tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89883922024-03-13T10:11:35.268-06:00BeStoked2/14/2016: For my new blog, please visit <a href="http://lukestokes.info">lukestokes.info</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-43361883666784533602016-02-14T00:30:00.001-06:002016-02-14T00:30:53.095-06:00A New HomeIt's been over a year and a half since I last posted here. To understand why, please check out my first post on my new blog over at lukestokes.info, <a href="http://lukestokes.info/2016/02/14/losing-eternity/">Losing Eternity</a>.<br />
<br />
Thanks, and much love. I hope you'll follow me there, and we can have interesting discussions together.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-4192840330644711382014-05-06T17:52:00.000-06:002014-05-13T23:50:28.231-06:00The Road to AnarchySome new ideas ignite my passion like a match to gasoline. Sometimes my wife complains because the language I use implies I'm absolutely positive of what I'm saying instead of just stating an opinion for discussion, pushback, and debate. This is a flaw of mine, to be sure, but I do enjoy duking out ideas because I learn much faster talking to really smart people who disagree with me.<br />
<br />
I felt this way about <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2012/02/restful-resources-required-reading.html">Hypermedia APIs</a> and <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2014/02/understand-bitcoin-in-30-minutes.html">Bitcoin</a>. More recently, I'm digging into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntaryism">Voluntaryism</a> which is really just a friendly name for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchy">Anarchy</a> (not the "civil war" version of the word you're probably envisioning... it's amazing how language can be manipulated).<br />
<br />
My journey of exploration started with Bitcoin's libertarian roots. From there I realized the truth in the joke which says the only difference between a libertarian and an anarchist is about 12 months (for me it was much less, it seems, though I'm still not sure if I would consider myself an "anarchist"). Things started <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2013/06/this-bothers-me.html">bothering me</a>. The logical arguments against the need for a state became quite compelling. I've read books, listened to podcasts, watched interviews and videos and all of it seems to make a lot of sense.<br />
<br />
The driving force behind my passion and motivation, I think, has to do with the number 260 million. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democide">Some argue</a> government action has killed that many people. Additionally, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntaryism">voluntaryism Wikipedia page</a> lists Jesus Christ among the notable historical figures in that movement. As a follower of Christ, that immediately peaked my interest. I think he had some pretty good ideas about how to structure society and love people as we all want to be loved.<br />
<br />
The search for truth is a perilous journey. You may have to question everything you know. You may have to throw out ideas which you previously wholeheartedly defended. This is how humanity progresses forward. This is how we develop moral ways to pick cotton.<br />
<br />
In this post I'll attempt to summarize the ideas I've collected from various sources up to this point. I'm beginning to think the state may be irrelevant and voluntaryism may be an effective way to organize society. I'll link below to many of the resources I've consumed over the last few months and will probably add more over time. I really hope you give them some of your attention.<br />
<br />
One of the foundational concepts is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-aggression_principle">NAP: the non-aggression principle</a>. It's a moral framework which argues any human action which initiates violence against another human is illegitimate. Additionally, the concept of property rights arises because without it you're stuck with a logical fallacy. If there is no such thing as owning something, how can one person steal from another since they couldn't maintain ownership of the thing they steal?<br />
<br />
The next conclusion I've heard discussed is that if we own our own bodies, then actions like rape and murder are violations of our property rights. If initiating violence is a universally immoral act, why is it one of the things the government and the state is said to be needed for? They have a monopoly on the creation of currency and on the use of violence. Would individuals kill millions of people without the state?<br />
<br />
It seems throughout history only governments participate in these activities at such a mass scale. If we believe humans are so evil and corrupt and they cannot be trusted without a centralized authority, then why do we think it logically follows to take a subset of those humans and put them into positions of absolute central authority? These same humans have been shown time and time again to lie, cheat, and steal in order to obtain and maintain power. We have a high concentration of psychopaths, megalomaniacs, and narcissists in political office. They seek out power.<br />
<br />
If power corrupts and humans are corruptible why do we create and support systems and structures that centralize power which only increases over time?<br />
<br />
In spite of the data suggesting 260 million people may have been killed because of illegitimate rulers, many statists argue against anarchism ("Who's going to build <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MuhRoads">muh roads</a>?"). If the state has always been the provider of bread, the same argument would be made when thinking about privatizing bread production. They say we can't trust the markets to accomplish this or that, but really the market is just a free voluntary exchange of value. Not trusting the market really means we want to initiate force and use violence so our way is implemented instead of what is mutually agreed upon.<br />
<br />
There are many who argue a limited government would be ideal. They argue government is needed for things like national defense and justice. Arguments can be made to the contrary (private security forces, arbitration and reputation services, etc), but I think history does a better job of explaining why these ideas may be shortsighted. The smallest governments in the world tend to create the most prosperity. They also eventually grow into the largest governments. If government is a cancer, I'd rather have no cancer at all.<br />
<br />
Some define government as a group of people who are given rights no other human has and which are morally unacceptable (such as the violation of the NAP). There is no moral argument which can justify setting up such a structure.<br />
<br />
As we learn more about psychology and the way the human mind works, the manipulations in place attempting to justify illegitimate authority become clear. These are mind hacks; propaganda and PR pioneered by people like Edward Bernays.<br />
<br />
If taxation, for example, is actually theft, it's quite amazing how we have been programmed to believe it is our moral duty. People mention a social contract, though a contract implies a voluntary agreement. Most people don't know there was no mandated federal income tax prior to 1913. We don't need taxes in order to accomplish social goals. Using violence to force one group of people to give their earned value to another group of people (or worse, to build the war machine) is immoral, no matter what label you give it.<br />
<br />
Governments create monopolies and enable corporations to have powers no individual has and no group of people should have. Without the air of legitimacy governments create, I believe many of the corruptions we deal with today would evaporate. The market isn't free because almost every aspect of it is controlled by central authority. Will there be new problems? Sure. Free markets solve problems better than centralized bureaucracies.<br />
<br />
Now onto my personal view: I believe the purpose of a thing is defined in the mind of its creator. If someone builds a table, a chair, or a car, they define the purpose of that creation. If human beings have a creator, that creator has established their purpose. Based on property rights, it follows the creator has absolute authority and ownership of those created beings. I personally believe God, through Jesus, gave up that authority by giving us free will. A good analogy for this would be our own children. Though we created them, and as babies our authority over their life is essential, if we do our job well as parents we will eventually give up any authority over them so they can become completely separate humans.<br />
<br />
What if the controlling, domineering human authority we see around us today is actually a myth? What if government is just a system of control? Even in the Old Testament God continually told his people they should not have a king. The king didn't create the people, so what authority could the king legitimately have?<br />
<br />
Deep in our very being, we know, even as young children, we were born to be free. Freedom and liberty have to be systematically removed by educational processes for humans to believe in non-freedom.<br />
<br />
Anarchy isn't about no rules, no law, or no consequences. It's about voluntary exchange as the basis for human interaction. It's about peaceful parenting to remove the root causes of many of the psychopathic actors we see in society. Epigenetics can even show us what type of early childhood abuse took place in these sociopaths via brain scans. Many of the fears we have about an uncontrolled society could become irrelevant if enough education and support was provided to parents to raise their kids without violence, coercion, or oppression.<br />
<br />
Many will dismiss this idea as an unrealistic "utopia." If you use that word, you'll be using the parts of your brain which deal with fairy tales, not logic and fact. It's much easier to dismiss than to rationally consider. The more I learn about it, the more I think it models The Way or the Kingdom of God which Jesus and his early followers were known for.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, it seems atheists are the ones most commonly spreading these ideas of voluntaryism and anarchy while the religious are the ones saluting the flag and calling for people to vote for their favorite candidate as if this time their version of morality will be effectively legislated.<br />
<br />
Jesus, arguably one of the greatest leaders and influencers in history, never used violence (the initiation of force) or coercion. Those who followed him did so voluntarily. Unlike what you may have been taught in Sunday School, he also wasn't a pacifist. He made a whip to defend his father's house and drive out the thieves and moneychangers.<br />
<br />
Whether you're an atheist, Christian or follow some other religion, you most likely see problems in the world and want to make it better. Thinking differently about government may be the first step towards that better world.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Resources</span></b><br />
<br />
<div>
<b>Stefan Molyneux</b></div>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbp6umQT58A">The Story of Your Enslavement</a> 13 minutes<br />
<div>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDVNL0VyaEI">Beautiful Freedom</a> 18 minutes</div>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvcphD95JgA">Beautiful Freedom Part 2</a> 23 minutes<br />
<div>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B3F2CF45EEB95C80">The Bomb in the Brain: The True Roots of Human Violence</a> 3 hours (series)</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmrZ4SiO54E">Everyday Anarchy</a> 3 hours, 44 minutes (audio book)<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freedomain-radio-introduction/id354127316?mt=2">Introduction to Philosophy</a> (podcast, 18 episodes)<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/philosophical-parenting-series/id355547040?mt=2">Philosophical Parenting</a> (podcast, 75 episodes)<br />
<div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joITmEr4SjY&feature=youtu.be">Bitcoin vs. Political Power: The Cryptocurrency Revolution</a> 29 minutes</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B3F2CF45EEB95C80"></a></div>
<div>
<b>Murray Rothbard</b></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naXO5jErcpE&list=PL3WCJ8BtOlB70WoVnI1ZHk6Xjnjxblw86">For a New Liberty</a> 7+ hours (audio book)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Larken Rose</b></div>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SRKOcC1saI">Free Your Mind 2 Conference 2013</a> 54 minutes</div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5FNDRgPOLs">Message to the Voting Cattle</a> 20 minutes</div>
<div>
(Actually, just watch all <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/LarkenRose">his YouTube videos</a>)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Miscellany</div>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kPyrq6SEL0">Law without Government: Conflict Resolution in a Free Society</a> 10 minutes<br />
<div>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXNRzI64L9Q">The State Is Not Great: How Government Poisons Everything</a> 50 minutes<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVRO8Inu_-EUSheMIUS764RL-c3N-qjbJ">The Obviousness of Anarchy</a> 1 hour, 6 minutes (9 videos)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-1531079053875318652014-03-01T17:42:00.000-06:002017-02-10T14:13:38.040-06:00Open Letter to My Old Boss Dave Ramsey About BitcoinDave,<br />
<br />
Let me start by saying I have great respect for you. I worked for you for just under four years, and it was <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2011/08/leaving-best-job-ill-ever-have.html">the best job I've ever had</a>. You've helped millions of families, including my own, get out of debt and make sound financial decisions. You're one of the smartest, most successful people I've ever had the privilege of learning from.<br />
<br />
I also respectfully think <b>you've made a mistake with your stance on bitcoin.</b><br />
<br />
On April 8th 2013, I sent you an email making myself available as a resource related to Bitcoin. You were kind enough to reply with "I have no idea what you are talking about. I am sadly ignorant of that world." My intention was to help you be a well informed voice in the media on this issue.<br />
<br />
I remember when you expressed negative opinions concerning social media, you turned to those with more experience to make a case for its value. Now with over a half a million Twitter followers, you'd probably agree it was wise to change your opinion there.<br />
<br />
<b>I believe Bitcoin will be bigger than Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube combined.</b> I've argued it could be <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/www.foxycart.com/blog/could-bitcoin-be-more-disruptive-than-the-internet">more disruptive than the Internet</a>. Investor / entrepreneurs such as Chris Dixon and Marc Andreesen (the creator of the first web browser) feel the same way. Andreesen compares Bitcoin in 2014 to personal computers in 1975 and the Internet in 1993.<br />
<br />
The most incredible thing about Bitcoin isn't the currency (bitcoin). It's the protocol (Bitcoin), <b>a system of rules for maintaining a decentralized public consensus network.</b> A trust-less system controlled by math (cryptography), not central planners. It may end up being one of the most transformative inventions of my lifetime.<br />
<br />
Someone brought this video to my attention today where you ask, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32l1ht1wlLI">Is Bitcoin a Good Investment?</a> I also found your blog post where you say you <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/blog/dont-like-it-one-bit">don't like it one bit.</a><br />
<br />
I agree with your assessment it's unwise and stupid to keep a life savings in the hands of a third party. MtGox is not Bitcoin. It's a poorly run centralized exchange which the Bitcoin community has been telling people to avoid for many months, if not years.<br />
<br />
In the video you mention problems with the pre-FDIC banking system and with trust and transparency in general. You also give a great explanation as to what gives money value<i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">—</i>the extent someone else wants to trade for it. I applaud you for clearly saying our fiat currency paper money "never really had value" either, other than what people are willing to trade for it.<br />
<br />
(Side note: I've purchased electronic equipment, a TV, advertising for my company, and a hotel stay using bitcoin).<br />
<br />
You start losing me around five and a half minutes in when you start discussing bitcoin and how it's "looking like it's not going to make it." The "death" of bitcoin has been reported so many times over the last few years, it's really becoming ridiculous for the media industry. You further describe "intelligent people, while intelligent are not wise" who have purchased bitcoin. I think much of wisdom comes from experience.<br />
<br />
<b>Dave, you have little or no experience when it comes to open source, peer-to-peer cryptographic currencies.</b> As you said in your email last year, you are "ignorant of that world." Your recent comments indicate you haven't yet done your research.<br />
<br />
Calling bitcoin the "Iraqi Dinar of the Internet" communicates ignorance of what bitcoin is. You describe it as "something whacko like that" and a "made-up computer game." You're convinced people who believe in this technology (and the currency on top of it) are "stupid and will lose their money."<br />
<br />
How can you be so sure? Have you studied how it solves the Byzantine Generals' Problem? Do you know how the Bitcoin protocol could potentially replace centralized financial and trust systems such as notaries, escrows, trust funds, stock exchanges, clearing houses, payment networks, checking and savings accounts, etc...?<br />
<br />
Do you know how disruptive and beneficial programmable money could be to society? Have you thought about the opportunities for freedom which will be created when individuals can control their own store of value, even if they are unbanked in a third world country with nothing but a cell phone?<br />
<br />
For me, this comment summarizes your current level of understanding: "One of these computer nerds just flips a switch, the whole freaking thing is gone." Did you know the decentralized Bitcoin network has more computing power (be it for a very specific purpose) than the major super computers of the world combined? There is no centralized "switch" to turn off. Also, unlike M0 (physical money) which makes up around 8% of the money supply, most bitcoin are stored in offline wallets also known as paper wallets. This digital currency is more physical that the money you use every day.<br />
<br />
Just as peer-to-peer systems disrupted the music industry, this can not be stopped. Blockbuster may have disliked Netflix's approach, but that didn't prevent Blockbuster from becoming irrelevant.<br />
<br />
The good news is, you probably have a few years before you have to reevaluate your stance on bitcoin. Bitcoin is very volatile and will probably remain so for years to come. If it becomes as revolutionary as some believe, your current stance could hinder your credibility as a financial guru. As you've helped myself and so many others, I'd hate to see that happen. My hope is you'll follow the same path as other skeptics who did their own research and eventually came to the conclusion bitcoin is here to stay.<br />
<br />
My original offer still stands. If you'd like to know more about Bitcoin, please let me know.<br />
<br />
Respectfully,<br />
<br />
Luke Stokes<br />
<br />
P.S. With a small investment of time, you can <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2014/02/understand-bitcoin-in-30-minutes.html">understand the Bitcoin protocol and the bitcoin currency</a>. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-54793108128723347622014-02-16T15:10:00.001-06:002014-04-20T21:25:01.575-06:00Understand Bitcoin in 30 MinutesAs more people hear about Bitcoin in the media, more people ask themselves, "What the heck is a Bitcoin?"<br />
<br />
I think it could be one of the most important and disruptive inventions of my (and your) lifetime.<br />
<br />
If I'm right (or maybe only partly right), maybe you should invest some time into learning about it now. How about 30 minutes? That's not too long, right? We'll start slow. Ready?<br />
<br />
Let's start with <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1y1rhc/finally_found_it_how_to_explain_bitcoin_at_a/">this post</a> from <a href="http://www.reddit.com/user/successcouncil">successcouncil</a> copied and reposted by <a href="http://www.reddit.com/user/sumBTC">sumBTC</a> in the <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin">Bitcoin subreddit</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I say... the Internet makes everything better right? Email is better than sending letters, Google is better than card catalogs at a library. But we didn’t have real Internet money until recently. It turns out there was a really good reason: How do I know you didn't copy your Internet money and send it to someone else before you sent it to me? Meaning, you used the same money twice. Well this long standing problem only got solved a few years back by some unknown genius and now we have real Internet money. Soon the whole world will be using it, just like Email and Google.</blockquote>
So... Internet money. Cool. But it's more than that... if you're a visual / audio learner, hit up this 4 minute intro video:<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QyVeHC4X2eA?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
</center>
<br />
Here's another great read which will eat up 6 minutes: <a href="https://medium.com/future-of-currency/73b4257ac833">Explain Bitcoin Like I’m Five</a>.<br />
<br />
At this point, you have the basics. And we're only 10 minutes in!<br />
<br />
OK, now we're moving past the kid's stuff. Time to put on your big boy pants. This is the original and best description of the entire system. The original <a href="https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf">Bitcoin Paper</a> by Satoshi Nakamoto (whoever that is). Go ahead and give it a read. It will take about 20 minutes. If you're more of an audible learner, you can listen to <a href="http://www.freedomainradio.com/">Stefan Monyluex</a> read it to you <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWH0kTEqYsg">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I started learning about Bitcoin over a year ago and unfortunately did not read the Bitcoin Paper early on. I opened it up, saw academic looking diagrams, scary math symbols and such and quickly closed it. Please, try to give it a read. It's only 8 pages. If you can get through it, you'll understand more about Bitcoin than many of the reporters I've seen commenting on it over the last year.<br />
<br />
30 minutes isn't too much of an investment for understanding this incredible system. The next time someone mentions Bitcoin, tell them you've read the original paper. They will be impressed.<br />
<br />
If this post saved you some time, feel free to send a portion of that saved time to me as bitcoin. You can use your normal average hourly rate :) <b>1KkCSkdjsjQyxfTbrZrrnsY31XZziWzhzN</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Did that do it for you? Do you get it now? Please leave a comment and let me know. Also, please share your favorite resources explaining Bitcoin.<br />
<b><br /></b>
Some other posts I've done you may enjoy:<br />
<ul>
<li>March 2013 - <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2013/03/bitcoin-do-you-speak-it.html">Bitcoin: DO YOU SPEAK IT???</a></li>
<li>April 2013 - <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-bitcoin-obsession.html">My Bitcoin Obsession</a></li>
<li>April 2013 - <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/why-does-foxycart-support-bitcoin">Why Does FoxyCart Support Bitcoin?</a></li>
<li>November 2013 - <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/could-bitcoin-be-more-disruptive-than-the-internet">Could Bitcoin Be More Disruptive than the Internet?</a></li>
<li>December 2013 - <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/why-shouldnt-you-accept-bitcoin">Why Shouldn't You Accept Bitcoin?</a></li>
<li>December 2013 - <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2013/12/so-you-got-some-bitcoin-now-what.html">So You Got Some Bitcoin… Now What?</a></li>
<li>March 2014 - <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2014/03/open-letter-to-my-old-boss-dave-ramsey.html">Open Letter to My Old Boss Dave Ramsey About Bitcoin</a></li>
</ul>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-72654992937553768672014-01-01T13:32:00.000-06:002014-01-01T13:32:03.575-06:00Twitter is stealing from my blogThis blog exists as <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2011/11/blogging-is-mental-projection-of-your.html">a projection of myself</a>. It doesn't have some larger financial or career agenda. As such, I don't give it the focus it deserves. I've further noticed other outlets are stealing from my blog. Microblogging lets off the steam between my ears, usually 140 characters at a time.<br />
<br />
Twitter is making me a terribly inconsistent blogger.<br />
<br />
Instead of fighting that truth, I thought about embracing it and making a post about some of my favorite tweets over the last few months. Maybe I'll extend it to a full year, eventually. I mostly excluded links to great content or my favorite replies and RTs.<br />
<br />
Cheating? Maybe. But hey, it's my content, right?<br />
<br />
Hope you enjoy my ramblings. Follow me over at <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes">@lukestokes</a> for more (which, admittedly, has been mostly about Bitcoin lately).<br />
<br />
Have you ever put together a blog post of your favorite tweets? If so, link it up in the comments.<br />
<br />
<h3>
December 2013</h3>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Will 2013 be known as the year of the beards or are people just getting started?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/418200492053786624">January 1, 2014</a></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Is this a bubble? <a href="http://t.co/c2glBsOgSt">pic.twitter.com/c2glBsOgSt</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/416952107875323905">December 28, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Currency wars, capital controls, hyperinflation, bail-ins, stagflation, debasement, market manipulation... things we should discuss in 2014?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/416617164393545728">December 27, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
If you gave or received bitcoins this Christmas, this post is for you: <a href="http://t.co/MkncDdHY9G">http://t.co/MkncDdHY9G</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/416377700001935361">December 27, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Free centralized services like Twitter and Facebook may die as they increase revenue, annoy users, and get replaced by the next thing.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/416051733081509888">December 26, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Via, Veritas, Vita - May the Way, the Truth, and the Life find you this Christmas season and clothe you in grace. Merry Christmas.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/415896457527300096">December 25, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Until we transition to a push system for commerce instead of a pull system, we will see many more Target-like hacks. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bitcoin&src=hash">#bitcoin</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/415017382331940865">December 23, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Beautiful day in Southern California. Played a disc golf course at Lake Casitas for the first time. <a href="http://t.co/sAHlZtGPpm">pic.twitter.com/sAHlZtGPpm</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/414861133544050688">December 22, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Mind control is simply fully understanding the system (worldview) and controlling inputs for the expected outputs.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/414435311825854464">December 21, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
What if the things which go viral on social media are actually unit tests for more advanced mind control systems?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/414435133098184704">December 21, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
"That was fun!" - my 4yo commenting on our eroding freedoms as he passes through <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TSA&src=hash">#TSA</a> security.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/414048277932175360">December 20, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Been an interesting week. Got a shout out in Forbes <a href="http://t.co/o0OkajSz4Y">http://t.co/o0OkajSz4Y</a> and the Tennessean <a href="http://t.co/qIt2nYsf0P">http://t.co/qIt2nYsf0P</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/414025303497789440">December 20, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
John 2:15
and he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the temple... he poured out the changers' money, and overthrew their tables;<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/414007253969010688">December 20, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Was at a party with an ornament gift exchange where people had to guess who gave what. I ended up with my own gift. <a href="http://t.co/7fWKMSh0W8">pic.twitter.com/7fWKMSh0W8</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/413895329634086912">December 20, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The bitcoin price is up 3,000% since I first heard about it earlier this year. The potential for change is even more exciting.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/413532938236477441">December 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Bitcoin&src=hash">#Bitcoin</a> lore: Goxed, march-2013-fork, To the moon!!! ┗(°0°)┛, "intrinsic" value, BFL, panic buy, and just maybe... <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Dogecoin&src=hash">#Dogecoin</a> (?)<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/412438081086558209">December 16, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Was tempted to relax and watch something entertaining on Netflix. Got caught up reading posts on the future of money instead. No complaints.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/412423174840541185">December 16, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I think 2013 will be an amazing year in my memory. A relatively obscure technology catches my attention and consumes my focus. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Bitcoin&src=hash">#Bitcoin</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/411379863405465600">December 13, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I'm glad early adopters of the Internet didn't abandon it because TCP/IP seemed "complicated"
<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Bitcoin&src=hash">#Bitcoin</a>: a platform for decentralized trust.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/410796425568464896">December 11, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
First <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Nashville&src=hash">#Nashville</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Bitcoin&src=hash">#Bitcoin</a> meetup! :) <a href="http://t.co/7CH7hNWI6D">pic.twitter.com/7CH7hNWI6D</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/410471717912330240">December 10, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I'm at the point where someone could read an excerpt directly from 1984 and call it the latest NSA scandal. It wouldn't even surprise me.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/408429629385736192">December 5, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Tech bubble.
Housing bubble.
Money bubble...?
If so, how will it impact commerce and society?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/407960861521612800">December 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
My first rule of Bitcoin: Don't sell Bitcoin.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/407346769853300736">December 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
<h3>
November 2013</h3>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
How often do you wonder if we're living in someone else's Minecraft server? <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23matrix&src=hash">#matrix</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23inception&src=hash">#inception</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23thirteenthfloor&src=hash">#thirteenthfloor</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/406801301906161664">November 30, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The main stream media doesn't realize there is a growing number of people who aren't investing in <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Bitcoin&src=hash">#Bitcoin</a>. They are transitioning to it.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/406319141260656640">November 29, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Am I the only one who wonders which IP belongs to the NSA every time I do a traceroute?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/406266968728027137">November 29, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Most critiques of <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Bitcoin&src=hash">#Bitcoin</a> are actually Keynesian vs. Austrian economic theory debates. I want to yell, "It's the technology, stupid!"<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/406049199516831744">November 28, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Some things have to start out complex before they can be simplified and utilized by the masses. Props to those who can navigate complexity.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/405960922617110528">November 28, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
If you could have bought stock or somehow owned a share of value of the Internet when it was getting going in the 90's, would you?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/405379391141998592">November 26, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Applying a patch, and I'm not using cvs, svn, or git. <a href="http://t.co/DJDDINYUU3">pic.twitter.com/DJDDINYUU3</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/404706131613741056">November 24, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Banks and financial institutions should take note of how quickly disruptive technology changes things. They should learn from Blockbuster.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/403864593505595392">November 22, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?
Who is John Galt?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/403766791190491138">November 22, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The current price of Bitcoin is... Not as important as how disruptive it will be to the world financial markets which enslave people.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/403489478179688448">November 21, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
A Bitcoin on Coinbase is going for over $510. Amazing. Makes the previous spike look like a blip. <a href="http://t.co/sJ5HYZ9M24">pic.twitter.com/sJ5HYZ9M24</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/402315090529374208">November 18, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
"We have proposed a system for electronic transactions without relying on trust." These 9 pages may change the world: <a href="http://t.co/eOIlTmN8wm">http://t.co/eOIlTmN8wm</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/402292660691816448">November 18, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Today's revolutionaries won't use muskets and bayonets. They will use cryptography and decentralization.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/402148310192254976">November 17, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
HSBC and "too big to fail" law breakers are serious problems the world isn't talking enough about. This fiat banking system is broken.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/402074489778757632">November 17, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Life comes with tragedy and joy, despair and hope, suffering and salvation. The thing which makes it work is you. Relationships matter.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/401745356842467328">November 16, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" lang="en"><p>“<a href="https://twitter.com/trutherbot">@trutherbot</a>: <a href="http://t.co/QTW2iGunmY">pic.twitter.com/QTW2iGunmY</a>” One of my favorites :)</p>— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/401194787799179265">November 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Please get informed about <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TPP&src=hash">#TPP</a>: <a href="http://t.co/7AK2wY1bKP">http://t.co/7AK2wY1bKP</a> It's more than a globalist conspiracy theory.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/400973584656375808">November 14, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The U.S. joined <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TPP&src=hash">#TPP</a> talks in Dec 2009 and there have already been 19 rounds of negotiations. Obama wants to fast track through congress.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/400973367194693632">November 14, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I'll remember 11/12/13 as my first contribution to Hacker News: <a href="http://t.co/KAxT8y0Sei">http://t.co/KAxT8y0Sei</a> Also, Marc Andreessen added a comment. :)<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/400375341820428289">November 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The idea is simple: Borrow $1 at interest. How do you pay it back? If that's the only $1, you have to borrow another $ (also at interest).<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/400125570706837504">November 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
OH: What's the difference between a libertarian and an anarchist?
A year.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/399366737982132224">November 10, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
College athletes aren't allowed to talk to boosters, but those in congress can secure future lobbying jobs while still in office? WAT?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/398913298231336960">November 8, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
If you invested $10k in Bitcoin when I blogged about it on March 2nd, you'd have $74,594 today.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/398287348732944384">November 7, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
A what point do we start seriously considering civil disobedience against this out of control federal government?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/398284883740479488">November 7, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
If you someday change the world, you may point to a key day when your idea was put into action. Could today be that day?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/398065156078727169">November 6, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
As much as I'd love to jack in some day and learn kung fu, I'd probably never trust the security infrastructure of the Nebuchadnezzar.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/397917152490946560">November 6, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Great relationships give us stories, emotions, truth, and trust. Let's build some today.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/397730984181104640">November 5, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I love how Bitcoin developers can simulate proposed weaknesses on the test network. Can't do that with USD or our financial system.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/397598645962698752">November 5, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
There's this thing called Bitcoin which is a decentralized digital currency with a current market cap of $2.64B. Might want to look into it.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/397385450996121600">November 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
If we ever have a world-changing EMP solar flare event, the Amish are going to be like, "And what?"<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/397190620944400384">November 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Unforgettable, unconcealed, what can't be hidden. Fascinating to study the Greek origins of the word truth. Jesus is truth. John 14:6<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/397047311907708929">November 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
<h3>
October 2013</h3>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
You have to be born before you can crawl. Walking comes way later.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/394866275547365376">October 28, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Just thought of another thing my kids will never know: photo film. Joins the list with home phone, VHS, cassette, floppy disk, etc<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/394133955278278656">October 26, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Every life changes the world in some way. Why not yours? Why not on purpose? Why not for good? We need more agents of positive change.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/393696896025260032">October 25, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
If you wake up many years from now discouraged and thinking, "I worked my whole life... for this?" start making different decisions today.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/393569029224292352">October 25, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Want to be wealthy? True wealth is having time and freedom. Jesus Christ came to set the captives free and give us a eternity.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/393408055616225280">October 24, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
If there is such a thing as a global consciousness, it will probably be statistically discovered by analyzing tweets.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/393011756370763776">October 23, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
What do you want?
Why?
Good questions to ask yourself.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/392966156556193792">October 23, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Humanity in the future: "Debt-based monetary system? Yeah, that probably wasn't a very good idea."<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/392631942128336896">October 22, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Tonight you'll look back on what you did today. Make sure some of it was invested in relationships.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/392275535142731776">October 21, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The first step in sticking to your priorities is knowing what they are.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/391929822337048576">October 20, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
There is plenty more volatility to come in the Bitcoin price. It's like the early days of the Internet and most don't "get" it yet.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/391533202445070336">October 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The things that bother you in others are quite often the very things which need improvement in your own character.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/391164710382739456">October 18, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch. Goldman, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Bank of America, Barclays, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo. Is it just a game?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/390095634675417088">October 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Trying to understand who is selling the MBS the Fed is buying. <a href="http://t.co/0wzfTH1fYd">http://t.co/0wzfTH1fYd</a> "primary dealers"? So... banking cartel, yeah?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/389585859177373696">October 14, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
One of the coolest things about <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Bitcoin&src=hash">#Bitcoin</a> is it gets people to ask, "What is money, anyway?"<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/389529286706601984">October 13, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Success comes from the relationships in your life. So blessed by these great men. <a href="http://t.co/ZmyqTRs7X2">pic.twitter.com/ZmyqTRs7X2</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/389044144678907904">October 12, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Nashville, you're beautiful. So nice outside today. Loving that I can work remotely to enjoy it. <a href="http://t.co/LdHUiCf6jK">pic.twitter.com/LdHUiCf6jK</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/388665386721234945">October 11, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
If you've been using the words Republican, Democrat, or Tea Party a lot lately, you might be missing the point. We need <a href="https://twitter.com/RepresentDotUs">@RepresentDotUs</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/388157446709334016">October 10, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
If technical society collapses, the Amish are going to have the biggest "I told you so" ever.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/387901508580556800">October 9, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Is it a problem if I want to learn everything?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/387619755768963072">October 8, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
World Bank. International Monetary Fund. Bank of International Settlements. If you're looking for real criminals, look no further.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/386686559073755136">October 6, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The more we think government is the answer, the more obvious it becomes we don't understand the question.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/386479419898212353">October 5, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Debt not only enslaves us, it shackles our giving to those in need because of financial commitments to billionaire bankers.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/386468054432903168">October 5, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Bitcoin&src=hash">#Bitcoin</a> is a honey badger. It doesn't care about Silk Road. <a href="http://t.co/L7vBvDEbBh">pic.twitter.com/L7vBvDEbBh</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/386269903474282496">October 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Maybe we should rename the Bureau Of Labor Statistics to something more appropriate. Ministry of Employment Propaganda maybe?<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/386114974650597376">October 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
For me, this photo by <a href="https://twitter.com/davidmolnar">@davidmolnar</a> summarizes success. It's about love, life, freedom, friends, and family. <a href="http://t.co/fbRxJxfGQt">pic.twitter.com/fbRxJxfGQt</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/385980956282068992">October 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I think success includes recognizing the blessings all around us today. It's not merely something to be achieved on some future date.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/385980440596996096">October 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
When it comes to success, don't spend decades achieving it only to find you had an incomplete definition of the word.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/385768072432582656">October 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
So I woke up this morning, and America is still here. I'm confused. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23governmentshutdown&src=hash">#governmentshutdown</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/385023535128662017">October 1, 2013</a></blockquote>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-35924427959847266982013-12-26T15:48:00.000-06:002013-12-27T09:52:47.761-06:00So You Got Some Bitcoin… Now What?My family knows how consumed I am with Bitcoin. I <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2013/03/bitcoin-do-you-speak-it.html">first discovered it in February</a> and have spent countless hours researching it. I'm glad to say they are super supportive and excited about it also. For Christmas, I shared my passion by giving them bitcoins as gifts. Everyone was so stoked and declined my offer to manage the bitcoins for them. They all want to learn more about owning and using them. Here's my post to them and hopefully to your friends and family as well.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Bitcoins are Digital Cash</h3>
Bitcoins exist as amounts recorded in a public ledger (the blockchain) at various Bitcoin addresses. Each address has a public and private key. If you lose access to your private key, bitcoins stored at that address will be lost forever. There is no one to complain to. Keep your private key private. Your public key is fine to share. That's the address others can send bitcoins to. Coinbase makes this easy by managing all your public and private keys for you.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Security is Priority Number One</h3>
You are the bank. There is no vault door protecting your investment. That's why your computer has to be secured against hackers and thieves. My first recommendation is to have an up-to-date antivirus software running at all times. You should also use a password management program like <a href="https://lastpass.com/">LastPass</a> or <a href="https://agilebits.com/onepassword">1Password</a>. These programs will protect you from phishing attacks, make key logging almost irrelevant, and equip you to create strong individual passwords for every site which needs them. Please, never reuse passwords. If you're using 1Password, you can securely store and sync your password database across multiple devices using <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/">Dropbox</a>.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Working With Coinbase</h3>
Your bitcoins were gifted to you via Coinbase. Coinbase is an online wallet which means they manage your bitcoin addresses and your private keys. You can send bitcoin to your Coinbase account by going to Account Settings -> Bitcoin Addresses. Coinbase creates a new public address with every transaction and sending bitcoin to any of those addresses will credit your account.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Sending Bitcoin for the First Time</h3>
A great exercise for understanding how Bitcoin works is to send some from one account to another. Set up a wallet at <a href="http://blockchain.info/">blockchain.info</a>. If you're using 1Password, be sure to save the Identifier string as well. Once that account is created, you can copy your Bitcoin address, head back to <a href="http://coinbase.com/">coinbase.com</a> and click the Send/Request option. Click Send Money, paste the address, and send a small amount, such as 1 <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/MilliBit">millibit</a> (.001 bitcoins). It's fun to have the blockchain.info window open in another tab when you do this so you can see how quickly the system works. Say goodbye to 3-5 business days to transfer money between accounts. :) Also, if you want to keep some bitcoin online for purchasing goods and services via your smart phone, the blockchain.info app works well. Depending on the circumstances, you may have to pay a very small transaction fee, but most of the time it will be free.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Setting Up a Paper Wallet</h3>
Throughout the history of Bitcoin, there have been a series of hacks on the online exchanges. The very best way to store your bitcoins and to eliminate this risk is to store them offline. This is done via creating a paper wallet through services like <a href="https://www.bitaddress.org/"><span class="s1">bitaddress.org</span></a>. There are plenty of tutorials online for booting off a CD, disconnecting your computer from the Internet, and printing out your paper wallets. Depending on the amount of bitcoin you're storing, that may be overkill. Once you create your paper wallets, you can send various amounts from Coinbase to those wallet public addresses. Later they can easily be imported back into a standalone <a href="http://bitcoin.org/en/download">Bitcoin client</a> or any of the major online wallets. It's a good idea to store these in a secure, water-proof place such as a safe or safe deposit box. Some people also email or mail portions of the import keys as a backup to friends and relatives so they can be reconstructed later if needed.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Bitcoin as an Investment?</h3>
Some (including me) believe bitcoins will have a much higher value in the future. How high could they go? I've heard everything from <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2013/12/05/bank-of-america-analysts-say-bitcoins-value-is-1300/"><span class="s1">$1,300 per coin</span></a> to over <a href="http://falkvinge.net/2013/03/06/the-target-value-for-bitcoin-is-not-some-50-or-100-it-is-100000-to-1000000/"><span class="s1">$1M per coin</span></a> Sound crazy? Well, when you think about the size of the remittances market, the daily forex market, services like MoneyGram and Western Union, those who store value in gold and silver, the number of ecommerce transactions, donations, etc… even a small percentage of those activities done via bitcoin would create a big disruption (especially since there will only ever be 21 million bitcoins).<br />
<br />
<h3>
Bitcoin as Money?</h3>
The number of stores accepting bitcoin is increasing all the time with big announcements almost every month. For example, overstock.com recently said they will accept bitcoin as payment in 2014. You can also buy <a href="http://www.gyft.com/"><span class="s1">gyft</span></a> gift cards with bitcoin which, in essence, lets you buy anything from the many vendors they support. Also, keep in mind there are 100,000,000 divisions in each bitcoin which means you can do micro transactions for fractions of a penny.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Cashing Out Your Bitcoins</h3>
Since you now have an account with Coinbase, cashing out your bitcoins to old-fashioned fiat currency is really easy. You just have to set up your Coinbase account to have access to your bank account. I trust them, and if you use the method they offer which logs directly into your bank, you can be up and running in minutes. Selling your bitcoins back to Coinbase will result in a bank deposit within 3 to 5 business days.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Taxes</h3>
Though some ultra-libertarians and anarcho-capitialists want to pretend bitcoin usage can fly under the radar of the IRS, the truth is today they are <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/cameronkeng/2013/12/16/bitcoin-is-not-anonymous-is-always-taxable/"><span class="s1">not anonymous and are always taxable</span></a>. That means you need to keep track of a few things:<br />
<ol>
<li>The date you obtained them.</li>
<li>The <a href="https://bitcoinaverage.com/"><span class="s1">market value</span></a> at the time you obtained them.</li>
<li>The date you sell them, give them as a gift, or use them to purchase something (any taxable event).</li>
<li>The market value at the time of the taxable event.</li>
</ol>
The easiest way to do this is to set up a Google Drive spreadsheet which you can access from anywhere. I'm also working on a service to make this easier as well, so stay tuned. With bitcoin, you are your own bank. You won't be getting a tax document in the mail from anyone with all the info you need to do your taxes at the end of the year.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Why Bother?</h3>
Well... to fuller understand my perspective on why Bitcoin (the protocol) and bitcoins (the currency used on the Bitcoin network) are <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=162961.0">so revolutionary</a>, feel free to explore some of my other posts on the subject. In a nutshell, Bitcoin provides a decentralized public ledger which could make many financial institutions today irrelevant. They empower individuals to store and use the value they create without any third party risk with complete control to send that value to anyone anywhere in the world in minutes for free.<br />
<ul>
<li>March 2013 - <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2013/03/bitcoin-do-you-speak-it.html">Bitcoin: DO YOU SPEAK IT???</a></li>
<li>April 2013 - <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-bitcoin-obsession.html">My Bitcoin Obsession</a></li>
<li>April 2013 - <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/why-does-foxycart-support-bitcoin">Why Does FoxyCart Support Bitcoin?</a></li>
<li>November 2013 - <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/could-bitcoin-be-more-disruptive-than-the-internet">Could Bitcoin Be More Disruptive than the Internet?</a></li>
<li>December 2013 - <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/why-shouldnt-you-accept-bitcoin">Why Shouldn't You Accept Bitcoin?</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hope this post was helpful to you and your friends and relatives entering the amazing world of Bitcoin. If you'd like to support content like this, feel free to send donations here: <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">1BxUs1hjWzYLEYdECbrRTJJtcTmwBzNtFN</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-46727519378260192962013-11-12T07:10:00.001-06:002013-11-12T07:10:15.473-06:00Living Beyond the VeneerWhen we interact with people, we rarely truly engage them as living human beings. We're more often interacting with our limited understanding of who they are. We're dealing with a mental representation of them which filters through our world view, life experiences, prejudices, expectations, desires, labels, judgements, insecurities, and fears. Truly seeing them and being vulnerable is difficult because it requires fresh eyes, lots of questions, and even more listening.<br />
<br />
This game perpetuates itself by the representations we ourselves meticulously create for others to perceive. These veneers never stand the test of time nor do they allow us to communicate and understand each other effectively.<br />
<br />
I don't claim to have answers or to even know the right questions, but I do want to do better. I want to see, listen, and love.<br />
<br />
Expect that from me and please love me enough to tell me when I fall short.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-83655322901775822192013-10-06T15:46:00.002-06:002013-10-06T15:46:47.365-06:00Power Is the Ability to Create Need<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Power: <i>the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.</i></blockquote>
<div class="p1">
Here's another way to think about it:</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Power is the ability to create need in others.</b></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
The next time you feel powerless or you're upset about your unmet (or possibly uncommunicated) expectations, ask yourself, who has power over me? What need do I have, and who put it there?</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
The obvious culprit is the main stream media controlled by a very small number of corporations. As you move beyond this influence, you arrive to your family, friends, neighbors, fellow church gowers, coworkers, etc. Most of them probably form their needs based on the 4,000 or so advertisements thrown at them daily. So you're back at the mainstream media again.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Needs are most often created in your mind by outside forces.</b></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Those in power all around us create needs. They don't even have to be real needs. As long as we believe our "want" or "desire" is a need, we'll be controlled by it. Governments and corporations do this daily.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>The trick is being free of falsely created needs</b>.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
If you're reading this in the United States, chances are you're already more wealthy than most people living in the world. Stuck in debt? The house and car you "own" may be a need created by someone else. Maybe you have a need to watch your favorite nightly shows instead of something more productive. The need to eat out? The need for fine clothes? The need for latest smart phone?</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Use whatever example works for you. The important point is this: <b>the needs which often define the every day actions of our lives may not be real needs at all</b>. We may have been convinced by others to adopt them. The things which feel out of our control might simply be readjustments in our thinking of needs.</div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Our parents and grandparents worked for years to obtain what many of us expect right out of college. <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2011/04/power-of-expectations.html">Our expectations are powerful</a>. If we let others create them for us, we give them power that was meant for us.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Don't blindly let others create needs in your life unless you're actively choosing them yourself. Live intentionally and evaluate the powers you're willing to give up.<br />
<br />
To be clear, I'm not stating absolute truths here... just throwing out some thoughts for contemplation and discussion. Did it get you thinking differently? What needs do you have which hold power over you?<br />
<br />
Side note: after finishing this post, I watched <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1781069/">Zeitgeist: Moving Forward</a> last night which was really thought provoking. A quote which stood out to me: "You have to create problems to create profit."<br />
</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-33123316298892553242013-07-16T21:51:00.001-06:002013-07-16T21:51:57.564-06:00Hackathons for Remote Teams<a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/hackathons-for-remote-teams-our-first-attempt#.UeYTMWRgbeM"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://files.www.foxycart.com/blog/hackathons-for-remote-teams-our-first-attempt/Hackathon_2-process-sc612x300-q100-t1373923561.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Last Thursday we did something unique. We did a 24 hour remote team hackathon across 7 different timezones. There's a full write-up over at the <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/hackathons-for-remote-teams-our-first-attempt#.UeYTMWRgbeM">FoxyCart blog</a>, and I'm proud of it. Give it a read and let me know what you think.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-83404480728831603932013-07-04T11:55:00.000-06:002013-07-04T11:55:55.825-06:00Admit It. You're Insecure. We All Are.On Monday, I sent out my first viral tweet.<br />
<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
As a programmer, it's easy to be paralyzed with lack of confidence in your skills. Instead: solve problems, add value, keep learning.<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/statuses/351777141244960770">July 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</center>
<br />
By Tuesday, I was surprised to see new retweets and favorites still coming in. I struck a nerve. Over 200 retweets in less than two days!<br />
<br />
And before you ask, no, I haven't yet received a check from Twitter. I, like many, have often wondered what it would be like to watch a 140-character idea populate the interwebs. Contrary to popular belief, it didn't change my life. I still have to go to work and do my best to <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/">build awesome</a>.<br />
<br />
The past few days, I've been thinking about this tweet and why it resonated with so many people. I've sent over 12k tweets and never received this response.<br />
<br />
<b>Why?</b><br />
<br />
I'm part of a master mind group of 12 individuals who meet every Wednesday morning. At the recommendation of <a href="http://goinswriter.com/">Jeff Goins</a>, we recently read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Icarus-Deception-High-ebook/dp/B0090UOLEW">The Icarus Deception</a>. Building art is hard, and whether or not we want to admit it, we're all artists in some way. The deception is we'll fly too high and endanger our wax wings. We forget how the parable also warns us of flying too low to the water.<br />
<br />
<b>Don't settle.</b><br />
<br />
If you're read authors like Seth Godin or Steven Pressfield, you're already familiar with the concept of the Lizard Brain and the Resistance. The voices in your head telling you you're a fraud. Telling you you'll never succeed. Trying to convince you you never really grew up and you're just a kid pretending to be an adult.<br />
<br />
You're insecure. So are those around you. Even the prideful, arrogant ones. That might not be obvious, but I believe it's true. They are often the ones trying harder than anyone to prove their worth. Man-pleasing, insecurity, and pride often work closely together. They are all trying to handcuff you.<br />
<br />
So what can you do about it? Admit it. Understand how it works against you and work out a solution. The insecurity holding us back is, at its very core, basically a lie.<br />
<blockquote>
<strong><em>Insecurity</em></strong>: the state of being subject to danger or injury.
</blockquote>
If your next project is a total failure, will you really be in physical danger? Will you really be injured? The answer (for most professions, anyway) is no. And yet, we still believe the lie.<br />
<br />
<b>Stop.</b><br />
<br />
Admit the weakness. Understand how it prevents you from moving forward and discredit the lies it is based on. Once you can do that, you can create a path towards incredible success.<br />
<br />
Along the way, you will fail. If you intend to be great, you will fail a lot. Use each failure to strengthen your mental and emotional muscles. Remind yourself you're not in physical danger and the fear you felt in the beginning was in fact a lie. Celebrate each small step of progress and learn from your mistakes. This is what great men in history have always done.<br />
<blockquote>
"If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward."
<em>Thomas A. Edison</em>
</blockquote>
<b>Start today.</b><br />
<br />
As Jon Acuff would say, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Start-Punch-Escape-Average-Matters/dp/1937077594">Punch Fear in the Face</a>. Admit your insecurities, understand how lies limit you, and move beyond them. No one can give you permission to be great but you. When you believe it, even just a little bit, you'll start doing great things. Stay humble and hungry and there's nothing you can't accomplish.<br />
<br />
Within your profession, what fears paralyze you?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-22331966704861550192013-06-24T21:38:00.000-06:002013-06-24T21:38:11.286-06:00This Bothers Me<ol>
<li>The US government goes to war or uses funds/weapons/CIA operatives to topple governments it considers a threat to US interests. It doesn't matter if those governments were democratically elected. Usually it involves countries that don't want to play by crony capitalism or global central banking rules. Oh, also, the actual people of the United States don't support these wars or government coup d'états. </li>
<li>In the name of fighting "terrorism" and protecting American citizens, our elected officials pass police-state laws and implement liberty-crushing systems (Prism, the Patriot Act, NDAA, etc).</li>
<li>When someone witnesses deception/crimes against humanity and tries to tell people about it (Daniel Ellsberg, Bradley Manning, Edward Snowden, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_whistleblowers">others</a>), the <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/06/20/194513/obamas-crackdown-views-leaks-as.html#.UcdjeT6bje-">government considers them a threat</a> and argues their actions risk the lives of military and intelligence personnel (see bullet point 1).</li>
</ol>
<div>
Does anyone else see the circular logic here?<br />
<br />
When the branches of government (or, more accurately, the military industrial complex and the bankers/corporations who profit) take action the people don't want <b>(1)</b>, put systems of control in place (i.e. tools for fascists) <b>(2)</b>, and are discovered when someone points out the misuse of these tools, they site the danger it will create for those at war <b>(3)</b>. We're back at <b>(1)</b> again, this time protecting something the people never wanted.</div>
<br />
The claims above aren't baseless, but many Americans aren't familiar with them because of who owns the mainstream media. If the nightly news passes judgment on a foreign nation or leader, we often unquestionably consider it the truth. What if there's more to the story?<br />
<br />
If even 50% of what follows in these videos and documentaries is true, shouldn't we be talking about it? Why talk about the weather or last night's reality TV show when we can talk about more significant things that impact lives around the world?<br />
<br />
Some things I've found interesting lately:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeHzc1h8k7o">The War On Democracy</a> (1:34 hours)<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfEBupAeo4">All Wars Are Bankers' Wars</a> (43 min)<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSQQlQ66bVg">CIA Agent Explains How Al-Qaeda Doesn't Exist</a> (11 min)<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP7L8bw5QF4">The Road to World War 3</a> (13 min)<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rwmD4c_NxI">The Terrifying Future of The United States</a> (12 min)<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tn5-uKgkWw">** Who Really Owns the Mainstream Media?? **</a> (11 min)<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOQ1jZOj_ho">How the Media Controls Society</a> (13 min)<br />
<br />
I'm not saying these videos are smoking guns of proof. I'm simply saying, shouldn't we talk about this stuff? Shouldn't these be a starting point for more research and open discussion? I guarantee there are factual inaccuracies, but what about the facts? What if <a href="http://www.triviumeducation.com/">critical thinking</a> could help us find some truth?<br />
<br />
Why don't the majority of our conversations revolve around things we deeply care about?<br />
<br />
There are things in this world that bother me. They may not bother you or you may completely disagree with me. Can't we talk about them openly?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here goes. Here's a list I compiled on 5/30/2013 of things that bother me:</div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1">Loss of my worldview that our country represents the "good guys," spreading freedom and democracy</li>
<li class="li1">Drone strikes and the uncontrolled military industrial complex (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Is_a_Racket">War is a Racket</a>)</li>
<li class="li1">The war on drugs and how completely ineffective it has been (see drug prices)</li>
<li class="li1">The central banking system and global debt slavery (see <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu_VqX6J93k">Creature from Jekyll Island</a>)</li>
<li class="li1">Abortion and eugenics</li>
<li class="li1">Monsanto and the control/poisoning of our food supply</li>
<li class="li1">The treatment of whistle blowers</li>
<li class="li1">Gitmo</li>
<li class="li1">Lies / deception related to the CIA and our involvement in funding / creating terrorist organizations to destabilize governments who don't want to play by the international banking rules (i.e. petrol dollar)</li>
<li class="li1">MK Ultra and whatever versions of it are in operation today</li>
<li class="li1">The centralization of mass media in the hands of a very few which effectively controls the masses by controlling the conversation</li>
</ul>
<div>
I don't list these things to spread fear or depress you. They are listed here so I can get them out in the open and discuss them. Are there action steps to be found? Is there something specific we can do about these issues (or others that may bother you)?<br />
<br />
Looking at the list again, I'd like to add a few more like child trafficking and sex slavery.<br />
<br />
What would you include?<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
My last post was about how many of us are often <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2013/06/were-too-busy-to-care.html">too busy to care</a> and the system we're part of keeps us that way. Shouldn't that bother us?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I don't have the answers, but I'm just starting to look for them. I'm not alone.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-91566125458463042512013-06-16T15:50:00.001-06:002013-06-16T15:50:37.493-06:00We're Too Busy to Care<div class="p1">
Most people are working frantically to keep up with their mortgage, school loans, and credit card payments. Some are working two jobs. No time for quality family time. Weekends are filled with diversions because "we deserve it" having worked so hard all week.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Almost our entire lives are spent working for a paycheck, and yet most of us haven't spent time to <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2013/03/bitcoin-do-you-speak-it.html#learn_money">understand how money actually works</a>. Central banking, fractional reserve lending, and fiat currencies are things for the crazy "occupy" people to worry about. We're busy watching football or Americon Idol.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
And yet, we know intrinsically something is wrong. We get that politicians and those in power are corrupt, but what can we do about it? We're too busy. We're clocked in. No time to read a Wikipedia page, watch a documentary, or read a book. Bills are due. Payments have to be made.<br />
<br />
We're immersed in a system designed to keep us from asking questions. The system punishes and labels those who don't fit in. We're like frogs in a slowly heating pot of water.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br />
What if your employer <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2012/05/can-employees-live-life-intentionally.html">gave you the freedom to live your life</a> on your own terms? What if you could set your own hours? What if you could spend an afternoon with your family and work later that night instead of watching TV? What if you had the freedom to research and learn things on your own schedule? What if the standard 9-5 model could be changed via creative thinking and technology?</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Don't be too busy for life. Work so you have the freedom to live, learn, and act. Our world has some serious problems right now. Governments around the world are losing credibility and losing approval at an alarming rate. Difficult problems won't go away if we only make time for entertainment television, or if we're hopeless enslaved by debt.<br />
<br />
This post may not be for you. You might be hanging on by your fingernails. Instead, this post is for those who are meant to catch you if you fall.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
All of us need to get informed. We need to change the conversations we have with our friends and neighbors. Let's start talking about things that matter. Let's care enough to make some changes. Downsize, change jobs, cut out some monthly expenses. Drastic times call for drastic measures.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Don't sit back and let life happen to you. Take action. Many believe a huge financial collapse is coming (and is actually already taking place). What will you do if that happens? Take some steps to provide for your family.<br />
<br />
If you have a business idea, pursue it now. Those who control their own income will be in the best position in the future, no matter what happens. It took me 5 years working long hours to build my own business. It's not easy, but it's worth it. Get rid of the stuff keeping you too busy to care.<br />
<br />
Most likely, this post won't change your mind about much. It wouldn't have impacted me not long ago. I was so used to the <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2012/02/stereotypes-make-you-stupid.html">stereotypes</a> of the system, I couldn't see around them. But these thoughts just might plant a seed and help you realize sometime in the future you do have a <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2012/05/choice-purpose-and-significance-in.html">choice</a>.<br />
<br />
--<br />
Some things I've been reading/listening to/watching lately:<br />
<a href="http://www.ted.com/playlists/60/work_smarter.html">Work Smarter</a> - 11 Ted Talks<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Millionaire-Mind-Mastering-Wealth/dp/0060776579">Secrets of the Millionaire Mind</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Icarus-Deception-High-ebook/dp/B0090UOLEW">The Icarus Deception</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Predictably-Irrational-Revised-Expanded-Edition/dp/0061353248">Predictably Irrational</a><br />
<a href="http://leananalyticsbook.com/">Lean Analytics</a><br />
<a href="http://rt.com/shows/keiser-report/">The Keiser Report</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-64619198669030655412013-06-03T22:34:00.000-06:002013-06-03T22:34:36.042-06:00Hacking for Fun and (Non)profit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZYiyhh11mC4/Ua1qT2U2rbI/AAAAAAAABeU/GuLWjAkxGfM/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZYiyhh11mC4/Ua1qT2U2rbI/AAAAAAAABeU/GuLWjAkxGfM/s640/logo.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6NJ-CEVQjuY/Ua1qNAExrII/AAAAAAAABeM/bBQZ-jrAkh4/s1600/hack_for_change.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6NJ-CEVQjuY/Ua1qNAExrII/AAAAAAAABeM/bBQZ-jrAkh4/s320/hack_for_change.png" width="320" /></a><br />
This past weekend I had the privilege of participating (and sponsoring, via <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/">FoxyCart</a>) in the <a href="http://hackforchange.org/">National Day of Civic Hacking</a>. Nashville joined 95 cities hosting events all over the country. Saturday and Sunday, we bunkered down at the Emma office to form #<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23hack4nash">Hack4Nash</a> (more info at <a href="http://hack4changenash.org/">http://hack4changenash.org/</a>).<br />
<br />
Having worked in non-profit ministry for 6 years (raising my own financial suppor to do so), I know how critical money is to the process of serving others. My idea for the weekend was to build a basic content site with detailed screenshots and instructions for non-technical, no-budget nonprofits to get online quickly and start receiving donations. At FoxyCart, we often hear from nonprofits who need to get online but don't have any resources or expertise to do so. No matter how technical something is, a detailed walk-through with screenshots can be followed by just about anyone.<br />
<br />
163 screenshots later, <a href="http://donationgandhi.com/">DonationGandhi.com</a> was born.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j8sjH7u_BFc/Ua1rVijG5jI/AAAAAAAABeg/-i4GgSxgsxI/s1600/donation_gandhi_home.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j8sjH7u_BFc/Ua1rVijG5jI/AAAAAAAABeg/-i4GgSxgsxI/s640/donation_gandhi_home.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I'm proud of what was accomplished by our little team in such a short timeframe. I think this could be really helpful for those who feel overwhelmed about getting a website online and accepting donations. Even if you know nothing about website hosting, Wordpress, FoxyShop, FoxyCart, Stripe, Twitter or Facebook, we put together tutorials walking through each step.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Get a domain name and hosting</li>
<li>Install Wordpress</li>
<li>Customize Wordpress</li>
<li>Install an ecommerce plugin</li>
<li>Build a donation page</li>
<li>Configure a shopping cart system</li>
<li>Configure a payment gateway</li>
<li>Set up a Twitter account</li>
<li>Set up a Facebook page</li>
</ul>
<div>
You might be asking why I didn't do something more complicated involving PHP, a <a href="http://wiki.foxycart.com/v/0.0.0/hypermedia_api">Hypermedia API</a> or <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/why-does-foxycart-support-bitcoin">Bitcoin</a> algorithm. The answer is, I wanted to learn Wordpress and FoxyShop. Both are a big part of my business, and I had never personally installed them. Also, it's often the simplest solutions that make the greatest impact.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This site could be really useful to a lot of people... but only if they know about it. Will you help spread the word?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-39696961108243129212013-04-13T18:14:00.000-06:002013-04-17T16:35:35.908-06:00My Bitcoin Obsession<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Bitcoin.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Bitcoin.png" width="320" /></a>
I didn't sign up to be the Nashville Bitcoin wacko. But here I am.<br />
<br />
My journey started a couple months ago, and who knows where it will end. I've spent so much time researching Bitcoin, you'd be completely justified in calling it an obsession. It's probably safe to say that 80% of <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes">my tweets</a> lately have been about this crypto currency. I've even taken a position with <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/why-does-foxycart-support-bitcoin#.UWmiZiubgug">my business to support it</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So what's the big deal?</span><br />
<br />
Well, if you read <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2013/03/bitcoin-do-you-speak-it.html">my last post</a>, you'll know I have some strong opinions about our central banking system. Those opinions line up with men like Andrew Jackson. Debt, fractional reserve lending, fiat currency, and central banking create a petri dish for greed and power spun out of control.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Can Bitcoin help?</span><br />
<br />
Maybe.<br />
<br />
That's the big question. The most intelligent arguments against Bitcoin I've seen so far have more to do with Keynesian vs. Austrian economics than with the actual protocol. One argues currencies have to be controlled, deflation will never work, and debt is a good thing. The other wants to be free from central bankers, encourage savings, and invest from those savings.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But how can this be a currency? It's so volatile!</span><br />
<br />
The recent loss of over 80% in value ($266 down to as low as $50) would certainly suggest it's failing in that category. That said, it would also be silly to criticize a toddler for not being able to drive a stick shift. Many disruptive technologies (email, blogging, mp3s, etc) took ten years to obtain widespread adoption.<br />
<br />
This technology is barely 4 years old. Where will it be in 2019?<br />
<br />
While the market cap remains below trillions of dollars, it will probably remain volatile. It might even stay volatile after that. Only time will tell. My hunch is fractions of a coin will have great value because they meet real needs not currently met by our financial tools. One of the current hurdles to overcome is the reliance on MtGox (the primary exchange) which (among many other Bitcoin sites) has been getting completely hammered by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack">DDoS</a> attacks. Their trade engine lags, people panic and sell, the price drops, and the hackers buy up cheap coins.<br />
<br />
I'm constantly reading through the <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/">forums</a>, the <a href="http://reddit.com/r/Bitcoin">subreddit</a>, and listening in IRC (#bitcoin). My friends and family are sending me every article they find about Bitcoin. Chances are I've already read them, but I do enjoy a refresher. Please, continue to send them to me (yes, the negative ones too). I really want to have intelligent discussions about this thing.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Now let me give you some advice.</span><br />
<br />
If you're just interested in making a quick buck, please, leave Bitcoin alone. Your involvement will only increase volatility and delay adoption. If you understand how money works, open source technology, p2p networks, and encryption, I'd love to know why you haven't bought some already.<br />
<br />
If you think the whole thing is interesting and you'd like to put in a little money you're willing to lose, go ahead and buy a portion of a coin for $50 or so (you don't have to buy a "whole" coin, there are 100,000,000 divisions within each coin). Percentage wise, if there's even a slight chance it gets adopted globally you could not only do well, but you could help with that adoption.<br />
<br />
(Here's the obvious "don't take investment advice from anyone" section. Buy something because you want to, not because someone else convinces you it's a good idea.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So how do you buy some Bitcoin?</span><br />
<br />
You can start with <a href="http://howdoyoubuybitcoins.com/in/united-states/">howdoyoubuybitcoins.com</a>. I think <a href="https://coinbase.com/">Coinbase</a> (connect directly to your bank account) will be the easiest to use, once they increase their daily buy limits. I've also used <a href="https://bitfloor.com/">Bitfloor</a> (deposit cash at a Bank of America via LocalTill), <a href="https://www.bitinstant.com/">Bitinstant</a> (send cash via Money Gram through ZipZap) and <a href="https://mtgox.com/">MtGox</a> (send from <a href="https://www.dwolla.com/">Dwolla</a> connected directly to your bank account).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Not sure where to get started?</span><br />
<br />
First set up an online wallet at <a href="http://blockchain.info/">blockchain.info</a>. You now have your own Bitcoin address!<br />
<br />
Though I started with the Dwolla -> MtGox method, their system is currently hopelessly backlogged with new account signup verifications. They are the primary exchange (they do about 80%), one of the cheapest (only 0.6% in fees plus $0.25 from Dwolla), but they are also one of the most hated due to their inability to handle DDoS attacks and API lag.<br />
<br />
My next suggestion would be to use Bitfloor. It's really easy. You just bring cash to a Bank of America branch, ask for an out of state deposit slip, fill it out with the information you get from LocalTill, and you're good to go. The fees are between 1%-4%. <i><b>UPDATE: </b>as of 4-17-2013 6pm EST, bitfloor suspended all trading and shut down their site. Their homepage says their bank account was closed.</i><br />
<br />
If you want to buy when the banks are closed, use Bitinstant. You'll pay 3.99% + 0.6% (they use the MtGox api under the hood) + $3.95 ZipZap fee. When you fill out the form, select Wallmart or CVS (they are everywhere) to make your deposit (btw, this method lets you use a debit card), and have them send the coins to your blockchain.info wallet address.<br />
<br />
You could also try the <a href="http://localbitcoins.com/">localbitcoins.com</a> route, but I have yet to venture into that territory.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't know what will happen to Bitcoin.</span><br />
<br />
My hunch is it won't be ignored and won't go away. If something better comes along which is easier to adopt, Bitcoin might suffer. I see that as unlikely, given the <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade">adoption it already has</a>. The government has a <a href="http://fincen.gov/statutes_regs/guidance/html/FIN-2013-G001.html">FinCEN ruling on Bitcoin</a>, so I don't think they will outlaw it (<i><b>yet</b></i>). I do see the network vulnerable to denial of service attacks. Many Bitcoin related sites have been attacked lately, and it appears to be getting worse.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There are a lot of risks.</span><br />
<br />
There's also a potentially huge reward. And no, I'm not talking about the price per coin. I'm talking about a system completely outside of central banking control. A system that allows individuals to control their own money. A system that promotes freedom.<br />
<br />
That's worth taking some risk. Some might say, it's worth fighting for.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-39105383836039219812013-03-02T23:04:00.002-06:002013-06-24T21:58:42.750-06:00Bitcoin: DO YOU SPEAK IT???<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Um63OQz3bjo?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Bitcoin is something you should learn about.<br />
<br />
Think it's just for nerds? Keep in mind, nerds created that thing called Facebook you probably use every day. Oh, and email. And the Internet.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Getting Started</h3>
<br />
<a href="http://www.weusecoins.com/">www.weusecoins.com</a> is a a great place to start. Go ahead and click through to the <a href="http://www.weusecoins.com/questions.php">Questions & Answers</a> section and read a few of those, such as "What is a good way to concisely explain Bitcoin?" As for getting started, I installed the original Bitcoin client mentioned there, but honestly, it's probably easier to create an online wallet at <a href="https://blockchain.info/wallet/">blockchain.info</a>.<br />
<br />
Once you have a wallet, what next? Well, I actually got started by looking at some of the "free Bitcoins!" sites. They are a huge waste of time, though <a href="http://www.bitvisitor.com/">bitvisitor.com</a> did actually work (I think I got 0.00008 BTC by spending 5 minutes on a website). From there, I started doing more research about Bitcoin.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin">Bitcoin wikipedia page</a> is probably a good place to start and if you want to go deeper, dig into the <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Main_Page">Bitcoin wiki</a>. If you're really, really brave, you can venture into #bitcoin on IRC, the <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/">bitcointalk.org</a> forums or <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin">Bitcoin on Reddit</a>. I'm actually really impressed with the community. They are primarily developers, cryptographers, hackers, day traders, and those interested in economic theory. Understanding Bitcoin can be tricky (try explaining <a href="http://codinginmysleep.com/bitcoin-mining-in-plain-english/">mining in plain English</a>... not easy to do).<br />
<br />
You may be thinking, "This is some silly thing for hackers, thieves and black market users and will never turn into something I need to be concerned with." Well, a <a href="http://bitcoinity.org/markets?currency=USD&exchange=mtgox">Wall Street Journey search</a> returns a couple results and a <a href="http://www.forbes.com/search/?q=bitcoin">Forbes search</a> shows 80 articles on Bitcoin. There are already some real sites accepting it as payment (<a href="http://blog.reddit.com/2013/02/new-gold-payment-options-bitcoin-and.html">Reddit</a> and <a href="http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/pay-another-way-bitcoin/">Wordpress</a> are two notable examples.) There are also quite a few <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade">stores accepting Bitcoin</a>. There will be more in the future.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Recent Growth</h3>
<br />
So why did I get into it? Well... partly because of this:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ao3rRPpzrY/UTK-1l13RnI/AAAAAAAABOk/ZPszukyhb5w/s1600/bitcoin_history.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="156" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ao3rRPpzrY/UTK-1l13RnI/AAAAAAAABOk/ZPszukyhb5w/s640/bitcoin_history.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
I started looking at it when it was <b>$17 per BTC</b> and as of this posting, it's up over <b>$34 per BTC</b>. This all happened in about a month.<br />
<br />
Could it be a big bubble? Sure. If you look back at the history, you'll see a HUGE dip in 2011.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SAUs_USh1dM/UTK_lbkbGMI/AAAAAAAABOs/rMySABcKPZU/s1600/history_of_bitcoin.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SAUs_USh1dM/UTK_lbkbGMI/AAAAAAAABOs/rMySABcKPZU/s640/history_of_bitcoin.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
(See <a href="http://bitcoincharts.com/">http://bitcoincharts.com/charts/</a> for more awesome charts)<br />
<br />
During that time, you can make a good argument for a bubble if you take a look at <a href="http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=bitcoin">Google trends for "bitcoin"</a>:<br />
<script type="text/javascript" src="//www.google.com/trends/embed.js?hl=en-US&q=bitcoin&date=1/2008+63m&cmpt=q&content=1&cid=TIMESERIES_GRAPH_0&export=5&w=500&h=330"></script><br />
<br />
But... that's not the whole story. The whole story includes <a href="http://thedailyattack.com/2011/06/30/mtgox-apologizes/">a major hack</a> of the primary exchange, <a href="https://mtgox.com/">mtgox.com</a> which caused the price to drop from $17.50 to $0.01 on June 20th, 2011. They do about 80% of all exchange transactions, so the hack really hurt trust in the entire system. (<i>Edit</i>: it was <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=148614.msg1577388#msg1577388">pointed out to me</a> that nothing actually traded at $0.01 as the hacked transactions were rolled back by Mt. Gox)<br />
<br />
Scary to think your money could be hacked? Sure. But it didn't even need to happen. Bitcoin is a completely distributed system. There's no reason to leave your coins on an exchange. The Bitcoin system itself is strong and (apparently) robust. It survived.<br />
<br />
This past month, I tested things out with a small purchase of coins at around $20 per BTC. Then another larger one around $27 per BTC. Then again at $34 per BTC. I did this by first putting money in my <a href="https://www.dwolla.com/">Dwolla</a> account (5-7 business days) and then transferring to my <a href="https://mtgox.com/">mtgox.com</a> account (1 day and I had to verify the account with a photo of a government ID). Could I lose my money if the price tanks? Sure. I wouldn't put more into it than I was willing to lose. That said, if I cashed out today, I could make some nice USD. Right now, I'd rather have the BTC. In the future, you might also.<br />
<br />
<h3>
How Does Money Actually Work?</h3>
<br />
Why could you want some BTC? Well, let's start with your local bank. Let's assume you're not the average American with $15k in credit card debt. Let's assume you actually have an emergency fund "safely" tucked away in your bank account.<br />
<br />
Guess what? It's not actually IN your bank account.<br />
<br />
Welcome to the world of fractional reserve lending. Banks create new fiat currency with the stroke of the pen as loans are created, and they use your deposits to do it. The bank only keeps a tiny fraction of what you deposit in their vault.<br />
<br />
But that's OK, right? You're trusting the FDIC to protect your deposit. Sure. But with Uncle Ben Bernanke buying debt at $40B a month, how long before the USD has some more serious issues? The debt is spiraling out of control and the government can't do a thing about it.<br />
<br />
I'm not saying anything new here. A lot of people I've talked to recently dumped their investments back in 2007 and moved to precious metals. I'm happy for them and somewhat sad I didn't do the same. Having worked at Dave Ramsey's for almost 4 years, the idea of buying gold hasn't really been in my thought process. Dave continually rips on those who buy gold. If you bought it in 1980 ($850, much higher if you adjust for inflation) and sold around July of 1999 (around $250), you'd probably agree with him. Over the past 100 years, gold appears extremely volatile compared to the stock market.<br />
<br />
Some say it only looks that way because the USD is volatile and the actual buying power of gold has been quite steady for hundreds or even thousands of years. I'm not sure about all that, but one thing I do like about BTC is that I can buy a stick of gum with it. A single Bitcoin can be divided into 100 million Satoshis. For diversifying some of my savings, I like having a completely liquid and useful format.<br />
<br />
Another interesting thing about gold is it can be faked with Tungsten. Private key encryption can't be faked.<br />
<br />
So where will this go? Who knows. Some in the Bitcoin forums seem to believe it will go up quite a bit more. Others thought it was way overpriced at $10. If you believe the USD is headed for hyperinflation and the debt treadmill is about to breakdown... it might not be a bad idea to look into BTC.<br />
<br />
<a href="" name="learn_money"></a>
<h3>
Bonus: Learn About Fractional Reserve Lending and the Federal Reserve System</h3>
<br />
If you're curious about how I've come to my current thoughts on the USD, the Federal Reserve, and Fractional Reserve Lending, check out some of these videos.<br />
<br />
These ones are actually cartoons, but they are easy to understand. I first found out about them a year or two ago.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqvKjsIxT_8">Money as Debt 1</a> (0:46 hours)<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQuEOUzA9P8">Money as Debt 2</a> (1:17 hours)<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6uuAupT4AQ">Money as Debt 3</a> (1:02 hours)<br />
<br />
A new friend turned me on to a book by G. Edward Griffin so I found this:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu_VqX6J93k">The Creature from Jekyll Island</a> (1:47 hours)<br />
<br />
This next one is long and rather poor production quality. I listened to it in the background while working. I liked how much it focused on the history of money.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfpO-WBz_mw">The Money Masters</a> (3:29 hours)<br />
They also did a sequel which discusses some interesting symbolism in the Wizard of Oz:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEqkphVOkHc">The Secret of OZ</a> (1:57 hours)<br />
<br />
The part I really found interesting was on the Jewish Shekel. It was the only currency allowed to be used to buy animals for required Jewish sacrifices (all other currencies had pictures of pagan gods on them). The Shekel market got cornered and exploited. That's bad. So bad, in fact, Jesus got violently opposed to it and overturned the tables of the money changers.<br />
<br />
I also thought it was interesting how TN's own Andrew Jackson fought hard to kill the central bank in America. Someone tried to assassinate him, but failed. Some say there are connections between the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield, and Kennedy and their opposition of the central bank. Either way, those who control the money supply have a lot of dangerous power.<br />
<br />
In addition to these and other videos, I've been turned on to some books and other resources. Interesting stuff indeed. It could all be a bunch of alarmist hogwash. Or, it could be yet another historical example of a fiat currency eventually coming to an end.<br />
<br />
If we are in for a change, as with every other one in history, technology will play a role. BTC may be part of the story.<br />
<br />
Please, don't make any investment decisions based on what you've read here. Do your own research and make up your own mind.<br />
<br />
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below, and we can start a nice discussion.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b>Edit 2013-03-10</b>: To keep this post fresh, I'll be adding some links to interesting articles I'm reading about Bitcoin. Also, since the prices mentioned here will undoubtedly grow stale, here's an image of the current price: <img border="0" src="http://btcticker.appspot.com/mtgox/1btc2usd.png" /><br />
<b>Recent Mainstream Articles of Interest</b>:<br />
<i>March 4th</i> The Guardian: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/mar/04/bitcoin-currency-of-vice">Bitcoin: more than just the currency of digital vice</a><br />
<i>March 6th</i> Business Insider: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-bitcoin-2013-3">Suddenly, Everyone's Talking About Bitcoin...</a><br />
<i>March 6th</i> CNN Money: <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/06/technology/innovation/bitcoin/">Why cyber currency Bitcoin is trading at an all-time high</a><br />
<i>March 7th</i> Business Insider: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/global-economics-lesson-from-bitcoin-2013-3">The Rise Of Bitcoin Teaches A Tremendous Lesson About Global Economics</a><br />
<i>March 8th</i> Forbes: <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonmatonis/2013/03/08/first-bitcoin-hedge-fund-launches-from-malta/">First Bitcoin Hedge Fund Launches From Malta</a><br />
<i>March 13th</i> Bloomberg: <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/video/bob-s-daily-buzzword-bitcoin-EJ04CzJbQsKJ6CqAsDI_WA.html">Bob's Daily Buzzword: 'Bitcoin'</a><br />
<i>March 14th</i> Huffington Post: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-keiser/is-bitcoin-money_b_2849031.html">Is Bitcoin Money?</a><br />
<i>March 18th</i> Wired: <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/03/bitcoin-ring/">Ring of Bitcoins: Why Your Digital Wallet Belongs On Your Finger</a><br />
<i>March 19th</i> Forbes: <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/timothylee/2013/03/19/new-money-laundering-guidelines-are-a-positive-sign-for-bitcoin/">New Money Laundering Guidelines Are A Positive Sign For Bitcoin</a><br />
<i>March 19th</i> The Daily Dot: <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/business/venture-capitalists-investors-bitcoin-startups/">Venture capitalists take a chance on the "Bitcoin revolution"</a><br />
<i>March 21st</i> Bloomberg: <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/video/a-look-at-the-world-s-largest-online-currency-cPMjkXT0QB~SWJbQWWaB2g.html">Bitcoin Fever: The World's Largest Online Currency</a><br />
<i>March 21st</i> The Wall Street Jounral: <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324373204578374611351125202.html">Web Money Gets Laundering Rule</a><br />
<i>March 22nd</i> Salon: <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/03/22/a_libertarian_nightmare_bitcoin_meets_big_government/">A libertarian nightmare: Bitcoin meets Big Government</a><br />
<i>March 22nd</i> Fox Business: <a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/investing/2013/03/22/bitcoin-interest-explodes-as-cyprus-nearly-implodes/">As Cyprus Implodes, Bitcoin Interest Explodes</a><br />
<i>March 23rd</i> ABC News: <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Business/cyprus-crisis-boosting-unique-currency-bitcoin/story?id=18792763#.UU9vA1uk9W0">Cyprus Crisis Boosting Unique Currency, the Bitcoin</a><br />
<i>March 24th</i> New York Post: <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/coin_of_the_net_realm_ayghBe82z1lpOmacpFqACJ">Coin of the Net realm</a><br />
<i>March 24th</i> Forbes: <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonmatonis/2013/03/24/cyprus-goes-cashless-the-hard-way/">Cyprus Goes Cashless The Hard Way</a><br />
<i>March 25th</i> CNN Money: <a href="http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2013/03/25/online-currency-regulations/">'Funny money' has officially entered the real world</a><br />
<i>March 26th</i> Washington Post: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/post/why-reports-of-bitcoins-death-may-have-been-greatly-exaggerated/2013/03/26/3a010942-9618-11e2-8764-d42c128a01ef_blog.html">Why reports of Bitcoin’s death may have been greatly exaggerated</a><br />
<i>March 26th</i> Life Hacker: <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5991523/what-is-bitcoin-and-what-can-i-do-with-it">What Is Bitcoin and What Can I Do With It?</a><br />
<i>March 26th</i> BBC Newsnight (video): <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH2_a-m1XLI">Bitcoin on BBC Newsnight</a><br />
<i>March 26th</i> The Motley Fool: <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/03/26/a-short-guide-to-understanding-bitcoins.aspx">A Short Guide to Understanding Bitcoins</a><br />
<i>March 27th</i> International Business Times: <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/bitcoin-digital-currency-booming-cyprus-amid-banking-crisis-virtual-money-surging-popularity-1153173">Bitcoin Digital Currency Booming In Cyprus Amid Banking Crisis, Virtual Money Surging In Popularity</a><br />
<i>March 27th</i> CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100597242">Bitcoin Bonanza: Cyprus Crisis Boosts Digital Dollars</a><br />
<i>March 28th</i> Business Week: <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-28/bitcoin-may-be-the-global-economys-last-safe-haven">Bitcoin May Be the Global Economy's Last Safe Haven</a><br />
<i>March 29th</i> Fox News: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/03/29/digital-currency-bitcoin-surpasses-20-national-currencies-in-value/">Digital 'bitcoin' currency surpasses 20 national currencies in value</a><br />
<i>March 29th</i> Huffington Post: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-keiser/how-long-before-bitcoin_b_2979396.html">Does the Internet Depend on the Survival of Bitcoin?</a><br />
<i>March 30th</i> The Spectator: <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/columnists/hugo-rifkind/8874321/how-bitcoin-could-destroy-the-state-and-perhaps-make-me-a-bit-of-money/">How Bitcoin could destroy the state (and perhaps make me a bit of money)</a><br />
<br />
<strong>EDIT</strong>: Great new articles are coming out daily and it takes up too much time for me to add them here. If you want a good list of articles as they come out, check the <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=77.0">Bitcoin forum press section</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Other "Fringe" Articles of Interest</b>:<br />
<i>March 6th</i> Falkvinge.net: <a href="http://falkvinge.net/2013/03/06/the-target-value-for-bitcoin-is-not-some-50-or-100-it-is-100000-to-1000000/">The Target Value for Bitcoin is not Some $50 or $100. It is $100,000 to $1,000,000</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-41879057535290956612013-02-22T23:22:00.000-06:002013-02-22T23:23:04.203-06:00Humbled at Spark Nashville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://southernalpha.com/general/it-takes-a-spark/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="http://southernalpha.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sparkheader2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
Last night I had the pleasure of attending <a href="http://southernalpha.com/general/it-takes-a-spark/">Southern Alpha's Spark Nashville</a> event. We had some great food, drank some good beer, and heard some fun stories of early tech days in Nashville from Marcus Whitney and Nicholas Holland. In addition, there were some fun pitches for various company ideas.<br />
<br />
My primary reason for attending was to support my friends Jacques Woodcock and Jason Myers and hear their pitch for <a href="https://sucratrend.com/">Sucratrend</a> (which won the viewer's choice award, btw. I like to think my tweets and RTs helped).<br />
<br />
Earlier in the day, when I mentioned I was going, I was amused at Jacques' reply:<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
@<a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes">lukestokes</a> wait, aren't you forbidden from such events or likely to burst into flames? cc @<a href="https://twitter.com/justwinston">justwinston</a> @<a href="https://twitter.com/ramsey">ramsey</a><br />
— Jacques Woodcock (@jacques_thekit) <a href="https://twitter.com/jacques_thekit/status/304397548980957184">February 21, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</center>
<br />
Jacques (and those who have read my blog and my thoughts on <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2012/08/does-your-business-care-about-profit.html">business and profit</a>), knows that I'm not a huge fan of VC money when it comes to "startups". The main reason being, I like what I'm familiar with, and I've only ever bootstrapped. I'm also not a fan of debt (having worked for Dave Ramsey for almost four years). Giving away equity may not be the same thing as debt, but on the other hand it might be worse. But I won't get into that here. Different strokes for different folks.<br />
<br />
For me, the event was a great success. I'm about to get vulnerable here, so cut me some slack. At times, I can be a little scatter brained (just ask my wife). Months ago, I distinctly remember asking my business partner about buying a ticket for Spark. He was totally on board and (in my mind), I bought a ticket with the company card.<br />
<br />
As I was driving to the event last night, I started to second guess myself. "Why didn't I receive a reminder email from Eventbrite? I... did buy the ticket... RIGHT?" I'm ashamed to admit, I started using my phone while driving in the rain to check my email.<br />
<br />
Nothing.<br />
<br />
Now I'm starting to feel like an ass. I happened to see this tweet earlier in the day and started to hope:<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Nashville - I've got a couple extra tickets to the sold-out <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Sparknashville">#Sparknashville</a> tonight.DM me if interested.<br />
— Tara Aaron (@tara_aaron) <a href="https://twitter.com/tara_aaron/status/304631536530100224">February 21, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</center>
<br />
Guess who greeted me at the door? Before I could even finish my sob story of stupidity, Tara was already pulling out a ticket for me. How awesome is that? Big shout out to <a href="http://www.aaronsanderslaw.com/">Aaron Sanders Law Firm</a> for hooking me up. If you're doing anything in the tech space, please give them a call. They are extremely helpful, friendly, and awesome. They just might change your opinion of lawyers and best of all, they LOVE the technology space.<br />
<br />
The night just kept getting better. Everywhere I looked I saw friends and smiling faces. I even got some compliments and words of encouragement about my involvement in building cool stuff and being part of the community. Someone even recognized me from a Barcamp and wanted to say hello. It was kind of surreal.<br />
<br />
After the event, I had a great time hanging out with some friends old and new and talking everything from Agile development methodologies (Brendan Wovchko is amazing) to women in tech to RV living.<br />
<br />
Another topic that came up (and seems to come up a lot in Nashville for some reason) had to do with the difference between those who are doing great things and those who just seem to be talking a lot. Need an example?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/john_wark">John Wark</a>. Now there's a doer. He stopped complaining about not enough tech talent in Nashville but instead created the <a href="http://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/">Nashville Software School</a> to build some.<br />
<br />
I won't give examples of talkers because everyone seems to have a different opinion of who those people are in the community and those judgements are probably unfair anyway. Let's take a different approach. Instead of talking a big game (or ridiculing those who do), let's humble ourselves, help those around us, and get stuff done.<br />
<br />
Don't seek out recognition. If what you're doing matters, that will come when it's due.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.<br />
- Luke 14:10</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.<br />
- Matthew 23:12</blockquote>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-53147292548195957862013-02-11T10:27:00.002-06:002013-02-11T10:38:11.367-06:00I'm Not One of the Cool Kids; We All Are<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://sunshinephp.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTarkktq3Zo/URh-IEW-ZSI/AAAAAAAABL8/8txGE3jOjpg/s320/cropped-sunshine_php_logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
This past weekend I had the privilege of attending (and sponsoring) the first ever <a href="http://sunshinephp.com/">SunshinePHP Conference</a> in Miami, FL. I must say, <a href="https://twitter.com/adamculp">Adam Culp</a> did an amazing job organizing and executing this event. Every moment I saw him, he had on is his regular friendly, beaming smile. I've never seen a conference coordinator so relaxed! On top of that, from what I understand, his only staff was the ever moving <a href="https://twitter.com/pgodel">Pablo Godel</a>.<br />
<br />
Great job, Adam! You certainly made it look easy (and we all know it was anything but). Among everything you had to coordinate, you somehow found time to drive <a href="https://twitter.com/pmjones">Paul</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/elazar">Matthew</a> and I to dinner the first night. You even let me borrow your laptop for my talk! Your willingness to serve those around you is phenomenal.<br />
<br />
I loved hanging out with great friends and making some new ones. I also finally took advantage of the "hallway track." I didn't attend a session during every single slot. Instead, I slowed down a bit and hung out with guys like <a href="https://twitter.com/caseysoftware">Keith</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/calevans">Cal</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/misfitgeek">Joe</a>. I met the creators of the tools I use every day including <a href="https://twitter.com/s_bergmann">Sebastian Bergmann</a> (PHPUnit), <a href="https://twitter.com/seldaek">Jordi Boggiano</a> (Composer), <a href="https://twitter.com/fabpot">Fabien Potencier</a> (Twig, Silex... if you don't know all the things he's done, you probably don't use PHP)... I could go on and on. It was amazing.<br />
<br />
Oh, and did I mention the guy who started this whole PHP thing (<a href="https://twitter.com/rasmus">Rasmus Lerdorf</a>) gave the opening keynote? That was epic. I really enjoyed the history lesson and the "why" behind the decisions he made (which actually made sense at the time in 1993).<br />
<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just asked @<a href="https://twitter.com/rasmus">rasmus</a> for advice on how PHP devs can "defend" it against sexy languages. He said we shouldn't bother. 78.7% adoption. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23ssphp">#ssphp</a><br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/status/299898684693438464">February 8, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</center>
<br />
(If you're wondering where that stat comes from, you can look into it yourself at <a href="http://w3techs.com/technologies/overview/programming_language/all">w3techs.com</a>)<br />
<br />
So on to the point of my post... as I was meeting and listening to these giants of the industry, schmoozing with the "cool kids" during the hallway track... I began to realize something.<br />
<br />
<h3>
There are no individual cool kids.</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
We're all the cool kids.</h3>
<br />
I got some really encouraging feedback on my <a href="https://joind.in/talk/view/8010">Hypermedia API talk</a> from people I previously thought were on another level. As I was meeting speakers in the hallways, I realized many of them do "the conference thing" quite a bit. They are conference regulars and are sought out to speak all over the world. They are what I had always thought of as "the cool people" when I was simply a "regular" conference attendee.<br />
<br />
For a half second, I began to wonder if someone might think of me as "one of those" now that I've given this talk a few times. It was a humbling thought. I don't think of myself as someone special in the programming community. Other than helping start an <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/">ecommerce company</a>, I haven't contributed much (yet).<br />
<br />
It was then I realized a speaker isn't more or less special or cool than anyone else. We're all building and doing amazing things, and we're all on different stages in our journey. Whether you're just learning to code, or you've been doing it for years and contribute to the tools thousands of people around the world use every day: You are what makes the PHP community great.<br />
<br />
<h3>
As Cal said so well in his keynote, you are awesome.</h3>
<br />
Even if you don't feel like an expert and just started using PHP last week, guess what? You're probably an expert on what it feels like to use PHP for a week. Everyone has something to offer, and everyone contributes to the awesome PHP community.<br />
<br />
So go build something awesome! As Keith so eloquently put in his keynote (I'm still thinking about the ideas he put out there), don't build a copy of something crappy thinking you'll hit the next gold mine. The next dating site? The next photo sharing app? The next Facebook? That's about as practical and as likely as a unicorn farting rainbows and pooping lucky charms.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oRs1sSvcB7A/URiDdRwvveI/AAAAAAAABMQ/8uRVasNgYTM/s1600/sorry_luke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oRs1sSvcB7A/URiDdRwvveI/AAAAAAAABMQ/8uRVasNgYTM/s400/sorry_luke.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Related note: When a friend like Keith looks at you with that "I'm up to no good" smile and says "I updated my slides", be afraid. Be very afraid. (If you missed his reference, we included this sticker in the sponsor bag which is from an image we built out for <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/404">our 404 page</a>)<br />
<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thank you @<a href="https://twitter.com/stickerobot">stickerobot</a> for delivering awesome! Our rainbow unicorn has been a big hit @<a href="https://twitter.com/sunshinephp">sunshinephp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23ssphp">#ssphp</a> <a href="http://t.co/2aSvxlCg" title="http://twitter.com/foxycart/status/300262194694737921/photo/1">twitter.com/foxycart/statu…</a><br />
— foxycart (@foxycart) <a href="https://twitter.com/foxycart/status/300262194694737921">February 9, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</center>
<br />
<br />
In summary, the conference was amazing. The people in the PHP community are amazing. And as <a href="https://twitter.com/Crell">Larry Garfield</a> quoted in the OOP panel discussion, "You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake." Whether you're a speaker or not isn't as important as being part of the community and helping make it better. Attend your local PHP group this month and help them out. If you didn't make it out to <a href="http://sunshinephp.com/">SunshinePHP</a> this year, plan on it next year.
While you're there, come find me and say hello.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-41434713817430663532012-12-30T16:57:00.002-06:002012-12-30T16:57:37.790-06:00The $0 StartupI haven't posted in a couple months because I've been busy tinkering with something. And no, it's not <a href="http://readwrite.com/2012/12/03/lets-all-shed-tears-for-the-crappy-startups-that-cant-raise-any-more-money">another crappy startup that can't raise any more money</a>. (BTW, have you read that article? I think it's fabulous. Seriously, go read it. I'll wait.)<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It started with a hackday courtesy of <a href="http://nashville.coderfaire.com/">CoderFaire</a>. The night before, I was thinking how great it would be to to build something I would actually use and somehow involve <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/">FoxyCart</a> and <a href="http://www.twilio.com/">Twilio</a> in the process. I woke up at 5am that morning with an idea and couldn't get back to sleep.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The idea is pretty simple. We all have things we want to change in our lives, and most agree creating new habits (or breaking old ones) is the best way to do it. There are plenty of reminder apps out there, but we're too busy (or too lazy) to set up spreadsheets and track our progress as a form of accountability.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So how about a system that sends you a text message, asks you a simple question you define, and then graphs your replies?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's the basic idea behind <a href="http://trackandremind.me/">Track and Remind Me</a>:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCgoRYBTozc/UM5RnFowvcI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/M1jBcVsLwso/s1600/trackandremindme.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCgoRYBTozc/UM5RnFowvcI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/M1jBcVsLwso/s640/trackandremindme.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fcRBIksQalg/UM5V1yk-rkI/AAAAAAAAAxk/TO8c763lhXA/s1600/trackandremindme_progress.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fcRBIksQalg/UM5V1yk-rkI/AAAAAAAAAxk/TO8c763lhXA/s640/trackandremindme_progress.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's not pretty. Heck, I don't even have a logo yet. But here's the important part:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It cost me nothing to launch this site.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I literally spent $0 getting this hobby site off the ground (and yes, <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2012/08/does-your-business-care-about-profit.html">it's a hobby right now, not a startup</a>). Here are the tools I used:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.foxycart.com/">FoxyCart</a> (free during development)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.twilio.com/">Twilio</a> (also free during development)</li>
<li>PHP (free)</li>
<li>MySQL (free)</li>
<li><a href="http://appfog.com/">AppFog</a> (first 2 gigs of application memory are free)</li>
<li>GoDaddy domain ($10, but I didn't really need this, as AppFog provides a nice, small domain for testing)</li>
<li>phpMyAdmin (free)</li>
<li>DNS (went with a free solution at http://freedns.afraid.org)</li>
<li>Google Apps (free, used for setting up email accounts, though they may be charging $5 a user now)</li>
<li>Bitbucket (a free provider of git)</li>
<li>Eclipse (a free integrated development environment)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.highcharts.com/products/highcharts">Highcharts</a> (I haven't made any money yet, so I still consider this testing a personal project. I'll buy a license and/or use something else when appropriate.)</li>
</ul>
<div>
Of course, nothing is truly "free" when you include the man hours (and I've put in a lot for this). Still, this is a fully functional "idea" that didn't require a penny of funding. As you may know, I've spent the last 5 and half years of my life bootstrapping FoxyCart. There is a place for funding (though I have no personal experience with it), but I also believe many of the "web" ideas floating out there right now should stay as hobbies. There's little point in raising a bunch of money, hiring a bunch of people, and spending 18 months or so to see if anyone cares.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You have nights and weekends just like everyone else. Try putting in some time first to see if your idea sucks. If you're worried someone can copy you and "beat you to the market," then you're probably not solving a very original (or difficult) problem in the first place.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's my advice for someone with a web-based idea:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Be the guy who can actually work on it (i.e. a developer). Don't expect someone to work on your idea for free unless that someone is you.</li>
<li>Solve a real problem you personally need solved (I need a reminder to run at least twice a week).</li>
<li>Think long term. If the problem you're solving won't be around in the future, is it really worth solving? If you're willing to go slow and steady, making many small improvements over time, you're on the right track.</li>
<li>Don't call it a "startup." You have a hobby. Until you see profit, you still have a hobby.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
While we're on the topic, what do you think of my idea?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you like it, hit <a href="http://trackandremind.me/">http://trackandremind.me</a>, set up some questions, and give me some feedback. For a limited time, I've got it adding a 2013 New Year's resolutions coupon to make the whole system free. <a href="http://trackandremind.me/">Check it out!</a> I still have some bugs to fix, but that's all part of the process.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-84232553152499793332012-10-18T09:06:00.000-06:002016-08-13T11:19:22.029-06:00An Autobiography Worth Reading: Benjamin Franklin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0DMx7qXDAmI/UHt1rnXxV4I/AAAAAAAAAwg/aioXA_MrwZE/s1600/benjamin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0DMx7qXDAmI/UHt1rnXxV4I/AAAAAAAAAwg/aioXA_MrwZE/s320/benjamin.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
2016 Edit: This post can now be found on Steemit <a href="https://steemit.com/books/@lukestokes/life-lessons-from-ben-franklin">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I was recently intrigued by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L-s_3b5fRd8">an interview</a> with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk">Elon Musk</a>, one of the most interesting entrepreneurs of our time (more on that some other day). When asked what books inspired him, he mentioned <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin">Ben Franklin</a>'s Autobiography.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My ears perked up immediately. I had just been researching Ben's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junto_(club)">Junto</a> club but never really studied the man himself. Which is strange, considering he founded the very first university in America, one I was privileged to attend.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>I loved this book!</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
I highlighted so many sections, it's kind of funny. I could relate to Mr. Franklin because of the faults he had (he basically ran away from Boston after steam rolling some people), but I was inspired by what he did to change himself. He was a man full of wisdom, inspiration, diligence, and virtue.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'll add some of my favorite quotes below. Hopefully they will inspire you to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00408AZOE/ref=r_soa_w_d">give the book a read</a>. If you're an entrepreneur, I highly recommend it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b>On Communication and Persuasion</b></h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
...retaining only the habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence; never using, when I advanced any thing that may possibly be disputed, the words certainly, undoubtedly, or any others that give the air of positiveness to an opinion; but rather say, I conceive or apprehend a thing to be so and so; it appears to me, or I should think it so or so, for such and such reasons; or I imagine it to be so; or it is so, if I am not mistaken. This habit, I believe, has been of great advantage to me when I have had occasion to inculcate my opinions, and persuade men </blockquote>
<div>
My wife often berates me about communicating my opinion as fact. I really suck at controlling the words I use. I forget how powerful they are. To completely remove words from one's vocabulary is inspiring. I say "good" when I mean "well" at least 10 times a day. Yes, I need to learn the art of thinking before I speak.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When another asserted something that I thought an error, I deny'd myself the pleasure of contradicting him abruptly, and of showing immediately some absurdity in his proposition; and in answering I began by observing that in certain cases or circumstances his opinion would be right, but in the present case there appear'd or seem'd to me some difference, etc.</blockquote>
Speaking of those who love to be contrary:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
...these disputing, contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs. They get victory sometimes, but they never get good will, which would be of more use to them.</blockquote>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The chief ends of conversation are to inform or to be informed, to please or to persuade.</blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If you wish information and improvement from the knowledge of others, and yet at the same time express yourself as firmly fix'd in your present opinions, modest, sensible men, who do not love disputation, will probably leave you undisturbed in the possession of your error.</blockquote>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Men should be taught as if you taught them not, And things unknown propos'd as things forgot;</blockquote>
</div>
<h3>
On Virtues and Self Improvement</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
This quote actually made me LOL:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It was about this time I conceiv'd the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection.</blockquote>
What blew me away further was the systematic process he went through over a period of decades to achieve this goal. The dude made his own spreadsheets on paper! The virtues he pursued were:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Temperance.</b> Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.</li>
<li><b>Silence. </b>Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.</li>
<li><b>Order.</b> Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.</li>
<li><b>Resolution.</b> Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.</li>
<li><b>Frugality.</b> Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.</li>
<li><b>Industry.</b> Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.</li>
<li><b>Sincerity.</b> Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.</li>
<li><b>Justice.</b> Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.</li>
<li><b>Moderation.</b> Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.</li>
<li><b>Cleanliness.</b> Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.</li>
<li><b>Tranquility.</b> Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.</li>
<li><b>Chastity.</b> Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.</li>
<li><b>Humility.</b> Imitate Jesus and Socrates. </li>
</ol>
<br />
<b> It's safe to say Ben Franklin helped change the world. Those 13 virtues may explain why.</b><br />
<br />
Throughout the book, he mentions many vices, but I found it interesting he specifically called out debt:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
...which exposes a man to confinement, and a species of slavery to his creditors.</blockquote>
Dave Ramsey and <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%2022:7&version=NASB">Proverbs 22:7</a> would agree.<br />
<br />
<h3>
On Pride and Humility</h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.</blockquote>
Battling my pride (which goes hand-in-hand with my man-pleasing and insecurities) is a constant activity. Glad to know I'm not the only one.<br />
<br />
<h3>
On Reverence to God</h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And now I speak of thanking God, I desire with all humility to acknowledge that I owe the mentioned happiness of my past life to His kind providence, which lead me to the means I used and gave them success.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"O powerful Goodness! bountiful Father! merciful Guide! increase in me that wisdom which discovers my truest interest. strengthen my resolutions to perform what that wisdom dictates. Accept my kind offices to thy other children as the only return in my power for thy continual favors to me."</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
That there is one God, who made all things. "That he governs the world by his providence. "That he ought to be worshiped by adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving. "But that the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man. "That the soul is immortal. "And that God will certainly reward virtue and punish vice either here or hereafter."</blockquote>
<h3>
On Entrepreneurship</h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, and accomplish great affairs among mankind, if he first forms a good plan, and, cutting off all amusements or other employments that would divert his attention, makes the execution of that same plan his sole study and business.</blockquote>
He'd probably agree with Dave Ramsey who often says the only ship that doesn't sail is a partnership, though Ben does give me hope that it can be done when communicating expectations is made a priority.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Partnerships often finish in quarrels; but I was happy in this, that mine were all carried on and ended amicably, owing, I think, a good deal to the precaution of having very explicitly settled, in our articles, every thing to be done by or expected from each partner, so that there was nothing to dispute, which precaution I would therefore recommend to all who enter into partnerships; for, whatever esteem partners may have for, and confidence in each other at the time of the contract, little jealousies and disgusts may arise, with ideas of inequality in the care and burden of the business, etc., which are attended often with breach of friendship and of the connection, perhaps with lawsuits and other disagreeable consequences.</blockquote>
Oh, and he had an opinion on patents too:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
That, as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously.</blockquote>
I could probably go on and on... but you get the idea. It's a good book by an incredible man.<br />
<br />
I'm amazed at how many areas of our daily life Ben Franklin influenced. Like him, I also want to make a difference in the world and be significant. Learning what worked for him seems like a good place to start.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<i style="font-weight: normal;">What have you read recently that has inspired you?</i></h2>
<br />
<h2>
<i style="font-weight: normal;">What other autobiographies would you recommend?</i></h2>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-19542212620738280642012-10-13T16:45:00.000-06:002012-10-15T07:57:43.580-06:00My Friend, the PoliticianIf you're like me, you might agree politics is not the answer for much of anything. On any given day, the decisions I make impact myself and my family more than any politician or government program.<br />
<br />
In fact, mostly I just want them to stay out of my way and let me run my business.<br />
<br />
A few years ago, I got really frustrated with politics in general and urged people to <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-take-our-country-back.html">take our country back</a> from the corruption in Washington. I still believe neighbors helping neighbors through churches and non-profits will always be more effective than any bureaucratic government plan.<br />
<br />
To be honest, at one point I probably lost hope in the political system as a valid means of bringing about positive change or making an actual difference in people's lives. I have friends that are political, and I've cheered them on at a distance, but, more recently in fact, I've become more aware of just how difficult a job it is to get elected or be a public servant.<br />
<br />
My friend <a href="http://voteclaybaker.com/About_Ben/">Ben Claybaker</a> has helped me realize that. He's running for State Representative for <a href="http://www.capitol.tn.gov/House/committees/redist/HouseDist53.pdf">district 53</a> here in Tennessee. My wife and I have known Ben and his wife Elizabeth for a long time. We actually knew Elizabeth back when we lived in California and she attended UCLA. Ben's the real deal. A small business owner who believes in limited government, cutting taxes, and improving education (which, by the way, makes an area more attractive for business owners, their employees and their families).<br />
<br />
Ben won his party's nomination. He and his wife have worked hard. I mean, really hard. I know something about hard work having built my own business over the past 5 years, 4 of which while working a full-time job. He's been working a marathon of making phone calls, attending events, and knocking on doors.<br />
<br />
Unlike all of the opponents he's faced in this election, he's lived here for 6 years. I hear the other dude owns a house somewhere else and is renting here just for this election.<br />
<br />
Last week I helped knock on doors for Ben and let the swing voters know why I support him. I got to see first hand just how hard he's been working day after day for months. He's doing it because he has a passion to serve his community, and he believes it's part of his calling and responsibility. I'm inspired by my friend who is living his life on purpose.<br />
<br />
He's given me hope for politics. He's helped me believe, at least on the local level, that one man with a passion can make a difference.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t6aXasJlBj4/UHnoM4cDrcI/AAAAAAAAAwI/mHddBOjYHiw/s1600/ben_and_bill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t6aXasJlBj4/UHnoM4cDrcI/AAAAAAAAAwI/mHddBOjYHiw/s400/ben_and_bill.jpg" width="300" /></a>Today, my family had the privilege of attending one of Ben's events in Lenox Village which is just down the street from our house. The kids had a blast (bounce house, cookies, and gelato), but I also enjoyed meeting <a href="http://www.tn.gov/governor/">Governor Bill Haslam</a> who was there to support Ben (that's him in the picture). Gov. Haslam told some funny stories but also reminded me how close of a race this is. He recommended we each get a list of 10 people in our minds and make sure they vote for Ben this election. I'm hoping this blog post will help us do that.<br />
<br />
If you're in <a href="http://www.capitol.tn.gov/House/committees/redist/HouseDist53.pdf">district 53</a>, and you want to be proud of your representative, please vote for Ben and ask your friends and neighbors to do the same. Share this post with them or have them contact me if they want someone to vouch for his character.<br />
<br />
Not all politicians are evil. I had to see one of my friends first hand working his tail off to realize that. If you're like me, fed up with politicians and politics (especially on the national and presidential levels), try getting to know your local representatives. If you can't find anyone with integrity in your local office, consider running yourself. It's a lot harder to complain about a problem when you're the one willing to fix it.<br />
<br />
I hope this post encourages Ben and lets him know how proud his friends are of what he's doing. I hope on November 6th, more people will be introduced to him as our new representative and maybe, just maybe, find hope in the system again.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-51784408127155838942012-09-25T10:24:00.001-06:002012-09-25T10:24:32.088-06:00The Hypermedia Debate at FoxyCart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://files.www.foxycart.com/blog/the-hypermedia-debate/shark-with-lasers-process-s350x259.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://files.www.foxycart.com/blog/the-hypermedia-debate/shark-with-lasers-process-s350x259.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>All I want are sharks with frickin laser beams on their heads!</b><br />
<br />
Many of my geek friends know I've been working for most of this year on a new REST API for FoxyCart. It's been a long, sometimes painful process but I'm learning a TON. It's really challenged me to grow as a developer and that's a Really Good Thing (tm).<br />
<br />
Just last night I put up <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/the-hypermedia-debate#.UGHWJI1lQf7">a post over at FoxyCart.com</a> opening up the discussion we're having concerning media types for our new API. If you're into that sort of thing or you've enjoyed my previous post about <a href="http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2012/02/restful-resources-required-reading.html">RESTful Resources Required Reading</a>, come join the discussion. We'd love to have your input.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.foxycart.com/blog/the-hypermedia-debate#.UGHWJI1lQf7">The Hypermedia Debate</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-44679221974090808002012-08-31T07:53:00.001-06:002012-08-31T08:04:36.880-06:00The Other Side of the Booth<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0-szjQNpk2A/UEC9-41_EwI/AAAAAAAAAuw/4N1bNrGKUKg/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0-szjQNpk2A/UEC9-41_EwI/AAAAAAAAAuw/4N1bNrGKUKg/s1600/logo.png" /></a>
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending <a href="http://nashville.coderfaire.com/">CoderFaire Nashville</a>. I've been to a lot of great conferences, but this one was different for me on a few levels:<br />
<ol>
<li>My good friends <a href="http://www.twitter.com/calevans">Cal Evans</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jacques_thekit">Jacques Woodcock</a> organized the event which made me feel like an "insider." </li>
<li>I got to see my friends speak, and they were all really good! <a href="https://twitter.com/timmoses">Tim Moses</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ramsey">Ben Ramsey</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonamyers">Jason Myers</a>, Eli Tapolcsanyi (say that name 10 times fast!), <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jimsiegienski">Jim Siegienski</a> ("Jimski"), <a href="https://twitter.com/jonshearer">Jon Shearer</a>... loved them all. I missed <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinmpowell">Kevin Powell</a> and other friends, but I heard they did great as well. </li>
<li>My business partner, <a href="https://twitter.com/brettflorio">Brett Florio</a>, flew in from California so we got to enjoy the conference together.</li>
<li>My company, <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/">FoxyCart</a>, was a lab sponsor.</li>
</ol>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjOsZT5AJww/UEC-G7iJy9I/AAAAAAAAAu4/iRiuSxICizQ/s1600/brett_booth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjOsZT5AJww/UEC-G7iJy9I/AAAAAAAAAu4/iRiuSxICizQ/s320/brett_booth.jpg" width="320" /></a>
Let me start off by saying the conference was a huge success. The Nashville development community has been growing like crazy and desperately needed their own conference event. There's been a lot of back and forth on social media about BarCamp, PodCamp, and other conferences some argue have been "taken over" by marketing professionals. Regardless of that debate, there was no denying what CoderFaire was all about.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5ODH7glsmo/UEC-VKW-NLI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/bwhxVLfRnr0/s1600/cal_jester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5ODH7glsmo/UEC-VKW-NLI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/bwhxVLfRnr0/s320/cal_jester.jpg" width="214" /></a>
For a first year conference, I was amazed at the turnout, the quality, and the smoothness with which everything was done. The result was a testimony to Cal's many years of conference experience combined with Jacques, Kathy and the volunteer team's pursuit of excellence.<br />
<br />
Well done!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-au9XTU5EJMY/UEC-Pl0e1II/AAAAAAAAAvA/JiNjkN-AnBs/s1600/luke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-au9XTU5EJMY/UEC-Pl0e1II/AAAAAAAAAvA/JiNjkN-AnBs/s320/luke.jpg" width="320" /></a>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Os-zhtZkn6E/UEC-UV-ppMI/AAAAAAAAAvI/IPH_-mIuE-w/s1600/brett_kevin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Os-zhtZkn6E/UEC-UV-ppMI/AAAAAAAAAvI/IPH_-mIuE-w/s320/brett_kevin.jpg" width="320" /></a>
But that's not really what this blog post is about. I wanted to highlight #4 above. I've been to a few conferences now (JavaOne, AdobeMax, Shop.org, PHP Tek, BarCamp, PodCamp, etc), and I usually follow the unspoken rule when it comes to vendor tables: Get in, get your free <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/swag#Etymology_3">swag</a>, get out, and, no matter what, <b>do not make eye contact!</b><br />
<br />
No one likes to be poorly marketed to. It makes you feel like a roast pig on a spit.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUk38XQ_ulA/UEC-WOd8K8I/AAAAAAAAAvg/222ZeD5TBoM/s1600/luke_wolski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUk38XQ_ulA/UEC-WOd8K8I/AAAAAAAAAvg/222ZeD5TBoM/s320/luke_wolski.jpg" width="320" /></a>For the first time ever, I was on the other side of the vendor booth. FoxyCart was a proud sponsor of CoderFaire. Look, we bought a banner and everything! We're a real company now! (after only 5 short years). The genius of the setup was we weren't allowed to "sell." We were lab partners, there to answer questions about our service and equip others to build awesome.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-34BN6ywDE8Q/UEC-VlM0ShI/AAAAAAAAAvY/gqAxdOxhJpY/s1600/jason_phil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-34BN6ywDE8Q/UEC-VlM0ShI/AAAAAAAAAvY/gqAxdOxhJpY/s320/jason_phil.jpg" width="320" /></a>
This is the way it should be done. Vendors should think of their conference presence as an opportunity to serve their community in person. To put a human face on the awesome support they already give, day in and day out.<br />
<br />
I think we've all been trained by bad vendor booths. People hawking their products and services to anyone and everyone: bribing you with a t-shirt and shaming you for not signing up for the newsletter.<br />
<br />
Cal and Jacques: <strong>Thank you.</strong><br />
<br />
Thank you for showing us all something different. It's hard being on the other side of the booth. It's hard to get past that unspoken rule and let coders know, "We're here to help. Really." But you made it possible.<br />
<br />
We had some great conversations and hopefully sparked the beginnings of some new partnerships. The feedback I got at Tuesday night's <a href="http://www.facebook.com/nashcocktail">NashCocktail</a> and last night's <a href="http://www.facebook.com/centresource/events">CentreSource Interactive Mixer</a> from CoderFaire attendees was incredible.<br />
<br />
They loved that we, as a vendor, were there for them. We participated in the hackthon (more about that later... I'm going to turn that thing into a business). We attended sessions and asked questions. We, as developers, were part of the community, not a parasite feeding on it.<br />
<br />
The next time you attend a conference, look for the vendors that genuinely want to serve you. Thank them for being there. Tell them you enjoy doing business with real people who care about their customers.<br />
<br />
I know it will mean a lot to them because the feedback we've gotten has meant a lot to us.<br />
<br />
<i>(Note: All of these pictures were blatantly stolen from Cal and Jacques. They both know where I live, so they can come beat me up if they don't like me using them).
</i><br />
<br />
Did you attend CoderFaire? If so, what did you think?<br />
<br />
Got an interesting conference story involving vendors? Please share it in the comments!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-40325972083617917092012-08-21T16:41:00.001-06:002016-08-27T10:16:22.572-06:00Does Your Business Care About Profit?<b>2016-08-27 Edit:</b> A version of <a href="https://steemit.com/business/@lukestokes/are-you-building-a-business-or-a-hobby">this post now lives on Steemit</a>! Join up and give it a vote.<br />
<br />
Q: Why do companies fail?<br />
A: Because they don't have any money.<br />
<br />
Q: Why not?<br />
A: They spent it all. There was a bucket they pulled from to do their business, and that bucket is empty.<br />
<br />
Q: How do you keep the bucket from going empty?<br />
A: Profit<br />
<br />
Profit is an ancient, seemingly forgotten equation that many Internet startups have never known. Centuries, even millennia, of business wisdom have followed this simple idea:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Profit = Revenue - Expenses</span></div>
<br />
(Sure, you can get more complicated by calculating your break even point, analyzing fixed costs, variable costs, marginal revenue, equilibrium price, supply and demand, etc... but let's just keep things simple).<br />
<br />
<b>If you don't have profit, you might just have a hobby.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
If you convince others to invest in your hobby or buy it completely, it may be a ponzi scheme.<br />
<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
RT <a href="https://twitter.com/blumarten"><s>@</s><b>blumarten</b></a>: Five million people in Silicon Valley walk into a bar. No one buys anything. Bar is declared a roaring success and files...<br />
— Luke Stokes (@lukestokes) <a data-datetime="2012-08-02T20:15:16+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/lukestokes/status/231121005475676161">August 2, 2012</a></blockquote>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</center>
<br />
I'm concerned for my industry. For some reason, it seems we didn't learn from the dot-com bubble. We somehow think if we get enough people "interested" it will make up for not delivering real value. The service provided to the customers should have real value. Someone should be willing to be pay for it (customers, preferably, but advertisers get in the game as well).<br />
<br />
If "going public" or "selling the company" is your company's only strategy for making money, it might be worth asking, "Are we bringing real value to our customers?" If you're pouring your heart and soul into building something, make sure it's something that will last. Make it something people are willing to pay for. Work hard to keep it that way.<br />
<br />
Don't pull money out of a bucket to run your business. Instead, do something awesome your customers will tell their friends about. Meet real needs in the marketplace and continue to evolve as the needs change.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RTINFG/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb">Rabbi Daniel Lapin</a> calls a dollar bill a "certificate of appreciation."<br />
<br />
<b>Your doors are kept open by the appreciation of your customers.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Do something worth appreciating.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
It won't be easy, and it won't happen overnight. In fact, it will probably take years of trial and error.<br />
<b><br /></b><a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/">Dave Ramsey</a> talks often about losing it all. After becoming a young millionaire, he went completely broke. He then spent years meeting with and learning from millionaires, decamillionaires and a few billionaires about how to do things right. The recurring theme he saw over and over again can be explained in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tortoise_and_the_Hare">children's book</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>The tortoise always beats the hare.</b><br />
<br />
Warren Buffet (quoting Fred Brooks from the Mythical Man Month) said it well: "You can't produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant."<br />
<br />
Spend the time to grow your business the right way. Meet needs, deliver value, and profit.<br />
<br />
This post may rub some people the wrong way. It's just my opinion. I welcome yours in the comments below.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>P.S.</i> I can't tell you how thankful I am for our <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/">FoxyCart</a> customers. They have given us their appreciation and referrals since 2007. Serving them is the reason our company exists. I'm glad we spent our time in the hobby stage because we focused on the needs first. We're now a sustainable business meeting real needs for thousands of people, and I feel like we're just getting started.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-8603413634206839322012-08-06T08:22:00.000-06:002012-08-06T08:24:47.980-06:00Curious About CuriosityWhen shuttles tragically fail, Hubble can't take pictures, or missions don't go to plan, I hear friends talking about how we should redirect NASA funding to feed the hungry.<br />
<br />
With the success of Curiosity's landing last night, now I hear calls to increase their funding.<br />
<br />
I guess we Americans just want to celebrate success.<br />
<br />
<b>Don't forget, failures always line the path to great accomplishments.</b><br />
<br />
As for my opinion, I don't think we would have been given such a big backyard if we weren't meant to explore it. I believe these moments will mark the timeline of humanity while many other things will be long forgotten.<br />
<br />
What's your opinion?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988392.post-89703427149445442752012-07-31T16:39:00.000-06:002012-08-01T19:10:59.667-06:00A Test Story for Those Who Don't Like Writing Tests<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C8i5AblTNag/UBdsaPY7C7I/AAAAAAAAAuI/jFxXVlO2-PQ/s1600/IMG_1813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C8i5AblTNag/UBdsaPY7C7I/AAAAAAAAAuI/jFxXVlO2-PQ/s320/IMG_1813.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Without tests, eventually you'll fall down.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My first experience with unit tests sucked. It involved a Java ecommerce bohemoth with good "test coverage" along with more bugs than should be ethically allowed in a commercial product. The company admitted it was one of the worst versions they had ever released (and supposedly some people lost their jobs over it), but the net result was me thinking unit tests were useless. If the same team who wrote the crappy code also wrote the tests, how helpful could they be?<br />
<br />
So I decided to just write production code and leave the tests to people with too much time on their hands and no customers to serve.<br />
<br />
Yes, that was me being arrogant, ignorant, and stupid. The tests weren't the problem. They just didn't have tests to cover the issues we were finding.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SdWWh8hOkZg/UBdtD338inI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/gYLBW5BTDr8/s1600/IMG_4219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SdWWh8hOkZg/UBdtD338inI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/gYLBW5BTDr8/s320/IMG_4219.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With tests, you have a chance to stay standing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Years went by, and I got along fairly well. But then I started building something complex. Really complex. A fully RESTful API. It quickly got out of hand. I needed the ability to refactor a major controller for the whole system and know with confidence a change in one place wasn't breaking something else.<br />
<br />
Going with <a href="http://silex.sensiolabs.org/">Silex</a> and their Symphony <a href="http://silex.sensiolabs.org/doc/testing.html#webtestcase">WebTestCase</a> pushed me over the edge. Their createClient method helped me quickly test my whole API from end to end. I had no excuses not to write tests. 803 tests and 2,289 assertions later, I'm completely sold on testing.<br />
<br />
The story I'm about to tell would have helped the earlier version of me get on board faster and may help you or a colleague finally write those neglected tests.<br />
<br />
During what had to be a "Gee, I wonder if this quick hack will work" coding session, I added an attributes table to our system for transactions, customers and subscriptions. I was lazy, so I made a dumb decision and created a name/value table with transaction_id, subscription_id and customer_id fields. Why would we ever need more attributes, right? ;-)<br />
<br />
I usually make long-lasting database design decisions, but this was admittedly pretty lame.<br />
<br />
So the time came to add more attributes to products, shipments, users, clients, and stores. I knew to do things "right" would involve a database schema change, and it could impact live stores if I screwed up. Most everything we do is versioned in <a href="http://www.foxycart.com/">FoxyCart</a>, so what you get today is what you'll have tomorrow. The catch is, all of the versions we support use the same data model.<br />
<br />
<b>Testing to the rescue!</b><br />
<br />
The updated table was going to use foreign_key_id and type fields to keep track of the various attributes. The existing versions expect attribute data to be organized in a very specific way. Here's how I went about making the changes without screwing anyone up:<br />
<br />
<b>Step 1: Write tests for how it works today.</b><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ideally you're all hard-core with test driven development, and you wrote your tests before you even started building anything. But if that's you, this isn't your story. You're the guy who is "too busy" to write tests and would rather write code that "meets real needs" in the marketplace.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Am I right?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So I wrote 27 tests with 35 assertions on everything the current class object handled. This included outputting to XML for our API, updating and saving objects, and the like. Keep in mind, this was a real time investment.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Step 2: Break it all.</b><br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>
<div>
Once I had everything working, I went ahead and made my database changes in development and refactored all the code. Now almost all of my wonderful new tests failed. Some methods had been renamed or completely removed, others were slightly re-purposed or adjusted. I made a copy of the test file and went to work on it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Step 3: Mindless coding for speed and profit.</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It wasn't exactly test driven development, but this approach made my job so easy. The tests literally told me which line to fix next. Going through and tweaking the code was almost mindless. I can't tell you how many times I said, "Oh, yeah. That doesn't work that way anymore. That's a quick fix."</div>
<br />
Soon I had things green across the board again with my new tests against the new class with a new table structure. I was stoked.<br />
<br />
Things clicked for me. I got a greater understanding for the power of proper test coverage. I could now confidently roll out a significant change (with a required data migration step) and know our users wouldn't be impacted because the inputs and outputs of the class were verified to be exactly the same as they were prior to the change.<br />
<br />
So here's my challenge to you, like the me-of-old, who isn't writing test code:<br />
<br />
<b>Start today.</b><br />
<br />
Start with the very next thing you have to code. At first it will be painful, and you'll think you're "wasting time." Trust me, you aren't. Ask anyone who's worked on a lot of real code for more than a few years, and they will most likely back me up on this. You may have gotten by this long because you haven't been faced with a real challenge or you haven't had to fully realize the extent of your current technical debt.<br />
<br />
Once you get a taste of the confidence you can have in your system and future changes to it, you'll wonder (as I have) how you got by for so long without writing tests.<br />
<br />
Do you write tests (unit, functional, PHPUnit, Selenium, etc)? Why or why not?<br />
<br />
P. S.: I know the pictures in the post really have nothing to do with it, but I needed excuse to post them somewhere. :) I got a bunch of cool shots from surfing last week. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151115591875568.486388.750870567&type=3&l=48dee5ed6b">Check 'em out.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483822088793905847noreply@blogger.com4