In her new book about facial recognition, Kashmir Hill shows how our expectations of privacy have been rewritten over the past few years.

The Tech That’s Radically Reimagining the Public Sphere

For years, I’ve assumed that most people don’t need third-party antivirus tools and have cheerily passed this suggestion along to others. After all, Microsoft’s Windows Security suite (also known as Windows Defender or Microsoft Defender) provides built-in virus protection for your PC,

Is Windows antivirus software still necessary in 2023?

The global computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) market is anticipated to showcase promising growth over the assessment period by registering a CAGR of 9.1% from 2023 to 2033. The global market revenue totaled US$ 1,

Global Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Market Poised for a Thrilling US$ 4,215.1 Million by 2033

Investments will target companies addressing issues like customer experience ... The pilot with Wellstar will employ artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision and robotics to automate the sterilization of instruments used in hospitals.

4 Ways Wellstar Health Is Funding Collaborative Innovation

At a Glance Expert's Rating Pros ・Top rated antivirus protection ・Expanded protection against malicious websites and remote attacks ・Clean, straightforward interface Cons ・Some PCs may experience a performance hit during heavier workloads ・Several features are a bit rudimentary Our Verdict AVG does a superb job of safeguarding your PC.

AVG Internet Security review

AVG Internet Security review: Reliable, budget-friendly antivirus software

From offline mode to multiplayer to heady questions about ownership, we’re rethinking the way software works. But what does better look like?

From the cloud to your computer: a new theory of how software works

Welcome to the digital age, where everything is just a click away. While embracing the endless possibilities that come with the internet, there’s no denying the growing concern for online safety. Cyber threats loom around every corner,

Stay Protected: The Best Free Internet Security Tools You Need to Know

In a groundbreaking move, Oxide Computer Company has unveiled the world's first commercial Cloud Computer, a revolutionary development in the field of

Worlds First Commercial Cloud Computer created by Oxide

Scand

scand

On July 30th, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that Nader Al-Naji has been charged with defrauding investors after raising over $250 million from the unregistered sales of BitClout's native token, BTCLT. According to the SEC complaint, Al-Naji misled these investors by claiming he did not control the token proceeds and would not use the funds as compensation for himself nor other BitClout employees. Despite those explicit claims, the SEC alleges Al-Naji used investor funds to personally enrich himself, his relatives, his companies, and others close to him. A former junior world champion rower and Princeton University graduate, Nader Al-Naji also worked as a software engineer at Google before entering the world of crypto. In 2018, Al-Naji raised over $133 million for his venture, Intangible Labs, which aimed to develop a stable cryptocurrency called "Basis". After failing to deliver Basis due to regulatory concerns, Al-Naji earned himself a positive reputation in the industry when he returned all $133 million that was originally raised for the project. Al-Naji went on to found BitClout in 2021. BitClout, described as “The First Crypto Social Network", was essentially a blockchain-based social media platform where users could buy and sell tokens related to people's social profiles. In early 2022, BitClout was rebranded to DeSo (which stands for Decentralized Social). The goal of the rebrand was to add a decentralized layer that allowed for applications to be built on top of the DeSo blockchain. “As alleged in our complaint, Al-Naji attempted to evade the federal securities laws and defraud the investing public, mistakenly believing that ‘being "fake" decentralized generally confuses regulators and deters them from going after you’.
He is obviously wrong: as we have shown time and again, and as reflected in the SEC’s detailed allegations here, we are guided by economic realities, not cosmetic labels. The dedicated staff of the SEC uncovered Al-Naji’s lies and will now hold him accountable for misleading investors.”-- Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement Since late 2020, Nader Al-Naji has allegedly raised approximately $257 million through the sale of BTCLT. Throughout this period, Al-Naji has advertised BitClout as a decentralized project that has “no company behind it…just coins and code". The SEC alleges that the "decentralized" aspect of BitClout/DeSo is nothing more than a deception put on to avoid scrutiny from regulatory agencies, The SEC asserts that Al-Naji actually controlled the issuance of the tokens, including which investors could acquire them and at what price, as well as the proceeds from token sales; from which he used for his personal benefit. According to the SEC, Al-Naji never registered the sales of BitClout’s native token, BTCLT, with a regulator despite the token being offered and sold as a security. The SEC also alleges Al-Naji bought lavish gifts (worth at least $2.9 million) for family members, including his wife and his mother, and rented a six-bedroom mansion in Beverly Hills, California. Al-Naji's wife and mother were also named in the SEC complaint. Here is a direct link to the SEC's Complaint against Nader Al-Naji: https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2024/comp-pr2024-91.pdf “BitClout may have been a new token, but Nader Al-Naji’s alleged fraud was nothing new.  He allegedly lied to get access to millions of dollars, then gave the money away to family and friends.  Today’s arrest signifies this Office’s commitment to holding to account people who use deception to enrich themselves.”

Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Nader Al-Naji was arrested on July 27th and appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge, in California, on the 29th. The BitClout founder is being charged by the DOJ with defrauding an investor out of $3 million by "making false and misleading representations disclaiming control over the use of the investment funds". Al-Naji is also being charged with one count of wire fraud. Here is a direct link to the U.S. Department of Justice's Complaint against Nader Al-Naji: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/media/1361786/dl After a week, Nader Al-Naji finally released a public statement regarding the recent news surrounding himself and his projects. The majority of viewers deemed his response to the allegations raised against him to be unclear, which prompted Al-Naji to reply to his original tweet to clear the air. He went on to say: "I thought this was clear from the video but after reading the comments I just wanted to clarify: I believe I have abided by both the letter and spirit of the law and, what's more, have generally acted cautiously, with sound counsel, and, most importantly, in good faith."

Nader Al-Naji, Founder of BitClout and DeSo A couple of days ago, Coffeezilla, a YouTuber famous for his investigative journalism, posted a video pertaining to the Nader Al-Naji and BitClout/DeSo situation. A buddy of mine sent the video over to me and while watching I was shocked to learn that Nader Al-Naji and Coffeezilla have a history and Coffeezilla has investigated BitClout before. https://youtu.be/JAQo7J48DbU?si=x7Ghrui-J_7FP-kY&embedable=true Interestingly, I was a part of the DeSo community as a user on the Diamond application, so it is quite shocking to see the allegations levied against the founder of a platform I personally use. I wish I had known about Coffeezilla's investigations into Nader Al-Naji and BitClout before getting involved with the DeSo blockchain. Thankfully, I didn't have much money tied up in DeSo, so I didn't take that bad of a hit despite the falling price of the DESO token; which was hovering around $15 before the SEC announcement was made. Are/Were you a DeSo or BitClout user? If so, how do you feel about the situation? What do you think the future holds for DeSo and its founder, Nader Al-Naji? What are your thoughts on this news? Join the conversation below! On July 30th, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that Nader Al-Naji has been charged with defrauding investors after raising over $250 million from the unregistered sales of BitClout's native token, BTCLT. announced According to the SEC complaint, Al-Naji misled these investors by claiming he did not control the token proceeds and would not use the funds as compensation for himself nor other BitClout employees. Despite those explicit claims, the SEC alleges Al-Naji used investor funds to personally enrich himself, his relatives, his companies, and others close to him. A former junior world champion rower and Princeton University graduate, Nader Al-Naji also worked as a software engineer at Google before entering the world of crypto. In 2018, Al-Naji raised over $133 million for his venture, Intangible Labs, which aimed to develop a stable cryptocurrency called "Basis". After failing to deliver Basis due to regulatory concerns, Al-Naji earned himself a positive reputation in the industry when he returned all $133 million that was originally raised for the project. Al-Naji went on to found BitClout in 2021. BitClout, described as “The First Crypto Social Network", was essentially a blockchain-based social media platform where users could buy and sell tokens related to people's social profiles. In early 2022, BitClout was rebranded to DeSo (which stands for Decentralized Social). The goal of the rebrand was to add a decentralized layer that allowed for applications to be built on top of the DeSo blockchain. “As alleged in our complaint, Al-Naji attempted to evade the federal securities laws and defraud the investing public, mistakenly believing that ‘being "fake" decentralized generally confuses regulators and deters them from going after you’. He is obviously wrong: as we have shown time and again, and as reflected in the SEC’s detailed allegations here, we are guided by economic realities, not cosmetic labels. The dedicated staff of the SEC uncovered Al-Naji’s lies and will now hold him accountable for misleading investors.” -- Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement “As alleged in our complaint, Al-Naji attempted to evade the federal securities laws and defraud the investing public, mistakenly believing that ‘being "fake" decentralized generally confuses regulators and deters them from going after you’. He is obviously wrong: as we have shown time and again, and as reflected in the SEC’s detailed allegations here, we are guided by economic realities, not cosmetic labels. The dedicated staff of the SEC uncovered Al-Naji’s lies and will now hold him accountable for misleading investors.” -- Gurbir S. Grewal , Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement Gurbir S. Grewal Since late 2020, Nader Al-Naji has allegedly raised approximately $257 million through the sale of BTCLT. Throughout this period, Al-Naji has advertised BitClout as a decentralized project that has “no company behind it…just coins and code". The SEC alleges that the "decentralized" aspect of BitClout/DeSo is nothing more than a deception put on to avoid scrutiny from regulatory agencies, The SEC asserts that Al-Naji actually controlled the issuance of the tokens, including which investors could acquire them and at what price, as well as the proceeds from token sales; from which he used for his personal benefit. According to the SEC, Al-Naji never registered the sales of BitClout’s native token, BTCLT, with a regulator despite the token being offered and sold as a security. The SEC also alleges Al-Naji bought lavish gifts (worth at least $2.9 million) for family members, including his wife and his mother, and rented a six-bedroom mansion in Beverly Hills, California. Al-Naji's wife and mother were also named in the SEC complaint. Here is a direct link to the SEC's Complaint against Nader Al-Naji: https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2024/comp-pr2024-91.pdf https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2024/comp-pr2024-91.pdf “BitClout may have been a new token, but Nader Al-Naji’s alleged fraud was nothing new.  He allegedly lied to get access to millions of dollars, then gave the money away to family and friends.  Today’s arrest signifies this Office’s commitment to holding to account people who use deception to enrich themselves.” Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York “BitClout may have been a new token, but Nader Al-Naji’s alleged fraud was nothing new.  He allegedly lied to get access to millions of dollars, then gave the money away to family and friends.  Today’s arrest signifies this Office’s commitment to holding to account people who use deception to enrich themselves.” Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams , U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Nader Al-Naji was arrested on July 27th and appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge, in California, on the 29th. The BitClout founder is being charged by the DOJ with defrauding an investor out of $3 million by "making false and misleading representations disclaiming control over the use of the investment funds". charged Al-Naji is also being charged with one count of wire fraud. Here is a direct link to the U.S. Department of Justice's Complaint against Nader Al-Naji: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/media/1361786/dl https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/media/1361786/dl After a week, Nader Al-Naji finally released a public statement regarding the recent news surrounding himself and his projects. public statement The majority of viewers deemed his response to the allegations raised against him to be unclear, which prompted Al-Naji to reply to his original tweet to clear the air. He went on to say: "I thought this was clear from the video but after reading the comments I just wanted to clarify: I believe I have abided by both the letter and spirit of the law and, what's more, have generally acted cautiously, with sound counsel, and, most importantly, in good faith." Nader Al-Naji, Founder of BitClout and DeSo "I thought this was clear from the video but after reading the comments I just wanted to clarify: I believe I have abided by both the letter and spirit of the law and, what's more, have generally acted cautiously, with sound counsel, and, most importantly, in good faith." Nader Al-Naji, Founder of BitClout and DeSo Nader Al-Naji , Founder of BitClout and DeSo Nader Al-Naji A couple of days ago, Coffeezilla, a YouTuber famous for his investigative journalism, posted a video pertaining to the Nader Al-Naji and BitClout/DeSo situation. video A buddy of mine sent the video over to me and while watching I was shocked to learn that Nader Al-Naji and Coffeezilla have a history and Coffeezilla has investigated BitClout before. https://youtu.be/JAQo7J48DbU?si=x7Ghrui-J_7FP-kY&embedable=true https://youtu.be/JAQo7J48DbU?si=x7Ghrui-J_7FP-kY&embedable=true Interestingly, I was a part of the DeSo community as a user on the Diamond application, so it is quite shocking to see the allegations levied against the founder of a platform I personally use. I wish I had known about Coffeezilla's investigations into Nader Al-Naji and BitClout before getting involved with the DeSo blockchain. Thankfully, I didn't have much money tied up in DeSo, so I didn't take that bad of a hit despite the falling price of the DESO token; which was hovering around $15 before the SEC announcement was made. Are/Were you a DeSo or BitClout user? If so, how do you feel about the situation? Are/Were you a DeSo or BitClout user? If so, how do you feel about the situation? What do you think the future holds for DeSo and its founder, Nader Al-Naji? What do you think the future holds for DeSo and its founder, Nader Al-Naji? What are your thoughts on this news? Join the conversation below! What are your thoughts on this news? Join the conversation below!

BitClout Founder Nader Al-Naji Charged with Fraud: SEC and DOJ Unveil $250M Scandal

In a surprising turn of events, the popular IP geolocation service provider IPLocation.net faces backlash after being accused of selling do-follow links in exchange for payment. The controversy erupted after it was discovered that the company, which is often praised for its accurate IP tracking services, allegedly engaged in unethical practices involving paid guest posts and do-follow hyperlinks. The scandal came to light when a reputable guest blogger and content marketing professional submitted a legitimate and ethical guest post pitch to IPLocation.net, only to receive a troubling response. Instead of the expected professional engagement, IPLocation.net asked the blogger to pay $100 for SEO-friendly do-follow hyperlinks—a practice that many in the digital marketing world consider to be a violation of search engine guidelines. According to sources close to the situation, the response emails from IPLocation.net suggested that contributors could enhance the visibility of their content by purchasing these hyperlinks. SEO experts have long debated the impact of do-follow links on search engine rankings, with many arguing that the sale of such links undermines the integrity of search engine algorithms and contributes to an uneven playing field. The practice of selling do-follow links, especially in the context of guest posts, is widely viewed as a breach of Google's Webmaster Guidelines, which prohibit the buying and selling of links that pass PageRank. In response to the allegations, IPLocation.net has issued a statement denying any wrongdoing. It said it takes time to review your document, edit promotional content, and add feature photos to publish your article on our platform. “We charge editorial fee to cover our cost and we waive this charge if you’re okay with nofollow links,” Well Well Well - It still takes the same time to read and review the document, edit promotional content and add feature photos and then publish it regardless of any outbound hyperlink attributes. (Exactly the same time and effort) The Response Email To An Ethical Guest Post Email Pitch 1:20 AM- Sunday, July 28th, 2024 at 1:20 AM To Tech Publisher Outreach Desk *A guest post with dofollow links will incur $100, while nofollow links will be posted for free. We will publish your article with nofollow links. Please let us know if this is okay with you.* Regards, Scott As the situation develops, many will be watching closely to see how IPLocation.net addresses the issue and what, if any, long-term effects the controversy will have on its business. Alright, let’s get real for a moment. If you’re still entertaining the idea of link schemes, it’s time for a serious wake-up call. Don’t. Do. It. Link schemes are not just a bad idea—they’re a blatant violation of Google’s guidelines, and diving into them is like signing up for an express ticket to SEO purgatory. Let’s break this down. Google isn’t some clueless giant. It’s a tech behemoth with an algorithm so advanced it practically has a sixth sense for spotting when you’re trying to game the system. Think you can outsmart Google with your shady link practices? Think again. Google’s algorithms are constantly evolving to sniff out these schemes, and when they do, it’s not just a slap on the wrist. Oh no. Your entire SEO strategy, along with all the time and money you’ve poured into it, could go up in smoke. Consider this: every dollar you spend on manipulating link profiles is a dollar wasted. Every hour you spend chasing down those “easy” backlinks is time you could be investing in genuine, value-driven content. The reality is, link schemes don’t just fail to deliver long-term results—they can actively harm your site’s credibility. You’re not just risking a drop in rankings; you’re risking your entire online reputation. If you’ve ever encountered a website that demands you fork over cash just to feature your perfectly good content or guest post pitch, here’s a no-nonsense rant for you. The practice is not just infuriating—it’s a blatant cash grab and an insult to anyone who actually values the integrity of digital content. Here’s the deal: when you create top-notch content and pitch it to a website, the expectation is that your contribution will be rewarded in kind—usually with something valuable like a do-follow hyperlink. That’s the whole point of guest posting: you provide great content that benefits their audience, and in return, they give you a do-follow link to acknowledge your work and boost your visibility. It’s a fair exchange, and it’s what builds real, genuine relationships in the digital space. But what’s happening instead? More and more websites are flipping the script. Instead of reciprocating with valuable backlinks, they’re hitting you up with a bill. Yes, you read that right—after putting in the effort to craft and submit quality content, they’re asking you to pay for the privilege of having your work published. This isn’t just frustrating; it’s a complete perversion of the guest posting concept. Let’s get real for a second. Paying for the opportunity to have your content featured undermines the whole point of content marketing and SEO. When you provide valuable content, you’re contributing to their site’s reputation and enriching their audience’s experience. The reasonable and expected return for that should be a do-follow link—a tangible acknowledgment of the value you’ve delivered. Instead, you’re being asked to shell out cash, which completely devalues your work and the integrity of the publishing process. This practice is not only unfair; it’s a blatant cash grab. Websites asking for money instead of offering a do-follow link in exchange for quality content are treating your work as a commodity rather than a contribution. It’s a scam dressed up as a business model, and it’s ruining the principles of honest, reciprocal digital engagement. Let’s set the record straight: when you deliver high-quality content, you should be rewarded with something of value, like a do-follow link. If a site’s response to your well-crafted pitch is to demand payment, that’s a major red flag. It means they’re not genuinely interested in your contribution but are more focused on exploiting it for financial gain. So here’s the bottom line: refuse to engage with platforms that fail to recognize the true value of quality content and try to turn your creative work into a transaction. Seek out reputable sites that understand the value of a fair exchange and are committed to maintaining the integrity of the guest posting process. Your content deserves to be rewarded appropriately—not treated as a cash cow. For now, the incident serves as a cautionary tale for companies involved in content and link-building strategies, emphasizing the importance of transparency and adherence to established guidelines. In a surprising turn of events, the popular IP geolocation service provider IPLocation.net faces backlash after being accused of selling do-follow links in exchange for payment. The controversy erupted after it was discovered that the company, which is often praised for its accurate IP tracking services, allegedly engaged in unethical practices involving paid guest posts and do-follow hyperlinks. The scandal came to light when a reputable guest blogger and content marketing professional submitted a legitimate and ethical guest post pitch to IPLocation.net, only to receive a troubling response. Instead of the expected professional engagement, IPLocation.net asked the blogger to pay $100 for SEO-friendly do-follow hyperlinks—a practice that many in the digital marketing world consider to be a violation of search engine guidelines. According to sources close to the situation, the response emails from IPLocation.net suggested that contributors could enhance the visibility of their content by purchasing these hyperlinks. SEO experts have long debated the impact of do-follow links on search engine rankings, with many arguing that the sale of such links undermines the integrity of search engine algorithms and contributes to an uneven playing field. The practice of selling do-follow links, especially in the context of guest posts, is widely viewed as a breach of Google's Webmaster Guidelines, which prohibit the buying and selling of links that pass PageRank. In response to the allegations, IPLocation.net has issued a statement denying any wrongdoing. It said it takes time to review your document, edit promotional content, and add feature photos to publish your article on our platform. “We charge editorial fee to cover our cost and we waive this charge if you’re okay with nofollow links,” Well Well Well - It still takes the same time to read and review the document, edit promotional content and add feature photos and then publish it regardless of any outbound hyperlink attributes. (Exactly the same time and effort) The Response Email To An Ethical Guest Post Email Pitch The Response Email To An Ethical Guest Post Email Pitch 1:20 AM- Sunday, July 28th, 2024 at 1:20 AM 1:20 AM- Sunday, July 28th, 2024 at 1:20 AM To Tech Publisher Outreach Desk To Tech Publisher Outreach Desk *A guest post with dofollow links will incur $100, while nofollow links will be posted for free. We will publish your article with nofollow links. Please let us know if this is okay with you. * Regards, Regards, Scott Scott As the situation develops, many will be watching closely to see how IPLocation.net addresses the issue and what, if any, long-term effects the controversy will have on its business. Alright, let’s get real for a moment. If you’re still entertaining the idea of link schemes, it’s time for a serious wake-up call. Don’t. Do. It. Link schemes are not just a bad idea—they’re a blatant violation of Google’s guidelines, and diving into them is like signing up for an express ticket to SEO purgatory. Don’t. Do. It. Let’s break this down. Google isn’t some clueless giant. It’s a tech behemoth with an algorithm so advanced it practically has a sixth sense for spotting when you’re trying to game the system. Google Think you can outsmart Google with your shady link practices? Think again. Google’s algorithms are constantly evolving to sniff out these schemes, and when they do, it’s not just a slap on the wrist. Oh no. Your entire SEO strategy, along with all the time and money you’ve poured into it, could go up in smoke. Consider this: every dollar you spend on manipulating link profiles is a dollar wasted. Every hour you spend chasing down those “easy” backlinks is time you could be investing in genuine, value-driven content. The reality is, link schemes don’t just fail to deliver long-term results—they can actively harm your site’s credibility. You’re not just risking a drop in rankings; you’re risking your entire online reputation. If you’ve ever encountered a website that demands you fork over cash just to feature your perfectly good content or guest post pitch, here’s a no-nonsense rant for you. The practice is not just infuriating—it’s a blatant cash grab and an insult to anyone who actually values the integrity of digital content. Here’s the deal: when you create top-notch content and pitch it to a website, the expectation is that your contribution will be rewarded in kind—usually with something valuable like a do-follow hyperlink. That’s the whole point of guest posting: you provide great content that benefits their audience, and in return, they give you a do-follow link to acknowledge your work and boost your visibility. It’s a fair exchange, and it’s what builds real, genuine relationships in the digital space. It’s a fair exchange, and it’s what builds real, genuine relationships in the digital space. But what’s happening instead? More and more websites are flipping the script. Instead of reciprocating with valuable backlinks, they’re hitting you up with a bill. Yes, you read that right—after putting in the effort to craft and submit quality content, they’re asking you to pay for the privilege of having your work published. This isn’t just frustrating; it’s a complete perversion of the guest posting concept. Let’s get real for a second. Paying for the opportunity to have your content featured undermines the whole point of content marketing and SEO. When you provide valuable content, you’re contributing to their site’s reputation and enriching their audience’s experience. The reasonable and expected return for that should be a do-follow link—a tangible acknowledgment of the value you’ve delivered. Instead, you’re being asked to shell out cash, which completely devalues your work and the integrity of the publishing process. This practice is not only unfair; it’s a blatant cash grab. Websites asking for money instead of offering a do-follow link in exchange for quality content are treating your work as a commodity rather than a contribution. It’s a scam dressed up as a business model, and it’s ruining the principles of honest, reciprocal digital engagement. Let’s set the record straight: when you deliver high-quality content, you should be rewarded with something of value, like a do-follow link. If a site’s response to your well-crafted pitch is to demand payment, that’s a major red flag. It means they’re not genuinely interested in your contribution but are more focused on exploiting it for financial gain. So here’s the bottom line: refuse to engage with platforms that fail to recognize the true value of quality content and try to turn your creative work into a transaction. Seek out reputable sites that understand the value of a fair exchange and are committed to maintaining the integrity of the guest posting process. Your content deserves to be rewarded appropriately—not treated as a cash cow. For now, the incident serves as a cautionary tale for companies involved in content and link-building strategies, emphasizing the importance of transparency and adherence to established guidelines.

IPLocation.net Under Fire for Selling Do-Follow Links In Ethical Guest Post Scandal

Depending on who you asked about the outlook of the crypto industry going into 2024, you would have heard a response that ranged between cautious optimism and more of the same from 2023. The prevailing bearish macroeconomic conditions of heightened inflation and elevated interest rates tempered expectations.Even with the potential for a final Bitcoin ETF approval in the U.S. and the next Bitcoin halving, many thought the headwinds were too strong and that the explosion in popularity of AI would siphon off whatever VC money was still available.As we enter Q2 of 2024, most people are shocked at how strong and resilient the industry is proving to be. The popularity of the Bitcoin ETFs with institutional investors and the calming of the Federal Reserve’s language has spurred renewed interest in the highly volatile asset class. But what can we learn from the mistakes of the last bull run, and how can we overcome the reputational damage that crypto scandals did while navigating this new regulatory landscape? How we got here It seems like a distant memory, but 2021 was a banner year for the industry. Most crypto projects were hitting all-time highs, staking and lending protocols like the Anchor Protocoloffered over 20% returns, and charismatic founders like Do Kwon, SBF, and Alex Maschinsky were being hailed by the mainstream media as the next coming of Steve Jobs.Yet, there were warning signs that the market sentiment was about to shift and that these new wunderkinder were nothing more than grifters and charlatans preying on overhyped market sentiment. Even before the bull run in 2021, analysts were highlighting the potential pitfalls of some of the most popular projects of the last cycle. In April 2018,  former Head of Risk at MakerDAO and Research Analyst at Scaler Cyrus Younessi correctly identified the critical failure point in Terra Luna: “If Terra were to fall and break peg, then it would depend on Luna to Save Terra. But Luna would fall as investors would panic, and then Terra would continue to fall, and then they would just each keep contributing to each other’s demise.” Collapses in 2022, bear market 2023 The euphoria that was felt across the market in 2021 would come to an abrupt end in 2022 from the fall of the first of many dominoes with the collapse of Terra Luna. Terra ecosystem In one of the most remarkable collapses of this period, the Terra ecosystem’s flagship protocol, LUNA, and algorithmic stablecoin (UST) lost its peg to the U.S. dollar, causing the price to crash to zero in a matter of days. LUNA’s fall from grace was made all the more spectacular because of how arrogant its founder Do Kwon was about promoting its strength and stability. Celcius Throughout much of 2021, Celsius was considered a premium centralized lending platform. Its charismatic founder, Alex Maschinsky, aggressively promoted its more than 20% return on investment, and it became the de facto custodian for retail and institutional investors. However, the model became unsustainable as the market shifted and the underlying assets began to lose value. It was revealed that Celcius was using Ponzi economics to prop up the platform. It was borrowing new deposits to make up for the lack of funds to pay out the high returns, and the whole platform collapsed under the weight, taking with it investors' deposits. FTX No project was as popular or successful during the 2021 bull run as the centralized exchange FTX. It rose to prominence because of its founder, Sam Bankman Fried’s reputation as a dominant arbitrage trader in his first company, Alameda Research. He was an enigma that the media fawned over as he embraced the lifestyle of a humble billionaire by spouting the benefits of the philosophical lifestyle of effective altruism. FTX became the number one exchange globally, signing massive celebrity endorsements from Larry David, Tom Brady, and Steph Curry. FTX had entrenched itself so deeply into the industry by requiring projects it supported to hold their assets on the platform that when it collapsed, it impacted just about everyone in the space. The once dominant exchange was ultimately undermined by Binance’s founder CZ, after he publicly sold Binance’s entire stake in the FTX utility token FTT after it was revealed SBF had been using customers' deposits to cover Alameda’s losses and using FTT to make up the difference on the balance sheet. Shifting Regulatory Landscape 2022 plunged the crypto industry into a deep bear market that we are only starting to emerge from today. The industry had largely been left to self-regulate, with the SEC only intervening in cases of clear criminality. Yet, the experiences of 2022 left many people heavily criticizing the SEC’s approach, specifically Chairman Gary Gensler and the close relationship he had with SBF and Alameda Research’s CEO Caroline Ellison.In a change of tone, the SEC and Chairman Gensler began pursuing legal action against anyone and everyone it could in an aggressive shift to a regulation policy by enforcement. The shift impacted individual projects like Ripple, Library, and Tornado Cash. The shift also meant constant deferral delays on SEC regulatory decisions, specifically in relation to Bitcoin ETF approvals, as well as targeting good faith actors like centralized exchanges__Kraken__ and Coinbase. Kraken and Coinbase had been asking for clear regulations for years to operate within. For their troubles of trying to remain compliant, the SEC filed lawsuits against each for operating unregistered security exchanges To end 2023, the SEC went trophy hunting and emerged with the arrest of the CEO of the world’s largest crypto exchange (Binance), CZ. CZ pled guilty to anti-money laundering charges and now faces over ten years in prison, while the exchange was fined $ 4 billion. The shift in policy by the SEC represented a direct attack on the industry. Still, it ultimately did more damage by undermining these firms' ability to operate in the U.S. by creating confusion and an environment of ever-shifting regulatory goalposts. Ongoing hacks and heists Despite the SEC's new approach to the industry, heists and hacks throughout the industry remained rampant throughout the course of 2023, totaling over $ 1.7 billion. While 2024 is again proving to be a hotbed for crypto hacks and scams, the first three months totaling over $437 million. With the looming Bitcoin halving and the historical trend of it spurring the next bull run, it is relatively safe to say that this problem will get worse before it gets better. Outlook for 2024 So, with all the negative sentiment built up in the industry from the last cycle. How can we emerge and market the industry in a positive light?If we learned anything from the last cycle it's that the product needs to be centerstage rather than any charismatic leader. It is easy to get swept up in the excitement when the market moves, but we need to remember the fundamentals of DYOR. Accountability for those bad actors of the last cycle is also key. We are beginning to see how the criminal activity of those wunderkind founders was not because they were in crypto but because they were criminals. SBF and Maschinsky committed embezzlement and financial crimes because they took advantage of user funds, not because of anything inherent with the technology. They are more akin to Bernie Madoff than Satoshi Nakamoto. Explaining the difference will be key. We should also take comfort in the fact that despite Chairman Gensler’s disdain for the industry, he will be limited to his term, other chairmen and women in the SEC have dissenting opinions (Hester Pierce) to the SEC, and his legal challenges to reign in the industry often fail. Depending on who you asked about the outlook of the crypto industry going into 2024, you would have heard a response that ranged between cautious optimism and more of the same from 2023. The prevailing bearish macroeconomic conditions of heightened inflation and elevated interest rates tempered expectations. Even with the potential for a final Bitcoin ETF approval in the U.S. and the next Bitcoin halving, many thought the headwinds were too strong and that the explosion in popularity of AI would siphon off whatever VC money was still available. As we enter Q2 of 2024, most people are shocked at how strong and resilient the industry is proving to be. The popularity of the Bitcoin ETFs with institutional investors and the calming of the Federal Reserve’s language has spurred renewed interest in the highly volatile asset class. But what can we learn from the mistakes of the last bull run, and how can we overcome the reputational damage that crypto scandals did while navigating this new regulatory landscape? How we got here It seems like a distant memory, but 2021 was a banner year for the industry. Most crypto projects were hitting all-time highs, staking and lending protocols like the Anchor Protocol offered over 20% returns, and charismatic founders like Do Kwon, SBF, and Alex Maschinsky were being hailed by the mainstream media as the next coming of Steve Jobs. Yet, there were warning signs that the market sentiment was about to shift and that these new wunderkinder were nothing more than grifters and charlatans preying on overhyped market sentiment. Anchor Protocol Anchor Protocol Even before the bull run in 2021, analysts were highlighting the potential pitfalls of some of the most popular projects of the last cycle. In April 2018,  former Head of Risk at MakerDAO and Research Analyst at Scaler Cyrus Younessi correctly identified the critical failure point in Terra Luna: correctly identified correctly identified “If Terra were to fall and break peg, then it would depend on Luna to Save Terra. But Luna would fall as investors would panic, and then Terra would continue to fall, and then they would just each keep contributing to each other’s demise.” “If Terra were to fall and break peg, then it would depend on Luna to Save Terra. But Luna would fall as investors would panic, and then Terra would continue to fall, and then they would just each keep contributing to each other’s demise.” “If Terra were to fall and break peg, then it would depend on Luna to Save Terra. But Luna would fall as investors would panic, and then Terra would continue to fall, and then they would just each keep contributing to each other’s demise.” Collapses in 2022, bear market 2023 The euphoria that was felt across the market in 2021 would come to an abrupt end in 2022 from the fall of the first of many dominoes with the collapse of Terra Luna. Terra ecosystem In one of the most remarkable collapses of this period, the Terra ecosystem’s flagship protocol, LUNA, and algorithmic stablecoin (UST) lost its peg to the U.S. dollar, causing the price to crash to zero in a matter of days. LUNA’s fall from grace was made all the more spectacular because of how arrogant its founder Do Kwon was about promoting its strength and stability. price to crash to zero price to crash to zero Celcius Throughout much of 2021, Celsius was considered a premium centralized lending platform. Its charismatic founder, Alex Maschinsky, aggressively promoted its more than 20% return on investment, and it became the de facto custodian for retail and institutional investors. However, the model became unsustainable as the market shifted and the underlying assets began to lose value. It was revealed that Celcius was using Ponzi economics to prop up the platform. It was borrowing new deposits to make up for the lack of funds to pay out the high returns, and the whole platform collapsed under the weight , taking with it investors' deposits. collapsed under the weight collapsed under the weight FTX No project was as popular or successful during the 2021 bull run as the centralized exchange FTX. It rose to prominence because of its founder, Sam Bankman Fried’s reputation as a dominant arbitrage trader in his first company, Alameda Research. He was an enigma that the media fawned over as he embraced the lifestyle of a humble billionaire by spouting the benefits of the philosophical lifestyle of effective altruism. FTX became the number one exchange globally, signing massive celebrity endorsements from Larry David, Tom Brady, and Steph Curry. FTX had entrenched itself so deeply into the industry by requiring projects it supported to hold their assets on the platform that when it collapsed , it impacted just about everyone in the space. The once dominant exchange was ultimately undermined by Binance’s founder CZ, after he publicly sold Binance’s entire stake in the FTX utility token FTT after it was revealed SBF had been using customers' deposits to cover Alameda’s losses and using FTT to make up the difference on the balance sheet. when it collapsed when it collapsed Shifting Regulatory Landscape 2022 plunged the crypto industry into a deep bear market that we are only starting to emerge from today. The industry had largely been left to self-regulate, with the SEC only intervening in cases of clear criminality. Yet, the experiences of 2022 left many people heavily criticizing the SEC’s approach, specifically Chairman Gary Gensler and the close relationship he had with SBF and Alameda Research’s CEO Caroline Ellison. In a change of tone, the SEC and Chairman Gensler began pursuing legal action against anyone and everyone it could in an aggressive shift to a regulation policy by enforcement. The shift impacted individual projects like Ripple, Library, and Tornado Cash. The shift also meant constant deferral delays on SEC regulatory decisions, specifically in relation to Bitcoin ETF approvals, as well as targeting good faith actors like centralized exchanges__ Kraken __ and Coinbase . Kraken and Coinbase had been asking for clear regulations for years to operate within. For their troubles of trying to remain compliant, the SEC filed lawsuits against each for operating unregistered security exchanges Kraken Coinbase Coinbase filed lawsuits filed lawsuits operating unregistered security exchanges operating unregistered security exchanges To end 2023, the SEC went trophy hunting and emerged with the arrest of the CEO of the world’s largest crypto exchange (Binance), CZ. CZ pled guilty to anti-money laundering charges and now faces over ten years in prison, while the exchange was fined $ 4 billion. The shift in policy by the SEC represented a direct attack on the industry. Still, it ultimately did more damage by undermining these firms' ability to operate in the U.S. by creating confusion and an environment of ever-shifting regulatory goalposts. Ongoing hacks and heists Despite the SEC's new approach to the industry, heists and hacks throughout the industry remained rampant throughout the course of 2023, totaling over $ 1.7 billion. totaling over $ 1.7 billion. totaling over $ 1.7 billion. While 2024 is again proving to be a hotbed for crypto hacks and scams, the first three months totaling over $437 million . With the looming Bitcoin halving and the historical trend of it spurring the next bull run, it is relatively safe to say that this problem will get worse before it gets better. totaling over $437 million totaling over $437 million Outlook for 2024 So, with all the negative sentiment built up in the industry from the last cycle. How can we emerge and market the industry in a positive light? If we learned anything from the last cycle it's that the product needs to be centerstage rather than any charismatic leader. It is easy to get swept up in the excitement when the market moves, but we need to remember the fundamentals of DYOR. Accountability for those bad actors of the last cycle is also key. We are beginning to see how the criminal activity of those wunderkind founders was not because they were in crypto but because they were criminals. SBF and Maschinsky committed embezzlement and financial crimes because they took advantage of user funds, not because of anything inherent with the technology. They are more akin to Bernie Madoff than Satoshi Nakamoto. Explaining the difference will be key. We should also take comfort in the fact that despite Chairman Gensler’s disdain for the industry, he will be limited to his term, other chairmen and women in the SEC have dissenting opinions (Hester Pierce) to the SEC, and his legal challenges to reign in the industry often fail. dissenting opinions dissenting opinions often fail. often fail.

Resilient Strategies for Crypto Marketing Success in 2024: Overcoming Regulations and Scandals

2024 সালে ক্রিপ্টো বিপণন সাফল্যের জন্য স্থিতিস্থাপক কৌশল: প্রবিধান এবং কেলেঙ্কারি কাটিয়ে ওঠা

Belastbare Strategien für erfolgreiches Krypto-Marketing im Jahr 2024: Regulierungen und Skandale überwinden

Estrategias resilientes para el éxito del cripto marketing en 2024: superación de regulaciones y escándalos

Stratégies résilientes pour réussir le marketing cryptographique en 2024 : surmonter les réglementations et les scandales

2024 में क्रिप्टो मार्केटिंग की सफलता के लिए लचीली रणनीतियाँ: विनियमनों और घोटालों पर काबू पाना

2024 年に暗号通貨マーケティングを成功させるための強靭な戦略: 規制とスキャンダルを克服する

2024년 암호화폐 마케팅 성공을 위한 탄력적 전략: 규제 및 스캔들을 극복

Estratégias resilientes para o sucesso do marketing criptográfico em 2024: superando regulamentações e escândalos

Устойчивые стратегии успеха криптомаркетинга в 2024 году: преодоление регулирования и скандалов

2024'te Kripto Pazarlama Başarısı için Dayanıklı Stratejiler: Düzenlemelerin ve Skandalların Üstesinden Gelmek

Các chiến lược kiên cường để tiếp thị tiền điện tử thành công vào năm 2024: Vượt qua các quy định và vụ bê bối

2024 年加密货币营销成功的弹性策略：克服监管和丑闻

In November 2022, the cryptocurrency world was rocked to its core when FTX, one of its brightest stars, collapsed in a scandal that echoed through the entire digital currency ecosystem. This event, marked by allegations of fraud, mismanagement, and regulatory failures, has led to significant skepticism about the future of cryptocurrencies. However, the question that now looms large over the industry is whether it can recover from this seismic shock. A Prelude to Uncertainty The fall of FTX was not just a single event but a cataclysm that highlighted the vulnerabilities within the crypto industry. Founded by Sam Bankman-Fried in 2019, FTX quickly rose to prominence, symbolizing the rapid growth and potential of digital currencies. Its collapse in late 2022 unveiled a labyrinth of financial mismanagement and regulatory oversight failures. Billions of dollars of investor and customer funds vanished, leading to a crisis of confidence in platforms. This scandal has raised questions about the safety of the crypto industry's infrastructure and its susceptibility to fraud. cryptocurrency The Industry's Response and Path to Recovery Following the upheaval caused by , the cryptocurrency industry has been propelled into a phase of critical self-assessment and reform. Crypto platforms are now more committed to being open about their operations, ensuring that users have a clear understanding of how their investments are managed and safeguarded. This move toward openness is pivotal in restoring the trust that was shaken by the FTX fallout, making the crypto space more inviting and reassuring for both current and prospective investors. the FTX scandal Simultaneously, there's a growing recognition within the industry of the need to align more closely with regulatory standards. This doesn't just mean adhering to the existing rules but also actively engaging with regulatory bodies to help shape a framework that supports safe and ethical crypto practices. Through better security measures, transparent handling of funds, and robust defenses against illegal activities, the industry is working to prove that it can offer a reliable and safe investment avenue. The Undiminished Resilience of Cryptocurrency Despite the turbulence caused by the high-profile scandal, the fascination with cryptocurrencies has not waned for a significant segment of the market. These digital assets are still revered for their revolutionary potential to overturn traditional financial paradigms. The resilience of cryptocurrency's appeal is notably evidenced by its continued integration and acceptance across diverse sectors. In Japan's tech industry, the adoption of extends beyond mere financial transactions. Companies are leveraging it for enhancing security and transparency in a wide array of business processes. On top of this, Mercari (one of Japan’s largest e-commerce platforms) has begun to accept cryptocurrency as payment since the beginning of this year. blockchain technology We’ve also seen cryptocurrencies move into multiple gambling spaces across the world. In New Zealand, for example, the online casino industry has seen a persistent incorporation of cryptocurrencies as a payment method. A Cautious Optimism The road to recovery for the cryptocurrency market is not straightforward. It will require a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including regulators, to build a more transparent, secure, and resilient infrastructure. The crypto industry must embrace this moment as an opportunity to address its flaws and fortify itself against similar crises in the future. post-FTX scandal While the FTX scandal has undoubtedly dealt a significant blow to the , it has also served as a catalyst for reflection and reform. The path forward will likely be marked by greater regulation, increased transparency, and more cautious investment strategies. cryptocurrency market

Will We Ever See Crypto Bounce Back After the FTX Scandal?

Since the start of 2024; the Post Office Horizon IT Scandal has reached a new level of public interest in the UK. In the scandal, faulty accounting software has been blamed for multiple suicides and what has been described as “the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history”, with those wrongly imprisoned including a pregnant woman. Since late last year, I have worked on addressing this scandal from multiple fronts. For example; in November 2023 research I led found that and also shed new light on gagging clauses used by the Post Office in the wake of the Horizon IT scandal amongst a myriad of other findings. 75% of software engineers in the UK faced retaliation the last time they reported wrongdoing In this article, I want to explore how the British Computer Society, which presents itself as the voice of software engineers in addressing the scandal, may well be teaching the wrong lessons to society. Regulatory Failings In January 2024, I led a public interest investigation which found that ; despite the status provided by the BCS was the only computer qualifications the individual presented to the court and the BCS being required by the Engineering Council UK to uphold the conduct of its members. the British Computer Society (BCS) failed to act when one of its members used their regulated status to convince courts to engage in miscarriages of justice Following the BCS being asked for comment, the BCS were disingenuous with the media by claiming they would take action after the long-drawn-out legal processes were completed when the evidence I’d uncovered indicated that the key individual's BCS membership has likely already long lapsed through non-renewal. The individual concerned (Gareth Jenkins) is currently a to the Metropolitan Police in their investigations into the scandal and had requested criminal immunity so that his upcoming evidence to the public inquiry would not be used against him. person of interest This information was obtained after I gained sight of part of a Post Office witness statement marked “confidential” and was corroborated by a report to Post Office Ltd marked “legally privileged and confidential” by a lawyer, Brian Altman KC: Following a Freedom of Information Act request I made recently, Post Office Limited confirmed they held a copy of a witness statement from the individual concerned - further corroborating the information: The BCS is far from the only regulator involved in this matter. Seldom mentioned in the media is the fact that the Post Office is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who operate some bureaucratic rules to attempt to regulate the UK’s financial sector. A which I contributed to found that the FCA had been assessing Freedom of Information Act requests differently when they came from journalists. It has also been reported the FCA . recent investigation by Reuters "dismissed complaints from a whistleblower and allegedly left them open to a barrage of retaliation from their former employer after officials wrongly interpreted the law" For the Post Office to bring their own prosecutions, they engaged the services of the highly-regulated legal field, where professionals are regulated by bodies like the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board. In all these instances, from the British Computer Society to the legal profession, the regulatory bodies failed. The victims of the Horizon IT scandal’s first taste of justice was when a journalist from ComputerWeekly began to cover their story as Alan Bates led a campaign to get justice for his colleagues. Calls for Regulation by the BCS Without shame; the British Computer Society is now calling for AI "to be regulated to avoid its own Post Office Horizon Scandal" by requiring practitioners to be licensed - seemingly an opportunistic attempt to capitalise on a scandal, when they regulated the professional qualifications used to convince courts to engage in this miscarriage of justice. It is additionally ironic that whilst the BCS refuse to commence disciplinary action against their members until the public inquiry is complete, they seem perfectly content to begin providing recommendations to society. However, at its core, the calls for regulation fundamentally misunderstand how such disasters are prevented. This can be seen by the sheer weight of regulation the Post Office was under in these cases, yet miscarriages continued to occur. Dr Ron Westrum wrote in the British Medical Journal’s Quality & Safety publication in 2004 a paper entitled . The following table demonstrates these three organisational topologies, describing how different organisations process information: “ ” The Three Typologies of Organisational Culture Generative cultures are “psychologically safe” - they focus on outcomes and people are free to raise the alarm when things go wrong, rather than being shot. By contrast, pathological organisations are those where failure leads to scapegoating and messengers are shot. However - bureaucratic organisations are hardly desirable either. Messengers are neglected and rules take priority over addressing the causes of failure. For poor leaders, bureaucratic management is the easiest - instead of changing culture they pull the lever of more rules rather than addressing the issues. From my experience of looking at the Horizon IT Scandal and other catastrophic software failures - many of the organisations or regulators involved either were pathological organisations or bureaucratic. However, a generative culture would have allowed one of the insiders who raised concerns about the Horizon IT problems ( ) to have their voices listened to and their concerns investigated. like David McDonnel did Regulation of software engineers may help gatekeep some from the software engineering profession, but to address the real issues of the Horizon IT Scandal - we need to develop more generative culture organisations. Legislation must be part of the answer in strengthening protection for software engineer whistleblowers who raise the alarm to serious issues (as protections in the UK must be strengthened) and some form of regulation may be part of the answer to addressing some of the issues, however, we should not pretend that rule-oriented cultures will suddenly lead to the psychological safety needed to stop these scandals - history, indeed in this very case, has proven that it does not. Update: 21st February 2024 - Response from the BCS On Monday, 19th February 2024 - the Director of Communications at the British Computer Society contacted me about this article. They wished to raise two points. Firstly, the BCS said “it's important to note that BCS is not a regulatory body” and the “BCS does not have regulatory authority”. However, these claims appear to be contradicted by the fact that the . Additionally, the Engineering Council UK which are restricted by laws and regulations from being carried out without Chartered Engineer status. As a licensed Professional Engineering Institution of the Engineering Council UK, the BCS can award such status (as Mr Jenkins presented to court) and through its code of conduct. UK Government lists "Chartered Engineer" on the Regulated Professions Register lists a number of activities should uphold the conduct of members I asked the BCS how they reconcile their statement that the "BCS does not have regulatory authority" with the fact that the BCS has the power to issue regulatory status - but have not yet received a response. Secondly, the BCS stated: “Following the completion of the inquiry and any other relevant legal proceedings, any confirmed BCS members who are found in breach of the code of conduct may be subject to disciplinary actions. However, it's essential to understand that these actions would be within the framework of BCS's internal policies and procedures, rather than regulatory enforcement.” I found it curious that the BCS refer to “confirmed BCS members” as the use of the phrase “confirmed” could imply there was a question as to whether Mr Jenkins was actually a BCS member. However, what the BCS may not have been aware of was that I was able to verify that Mr Jenkins did have a BCS membership. This is because the BCS register of Chartered IT Professionals does not appear to remove members when their membership lapses - accordingly Gareth Jenkins is still listed as a Chartered IT Professional there, registered via the BCS: Mr Jenkins does not however (still) appear on the Engineering Council UK’s register of Chartered Engineers - which led me to understand his membership had lapsed. I shared this with the BCS and asked them the questions: “Is it therefore the case that the way the BCS is trying to manage this from a PR angle to raise doubt around Mr Jenkins' membership status - but when the inquiry reports to take the position that no members of the BCS were involved (despite him being a former member, and the BCS not taking any action at the time)? What is the approach taken for former members?” However, I have not yet received a reply. I also asked the BCS about their rationality for waiting until after any legal proceedings are complete before taking any regulatory action - but again have not yet received a reply: ‘When the BCS states it will wait for "the completion of the inquiry and any other relevant legal proceedings" - what is the basis for the BCS doing this? Could you share the policy basis? Does the BCS make any exemptions for instances where there is a risk to the public or a risk of serious and imminent harm?’ It is also interesting to note that evidence exists that someone may have written to the BCS to raise their attention to this matter to ask them to take regulatory action. in previous years

How We Risk Learning the Wrong Lessons from the Horizon IT Scandal

দিগন্ত আইটি কেলেঙ্কারি থেকে আমরা কীভাবে ভুল পাঠ শেখার ঝুঁকি নিয়ে থাকি

Wie wir riskieren, aus dem Horizon-IT-Skandal die falschen Lehren zu ziehen

Cómo corremos el riesgo de aprender las lecciones equivocadas del escándalo de Horizon IT

Comment nous risquons de tirer les mauvaises leçons du scandale informatique Horizon

हम क्षितिज आईटी घोटाले से गलत सबक सीखने का जोखिम कैसे उठाते हैं

Horizon IT スキャンダルから誤った教訓を学ぶ危険性

Horizon IT 스캔들로부터 잘못된 교훈을 배울 위험이 있는 방법

Como corremos o risco de aprender as lições erradas do escândalo Horizon IT

Как мы рискуем извлечь неправильные уроки из ИТ-скандала Horizon

Horizon BT Skandalından Yanlış Dersler Alma Riskini Nasıl Alıyoruz?

Chúng ta có nguy cơ học những bài học sai lầm từ vụ bê bối CNTT Horizon như thế nào

我们如何冒着从 Horizon IT 丑闻中汲取错误教训的风险

SCANDAL AND ITS VICTIMS.

Rainbow Valley by L. M. Montgomery, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . ANOTHER SCANDAL AND ANOTHER “EXPLANATION” CHAPTER XXV. ANOTHER SCANDAL AND ANOTHER “EXPLANATION” Faith went early to Sunday School and was seated in the corner of her class pew before any one came. Therefore, the dreadful truth did not burst upon any one until Faith left the class pew near the door to walk up to the manse pew after Sunday School. The church was already half filled and all who were sitting near the aisle saw that the minister’s daughter had boots on but no stockings! Faith’s new brown dress, which Aunt Martha had made from an ancient pattern, was absurdly long for her, but even so it did not meet her boot-tops. Two good inches of bare white leg showed plainly. Faith and Carl sat alone in the manse pew. Jerry had gone into the gallery to sit with a chum and the Blythe girls had taken Una with them. The Meredith children were given to “sitting all over the church” in this fashion and a great many people thought it very improper. The gallery especially, where irresponsible lads congregated and were known to whisper and suspected of chewing tobacco during service, was no place, for a son of the manse. But Jerry hated the manse pew at the very top of the church, under the eyes of Elder Clow and his family. He escaped from it whenever he could. Carl, absorbed in watching a spider spinning its web at the window, did not notice Faith’s legs. She walked home with her father after church and he never noticed them. She got on the hated striped stockings before Jerry and Una arrived, so that for the time being none of the occupants of the manse knew what she had done. But nobody else in Glen St. Mary was ignorant of it. The few who had not seen soon heard. Nothing else was talked of on the way home from church. Mrs. Alec Davis said it was only what she expected, and the next thing you would see some of those young ones coming to church with no clothes on at all. The president of the Ladies’ Aid decided that she would bring the matter up at the next Aid meeting, and suggest that they wait in a body on the minister and protest. Miss Cornelia said that she, for her part, gave up. There was no use worrying over the manse fry any longer. Even Mrs. Dr. Blythe felt a little shocked, though she attributed the occurrence solely to Faith’s forgetfulness. Susan could not immediately begin knitting stockings for Faith because it was Sunday, but she had one set up before any one else was out of bed at Ingleside the next morning. “You need not tell me anything but that it was old Martha’s fault, Mrs. Dr. dear.” she told Anne. “I suppose that poor little child had no decent stockings to wear. I suppose every stocking she had was in holes, as you know very well they generally are. And I think, Mrs. Dr. dear, that the Ladies’ Aid would be better employed in knitting some for them than in fighting over the new carpet for the pulpit platform. I am not a Ladies’ Aider, but I shall knit Faith two pairs of stockings, out of this nice black yarn, as fast as my fingers can move and that you may tie to. Never shall I forget my sensations, Mrs. Dr. dear, when I saw a minister’s child walking up the aisle of our church with no stockings on. I really did not know what way to look.” “And the church was just full of Methodists yesterday, too,” groaned Miss Cornelia, who had come up to the Glen to do some shopping and run into Ingleside to talk the affair over. “I don’t know how it is, but just as sure as those manse children do something especially awful the church is sure to be crowded with Methodists. I thought Mrs. Deacon Hazard’s eyes would drop out of her head. When she came out of church she said, ‘Well, that exhibition was no more than decent. I do pity the Presbyterians.’ And we just had to take it. There was nothing one could say.” “There was something I could have said, Mrs. Dr. dear, if I had heard her,” said Susan grimly. “I would have said, for one thing, that in my opinion clean bare legs were quite as decent as holes. And I would have said, for another, that the Presbyterians did not feel greatly in need of pity seeing that they had a minister who could preach and the Methodists had not. I could have squelched Mrs. Deacon Hazard, Mrs. Dr dear, and that you may tie to.” “I wish Mr. Meredith didn’t preach quite so well and looked after his family a little better,” retorted Miss Cornelia. “He could at least glance over his children before they went to church and see that they were quite properly clothed. I’m tired making excuses for him, believe me.” Meanwhile, Faith’s soul was being harrowed up in Rainbow Valley. Mary Vance was there and, as usual, in a lecturing mood. She gave Faith to understand that she had disgraced herself and her father beyond redemption and that she, Mary Vance, was done with her. “Everybody” was talking, and “everybody” said the same thing. “I simply feel that I can’t associate with you any longer,” she concluded. “We are going to associate with her then,” cried Nan Blythe. Nan secretly thought Faith had done a awful thing, but she wasn’t going to let Mary Vance run matters in this high-handed fashion. “And if you are not you needn’t come any more to Rainbow Valley, Miss Vance.” Nan and Di both put their arms around Faith and glared defiance at Mary. The latter suddenly crumpled up, sat down on a stump and began to cry. “It ain’t that I don’t want to,” she wailed. “But if I keep in with Faith people’ll be saying I put her up to doing things. Some are saying it now, true’s you live. I can’t afford to have such things said of me, now that I’m in a respectable place and trying to be a lady. And I never went bare-legged in church in my toughest days. I’d never have thought of doing such a thing. But that hateful old Kitty Alec says Faith has never been the same girl since that time I stayed in the manse. She says Cornelia Elliott will live to rue the day she took me in. It hurts my feelings, I tell you. But it’s Mr. Meredith I’m really worried over.” “I think you needn’t worry about him,” said Di scornfully. “It isn’t likely necessary. Now, Faith darling, stop crying and tell us why you did it.” Faith explained tearfully. The Blythe girls sympathized with her, and even Mary Vance agreed that it was a hard position to be in. But Jerry, on whom the thing came like a thunderbolt, refused to be placated. So this was what some mysterious hints he had got in school that day meant! He marched Faith and Una home without ceremony, and the Good-Conduct Club held an immediate session in the graveyard to sit in judgment on Faith’s case. “I don’t see that it was any harm,” said Faith defiantly. “Not much of my legs showed. It wasn’t wrong and it didn’t hurt anybody.” “It will hurt Dad. You know it will. You know people blame him whenever we do anything queer.” “I didn’t think of that,” muttered Faith. “That’s just the trouble. You didn’t think and you should have thought. That’s what our Club is for—to bring us up and make us think. We promised we’d always stop and think before doing things. You didn’t and you’ve got to be punished, Faith—and real hard, too. You’ll wear those striped stockings to school for a week for punishment.” “Oh, Jerry, won’t a day do—two days? Not a whole week!” “Yes, a whole week,” said inexorable Jerry. “It is fair—ask Jem Blythe if it isn’t.” Faith felt she would rather submit then ask Jem Blythe about such a matter. She was beginning to realize that her offence was a quite shameful one. “I’ll do it, then,” she muttered, a little sulkily. “You’re getting off easy,” said, Jerry severely. “And no matter how we punish you it won’t help father. People will always think you just did it for mischief, and they’ll blame father for not stopping it. We can never explain it to everybody.” This aspect of the case weighed on Faith’s mind. Her own condemnation she could bear, but it tortured her that her father should be blamed. If people knew the true facts of the case they would not blame him. But how could she make them known to all the world? Getting up in church, as she had once done, and explaining the matter was out of the question. Faith had heard from Mary Vance how the congregation had looked upon that performance and realized that she must not repeat it. Faith worried over the problem for half a week. Then she had an inspiration and promptly acted upon it. She spent that evening in the garret, with a lamp and an exercise book, writing busily, with flushed cheeks and shining eyes. It was the very thing! How clever she was to have thought of it! It would put everything right and explain everything and yet cause no scandal. It was eleven o’clock when she had finished to her satisfaction and crept down to bed, dreadfully tired, but perfectly happy. In a few days the little weekly published in the Glen under the name of The Journal came out as usual, and the Glen had another sensation. A letter signed “Faith Meredith” occupied a prominent place on the front page and ran as follows:— “TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: “I want to explain to everybody how it was I came to go to church without stockings on, so that everybody will know that father was not to blame one bit for it, and the old gossips need not say he is, because it is not true. I gave my only pair of black stockings to Lida Marsh, because she hadn’t any and her poor little feet were awful cold and I was so sorry for her. No child ought to have to go without shoes and stockings in a Christian community before the snow is all gone, and I think the W. F. M. S. ought to have given her stockings. Of course, I know they are sending things to the little heathen children, and that is all right and a kind thing to do. But the little heathen children have lots more warm weather than we have, and I think the women of our church ought to look after Lida and not leave it all to me. When I gave her my stockings I forgot they were the only black pair I had without holes, but I am glad I did give them to her, because my conscience would have been uncomfortable if I hadn’t. When she had gone away, looking so proud and happy, the poor little thing, I remembered that all I had to wear were the horrid red and blue things Aunt Martha knit last winter for me out of some yarn that Mrs. Joseph Burr of Upper Glen sent us. It was dreadfully coarse yarn and all knots, and I never saw any of Mrs. Burr’s own children wearing things made of such yarn. But Mary Vance says Mrs. Burr gives the minister stuff that she can’t use or eat herself, and thinks it ought to go as part of the salary her husband signed to pay, but never does. “I just couldn’t bear to wear those hateful stockings. They were so ugly and rough and felt so scratchy. Everybody would have made fun of me. I thought at first I’d pretend to be sick and not go to church next day, but I decided I couldn’t do that, because it would be acting a lie, and father told us after mother died that was something we must never, never do. It is just as bad to act a lie as to tell one, though I know some people, right here in the Glen, who act them, and never seem to feel a bit bad about it. I will not mention any names, but I know who they are and so does father. “Then I tried my best to catch cold and really be sick by standing on the snowbank in the Methodist graveyard with my bare feet until Jerry pulled me off. But it didn’t hurt me a bit and so I couldn’t get out of going to church. So I just decided I would put my boots on and go that way. I can’t see why it was so wrong and I was so careful to wash my legs just as clean as my face, but, anyway, father wasn’t to blame for it. He was in the study thinking of his sermon and other heavenly things, and I kept out of his way before I went to Sunday School. Father does not look at people’s legs in church, so of course he did not notice mine, but all the gossips did and talked about it, and that is why I am writing this letter to the Journal to explain. I suppose I did very wrong, since everybody says so, and I am sorry and I am wearing those awful stockings to punish myself, although father bought me two nice new black pairs as soon as Mr. Flagg’s store opened on Monday morning. But it was all my fault, and if people blame father for it after they read this they are not Christians and so I do not mind what they say. “There is another thing I want to explain about before I stop. Mary Vance told me that Mr. Evan Boyd is blaming the Lew Baxters for stealing potatoes out of his field last fall. They did not touch his potatoes. They are very poor, but they are honest. It was us did it—Jerry and Carl and I. Una was not with us at the time. We never thought it was stealing. We just wanted a few potatoes to cook over a fire in Rainbow Valley one evening to eat with our fried trout. Mr. Boyd’s field was the nearest, just between the valley and the village, so we climbed over his fence and pulled up some stalks. The potatoes were awful small, because Mr. Boyd did not put enough fertilizer on them and we had to pull up a lot of stalks before we got enough, and then they were not much bigger than marbles. Walter and Di Blythe helped us eat them, but they did not come along until we had them cooked and did not know where we got them, so they were not to blame at all, only us. We didn’t mean any harm, but if it was stealing we are very sorry and we will pay Mr. Boyd for them if he will wait until we grow up. We never have any money now because we are not big enough to earn any, and Aunt Martha says it takes every cent of poor father’s salary, even when it is paid up regularly—and it isn’t often—to run this house. But Mr. Boyd must not blame the Lew Baxters any more, when they were quite innocent, and give them a bad name. “Yours respectfully, “FAITH MEREDITH.” 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. L. M. Montgomery (2004). Rainbow Valley. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5343/pg5343-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 www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

Stories, News & Mentions about SCAND

Scand’s Stories on HackerNoon

Scand's News & Mentions