? WIP
Once more everybody is jumping up and down over ads. Once more to remind that ads do make (a few aspects of) the world go round.
But
If I am paying you to use your product … I do not want you to put ads in that product.
The ad isn’t the real problem .. it’s the tracking. My ‘ad blocker’ doesn’t block ads .. it blocks the ability for the advertiser to track me. Why do we still not understand this?
If I want you to provide your service without tracking and/or ads … then you should … of course … recognising that to do that costs money … so I would expect to pay a fee for that. But nobody really offers that.
—-
🚧 I might comeback to this in the future.
Today’s Surprise From History - 🖇️ Biggest surprise here is that it is still marked 🚧 - so I guess I need to finish it off!
“If the wedding photographer can’t deliver more magic than the phone in my guest’s pocket, no thanks.”
“And if the local print shop can’t set type better than my Mac, I’ll move on.
" So is your copywriting, research, illustration or coding better than I can get from the AI on my desk? "
From an article by Noah Smith that I need to come back to and write more. I find those three groupings quite fascinating.
Added Later … sorry not helpful - right?
🔗 Is the U.S. in a ‘high-level equilibrium trap’? | Noah Smith
🚧 Still more to come.
🎵 🖇️ Blog Challenge - Music Edition - thank you for the inspiration @Annie
🚧 Links To Posts by Others
🚧 Prisons and Bitcoin
I am unsure if they are connected - so parking this here while we think.
There is also something going on with the Argentinian playbook - which I am planning to publish in a newsletter.
I am no expert - but my spidey senses are up … Bitcoin, Argentina, El Salvador .. OR, it’s all summarized thus ….
Bitcoin
El Salvador introduced bitcoin as legal tender in 2021 and then - as now - one Tim Draper has oft’ spoken breathlessly of how cool it is that a sovereign nation has adopted it.
Tim Draper Expects Bitcoin to Transform El Salvador Into One of the Richest Countries in the World.
The flag waving by Tim has never stopped.
That Said
- El Salvador’s experiment with Bitcoin as legal tender since 2021 has had mixed results.
- Only 8.1% of the population have used Bitcoin for payments by 2024.
- Seperately, the initiative faced criticism for its volatility, lack of transparency, and limited impact on remittances, which make up a significant part of the economy.
- Even so, El Salvador’s Bitcoin investments turned profitable by late 2024 - BUT the government has not recouped the costs of promoting the cryptocurrency.
- So, in December 2024, El Salvador agreed to scale back Bitcoin policies to secure a $1.4 billion IMF loan (Dollars speak) which included making Bitcoin acceptance voluntary and reducing public sector involvement in Bitcoin-related activities.
- Despite all of this by the end of 2024, its holdings surpassed 6,000 BTC which seems to have grown to 6,055 BTC as of February 1, 202. Value? Over $612 million.
Perspective
In a recent Bloomberg interview, Michael Saylor, executive chairman and co-founder of MicroStrategy, revealed that beyond his company’s holdings, he personally owns at least 17,732 Bitcoin, currently valued at approximately $1 billion.
Yup - Saylor personally owns 150% more Bitcoin than The country of El Salvador - and let’s not forget that his company MicroStrategy owns another 471,107 bitcoins.
Question
Why do we still trumpet the El Salvador story?
Prisons
El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) is the largest prison in Latin America, with a capacity to hold 40,000 inmates. The facility spans 410 acres of land, with the prison complex itself covering 57 acres (approximately the size of seven football stadiums). It features eight cell blocks and extensive security measures, including electrified fences, reinforced walls, and 19 guard tower. It was built in late 2022 during a large-scale gang crackdown and officially opened in January 2023. Population of El Salvador - 6.5 million The USA has a total prison capacity across federal, state, and local facilities that can house 1.9 million people in federal prisons, correctional facilities, state prisons, local jails, and other detention centers.
Today’s News
# Could US criminals be sent to El Salvador’s mega-jail?
President Nayib Bukele confirmed that he had offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system". Putting aside the legal questions of exporting US citizens to another country’s prison system - I am wondering what’s going on.
Back Of The Napkin - Capacity
- El Salvador : 6,500,000/40,000=162.5 - in just a single prison
- USA : 350,000,000/1,900,000=184.2 - total capacity
Back Of The Napkin - Prisoner Count
- El Salvador : 1,086 prisoners per 100,000 people in the population
- USA : 531 prisoners per 100,000 people in the population
My Three Words ..
I’ve been doing this every year since 2019. My 7th will be out in a few days time.
The History
2024 - substack.philpin.com/p/here-we…
Transform | Transition | Transcend (sic)
2023 - substack.philpin.com/p/its-tha…
Focus | Flexible | Fabulous
2022 - substack.philpin.com/p/take-th…
Clear | Closer | Choice
2021 - john.philpin.com/2021/01/0…
Transform | Transition | Transcend
2020 - substack.philpin.com/p/take-th…
Believe | Move | Ascend
2019 - substack.philpin.com/p/here-we…
Uncertain | Less | Different
🚧 💬 Quotes. I collect them, so maybe a ‘collection’ application?
This is going to be a living , breathing kinda post.
And like all living, breathing things … it might die.
I need to understand what this means. It’s from an essay that I tried to read, which lead me to the conclusion that I am definitely not the target reader, which might explain why this seems to be the absolute opposite of my understanding of even ‘why’ an ecosystem.
I will try to 🚧 revisit.
The ‘Tiny Pod’ 🚧
is indeed a thing to 🔗 behold - for those of you that have a watch but don’t want to wear it on your wrist?