iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 26/05/2024

Appending is possible - it happens every ten minutes on average.

∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 18/05/2024

Since when is taking a loan "fraud"? If you use any collateral to secure a loan, you're not selling the asset so there's no capital gains tax. Your bank needs to accept the asset as collateral, of course. It's not hard to find one, that accepts Bitcoin for that.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 17/05/2024

Bitcoin is only used by criminals. And some retail investors. And family offices. And trading firms and investment management companies. And other companies, many others. And banks. And pension funds. And Governments like El Salvador or Wisconsin. Yeah, it's obviously only used by criminals.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 17/05/2024

To be a good critic, you need to study the topic. Once you do, you first start asking better questions, then get better answers, then begin to see the value of Bitcoin and finally become a fiat critic. That's why there's no good Bitcoin critics 😂

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 09/05/2024

25% of the Swiss population is using Bitcoin - if they're all criminals and drug dealers, Switzerland must be one gangsters paradise of a country. Better watch out and stay away from their tasty chocolate.

Swiss newspaper showing investments done by swiss population

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 07/05/2024

That's a classic impersonation scam with deep fake videos. You can find those daily on YouTube, who don't seem to care enough to do anything serious against that.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 06/05/2024

It does. There's 15 years of data to support that.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 06/05/2024

We might all be grateful to their work in a future soon to come. Or not. Depends on how history will evolve.. which we all don't know.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 06/05/2024

Cypherpunks saw the threat of a future government taking full control over the digital world already in the 80s. China implemented that fully. Snowden showed, that the US implemented parts. Cypherpunks are building defensive privacy tech for 40 years already. It's not about 2020, I think.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 06/05/2024

In the face of the 2024 elections in the US i would not count the US as a stable democracy. The map I quoted lists the US as "flawed democracy". If Trump gains power and does only half of what he announced, it'll be an authoritarian government quickly. History doesn't stand still, nothing stays.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 06/05/2024

Considering that the majority of the world's population doesn't live in stable democracies, a censorship-resistant social media might not be the worst idea. What's the role of privilege-bias of those who disagree?

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 04/05/2024

It would obliterate almost every existing digital security system over night. It would be used for war.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 01/05/2024

LSD was cool when you could buy it legally in the EU due to a technical loophole in the legislation, which took years to close. That was fun :) Produced in a legal lab, payable with bank card, cheap bulk price and also finest quality.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 28/04/2024

Feels like talking to a bot. Have a nice day.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 28/04/2024

The day they qualify for Level 4 I'll be impressed by the achievement and consider buying one. Again: it's not about emotions.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 28/04/2024

I'm stating arguments based on facts. It's not about emotions.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 28/04/2024

That's how Tesla would like it to work. Others use professional, trained testing staff. Mercedes didn't send its customers on the street as "beta" drivers. Yet they achieved one more level than Tesla.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 28/04/2024

If they're not professional test pilots, then they're "random civilians". I did google that: they have autonomy level 2. They didn't qualify for anything higher. That's just a fact - no emotions in that.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 28/04/2024

I believe, that autonomous driving will come and I think it will be great. I also think, the tech should be ready, before going live. Mercedes Benz is ahead of Tesla (they have Level 3, Tesla Level 2, it's a fact). Mercedes is aiming at 2030 for Level 5.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 28/04/2024

Responsible "Testing" of a non-qualified product requires a trained pilot at least. Having some randim dudes test your non-qualified products between pedestrians and thinking that's ok, because you call it "beta" is an amazing level of recklessness.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 28/04/2024

Which autonomy level does FSD beta have? If it's used in public by regular people, then it doesn't matter, how small the user base is or how they call the product. It's either technically qualified for a use case - or it isn't.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 28/04/2024

Glad to hear, that nobody was killed. Tesla FSD has not qualified for that use. If they were ready, they could get Level 3, which would allow them to legally market that use as a feature. That would be an amazing achievement and great for marketing. But they're not ready, they don't qualify.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 28/04/2024

If Tesla was better than Level 2, they could qualify - but they don't. So they're obviously not ready - that's an observable, objective fact.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 28/04/2024

Tesla has Level 2 of 5 automation. That's far from "full self driving". Using it as if it had a higher level than the actual technical qualification is willingly endangering people. Mercedes Benz achieved Level 3, allowing it only on highways for slow traffic.

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Reposted by ∇ Gradient Descent

Daniel @daniel12345.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

😶

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 26/04/2024

Blessed are those, who don't have any problems solveable by bitcoin and thus don't need it at all. They must live a truly privileged and comfortable life - so comfortable, that they can't even see the severe problems others are struggling with.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

Don't be sorry for my country - we were the killers, not the victims.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

My country has been there before: failing currency -> mass poverty -> voting for fascist leader accusing scapegoats -> killing millions That's kinda worst case, but it should be a lesson.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

Yes, everyone is forced to become a investment expert or slide into poverty - while needing three jobs to pay rent. It's insanity. I can totally understand, why people are so angry. They're just angry about the wrong things - typically scapegoats, presented by populists.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

Sorry, I'm not a native English speaker - sometimes I'm clumsy with terminology.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

With "profession" I don't mean "official job" but rather "spending time, learning, building knowledge and generating income with something". I have high regards for self-studies and free creative living.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

It's risk management - you never ever know anything in life. If you hold enough in low volatility assets to survive a few years, then you would have been ok all through the past 80 years with the above DCA strategy. Also cash can crash - nothing is safe.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

If you make that your profession, you can probably make intelligent guesses. After all, stock prices are not random - they are an expression of the underlying system, complex actions of people, success of ideas. Gambling is pure chance in comparison - no strategy can beat a (non-defect) roulette.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

The winning horse would always have been the best pick.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

That's true, which is why older folks should hold a bigger percentage in low volatility assets like cash, bonds or gold - even if they are losing value in the long run (well, gold at least evens out monetary debasement). If you're planning to live a few more years, that chunk shouldn't be too big.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

If he did, he would have made a lot of profit. Instead he seemingly handpicked shitty stocks.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

The only investment that's actually worse than holding cash seems to be a portfolio of only a few hand picked single stocks, which crash right after. Or gambling, which has a statistical loss guarantee built in - e.g. roulette 3% losses per play.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

If you invest broadly - e.g. S&P - you have to search the history to find ranges, in which that wasn't profitable in the long run compared to just holding cash. If you dollar cost averaged into the S&P with e.g. a savings plan, then even 2000 and 2008 wouldn't have hurt long before back in profit.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

Lyn Alden and Andreas Antonopoulos are amongst my favourite well known sources. I totally get your dislike for what you describe - I feel that, too.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

I heard an interesting stance on that today: libertarian nuts were amongst the first to adopt - so they are the first to profit, building wealth and are now a loud vocal group. That doesn't make them representatives of Bitcoin. I enjoy the quieter voices, friends without podcasts, normal people.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

So you choose a wallet of which you know that it's slow and then complain, that it's slow? Did I get that right? You should check out the lightning network - transactions thenn take less than a second. If you get an address, I'll zap you 21 sats just for fun. Satoshis Wallet is a good one.

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Reposted by ∇ Gradient Descent

Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 23/04/2024

You've probably been wondering: "How many eels is a cottage worth in 14th C. England?" This is a reasonable question. I get it. And happily, I'm here to help! I included a chart showing this kind of equivalence in an article I wrote for History Extra, but here's an excerpt! 🧪🗃️

Table showing cost of items in the 14th C., and the equivalent value in eels.

2 doz. eggs costs 1d, or 6 eels
A gallon of the best ale costs 1.25d or 8 eels
1 sheep costs 1s 5d, or 106 eels
1 cow costs 9s 5d, or 706 eels
A 2-story cottage costs £2, or 3,000 eels

As far as I know, no one was buying cottages with eels. This is more to give you a sense of relative costs. But wouldn't it be interesting if you could buy a house with eels?

This chart leaves unanswered the question: "What about the next-best ale?" and suggests and entire spectrum of ale gradations. Which makes good sense, of course. But also, you certainly wouldn't want to spend your eels on inferior ale!

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

"What part did your god play in the Holocaust?"

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

Why is personal data of millions in the source code? That doesn't make any sense. Sounds more like a data leak, than a source code leak.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

There is no"Bitcoin mining GPU". GPUs were stopped using for Bitcoin round 10 years ago.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

In the case of Bitcoin, the computation is part of the security - securing this yet unhacked network allowing global, open, censorship resistant, fast, cheap and secure transactions for 15 years now. It's hard to not see how this could be useful for people - even, if you don't need it yourself.

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

It's astonishing, but: 1) the only thing, that computers actually do, is solving math problems ("computation") 2) doing computation, that has a use case for some people, creates the highly subjective phenomenon called "value"

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∇ Gradient Descent @gradient-descent.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

I consider Elon a fraud btw - and his GPUs pitch bullocks.

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