Furthermore, both Google and Meta have quietly conceded that a lot of the digital attribution data they generate is pretty bunk. It’s why Meta developed Robyn, which uses MMM techniques that have long been used to measure effectiveness of traditional channels: https://github.com/facebookexperimental/Robyn
A better system would be for a service like Flathub to support bitcoin Lightning payments direct to app developers.
Obviates the need for the store to handle payment, developers can handle their tax arrangements personally (and exchange into whatever local currency they use almost immediately to protect against price fluctuations).
There’s a bit of sleight of hand going on with this article, which conflates use of the Chivo wallet software with bitcoin.
But then later the article says:
“Meanwhile, many living in tourist hot spots on the Pacific coast, where Bitcoin usage is highest, have transitioned to other crypto wallets, such as the privately developed Bitcoin Beach.”
So they’re using the currency, just not the government developed software.
And a weird phrasing here “[many] are using it to hold and transfer dollars, El Salvador’s official currency”, implying dollars are the only ‘official’ currency — when by definition, Bitcoin is too.
> Finally, most of the internet is powered from warehouses that are purposely built in areas with carbon-neutral electricity. The operators are actively optimising their consumption and investing in carbon-neutral energy generation that match their needs.
This is exactly the same case as with bitcoin miners.
Estimates I’ve seen put renewables as 40-66% of bitcoins energy mix, with this figure rising over time.
The incentive is towards cheaper renewable sources that would otherwise not be viable.
But that’s just an argument against any technology that will increase electricity demand, such as EVs.
When the web was growing the electrical demands were similarly criticised:
“The current fuel-economy rating: about 1 pound of coal to create, package, store and move 2 megabytes of data. The digital age, it turns out, is very energy-intensive. The Internet may someday save us bricks, mortar and catalog paper, but it is burning up an awful lot of fossil fuel in the process.”
What was unique about GOV.UK is that it wasn’t done by a consultancy.
They managed to build an in-house, central resource (GDS/Government Digital Service) and pioneered a lot of public service design practices which are the template for USDS and others.
However, my understanding is that the GDS team is greatly diminished these days and the consultants are back across separate government departments again.
I can absolutely see the objectives of US foreign policy (enable citizens of foreign powers to evade domestic surveillance) conflicting with domestic policy (bulk communications collection).
It doesn’t necessarily compromise Signal, but simply highlights that government isn’t always internally efficient or consistent.
I tried to set up a Twilio number specifically to handle these services that demand SMS for login.
Weirdly it only works for a minority of services, I expect many use Twilio to send their auth texts and Twilio blocks sending these to their own numbers?
PR, advertising and sales fall under different branches of promotion.