From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from smtp1.linuxfoundation.org (smtp1.linux-foundation.org [172.17.192.35]) by mail.linuxfoundation.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id BA48615F2 for ; Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:14:03 +0000 (UTC) X-Greylist: delayed 00:07:40 by SQLgrey-1.7.6 Received: from cock.li (cock.li [176.9.0.140]) by smtp1.linuxfoundation.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 4F39E22E for ; Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:14:03 +0000 (UTC) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:06:21 +0000 From: Monarch To: hearn@vinumeris.com Message-ID: <602b978abcedd92fbed85f305d9d7bfe@cock.li> X-Sender: monarch@cock.li User-Agent: Roundcube Webmail/0.9.5 X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.0 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_20,T_RP_MATCHES_RCVD autolearn=ham version=3.3.1 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.3.1 (2010-03-16) on smtp1.linux-foundation.org Cc: bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] Your Gmaxwell exchange X-BeenThere: bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 Precedence: list List-Id: Bitcoin Development Discussion List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:14:03 -0000 On 2015-08-31 19:11, Mike Hearn via bitcoin-dev wrote: > I think your summary of what people actually want from > decentralisation is pretty good, Justus. > > >> I don't believe that any Bitcoin user actually cares >> about decentralization, because none of them I've asked can define >> that term. > > +1 Insightful > What is Bitcoin if not decentralized? Bitcoin the most awkward, unprivate and damaging currencies ever created. It is terribly slow for general use, and it is very difficult for users to get over the technical hurdles required to use it safety. It is simultaneously the least private payment system ever conceived for general use, yet still manages to consistently help terrorists and pedophiles. Over half a gigawatt of power is used to power the miners which timestamp the network, causing hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO2 and radioactive particles to be spewed into the atmosphere. Perhaps we can justify these damages as the cost of decentralization, similar to one justifying the tor anonymity network as having significant positive effects outweighing the negative. However if you are truly willing to give the goal of absolute decentralization up as unachievable or unrealistic, it would be much more sensible to replace the entire Bitcoin network with a couple of geographically distributed SQL servers and call it a day. Without decentralization as an ultimate goal, Bitcoin is an abomination that is best dismantled.