Global Guerrillas

Random #bitcoin Thoughts Worth Reading

Put some thinking regarding bitcoin up on Twitter.   

• @johnrobb as a currency hedge, bitcoin's rise makes being a goldbug look pretty stupid.  zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-0…
• @johnrobb It's important to understand that #bitcoin works because transactions are open/visible. It's not something you use if you want to hide.
• @johnrobb Why is #bitcoin cool/dangerous? One reason: it's portable. You can put an unlimited amount in your pocket. No paper bulk. No banks.
• @johnrobb Like oil back in 2005. If you were reading my articles on #bitcoin in 2011, you'd be very rich now. 300 bagger! bitcoincharts.com/charts/mtgoxUS…
• @johnrobb ? Nonsense. Same reason we don't have multiple Googles.  Network effects. RT @MartinCollinson: No reason why digital currencies shouldn't multiply
• @johnrobb Another cool thing about #bitcoin. Since it is open source, it can't be slaved to national economic policy (inflated, etc.).
• @johnrobb Don't think there is a mechanism for doing it yet. RT @peakcheezburger: do you think eventually #bitcoin will be regulated?
• @johnrobb  IS #gold going to be the first victim of #bitcoin ?
• @johnrobb Why is #gold a victim of #bitcoin ? #bitcoin is an updated, and more fun, version of the same function.
• @johnrobb #gold also has a generational problem. #goldbugs are dying out. #bitcoiners are growing exponentially.
• @johnrobb By that measure Google = 0 value. RT @selil: bitcoin is technofantacism no different than the .bomb. they are not real property.
• @johnrobb It's really an age thing. If you are over ~40, you are probably in the #gold camp. Under, in the #bitcoin camp. Ergo, #bitcoin wins.
• @johnrobb Re; #NSA and #bitcoin. They would be better off mining to gain insight into transaction history and make $$ to fund ops
• @johnrobb Bubble possibly. Not a pyramid. Different dynamic. RT @MartinCollinson Bitcoin is a pyramid scheme.
• @johnrobb People used to write tangible letters by hand too. RT @deezthugs: this "tangible" thing and "5000+ years of monetary history"
• @johnrobb In every realm of human endeavor now. RT @Scott_Bulin: The real winners are going to be those who control the digital conversation
• @johnrobb Does #bitcoin have any intrinsic value? Yes. It's a globally decentralized transaction system!  
• @johnrobb #bitcoin also solves the Byzantine Generals problem in computing/game theory. That's a big deal. cs.cornell.edu/courses/cs614/…
• @johnrobb I'm not advocating that you buy any #bitcoins at this inflated price, I'm just making observations about what is going on.
• @johnrobb In #bitcoin ? Probably. But, I'm not in the market right now. RT @Tomzorz: you think we're in for a crash?
• @johnrobb I can't buy a cup of coffee with #bitcoin. Who cares? I can't buy it with a #gold either.

Also, I'm still working on recasting the American dream on HomeFree America. If you aren't subscribed yet, you might have missed this article: the tale of two college grads, over a decade. It should get your grey cells working.

Update: John Robb is at HomeFree America

Here's what is going on.  

I've left Resilient Communities due to a difference in creative direction.  Which means I'm no longer associated with the site in any way.  Despite my departure, I wish the current team good luck with it and hope they stay true to the message I developed there.

As a bit of background, I started Resilient Communities as a way to explore some ideas developed on Global Guerrillas back in '06/'07.  Specifically, the idea that the best response to a global disruption (terrorism to pandemic to natural disaster) was to build resilient communities.  

Since then, the idea of "community resilience" has gone mainstream and it's finally getting much of the attention it deserves.  Fortunately, I've found a new focus for my attention.  Something much bigger than resilience.  An idea that I could only explore in a new venue.

To accomplish that, I've started working on a new site called HomeFree America.  

It's dedicated to a revival of the American Dream (it's the dream that caught the imagination of the world).  It's still an early effort (early alpha, so the construction tape is still up and sawdust coats the floor), but it's making progress.  Here's what the focus has been on so far:

1. The American Dream.  What is the dream.  Why is it in trouble/dying?  How it can be rebuilt.   
2. The Direct Economy.  It's pretty clear that a new economy is emerging and we've found out it is global, fragmented, and chaotic.  It also offers up amazing opportunity -- the new economy allows use to conduct business without most of the industrial economy's corrupt middlemen (from finance to government to retial to distribution).   With this in mind, my goal is to figure out how it works and how to make it work for us as part of a revived American Dream.  
3. A Home that Pays for Itself.  Simply, the biggest invesment most Americans have/will make is in our home, but as it stands right now, it's an albatross.  Fortunately, I've found that by rethinking the role of the home and what it should do, it's possible to turn it into something that helps you succeed economically.  A home that makes it easy for you to achieve the American Dream in the 21st Century, whether you are young or old.

So, if you have been reading me for years, I think you will like this new site and what is going on there.  If you are interested, join the discussion on HomeFree America.  I'm posting there almost every day.  It's a big challenge and I'd appreciate the help.

PS:  I'll be taking care of everyone that joined me on Resilient Strategies on this new effort.  Stay true.

PPS:  I'll still continue to post occassionally to GG about ideas relating to conflict.  However, I'll be spending most of my time on HomeFree America.