Crytpocurrency: An Alternative Future Currency

I’m late to the party on this one, but I still wanted to say a few words about it just because I am oh so fond of anything and everything challenging, novel, and, best of all, subversive. Cryptocurrency, for those folks who are also late to the party, is a form of digital currency that is created by maintaining a block-chain. This currency, like all currency, is valuable insofar as it is given value by its users. If all the users were to, one day, give up on Bitcoin, its value would plummet and what little Bitcoin remained would collect cyber-dust.

Now all of that may have sounded like gibberish, but it's true, even if you don't understand it. Bitcoin is one of the most famous peer-to-peer, decentralized cryptocurrencies on the market. Notice how I didn't say electronic currency. The difference between a cryptocurrency and an electronic currency is how they are generated. Cryptocurrency is created by maintaining what is known as a block-chain, which is a publicly distributed ledger mapping all Bitcoin transactions. Generally, there are two ways to get Bitcoins. The first way is likely the most popular which is to mine Bitcoins. Mining Bitcoins involves the user offering some of their computing power to help maintain the public ledger, called mining the block-chain. For offering their computing power, the user is rewarded with Bitcoin transaction fees and newly minted Bitcoins. The second way to obtain Bitcoins is to trade for them. Today, you can trade services, products, and even money for Bitcoins and, then, use those Bitcoins to trade for other goods or services. Bitcoin has picked up quite a bit of steam over the years. It was first introduced in 2009 and its price, per Bitcoin, has fluctuated anywhere from a few cents per BTC (Bitcoin) to around $1000 per coin.

But why is BTC so popular? Well, it's a fascinating concept made into a viable, alternative currency. Think about it. All a person would need to do to make money is to mine BTC, which requires no extra effort on the part of the individual. It's a completely autopilot way to make money. A dream come true for most people.* Additionally, many people treat BTC as a stock or commodity that may be sold once its price reaches a certain level. It seems the chance for profit is BTC's most alluring feature. But there is more to it. BTC is also hard to track and trace, which makes it an ideal currency to use in purchasing of illegal goods and services. I imagine it has its uses in money-laundering as well. And, additionally still, BTC has become known as "the people's currency" given its decentralized nature. No single entity or institution can directly manipulate its price or distribution. Which can mean increased stability and chances of success. BTC just seems fair by nature.

And let us not forget that BTC is an alternative currency. There's something about the word alternative that is just so damn irresistible. Alternative says one thing, and one thing alone: choice. People can choose it over any other form of currency, if they so desire. Choices are something people just love. Which is just another reason to love Bitcoin.

Now, mining the block-chain and speculating in BTC is all well and good, but I suspect cryptocurrency's biggest impact will be in the anonymity it offers its users. Few things can be said to be anonymous, today, especially something as useful as a currency. In a world filled with an increasing number of peeping eyes and lurking spooks, a currency that offers some form of anonymity seems like a God-send. Well, Bitcoin is just that, a God-send. Granted, it doesn't offer perfect anonymity, nothing does, but it's still far more anonymous and private than most other currencies.

If you live in the United States, then you know that a great deal of peeping goes on, and that there is a great number of banned products. I don't expect the U.S. to become any freer any time soon, so it seems BTC has quite an important role to play, today and tomorrow.

My only regret about Bitcoin is that I didn't buy any when it was selling at a few pennies per coin. If I had, I wouldn't have to ask for donations. *hint hint*

And in addition to all of the aforementioned points (just because I enjoy piling things upon things), electronic currency is one of the hallmarks of cyberpunk fiction. The fact that BTC is not an electronic currency but a currency generated by means of a cryptographic algorithm is one of the most cyberpunk things I could imagine. The advent of crytpocurrency is one huge step into the future.

*This is once again only a dream. BTC mining is still possible, but the profitability is next to null. Unless, of course, you have access to thousands of servers. Even then, the cost of maintaining and powering those servers would render any and all profit non-existent. 

Are you a neophile? If yes, the future belongs to you

Neophile (noun) : a person who has a strong affinity for novelty and new experiences

And what could be newer than the future? The future even has that new car smell. You know the smell. Who rules the new? Well the neophiles of course! Neophiles, by the nature of their sickness, demonstrate a remarkable adaptability that is unrivaled by other, more serious, afflictions. And since the future is jam-packed with new and interesting things, not to mention things which constantly change, the neophile will find the future to be a very stimulating and comfortable place. So rejoice neophiles, even if things aren't quite looking your way right now, just wait it out. The future is your home and it's getting closer every day.

Is Social Media the cancer of the Internet?

Do you think it's harsh for me to use the word "cancer" like this? Probably, but there are few other ways to accurately and poignantly describe modern day social media. Think about it; what is cancer? Cancer is, generally speaking, a condition where healthy cells become mutated into cancerous cells. These cancerous cells then work their dark magic and multiply themselves throughout the body. Turning a healthy body into a dead body. It's grim. It's dark. It's life. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Modern day social media is much like cancer in a few important respects. Social media content often spreads like wildfire. And contrary to the metaphor I just used, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. What makes social media a "bad thing" is that the content is often some of the blandest, most vapid, and poisonous, stuff I have ever seen. And it spreads and infects once healthy platforms. Thus, it is very similar to cancer. Now, that may make me sound like an elitist, but I do have standards. And content spread by social media almost always fails to meet my bottom-of-the-barrel standards.

However, I am glad that social media exists. The cancerous aspect just comes with the territory of social media. Social media is just the technological progeny of a very human desire to be social. Social media accomplishes this, kind of. But this isn't why I'm glad social media exists. I like social media because it is a terribly effective way to spread information. Almost more so than the Internet itself, social media represents the marketplace of ideas that is critical in any free society. The marketplace of ideas is critical for both the fostering of freedom and the preservation of freedom. Endless cat pictures and funny quotes is a small price to pay when compared to the benefit of having all of that information presented to us in a digital format, for our own rational minds to digest and enjoy.

In the end, social media is merely a tool that can be used for good purposes or evil purposes. It's up to the user to produce thought-provoking, interesting, and proactive content. Or not. Truly, it is up to the user to decide what to produce. And it is up to the consumer to choose what to consume. Both bear responsibility for their actions, so create and eat what you like. But, please, no more cat images.

Additionally, this blog was brought to you by social media, so social media has that going for it. If a rotten tree can produce wholesome fruit on occasion, the tree can't be all bad.

"Is it Cyberpunk?" Such a Silly Question

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Internet Relay Chat Rooms

One of the many things I miss about the Internet of yore is the IRC rooms. Don’t get me wrong, IRC is still around. Indeed, there are even phone apps which were created in the spirit of the old IRC rooms. However, something just seems to be missing from these IRC applications. Maybe I'm just looking at the past through rose-colored glasses again. Then again, most modern IRC rooms are very underpopulated and most users who are logged into these rooms are dead-quiet. I remember a time not too long ago when IRC rooms were active and exciting, and the content was unrestricted and provocative. Perhaps I'm just looking in all the wrong places, but after working with a number of programs, it seems the days of yore are gone forever. 

Internet chat rooms have gone the way of the 10 megabyte hard-drive. Nobody cares to use them anymore. And why would they? Today we have Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr and Reddit. And if you're feeling pangs for the Internet of ol', you can always become a member of some online forum or post on any number of anonymous message boards. Or use Blogger (zing!). That's about as far back as most people are willing to go. 

So I guess this is farewell to the IRCs of yesteryear. It was good while it lasted even though it didn't last all that long. I'm sad to see them go because there is just something so damn cyberpunk about IRCs. The Internet handles, the relative anonymity, the randomness and excitement, the netspeak and culture. There are few things more interesting and precious than to talk with a random stranger from across the world for only a few minutes time. The brief exchange of information is just beautiful. And it's made all the more beautiful by its brevity. 

Perhaps IRC rooms weren't all that great. It's true that one of the main reasons people used them was that there were few other options at the time. Sure, forums existed but IRC was live chat. Which was a wonder at the the time. Today, just about anything and everything has a live chat feature, only with far more options and functionality than even the most popular IRC programs ever provided. But they had character, dammit! 

Heh, now I'm sounding like an old man. Current technolgy may beat the pants off of old tech in almost all conceivable ways, but old tech had a life of its own, every bit as precious as the life of current tech. In fact, old tech seems to have more character and life than modern tech. Then again, that may just be this old man blowing smoke. Or am I? Only time will tell if all this modern tech will gain as much character with age as its past counterparts had. 

But here I am going off on another tangent. Whatever, it's my blog and I can tangent all I like. It's not like anyone reads it anyway. 

But yeah, I do miss some aspects of the past, if not all aspects of the past. IRC being one of the aspects I dearly miss. Perhaps the days of IRC are not completely over. Perhaps, one day, the world will find a use for IRC and it will once again become what I believe it can be.

By the way, this is my first post of the new year. Hope everyone had a good New Year, even though mine was a bit sad. I suppose this is where I tell you my New Year's resolution. I hate setting New Year's resolutions, but I suppose I should set one. My resolution is to keep writing on this blog. Sounds reasonable right? Part of that involves finishing old posts. At this time, I've got around sixteen posts on the backburner, just waiting for me to finish them. This post being among them. I've got a habit of not finishing things I start, so I've decided to finish these posts as part of my New Year's resolution. 

But why do internet relay chatrooms seem so cyberpunk? They certainly seem more cyberpunk than iPhones or any other smartphone, though it can be argued that smartphones are of closer relation to the cyberpunk world than IRC ever was. Upon further reflection, I think the reason I associate IRC and cyberpunk is that IRC is fairly common with the fiction. I've never seen a Facebook or Blogger in Blade Runner or Neuromancer, but, if you look closely, IRC (or lookalikes of IRCs) exist in those two works of fiction. Additionally, I believe the spirit of IRC is a close copy of the spirit of cyberpunk. Anonymity, mystery, loneliness, and subversion seem to be the hallmarks of both the cyberpunk genre and IRCs. Brothers in all ways but name.

Maybe I'm just losing my mind. Maybe I'm just making far too many associations between IRC and cyberpunk. Seeing characteristics and connections where none exist. Maybe I'm not. In any case, IRCs are out the door in favor of more fashionable technology. IRCs have gone underground, which is, perhaps, for the best. Just as cyberpunk has gone underground, so has its brother the internet relay chatroom. If the two are brothers, then their mutual obscurity makes them soulmates. How fitting it is that they should both go underground, one quickly following the other. And since the cyberpunk genre often involves obscurity and alienation within the narrative, the mutual obscurity is even more poetic. Almost romantic. IRC has never seemed as cyberpunk as it does today. 

I'm rambling again at this point. But I guess I wouldn't be me if I didn't ramble every now and again. 

The Death of Cyberpunk within Media

Not too long ago, say 10 to 20 years ago, Cyberpunk as commercial entertainment was one of the heavy-hitter themes that dominated most entertainment media. Movies, music, videogames, books, television series, etc. all had Cyberpunk themes within them. Videogames in particular were rife with Cyberpunkian ideas and motifs. By the late 2000s, most of this Cyberpunkian goodness seemed to vanish off the face of the earth, with some notable exceptions like the Deus Ex series. It seems Cyberpunk has been relegated to a mostly underground status since that time, which you could argue is for the best. To even know about Cyberpunk’s existence, today, would mean that you were likely a hardcore enthusiast. So, what caused this death of Cyberpunk? Was it simply just an 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s fad that had seen its time and went quietly underground? Is the concept just too tired to be marketable and profitable? Perhaps all of these explain its diminished presence within media.

Perhaps there is an easy answer to this. On an image board I frequent, one of the posters had suggested his own reason as to why Cyberpunk fell off the face of the planet. He said something to the effect that Cyberpunk died because it became real life. This little observation kind of blew my mind. How true it is that the Cyberpunk of the 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s mirrors current day technological and sociopolitical trends. Let’s see, corporate hegemony, ubiquitous technological presence, and an overbearing surveillance state. Yep, I’m calling it. Cyberpunk is here. Looks like I was wrong when I said Cyberpunk wasn’t quite yet here. On second evaluation, it’s pretty much here. At the very least, modern cities are Cyberpunk-lite. But is this what pushed Cyberpunk underground? Perhaps. Back in the 80’s, cyberspace and technology was still highly cloaked in mystery, yet were constantly improving. The possibilities seemed limitless. There was just so much for writers and game developers to work with. The result being a golden age of Cyberpunk culture. Of course, these things feed on each other, so Cyberpunk in media led to more Cyberpunk in media. Now, back in 2010, it became obvious that the U.S. had steadily transformed into a fledgling Cyberpunkian dystopia. Around the late 2000’s, as noted above, Cyberpunk in media became a rarity. It went underground. Does Cyberpunk’s disappearance into an underground culture have anything to do with the U.S. becoming a Cyberpunk dystopia? Possibly.

Today, people are immersed in Cyberpunkian themes. Today, these themes aren’t solely relegated to books, movies, television, games, and other popular media. Americans, and other first-worlders, live these themes everyday. Maybe this is why we are sick and bored of them. Additionally, these themes were unique and exciting in the 80’s, a time when computing was just really getting its legs. Now, when computing has advanced one hundred fold since the 80’s, the mystery and excitement is gone, paradoxically enough. Everything has gone sterile, which leads me to another observation.

The Cyberpunk concept is old. As much as I hate to say it, Cyberpunk is old news. I mean, the first vestiges of Cyberpunk, as a popular concept, can be seen in in the mid 1980’s, likely spurred by William Gibson’s Neuromancer. So, that would make Cyberpunk around 30 years old. In all honesty, I’m surprised it’s still around. Thirty years is a long time for a trend, so its only natural that the trend go underground to recuperate and, even, evolve. Yes, evolve. Cyberpunk may rise again one day, but it won’t quite be like the Cyberpunk of yore. Though, it will likely have the same essential elements of the Cyberpunk of ol’. Perhaps Cyberpunk is really just due for an upgrade or two. After all, the genre is living on 80s tech when it should transition to 2015 tech. Something fresh, new, and exciting for all the neophiles out there. Adapt or die, as the expression goes. It looks like if Cyberpunk wants to make it back to the mainstream, one of two things need to happen, either people will need to love the old Cyberpunk model or Cyberpunk will need to adapt itself into something people will love.

What can be done to Revive Cyberpunk?

If you are reading this blog, there is a good chance that you love Cyberpunk or are at least sympathetic to Cyberpunkian themes. And you are likely as dismayed as I am to see this incredible genre sink to such a low level popularity. This raises a question, what can be done to revive Cyberpunk?

Content Creation

Cyberpunk began as a genre of literature, as a form of entertainment, and from there will it rise again. But it can’t rise again if people aren’t creating Cyberpunk-themed creative works. There is hope for the genre, in this regard. With the anticipated release of Cyberpunk 2077, interest in the genre has been sparked. Outsiders are, once again, investigating this strange and mysterious genre. The trick is to get Cyberpunk media into the mainstream, however, this is often very difficult to do these days. If the community is to grow, we need to attract people who aren’t already in the community, we also need to hold the interest of the existing members. This is where underground content creation comes into play.

Most new content will necessarily be underground content, like this blog. This content has little chance of making it into the mainstream. However, some random passerby may be exposed to the genre by way of this underground content. This is good. However, I think underground content plays a much stronger role. Underground content keeps the interest of the existing community. It creates and strengthens bonds between people. It refreshes attitudes and renews interest. Keeping existing members is as important as getting new members. Communities only die when people leave.

So, be creative. Contribute art, music, literature, essays, etc. But what if I’m not talented in the least? Then post. Post your heart out on online forums and image boards.

Support the Community

There are tons of Cyberpunk communities out there and all of them could use your support. And I don’t necessarily mean support them with your cash, though, if you are feeling especially generous, I wouldn’t mind accepting any spare cash you have laying around. You can support most communities by simply participating in their world. Sign up for their newsletter, email your supportive words, participate on online discussion forums and image boards. All of this helps in giving these communities a larger presence on the Internet, which will attract other people and help the larger Cyberpunk community grow. But where are these communities? Here’s a few:

• - /cyber/
• - /cyb/
• - cyberpunkforums
• - /g/

I visit /g/ and /cyber/ from time to time. I contribute what I can and I keep the spirit alive as best I can with my little blog. As always, doing the little things in the present will make a big difference in the future. So show the community some love from time to time.

Live the Cyberpunk Life

You don’t need to hack into megacorps or wear leather-studded vests (wrong genre?) to live the Cyberpunk life. Cyberpunk is on the inside, not the outside. Though, you can express your Cyberpunkian self through the clothes you wear, you don’t have to. So long as your heart and attitude is Cyberpunk, you are living the Cyberpunk life. I’m keeping this kind of vague because people will have different ideas as to what it means to live a Cyberpunk life and what it means to be Cyberpunk. That is an entire post unto itself, so I won’t talk about that at this time (or ever).

Is being Underground a Bad Thing?

Currently, Cyberpunk has an underground status, but is that a bad thing? Cyberpunk, in a lot of ways, seems to be the one cultural movement enthusiasts would like to keep underground. It just seems so fitting to the genre. After all, the genre does place most of its focus on lone-wolf delinquents living on the fringe of society. And where do these delinquents live? Underground, of course! Not literally, but figuratively. They live on the unseen edges of society, much like where the Cyberpunk genre, and its fans, live in real life. At this time, the genre is more in tune with its roots then ever before. Besides all this, isn’t that where the best and most interesting parts of society reside? At the edges of society? That’s where the best rave-parties happen, too. So, it would seem that being underground isn’t all that bad.

If being underground isn’t such a bad thing, and it could be argued that it is, in fact, a good thing, why go through the trouble of bringing it above ground?

Conclusion

For better or worse, Cyberpunk has gone underground. That much we know. Whether this is good or bad for the genre is another topic altogether. Genres change and adapt to their environment, and people who were fans of the genre back in the 80s are starting to shape the genre with their own contributions and stories, hence the postcyberpunk genre that has been gaining speed over the past few years. Cyberpunk as a genre is old and is due for an upgrade. Perhaps, once it has received its upgrade, the entertainment industry will, once again, take an interest in the genre. Until then, I think we should enjoy Cyberpunk’s underground status. How fitting it is that a genre that often involves ideas such as obscurity, alienation, and desperation should be relegated to an unknown, cult status.

It’s poetic.

The Ideal Cyberpunk Food

In a world filled with corruption, greed, violence and constant surveillance, how would it be possible for the Average Joe to get the nutrition he needs to survive? The food of the future, it would seem, needs to be convenient, cheap, and fast. In the future, people will have little time to prepare home-cooked meals. At least it seems the trend is going that way. Today, everything has to be fast and, if possible, faster than fast. Food necessarily follows the same trend, hence the billion-dollar fast-food industry in the U.S.

In traditional Cyberpunk fiction, the food was reflective of the culture. If the fiction took place in Japan, or some other eastern country, the food likely consisted of sushi, noodles, stir-fried dishes, soups, and other local cuisine. If the fiction took place in America, it would be hamburgers, hotdogs, and Philly Cheesesteaks (YUM!). Keep in mind that while these types of food were found in cyberpunk fiction, that doesn’t necessarily make them cyberpunk food. Seems like a bit of a contradiction, doesn’t it? I could take the easy route and say that cyberpunk food consists of whatever the local cuisine is (in a cyberpunkian world), however, that wouldn’t be much fun would it? We need to use some imagination here and come up with the perfect cyberpunk food. The future depends on it.

We’ve already established that the food of the future needs to be fast, convenient, nutritious, and inexpensive. If we use America as our standard, it would seem that cyberpunk food is covered. In America, food is not only life; it’s also convenient, fast, and inexpensive. The only issue is that most of it isn’t nutritious in the least. Sure, you won’t die from eating it, not immediately at least. But it just isn’t quite right for the future when the average low-life will need nutrition to stay one step ahead of the oppressive corporations. There has been a trend in the U.S. toward healthier, convenient, and nutritious foods. But they are also considerably more expensive than their unhealthy counterparts, and the low-lives of the future are on a tight budget.

What ever are the denizens of the future to do? This just isn’t working out. I know hackers are known for their unhealthy eating habits and lifestyles, but if they are to have any kind of longevity, they must be supplied with adequate nutrition. Hacking a megacorp for five years isn’t nearly as fun as hacking it for twenty years. It looks like it’s up to us, the low-life citizens of the future, to design our own economical meals. But what of those low-lives who don’t have the skills for that? They aren’t called low-lives for nothing, you know.

There might be hope for those low-lives who find themselves in dire need of nutrition, but lacking the proper cooking skills. Like I mentioned above, there has been a trend toward healthier living in the U.S. Healthy, fast, and convenient food options are still a relatively new thing, so they haven’t been streamlined quite yet. But the day is coming when the Average Joe will be able to order a healthy meal that is as inexpensive as its unhealthy counterpart.

But what about today? Where can your average delinquent find adequate nutrition at a reasonable price before food-in-a-tube becomes a viable option? The first possibility that comes to my mind are nutrition bars. Nutrition bars, largely depending on the type and size, are convenient, compact, affordable, and super loaded with calories and other things the human body needs. Nutrition bars are commonly thought to be reserved for only athletes, workaholics, and the criminally insane. However, nutrition bars are perfect for the technological vigilantes of the present and future. Only have one hour to hack into a megacorp and save your crew? Grab a protein bar.

But isn’t buying nutrition bars from corporations support megacorps and is, therefore, counterproductive? I just can’t win here, can I? Undoubtedly, it seems that we really are in a bind.  Looks like the ideal cyberpunk food is out of reach, for the moment. Unless, of course, some independent, underground, genius, mastermind chef decides to start mass producing protein bars. I can dream, can’t I?

Though, it would be poetic if the very food a megacorp produced ultimately led to its undoing. Maybe, when seen in this light, nutrition bars are the way to go. I’ll leave that decision up to the consumer. After all, isn’t that where decisions should be made? By the people, not by some megacorp or politician.

 

Image by Arashiyama (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons