As was already linked above, yes.

Amazing series if anyone hasn’t seen it.

It’s like you didn’t even read the series.

Legit answer: It’s the best selling on-going comic of all time, and for good reason. The author has an incredible knack for writing, comedy and world building. At first it all seems quite basic and irreverent, but as the story progresses it not only becomes more involved and compelling, but you start to understand that more and more of what happened before is actually deeply significant to the overall story. I think it’s up somewhere around 1000 named characters in the series now, and the majority of them are actually very well written no matter how short their appearance is, with many continuing to have a place in the grand narrative.

It’s pretty easy to find. Has the exact same name. There are several versions right on Youtube.

It’s obviously not a comprehensive guide on how to cheat the system. I’m making the point that computers will never be secure under the current paradigm when there are massive and powerful actors with vastly greater resources than the average person. I strongly suspect that an org like the DoD (which had exclusive access to integrated circuit technology for three years before anyone else) could probably capture/spoof virtually the entire network if they wanted too.

Again, how many ordinary people will continue to run a node for a network where they have nothing for an extended period? Even if they do, will the value of the coins remain even after such an event proves the weakness of the system?

Ignoring the fact they definitely have the resources to sustain it, how many people will continue to run a node after losing everything to such an attack? How will anyone reclaim real world value if they exchange the coins for something else?

They actually made a half decent movie based on the short story too if you’re interested.

NSA isn’t hurting for money

If you can figure out how to teach those sorts of people to say “no, I think I’ve actually got enough already” then please let me know, because I’ve been wracking my brain trying to solve that one for a while now.

That’s what I meant by “capture.”

Harrison Bergeron was required reading when I was in school, and should be for everyone, especially these days.

It’s some strange inner calling and mysterious curiosity that draws you into.

I’ve personally found them to be useful after I’ve already gained the knowledge to make a significant change, and the trip can help to actualize the understanding of how that knowledge fits into the greater world as a whole. They should definitely be paired with vigorous and passionate pursuit of real world knowledge during the rest of your life, for the best effect, in my opinion.

Because the advent of computers allows for all kinds of creative new ways to massage numbers to “prove” something to people, even when it flies in the face of what is obviously happening in the real world.

They just need to figure out how to turn it into a massive advertising campaign, lock everyone in their houses and give them an opportunity to shitpost about how horrible their ideological opponents are, and nobody will question anything they tell you to put in your body to solve depression.

Then some massive org like the NSA creates/captures 51% of the nodes and takes everyone’s money overnight.

My own advice is always to make sure you do it in a controlled environment where you can adjust the level of stimulation (lights, music, etc) at will, and make sure you have an experienced friend to take care of you.

From what I understand, psychedelics facilitate the connection of different areas of the brain which don’t ordinarily speak to each other. This can be a profoundly spiritual experience, as it tends to be for me, but it will more or less FORCE you to deal with any issues you might have, which can be a terrifying experience for some people.

Eh… piracy wasn’t theft even before this, because you’re not taking it away from someone else.

if you find a way to break out of the matrix please for the love of God show me the way

Literally just learn more about the world, not because you hate it and want to escape, but because you love it and want to know more about it. The cool thing about the real world is that it has an infinite depth, so no matter how far you go you will always have more to explore. As beings which inhabit only a small segment of the totality of what exists, you’re never going to be capable of “escaping” to the “real world” the way that people talk about it, but that hardly means that you have to stay somewhere that you feel trapped.