state legislatures began introducing legislation aimed at curtailing the success of those organizations.  On Wednesday, Tennessee lawmakers introduced a bill outright prohibiting courts from accepting cash bails paid on behalf of defendants by charitable bail organizations. Kentucky legislators passed HB 5 in January, prohibiting charitable bail organizations from posting bonds of $5,000 or greater. Texas Governor Greg Abbot signed a law in November requiring charitable bail organizations to register with county clerks and provide monthly updates listing each defendant the fund paid bail for in the prior month. A 2022 law passed in Indiana requires charitable bail funds to pay a $300 certification fee every two years, and prohibits those organizations from posting bond for individuals accused of violent crimes or those facing felony charges with a previous violent crime conviction. The Bail Project sued the state of Indiana in federal court over its bail law, but lost the case in both the district and appeals court. “The purpose of these laws restricting and regulating community bail funds is clearly to suppress organizing and reject the expression of community solidarity,” said Pilar Weiss Director of Community Justice Exchange, which hosts the National Bail Fund Network. “These laws have nothing to do with safety or justice and are an open attack on mutual aid and community care. As criminalization of community solidarity increases, we’re seeing an increase in attacks like this whose aim is to block and reduce any routes to freedom.”

[drmajalis]

Every now and then I think about how a game with the plot of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory could NEVER be made today

I felt like talking about this in light of some recent news in East Asia. TL;DR but Chaos Theory, despite being a game ostensibly inspired by the writings of Tom Clancy, is essentially a political thriller where a rogue American PMC company and Japanese Admiral try to start WWIII, and where China and NORTH KOREA are kind of presented as the good guys in the conflict?! Here's a general plot summary: Japan has just created a new warfare branch, the "Information Self-Defence Force" or ISDF, headed by Admiral Toshiro Otomo. The role of the ISDF is to conduct and intercept electronic warfare, which many in Asia feel is a violation of Japan's post war constitution forbidding them from maintaining a military force capable of striking outside its borders. In response, China and North Korea mobilize a naval blockade in the Yellow Sea to intercept and search all Japanese shipping, so America sends their newest electronics warfare ship, the USS Clarence E. Walsh to the area as a show of force, carrying the NSA's top operative (and player character) Sam Fisher. While on the way, Sam is sent to Peru to rescue kidnapped American computer programmer Bruce Morgenholt, who was part of a two-man United Nations to decipher a cyber warfare weapon called the "Masse Kernels" which were part of a previous game. Sam unfortunately finds Morgenholt dead, and pursues the kidnappers to sea, where he finds they were paid for their services using a Panamanian bank as a proxy. Sam is then sent to Panama, where he finds evidence that the payment was went by the other member of the UN task force, computer programmer Abrahim Zherkezhi (and also steals $50 million in French bearer bonds in the process, best level in the game). Further implicating Zherkezhi is that both New York and Japan are hit with a Masse Kernel attack that shuts off their entire electricity grids,so Sam is sent to his Penthouse in New York to investigate, where he finds out that he has a protection detail from American PMC outfit Displace International, headed by his best friend and former war buddy, Douglas Shetland, who were also supposedly protecting Morgenholt. Reluctantly, Fisher infiltrates the offices of Displace and learns that Zherkezhi was relocated to Hokkaido for his protection, so he is sent there, meeting up with Shetland along the way, and the two watch on the news in the bar that the USS Walsh was just hit and sunk by a North Korean anti-ship missile. North Korean officials, backed by China, claim they did not intentionally fire the missile, and the Secretary of Defence claims that the Walsh's cyber warfare systems were way too advanced to be tracked and hit by a fifty year old Chinese-manufactured missile, but Sam's boss, Irving Lambert, believes that before the attack, the Walsh was hit by a Masse Kernel attack disabling it's defence systems. Fisher is sent to Hokkaido to bring Zherkezhi in for questioning, but as he witnesses a meeting between him and Shetland, the latter reveals his intentions to start a war in Asia before murdering Zherkezhi.

Fisher wants to go after Shetland, but with diplomacy rapidly deteriorating after the sinking of the Walsh, war in Korea seems inevitable, so he is instead sent to the North Korean missile battery that sank the Walsh to find proof of the North Korean claims. Fisher finds evidence of the Masse Kernals being used to force launch the missile, but before the information can be sent, North Korea crosses the DMZ and invades the South.

After a stop in Seoul to gather information from a data routing centre, Fisher learns that Shetland is meeting a third party at a bathhouse in Tokyo, which turns out to be the ISDF, who are revealed to be collaborating with Shetland to start a war. Fisher catches and kills Shetland, and is then sent to the Japanese Ministry of Defence to find out if the Japanese government itself is involved. There, Fisher eavesdrops a meeting between high ranking SDF members and finds out that it was Admiral Otomo acting alone, wishing to use the pretext of a war to restart Japanese Imperialism. The GSDF attempt to apprehend Otomo, but fail, and in retaliation, he uses the Mass Kernels to launch a North Korean missile aimed at Japan, knowing that if it hits, World War III will truly be inevitable.

Fisher stops the attack by destroying the ISDF's servers, and apprehends Otomo as he tries to commit seppuku. Otomo confesses to his actions, North Korea withdraws its forces, Displace and the ISDF are disbanded, and the Chinese Ambassador to the United States wins the noble peace prize for his efforts in trying to mediate peace in Asia. Job finished, game over. So, you can probably see why this would never be made today, right? Anything that even remotely positively portrays China, let alone North Korea in a positive light nowadays would get torn to shreds, not to mention the game makes the taboo of bringing light to how the Japanese government has never really owned up to the crimes they committed during WWII because of Cold War politics, as well as showing how Japan rebuilding its military has created lots of tensions in East Asia.

No other real point to this, I just wish we had more complex stories like this where the stereotypical "good and bad guys" don't automatically fill their roles.

[marcys-garbage-bunker00]

Commissions Open!!!

Hello everyone, my name's Marcy!

I am an Uruguayan, bisexual and non-binary artist!

I am finally having the time to open commissions to work on art!

Her'es how pricing will work...

Currency are on dollars! Please make sure to adjust your amount to it when paying, though if you want we can discuss a different price for special reasons!

headshot/Profile will be 10

Half-body wil be a 15

Full body are 20

Then, i'll add some price depending on the level of detail, to make it simple, i put it like this

Line art/Black and White don't have any extra

Colored will be just +2 dollars to the price!

Shaded will be an extra +2 too! Technically you can do shaded without colored but.. yeah, that'd be a bit weird lmao

And lastly, background, and it'll depend on how complex, really. If it's a single color, gradiant or otherwise very simple shapes and colors, i won't add extra, but! If it's something more complex, like a scenario or such, i might then consider addign an extra +5 dollars, but we can discuss it!

There's also two special ones separate from this "system", "Scenes", that is, a piece depicting an event, sene or otherwise dynamic thing with characters doing actions, like escaping from an explosion, floating in space or whatever, i think you get a good idea! Because those i ocnsider very complex and time consuming, i'll price them at 50, which is, to me, the fair amiount for the amount of time and specially effort that needs to go for these!

The other are Reference Sheets, usually for characters but can be for other things! These tend to be a bit simpler, because it's just the character or object, the color pallette, name, creator and maybe some info, usually a simple background too, so i'll price them at 30!

There's also technically a third, which i'll call "Meme comms", essentially, these are just 21 dollars, they are basically art done to reference a specific meme, base or such that i'm asked, so it's not "serious" art, more so done for funsies, like, say, being commissioned by someone to draw a picture of their cat OC over one of the many crying cat pics floating about! Why 21? Well it's just a funny number!

This, to clarify, means if you pay for a reference for example, you'll pay just 30 regardless if it's shaded, colored, with a complex background, etc.!

As for how procedure goes, i'll keep you updated, we'll talk on DMs, i will NOT accpet payment UNTIL the piece is ready, in which case, you will pay, and then i'll send you the file once the payment arrives. This is to avoid having the rug pulled under me, and also because, if either party wants to cancel for whatever reason, there'll be a lot of time to cancel. Note, if you cancel when the piece is basically finished, i likely won't give you the file, because then i'd just be giving it to you for free which... is shady, and not cool

I won't draw NSFW, mainly outo f lack of skill really, though i can draw suggestive! I won't draw gore, or well, organ-related gore and such, i can do blood, spooky and body horror of other kinds! I will also decline a piece if i feel it encourages ideals i don't agree with, or if you yourself have conflicting ideals with mine, and i hold all the rights to cancel for whatever reason, as would you too.

I'll have 5 slots open across my social media, and i'll post an update post once the five slots are taken! If i can, i'll also have it on my profiles, so you all will be well informed!

[yukipri]

I'm running another promotion on Patreon this month, August 2022!

The theme is "Hot Boba Summer," and I'll be sending physical prints of my art to all patrons $10 and up!

These postcard prints will only be available during this month, and won't be available again online.

Promotion details and link to Patreon below the cut!

This promotion will work the same way as my past promotions, but if you're new or need a refresher, please read the following information carefully!

Promotions are my way of thanking my patrons for supporting me and my work. During promotions, I send physical prints to my patrons on eligible Tiers. You don't need to pay any extra, and you continue to have access to my regular content! This is essentially just a bonus! However, if you see some rewards on higher Tiers that you aren't eligible for, you're certainly welcome to upgrade so you receive them!

My regular Patreon content is pay what you want (starting at $1) and includes WIPs, art process, early access to art and fic, access to higher resolution illustrations with less watermarking, creator commentary, and the very occasional spice!

Because it's summer, it's HOT, and I've drawn the most Boba art this year, the promotion's theme is "Hot Boba Summer!" (yeah, original, I know).

Please read the following information carefully!

❄ REGARDING REWARDS! ❄

❄ All patrons $10 and up are eligible to receive promotion rewards!

❄ Rewards are PHYSICAL postcard art prints that will be mailed to you! This is in addition to your access to my regular digital content on Patreon.

This time, the promotion will have two tiers.

$10 Patrons will receive 2 cards!

The cards I've chosen are:

・Boba through the years

・Alpha-00 Boba

$20+ Patrons will receive 6 cards!

In addition to the two arts above, $20+ patrons will ALSO receive:

・Boba Remembrance

・Tusken Warrior

・Jaster & Young Jango

・Boba & Tooka

All cards are 4" x 6", on the various paper textures. I have all of the prints in hand and am really happy with how they all turned out!

Samples of the art are through the links!

Please note that while these illustrations will eventually also available as prints on my INPRNT (as soon as I have time to update, oops), these promotion cards are different from the "art cards" offered there, and were ordered by me personally from a third party printer. Unlike the INPRNT cards, these postcards are full bleed, have various textures I've selected, and are also flat postcards as opposed to folding ones.

These postcards will not be available again as part of another Patreon promotion. They're for this one only!

For full transparency, this is a special promotional deal I am offering to patrons only. These postcards may be available for sale at future conventions I attend, and my prices at cons for postcards are 1 for $5, or 3 for $10. However, the price of this promotion also includes postage, envelopes, a personal note, the time it takes to pack and mail the cards, in addition to all of my regular Patreon content.

Patrons may change/upgrade to any Tier you wish to be on anytime during the month of August 2022! Any changes AFTER August 31st will not be reflected in the promotion, so please make sure you're in the Tier you want to be in during AUGUST!

You will only be charged the difference if you upgrade (for example, if you are currently a $5 patron, and upgrade to $10, you will be charged an extra $5. You will not be charged the full amount).

I am also currently on a "Charge Upfront" system, meaning you can downgrade again to a lower Tier after your payment has gone through to avoid being charged again in September (for example, if you want to be on $10 Tier for only August for the promotion, you can upgrade, wait until payment has gone through, and then downgrade again, and you will still qualify for the promotion reward). Please wait until payment has gone through before downgrading. As long as  you pledged $10+ at some point during the month of August and that payment was processed, you will be eligible!

❄ Regarding sending Rewards ❄

❄ All rewards will start shipping out in SEPTEMBER!

This is to give all patrons and potential new patrons the entire rest of the month to choose which rewards you want!

Please DOUBLE CHECK your address to make sure it is correct!

Your pledge will have a place to put your physical mailing address, and that spot is there for promotions like this one! Please double check to make sure that your information is updated and correct.

Every promotion, I get multiple cards that are bounced back because the post office can't find the address. I will contact you through DMs if that happens, but especially for international patrons, this can be quite costly for me, and will obviously more than double the amount of time it takes to reach you.

International patrons are eligible as well! I won't be charging extra <3 HOWEVER, please be extra careful when inputting your address!

There are additional shipping details in the post on Patreon, but I think this should be all the relevant information to new folks considering joining!

If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an ask!

❀ ❀ Send YukiPri an Ask! ❀ ❀

>> Join YukiPri's Patreon <<

[benlinna]

Smart contracts: Transformative applications of blockchain technology

Smart contracts are a key application of blockchain technology that utilizes programming code to automatically execute, control, and record contract terms without relying on traditional intermediaries. This technology is gradually transforming our understanding of contracts and transactions, bringing unprecedented efficiency and transparency to a wide range of industries. This article will delve into the benefits, application scenarios, and challenges of smart contracts.

Advantages of smart contracts

Automation: Once a smart contract is written and deployed on the blockchain, it can be automatically executed when preset conditions are met. This automation not only increases efficiency, but also reduces human error and latency.

Lower costs: Execution of smart contracts does not rely on third-party intermediaries such as lawyers, banks and other financial institutions, thus significantly reducing the cost of transaction and contract execution. This disintermediation not only reduces costs, but also simplifies the process.

Increase transparency: the terms of all smart contracts are open and transparent, and all interested parties can view the status and activity of the contract in real time. This transparency builds trust and reduces information asymmetries and misunderstandings.

Security and immutability: Blockchain technology ensures that once a contract is deployed, its contents and records cannot be modified, improving the security of contract execution. All transactions are transparent and cannot be changed once recorded, reducing the risk of fraud and malicious behavior.

Reduce the risk of fraud: Due to the transparency and immutability of contracts, smart contracts greatly reduce the possibility of fraud. All parties can view the transaction history and contract execution, ensuring that everything is fair and transparent.

Improve efficiency and speed: The automatic execution features of smart contracts greatly improve the efficiency of processing transactions and contracts. While traditional contracts can take days, weeks or even months to execute, smart contracts can be completed in minutes, dramatically increasing the speed of business operations.

Facilitate new business models and services: Smart contracts make it possible to create complex business models and automated services that are difficult to achieve in traditional contract frameworks. They open the way for the development of innovative financial instruments, decentralized applications (DApps) and automated systems.

Application scenarios of smart contracts Smart contracts can be used in a wide range of scenarios, including but not limited to:

Financial services, such as creating decentralized finance (DeFi) applications that automatically execute contracts for lending, insurance, payments, and more. Supply chain management, monitoring the flow of goods and automatically releasing payments when goods meet a certain condition or location. Digital identity, manage and verify digital identification, and simplify the online authentication process. Voting system, creating a transparent and immutable voting system to ensure the fairness of the voting process. Copyright and Intellectual Property, automatically manage and enforce copyright payments and distribution to protect the interests of creators. The challenges and limitations of smart contracts While smart contracts offer many advantages, they also face some challenges and limitations, including:

Code security: The security of smart contracts depends on how their code is written, and the presence of vulnerabilities can lead to serious security issues. Legal status and compliance: The legal status of smart contracts is unclear and there may be legal and regulatory uncertainties in different jurisdictions. Dependence on external data: Many smart contracts need to rely on external data sources to trigger execution conditions, and if external data is inaccurate, it can affect the outcome of contract execution. Technical barriers and complexity of use: Writing and deploying smart contracts requires specialized programming skills and can be a high technical barrier for the average user. peroration Smart contracts, a key application of blockchain technology, are opening up new areas of automated trading and application development. They have the advantages of increased transaction efficiency, reduced costs, increased transparency and security, but they also face some challenges, especially in terms of code security, legal status and dependence on external data. As technology advances and regulations improve, smart contracts are expected to continue to play an important role in various industries, driving the development of the digital economy.