2024-05-19 18:46:53
by npub1g7t…730z
A vida na sociedade baseia-se na aceitação geral e costumeira de certos princípios tácitos, que servem de critério de julgamento nos instantes de confrontação e dúvida. É o que Antonio Gramsci, dando ao termo uma conotação peculiar, denominava “senso comum”.
O próprio Gramsci reconhecia que o senso comum predominante nas nações ocidentais refletia, grosso modo, a cosmovisão cristã, mesmo em versão laicizada e amputada de quaisquer referências religiosas.
A demolição desse senso comum tornou-se desde os anos 60 o objetivo prioritário do combate cultural revolucionário. Mas nem de longe imaginem que “combate cultural” significa uma luta de ideias, uma disputa entre eruditos. Não significa nem mesmo propaganda ou “doutrinação”.
As pessoas que me escrevem queixando-se da “doutrinação esquerdista” que seus filhos recebem nas escolas, venho há anos tentando explicar que os bons tempos da doutrinação e da propaganda já acabaram, que há décadas o sistema educacional ameaça a integridade mental das nossas crianças com algo de bem mais perverso e temível: um conjunto de técnicas de manipulação comportamental que permitem moldar ou modificar atitudes e hábitos diretamente, sem passar pela inculcação de idéias e crenças, isto é, sem qualquer apelo ao pensamento consciente.
Já falei disso no meu livro de 1996, O Jardim das Aflições, e recentemente a Vide Editorial publicou, a conselho meu, a obra-padrão sobre o assunto: Maquiavel Pedagogo ou O Ministério da Reforma Psicológica, de Pascal Bernardin.
A doutrinação comunista clássica baseava-se nas artes da dialética, da retórica e da propaganda, e procurava inculcar na mente do público uma concepção do mundo, da história e da política, o que não era possível sem mostrá-la como alternativa a alguma concepção concorrente, alimentando discussões.
As novas técnicas não têm nada a ver com retórica e propaganda. Baseiam-se inteiramente nas chamadas “ciências da gestão”: engenharia social, marketing, gerenciamento, psicologia comportamental, programação neurolinguística, Storytelling, Social Learning e Reality Building.
Um dos efeitos mais diretos da aplicação dessas técnicas em escala de massas é a disseminação epidêmica de um estado crônico de “dissonância cognitiva”, um quadro mental descrito pioneiramente por Leon Festinger em 1957. Dissonância cognitiva é conflito entre as crenças e a conduta.
Dissonâncias cognitivas temporárias são normais e até desejáveis no desenvolvimento humano. Quando o quadro se torna crônico, rompe-se a unidade da consciência moral e o indivíduo tem de buscar fora dele mesmo, na aprovação grupal ou na repetição de slogans ideológicos, um sucedâneo da integridade perdida. Ao espalhar-se entre a população, a incapacidade de julgar realisticamente a própria conduta resulta na queda geral do nível de moralidade, assim como na disseminação concomitante da criminalidade e das condutas destrutivas, mas isso, segundo os engenheiros sociais, é um preço módico a pagar pela dissolução do senso comum e pela implantação dos novos modelos de conduta desejados.
Olavo de Carvalho
2024-05-19 18:45:11
by npub1zyg…m36h
Yuck: Slack has been scanning your messages to train its AI models
https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fos%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2024-05%2Fc9fb70d0-1476-11ef-9a35-477d7506414a&resize=1400%2C787&client=19f2b5e49a271b2bde77&signature=b73bdca5d4bc5525eeb8ccc619008c238a6b709a
Slack trains machine-learning models on user messages, files and other content without explicit permission. The training is opt-out, meaning your private data will be leeched by default. Making matters worse, you’ll have to ask your organization’s Slack admin (human resources, IT, etc.) to email the company to ask it to stop. (You can’t do it yourself.) Welcome to the dark side of the new AI training data gold rush.
Corey Quinn, an executive at DuckBill Group, spotted the policy in a blurb in Slack’s Privacy Principles and posted about it on X (via PCMag). The section reads (emphasis ours), “To develop AI/ML models, our systems analyze Customer Data (e.g. messages, content, and files) submitted to Slack as well as Other Information (including usage information) as defined in our Privacy Policy and in your customer agreement.”
In response to concerns over the practice, Slack published a blog post on Friday evening to clarify how its customers’ data is used. According to the company, customer data is not used to train any of Slack’s generative AI products — which it relies on third-party LLMs for — but is fed to its machine learning models for products “like channel and emoji recommendations and search results.” For those applications, the post says, “Slack’s traditional ML models use de-identified, aggregate data and do not access message content in DMs, private channels, or public channels.”
A Salesforce spokesperson reiterated this in a statement to Engadget, also saying that “we do not build or train these models in such a way that they could learn, memorize, or be able to reproduce customer data.”
I'm sorry Slack, you're doing fucking WHAT with user DMs, messages, files, etc? I'm positive I'm not reading this correctly. pic.twitter.com/6ORZNS2RxC
— Corey Quinn (@QuinnyPig) May 16, 2024
The opt-out process requires you to do all the work to protect your data. According to the privacy notice, “To opt out, please have your Org or Workspace Owners or Primary Owner contact our Customer Experience team at [email protected] with your Workspace/Org URL and the subject line ‘Slack Global model opt-out request.’ We will process your request and respond once the opt out has been completed.”
The company replied to Quinn’s message on X: “To clarify, Slack has platform-level machine-learning models for things like channel and emoji recommendations and search results. And yes, customers can exclude their data from helping train those (non-generative) ML models.”
How long ago the Salesforce-owned company snuck the tidbit into its terms is unclear. It’s misleading, at best, to say customers can opt out when “customers” doesn’t include employees working within an organization. They have to ask whoever handles Slack access at their business to do that — and I hope they will oblige.
Inconsistencies in Slack’s privacy policies add to the confusion. One section states, “When developing Al/ML models or otherwise analyzing Customer Data, Slack can’t access the underlying content. We have various technical measures preventing this from occurring.” However, the machine-learning model training policy seemingly contradicts this statement, leaving plenty of room for confusion.
In addition, Slack’s webpage marketing its premium generative AI tools reads, “Work without worry. Your data is your data. We don’t use it to train Slack AI. Everything runs on Slack’s secure infrastructure, meeting the same compliance standards as Slack itself.”
In this case, the company is speaking of its premium generative AI tools, separate from the machine learning models it’s training on without explicit permission. However, as PCMag notes, implying that all of your data is safe from AI training is, at best, a highly misleading statement when the company apparently gets to pick and choose which AI models that statement covers.
Update, May 18 2024, 3:24 PM ET: This story has been updated to include additional information from Slack, which published a blog post explaining its practices in response to the community's concerns.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/yuck-slack-has-been-scanning-your-messages-to-train-its-ai-models-181918245.html?src=rss
https://www.engadget.com/yuck-slack-has-been-scanning-your-messages-to-train-its-ai-models-181918245.html?src=rss
2024-05-19 18:19:16
- reply
by npub1g7t…730z
A vida na sociedade baseia-se na aceitação geral e costumeira de certos princípios tácitos, que servem de critério de julgamento nos instantes de confrontação e dúvida. É o que Antonio Gramsci, dando ao termo uma conotação peculiar, denominava “senso comum”.
O próprio Gramsci reconhecia que o senso comum predominante nas nações ocidentais refletia, grosso modo, a cosmovisão cristã, mesmo em versão laicizada e amputada de quaisquer referências religiosas.
A demolição desse senso comum tornou-se desde os anos 60 o objetivo prioritário do combate cultural revolucionário. Mas nem de longe imaginem que “combate cultural” significa uma luta de ideias, uma disputa entre eruditos. Não significa nem mesmo propaganda ou “doutrinação”.
As pessoas que me escrevem queixando-se da “doutrinação esquerdista” que seus filhos recebem nas escolas, venho há anos tentando explicar que os bons tempos da doutrinação e da propaganda já acabaram, que há décadas o sistema educacional ameaça a integridade mental das nossas crianças com algo de bem mais perverso e temível: um conjunto de técnicas de manipulação comportamental que permitem moldar ou modificar atitudes e hábitos diretamente, sem passar pela inculcação de idéias e crenças, isto é, sem qualquer apelo ao pensamento consciente.
Já falei disso no meu livro de 1996, O Jardim das Aflições, e recentemente a Vide Editorial publicou, a conselho meu, a obra-padrão sobre o assunto: Maquiavel Pedagogo ou O Ministério da Reforma Psicológica, de Pascal Bernardin.
A doutrinação comunista clássica baseava-se nas artes da dialética, da retórica e da propaganda, e procurava inculcar na mente do público uma concepção do mundo, da história e da política, o que não era possível sem mostrá-la como alternativa a alguma concepção concorrente, alimentando discussões.
As novas técnicas não têm nada a ver com retórica e propaganda. Baseiam-se inteiramente nas chamadas “ciências da gestão”: engenharia social, marketing, gerenciamento, psicologia comportamental, programação neurolinguística, Storytelling, Social Learning e Reality Building.
Um dos efeitos mais diretos da aplicação dessas técnicas em escala de massas é a disseminação epidêmica de um estado crônico de “dissonância cognitiva”, um quadro mental descrito pioneiramente por Leon Festinger em 1957. Dissonância cognitiva é conflito entre as crenças e a conduta.
Dissonâncias cognitivas temporárias são normais e até desejáveis no desenvolvimento humano. Quando o quadro se torna crônico, rompe-se a unidade da consciência moral e o indivíduo tem de buscar fora dele mesmo, na aprovação grupal ou na repetição de slogans ideológicos, um sucedâneo da integridade perdida. Ao espalhar-se entre a população, a incapacidade de julgar realisticamente a própria conduta resulta na queda geral do nível de moralidade, assim como na disseminação concomitante da criminalidade e das condutas destrutivas, mas isso, segundo os engenheiros sociais, é um preço módico a pagar pela dissolução do senso comum e pela implantação dos novos modelos de conduta desejados.
Olavo de Carvalho
2024-05-19 17:04:41
by npub1qgv…vt5h
Lesson 139
I will accept Atonement for myself.
1. Here is the end of choice. ²For here we come to a decision to accept ourselves as God created us. ³And what is choice except uncertainty of what we are? ⁴There is no doubt that is not rooted here. ⁵There is no question but reflects this one. ⁶There is no conflict that does not entail the single, simple question, “What am I?”
2. Yet who could ask this question except one who has refused to recognize himself? ²Only refusal to accept yourself could make the question seem to be sincere. ³The only thing that can be surely known by any living thing is what it is. ⁴From this one point of certainty, it looks on other things as certain as itself.
3. Uncertainty about what you must be is self-deception on a scale so vast, its magnitude can hardly be conceived. ²To be alive and not to know yourself is to believe that you are really dead. ³For what is life except to be yourself, and what but you can be alive instead? ⁴Who is the doubter? ⁵What is it he doubts? ⁶Whom does he question? ⁷Who can answer him?
4. He merely states that he is not himself, and therefore, being something else, becomes a questioner of what that something is. ²Yet he could never be alive at all unless he knew the answer. ³If he asks as if he does not know, it merely shows he does not want to be the thing he is. ⁴He has accepted it because he lives; has judged against it and denied its worth, and has decided that he does not know the only certainty by which he lives.
5. Thus he becomes uncertain of his life, for what it is has been denied by him. ²It is for this denial that you need Atonement. ³Your denial made no change in what you are. ⁴But you have split your mind into what knows and does not know the truth. ⁵You are yourself. ⁶There is no doubt of this. ⁷And yet you doubt it. ⁸But you do not ask what part of you can really doubt yourself. ⁹It cannot really be a part of you that asks this question. ¹⁰For it asks of one who knows the answer. ¹¹Were it part of you, then certainty would be impossible.
6. Atonement remedies the strange idea that it is possible to doubt yourself, and be unsure of what you really are. ²This is the depth of madness. ³Yet it is the universal question of the world. ⁴What does this mean except the world is mad? ⁵Why share its madness in the sad belief that what is universal here is true?
7. Nothing the world believes is true. ²It is a place whose purpose is to be a home where those who claim they do not know themselves can come to question what it is they are. ³And they will come again until the time Atonement is accepted, and they learn it is impossible to doubt yourself, and not to be aware of what you are.
8. Only acceptance can be asked of you, for what you are is certain. ²It is set forever in the holy Mind of God, and in your own. ³It is so far beyond all doubt and question that to ask what it must be is all the proof you need to show that you believe the contradiction that you know not what you cannot fail to know. ⁴Is this a question, or a statement which denies itself in statement? ⁵Let us not allow our holy minds to occupy themselves with senseless musings such as this.
9. We have a mission here. ²We did not come to reinforce the madness that we once believed in. ³Let us not forget the goal that we accepted. ⁴It is more than just our happiness alone we came to gain. ⁵What we accept as what we are proclaims what everyone must be, along with us. ⁶Fail not your brothers, or you fail yourself. ⁷Look lovingly on them, that they may know that they are part of you, and you of them.
10. This does Atonement teach, and demonstrates the Oneness of God’s Son is unassailed by his belief he knows not what he is. ²Today accept Atonement, not to change reality, but merely to accept the truth about yourself, and go your way rejoicing in the endless Love of God. ³It is but this that we are asked to do. ⁴It is but this that we will do today.
11. Five minutes in the morning and at night we will devote to dedicate our minds to our assignment for today. ²We start with this review of what our mission is:
³I will accept Atonement for myself, for I remain as God created me.
⁴We have not lost the knowledge that God gave to us when He created us like Him. ⁵We can remember it for everyone, for in creation are all minds as one. ⁶And in our memory is the recall how dear our brothers are to us in truth, how much a part of us is every mind, how faithful they have really been to us, and how our Father’s Love contains them all.
12. In thanks for all creation, in the Name of its Creator and His Oneness with all aspects of creation, we repeat our dedication to our cause today each hour, as we lay aside all thoughts that would distract us from our holy aim. ²For several minutes let your mind be cleared of all the foolish cobwebs which the world would weave around the holy Son of God. ³And learn the fragile nature of the chains that seem to keep the knowledge of yourself apart from your awareness, as you say:
⁴I will accept Atonement for myself, for I remain as God created me.
https://acim.org/acim/lesson-139/i-will-accept-atonement-for-myself/en/s/544
2024-05-19 16:39:44
by npub1356…805u
This is my post on whether you are ready for the rapture.
https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/will-you-shrink-away-in-shame
Will You Shrink Away in Shame?Left Behind: Part 3
MAY 19, 2024
This post, although I’m including it as part of the Left Behind series, is not directly about the End Times, but I feel I need to add this to it because in the end times, our relationship with Jesus (or lack thereof) determines everything. Are we saved or unsaved? Have we trusted Jesus or not trusted Jesus? Are we children of God or not? We must know the answer to this question because our very life depends on it.
For the most part I am going to answer this question using 1 John, but to start I want to include one other passage to make sure we all consider this carefully.“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)Sadly, there will be people who think they are Christians, but they are not among those saved by Jesus. Their hope was in their works, their church attendance, the fact that they were better than someone else, or even just their positive attitude. They never really knew Jesus. They never truly trusted Him. They never truly submitted to Him. Yes, we can really know for sure, and we need to make sure our faith is real.This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)If we are saved, our lives should show it. There should be a difference between us and those of the world. It should be obvious to others that we are different.Even among the unsaved, there are many, who most people would consider “good” people. They are friendly. They are generous. They are helpful. They are likable. Unfortunately, if they haven’t confessed their sins, submitted their lives to Jesus, and believed what the Bible says about Jesus, then they are not considered good by God and they won’t be joining Him in heaven. These people who seem “good” are actually defiant towards God. They have hidden vices and hidden evil thoughts. We all have sinned, but only those who have submitted to Jesus will be cleansed “from all sin.”If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10) {Italicized phrases used below}Only those who have confessed their sins will be forgiven. With so many things in life, before we can be cured or fixed, we have to admit we have a problem. We all have a sin problem. Jesus promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” but we have to confess our sins. We can’t hold onto the fantasy that we are “good” people. Anyone who thinks they are good without Jesus will NOT be saved.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2) {bolded words defined below} {Italicized phrases used below}Trusting Jesus and submitting to Jesus should lead to less sin. Instead of sin just being a regular part of life, it should become a rare exception. In addition to believers sinning less than they did before trusting Jesus, they also are defended by Jesus and covered by His righteousness.AdvocateNOUNa person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc.a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor.a person who pleads the cause of another in a court of law.1When we trust Jesus, “we have an Advocate with the Father” who pleads on our behalf, who is an intercessor for us with Father God. He defends us in the court of God. He defends us and protects us from the wrath we deserve.PropitiationNOUNthe act of propitiating (making favorably inclined; appeasing; conciliating.); conciliation:something that propitiates (makes favorably inclined; appeases; conciliates.).2Because Jesus bore our sins and gave believers his righteousness, he covers our sins and makes God favorably inclined towards us instead of wrathful towards us.By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:3-6) {Italicized phrases used below}If we have truly trusted Jesus as savior and submitted our lives to Him, there should be a change in our actions, words, and thoughts. We should be a new creation. We should be more like Him.Now it is true, we don’t go instantly from being sinners in open defiance of God to being perfect imitators of Christ. There should, however, be a continual transformation to become more like Christ. Yes, we may have a few digressions, but the general trend should be becoming more Christ-like. If our thoughts, words, and actions are not becoming more Christ-like, we need to investigate what our true relationship with Jesus is. If we are continually becoming more Christ-like, then “By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:7-11)One strong sign that a person is a child of God, and saved by Christ, is that this person is loving. They love God. They love fellow believers. They love the lost and want to win them for Christ (not just beat them in an argument or verbally discipline them). Because the believer cares for the souls of the lost, understands that the unbeliever’s words and actions are aimed at Jesus, and understands that they are due to the unbeliever’s feelings of guilt, believers should pity the lost rather than hate them. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Anyone filled with hate needs to investigate whether they have truly trusted Jesus.I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2:12-14) {Italicized phrases used below}If you have confessed your sins to God, believed that Jesus (the son of God) died and was raised to take away your sins, and submitted your life to Jesus’s rule, you can know that you are saved. You can know that “your sins have been forgiven you,” “you know Him,” “you have overcome the evil one,” “you know the Father,” and “you are strong, and the word of God abides in you.”Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)A true Christian should be looking forward to their eternal home and not be focused on the things of this world. That doesn’t mean that a Christian doesn’t work, or have a family, or enjoy entertainment, or relax. It does mean that everything should be done with a view of eternity. Our actions should point others to God. Our activities should draw ourselves closer to Jesus and help us to become more like Him. Our words should encourage those around us to trust in Jesus. We should long for God’s word, revel in the company of believers, and relish helping others, whether meeting their physical, mental, or spiritual needs. Our eternity with Jesus should be more important than our momentary comfort or happiness.Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)As the end times approach, we will see many antichrists, people who try to take the place of Jesus Christ. They may attempt to replace Him as leader or king. They may attempt to replace Him as high priest or spiritual leader. They may attempt to replace Him as God and try to say what is good and what is bad. As Christians, we need to know our Bible so we are not misled. We need to lean on the Holy Spirit to guide us and enable us to know who speaks the truth and who speaks lies (including those who speak lies believing the lies).They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. (1 John 2:19-24) {Italicized phrases used below}We’ve known many people who seemed to be Christians, but who left the faith and turned to the world. These were people who claimed the label of Christian, but who were not children of God. They were false Christians. There will also be some who pretend to be Christians, and may even be leaders in churches, who speak lies and speak what is contrary to the word of God. Some may do a good job in their Christian act, but if “you have an anointing from the Holy One” and know the truth (the Bible), you will not be misled. Do be on the lookout for these many little-a antichrists who lead people astray.This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.In addition to studying the Bible, Christians can lean on the Holy Spirit for inspiration and guidance. The Spirit will help you to see those who speak lies, so you will not be misled. The Spirit will help you to do and say what you should. The Spirit will help you to understand the words you read in the Bible. The Spirit will help you witness to unbelievers. The Spirit will help you to obey God and to live the life He wants you to live.And now for the blessing for all those who have truly put their faith in Jesus Christ, have been indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and have submitted to the will of the Father:Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. (1 John 2:28-29) {Italicized phrases used below}Believers have no need to “shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.” We can look forward with joy and anticipation to His return. Hallelujah! Come Lord Jesus, Come!Trust Jesus.
#Jesus #God #faith #Bible #christian #endtimes #gospel #believer #believe
2024-05-19 16:18:33
by npub1qex…82qk
Ever wonder what it was like working for a Bitcoin company in the early days? Did you know users back then were part crazy, part generous?
I started working at BitInstant late 2012, which allowed people to buy Bitcoin with cash. In the fall of 2013, I joined Blockchain(dot)info (BCI). The early days at BCI is what I want to focus on here.
BCI was the biggest non-custodial web wallet & the most used block explorer. I wore many hats as the first employee, but my main job was handling the support tickets.
My first day at BCI was chaos. I logged into Zendesk and saw THOUSANDS of tickets as old as January 2013. There was one guy, Ben Reeves, doing everything since inception. Support wasn't the highest priority.
After initially feeling overwhelmed, I decided to clean things up. I closed all tickets older than a few weeks, and included a message apologizing for the lack of response. I assured people this would no longer be the norm, and to open a new ticket if their issue was ongoing.
I had free reign over my job, and became obsessed with making sure users received help in a reasonable amount of time. It started as a goal to respond within 24 hours of a new ticket, which turned into 12 hours. Within a few months, the average response time was down to 2-4 hours, only because I had to sleep at some point! 😂
I didn't realize how little I knew about Bitcoin until I had to answer tickets about the Bitcoin network itself. After all, we weren't just a web wallet, but a block explorer! I spent many late nights digging around on BitcoinTalk, trying to learn more, so I could help users with their questions. Learning about Bitcoin back then wasn't impossible, but it wasn't easy.
Many early users were shocked to receive a response to their questions. To hear back so quickly was unheard of. There were many Bitcoin projects back then, but most didn't have dedicated support staff. If you received a response, it would be from the founder or some other developer. These guys didn't have the resources to tackle support, especially in a timely manner.
I quickly learned about the generosity of bitcoiners. Many users requested a btc address from me so they could send a tip for the help provided. Even when I told them it was unnecessary, as I was a paid employee, they insisted on tipping.
Many of these users were nuts. 😂 Here's an example that didn't happen frequently, but it happened:
A user opens a ticket during the time I'm actively watching the queue. I see it come in, respond within minutes with a solution, and he insists on tipping. I'm like, "Bro it's cool, don't sweat it," but this madlad won't leave me alone until he tips me.
I look at my tip jar - 0.5 BTC, which is worth a few hundred USD at the time. WTF, ARE YOU INSANE?! 🤯
Part of this generous attitude was about saying thank you, but I believe a bigger part was about the early proliferation of Bitcoin.
We preach the HODL mentality today, but Bitcoin wouldn't be what it is without the generosity of early adopters. So many bitcoins were given out freely so people could learn about it firsthand.
I believe many of the tips I received were from people who, at one point, also received free btc. It felt wrong to HODL these tips, so I paid it forward. I purchased work related items so I could do my job better. I tipped people on Reddit. I donated towards bitcoin-backed fundraisers, including when Andreas fundraised for Dorian Nakamoto. I did everything I could to keep that spirit of giving alive.
The landscape today has changed, but that spirit of generosity lives on. The best example is zapping on Nostr, where people are tipping each other via LN for posts and comments. It's beautiful to see!
Thank you, early adopters, for your generosity. You're a big part of why Bitcoin is what it is today. 🧡
Be kind, be generous, and be a little crazy. 😄