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Scary, I see myself in your words. I am as old as your are and have been thinking about these very things.

There is a connection between today's technology and spirituality, Silicon Valley is made from Hippies after all. My parents come from that generation, they have fought for counterculture. Still, I grew up disillusioned, with the conviction that the world has its way and that won't change no matter how idealistic you are. When I finished high school I decided to pursue a very scientific degree. Most of my fellow students ridicule anyone who thinks there is more to reality than what reductionist science tells us.

But I think the Internet and modern technology will allow us to unite science with spirituality. It's just missing a valve, a path between the two and then both will be so much more than they are now. I want to dedicate my time to working on this path. Since I saw things this way I have felt the purpose I was longing for before.

pv  ·  3873 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: It’s Time to Encrypt the Entire Internet.

But will we see applications for encrypted cloud applications other than file backup systems? Today's tech companies don't seem to see too much of an incentive for encrypting their customer's data. There are many advantages that come with being able to sift through tons of information. In fact, much of the cool stuff that mobile and web apps offer today depend on centralized processing of the data.

Still, I am sure that we will see a move back to the client in at least some areas in the future. The magic is in decentralised systems like Bitcoin that take advantage of their distributed nature. Especially for applications that deal with personal or confidential information this will be very interesting. I am looking forward to it!

pv  ·  3879 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Emerging European Dream v. The American Dream

Already bought it ;)

pv  ·  3878 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: A defense of the archive as an underestimated form of presentation for the web

"Because we think of the news item as a basic unit of communication, when we visit a publisher’s site, we expect to find a river: a strict vertical list with the newest stuff at the top and the oldest stuff at the bottom. The river makes a lot of a sense: regular visitors need to know if anything new has been published since their last visit. Its design also suggests that new articles, like new cars, lose value the minute they are driven off the lot. The river, we assure ourselves, is democratic. Each article gets its fair shot, then floats away, forgotten and obsolescent. The river is progress. The articles being published today are better than the ones published last year. And far more relevant to the concerns of today!

It has not always been so."

pv  ·  3878 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Emerging European Dream v. The American Dream

Friend of a friend found this recording, it's not the same but said to be pretty close (I haven't watched it yet).

pv  ·  3880 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Emerging European Dream v. The American Dream

This is wonderful, powerful. I cannot even comment on it right now, will have to take some time to let it sink in. Is there a video recording of this talk? I want to share that.

pv  ·  3880 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: 5 reasons to consider a no-strings-attached, basic income for all Americans

Guys, if you want to live in a place that may implement UBI you have to move to the EU. It just doesn't square with the American dream (or what many people think it is).

pv  ·  4646 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Redheads feel a different kind of pain
So redheads are the new martians?