- Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux, does not believe in cryptocurrencies, calling them a vehicle for scams and a Ponzi scheme.
- Torvalds was once rumored to be Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, but he clarified it was a joke and denied owning a Bitcoin fortune.
- Torvalds also dismissed the idea of technological singularity as a bedtime story for children, saying continuous exponential growth does not make sense.
Why does the headline say “Crypto” but then snippet says “cryptocurrencies”? Do people not realize these are not the same thing? The inventor of Linux does believe in crypto, that’s why it’s in Linux!
They don’t. Just like “AI” has been co-opoted to mean “algorithm”.
Large groups of humans turn everything they touch into shit.
I’m old enough to remember when algorithm was co-opted to be a fancy word replacement for “computer programming” or “software”.
Algorithm??? I can understand not coming up with “Artificial Intelligence”, but if “Al” is “algorithm”, then that means they think its A L, with the L lowercase. So, that means they aren’t pronouncing it “aye eye” or “aye el” they’re pronouncing it “Al”. Like the first name Al.
Which just makes me think of a reboot of Married with Children. Except it’s just Peggy surrounded by cyborgs made to look and sound like the original characters.
So now Peggy wants sex, and she says “OOOOHHHHH AAAAAALLLLLLL!!!”
Followed by a robot drinking a beer, and sticking his hands down his pants. Somehow even artificial Al looks defeated.
Username checks out
It’s the most annoying thing of these enthusiasts: they glorify cryptocurrencies and blockchain while glossing over the massively important and actually useful cryptography discipline in the background.
“Crypto” has become a widely used abbreviation for “cryptocurrency,” even though “crypto” itself refers to the general field of cryptography and its encryption techniques. This informal usage reflects how cryptocurrencies have become the most recognizable application of cryptography for most people.
Seems like it should be SSL.
Https is more recognized.
True, I wouldn’t expect people to know the terms ssl or tls. My point is, it’s a far, far more common application of cryptography than cryptocurrency.
Yes, a more common application, but not the most recognizable for most people.
I’m amazed people are acting like they think nobody has ever heard of this. I suppose it was more a 2010-2015 thing.
To the general public?
Yes, because people were trained to look for the lock icon, though pretty much every site has it now, whether it’s something that necessitates security vs just privacy benefits. Maybe looking for the lock is outdated, idk, but it was emphasized a lot a few years ago.
You are drastically overestimating the technical competence of the general population.
In what way? And they supposedly have any clue what crypto currency actually means?
There’s a lot more publicity surrounding cryptocurrency than SSL.