Recommended Reading

[70231f697a2b3c2b]

Link in the OP needs to be updated:

http://bytemaster.github.io/article/2015/01/10/Recommended-Reading/

[btswolf]

The Forbes Fintech 50

I think there are some really interesting business concepts that could be copied, decentralized and automated on the BTS chain.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/janetnovack/2015/12/09/introducing-the-forbes-fintech-50/

[liondani]

the blog should just be its own delegate, vote yourself in that way it stays free in an unfree world.

I predict that this would bring strong criticism. People would start arguing about centralization of voting power and delegates leading to use of propaganda.

I not agree! I think  he should use a delegate** to fund his blog. He is contributing to crypto community in general with his articles and not only to bitshares!
Maybe he must just handle it diplomatic and burn or donate extra funds(somewhere it make sense for bloggers/writers?) that are not needed every month for this purpose.(?)

**definitely better than using ads ,he will be a good example for newbies that:  "the block-chain is hiring"

[svk]

Then I guess I shouldn't express my opinions on vaccinations

Write a blog post on it (if you want)

Id be interested to hear your thoughts on it.

I agree with Toast, please don't! The earthing book is bad enough, I fully respect your right to believe in whatever you like, but if this is to be the official Bitshares blog this kind of pseudoscience really has no room in there like Arhag says.

While the earthing thing may be harmless, being anti-vaccination is dangerous and should not be promoted. Here's an article on the anti-vaccine movement: http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertpearl/2014/03/20/a-doctors-take-on-the-anti-vaccine-movement/

[jonny]

Thanks for your list, I am buying some of the books

[inarizushi]

Pro earthing, anti vax... sigh. Some particular vaccines may be useless/dangerous, but vaccines as a technology is what made humans reach the lifespan we have today.

Science is not a conspiracy. This is the scientific method : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYPapE-3FRw, you don't need much more epistemology than that.

My own reading advices would be Ben Goldacre, an epidemiologist and psychiatrist, author of books "Bad Science" and "Bad Pharma". This poor fellow is an unsung hero, fighting on 2 fronts, against anti-science propaganda on the one hand, and against the ignoble practices of big pharma on the other hand.

[CLains]

It takes a unique belief system to hit on exceptional truths, and yet the propensity to form a unique belief system will also misfire. Skeptics are ideally suited to battle false beliefs, but when it comes to discovering exceptional truths they are generally miserable. Try looking up all the things Newton believed..

[gamey]

This brings up a good question: do we want the new bitshares.org to point directly to bytemaster's blog or do we want to copy a subset of the blog posts (the majority posts that do a really great job of explaining BitShares and what it is all about) to the "official" bitshares blog?

Bytemaster has every right to freely express himself as he wishes on his own private blog. But it does concern me when we promote it to look official by putting it as THE replacement blog on bitshares.org and give it the URL bytemaster.bitshares.org.

He's a renaissance man with lots of different interests. I think that's great, even if I don't agree with of all his opinions, and I wouldn't suggest he censor it. Maybe we can point to individual posts that are relevant and good?

We can point to whatever but the issue is with they.

[donkeypong]

This brings up a good question: do we want the new bitshares.org to point directly to bytemaster's blog or do we want to copy a subset of the blog posts (the majority posts that do a really great job of explaining BitShares and what it is all about) to the "official" bitshares blog?

Bytemaster has every right to freely express himself as he wishes on his own private blog. But it does concern me when we promote it to look official by putting it as THE replacement blog on bitshares.org and give it the URL bytemaster.bitshares.org.

He's a renaissance man with lots of different interests. I think that's great, even if I don't agree with of all his opinions, and I wouldn't suggest he censor it. Maybe we can point to individual posts that are relevant and good? 

[arhag]

To be fair, I stated that all I know is that "earthing will not HURT and might help".    I don't believe EVERYTHING in every book I recommend, I mostly recommend them because I find it fascinating and worth looking into.

What we are trying to say is that it is a bad move even if you were certain that it has positive health benefits. It makes the difference between wanting to point people to your blog vs wanting to point them at a select subset of your articles mirrored somewhere else.

This brings up a good question: do we want the new bitshares.org to point directly to bytemaster's blog or do we want to copy a subset of the blog posts (the majority posts that do a really great job of explaining BitShares and what it is all about) to the "official" bitshares blog?

Bytemaster has every right to freely express himself as he wishes on his own private blog. But it does concern me when we promote it to look official by putting it as THE replacement blog on bitshares.org and give it the URL bytemaster.bitshares.org.

[darbon]

Excellent initiative! Greetings and good reading at all.

[santaclause102]

At first I had the same doubts.
But wouldn't it be wrong to center everything about freedom and then hide your opinions because of fear how people will perceive you? Wouldn that proof, that we fail at achieving freedom even at such a basic level and yet we try at such a large scale?

To be fair, I stated that all I know is that "earthing will not HURT and might help".    I don't believe EVERYTHING in every book I recommend, I mostly recommend them because I find it fascinating and worth looking into.

I think this doesn't matter to those that want to form an opinion on you fast and not to those that seek a chance to denounce you/bitshares. This is a great opportunity to do denounce you/bitshares because it breaks a few norms that are shared by a vast majority of people especially if it comes to business and financial services (conservative realms which is reality up to now).

In the end it's a philosophical question about intention or effect driven action. I personally think there is no contradiction.

Is that a bad thing though? BitShares is all about breaking norms isn't it?
The great vision we have is probably not compatible with many people's view on things, yet we shouldn't hide it.

I sympathize with your perspective!
But ignoring reality has bitten us before and was a painful learning experience (legal reality).
In a perfect world where everyone is rational and has no ego I would agree. Equally if you wanted to ignore that governments exist regulators will have the possibility to extinct your project and let another one bloom. Now you can not eliminate regulatory risk completely but you can reduce your exposure - the same goes for this matter.

[santaclause102]

To be fair, I stated that all I know is that "earthing will not HURT and might help".    I don't believe EVERYTHING in every book I recommend, I mostly recommend them because I find it fascinating and worth looking into.

I think this doesn't matter to those that want to form an opinion on you fast and not to those that seek a chance to denounce you/bitshares. This is a great opportunity to do denounce you/bitshares because it breaks a few norms that are shared by a vast majority of people especially if it comes to business and financial services (conservative realms which is reality up to now).

In the end it's a philosophical question about intention or effect driven action. I personally think there is no contradiction.

In my opinion, anyone who decides to use ad hominem attacks against BitShares based upon a view of a single founder is giving us free press and discrediting themselves.

Do you regard this ttp://prestonbyrne.com/2014/08/17/dont-walk-away-run/ as free press?
Why do you think we are totally underrepresented on coindesk? We have a concept that is so earth shattering revolutionary but Ethereum and Counterparty are regarded as "the" crypto 2.0 projects. Why?
To make it at least a little more representative: Make a little survey among everyone you can get a hold of that has a proven track record in a professional field that has to do with marketing, Sales or PR.

[liondani]

Personally I prefer to follow somebody  when I know they are not hiding anything even if it could heart him... (I thing in the long term it will benefit them)
And I would be very skeptical when I would find out somebody is hiding things just for the sake of .... whatever!
The truth always wins at the end...

[bytemaster]

Please stay far, far away from this topic... If you write about it keep it off of anything that promotes bitshares on the same page / is a subdomain of bitshares.org

Yes.  Others have covered it well enough.  I have nothing to add