Moloco is a machine learning company that enables businesses to unleash the power of their own data for fast, sustainable growth and performance through the advertising ecosystem

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As the dust of the cloud hype wave settles, more tech teams discover the side effects of cloud infrastructures, typically kept under the radar. As promising as on-demand scalability, less time managing on-premise services, and other benefits sound, they are often balanced by a significant drawback–spikes in infrastructure costs in high-load systems. When discussing infrastructure costs, the focus on high-load systems is substantial: There’s hardly a more flexible and cheaper alternative to the cloud for smaller companies. However, as QPS reaches hundreds of thousands, vendor fees that seem small are no longer sustainable. As a software development company specializing in building and optimizing high-load systems for AdTech, we have explored multiple practices teams use to prevent infrastructure costs from spiking. With over 15 years of experience, Xenoss helped support projects like Activision Blizzard, Verve Group, Smartly, Voodoo, Inmar Intelligence, and others to build robust yet nimble infrastructures. In this post, we’d like to share our experience and know-how on infrastructure challenges relevant to high-load platforms and explore ways to streamline costs. To illustrate the tactics shown in the post, we’ll use an industry where speed and scale are non-negotiable: AdTech. We also have a blog post that , featuring expert tips and comments from our software architects and a case study of a twenty-fold infrastructure cost reduction. covers infrastructure cost optimization in more detail AdTech platforms–a poster case for high-load systems High-load platforms enable multiple sectors like banking, healthcare, and more. Programmatic advertising, though often not seen as a technical feat to develop, can rival other complex systems, as its operational requirements often push the boundaries of infrastructure design. Let’s quickly recap why AdTech platforms (SSP, DSP, and so on) are an excellent lens for exploring . infrastructure cost optimization Pressure for high volume and low latency AdTech platforms are caught in a constant tug-of-war between the need for high traffic volume and low latency. On the one hand, they need to handle the vast amount of traffic generated by online advertising (which, , CEO of TPA Digital, amounts to 950 billion impressions per day). according to Wayne Bloodwell Besides the load, the real-time nature of the ecosystem adds a new layer of complexity. High latency in AdTech platforms, i.e., a delay between a bid request and a response, leads advertisers to miss out on high-quality inventory, as their bids aren’t processed in time. High latency creates a struggle to fill ad slots for publishers, leading to lower revenues in the long run. A standard time frame for bid processing hovers around 80-120 ms is the average time frame within which the industry operates. Real-time decision-making Real-time data processing is another recurring challenge for AdTech projects due to the following challenges: Need to retrieve data rapidly (under 100 ms) to make real-time decisions, such as bid price modeling. Collecting audience data from multiple sources increases the complexity of the pipelines and expands the toolset needed to process various data types. Data quality concerns: Wrong data can result in advertisers making poor bidding decisions. Data quality checks for every pipeline stage (ingestion, processing, consumption) are essential. The clip below illustrates the complexity and critical operations of real-time data analytics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaRzovqK3t0&embedable=true Scalability demands The AdTech industry is cyclical, with periods of economic ups and downs leading to fluctuations in demand for advertising services. Market hikes pressure AdTech platforms into implementing dynamic scalability capabilities. Coupled with SPO on the rise, AdTech vendors feel the pressure to reliably adjust their capacity up or down in response to changes in demand. Thus, they need the ability and resources to handle peak traffic without sacrificing performance or reliability (and to scale it down to adjust for market fluctuations). Collecting raw and aggregated data Using raw data is pivotal to the success of AdTech platforms. These systems collect a lot of aggregated data–demographic information, browsing history, user behavior, etc. These insights are integrated from various sources and help fuel targeting and personalization. Before raw data is ready for use, it needs to undergo the steps of ETL: Extraction, transformation, and loading. However, maintaining multiple pipelines becomes an engineering challenge as systems scale and data volumes increase exponentially. Best practices Xenoss uses to optimize infrastructure costs in high-load systems Unless tech teams pay close attention to infrastructure costs, they quickly get out of control. Inefficient data modeling and storage, lack of selectivity in relying on services, and failure to plan and counter threats ahead make infrastructures unpredictable, slow, expensive, and hard to maintain. Cutting infrastructure costs is not a day’s work, but armed with the knowledge of the ecosystem and your platform, you can achieve significant reductions with a few tweaks. Here’s a list of several infrastructure reduction practices Xenoss tech teams use to help our clients achieve leaner infrastructures. Exploring the benefits of hybrid cloud infrastructure In early-stage projects, not much thought is given to designing an optimal cloud infrastructure. Tech teams typically choose one of two ways; , like AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure. While relying on a cloud vendor early in the development process is understandable, we’d like to caution tech leaders against using managed services if not strictly needed. Over time, these tools can significantly increase the project’s infrastructure bills - one of our clients reached out when infrastructure bills were at $2.5 million. Public cloud service providers . These days, maintaining on-premises data centers is not as common for early-stage projects due to the upfront investment and manpower it requires. It’s worth noting that on-prem infrastructures have their benefits, such as more control and tighter security. On-premises infrastructure maintained by the in-house team In AdTech, flexibility and the ability to scale dynamically are vital. Full control over infrastructure costs and the ability to tighten security are equally important. The former is typically associated with the cloud, while the latter is commonly cited as a benefit for on-prem. At Xenoss, we recognize the benefits of both infrastructures, which is why we use both in client projects. The combination of cloud and on-prem is often referred to as “hybrid cloud”, though more combinations fit the term. Combining a public and private cloud or two public clouds (aka multi-cloud) also fits the concept. , 33% of surveyed organizations use a combination of cloud and on-premises infrastructure. The figure goes up to 42% if we take only enterprise organizations (over 1000 employees) into account. According to the Data Pipelines report published by DZone The hybrid model offers AdTech teams higher financial flexibility, allowing AdTech platforms to merge the control of on-premises setups with the dynamic scalability of cloud platforms. Security is another significant advantage; projects can maintain stringent data protection standards by keeping sensitive data on-premise and using the cloud for less critical tasks. Another reason we prefer and advocate for a hybrid approach is its ability to prevent vendor lock-in. Keeping critical infrastructures on-premises gives businesses the leeway to diversify their tech stack without dependence on one cloud provider. Besides, a hybrid approach allows product teams to be more intentional about building workload-specific infrastructures. Some tasks in AdTech, like real-time ad bidding or data operations bound by strict regional compliance, are better suited for on-premise execution. At the same time, other workflows (campaign analytics, distributed ad content hosting, or collaborative ad design) can seamlessly migrate to the cloud. Optimizing data storage In our experience, optimizing storage alone can significantly trim infrastructure costs. In AdTech, both SQL and NoSQL databases are used to manage structured and non-structured data. Let’s recap the key differences between the two types of databases, as well as their use cases in AdTech. To add more context to the discussion, let’s recap the differences between the two. Relational database benefits NoSQL database benefits High reliability High performance High data consistency High scalability Standardized schema Storage optimized for high data volumes ACID compliance High agility and customization Now, let’s look at the database of choice for top AdTech platforms and their approaches to data storage. How AdTech vendors use SQL databases to operate high data volumes Pubmatic Pubmatic SSP helps publishers capture wide audiences and maximize advertising revenue with unique demand partnerships, advanced analytics, and creative optimization tools. the company needed a robust database to handle large datasets and solve complex problems. The company wanted a battle-tested tool that would, above all, be reliable and effective. Challenge: MySQL Solution: PubMatic’s Ad Quality team uses MySQL as its primary data source. The platform’s database stores up to a hundred million records. Known for reliability and robustness, MySQL allows PubMatic to process millions of creatives a day and maintain 2x-10x data loads. Impact: AdGreetz AdGreetz is a personalization platform that distributes tailored advertising creatives across multiple channels: social media, CTV/OTT, in-app, and more. the organization’s workflows are data-intensive, requiring database management solutions that would support millions of user records. Challenge: ClickHouse Chosen database: For the engineering team at AdGreetz, Clickhouse turned out to be a cost-efficient and high-performance solution. The company was able to cut query time from seconds to sub-seconds at small compute. Impact: How AdTech projects use NoSQL databases Beeswax Beeswax is a managed RTB platform that allows advertisers to streamline programmatic operations. The company offers a Bidder-as-a-Service solution that processes millions of queries per second and consumes 125 GB of data each minute. Rapid scaling that would ensure efficient ad delivery, need for equal load distribution across the organization’s machine. Challenge: . Chosen NoSQL database: Aerospike running on Amazon EC2 Beeswax can process millions of queries per second with a 2-milliseconds tail-read latency. Impact: GumGum GumGum offers a platform for contextual targeting enabled by a proprietary machine-learning platform, Verity. The company wanted to process high volumes of advertising-related data (impressions, views, clicks, conversion) with minimal latency - although data was not processed in real-time, the goal was to keep the gap to the minimum. Challenge: Chosen NoSQL database: ScyllaDB Impact: Reduced strain on engineering resources 75% volume increase Facilitating scalability thanks to on-demand resource provisioning. Moloco Moloco is a mobile audience platform that helps advertisers acquire, engage, and retail mobile audiences. The platform heavily relies on machine learning models for campaign optimization and predictive analytics. The pressure to process millions of bid quests per second with a strict latency limit (under 100 ms). Challenge: Chosen NoSQL database: Google Cloud BigTable Impact: Scaled the number of processed requests from 500k to 5 million per second Low latency Managed infrastructure enabled the company to reallocate its software engineering resources to focus on other tasks. Our years of experience in AdTech platform development have shown us that there’s no cookie-cutter approach to choosing the suitable database for AdTech data storage infrastructure. There’s a lot of variety under the database umbrella - it takes experience, product knowledge, and thorough research to find the right fit. Sometimes, switching between two NoSQL databases can make a lot of difference. GumGum, featured above, relied on Cassandra before switching to ScyllaDB. We’ve seen significant operation cost reductions in a client’s (mobile DSP) case after migrating from MongoDB to Aerospike. Other ways to optimize data storage Implementing data compression and deduplication techniques is another way to reduce the required storage space, leading to cost savings. implies a reduction in data size, which leads to faster transmission and reduced storage costs. Data teams can employ techniques like GZIP. Compression , as the name suggests, eliminates redundant copies of data. It is instrumental in AdTech, where repeated user profiles or similar datasets are commonplace. Deduplication is a cost-effective way to store rarely accessed data (old campaign metrics) with no performance repercussions. Cold storage Selecting premium services offered by an infrastructure vendor Navigating cloud services requires intelligent choices. If you don’t pay attention, it’s easy to use service bundles that add infrastructure costs but no value to the platform. In a clip below, Xenoss CTO Vova Kyrychenko explains how the “free money trap” can result in high infrastructure costs as AdTech platforms scale. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_57WdKDJI0&embedable=true Our crucial recommendation to AdTech vendors is to dissect the pricing of premium services to spot hidden costs or savings.” Also, since new tools can slow the platform down, testing them on a small scale before you take a new service to production is reasonable. Keeping an eye on third-party or open-source projects is another alternative to expensive managed offerings. Free or low-cost platforms can offer better performance than mainstream cloud vendors. By adopting this approach on a client project, Xenoss’ engineers helped drive infrastructure costs down by 20 times. In the infographic below, we illustrate the client’s old infrastructure and the modernized version designed by our architects. Balancing traffic and load As we mentioned a while back, AdTech platforms don’t operate under stable loads - one moment, a platform might hit a sudden spike, and the next, it has more computing resources than it knows what to do with. Since Xenoss’ engineers believe efficient traffic and load balancing is a must-have for AdTech systems, let’s dive deeper into these concepts. Load balancing means evenly distributing incoming requests across multiple servers, ensuring no single server is overwhelmed. Within this framework, Xenoss architects prioritize mission-critical processes—essential tasks that, if interrupted, will disrupt the system's core functionality (real-time ad bidding or user data processing). By giving these processes precedence, we safeguard the vital operations from potential slowdowns or failures. Designing a mechanism for early threat detection A famous adage goes: “Failure is a part of every plan,” concisely warning AdTech product teams to guard for threats and downtimes. To that end, we urge vendors and in-house tech teams to leverage monitoring tools that keep an eye on system health, ensuring uninterrupted operations. If you set up alerts for any anomalies, teams can be alerted promptly, act swiftly, and ensure minor setbacks don’t turn into major meltdowns. Enhancing this approach with AI-powered insights offers even more granularity. Anomaly Detection algorithms, such as the Isolation Forest or One-Class SVM, are a good fit for identifying unusual data patterns, which can indicate threats or system vulnerabilities. We again suggest deploying Long Short-Term Memory recurrent neural networks to analyze time-series data. Large Language Models can also contribute to threat detection by analyzing logs and system messages to detect anomalies, thus making sense of textual data that might otherwise be overlooked. The bottom line Infrastructure cost optimization is a linchpin for companies in every sector aiming for efficiency and profitability. AdTech is an excellent playground for exploring the challenges and workarounds of working with high data volumes and traffic loads, as the need to tackle thousands of queries in a millisecond time frame pushes the limits of infrastructure development to the edge. The good news is that experienced tech teams have, often through trial and error, developed a handbook for keeping infrastructure costs low, even for high-load systems. Balancing between cloud and on-premises solutions, leveraging AI for threat detection, and continuously refining data storage strategies help product teams ensure robust operations without compromising on budget. Staying agile and informed in this domain is a cost-saving measure and a competitive advantage in the dynamic AdTech landscape.

Five Ways to Cut Infrastructure costs in High-load Systems: AdTech Case Study

হাই-লোড সিস্টেমে অবকাঠামো খরচ কমানোর পাঁচটি উপায়: অ্যাডটেক কেস স্টাডি

Fünf Möglichkeiten zur Senkung der Infrastrukturkosten in Hochlastsystemen: AdTech-Fallstudie

Cinco formas de reducir los costos de infraestructura en sistemas de alta carga: estudio de caso de AdTech

Cinq façons de réduire les coûts d'infrastructure dans les systèmes à forte charge : étude de cas AdTech

हाई-लोड सिस्टम में बुनियादी ढांचे की लागत में कटौती के पांच तरीके: एडटेक केस स्टडी

高負荷システムのインフラストラクチャ コストを削減する 5 つの方法: AdTech ケーススタディ

고부하 시스템에서 인프라 비용을 절감하는 5가지 방법: AdTech 사례 연구

Cinco maneiras de reduzir custos de infraestrutura em sistemas de alta carga: estudo de caso da AdTech

Пять способов сократить расходы на инфраструктуру в высоконагруженных системах: пример AdTech

Yüksek yüklü sistemlerde altyapı maliyetlerini azaltmanın beş yolu: AdTech örnek olay incelemesi

Năm cách để cắt giảm chi phí cơ sở hạ tầng trong các hệ thống có tải trọng cao: Nghiên cứu điển hình về AdTech

降低高负载系统基础设施成本的五种方法：AdTech 案例研究

is a with one rotor but it can take off and land vertically. Monocopter flying machine This article is about scratch building a that looks like an airplane but with a missing wing. A picture of it is shown below. design This flies by spinning around. Its wing acts like a blade of a helicopter. A video and an image of its flight is shown below. monocopter An airborne monocopter Flight test of the monocopter Wing: I cut a rectangle out from a Dollar Tree foam board. The dimension of the rectangle is 8 inches by 30 inches. To form the wing, I cut and fold the rectangle 2 inches away from the leading edge. The wing Support structure: The motor is attached to a motor mount cut from plywood. I insert two carbon fibre rods through the motor mount. I further attach more plywood on the carbon fibre rods so that I can glue the wing on them and prevent the other end of the rods from getting loose. The motor mount and support structure Aluminum rods(7mm diameter) are used to form the legs of the monocopter. This can prevent the blades from touching the ground. Foam is used to wrap around the electronics and batteries to prevent damages. Protective gears : aluminum leg and foam container for the electroncis Load and propulsion: The whole monocopter including batteries is 8.5 oz. Weight of everything including the batteries I get the motor and propellers from Amazon. Motor used is E-flite Park 370 Brushless Outrunner Motor 1360Kv. Propeller is RAYCorp® 1045 10x4.5 Propeller. Propeller and motor Electronics: Electronics includes a RC receiver, 2S LiPo battery and an ESC speed controller. Since my ESC does not provide power, I add an additional small battery to power the RC receiver. Electronics Piloting tips: I start with half throttle to spin the monocopter on the ground. Then, I slowly increase the throttle until the monocopter is almost airborne. At that point, I quickly increase to full throttle to keep it in the air.

How to scratch build a monocopter: an airplane that can fly with a missing wing

If I would have to point out one of the most confusing Dispatchers in the world of Kotlin coroutines, that would be the Unconfined dispatchers. Called with Dispatchers.Unconfined when creating a coroutine scope, this a kind of dispatcher that doesn’t really care. The whole idea of the Unconfined dispatcher is simply to pick up a Thread for no other goal than to simply use it. There is no other criteria involved when using a Thread.Coroutines use a system called green threading or also known as user space threading. We can refer to routines as contructs that are designed to gain control of a Thread, but specifically they are managed by the schedulers to run in platform or system threads. By platform threads, we are talking about the threads accessible by the programming language or higher abstraction that we use in our development environment.When we talk about the unconfined dispatchers, it is important to understand what these terms are. And so let’s get clear to what is green threading and user space threading. These terms are used interchangeably. However, there is a very subtle difference: User space threading is used to emphasize that it is the user that schedules the threads. In other words, this is what we refer to when we start threads via our code. Green threading emphasizes on what goes on behind the curtain. Green threads are also called fibers and these are virtual threads that are multiplexed to be used on top of system threads. This is all something very difficult to visualize. But for the case of the Unconfined Dispatchers this is all we need to know about this part. Being aware of the existence of platform threads, virtual threads and system threads and how they work is important because the platform threads will then perform this multiplexing mechanism onto specific system threads and this is why in Kotlin, specifically, we can find dispatchers specifically to be used with the CPU, the Dispatchers.Default, dispatchers specific for IO operations called Dispatchers.IO and dispatchers specific for single threaded UI , such as Dispatchers.Main for other operations as alternatives to the Dispatchers.Unconfined context. Making tests using the Spring Framework we will very easily come across the fact that the Spring Framework uses Dispatchers.Unconfined. When I made it was generally said that Dispatchers.Unconfined were to be used in tests only due to their unpredictability. this video do not rely on a particular platform scheduling system oriented to a specific kind of Thread, it becomes very unpredictable how coroutines launched like this would perform. There were also mentions of the possibility that Dispatchers.Unconfined could eventually block the execution of the application in production code, but to be honest I have never ever seen that, even working so much with the Spring Framework for server-side programming as I currently do with Kotlin. And to top that up they mention precisely that, because of that risk, all nested coroutines form an event-loop. They explain that in their documentation here: Dispatchers.Unconfined https://kotlinlang.org/api/kotlinx.coroutines/kotlinx-coroutines-core/kotlinx.coroutines/-dispatchers/-unconfined.html?embedable=true But hold on. Why is the Spring Framework using Dispatchers.Unconfined in their implementation instead of other Dispatchers like for example the Dispatchers.IO? And why not test this before anything? Well, first let’s have a look at an issue that was opened on GitHub about this: https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/issues/32032?embedable=true I came across this subject when I was casually looking for something else and I bumped into another issue on StackOverflow: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/77810077/controller-code-using-unconfined-dispatcher-by-default?embedable=true Someone had found out that, for whatever reason, the Dispatchers.Unconfined was being used and so I created a service on my GitHub Repo here to prove that: https://github.com/jesperancinha/jeorg-spring-master-test-drives?embedable=true And this service is called car-parts-reactive and that is located in the root directory of the project: git clone https://github.com/jesperancinha/jeorg-spring-master-test-drives.git
cd car-parts-reactive
make b
make run The method we want to have a look at is this one in the controller CarController: @GetMapping("/break")
suspend fun getBreak(): String {
    println("Current Coroutine Context -> $coroutineContext")
    println("Current Coroutine Job -> ${coroutineContext.job}")
    println("Main Coroutine Context -> ${currentCoroutineContext()}")
    println("Main Coroutine Job -> ${currentCoroutineContext().job}")
    println("Current Thread -> ${Thread.currentThread()}")
    return "break"
} This method will print out a series of useful information to the console about the corroutine that has been called. The suspend function marked with the suspend modifier isn’t itself a coroutine, but it can only be called by coroutines in Kotlin. And that’s what happens when we call the method. This way we get access to the coroutine context and checkout what dispatcher is being used. Important to note is that using the currentCoroutineContext() function, we are accessing the coroutine context via a top level function in the kotlinx coroutines library. Using coroutineContext, we are accessing the getter of a value located in the kotlin standard library itself. They don’t share exactly the same implementation.In the root of the car-parts-reactive module we’ll find file generated-requests.http and if you are using IntellJ, you can easily make requests to the application with the code contents: ###
GET http://localhost:8080/break

###
GET http://localhost:8080/keys

###
GET http://localhost:8080/parts

###
GET http://localhost:8080/parts/list

###
GET http://localhost:8080/parts/suspend

###
GET http://localhost:8080/parts/correct When you have the application running, try to run a simple REST request against endpoint : http://localhost:8080/break There should be a result in the console similar to this: Current Coroutine Context -> [Context2{micrometer.observation=io.micrometer.observation.NoopObservation@52c86bb3, reactor.onDiscard.local=reactor.core.publisher.Operators$$Lambda$1234/0x000000080165d210@7166cb50}, MonoCoroutine{Active}@5474a700, Dispatchers.Unconfined]
Current Coroutine Job -> MonoCoroutine{Active}@5474a700
Main Coroutine Context -> [Context2{micrometer.observation=io.micrometer.observation.NoopObservation@52c86bb3, reactor.onDiscard.local=reactor.core.publisher.Operators$$Lambda$1234/0x000000080165d210@7166cb50}, MonoCoroutine{Active}@5474a700, Dispatchers.Unconfined]
Main Coroutine Job -> MonoCoroutine{Active}@5474a700
Current Thread -> Thread[#50,reactor-http-epoll-2,5,main] We can see in all counts that the dispatcher being used is the Dispatchers.Unconfined. If we go back to the issue that was created on GitHub, we’ll see that the answer to why the spring framework uses Dispatchers.Unconfined turns out to be the best solution for their cases, according to them. So what they mean, is that in spite of these dispatchers appear to be limited and restrictive, they apparently, and after testing are actually a very good fit for a reactive framework.Of course this is great to read because it makes it clear why actually, unconfined dispatchers are used in Spring.But let’s go back to the basics. I made a few quizzes about unconfined dispatchers and what I like about it is that they are still quite mysterious to me. And let’s get one thing clear before we move on. There can be some confusion regarding context and scope. Scope refers to where the coroutine is available and context to how it gets dispatched. There can be confusion about this because both terms are quite intimately connected to each other. For example, we cannot create a scope without a dispatcher and they go hand in hand. A scope allows me to launch coroutines with keywords like async and/or launch, but a context is related to how that coroutine gets assigned a Thread.Let’s make two quizzes. We start with this one in this video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7Rv_zcT_yPE?embedable=true In this video I show a simple implementation of some code that makes some calls and these different calls will print the words “master”, “mouse” and “cat” in different orders. The code is available here: https://github.com/jesperancinha/jeorg-kotlin-test-drives?embedable=true For this quiz, the code is available here: git clone https://github.com/jesperancinha/jeorg-kotlin-test-drives.git
cd jeorg-kotlin-coroutines/coroutines-crums-group-1
make b And the code is this one: private suspend fun runUnconfinedCoroutinesTest() {
    logger.infoTextSeparator("Unconfined means that all coroutines will execute concurrently on the starting thread in the scope of the parent thread")
    val job = CoroutineScope(Dispatchers.Unconfined).launch {
        launch {
            logger.infoThread("Cat Before thread ==> ${Thread.currentThread()}")
            delay(100)
            logger.info("This is cat @ ${LocalDateTime.now()}")
            logger.info("Cat context $coroutineContext")
            logger.infoThread("Cat After Resume thread ==> ${Thread.currentThread()}")
        }
        launch {
            logger.info("This is mouse @ ${LocalDateTime.now()}")
            logger.info("Mouse context $coroutineContext")
        }
        logger.info("This is master @ ${LocalDateTime.now()}")
        logger.info("Master context $coroutineContext")
        logger.infoThread(Thread.currentThread())

    }
    job.join()
} When we run this code, many things can happen, but one thing we can predict is how the logs are going to work out in the console. One thing about unconfined dispatchers is that they use the same context, same dispatchers, on the first sub coroutines. If these coroutines need to suspend, they may or may not return to the original Thread they were sharing. In the code above they will most likely not return to the original thread. Nesting in coroutines follows some very important rules as mentioned in their documentation: kotlinlang.org So this is the same as saying that the initial call executes in the same continuation in the same call-frame. This also means that the first 3 launches will run concurrently. The launch that logs a cat does this too, but beacause it has a delay, it will resume either in the same Thread or another thread. So this means that Mouse and Master will be the first things to see in the log and Cat will be the last log in the console. We can see all of this in this log sample: This is master @ 2024-03-21T18:49:00.661284475
Master context [StandaloneCoroutine{Active}@6ce139a4, Dispatchers.Unconfined]
Thread[#1,main,5,main]
Master After Resume thread ==> Thread[#1,main,5,main]
Cat Before thread ==> Thread[#1,main,5,main]
This is mouse @ 2024-03-21T18:49:00.703936722
Mouse context [StandaloneCoroutine{Active}@433d61fb, Dispatchers.Unconfined]
Mouse After Resume thread ==> Thread[#1,main,5,main]
This is cat @ 2024-03-21T18:49:00.801217959
Cat context [StandaloneCoroutine{Active}@52c68062, Dispatchers.Unconfined]
Cat After Resume thread ==> Thread[#28,kotlinx.coroutines.DefaultExecutor,5,main] And this explains the answer I give to this quiz on this video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MGxvkW0t8QM?embedable=true But moving on. I have another quiz for you and it is this one on this video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LEyEJkJA3xE?feature=share&embedable=true The code for this quiz is available here: git clone https://github.com/jesperancinha/jeorg-kotlin-test-drives.git
cd jeorg-kotlin-coroutines/jeorg-kotlin-coroutines-unconfined
make b And this is the class we are discussing: object UnconfinedCoroutineLauncher {
    private val logger = object {
        fun info(logText: Any?) = ConsolerizerComposer.out().yellow(logText)
        fun infoBefore(logText: Any?) = ConsolerizerComposer.out().green(logText)
        fun infoAfter(logText: Any?) = ConsolerizerComposer.out().red(logText)
        fun infoTitle(logText: String) = ConsolerizerComposer.outSpace()
            .cyan(ConsolerizerComposer.title(logText))
    }

    @JvmStatic
    fun main(args: Array<String> = emptyArray()) = runBlocking {
        logger.infoTitle(
            "Unconfined Coroutines scope tests / There are currently ${
                Runtime.getRuntime().availableProcessors()
            } CPU's available"
        )
        CoroutineScope(Dispatchers.Unconfined).launch {
            launch {
                logger.info("Running on context $coroutineContext")
                logger.infoBefore("Siamese Cat is launching on Thread-${Thread.currentThread().name} with id ${Thread.currentThread().threadId()}")
                delay(1)
                logger.infoAfter("Siamese Cat just ran on Thread-${Thread.currentThread().name} with id ${Thread.currentThread().threadId()}")
            }
            launch {
                logger.info("Running on context $coroutineContext")
                logger.infoBefore("Mouse is launching on Thread-${Thread.currentThread().name} with id ${Thread.currentThread().threadId()}")
                delay(20)
                logger.infoAfter("Mouse just ran on Thread-${Thread.currentThread().name} with id ${Thread.currentThread().threadId()}")
            }
            launch {
                logger.info("Running on context $coroutineContext")
                logger.infoBefore("Maine Coon is launching on Thread-${Thread.currentThread().name} with id ${Thread.currentThread().threadId()}")
                delay(30)
                logger.infoAfter("Maine Coon is just ran on Thread-${Thread.currentThread().name} with id ${Thread.currentThread().threadId()}")
            }
        }.join()
    }
} The best way to pick one or more options form the one I give in the quiz, is to look at the order the animals start. In this case the can all start in random orders. However they will all share the same thread because they are just being launched from that call stack. This way, the Siamese Cat, the Mouse and the Main Coon need to share he same Thread number on those calls and so that eliminates already options B and D. The Siamese cat only has a delay of 1 ms and that means that, although seemingly unlikely, option A is still very possible. It is actually very likely that this coroutine starts and ends before any of the other two start. 1 ms is just too much of a short time. We have to consider that possibility as well. And this is why the right answers to this questions are A and C, and this is only one example of that result: Running on context [StandaloneCoroutine{Active}@4de5031f, Dispatchers.Unconfined]
Siamese Cat is launching on Thread-main with id 1
Siamese Cat just ran on Thread-main with id 1
Running on context [StandaloneCoroutine{Active}@691a7f8f, Dispatchers.Unconfined]
Mouse is launching on Thread-main with id 1
Running on context [StandaloneCoroutine{Active}@50a7bc6e, Dispatchers.Unconfined]
Maine Coon is launching on Thread-main with id 1
Mouse just ran on Thread-kotlinx.coroutines.DefaultExecutor with id 21
Maine Coon is just ran on Thread-kotlinx.coroutines.DefaultExecutor with id 21 Find the video answer to this . quiz here My idea with this article is to show some interesting cases I found with . You may find these issues while working with Kotlin coroutines and very likely a lot of people will tell you just to use the Default dispatcher. That can lead to a miscommunication problem. There is such a thing called , which is specific for CPU operations. When people say that when in doubt, use the default dispatcher, they probably do not mean the context. Make sure to double check, because, especially if you are working in server-side programming with certain frameworks, what they probably mean is that you shouldn’t use any specific dispatchers. Most of frameworks like the Spring Framework already offer support to use suspend functions and so your concern as a developer is for the most cases only to implement the suspend functions and not use any specific context. Use the default of course and that is, in Spring, the . Have a good one everyone! Dispatchers.Unconfined Dispatchers.Default Dispatchers.Default Dispatchers.Unconfined Also published . here

They Said to Use the Default Dispatchers but I Found it Was Unconfined

Heyo, Hacker! This writing prompt is designed by the HackerNoon editorial team and our friends at Āut Labs, with themes and ideas for you to enter the Opt Out Writing contest. See the contest announcement . Learn how to enter the contest . here here How do you define autonomy? How much do you care for it? Why is it important, or why should we give it importance? How can we achieve it on the web? Does true decentralization really exist? Is there a way to eliminate central control without hurting trust and accountability? If these questions matter to you, your contribution matters to us. Prizes from $9,000 (in USDT)  will be given to the top autonomy stories on HackerNoon! Here are a few suggestions by the team of Aut Labs for you to follow: : Autonomy in Decentralized Systems, Collectives and DAOs Explore the critical role of autonomy in decentralized systems like DAOs. Consider focusing on how Āut’s mission and products (i.e.: , …) enhance this. You can tell us about Roman’s , Greek’s , French or some role-based, [dys/u]topian society that is yet to come. Nova, ĀutID, ĀutOS triumvirates poleis communes - : Autonomy in Art, Technology, and Activism Remember the “ ” in the Berlin of the 90ies? We love that vibe. Consider the intersection of autonomy in art, technology, and activist reforms - highlighting innovative approaches based on autonomy of one or multiple parties. As well as how these parties can play together to take down a censoring, centralized, self-absorbed Moloch. hacker labs : Autonomy in the Workplace ell us a story on how a “ ” may look like. Are we aiming towards a dystopian, whole-state surveillance, or towards the highest level of individual autonomy and collective productivity that humankind has ever seen? Anything worse? Anything in between? Reshape the future workplace and work culture, especially imagining a world where decentralized organizations actually made it. workplace of the future : Role-specific Autonomy . Is different for DeFi degens vs. artists & writers vs. political scientists & philosophers vs. governance vs. devs & mathematicians? Feel free to tackle them all at once, tell us a story about one of them - or create a role-based governance model that is going to take the future generations by storm. 50 shades of Autonomy autonomy : Collective Autonomy Square and simple. What is , isn't it a paradox in terms, and what does that even mean? Yeah, all that jazz. You can take a mathematical angle, invent new game-theorical rules of the game, or just make up a story that even for a second lets us suspend our disbelief. Collective Autonomy Use this template to start writing your story! All the best, hacktivist!

Write on Autonomy; Win from $9,000!

Heyo, Hacker! is designed by our friends at Āut Labs with themes and ideas for you to enter the Opt Out Writing contest. This writing prompt Click here to write with this template. See the contest announcement . Learn how to enter the contest . here here Theme 1: . Opt out of a System that doesn’t represent you #autonomy: : Explore the critical role of autonomy in decentralized systems like DAOs. Consider focusing on how Āut’s mission and products (i.e.: Nova, ĀutID, ĀutOS, …) enhance this. You can tell us about Roman’s , Greek’s , French or some role-based, [dys/u]topian society that is yet to come. Autonomy in Decentralized Systems, Collectives and DAOs triumvirates poleis communes - : Remember the “ ” in the Berlin of the 90ies? We love that vibe. Consider the intersection of autonomy in art, technology, and activist reforms - highlighting innovative approaches based on autonomy of one or multiple parties. As well as how these parties can play together to take down a censoring, centralized, self-absorbed Moloch. Autonomy in Art, Technology, and Activism hacker labs : Tell us a story on how a “ ” may look like. Are we aiming towards a dystopian, whole-state surveillance, or towards the highest level of individual autonomy and collective productivity that humankind has ever seen? Anything worse? Anything in between? Reshape the future workplace and work culture, especially imagining a world where decentralized organizations actually made it. Autonomy in the Workplace workplace of the future : . Is different for DeFi degens vs. artists & writers vs. political scientists & philosophers vs. governance vs. devs & mathematicians? Feel free to tackle them all at once, tell us a story about one of them - or create a role-based governance model that is going to take the future generations by storm. Role-specific Autonomy 50 shades of Autonomy autonomy : Square and simple. What is , isn't it a paradox in terms, and what does that even mean? Yeah, all that jazz. You can take a mathematical angle, invent new game-theorical rules of the game, or just make up a story that even for a second lets us suspend our disbeliefs. Collective Autonomy Collective Autonomy #identity: : What is identity in the digital space? Is it a mere reflection of what we are offline, or is it an augmented version of ourselves? Is there a “minimum viable tech stack” that can be combined to create verifiable individuals? This is an open prompt - feel free to take it from a technical or philosophical standpoint. And be provocative - we aim for non-trivial answers only on how digital technologies enable new forms of identity, personal expression and verification. Identity in the Digital Space : That’s an obvious one. How identity evolved over the centuries. Did we “mature” as a society? Did technology change what we are as individuals? Are humans different in their [self-awareness; proprioception; way to perceive others] or we did nothing but taking a long stroll from Stone Age to Technocracy? The History of Identity : we talk DAOs, distributed nations, on-chain agencies. But what are individuals within groups? Is collective intelligence a “flattening model” that blurs individuality within collectives, or it turns each individual actor into a needed, recognizable tile of the puzzle? And what is the threshold between individual and collective identity? This is a difficult one - new models, visual graphs, and brand-new, DAO-shaking processes are encouraged. Collective Identity : from Metaverses and NFTs, to basic PGP and SSIDs. How can an ID be as unstoppable, and uncensorable on one side, as it is credible, and reliable on the other? Please, be as geeky as needs be - use your tech-knowledge and understanding as an act of civil disobedience. On-chain Identities : This is our Sci-fi prompt. Tell us stories. Speculate on how identity will evolve in decentralized societies. On how they will impact individuality. For this prompt you can share your tech journal, tell us personal identity narratives, or even invent on-chain personas and breed them to NFT perpetual life. Whatever works. The Evolution of Identity in Decentralized Societies #selfsovereignty: : What is -sovereignty? Why it matters? “ ” is already a long, difficult word per se - so why did we even feel the need to add the prefix “ ” there? This is all about the inalienable individuals’ right to privacy and selective disclosure. Give us self-sovereignty straight, or explore it in a specific context. The Essence of Self-Sovereignty self Sovereignty self- : Provide real-world examples or case studies where self-sovereignty is effectively implemented. Can’t find any? Even better. Make one up, and let’s make it happen together. Self-Sovereignty in Action : This is a big one. As the Anarchist proverb goes, . But what are the borders of this personal freedom? Should self-sovereignty self-enforce in decentralized social/community contracts? Or we should somehow “hardwire” a sort of collective ethos beforehand, into the decentralized smart contracts that will govern us all? Balancing Self-Sovereignty and Collective Responsibility one can only be free if everyone else is free : Think of DeFi credit score, think of UBI. Is a self-sovereign, verifiable ID enough to automate the individual and collective distribution of wealth? Or we still need/want/expect “watchmen” to supervise that all goes smooth - and to potentially deem liable if something goes wrong? Self-Sovereignty in Financial Systems : Should we really be limited by old-world concepts such as “1 person : 1 Identity/vote/seat”? Or meritocracy means that we should be able to enforce a self-sovereign right to multiplicity in the digital space, as long as we can handle our multifaceted selves? To Sybil or not to Sybil Open Prompts: : The old, best writing advise: write about what you know. From literature, to robotics, to the legal system - write about one of the contest topics in relation to a specific field you are deeply knowledgeable or passionate about. [#autonomy; #identity; #selfsovereignty] in [insert field] This is a quote that we like, from J.P. Proudhon. To be governed is to be watched, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, regulated, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, checked, estimated, valued, censured, commanded, by creatures who have neither the right nor the wisdom nor the virtue to do so. To be governed is to be at every operation, at every transaction noted, registered, counted, taxed, stamped, measured, numbered, assessed, licensed, authorized, admonished, prevented, forbidden, reformed, corrected, punished. It is, under pretext of public utility, and in the name of the general interest, to be placed under contribution, drilled, fleeced, exploited, monopolized, extorted from, squeezed, hoaxed, robbed; then, at the slightest resistance, the first word of complaint, to be repressed, fined, vilified, harassed, hunted down, abused, clubbed, disarmed, bound, choked, imprisoned, judged, condemned, shot, deported, sacrificed, sold, betrayed; and to crown all, mocked, ridiculed, derided, outraged, dishonored. That is government; that is its justice; that is its morality. , - Pierre-Joseph Proudhon The General Idea of the Revolution Explore it in the key that you like, adherent to one of the three main themes. Or just use it as an inspiration, and write about whatever you want :) Click here to write with this template.

Aut Labs Story Template: Opt Out of a System that Doesn’t Represent You

অট ল্যাবস স্টোরি টেমপ্লেট: এমন একটি সিস্টেম থেকে অপ্ট আউট করুন যা আপনাকে প্রতিনিধিত্ব করে না

Aut Labs-Story-Vorlage: Melden Sie sich von einem System ab, das Sie nicht repräsentiert

Plantilla de historia de Aut Labs: optar por no participar en un sistema que no lo representa

Modèle d'histoire Aut Labs : désinscription d'un système qui ne vous représente pas

ऑट लैब्स स्टोरी टेम्प्लेट: उस सिस्टम से ऑप्ट आउट करें जो आपका प्रतिनिधित्व नहीं करता है

Aut Labs ストーリー テンプレート: あなたを代表しないシステムからオプトアウトする

Aut Labs 스토리 템플릿: 귀하를 대표하지 않는 시스템에서 탈퇴

Modelo de história do Aut Labs: desative um sistema que não representa você

Шаблон истории Aut Labs: Откажитесь от системы, которая не представляет вас

Aut Labs Hikaye Şablonu: Sizi Temsil Etmeyen Bir Sistemden Vazgeçin

Mẫu câu chuyện của Aut Labs: Chọn không tham gia hệ thống không đại diện cho bạn

自动实验室故事模板：选择退出不代表您的系统

Heyo, Hacker! This writing prompt is designed by our friends at Āut Labs with themes and ideas for you to enter the . This is your chance to win from $9,000! See the contest announcement . Learn how to enter the contest . Opt Out Writing contest here here Autonomy :
Explore the critical role of autonomy in decentralized systems like DAOs. Consider focusing on how Āut’s mission and products (i.e.: Nova, ĀutID, ĀutOS, …) enhance this. You can tell us about Roman’s , Greek’s , French or some role-based, [dys/u]topian society that is yet to come. Autonomy in Decentralized Systems, Collectives and DAOs triumvirates poleis communes - :
Remember the “ ” in the Berlin of the 90ies? We love that vibe. Consider the intersection of autonomy in art, technology, and activist reforms - highlighting innovative approaches based on autonomy of one or multiple parties. As well as how these parties can play together to take down a censoring, centralized, self-absorbed Moloch. Autonomy in Art, Technology, and Activism hacker labs :
Tell us a story on how a “ ” may look like. Are we aiming towards a dystopian, whole-state surveillance, or towards the highest level of individual autonomy and collective productivity that humankind has ever seen? Anything worse? Anything in between? Reshape the future workplace and work culture, especially imagining a world where decentralized organizations actually made it. Autonomy in the Workplace workplace of the future : . Is different for DeFi degens vs. artists & writers vs. political scientists & philosophers vs. governance vs. devs & mathematicians? Feel free to tackle them all at once, tell us a story about one of them - or create a role-based governance model that is going to take the future generations by storm. Role-specific Autonomy 50 shades of Autonomy autonomy :
Square and simple. What is , isn't it a paradox in terms, and what does that even mean? Yeah, all that jazz. You can take a mathematical angle, invent new game-theorical rules of the game, or just make up a story that even for a second lets us suspend our disbeliefs. Collective Autonomy Collective Autonomy Identity: :
What is identity in the digital space? Is it a mere reflection of what we are offline, or is it an augmented version of ourselves? Is there a “minimum viable tech stack” that can be combined to create verifiable individuals? This is an open prompt - feel free to take it from a technical or philosophical standpoint. And be provocative - we aim for non-trivial answers only on how digital technologies enable new forms of identity, personal expression and verification. Identity in the Digital Space : That’s an obvious one. How identity evolved over the centuries. Did we “mature” as a society? Did technology change what we are as individuals? Are humans different in their [self-awareness; proprioception; way to perceive others] or we did nothing but taking a long stroll from Stone Age to Technocracy? The History of Identity : we talk DAOs, distributed nations, on-chain agencies. But what are individuals within groups? Is collective intelligence a “flattening model” that blurs individuality within collectives, or it turns each individual actor into a needed, recognizable tile of the puzzle? And what is the threshold between individual and collective identity? This is a difficult one - new models, visual graphs, and brand-new, DAO-shaking processes are encouraged. Collective Identity : from Metaverses and NFTs, to basic PGP and SSIDs. How can an ID be as unstoppable, and uncensorable on one side, as it is credible, and reliable on the other? Please, be as geeky as needs be - use your tech-knowledge and understanding as an act of civil disobedience. On-chain Identities : This is our Sci-fi prompt. Tell us stories. Speculate on how identity will evolve in decentralized societies. On how they will impact individuality. For this prompt you can share your tech journal, tell us personal identity narratives, or even invent on-chain personas and breed them to NFT perpetual life. Whatever works. The Evolution of Identity in Decentralized Societies Selfsovereignty: :
What is -sovereignty? Why it matters? “ ” is already a long, difficult word per se - so why did we even feel the need to add the prefix “ ” there? This is all about the inalienable individuals’ right to privacy and selective disclosure. Give us self-sovereignty straight, or explore it in a specific context. The Essence of Self-Sovereignty self Sovereignty self- :
Provide real-world examples or case studies where self-sovereignty is effectively implemented. Can’t find any? Even better. Make one up, and let’s make it happen together. Self-Sovereignty in Action :
This is a big one. As the Anarchist proverb goes, . But what are the borders of this personal freedom? Should self-sovereignty self-enforce in decentralized social/community contracts? Or we should somehow “hardwire” a sort of collective ethos beforehand, into the decentralized smart contracts that will govern us all? Balancing Self-Sovereignty and Collective Responsibility one can only be free if everyone else is free :
Think of DeFi credit score, think of UBI. Is a self-sovereign, verifiable ID enough to automate the individual and collective distribution of wealth? Or we still need/want/expect “watchmen” to supervise that all goes smooth - and to potentially deem liable if something goes wrong? Self-Sovereignty in Financial Systems :
Should we really be limited by old-world concepts such as “1 person : 1 Identity/vote/seat”? Or meritocracy means that we should be able to enforce a self-sovereign right to multiplicity in the digital space, as long as we can handle our multifaceted selves? To Sybil or not to Sybil Open Prompts: : The old, best writing advise: write about what you know. From literature, to robotics, to the legal system - write about one of the contest topics in relation to a specific field you are deeply knowledgeable or passionate about. [#autonomy; #identity; #selfsovereignty] in [insert field] This is a quote that we like, from J.P. Proudhon. To be governed is to be watched, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, regulated, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, checked, estimated, valued, censured, commanded, by creatures who have neither the right nor the wisdom nor the virtue to do so. To be governed is to be at every operation, at every transaction noted, registered, counted, taxed, stamped, measured, numbered, assessed, licensed, authorized, admonished, prevented, forbidden, reformed, corrected, punished. It is, under pretext of public utility, and in the name of the general interest, to be placed under contribution, drilled, fleeced, exploited, monopolized, extorted from, squeezed, hoaxed, robbed; then, at the slightest resistance, the first word of complaint, to be repressed, fined, vilified, harassed, hunted down, abused, clubbed, disarmed, bound, choked, imprisoned, judged, condemned, shot, deported, sacrificed, sold, betrayed; and to crown all, mocked, ridiculed, derided, outraged, dishonored. That is government; that is its justice; that is its morality. , - Pierre-Joseph Proudhon The General Idea of the Revolution Explore it in the key that you like, adherent to one of the three main themes. Or just use it as an inspiration and write about whatever you want :)

Write on Identity, Autonomy, or Self Sovereignty, Win From $9,000 

Scientific American Supplement, No. 392, July 7, 1883 by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . ST. BLAISE, THE WINNER OF THE DERBY. here ST. BLAISE, THE WINNER OF THE DERBY. St. Blaise, the property of Sir Frederick Johnstone, was bred by Lord Alington, and is by Hermit from Fusee. This is an unexceptionable pedigree, for Hermit is now as successful and fashionable a sire as was even Stockwell in his palmiest days, while Fusee was far more than an average performer on the turf, and won several Queen's Plates and other races over a distance of ground. St. Blaise is by no means a big colt, standing considerably under sixteen hands. His color is about his worst point, as he is a light, washy chestnut, with a bald face and three white heels. He has a good head and neck, and very powerful back and muscular quarters, added to which his legs and feet are well shaped and thoroughly sound. His first appearance was made in the Twenty-fourth Stockbridge Biennial at the Bibury Club Meeting, when he won easily enough; but there were only four moderate animals behind him. A walk-over for the Troy Stakes followed, and then Macheath beat him easily enough for the Hurstbourne Stakes, though he finished in front of Adriana and Tyndrum. For the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood, he ran a dead-heat with Elzevir, to whom he was giving 7 lb.; and Bonny Jean, in receipt of 10 lb., was unplaced. A 7 lb. penalty seemed to put him completely out of the Dewhurst Plate; but he must then have been out of form, as, on the following day, it took him all his time to defeat Pebble by a neck in the Troy Stakes. This season he has only run twice. His fourth in the Two Thousand was by no means a bad performance, considering that he was palpably backward; and his victory of last week is too recent to need further allusion. Porter, his trainer, can boast of several other successes in the great race at Epsom; but Charles Wood had never previously ridden a Derby winner. St. Blaise was unfortunately omitted from the entries for the St. Leger, but has several valuable engagements at Ascot next week, and appears to have the Grand Prize of Paris, on Sunday, at his mercy.-- . Illustrated London News [NATURE.] SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS IN CHINA AND JAPAN. Various steps in the progress of China, and Japan in the adoption of Western science and educational methods have from time to time been noticed in these columns. To the popular mind the names of the two countries are synonymous with rigid, unreasoning conservatism and with rapid change, respectively. The grave, dignified Chinese, who maintains his own dress and habits even when isolated among strangers, and whose motto appears to be, , is popularly believed to be animated by a sullen, obstinate hostility toward any introduction from the West, however plain its value may be; while his gayer and more mercurial neighbor, the Japanese, is regarded as the true child of the old age of the West, following assiduously in its parent's footsteps, and pursuing obediently the path marked out by European experience. There is considerable misconception in this, as indeed there is at all times in the English popular mind with regard to strange peoples. Broadly speaking, it is no doubt correct to say that, Japan has adopted Western inventions and scientific appliances with avidity; that she has shown a desire for change which is abnormal, and a disposition to destroy her charts and sail away into unsurveyed seas, while China remains pretty much where she always was. She is now, with some exceptions, what she was twenty, two hundred, perhaps two thousand years ago, while a new Japan has been created in fifteen years. All this, we say, is true, but it is not the whole truth. China also has had her changes; not indeed so marked or rapid, not so much in the nature of a on all her past as those of her neighbor. Stare super mas antiquas volte-face The radical difference between the two countries in this respect we take to be this: that while Japan loves change for the sake of change, China dislikes it, and will only adopt it when it is clearly demonstrated to her that change is absolutely necessary. To the Japanese change appears to be a delightful excitement, to the Chinese a distasteful necessity; to the former whatever is must be wrong, to the latter whatever is is right. As a consequence of this difference between the two peoples, when China once makes a step forward it is generally after much deliberation, and is never retraced. Japan is constantly undertaking new schemes with little care or thought for the morrow, but with the applause of injudicious foreign friends. In a short time she discovers that she has underrated the expense or exaggerated the results, and her projects are straightway abandoned as rapidly and thoughtlessly as they were commenced. Swift suggested as a suitable subject for a philosophical writer a history of human projects which were never carried out; the historian of modern Japan finds these at every turn. Where, for example, are the results of the great surveys, trigonometrical and others, which were commenced in Yezo and the main island about ten years ago? A large, expensive, but highly competent foreign staff was engaged, and worked for a few years; but suddenly the whole survey department was swept away, and the valuable instruments are, or were recently, lying rusting in a warehouse in Tokio. The same story may be told of scores of other scientific or educational undertakings in Japan. An able and careful writer, Col. H.S. Palmer, R.E., who has recently, with a friendly and sympathetic eye, examined the whole field of recent Japanese progress, in the is forced to acknowledge this. "Once having recognized," says this officer, "that progress is essential to welfare, and having resolved, first among the nations of the East, to throw off past traditions and mould their civilization after that of Western countries, it was not in the nature of the lively and impulsive Japanese to advance along the path of reform with the calmness and circumspection that might have been possible to a people of less active temperament. Without doubt many foreign institutions were at first adopted rather too hastily, and the passing difficulties which now beset Japan are to some extent the inevitable result." It would be blindness to deny that the net result of the Japanese efforts is progress of a very remarkable kind, but it is a progress which in many respects lacks the firm and abiding characteristics of Chinese movements. British Quarterly Review The proverb, , which was recommended ten years ago to Japanese attention by an eminent English official, and apparently disregarded by them, has been adopted by their continental neighbors. To the blandishments of pushing diplomatists or acute promoters, the Chinese are deaf. However we may felicitate ourselves on our inventions, scientific appliances, "the railway and the steamship and the thoughts that shake mankind," our progress, the newspapers, the penny post, and what not, China will not adopt them simply because have found their value and are proud of them. But if, within the range of her own experience, she finds the advantage of these things, she will employ them with a rapidity and decision surpassing those of the Japanese. A conspicuous instance of this will be found in her recent action with respect to telegraphs. For years the Chinese steadily refused to have anything to do with them; the small land line which connected the foreign community of Shanghai with the outer world, was maintained against the violent protests of the local authorities, and the cable companies experienced some difficulty in getting permission to land their cables. But during the winter of 1870-80, when war with Russia was threatened, the value of telegraphs was demonstrated to the Peking government. The Peiho at Tientsin was closed by ice against steamers, and news could only be carried to the capital by overland couriers from Shanghai. Before a year elapsed a land line of telegraph was being constructed between this port and Tientsin; in a few months the line was in working order, and the Chinese metropolis is now in telegraphic communication with every capital in Europe. Chi va piano va sano we This conservatism, respect for antiquity, conceit, prejudice, call it what we will, has something in it that extorts our respect. Let us imagine a dignified and cultivated Chinese official conversing with a pushing Manchester or Birmingham manufacturer, who descants on the benefits of our modern inventions. He would probably commune with himself in this wise, whatever reply Oriental politeness would dictate to his interviewer: "China has got on very well for some tens of centuries without the curious things of which this foreigner speaks; she has produced in this time statesmen, poets, philosophers, soldiers; her people appear to have had their share of affliction, but not more than those of Europe; why should we now turn round at the bidding of a handful of strangers who know little of us or our country, and make violent changes in our life and habits? A railway in a province will throw thousands of coolies and boatmen out of employment and bring on them misery and starvation. This foreigner says that railways and telegraphs have been found beneficial in his country; good, let his countrymen have them if they please, but let us rest as we are for the present. Moreover, past events have not given us such faith in Europeans that we should take all they say for wisdom and justice." A day will undoubtedly come when China also will have her great mechanical and scientific enterprises; but what we contend for here is that nothing we can say or do will bring that time an hour nearer. European public opinion is to China a dead letter; she refuses to plead before that tribunal. Each step of her advance along our path must be the result of her own reflection and experience; and our wisest policy would be to leave her to herself to advance on it as she deems best. SINENSIS. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2005). Scientific American Supplement, No. 392, July 7, 1883. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8742/pg8742-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

ST. BLAISE, THE WINNER OF THE DERBY

As warfare evolves from sticks and stones to nuclear armaments and beyond, digital tools like scamming and social media offer novel and significant impacts on the battlefield. New digital tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) developed by Ukraine in response to Russia’s February 2022 incursion mark the beginning of social media warfare, characterized not just by cyber confrontations but how the digital translates into action on the battlefield. The use of digital platforms will only grow and further expose how these technologies can both aid and compromise military efforts in modern warfare. Russia’s experience with Ukrainian-leveraged digital assets serves as a cautionary tale for both individuals and militaries about the perils and possibilities inherent in our connected world. As (IW) gains prominence in modern military strategy, the role of digital tools like social media and cyber-enabled scamming cannot be overstated. Social media platforms serve as an ideal ecosystem for executing a wide range of IW activities, from disinformation campaigns aimed at sowing division among enemy lines to civil-military operations that gauge public sentiment and build community relations. In the digital world, the battlefront’s traditional geographic confinement disappears, and the environment is persistently dynamic. irregular warfare Digital tools are particularly potent for small-scale, non-state actors who might not have the resources for traditional warfare but can nevertheless exert a significant impact through well-coordinated online campaigns, such as Ukrainian activists who use scamming techniques to convince to firebomb their own military offices. In the age of IW, the power dynamics on the battlefield are no longer solely determined by physical might; the impact of influence and information will continue to grow and allow for certain aspects of warfare to be crowdsourced, with ordinary civilians taking on a more prominent role in the era of irregular warfare. Russians The challenges faced by Ukraine on the battlefield have provided invaluable lessons for military strategists regarding and the . “Once the war is over, we will definitely write a textbook,” Vice-Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, the head of Ukraine’s navy, “And we’ll send it to all the NATO military academies.” Ukraine is already applying many recently learned lessons with new digitally-enabled TTPs. The West, including and beyond NATO, can learn much from Ukraine’s social media application of irregular warfare in their ongoing war with Russia. conventional warfare future of war proclaimed Romance and espionage: how online dating apps betrayed Russian soldiers Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian soldiers have revealed information from their to AI-generated of Ukrainian women. Some soldiers inadvertently disclosed their tactical locations through images while seeking companionship. One woman ingeniously two Tinder accounts, setting a different location near the border for each account and, referencing the difference between locations of shared matches, “triangulate(d) the exact locations of her matches.” As a result, she reported over seventy such profiles and their locations to Ukrainian authorities. Tinder dating app profiles fake profiles employed devised a ruse using fake profiles of appealing women across multiple social media platforms, such as Telegram, to ensnare Russian soldiers stationed near Melitopol. According to the , the Russian soldiers were persuaded to share photos of themselves on duty. Upon receiving these images, the hackers pinpointed their origin to a secluded Russian military base near Melitopol in southern Ukraine. This intelligence was subsequently relayed to the Ukrainian military, leading to an assault on the base days later. Ukrainian hackers Financial Times On Russian Navy Day in July 2023, Ukrainian hackers targeted Russian sailors by sending them a video with good “wishes” via apps. According to the Ukrainian military’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), these videos depicted Ukrainian drones and missiles attacking Russian warships, including the . In addition to any potential psychological impact of the footage, the message contained malware that provided the hackers with access to the sailors’ phone data, subsequently transferring confidential information to Ukrainian servers. Most sailors unwittingly expressed gratitude before opening the deceptive video. messaging Moskva cruiser Activists use scamming techniques to target Russia's military infrastructure and offices. Russian officials attribute a series of at their recruitment centers to “phone scammers” who specifically target the elderly to attack Russian army recruitment offices. According to Russian intelligence services, scammers target vulnerable citizens “who found themselves in difficult circumstances and are easy to influence.” By convincing them to take out a loan or share their bank details, they are subsequently convinced to attack a recruitment office in an attempt to recover their losses. For example, in Russian-occupied Crimea, scammers duped a schoolteacher into throwing a flammable object at a recruitment office. Similarly, in St. Petersburg, a 66-year-old woman was lured into taking out a loan with the false promise that her debt would be cleared if she attacked a with a Molotov cocktail. Digital scammers do not only target the elderly. Teenagers in Russia, who claim they are not aware of who their financier may be, were recruited via to ignite railway junction boxes in exchange for money. fire-bombings recruitment office social media The rising significance of open-source intelligence (OSINT) In August 2022, the Wagner group faced an attack in Popasna, Ukraine. A local pro-Russian journalist inadvertently the Wagner base’s location through images shared on Telegram. One such image, now removed, disclosed the base’s exact address. Armed with this information, Ukrainian forces demolished the site. A Ukrainian official hinted that the strike’s precision was possibly aided by the shared Telegram images. This incident epitomizes how social media-derived open-source intelligence (OSINT, information procured from public sources) is strategically leveraged in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. revealed When location-based apps lead to physical attacks In March 2017, a Royal Navy member’s run inside His Majesty’s Naval Base, Clyde (HMNB Clyde), a high-security base housing the UK’s nuclear deterrent, was tracked via the , leading to concerns about revealing sensitive military locations. has shown that data from fitness apps might inadvertently reveal the locations of hidden military bases by mapping consistent exercise patterns and patrol paths within or around such bases. These apps, which often connect to devices such as Fitbits and Garmin watches, allow users to log their exercise routes. A feature designed for friendly competition might unintentionally expose the precise activities and identities of staff within high-security military zones. Strava app Research In July 2023, data from the app turned deadly. A Le Monde from July 11, 2023, suggests that Strava may have inadvertently played a role in the assassination of Captain Stanislav Rzhitsky. The Russian officer was ambushed and on July 10, 2023, in a park in Krasnodar, Russia. Rzhitsky formerly led a submarine that was implicated in a 2022 strike on the Ukrainian city of that resulted in 27 civilian deaths. report killed Vinnytsia Rzhitsky’s leadership role in this act made him a target for Ukrainian intelligence. disclosed that Rzhitsky was a regular Strava user, often sharing his routes. The consistency in his routes led to speculation that his killers might have used the app to predict his movements on the day of his assassination. Strava’s user agreement highlights that unless data-sharing settings are restricted, user activity can be accessed by anyone online, including details like distance, runtime, and maps of routes. Le Monde , a Ukrainian government app originally designed to facilitate access to public services, was repurposed for wartime efforts. It enables Ukrainians to both report the presence of Russian soldiers in their vicinity and manage tasks like uploading tax returns, renewing passports or providing students with bus fare discounts. Among its features is the “e-Enemy” function, which lets Ukrainian citizens about Russian troop movements, providing invaluable data to the Ukrainian military for strategizing their defense and countermeasures. Diia relay information The evolving face of modern warfare Carl von Clausewitz’s posits that, while the fundamental nature of war remains constant in the human experience, its execution or character is . He viewed war as a complex social activity, and in the 21st century, our interconnectedness expands our connectivity to war as individuals through the digital realm. The increasing democratization of warfare, facilitated by technology, is shifting the focus towards the role of ordinary civilians, like the women who set up virtual “ ” using dating apps to get Russian soldiers to reveal their location. As digital tools continue to enter the fray, regular citizens will assume an even more important role in today’s warfare. On War ever-changing honey traps This metamorphosis of warfare, propelled by the digital age, underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive reevaluation of how we in the West approach conflict in the 21st century and ensure we apply lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian war. The battlefield is no longer confined to physical terrain; it now includes the vast, interconnected realm of the internet, where each click or post could be as consequential as any traditional military maneuver. Therefore, it is vital for the Western alliances and NATO to adapt and develop new strategies that respond to this evolving threat landscape – the next compromised service member could be a NATO soldier who accidentally leaks vital information on social media to our adversaries. In an all-out war, it could be our own populations that are targeted by scammers to attack military offices. We must learn lessons early on from the digital irregular warfare we are seeing in the Russo-Ukrainian war and begin strategizing new approaches to protect ourselves. We must develop an understanding of how to leverage these tools more effectively in the future. Also published . here

Cyber-Enabled Scamming Techniques and Social Media’s Growing Role in Warfare

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and His Powerful Billionaire Friends

মার্কিন সুপ্রিম কোর্টের বিচারপতি ক্লারেন্স থমাস এবং তার শক্তিশালী বিলিয়নেয়ার বন্ধুরা

Clarence Thomas, Richter am Obersten Gerichtshof der USA, und seine mächtigen milliardenschweren Freunde

El juez de la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos, Clarence Thomas, y sus poderosos amigos multimillonarios

Clarence Thomas, juge de la Cour suprême des États-Unis, et ses puissants amis milliardaires

अमेरिकी सुप्रीम कोर्ट के न्यायाधीश क्लेरेंस थॉमस और उनके शक्तिशाली अरबपति मित्र

米国最高裁判所判事クラレンス・トーマスと彼の強力な億万長者の友人たち

미국 대법원 판사 클라렌스 토마스(Clarence Thomas)와 그의 막강한 억만장자 친구들

O juiz da Suprema Corte dos EUA, Clarence Thomas, e seus poderosos amigos bilionários

Судья Верховного суда США Кларенс Томас и его влиятельные друзья-миллиардеры

ABD Yüksek Mahkemesi Yargıcı Clarence Thomas ve Güçlü Milyarder Arkadaşları

Thẩm phán Tòa án Tối cao Hoa Kỳ Clarence Thomas và những người bạn tỷ phú đầy quyền lực của ông

美国最高法院法官克拉伦斯·托马斯和他有权势的亿万富翁朋友

Let's learn about via these 79 free stories. They are ordered by most time reading created on HackerNoon. Visit the to find the most read stories about any technology. Daos /Learn Repo 1. DAOs Vs DeFi: Decentralized Building Blocks DAOs have grown exponentially to the point where the total value locked (TVL) in the DAO market is currently higher than that of DeFi’s 2. Building in Web3? Here is How to Fund It If your business, or solution, must be built on a blockchain, you will face even bigger funding problems. 3. Understanding Idena – The Human-Centric Blockchain At the heart of Idena is the simple belief that everybody should have equal voting rights. There should be no skewing of votes based on mining ability or money 4. Distributed Governance Score Framework: DAO Index The DAO Index assesses how a DAO is implementing a set of core organizing principles into their governance and ethical practices, thereby providing transparency 5. How DAOs are Defining the Next Generation of Gaming In recent years, NFTs and play-to-earn (P2E) games have dominated the conversation around blockchain technology in gaming. And rightly so. 6. Investment DAOs: What they are and How they Work An investment DAO is the one that is involved in raising and investing capital into digital assets like cryptocurrencies, NFTs, virtual real estate, etc. 7. Policy Proposals for Crypto Protocols to Make Them Less Dystopic and More Inclusive The debates are intensifying about whether blockchain and cryptocurrencies and Web3—pick your favorite jargon—are salvific or demonic. 8. Do DAOs Have the Ability to Change the World? Let's explore the amazing world of DAOs to discover how ordinary people are changing the world. 9. How To Bring DAOs To Web3 Instead of Discord How to bring DAO's to Web3 community platforms instead of Discord and Slack with on chain governance tools and crypto rewards to improve DAO participation. 10. Open Source Contribution Distributors (OSCDs) Or DAOs to Support Open-Source Projects A new standard for maintaining external libraries could boost contributions and donations to open-source projects by letting them earn a share of the profits. 11. Social DAOs: An Essential Guide The best overview of all social DAOs that you haven't heard about yet to understand how social DAOs actually work, what they have in common and what's different 12. Ethereum: Bigger than the Internet? I remember the first time I saw the World Wide Web. 13. The NFT Economy is Bouncing Back🎉 14. Cutting Out the Middleman: Web3's Potential to Revolutionize the Web Cutting Out the Middleman: Web3's Potential to Revolutionize the Web 15. Building Optimal Specialized DAO Archetypes: A New Investment DAO Model for Web3 Review of the current DAO landscape, and a proposal for a new DAO structuring framework 16. NFT Adoption in Modern Companies: An Interview With Evinco Winery DAO Co-Founder, Joy Pathak A conversation with Joy Pathak, Evinco Winery DAO co-founder, about NFTs and how they are set to change the food and beverages industry. 17. Build a DAO in Minutes with Zora's New Nouns Builder🧱 Nouns Builder is a new Zora tool that can help you form a DAO in minutes and then sustain it over time through Nouns DAO-like auctions. 18. 7 Concise Statements That Describe the Metaverse While it’s not expected to be fully fleshed out anytime soon, let’s take a look at what the Metaverse can be, based on things we already know. 19. Why ConstitutionDAO Failed At Sotheby’s 20. The Future of Remote Work with Web 3 If 2021 was the buzz of Web3, in 2022 we will understand more about the huge impact of emerging technologies on decentralized economy & remote workforce. 21. Intergalactic DAOs and Thoughts on Interplanetary Governance 22. DAOs Will Make Financial Services Truly Collaborative and Equal in Nature Spool is a DeFi platform for users to create diversified yield portfolios that automatically rebalance and seek the best-adjusted yield. 23. Governance is the Holy Grail for DAOs DAOs are trying out novel voting mechanisms to improve decision-making, member participation, and organizational success. 24. Decentralized Autonomous Organization for Investment Groups Investment DAOs are a new kind of partnership in blockchain. This article reviews the types of investment DAOs and what approach each one takes to invest 25. This DAO Voted to Refund an Investor: Here's What Happened Tim Connors discusses the fact that a DAO is going to refund an investor. 26. From FireChat to Starlink: The Best Attempts to Decentralize the Internet In this article, we look at the past, present, and future of internet decentralization efforts. We'll explore how projects such as FireChat and Starlink. 27. How the DAO Ecosystem Is Redefining Organizations on the Web A decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) is a  disruptive form of organization governed using smart contracts. 28. Build to Rent DAO: Pioneering the Concept of 'Rent-to-Earn' Real estate tokenization system allows users to rent objects from a decentralized autonomous organization or DAO instead of buying it. 29. Using DAOs for Shareholder Activism to Overcome Traditional Corporate Governance DAOs can improve the nature of corporate governance and empower activist investors to push for change at organizations. 30. Liquid Staking: A DAO Perspective How can DAOs diversify and earn yield on their treasuries? Through white label liquid staking solutions, like those offered by Geode Finance. 31. A Getting Started Guide to Collector DAOs Collector DAOs are buying NFTs for their collections. Learn how do they work under the hood. Get inspired and create your Collector DAO with XDAO 32. Unhackable DAOs: No Silver Bullet, but Active Defense How to make hackable DAOs/protocols unhackable? Attack surface reduction, diverse/adoptable governance methods, and dispute resolution, experiments with AI. 33. Decentralized Autonomous (dis)Organization DAOs want to change the way businesses make choices altogether. Do we actually need that, though? 34. The Spice Must Flow: Why Crypto Brokers Spent $3Million to Buy a Rare Dune Book Cryto investors use DAO built on the the Ethereum blockchain to purchase million dollar copy of Jodorowsky's Dune 35. Let’s Take a Look at PIP: Interoperability Between Web2 & Web3 A look at connectivity between Web2 and Web3. 36. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations Fueling a Gaming & Cultural Renaissance Deep dive into the concept of the gamified DAO and learn how users can participate in the project development via voting 37. A Look at GTON: A DAO, Ethereum Scaling Platform & Stablecoin Protocol Let's look at GTON Capital and how the platform works. 38. DeFi: The Key to Enabling Global Financial Inclusion On-chain credit can be the use case that brings the next billion web2 users into web3. 39. Web 3.0's Role for Digital Society, and Reasons to Invest in Web 3.0 Infrastructure We all use the internet for different purposes: we study, communicate, work, make payments, arrange trips, and more. All of these actions are performed on the web and over time, the use of the internet will increase exponentially, but how much will you pay for it, how often does it fail, and for how long? 40. Answer First, Code Later: Why the Best DAOs Won’t Be About Web3 Know when it's time to drop the jargon. Immutable records won't make your Web3 project stand out. Here's how to implement user research to make your DAO pop. 41. Joey Poareo Explains How Blockchain Can Revolutionize and Speed Up Scientific Innovation Interview with Joey Poareo, co-founder at InuYasha, a decentralized incubator accelerator fund that uses uses DAO governance to speed up crypto projects. 42. Could a DAO Save Chelsea FC? How DAOs Can Help Decentralize Ownership FootballDAOs are inevitable. This article will explore how FootballDAOs may operate, and what benefits they bring for fans. It introduces the ChelseaDAO idea. 43. How Are DAOs Changing the Way We Live and Work? The level of transparency that DAOs provide could lead to better relationships between organizations and their members, workers, and even the general public. 44. Web3's Hidden Problem: Data Accuracy For the simple reason that they were giving their users contradictory information due to accuracy problem, a popular NFT team lost thousands of subscribers. 45. At Gateway to Cosmos, Prague was the Center of the Blockchain Multiverse Read more about: Risks in DAO governance Smart contracts in JavaScript Fast and secure interoperability 46. Venom Foundation Announces Partnership with DAO Maker for Incubation of Promising Web3 Startups Venom Foundation and DAO Maker have teamed up to foster Web3 startups. 47. Mindstream AI CEO Paul Dowling Talks About DAOs, NFTs and the Future of Web3.0 NFTs are a type of digital assets that exist on the blockchain. They can be bought, sold, or traded with others. 48. Get in Loser, We’re Going Networking! It seems like these days it’s all about operating in networks. 49. DAOs Could One Day Be The Primary Mechanism for Corporate Governance DAOs are gaining popularity in the crypto industry. Now, a growing chorus of observers is wondering when they'll jump into the realm of corporate governance. 50. All Your DAOs Are Belong to Us – The DisCO CAT Speaks Look what the DisCO CAT dragged in! 51. You Don't Need to Spend a Fortune to Gift Someone an NFT — 5 Options to Look Into 🎁 Let’s walk through a handful of cool gift ideas you can consider for NFTs currently priced around 0.01Ξ (~$12 USD) each! 52. Dear Crypto, NFTs, DAOs & Web3 Fans : I Have Some Questions I’m confused about Web3’s building blocks. Crypto, NFTs, the Metaverse, DAOs, Blockchain… I’ve thought about them, created them, sold them, bought them and written about them. I still don’t really get it. I bet you don’t either. 53. What is EarthFund? A Look At The Blockchain-based Donation Platform and DAO Let's take a look at EarthFund and how the platform works. 54. Is Decentralization in Danger: How Will DAOs Survive the Crypto Bear Winter DAOs are a staple in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. But they have never faced a bear market. How well will DAOs fare in these conditions? 55.         DAO: Tool Kit for Starters If you have ever wondered how a Decentralised Autonomous Organisation(DAO)is ran, grab a seat and read on! 56. 5 Crypto Resolutions for 2022: Decentralizing My Life Make an NFT. Explore the metaverse. Join decentralized and women-run crypto orgs and platforms. These are some of my resolutions for 2022. 57. How Will DAOs Impact the Future of Startups? Do you believe DAOs will be the evolution of early-stage startups? 58. Classical gaming VS GameFi: is it time for the old head to blow out? As blockchain technology grows in popularity, so does its number of valid applications in and beyond finance. One such example is GameFi, an innovative in-game economical system that allows players to have a greater influence on a game's economy and development. 59. DAOs Will Likely Cover All Aspects of Our Lives - Waldemar Schlemmer The advent of blockchain technology has provided the requisite framework for creating revolutionary projects and platforms designed to strengthen trust and improve business engagements. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) are one of the many innovations deployed on the blockchain. A DAO is a community-governed entity where community members are responsible for every decision on managing and running the entity. With DAO, there is no hierarchy where only a few people decide what to do. 60. Decentralized Organizations or DAOs: The Founding Principles The minimum requirements to create a DAO are very simple you just need tools for it. Describing two types of proposals in a DAO. Look towards the DAO 61. Will GameFi Make it from N00b to Boss Mode - Blockchain Gaming Part 1 The blockchain gaming industry is about to start a boss fight with Web2 gaming. What will it take to level up and enter the mass market? 62. How DAOs Can Change the Investment Landscape for Crypto Users A look at how DAOs can change the investment landscape for cryptocurrency users 63. Is It Legal to Do Business as a DAO? This article explores the possibilities of operating DAO as a legal entity, examines the types of legal DAOs, DAO limitations and its advantages. 64. DAOfication as a Nascent Crypto Trend The latest trend in the cryptocurrency market is DAO. And the share of organizations that are turning to DAOs is also rising. 65. Closing The Gap Between Companies & DAOs Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) are a utopian idea. Today’s organizations - corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations - have a jurisdiction. DAOs are everywhere and nowhere. Today’s organizations embrace hierarchy and have governing boards and managers. DAOs are flat and they make decisions either by number of votes from token-holders (participatory DAOs) or by the rules of the code itself (algorithmic DAOs). Today’s organizations require people to routinely conduct legally-required functions, such as paying employees or buying insurance. DAO users and counter-parties are compensated automatically through smart contracts. 66. What is a DAO? DAO stands for a Decentralized Autonomous Organization. The definition is right there in the name; it’s an internet-native organization where the management is decentralized, and the decisions are autonomous thanks to its programmed logic. 67. In Search of Big Yaks: A Metaverse Sit Down With the Creator of Axie Infinity's Hottest Social Club It’s a brutal NFT winter, but you wouldn’t know it from the lit discord of Axie Infinity’s first social club. Today, we sit with BYAC founder Zakariah Wain. 68. 8 Prominent Blockchain Trends You Should Know About In 2022 In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the top trends that are currently emerging within the blockchain space, touching on the companies that are at the for 69. Snook Introduces BBT-Themed Game Rooms Snook, a popular online multiplayer IO game, has introduced its BBT Themed rooms for ecosystem partners. 70. The Challenges for DAO Adoption: Hype Cycle, Orientation, Free for Alls, and Unclear Incentives Are Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) ready to go mainstream? We'll unpack key challenges and solutions and survey the state of DAO tooling. 71. How to Automate Crypto Payments and Invoicing for Web3, DeFi, and NFT Projects Since launching in 2021, over 1,400 web3 companies now use Request Finance to automate their crypto payments, and invoicing workstreams. Here’s how. 72. True Meaning of DAOs  -  Bitcoin as Business Understand how the first and most succesful DAO works, and how Bitcoin can host Web 3.0 applications, dApps, NFTs, and DAOs in the future. 73. STOP! Throwing Money At Each Other The only mechanism that can prevent a whale from influencing the outcome of voting decisions within permissionless DAOs without strong IDM (identity management) 74. A Man Who Fell To Earth: Decentralized Software is Here to Stay The Man Who Fell To Earth : The future of human curiosity is decentralized and open source. 75. GameFi and The Need for a Dedicated Stablecoin The stablecoin for play-to-earn game economies in Web3 (the Metaverse) to avoid the problem of hyperinflation. 76. Rebuilding the Tower of Babel: A Theory of New National Development Based on DAO But when we stop focusing on dysfunctional, centralized government and talk directly to DAO members, we are already transforming ourselves and society. 77. The Invisible Enemy of Coordination Failure The story of "Moloch" and why most problems humanity faces today are products of coordination failure. 78. A Simple Guide to Understanding DAOs And Why They are a Force in 2022 To understand what a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) means is to dissect the three keywords: decentralization, autonomy, and organization. 79. The True Meaning of DAOs — Uniswap & BAYC Here we take a look at two of the most succesful DAOs, Uniswap and Bored Ape Yacht Club, using them as case studies to understand the DAO concept better. Thank you for checking out the 79 most read stories about Daos on HackerNoon. to find the most read stories about any technology. Visit the /Learn Repo

79 Stories To Learn About Daos

Previous Chapter - The Last 3 Days (19): Benevolence Shrugs All published chapters can be found here. 10:39:39 Less than ten minutes later, Nick eased the hood closed so as not to disrupt the quiet darkness and climbed into the driver’s seat. The old sedan started immediately and ran smoothly, so Nick reached for the manual gearshift and bumped his elbow against a cooler on the bench seat beside him. Surely his luck wouldn’t extend this far, he thought, but it did. The cooler held canned drinks. Cold canned drinks. He listened a moment longer as the car picked up speed, up-shifted twice and then popped the tab on a random can and drank. “Hey!” A voice shouted in the darkness. “Those aren’t for you.” A pair of menacing eyes stared back at Nick from the rearview mirror. He planted brake and clutch simultaneously, spilling soda into his lap as the car slewed to a halt. Nick dove out of the car, scrabbling on hands and knees to a safe distance, chased by a drooling can of soda. The rear window wound down, revealing a child’s laughter. “Do that again.” The face of an indigenous youth appeared. “Where did you come from?” Nick demanded. The boy jerked his head back the way they came. “That way. You?” Brushing himself off, Nick returned to the idling car. “I mean,” he said, “What are you doing here, wherever here is, at night, alone?” “Waiting.” “For what?” “My dad.” “Where’d he go?” “For help. He should’a just waited for you.” “How long ago?” “Dunno. I was sleeping.” “Why didn’t he take you?” “Said I’d slow him down.” “Which way did he go?” The boy jerked his head up the road. “He said there was a town not too far.” “I’ve been walking forever, trying to get home. But I can’t leave you here by yourself.” Nick picked up the empty can and held it out towards the boy. “I’m Nick.” “I’m Dean.” “Dean, if I drive you to look for your dad, can I have another soda?” 10:02:11 Dean, now sitting in the front passenger seat, pointed at a road sign that said, ‘Cluster.’ Below it an arrow pointed left and below that, ‘2 MILES’. Nick slowed. A left turn took Nick away from home. “This is the next town.” “Cluster. That’s the one. I think.” Nick turned at the intersection. 09:59:21 A glow appeared in the sky ahead of them. Moments later, the source was obvious. Cluster was burning. A large crowd watched the fire spread, cheering whenever an oil or gas tank exploded within the inferno. They drove past a short queue of vehicles lined up at a cross street aimed directly at the flames, where a young woman wearing her bra waved her blouse like a flag. A car full of people accelerated, horn blaring, into the inferno, and a truck moved up to be next. Nick eased the car past the glassy-eyed revellers and pulled into a gas station. “What’s wrong with them, Nick?” “They’re drunk and angry. Listen. I’m going to ask if they’ve seen your dad. Stay in the car, OK?” Nearby, a drunk young woman, her homegrown beauty unaffected by inebriation, held off several men even more intoxicated with a wine bottle, then stepped away from the crowd. “Sure thing,” Dean said. 09:55:58 Nick exited the open and unattended gas station with a handful of chocolate bars, which he tossed onto the front seat before taking the opportunity to fill the car. At another pump, a group of youths assembled Molotov cocktails using scraps of a t-shirt liberated from the youngest of the group. In the background, a car horn announced the safe return of the daredevils and more cheers. The truck engine revved to dangerous levels then leapt forward, horn wailing, to disappear into the flames. The drunk woman’s erratic path brought her over to the Beater, where she leaned against the hood to get her bearings. Nick had his back to her as he hung up the nozzle. “You gonna pay for that gas?” She asked. Nick turned. “Oh. There was no one inside, so I thought the place was abandoned. I don’t have any money.” Using the vehicle for support, she moved closer. “I don’t want money.” She wrapped her free arm around his neck and kissed him deeply. He responded but then caught Dean watching and stepped away from the embrace. “No. I can’t — “ Then something crashed into him, knocking him to the ground. Covering his head with his arms against a rain of blows, Nick heard Dean screaming. “Dad! Dad! Stop! Dad!” The pummelling subsided. Nick opened his eyes to see his assailant hugging Dean. “Get off me!” Dean separated himself from his father and pulled him off Nick. “This is Nick,” the boy explained. “He was helping me find you.” Hunter studied Nick for a moment, then held out his hand to help him up. “You pumped Regular, right?” “Of course,” Nick answered. “I think this thing predates Premium.” “Good. Long way to go, yet.” “Dean said you’re going to the city. Can I get a ride?” The sound of a horn briefly rose above the roar of the fires — then it went silent, replaced by lingering screams. 03:58:48 Darkness vanished in a flash of light as the sun emerged from behind earth, illuminating the asteroid like a burglar in the night. Unlike a thief, Benevolence B7438 didn’t surrender or relax its determined charge towards earth. Then a tendril of steam slipped from an impact site and the asteroid cracked. 03:44:09 The closer Nick was to home, the slower they seemed to travel. The highway they had to themselves. So too the main trunk roads through the city. But when he guided Hunter into his neighbourhood, the streets were crowded with people congregating on front lawns or standing in the road watching the sky. When Hunter brought his beater to a halt at the end of the Burns’ driveway, Dean leaned over the seat to hug him. He shook hands with Hunter. “You’re home, Nick,” Hunter said. “Thanks to you and Dean.” “No. Thanks to you. You fixed the car. You helped Dean find me. If not for you, we’d never have made it here.” As Nick climbed out, Dean slithered over the seat. “Let’s go get mom.” Home. He made it. 03:43:48 The front door was unlocked, which was just as well as he’d lost his keys somewhere. The TV was on, but as quiet as the rest of the house, though the Anchor’s chair was empty. “Dad!” Nick called. “Mom!” He glanced into the kitchen as he moved past. Nothing. He took the stairs two at a time. “Mom! Dad! I’m home!” He pushed open Jack’s bedroom door. “Jack?” Empty. As was his parent’s bedroom. He walked past his own room and so didn’t see Jay sleeping. Returning downstairs, he checked the office. Not there, either. 03:41:50 Nick went out the front door and trotted down the driveway, scanning the people gathered in groups for any sign of his parents. “Dad! Mom!” No response. Turning back, he noticed the lights were on next door at Eileen’s. 03:41: 44 The Burns and their guests mingled quietly around a table of food and drink in the backyard, constantly scanning the sky for any sight of Benevolence B7438 and debating from which direction would the end of the world arrive. The Sergeant and Eileen sat beside each other in lawn chairs. Becky heard a familiar shout from the street. She peered around the corner of the house — and caught a glimpse of Nick. Nick? She rushed between the houses. 03:41:22 Nick knocked on Eileen’s door a second time. Where is everyone, he thought, when the person he wanted most to see was suddenly right there. Becky. “Nick?” Distracted by Becky, Nick ignored the opening door. “Becky?” Ryan said, “Nick!” And swung his fist, but Nick was already moving towards Becky, so the blow was glancing. Nick stumbled backwards, revealing Becky. “Becky!” Ryan roared. Ryan lunged out the door towards Becky, but Nick stuck his foot out and tripped him. Ryan sprawled on the walk. Rushing past him, Nick grabbed Becky’s hand and hauled her into his house, slamming and bolting the door. Bobby appeared on Eileen’s transom, rubbing his eyes. “What’s with the shouting?” “They’re next door,” Ryan barked. “Come on.” As Bobby joined him, Ryan pointed towards the backyard. “Cover the back.” 03:40:38 Don heard a door slam and moved to investigate, but the sound of running feet slowed him as he reached the edge of the rear wall. Head down just as he’d been trained, Bobby rounded the corner at full tilt, only to discover he was not alone. And there was a cop, he thought as he recognized the Sergeant’s uniform. “Hold it right there, son,” Don said. The other cop. “I said, stop!” Bobby rushed Don, expecting him to move, but Don stood his ground, wrapping his arms around Bobby’s waist then sliding down to trap his legs. Bobby fell to the ground, held there by the Sergeant’s size 13 boot at the base of his neck. 03:40:29 Nick was urging Becky towards the en suite in his parents’ bedroom when he heard his father shout. “In there,” he told her. “Lock the door.” And he was gone. 03:40:24 Ryan straightened from the office window he had just climbed through. The sound of Nick pounding down the stairs sent him darting behind the door. And there, hanging from hooks were two police utility belts, one of them bearing a holstered pistol. Armed with new purpose, he peered into the hallway. Someone else descended the stairs and turned into the kitchen. Becky. He padded after her. Also published here.

The Last 3 Days (20): Cluster's F**ked

In this interview, we will explore the nuances of risk adjustment and how it differs from traditional investment strategies. We will uncover how risk adjustment can effectively mitigate the negative impacts of a bear market on investments, safeguarding portfolios against volatility and market downturns. We will also look at the primary risks associated with risk adjustment during bear markets and share valuable insights on how investors can manage and mitigate these risks effectively. Moreover, we will discuss the advantages that risk adjustment techniques offer in a bear market scenario, highlighting specific examples of how they can open up opportunities for investors. Please tell us your name and what you do. I'm Steve Rosenblum, founder of Libertify, the AI-powered risk management solution for retail investors, enabling anyone to manage risk effortlessly. We provide innovation portfolio management through artificial intelligence-powered insights. Prior to launching my first Web3 enterprise, I focused on a major motto: “Empower everybody’s potential.” I founded Pixmania, which went on to earn €1 billion in revenue, Deezer and Molotov., as well as the Dotcorp Finance Private Equity Fund. How does risk adjustment differ from traditional investment strategies, and how can it mitigate the impact of a bear market on investments? Risk adjustment differs from traditional investment strategies in that it focuses on optimizing portfolio performance while considering the level of risk undertaken. Unlike traditional strategies that primarily emphasize maximizing returns, risk adjustment takes into account factors such as volatility, correlation, and downside risk. By incorporating these elements, risk adjustment aims to create a more resilient portfolio that can better withstand adverse market conditions. In the context of a bear market, risk adjustment can mitigate the impact on investments through several mechanisms. Firstly, it involves diversification across various asset classes, industries, and geographic regions, reducing the concentration risk inherent in traditional strategies. Secondly, risk-adjusted portfolios may include assets that exhibit a lower correlation with the broader market, thereby potentially buffering the portfolio against severe market declines. Additionally, risk adjustment often employs dynamic asset allocation techniques that respond to changing market conditions, allowing for timely adjustments in response to a bear market's evolving dynamics. In your opinion, what are the primary risks associated with employing risk adjustment strategies during a bear market, and how can investors manage or mitigate these risks effectively? In my opinion, the primary risks associated with employing risk adjustment strategies during a bear market revolve around the potential for over-optimization and unintended consequences. Overly complex risk adjustment models may lead to excessive trading and transaction costs, eroding returns. Moreover, these strategies could inadvertently increase exposure to certain risk factors that perform poorly during specific market downturns. To manage or mitigate these risks effectively, investors should prioritize transparency and simplicity in their risk adjustment approaches. Regular stress-testing of models against historical bear market scenarios can help validate their effectiveness. Additionally, a robust risk management framework that incorporates continuous monitoring and reassessment of the chosen strategies is essential. Maintaining a diversified portfolio, periodically rebalancing, and considering a broad range of risk factors can collectively contribute to a more resilient risk-adjusted investment approach during bear markets. Please explain the role of AI in risk management. AI risk management tailored for retail investors in the cryptocurrency market is a transformative concept. It provides useful insights, analysis, and automation to help users navigate the volatile and changing nature of digital assets. It can also assist investors in making informed decisions, optimizing their portfolios, and mitigating the risks involved with cryptocurrency investing. It's time to draw lessons from the past after the recent bear market. For example, by auditing your portfolio with AI, you can get a unique way to scan risk exposure. The optimal risk and reward strategies can be determined by using artificial intelligence, which can operate as a 24/7 perpetual coach for users to optimize their existing position. In the context of the bear market, what are the main advantages of employing risk adjustment techniques? Can you provide some examples of how it can open up opportunities for investors? In the context of a bear market, employing risk adjustment techniques offers the advantage of enhanced downside protection and improved risk-adjusted returns. By incorporating strategies that consider factors such as volatility and correlation, investors can potentially reduce portfolio losses and mitigate the impact of market downturns. For example, allocating a portion of the portfolio to assets with low correlation to the broader market, such as gold or certain defensive stocks, can help stabilize returns during bearish periods. Furthermore, dynamic asset allocation based on evolving market conditions can enable investors to capitalize on opportunities arising from changing risk profiles and asset valuations, enhancing the overall resilience and potential gains of the portfolio. When implementing risk adjustment strategies, what factors should investors consider to ensure they capitalize on opportunities during a bear market? When implementing risk adjustment strategies, investors should consider factors such as asset diversification, correlation dynamics, historical stress testing, and adaptive asset allocation. These factors collectively enable investors to navigate a bear market by reducing concentration risk, identifying assets with low correlation to market downturns, validating strategies against historical adverse scenarios, and adjusting allocations based on evolving market conditions. With the potential increase in market volatility during a bear market, how can risk adjustment assist in preserving capital and reducing overall portfolio risk? During a bear market, risk adjustment can aid in capital preservation and reducing portfolio risk by emphasizing strategies that prioritize asset diversification, incorporating low-correlation assets, and implementing dynamic asset allocation. These approaches help mitigate the impact of heightened market volatility, reducing the overall vulnerability of the portfolio to severe losses and providing a more resilient foundation for preserving capital in challenging market conditions. Are there specific industries or sectors that tend to offer more opportunities for investors during a bear market, and how does risk adjustment play a role in optimizing exposure to these opportunities? Certain industries or sectors that exhibit defensive characteristics, such as utilities, healthcare, and consumer staples, often offer opportunities during bear markets. Risk adjustment plays a crucial role in optimizing exposure to these opportunities by identifying assets with low correlation to broader market declines. By incorporating such assets into a diversified portfolio and dynamically adjusting allocations based on market conditions, risk adjustment strategies can enhance the portfolio's resilience and potential for capitalizing on the unique strengths of defensive industries, thus mitigating overall risk during bear markets. What are some of the key quantitative and qualitative indicators that investors should focus on when employing risk adjustment strategies in the context of a bear market? Investors should focus on quantitative indicators such as historical volatility, correlation coefficients, and downside risk measures like Value at Risk (VaR) when employing risk adjustment strategies in a bear market. Qualitative indicators include fundamental analysis of company financials, industry stability, and macroeconomic factors. Integrating both quantitative and qualitative insights enables a comprehensive risk assessment, aiding investors in constructing resilient portfolios during bear markets. How do regulatory changes and macroeconomic factors influence the effectiveness of risk adjustment strategies during a bear market? What steps should investors take to stay informed about these potential impacts? Regulatory changes and macroeconomic factors significantly influence risk adjustment strategies' effectiveness in a bear market. Changes in regulations can alter market dynamics and risk exposures, impacting portfolio performance. Macroeconomic shifts like interest rate changes or fiscal policies can affect asset correlations and overall market sentiment, influencing risk-adjusted returns. Investors should stay informed by regularly monitoring regulatory updates, economic indicators, and policy shifts. Engaging with industry experts, utilizing financial news sources, and participating in professional networks can provide insights into potential impacts. Additionally, employing scenario analysis and stress testing within risk models can help anticipate how regulatory changes and macroeconomic shifts might affect portfolio performance, aiding in informed decision-making during bear markets. As the economic landscape evolves, new investment products and financial instruments may emerge. How can risk adjustment accommodate these innovations and identify opportunities within them during a bear market? Risk adjustment can accommodate new investment products and financial instruments by adopting a flexible and adaptive framework. It involves assessing the risk-return profiles of these innovations, considering their correlation to existing assets, and incorporating them into the portfolio strategically. By continuously updating quantitative models and stress tests to include these new instruments, investors can identify opportunities that align with their risk-adjusted strategies, enhancing the portfolio's resilience and potential gains during a bear market. Regular monitoring and reassessment of these innovations within the risk adjustment framework are key to optimizing their integration and impact.

How Can Risk Adjustment Open Up Opportunities Over The Bear Market?

Welcome to our series "Behind the Startup," where we delve into the minds of visionary entrepreneurs and explore the stories behind their groundbreaking ventures. Today, we have the pleasure of talking to Tomer Afek, the CEO of Unruly Technologies, and one of the co-founders behind , a revolutionary layer-one crypto protocol. Join us as we discover the inspiring journey of a man who turned his passion for surfing and mathematics into a mission to reinvent the world of cryptocurrency. Spacemesh *: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our . Be it through direct compensation, media partnerships, or networking, the author has a vested interest in the company/ies mentioned in this story. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR* Vested Interest Disclosure brand-as-author program From Isolation to Innovation: How Surfing Inspired the Creation of Spacemesh Ishan Pandey: Hi Tomer, welcome to our series "Behind the Startup." Please tell us about yourself and the story behind Spacemesh? I was an unhappy and socially isolated kid, until around the age of 13 when I discovered wave surfing and the “flow experience” - a mental space where all those strolling thoughts in one’s brain instantly quiet down and only exist in the present moment. Profoundly gratifying. The ocean became my sanctuary from all my troubles. And bit by bit, thanks to my passion for surfing, I managed to break free from my social isolation and roll onwards. Tomer Afek: Later in university, to everyone’s surprise, I discovered I have a knack for mathematics and abstract thinking, and my academic accomplishments paved the way for both a career in computer science and lifelong inquiry into analytical philosophy. The first decade of my career was as a VC investor, during the late 90s to early 2000s, as the industry transitioned from big bets after long dd to higher velocity models. The 2nd decade was spent as an entrepreneur, where I’ve managed to build on some of my first-principle ideas that diverge from consensus opinions, and build some financial sovereignty for my family. This finally cleared my way for the 3rd chapter in my career as a “builder in public” entrepreneur of the most radically trustless cryptocurrency - an open source public utility. The idea for Spacemesh coalesced in 2017, after Bitcoin mining became industrialized and it was no longer feasible to expect to be profitable as a home miner. This disappointment led me to start Unruly Technologies, the developer of the Spacemesh open source protocol together with Prof. Tal Moran, Dr. Iddo Bentov, Rami Kasterstien and Aviv Eyal. We’ve set sail to reinvent “Magic internet money everyone can join via mining from home”, a protocol where such tendencies of economies of scale won’t reoccur, so as to keep the cryptocurrency money system always open, dynamic and decentralized. Ultimately, we are building this because we believe that it will pave the way for a world that is more equitable, facilitating more and better cooperation regionally, nationally, and globally. From the 14th of July 2023 to perpetuity, we have created the “People’s Coin”: a “Magic internet money, everyone interested may join via mining from home, no out of pocket expense, credit card or special mining gear required”. Ishan Pandey: Please tell us a little bit about Spacemesh and how the company aims to build a layer-one crypto protocol. Spacemesh is a public utility open-source protocol, rather than a company. I am the CEO of a company that is the developer of the Spacemesh protocol: Unruly Technologies. We raised $23m from our investors, including Polychain, Paradigm, Dragonfly, Electric Capital and more, from which we’ve supported the five year research and development process leading to the 14th of July, 2023 – when Spacemesh protocol launched its public mainnet. We employ a novel approach for consensus in the permissionless setting, used for a general-purpose programmable cryptocurrency: Instead of the commonly used PoW or PoStake, Spacemesh uses PoST (Proof of Space-Time) Rather than a Chain topology (i.e., a blockchain), Spacemesh uses a DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph), a.k.a. a “mesh” Additionally, rather than single-winner leader-election via race or lottery (“Competitive Mining”) used by all Nakamoto-based consensus including Bitcoin, Spacemesh uses a race-free, lottery-free “leaderless” voting (“Collaborative Mining”) Lastly, instead of generating a new proof for every challenge, and the resulting electricity charges, Spacemesh miners reuse the original proof continually, resulting in extremely low energy use and near-zero ongoing cost for operating a miner. As a result of these architectural novelties, we believe we have achieved qualitative improvements along the following axes, as compared with any predecessor cryptocurrency offering: Fairness The Spacemesh protocol is fairer to smaller miners (read: those mining from home using consumer-grade equipment they already own). Miners are paid their fair share of the rewards collected every epoch (2 weeks) based only on their storage commitment size. Therefore powerful (even adversarial) miners cannot receive a disproportionately high share of the rewards. Permissionless Much lower barriers to entry compared to existing permissionless cryptocurrencies: in order to join the network as a miner, all one needs is a PC with a standard GPU, free drive space and a reliable Internet. There is no need for special-purpose mining equipment and the ongoing power usage is low (hence, no huge electricity bills). Moreover, there’s no need for any deposit, a bank account or a credit card. Decentralization Critically, the above achievements (low barrier to entry, low ongoing operational cost, incentive compatibility), once combined, constitute an altogether novel Fair Distribution guarantee: Once you have joined the network by committing at least the minimum amount of storage (256gb), you will forever remain one of the active nodes that participate in the network and will get a fair share of the rewards every EPOCH: likely sufficient to recoup any electricity delta and/or hardware replacement costs. The low marginal costs for home users (with sufficient unused disk space), combined with the race-freeness property (that ensures rewards are proportional to the contributed spacetime resources) encourages small miners to join, leading to a “long tail” of small miners that cannot be priced out by even the largest whales. Low Variance/Predictability of Rewards A giant coin price with a low probability in a winner-takes-all system like BTC or Chia triggers the same psychological response as gambling with the question, "what if the next HDD I buy gets me that $3000 win?" This leads to users who do not already benefit from economies of scale buying massive farms of HDDs and slowly realizing just how bad the odds are because so many others had the same exact idea. In contrast, with Spacemesh, the rewards one gets on Day 1 will probably be very small (assuming well after genesis, i.e., at equilibrium), but one can estimate much more reliably what their earnings will be over time, and there's no massive payday possibility to trigger gambling psychology. Achieving a truly permissionless and decentralized infrastructure is anything but simple. It took us five years of iterative research and development, during which it wasn't clear if we were ever going to come out on the other side of this desert. But the satisfaction when we finally made it to the other side is like nothing else. Ishan Pandey: Spacemesh describes its protocol as "race-free", meaning that everyone gets their fair share of mining rewards. Can you please elaborate on how the mining rewards will be distributed? That’s correct. In Spacemesh, the reward is not handed out to a single miner that happened to produce the block, but is instead shared among all the miners that participated in producing the block. In other words, block production in Spacemesh is a community effort and everybody that participated and contributed to the block gets a share of the reward based on relative weight, i.e.,  you'll get a reward that's linearly proportional to the amount of storage that you've allocated to the network. Tomer Afek: The rewards per single unit of spacetime is a function of the total number of spacetime units on the mesh. For example assuming you've committed 3 units of spacetime out of a total of 10,000, during the epoch 20 weeks post genesis, you’d expect 3*191.26=~563 smesh rewards during this epoch. Ultimately fairness is the value that constitutes the domain of money, therefore it's feasible to assume most fair money system would eventually be selected for by free people, until disrupted by an even fairer money system, and so it goes. Ishan Pandey: The concept of "The People's Coin Ideal" has been gaining traction lately. How do you envision achieving inclusivity and accessibility in the implementation of The People's Coin Ideal? We live in a world of many competing money systems, the vast majority of which are based on ephemeral perceptions and flimsy promises. In our current paradigm, money is essentially about nation states jockeying for power and influence, attempting to deny the material reality of economic downturns, and creating a game called “FOREX” that can be played for fun, thrills, and profit. So, clearly more currencies doesn’t necessarily mean better currencies. Not when their foundations are so arbitrary and fragile. Tomer Afek: We use money as a utility to find consensus between all of our individual understandings of an ever-mutating reality, and as a byproduct we also create a map of valuable traits. Money, beyond facilitating trade, plays a role as the main source of signal, for what we ought to deem as desirable human traits/virtues we should copy for our own challenges. Who has how much guides us, often subconsciously, towards recognizing certain virtues or traits are desirable in our collective minds. Such maps, like the one created by the use of money, are built to address qualitative challenges, separating signal from noise, therefore considered the POV of all mankind, we need a money which freely and accurately maps and signals the most collectively selected-for traits and virtues — and how this can be used to achieve “fitness” within an ever-changing subatomic landscape. These function at peak capacity when the following two properties are optimized: When signals emerging from the map are clear and accessible. When trust in the fidelity of the signals is high. In order to achieve a high-fidelity map, we need as many sensors as possible reporting subjective observations, and a solid mechanism of rigorous synthesis and integration. For the latter to occur, a money system requires a clear basis in material logic - to exist in reference to something tangible and measurable, as opposed to a self-referential loop. By introducing this logic, such as in the form of a sampled commodity, we can reduce the ambiguity of our money system as much as possible. The map made possible by Spacemesh is also particularly useful, because a lower barrier for entry means more “sensors” in more places. The People’s Coin Ideal of a money system indeed begins with emphasis on accessibility and inclusivity, but certainly can and should achieve way more e.g. optimize for human flourishing, for opportunity space, for commons and for providing solutions for . Link here: slaying moloch together https://youtu.be/SeohwQls2GE Ishan Pandey: In the context of a Digital Gold Standard, you argue for a stable store of value. How can this stability be achieved, especially in the highly volatile and ever-changing cryptocurrency market? The last holdout against the historical wheel of transition is the financial system. Money now must also be translated from analog to digital, and the fiat system serving the inequality gap so well must be radically revised. The crisis of 2008 was the warning call, but one which has been entirely ignored. Rather than spurring the financial and monetary system to change, it ended with a reinforcement of the old model and an ever-widening inequality gap. To fix the game we must fix the tools of the game — the letters of the language of value exchange. We need new economic language and therefore new letters. We need new money! We live in the future and pay with coins of the past. The game as we know it is rigged! Tomer Afek: Digitalizing the money system does not mean paying with apps, or having fiat currency represented in pixels on a screen instead of printed cash: it means re-attaching the value of our currencies to a finite digital resource. It means a radical reimagining of what finance even means, and who has control of it - something that only a decentralized digital infrastructure can achieve. Web 2.0, the social web and its “free” entry promise was a trap, draining people of their selfhood, commercializing humans, treating them as Matrix-like batteries feeding energy to a machine that benefits the few at the expense of all others. The reinvention of money, e.g. the blockchain revolution, is therefore the key element for the redesign of the Web. We are only at the inception point of this revolution whose starting point was the Satoshi Nakamoto Bitcoin white paper of 2008. Crypto reintroduces the material logic of commodity-based monetary systems in the digital realm. We sample a finite commodity — gold in the past, energy today, spacetime tomorrow — to serve as a unit of economic measurement in the same fashion as a sampled metal rod can serve as a standard of length. This provides humanity with two important features: The inability to change “the story” — that is, the ledger — retroactively, since it introduces an unavoidable, ever-growing cost associated with altering shared coordinated reality (our ledger) after-the-fact. In the realm of money, it’s the difference between an honest and dependable system and the one we’re stuck with today. It allows for us to agree on some basic, foundational truths, and move onwards together from there. It shifts the entire game from “my word against your word” to “if you think you know better, prove it”. The inability to obscure corrupt or monopolistic practices by exploiting the vagaries and confusion inherent in a multiple-money fiat system. An immutable ledger serving as both a record and a sampled commodity means that “all the cards are on the table”. Bad actors will still try to game the system, but they will have to do so in a "public conversation", rather than shielded by a wall of noise. Ishan Pandey: Some critics argue that tying a digital currency to a gold standard might restrict economic growth and flexibility. How would you respond to such concerns and address the potential challenges of this approach? They’re incorrect. The dichotomy between elasticity and binding to commodity is a false one since both may be achieved via the digital version of the gold standard. Imagine a decentralized bank where one can deposit x Smesh and get y “orange token”; that is, each “orange token” coin equals x/y smesh, and is redeemable by a decentralized bank. Now let us assume the community of “orange token” sees increased demand and has to issue more coins - it can do so independently, using Smesh as a baseline. Let's assume it doubled to 2y “orange token” coins, and that new smesh has been deposited: within each “orange token” coin there will be x/2y smesh. Etc. With a digital ‘gold standard’ we win the best of both worlds, ideally without the worstof both worlds. Flexibility still exists - as is the nature of a decentralized, permissionless system - only now with proper accountability. Ishan Pandey: You see "Cultural Evolution" as a necessary component of cryptocurrency adoption. What role do you see individuals, communities, and governments playing in driving cultural evolution to embrace new technological and financial paradigms like cryptocurrencies? The younger generation deserves to wake up hopeful and confident about what the future holds for us, rather than being plagued by the terror and nihilism that’s so pervasive among them now. Tomer Afek: Achieving this is a huge task. The risks are equally huge.  But it’s the right thing to do, so we do it anyway. There really is no alternative to a revolution of such magnitude, for transitioning into the epoch of conscious evolution that will provide hope not only for our young people, but for all mankind. Broadly, underneath many of our problems is the same ‘savage feedback loop’: the same game theory dynamics, rewarding the short-term exploitation of words and loopholes over the longer-term, more challenging inventive and creative work of real value creation. As C. S. Lewis once asked: “if earth could be fair and all men glad and wise instead, we have prisons, smokestacks and asylums. What sphinx of cement and aluminum breaks open their skulls and eats up their imagination?” If everyone hates the current state of affairs so much, who then perpetuates it? And poet Allen Ginsburg answers: “Moloch does it”. This is a powerful answer not because it's correct (nobody literally thinks an ancient, child-eating Carthaginian demon causes everything) but because thinking of the system as an agent throws into relief the degree to which the system isn't an agent. Think of a dictator-less dystopia, one that every single citizen including the leadership hates, but which nevertheless endures unconquered - so every single citizen hates the system but for lack of a good coordination mechanism it endures. We can optimize the system if everyone agrees to stop doing this at once but no one within the system is able to effect the transition without great risk to themselves. Such multi-polar traps, where virtuous behavior is desired but consistently punished, creates a prisoner's dilemma as played by two very dumb libertarians who keep ending up on (defect, defect). There's a much better outcome available if they could figure out the coordination. But coordination is hard from a ground level view, leading to a “conspiracy without a conspirator”. Nobody is Moloch because everybody is Moloch. And yet, he still exists. So, to achieve cultural evolution, the first step is to find the right coordination mechanism. Without it, any efforts will fall into the same multipolar traps. The People’s Coin must therefore master the way to incentivize us to migrate courageously and peacefully towards a readjusted, fairer, expanding frame of the future — and not leave us duplicating past decisions. Don’t forget to like and share the story!

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I don't know why. They "trust me" Dumb fucks. - 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg in correspondence with a Harvard friend after launching “The Facebook” ( Business Insider ) Introduction to Threads On Wednesday, expanded its social media empire (which includes , Messenger, , and WhatsApp) with the Instagram-based text app, Threads. , Threads looks very similar to Twitter with a few minor adjustments –unsurprisingly,  when considering Meta’s . Most of the time , but with like Stories and Reels which imitated distinctive features from Snapchat and TikTok. Meta Facebook Instagram Reportedly long tradition of copycatting competitors unsuccessfully important exceptions says that “ The Guardian journalist, Kari Paul using Threads felt like a fever dream in which Twitter and Instagram had a more usable brainchild.” is a bit more skeptical and says that “ Rebecca Jennings from Vox Logging onto Threads is like logging on to the internet roughly a decade ago. I have now seen two strangers share their “hot take” that actually, pineapple on pizza is good, a sentiment copied and pasted from all the world’s most boring Hinge profiles.” is to challenge Twitter’s position as the world’s conversation app. And so far, so good. By leveraging Instagram's +2 billion user base, Threads achieved the highest overnight growth of any web application, ever. Within 24 hours after its launch, Threads amassed 30 million users. , and by the time you are reading this, the number likely exceeds 100 million. It took ChatGPT two months to achieve 100 million users, for TikTok it took nine months, and for Instagram, it took two and half years to achieve this milestone that Threads has achieved in less than a week. The explicit mission of Threads Yesterday, Threads had 90 million users Whether you like them or not, Meta is better positioned than anyone else to be the new dopamine provider for disgruntled Twitter users. Privacy Concerns At this point, the Threads app is rolled out in more than 100 countries, but not any of them is in the EU zone. From a privacy perspective, as it unnecessarily collects a lot of sensitive information from users such as health and financial data, precise location, browsing history, contacts, purchases, and search history. In addition, Meta is under heavy scrutiny by the European privacy powers and was recently faced (the largest fine in GDPR’s history) for importing data to the US about European Facebook users. Threads is a nightmare with a monstrous fine of €1.2 billion from the European Data Protection Board GDPR is not the only EU legislation Threads is at odds with. set out strict boundaries for how tech monopolies referred to in the law as “gatekeepers” can process data about EU citizens across different platforms. For example, under Article 5 (2) (b) and (c), the gatekeeper is not allowed to: EU’s Digital Market Act “(b) combine personal data from the relevant core platform service with personal data from any further core platform services or from any other services provided by the gatekeeper (..) (c) cross-use personal data from the relevant core platform service in other services provided separately by the gatekeeper (..)” The restrictions make a lot of sense. To illustrate: A user accepts data collection separately from Service A and Service B. Both services are offered by the same provider, and the user is aware of this fact. However, if the provider can combine and cross-use the data collection from Service A and Service B, the provider may be able to deduce highly sensitive information about the user which they could not have anticipated when they accepted the data collection from Service A and Service B individually. For example, an Instagram user may share some photos from a vacation on Instagram. Shortly thereafter, the same user shares their thoughts about something on Threads. Meta’s AI systems may now be capable of interpreting the link between certain events the user is experiencing and simultaneously how these experiences shape the user’s thoughts and opinions. Over time, the AI systems aggregate more and more data about what makes the user tick, and how their life circumstances shape their behavior and thoughts, and there is no way the user could have expected this by accepting the data terms of Service A and Service B. As a result, Meta becomes more powerful, the AIs become better at predicting user behavior and better at subtly manipulating the users with targeted advertising. This is a frightening, nightmarish scenario, and I don’t think Meta’s intentions are as dark. To the contrary, a key point of was that the company is planning to make Threads compatible with the standard protocol ActivityPub which powers Mastodon. David Pierce from The Verge wrote an excellent deep dive on ActivityPub . quite Meta’s announcement here By integrating ActivityPub, Threads users would be able to transfer their content away from Threads and interact with users on other platforms that support the technology. Importantly, the concerns surrounding compliance with the EU's Digital Market Act could be alleviated to some extent, since the users retain ownership of their data. Right now, a more practical concern is that a user cannot deactivate their account on Threads This effectively lock-in most users, once they are signed up - unless the users are willing to wipe out their digital memory books and hard-earned follower counts on Instagram. without deleting their Instagram account as well. My thoughts The internet needs secure and trustworthy communication and information channels. Gathering the entire world’s population on a proprietary-owned common square is not the answer - despite what Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, or Twitter’s new CEO is trying to sell us. Over time, the stream of information always – as a rule of nature - becomes corrupted by bad actors and bots as long as the platform’s key metric of success is for how long it can retain user attention. The revenue-seeking approach is beneficial for advertisers, but a negative-sum game for the social community on the platform.  Cory Doctorow coined the term “ ” which encapsulates how tech platforms deteriorate over time as the companies’ priorities gradually shift away from the users towards the shareholders. enshitification Additionally, social media algorithms are purposed to keep users engaged, and unfortunately, users are strongly engaged by content that enrages them or invokes other strong emotional reactions.  In this way, the centralized social media platform accidentally rewards antisocial behavior. This is where and that the network becomes more and more unpleasant to participate in over time. basic game theory tells us that Moloch dictates On this background, I can only applaud Meta’s decision to integrate ActivityPub with Threads and I hope that they follow through. I believe that a “decentralized internet” consisting of “federated platforms” where social apps and social networks are completely separated is the future. In the longer run, whether the time will be counted in years or decades, the social media landscape will likely be shaped in the spirit of ActivityPub, the , and . In 75 years, I suspect we will look at today’s endorsement of centralized social media along the same lines as we now look at cigarette commercials from the 50s. AT protocol that powers BlueSky Nostr which supports Bitcoin micro-payments Also published . here

Stitching Together My Thoughts on Threads

থ্রেডের উপর আমার চিন্তা একসাথে সেলাই করা

Meine Gedanken zu Fäden zusammenfügen

Uniendo mis pensamientos sobre hilos

Assembler mes réflexions sur les fils

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