2026-01-30 Digest
From: Joel via chugalug ------------------------------------------------------ Where does bitcoin fit into your reflections on FOSS? Its perhaps the only = open source free software project that provide significant financial remune= ration to contributers=2E Yet, as you said, many people outside of the FOSS= mentality don't understand what the project is, what the technology can do= , and why its worth spending resources to maintain and develop the bitcoin = software and protocol=2E Joel Swanson On January 30, 2026 1:30:02 AM EST, chugalug wro= te: >2026-01-30 chugalug Digest: 1 messages >=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > > >-------------- >From: "Greg Laudeman, Ed=2ED=2E" via chugalug >Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:55:07 +0000 (UTC) >Subject;Re: [chugalug] An example of the FOSS awareness gap > >> On Jan 28, 2026, at 4:20=3DE2=3D80=3DAFAM, Erica Wolf via chugalug =3D > wrote: >>=3D20 >> I thought you were going down the route of "open source does not mean = =3D >f[r]ee of cost"=2E I don't think anyone avoids FOSS nowadays=2E Linux is = =3D >everywhere in the Internet=2E > >While the code can be downloaded at no cost, FOSS requires substantial = =3D >investment in talented people=3DE2=3D80=3D99s time=2E That is a fundament= al =3D >strategic distinction from proprietary software=2E People definitely avoi= d =3D >FOSS=2E I had someone tell me yesterday it was not reliable or secure=2E = =3D >Yes, FOSS is everywhere but it is mostly *infrastructure*=3DE2=3D80=3D94t= he =3D >stuff you don=3DE2=3D80=3D99t notice until it breaks=2E > >Many business decision-makers, especially in small and medium =3D >enterprises and public sector agencies, are totally unaware of FOSS, let = =3D >alone its strategic implications=2E But, until there=3DE2=3D80=3D99s awar= eness =3D >and understanding, leaders cannot shift their strategy=2E > >While it is easy to ignore this situation and write it off as provincial = =3D >and =3DE2=3D80=3D9Ctheir loss,=3DE2=3D80=3D9D lack of knowledge about FOS= S stifles =3D >improvement, innovation, and opportunities for technology professionals = =3D >in their communities, and it undermines support for open source =3D >projects, including those that enable the internet=2E > >A consumer cooperative is ideal is because it creates natural incentives = =3D >for members to educate and engage others=2E It also provides a mechanism = =3D >to contribute to and financially support FOSS used by members=2E Frankly,= =3D >I think the ONLY economically viable model for FOSS is to have a =3D >multitude of such cooperatives=2E Crazy, I know=2E > >=3DE2=3D80=3D94 >Greg Laudeman, Ed=2ED=2E >Executive Officer and Principal >Eduity, LLC >www=2Eeduity=2Enet >greg@eduity=2Enet >706-271-5521 > > > > > >=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D >[chugalug] chugalug@chugalug=2Eorg Digested=2E >This is Alpha Code: It worked for the dev=2E Once, maybe twice=2E >Send email to mike@geeklabs=2Ecom if you need to rant=2E > > > >Your Fortune: > >A gift of a flower will soon be made to you=2E > >=============================================================== From: "Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. via chugalug" ------------------------------------------------------ I'm personally ambivalent about Bitcoin but I think blockchain is almost a stealth technology. It's a prime example of the awareness gulf. Tech leaders are exploring a wide range of very cool, powerful blockchain applications, establishing an entirely new infrastructure. Meanwhile, the business leaders think it's just Bitcoin, which they don't think is relevant, that it was a gimmicky flash in the pan. They are totally unaware of stuff like distributed ledger and decentralized cloud, let alone the strategic the strategic implications. The challenge is how to get business leaders, especially small and medium sized enterprises in communities like Chattanooga, to learn about tech that doesn't they don't use and isn't a cheap solution for a evident pain. -- Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. *Executive Officer and Principal* Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg@eduity.net 706-271-5521
=============================================================== From: Dan Lyke via chugalug ------------------------------------------------------ I've seen a lot of "thought leaders" extol the potential of blockchain technology, but aside from git (which is an extremely useful implementation of a Merkle DAG) I have yet to see any practical applications. Except, of course, the hilarity of watching various people being arrested years after their infractions because they chose to put their financial transactions on a very public, immutable and digitally signed, record. Okay, that's not strictly true, if you're interested in money laundering and extortion and have the legal cover of a nation-state, it's useful for that. Dan On Fri, Jan 30, 2026 at 7:40=E2=80=AFAM Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. via chugalug wrote: a stealth technology. It's a prime example of the awareness gulf. Tech lead= ers are exploring a wide range of very cool, powerful blockchain applicatio= ns, establishing an entirely new infrastructure. Meanwhile, the business le= aders think it's just Bitcoin, which they don't think is relevant, that it = was a gimmicky flash in the pan. They are totally unaware of stuff like dis= tributed ledger and decentralized cloud, let alone the strategic the strate= gic implications. sized enterprises in communities like Chattanooga, to learn about tech tha= t doesn't they don't use and isn't a cheap solution for a evident pain. y open source free software project that provide significant financial remu= neration to contributers. Yet, as you said, many people outside of the FOSS= mentality don't understand what the project is, what the technology can do= , and why its worth spending resources to maintain and develop the bitcoin = software and protocol. e: =3D =3D =3D =3D he =3D =3D ess =3D =3D S stifles =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D
=============================================================== From: "Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. via chugalug" ------------------------------------------------------ wrote: Yes, there was a lot of hype around blockchain and too little attention = to applications. The two issues I=E2=80=99ve seen are (a) folks focus on = crypto, which is only one aspect of it, and (b) the applications require = substantial infrastructure that=E2=80=99s not yet in place. Any activity with complex, interdependent transactions is a potential = blockchain application. The one I=E2=80=99ve bee tracking closely is = learning and employment records. There is initial versions of = decentralized infrastructure for every individual to own their LER that = is verified by any credential-granting (even informal ones like mutual = aid and volunteering) entity. See https://www.nga.org/ler/, = https://www.shrm.org/labs/resources/beyond-gatekeepers--how-blockchain-tra= nsfers-data-ownership-back-to-employees, and = https://credreg.net/quickstart/lerguide. Health records are a great = candidate but we=E2=80=99ll have to pry those out of the = medical/insurance industries cold, dead fingers. I know there=E2=80=99s = a lot of work being done on open logistics and supply chain, but am not = familiar with it. Another blockchain application I=E2=80=99m really interested in is Swarm = decentralized compute infrastructure, which = is based on Ethereum. I=E2=80=99d love to hear what y=E2=80=99all think = about it. Technically, it=E2=80=99s a platform for applications but that = counts=E2=80=A6 and is the point. Until we have viable infrastructure = like Swarm, its going to be really difficult to get anyone to fully = adopt W3 applications, especially given the =E2=80=9Cawarness gap.=E2=80=9D= If business leaders don=E2=80=99t get FOSS, they=E2=80=99ll be totally = freaked out by stuff like Swarm. PS. I cannot believe I=E2=80=99m advocating for blockchain! =F0=9F=98=85 =E2=80=94 GL=
=============================================================== From: Dan Lyke via chugalug ------------------------------------------------------ As we learn more and more about the current misuse of health records, the last thing I wanna do is put those on an immutable widely distributed public record... I'm intrigued by Swarm, in the same way I was intrigued by IPFS; I definitely think there's possibility for a post-hosting WWW, On the other hand, SSB appears to have sunk like a stone, so... On Fri, Jan 30, 2026 at 12:40=E2=80=AFPM Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. via chugalug wrote: o applications. The two issues I=E2=80=99ve seen are (a) folks focus on cry= pto, which is only one aspect of it, and (b) the applications require subst= antial infrastructure that=E2=80=99s not yet in place. ckchain application. The one I=E2=80=99ve bee tracking closely is learning = and employment records. There is initial versions of decentralized infrastr= ucture for every individual to own their LER that is verified by any creden= tial-granting (even informal ones like mutual aid and volunteering) entity.= See https://www.nga.org/ler/, https://www.shrm.org/labs/resources/beyond-g= atekeepers--how-blockchain-transfers-data-ownership-back-to-employees, and = https://credreg.net/quickstart/lerguide. Health records are a great candida= te but we=E2=80=99ll have to pry those out of the medical/insurance industr= ies cold, dead fingers. I know there=E2=80=99s a lot of work being done on = open logistics and supply chain, but am not familiar with it. decentralized compute infrastructure, which is based on Ethereum. I=E2=80= =99d love to hear what y=E2=80=99all think about it. Technically, it=E2=80= =99s a platform for applications but that counts=E2=80=A6 and is the point.= Until we have viable infrastructure like Swarm, its going to be really dif= ficult to get anyone to fully adopt W3 applications, especially given the = =E2=80=9Cawarness gap.=E2=80=9D If business leaders don=E2=80=99t get FOSS,= they=E2=80=99ll be totally freaked out by stuff like Swarm.