Great point, they didn't have algorithms deciding our music in the 1990s, instead you had Clear Channel. Radio in the 1990s was the same 40-60 songs played over and over. Then for TV you basically had the 4 major networks,FOX Friday Night, Must See TV, TGIF, and all the rest.
Is Facebook some magical force that removes all critical thought from a persons brain? If you want to blame Facebook for being fooled into thinking NewOrgScienceNews.cn is a reputable paper, nothing is going to help you.
If you even believe that NYT or WaPo or any other news organization is infallible, or shouldn't be approached with a critical eye, you are an idiot.
And if you believe a company that makes billions of dollars providing a free service in exchange for user information has your privacy concerns in mind, you are really deluded.
Wealthy people have been using different stores of value to trade for many years, whether it is stocks, commodities, real estate, or bitcoin. Regulation will come, the transaction costs are going to rise. In the end it may just be a vehicle for wealthy people to trade, because for small transactions it is a hindrance, not a help.
What tangible benefit does bitcoin provide over normal currency?
99% of people have never used bitcoin for a single meaningful transaction, have never purchased groceries, or clothing, or anything for that matter with bitcoin. I am supposed to believe people are going to abandon cash in the next 10 years?
What benefits does bitcoin provide to a normal person just trying to buy groceries or fill up their gas tank, zero.
Tor has no value as an espionage tool if only spies use it, so the "no one wanted it" narrative doesn't make sense. They need people to use it in massive numbers for it to be an effective tool.
Tor wouldn't work without an abundance of users, it would have no value as an espionage tool if the CIA was the sole party using it. This isn't news, the CIA has a vested interest in keeping Tor anonymous, to protect their overseas assets.