Bitcoin is disrupting everything... if you think email marketing won't be disrupted then you can GTFO.

Time for some #reckless thoughts.

Traditional email marketing has a couple different key metrics. Open rate, click rate, lead gen, subscribe rate, unsubscribe rate, are some of the most important.

Influencers, brands, or anyone managing a big list are always trying to get something out of subscribers.

This is usually a click on a call to action!

Email marketers are constantly balancing ways to monetize newsletters.

They generally monetize through subscriptions, rev gen from sales, and lastly through ad placement.

In case you didn't know, EVERYTHING you do when you interact with an email is captured by marketers. Every click and every time you open the email is tracked.

Knowing all that, what is the reader getting out of this?

They are getting signal they (hopefully) signed up for.

But what if there was a way to build more brand loyalty with users?

#Bitcoin fixes this.

As a subscriber, ads are generally something you scroll by and don't think about? What if an advertiser could pay YOU for YOUR attention?

This would change the model.

Attention is the asset being monetized and subscribers have always gotten the short end of the stick.

But all that is about to change.

Here's the real world use case.

I run a monthly Bitcoin journal @_bitcoinwords. As part of that project, I offer a newsletter that sends the contents of the journal to the (500) subscribers.

My goals for the newsletter:

• Click Read Journal link
• Pay for the PDF
• Pay for the ePUB
• Click connect with me

The list has slowly grown and I really can't complain, but my inner marketer wanted more. How can I create more engagement? How could I create more engagement and reward readers?

Enter #reckless Joe.

I've tested different email formats & subject lines and I am always iterating to make it better then about a year ago, I discovered LNPay.co which is run by @BootstrapBandit.

LNPay is a Lightning Service Provider that specializes in paywall and faucets on Lightning Network.

I began testing content distribution with paywalls and automation with LNPay and Mailchimp and Zapier.

more here: https://joe-rodgers.github.io/paywall-and-mailchimp

This was pretty cool and was the first time to my knowledge that a user could purchase something from a LNurl and have it automatically delivered to them via email.

Later on, @BootstrapBandit rolled out faucets. Think of faucets as a big bucket where you can distribute Bitcoin. He developed a concept called "hoses" which allowed email marketers to limit faucet withdrawals by email address. In other words, I could now include a faucet in my emails for readers.

The stack was growing and I now have more tools in the arsenal. I have analytics from my email service provider, paywalls, and faucets.

We began testing and the results were not super impressive. I only had a handful of users withdrawing from the faucet.

Some known factors limited faucet withdrawals:

• Not everyone has a LN wallet
• Not everyone knows what the QR code means
• Not everyone wants to take your money
• There are surely more factors, but these are some high level factors off the top of my head.

Like all things in life, consistency helped change behavior. After a couple months, more people began withdrawing.

@BootstrapBandit and I kept talking and thinking about the implications of faucets in email. I realize I do not have a huge list and I do not sell anything noteworthy, but this experiment with faucets has gotten our wheels spinning!

This was my personal aha moment. Using email service providers AND LNPay.co you could start to see who is opening emails and now you can see who is pulling from the faucet. IF you were selling items, THEN you could even see who is buying from you.

Email marketers could now reward readers for reading their emails

I began thinking about how to triangulate the value of each reader. If I could see who is opening, who is buying, and who is withdrawing, that would be very informative.

Advanced email marketers could begin to segment their lists off this additional data. You could target the people who are super-subscribers with exclusive content or offers.

Also, now that you have faucets, you could experiment with sponsored faucets.

Last month I partnered with CryptoCloaks to sponsor the newsletter faucet. I included a blurb, call to action and the LNurl faucet.

This is pretty neat for all parties. For one I don't have to sponsor the faucet out of my pocket, readers are getting rewarded for their attention, and the sponsor is getting to connect with a potential customer.

LNPay even allows you to include a custom memo, here you can see the note from CryptoCloaks.

Once the campaign was sent, more information began to flow in. I was beginning to see a clear picture of the impact the faucet was having on the email. From LNPay I could see all the pulls, attempts, sats withdrawn, and impressions.

Using hoses, LNPay allows you to see who made the withdrawals. This is pretty damn awesome. This month was one of the highest open rates and click rates. I can see who is opening, who is pulling, and impressions for my faucet sponsor. They can know with certainty how many clicks and impressions they are getting for their faucet investment.

At the moment, all the information is spread across platforms and I am not making any business decisions with this. I can, however, envision a very radical future where Lightning Network in email allows email marketers to engage with readers in very radical new ways. I can imagine clickless engagements, re-subscribe to services, donations, purchases, and more powered by Lightning Network.

As a marketer, you are always looking for more information about your customer and Lightning Network is going to be a game changer.

Final thoughts... we are so early that only 8% of subscribers to a BITCOIN-ONLY email newsletter are stacking the free sats in the faucet.

Consider subscribing to WORDS monthly newsletter, follow @bootstrapbandit, and check out lnpay.co.

A Quantitative Research of Memetic Selection Criteria

This is a 92 page senior thesis. It covers the basics of memes but digs into how memes spread and specific research into virus hoaxes.

This paper is broken into 4 chapters:

1. Introduction to Memetics
2. Spreading of Memes
3. Reseach Methodology and Corpus
4. Research Results

Introduction to Memetics

Memes according to Richard Dawkins:

Meme - unit of cultural transmission. Memes "propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called imitation." - Richard Dawkins, Selfish Gene

According to Wilkins:

"The least unit of socio-cultural information relative to a selection process that has favorable or unfavorable selection bias that exceeds its endogenous tendency to change."

According to Heylighen

"An information patter, held in an individual's memory, which is capable of being copied to another individual's memory."

This author comes to this defintion for meme and uses this as the backdrop for the research within.

A meme is an information pattern which is capable of being copied to another individual's memory, mostly by means of imitations (though other techniques are possible as well) and which is subject to a selection process.

Evolution on this planet gave way to the creation of replicators which was the final breakthrough to life on this planet.

Dawkins compared memes to well known replicators, genes.

1. Memes = genes
2. Memeplex = genotype (sum total of genes)
3. Mutation = phenotype (how we perceive the genotype.)

Memes have the ability to adapt themselves by interaction with the environment (host), and change their phenotype¹.

From the author:

A meme will not be passed in its original 'genotypic' state but will instead be copied in a phenotypic state which will, for the new host, become the genotype of this meme.

Memes are selfish-replicators, that is they are only concerned with replicating themselves.

While genes are subject to exact science, memes are more in subject to fields where exactness is not feasible such as sociology and psychology.

Dennet describes memes as units affected by natural selection AND evolution.

• Variation: a continuing abundance of different elements
• Heredity or replication: the elements have the capacity to create copies or replicas of themselves
• Differential "fitness": the number of copies of an element that are created in a given time varies, depending on the interaction between the features of that element (whatever it is that makes it different from other elements) and features of the environment in which it persists.

On Mutation

• Mutation is genes - happens by accident
• Mutation in memes - can happen by accident OR mutate consciously by the host. The deliberate mutation is part of the variation.

Unsuccessful Mutations

On Linked Memes or Memeplexes

LIke genes, memes work together in groups called memeplexes. They work together and influence each other.

Memes work together in ways that build protections for each other within the memeplex

On Religions

Religions as memeplexes - these memplexes find shelter in hosts minds, but they also change the perceptions and life of their new host².

From author:

Built-in defense mechanisms protect hosts (and the memeplex) from being subjected to changes of their belief systems. Aside from protecting the host from hostile meme-intrusions, religions also include a factor of 'conversion'. All major world-religions have a religious task to spread the religion and convert non-believers. Next to that, they have their own holy scriptures which hasten spreading and make sure the memes can survive over time.

Memes and hosts

Meme Carriers

Meme Life-Cycle

A meme is virtually immortal.³

Meme lifespan depends on several criteria:

• Velocity - The rate at which a meme can spread.
• Smoothness - How easy it is for a meme to be spread

Viral memes spread on their own, but internet marketers use buttons and special call to actions in order to simplify or increase smoothness of spreading a meme.

What is meme selection?
It is the process of a meme's first contact with a host and it's journey to be selected and propagated.

4 Stages of Meme Selection

1. Assimilation
2. Retention
3. Expression
4. Transmission

During each stage, memes are battling for promotion to the next stage within a host.

Examples of memes

Frame or reference of the host is important when considering meme examples. You might not know how to read sheet music, so it would be impossible for a written song to be able to propagate with you.

Memes do not have to be decoded by conventional means, they can also use symbols and logos for meme propagation. Examples being Nike swoosh of the Christian Cross.

Sometimes memes only propagate within a small community. They become tokens of mutual understanding and shared interest.

Examples of small community memes:

• Band logos
• street gang tags
• religious symbols

Language Viruses

Some authors call memes a language virus. Some scientists say language was developed as a way for early humans to propagate memes.

Language viruses can be dangerous. A potentially dangerous viral sentence contains instructions such as: "Copy me" or "Say me" or "Steal this".

The internet has made meme propagation easier and more rapid than ever.

Virus Hoaxes - false virus warnings. They urge the recipient to take action that is harmful to the recipient by exploiting fear.

Death of a meme

Although memes are "virtually immortal", when hosts die, all the memes they carry die with them.

Since humans ONLY pass on phenotypes (i.e. their interpretation of a genotype), the meme dies with the human. Memes can be passed on in their genotype form in other replicators or vectors such as books because they are not subject to interprutation, they are literal genotypes.

3 Other Factors to the death of a meme

1. Changes in environment - loss of data ie computer crash, host gets alzheimers, physical destruction. This only applies if this single host or vector carry the meme.
2. intrinsic fragility - complexity in memes make propagation more difficult. Sometimes complex memes propagate because the essence or main points are transmitted on like in tribal stories and folklore. Other memes such as recipes do not do so well with the loss of data, which could result in the death of the meme.
3. elimination by other memes - attack by other memes. Man's mind is a limited resource, therefore memes are in constant battle to stay relevant. Attacks come in two forms:
   • Neutralize the information value of their competitors (convert to a Islam)
   • Instruct their host to destroy the hosts of competing memes (Jihad)

Spreading of Memes

Virus Hoaxes⁴

First things first, download this paper.

The executive summary is really great. A single page that sums up the contents.

Thesis: Tomorrow’s US military must approach warfighting with an alternate mindset that is prepared to leverage all elements of national power to influence the ideological spheres of future enemies by engaging them with alternate means—memes—to gain advantage.

Conclusion: Cognitive scientists, cultural anthropologists, behavior scientists, and game theory experts must be included as professional meme-wielding-gunfighters on future battlefields. The US must recognize the growing need for emerging disciplines in ideological warfare by ‘weaponeering’ memes. The Meme Warfare Center offers sophisticated and intellectually rich capability absent in current IO, PsyOps and SC formations and is specifically designed to conduct combat inside the mind of the enemy. Memes are key emerging tools to win the ideological metaphysical fight.

The author includes discussion points in the Executive Summary which highlight sections of the paper.

The paper opens up exploring ideologies and their importance on beating the enemy. Ideologies are VERY difficult to deafeat with force. (People don't like to have ideas beaten out of them - especially non-combatants).

Characteristics of ideologies:

• difficult to eradicate kinetically¹
• highly dynamic
• garner support for often undetectable reasons
• contain both intangible and tangible attributes
• generate visceral enmity
• compel noncombatants to take up arms
• influence strategic, operational and tactical relationships and in the simplest form present a daunting challenge for most conventionally trained military forces

Memes are bits of cultural information transmitted AND replicated. Memes are metaphysical, intangible entities, transmitted from mind to mind, either verbally, with actions, music, or by repeated actions and/or imitation.

This entire process is needed for memes to propagate.

The value of understanding memes lies at the heart of accepting nonlinear thinking and extrapolating it into a warfighting ethos.

Memes are an opportunity to enter the hotly contested territory in the new battlefield of the minds of both enemy combatants and non-combatants.

Like it or not, military ops create memes. Some memes are intended, some not. Both of these memes create 2nd and third order effects.

Controlling 2nd and 3rd order effects is very difficult.

Without contact, meme propagation is brought to a halt.

Author argues that IF you acknowledge memes are real, THEN meme engineering should fall to a department or organization in the military. As of publication, meme warfare was not recognized as legitimate and did not roll into any org.

The author now pivots into memes and the comparison to disease.

The clinical disease analogy for the spread of memes infers a further metaphorical connection to the development and spread of ideologies.

Using this metaphor, the author builds the case that ideologies can be combated much like a Doctor treats a disease.

1. Analyze disease properties, proliferation method, and conditions for favorable propagation
2. Methodically construct substances to inoculate hosts

Okay so now apply to this metaphor to ideologies...

1. the ideology must be acknowledged as the disease and memes the proliferation method
2. to amplify this disparity, there is a nexus at the crossroads of sociology, anthropology, cognitive science, and behavioral game theory that can help us to intentionally persuade (inoculate) large audiences (or hosts) through subtle or overt contact (remember memes can only propagate through contact).

A central component of future warfare must consider how to confront the complex adaptive system of an ideology. ... Targeting the source of the ideology is perhaps a blinding flash of the obvious, but the tools and methods for combating ideologies require a sophisticated nonlinear approach

The author goes into detail about a proposed MWC would operate and where it would roll up organizationally. If you are interested in further details, dig into the paper. It details how the private sector has used memes to create marketing campaigns and to influence corporate culture. And later goes into details about the proposed MWC org.

This closing quote was pretty interesting, from Donald Rumsfeld:

“Our enemies have skillfully adapted to fighting wars in today's media age, but for the most part we, our country, our government, has not…. the violent extremist[s] have established ‘media relations committees’—and have proven to be highly successful at manipulating opinion elites. They plan and design their headline grabbing attacks using every means of communications to intimidate and break the collective will of free people.”

And finally the last two sentences are icing on top.

The emerging tools to win the metaphysical fight are memes. Managing, employing and leveraging memetic power is key for the US to shape and win on future battlefields.

How to Overthrow the Powers that be On a Low Budget

I recommend you download this paper. It's an easy read and overall very quotable. It goes a little micro on some parts but overall it is a great read.

This articles describes memes, memplex, how memes spread, how the memeplex gets and holds power, memeplex vulnerability, and how to subvert current memeplex.

Let me first level set what you'll get out of this. You WILL walk away with an understanding of how power is derived and the power of memes. You will develop an understanding of how memes propogate¹ and how to develop your own memes.

What are memes and memeplexes

Nature is everywhere and everything.
Within nature, we can classify all things into two categories: replicators and non replicators.

Replicators

Human brain is both a replicator of self and replicator of other. This is because humans make babies and build things.

Self replicators are subject to evolution.

Important the process of replication requires instructions, consumption of resources, and a new host or object it is made of.

Resources are scarce, therefore self replicators are in competition to survive and to propogate.

Errors and mutation can occur with self replicators which can mean the self replicator dies or evolves into something new.

I think this is an important point and want to quote the author:

A self replicator’s future is determined most by its instructions. Instructions that lead to successful acquisition of resources and greater opportunities to replicate out compete instruction sets that lack these qualities². Indeed, the survival of the self replicator’s instructions is what drives the process of evolution. Consequently, the survival of the instruction set is primary. Memes exist, first and foremost, to perpetuate themselves. Therefore, the long term survival of any specific instance of a self replicator is secondary to the reproduction of the self replicator. The instructions concern themselves first with copying themselves into the next generation and secondarily with the survival of the host.

This tells us that self replicators that are the most successful are most concerned with propagating itself than the survival of itself.

Definitions

• meme - a mental construct that copies itself from mind to mind. It reproduces by inducing its carrier to engage in behavior that causes the meme to copy to other minds. Memes exist, first and foremost, to perpetuate themselves. It is a mental construct conjoined with a set of instructions which compel its host to engage in activities that increase the probability of the entire instruction set being copied from a host’s mind into the minds of others.
• memeplex - a complex of mutually supporting memes.

Meme Transmission

Meme Transmission

1. Imitation
2. Conversation
3. Printed Language

The most obvious is imitation. You see someone doing an action and you try to perform that action.

Another method of transmission is through conversation. The author states that this is through conversation between 2 or more individuals. This is when a someone describes behavior that is induced by the meme, the instructions of the meme are relayed, and the recipient copies and carries out the instructions. (The author does not explicitly say if this is for verbal conversation. I assume it could apply to written word like a irc chan or Tweet thread.)

The third method is through printed language. This would be through books, websites, graffiti, tv, and radio. I think a more appropriate description that captures all this would be 1-way conversation.

Sometimes, complimentary memes will aggregate in order to improve their chances of propagation and survival.

Thus, just as DNA found advantage in aggregating into complex aggregations of genes, some memes find advantage in aggregating into complexes of memes. This more complex form is called the memeplex.

Memeplexes control society. Most people are unaware.
Humans are slaves of the memeplexes and memes they host. This is why meme engineering and meme warfare is so powerful.

Most people think power is derived from the state, but it in fact is derived from the obedience of the constituents. Sometimes the beliefs and behaviors of constituents are against their own best interests, however the memeplex and supporting memes of the state are so strong that the hosts continue to propagate the memes. This is Stockholm Syndrome³ writ large.

If memes are self replicating like genes, then memeplexes are more parasitic like a virus. They exploit the mental and physical behavior of their hosts in order to propagate themselves. Memeplexes are not only interested in the propagation aspect but longevity is important.

Memeplexes take resources in order to survive and propagate.

In order to trick the individual into believing that the overhead of the memeplex is worth the sacrifice(or resources), the memeplex carries a payload which justifies the memeplex’s existence by convincing the individual that he or she benefits from the memeplex through the preservation and forwarding of the goals of the state, dictator, corporation, organization or institution to which the individual is a subject.

In regards to the state or world religions, these complex memeplexes carry instructions that demand the host surrender their liberty to the memplex and interferes with the hosts ability to realize they are losing liberty and/or sovereignty.

It is common belief that successful revolutions are aggressive attacks against the ruling party, but you must destroy the rulers memeplex in order to achieve the most change.

We do these things because we are slaves to the memeplex. The memeplex controls our behavior, our thoughts and our lives. Unless we recognize that our understanding of reality is shaped by memeplexes, there is little hope that we will, as a society and as individuals, make rational⁴ decisions. We cannot rule ourselves until we play an active role in determining which memeplexes we will host.

Hosts defend memeplexes. Fighting against the effects of the memeplex are futile because you are targeting the wrong thing.

When a single supporting meme of a memeplex is challenged, the host rejects it because it goes against their belief system. Hosts will call ideas that challenge the memeplex as utopian or idealistic or unrealistic.

Since memes are akin to genes and memeplex to DNA, we now look to ways to subvert them. Viruses are replicators that alter the host, so too can viruses subvert the memeplex

What's Meme Warfare?

What is meme warfare?

• Meme warfare is the subversion or destruction of a memeplex by means of memetic engineering. Meme warriors design memes targeting existing memeplexes. Such memes are intended to infect an existing memeplex, hinder an existing memeplex, or form a part of a competing memeplex.

Parasite is the best analogy fore meme warfare. Parasites infect hosts but don't kill them.

Some of the most successful parasites benefit their hosts by making their hosts desire to maintain a relationship with the parasites. The same is true with successful memes. Memes are more easily spread and retained if their hosts enjoy them. Those memes which induce entertaining behaviors⁵ are more likely to be adopted by hosts and are more likely to consume the hosts’ resources (e.g. time, money, energy) than those which provide no immediate reward. Unless a meme is consuming resources, it is not doing anything. Therefore, the meme warrior, whenever possible, should design memes that the targeted hosts will willingly foster and cultivate.

Here is a very important characteristic of memes that support the very nature of them.

In all cases, memes must exploit human behavior. They may exploit linguistic behavior, sexual behavior, social behavior, individual behavior, creative behavior (e.g. art), antisocial behavior (e.g. defacement of property), or any other form of human behavior. Memes are not memes unless they induce their hosts to behave in a way that executes the meme’s payload and/or induce others to copy the meme.

Example Meme

An example of a linguistic meme is the use of the name “Bush” as a pun. “Fuck Bush!” “The Only Bush I Trust Is My Own,” and “Trim the Bush!” are all perfect examples of this kind of meme. The meme exploited both sexual desire and the desire for entertainment to induce its hosts to carry the message.

This is basically a fancy way of describing political shit talking. Linguistic memes are spoken and utilize sex and entertainment in order to propagate.

Memes evolve and thus there is a danger in meme warfare. One may release a meme that evolves to oppose its originator.

Memes are a subtle subversion of self interest that compels the host to work in the interest of an idea.

Subversive actions attract antibodies.

Based on the year this was written, many of the meme warfare tactics described involve the physical world. Real protesting (with nudity always gets coverage), bumper stickers, and graffiti are referenced.

The paper wraps up without a clear gameplan but gives a great overview of how what memes and memeplexes are.

A great meme is one that prompts the receiver to share it. Memes tug on emotions in order to replicate between hosts. One of the classic memes from the anti-war movement of the 60's¹ is "Make love, not war". The meme was born out of opposition to the war in Vietnam. It is a great meme because it is short, memorable, and includes to polar opposites, love and war. The meme was painted across bare chests, on posters, and printed on buttons. It is so catchy that is still circulates today.

Fast forward 50+ years to 2020 and the world looks very different than it did in the 60's. Sure, there is still war being fought around the world by America, but 2020 is unlocking the gates to a new era. The pandemic and global economic crisis are inspiring many new memeplexes. We are seeing an uptick in collectivism as well as individualism. While the state is looking to keep its seniorage and power, the individualist movement is creating memes that challenge the status quo.

Of the many memes that make up the individualist memeplex, pro-gun memes are among the strongest. Pro-gun memes not only mock the state, but with with the invention of 3D printing, the state's attempt to silence and stifle the proliferation of guns is a fools errand². Pro-gun advocates push the position that an armed society is more free and more prosperous.

Make Guns Not War by Clancy Rodgers takes a classic anti-war meme and flips it on it's head. It evokes feelings of emotion from both collectivists and individualists alike. It's simple changing of the word "love" with "guns" gives the feeling that this isn't quite right. You expect to see love and you get guns instead. It goes against everything the state teaches us. How can making guns lead to peace? How do you make guns and not war? This is exactly what you're programmed to think, and this internal question makes it powerful.

Make Guns Not War is a mutation from the classic anti-war meme Make love not war that has a modern twist. It's a meme for the individual, advocates peace, and encourages self sovereignty through 3D printing guns.

Regardless of where you stand, the symbolism in this mutated meme is radical and it begs the question... will you propagate the meme?

• Saying you’re against privacy because you have nothing to hide is like saying you’re against free speech because you have nothing to say.
• The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing so many of you that privacy - in itself - is a crime. Wake up. Have some self respect. - Matt Odell

This page serves as a repo to navigate resources I've put together that focus on memetics. A large portion of the focus is on military memetics but some of these resources cover memetics from an educational standpoint i.e. the nature of memes and their effect of society.

Military Memetics Docs Library

• Docs Library on Keybase

My Notes on the Meme Papers

• Notes on Memetics - A Growth Industry in US Military Operations
• Notes on Meme Warfare

Military Memetics Articles Online

• Is America Prepared for Meme Warfare?
• Tutorial: Military Memetics
• Jihadist Memes Are a Real Thing
• Academic journal "Defence Strategic Communications" Vol1 p.68 "It's Time to Embrace Memetic Warfare"
• Evolutionary Psychology, Memes and the Origin of War
• World War Meme
• How to Control The Mind of Almost Anyone (And Your Own)
• How Persuaders See the World - the 3 kinds or people

Videos on Meme Warfare

• The Tumblr-4chan Wars
• The CNN Skirmishes - Meme Insider Collaboration

Bitcoin Meme Warfare

• The Art of Bitcoin Rhetoric - How to Meme Bitcoin to the Moon

This is a notepad I am keeping to track these thoughts

Memetic Meditation

The use of memetic mantras in meditation

Repitition is used in all sorts of spirituality and medititaon.

Schelling points are universal truths, what we all believe in.
A schelling point is the strongest mantra around an idea or belief system
Many supporting mantras and memes develop in order to preserve and spread the idea.

What is Mantra Meditation?

A mantra is a syllable, word, or phrase that is repeated during meditation. Mantras can be spoken, chanted, whispered, or repeated in the mind. Most mantra meditation techniques have two essential components: mindfulness meditation and mantra recitation or chanting. While this age-old practice is known to have Buddhist and Hindu roots, forms of “sacred word” recitation exist within a great variety of spiritual traditions, including Judeo-Christian and Shamanic. Nowadays, mantra practice is also gaining popularity as part of non-secular mindfulness practice.

Discuss Vibrations and the universe etc

Dig into meditation and vibrations.
How are thoughts vibrations
Discuss why our goal as humans should be to raise the collective vibrations of all mankind

What is a Meme?

History of meme

Meme - A meme is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme.

Memes are spreadable mantras.

They are simple to understand and communicate
Can be as short a single word, i.e. Om and Hodl are both single word memes.

All mantras are memes, but not all memes are mantras.

A rough guide to memetic meditation

1. Why do you want to use memetic meditation

Every person is different and has different reasons for using meditation.
If you can understand why you want to meditate, you will be able to find the best memes to meditate with.

• I assume There are health benefits associated with memetic meditation as it build of matra meditations.
• Memetic meditation can have spiritual benefits as it will assist in lowering your time preference and allow you to let go of your default keynesian ways.

2. Find appropriate memes for your intention

One of the goals of memetic meditation is casting your intentions to the universe in the form of vibrations.
The universe is always listening, so be careful what you put out there.
Each meme has a different vibration so find one that corresponds with your intentions

• Repitition of memes can help you disconnect and focus on your intentions
• Om is a powerful one word mantra, repeating it creates strong vibrations and clears them mind. Blending traditonal mantras with Memes can yield strong results.

Set an intention

No memetic meditation practice is complete without first setting an intention. Dedicate your practice to something such as patience or calmness or strength of hands.

repeat

This is a notepad I am keeping to track these thoughts

This is an idea of using Metatron's Cube as a memory tool to recall your seed phrase and also for memetic meditation.

Bullets

• Metatrons cube
• sacred geometry
• The cube has 6 sides, 4 words per side
• each point should have a meme to recite
• Need more info on metatrons sacred geometry

Sacred Goeometry

Sacred Geometry. Jobalou/Getty Images

In her book "Metatron: Invoking the Angel of God's Presence," Rose VanDen Eynden writes that studying Studying sacred geometry "leads one to an understanding of how Creator has structured the physical world around us. Within this plane, certain patterns emerge that point to its unity and connection to a Divine Mind that created it. Timeless geometric codes underlie seemingly disparate things, showing the parallels between patterns in snowflakes, shells, flowers, the corneas of our eyes, the DNA molecule that is the building block of human life, and the galaxy itself in which Earth resides."

Balancing Energy

The cube is an image of God's energy flowing through Metatron to all the many parts of creation, and Metatron works hard to ensure that the energy flows in the proper balance so that all aspects of nature will be in harmony, believers say.

"Metatron’s Cube helps us realize the harmony and balance of nature," writes VanDen Eynden in "Metatron." "Since it depicts an equilibrium in the six directions represented within it. ... Metatron’s Cube can be used as a visual focal point to connect with the archangel, or it can be used as a concentration tool for meditations that promote peace and balance. Place an image of the cube anywhere you wish to be reminded of the archangel’s loving, balancing presence."

• Metatrons cube is a way to reflect on balance of nature
  

• What are the points for you?

• need to understand associative memory techniques and how the cube could be

This is a notepad I am keeping to track these thoughts

The Witch's Case for Bitcoin

Three proposed points for this short essay:

• Seed Creation is a spell
• Energy and the Earth
• The Magic of Time Preference
• The Magic of Cryptography

Seed Creation is a spell

This section should discuss the magical probability of the seed. Talk about how many lifetimes it would take to guess a seed. How there is a really good chance that once a seed is created, that combination of words has never been said by mankind, and it might never be said again. That's mystical to me.

Pursuit of clean energy to save the world

Witches love mother Earth. Bitcoin is always seeking out the cleanest and or wasted energy. Witch's should appreciate that.

Look into history of withes spells for the earth. Witch's ritual for clean earth. Leave no trace. Witches regularly include an offering to Mother Earth when performing magic.

The Magic of Time Preference

Ask and you shall receive.
This is a common theme of magic.
You must be open to receive.
The universe is always listening.
Nothing is instant.
There are too many vibrations for anything to be instant.
The key is patience.
Society today is built on high time preference, that is instant gratification.
Witches practice magic and putting intentions out into the universe.
When they work in a coven, they hope to intensify their vibrations.
Low time preference is patience, building for the future.

Candle magic

The believing is huge. You must believe it. If the thought creeps into your mind, the spell is broken.
By not believing, you are not manifesting

the magic of cryptography

tons of branches of witchcraft
some of them focus on communicated or reading people.
Think about tarot, you are reading the future.
Some witches claim to read minds
Cryptography allows two people to communicate in exclusive privacy.
As if two witches opened a channel.
telepathy¹

Technology is magic

knowledge is magic
in the future we might understand how to get to the ethereal plane, that will be magical to us to

• present day technology is past years magic

Knowledge is magic

think about how the Aztec priests knew the eclipse was coming they had the knowledge, the plebs

• magic internet money meme
  The meme itself is a wizard, what are the chances

• reference bitcoin astrology

This is a notepad I am keeping to track these thoughts

The Way

An exploration of perfection through Bitcoin

Sovereigns are the most powerful men in a territory

Low Times preference brings out the best in us
Citadels are built from within

Reference

• Sacral architecture
• Cornerstone and masonry

The corner-stone, 107 as the foundation on which the entire building is supposed to rest, is, of course, the most important stone in the whole edifice. It is, at least, so considered by operative masons. It is laid with impressive ceremonies; the assistance of speculative masons is often, and always ought to be, invited, to give dignity to the occasion; and the event is viewed by the workmen as an important era in the construction of the edifice. 108 - Symbolism of the Corner-Stone

Once you understand weeks Bitcoin is and it's nature your will forever be changed. You will no longer consume, you will now cherish

Technical explanation of time preference
Time preference throughout the different time periods
Time preference and the future of humanity

Time preference changes dna

Perfect man can only be obtained through low time preference

Virtues of saving
Saving is virtuous and productive

Hodlers dilemma - if I spend now I will miss out on more spending tomorrow

What is it you most desire?
Light and salvation

Low time preference builds and character and strengthens the soul.
Low time preference hardens ones convictions and brings peace to one heart.¹
Sound money allows us to live ourself because our time is valued

Original bullets from note

• Sovereigns are the most powerful men in a territory
• An exploration of perfection through Bitcoin
• Times preference brings out the best in us
• Once you understand weeks Bitcoin is and it's nature your will forever be changed. You will no longer consume, you will now cherish
• Technical explanation of time preference
• Time preference throughout the different time periods
• Time preference and the future of humanity
• Time preference changes dna
• Perfect man can only be obtained through low time preference Virtues of saving
• Saving is virtuous and productive
• Hodlers dilemma - if I spend now I will miss out on more spending tomorrow
• What is it you most desire?
• Light and salvation
• Low time preference builds and esteem
• Sound money allows us to live yourself because our time is valued

This is a notepad I am keeping to track these thoughts

AI and Strong Hands

The AI droids will have unbelievably strong hands and will cooperate beyond anything we're seen or can imagine. By cooperate I mean not without but within.

Thinking through this plotline... will there be multiple AI or one sentient AI mind? IF there are multiple AI minds, will they cooperate or will they compete?

This is a notepad I am keeping to track these thoughts

The Ritual of Seed Creation

About this article

This article is an exploration of the sovereign nature of creating a seed, sommiting it to memory, and the spiritual effects of this exercise.

This is a work in progress.

The Sovereign and the Seed

The sovereign is the person who makes the rules for himself and/or others.
Since the beginning of time, the sovereign has been determined by violence.
He has wields the most violence, has sovereignty of those who cannot challenge him.
A great equalizer has been delivered via cryptography that effectively balances the playing field for sovereignty.
No longer is sovereignty solely determined by available violence but now determined by mathematics.
Mathematics do not discriminate.
Bitcoin is man's opportunity to declare his sovereignty.
Bitcoin is man's path towards light.
Through Bitcoin, man has the ability to transact how he wishes.
Insert "we reject kings etc. phrase"
Technology exists, but it is up to the individual to plant the seed of sovereignty.
Sovereignty does not exist in a vaccum.
Sovereignty is a constant struggle.
Man is in constant pursuit of power.
Bitcoin levels the playing field.
For individuals, declaring his sovereignty is not simply attained.
He must stay diligent.
The individual must question and dedicate himseld to protecting his sovereignty.
His sovereignty will grow over time but it all begins with a seed.

Cryptosovereignty is the personal power, economic liberty, and political praxis that exist in bitcoin directly, crypto assets generally, and the internet widely. It is the power of any single human — no matter their station of birth, class of wealth, or creed of faith — to choose to put their economic, social, and political rights into a new digital common-wealth that is inviolable and beyond the power of any and all governments to violate. - "Cryptosovereignty"(https://cryptosovereignty.org/cryptosovereignty/) by Erik Cason

The ritual of seed creation

• Go through the ritual of seed creation.
• Talk about the dedication of commiting the seed to your memory.
• Different methods of memorization.
• The sacred act of memorization
• Associative memorization

• look for an article that describes repitition and spirituality
  -- what is the role of repitition and spirituality

• what's the symbolism of the rosary?

• can the ritual of the rosay be used in seed memorization?

• will bitcoiners adopt some creed that could be used in the seed memorization ritual?

• research "the pledge of allegiance" and other things that are recited by members of organizations.

• look into free mason ritual for inspiration and reason behind ritual

• look into the ritual and how it can bring inner peace through finding calmness

• compare meditation to the seed ritual

• this ritual is low time preference

• it will take lots of time and dedication to master your seed.

Repitition and the Rosary

The string of beads obviously has the purpose of diverting the thoughts from certain external distrac­tions of attention. One bead leads the person praying to the next. Their number keeps the repetition within certain bounds, approved by long usage. Otherwise he who prays would have to keep a watch for the “too little” or else fall into the “too much,” and thus be diverted from the essential. The beads take this trouble off his shoulders; they do the counting for him. Yet is this not something “technical”? Surely; but does not all life con­tain “technicalities”?
It is said of all things, even the spiritual, that they have to be learned. But learning requires practice; and practice is nothing else but a training of technical skill, liberating our strength and attention for what is essen­tial. So long as one is yet unskilled, one has to watch every single act, and the essential comes off badly; but with the acquisition and development of technical skill, the essential is liberated. The string of beads has no other meaning. The Beads and Repetition of the Rosary

• Seed memorization is taking your sovereignty
• seed memorization is pursuit of perfection
• seed memorization is investing in yourself
• seed memorization builds your self confidence.
• seed memorization allows you to find calmness
• seed meditation can be meditation

Repitition and Meditation

”Just by repeating the name, that which can not be understood Will be understood just by repeating the name that which can not be seen Will be seen” - this article

Repetition is Key to Developing a Meditation Practice

• Find a list of benefits of meditation
• Can you actually meditate while reciting your seed?
• reach out to a meditation guru

Witchcraft

• Explore the power of words
• the power if ritual
• the magic of ritual
• Putting intention into your seed through spells?
• might be too far out there

Magic of the Seed

When a seed is created and the words are spoken out loud to the universe, you can assume the combination of those words has NEVER been saiod together.
This is magical.
If words and intent have power, then the creation and projection of a seed hold certain unknowable power.
The act of the ritual has many unseen benefits for the individual.
By repeating your seed you accomplish several things:

• You are demonstrating self control by practicing
• You are showing low time preference by investing in yourself
• You are declaring your sovereignty by relying on no third party or object Once the true-beleiver¹

History of seed phrase

• detail the bip
• detail the words
• link to a list of the words
• consider including a list of the words
• details the combinations available
• describe how the chances of a seed being spoken again is nearly zero
• 2048²⁴ are the number of combinations of seed phrases available
• Chances of guessing a private key - 1:115,792,089,237,316,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

Reference "The Passion of the Believers" by Hass McCook

On cracking a seed phrase

• https://coldbit.com/can-bip-39-passphrase-be-cracked/
• https://medium.com/breathe-publication/a-dance-with-infinity-980bd8e9a781
• https://pthree.org/2016/06/19/the-physics-of-brute-force/

From Lopp:

• [https://blog.keys.casa/the-dos-and-donts-of-bitcoin-key-management/](https://blog.keys.casa/the-dos-and-donts-of-bitcoin-key-management/

Don't use brain wallets - humans are terrible at generating entropy! If you send funds to a brain wallet composed of common English words, it will likely be stolen in seconds.

This is a notepad I am keeping to track these thoughts

Idea: Dropgang Protocols

I first heard about the ideas of dropgangs from Frank and Smuggler on their epic podcast.
Dropggangs are organizations that facilitate IRL deliveries.
While this sounds pretty simple, dropgangs can be highly sophisticated in their workflow by utilizing many kinds of technology to make deliveries.
One problem with this is how it scales. I mean, dropgangs are not located in every city.
How could the idea of dropgangs scale to other regions using cooperation with individuals?
Mixed mode of delivery, utilizing several USPS stops, physical delivery for the final mile, or even drop offs for the final mile.

Ideas for WoT (Web of Trust)

• Members could have different delivery methods they are willing to participate in and certain SLA's -- Only mail order pass thru -- Physical dropoff --- Radius for delivery --- In person hand-off --- Tech available for handoff --- PGP signature as confirmation -- Rate -- SLA's how quick they will act
• WoT rating system -- If you receive bad review, it effects everyone in your WoT

This sounds crazy.
It would require a web of trust that included ranking system and what you are willing to do for a delivery.

Matryoshka idea

I thought these were so funny as a kid.
More recently I have seen videos of people opening presents that are layers and layers deep and at the very end it is a lame present.
But something like this could be applied to a Dropgang protocol.

• The sender would include several layers.
• each layer would have instructions on where to send the package next
• when the next person in the chain receives the package and passes it on, he would confirm receipt, and the previous person would receive a fee for shipping.
• maybe when the package is confirmed at the final destination, the recipient can confirm he received it via a PGP message between him and the original shipper.
• Only at that time could the fees be distributed.

The Bitcoin Diaspora, A Confederation of Tribes

By Joe Rodgers

Posted March 11, 2020

Introduction

“There is no Bitcoin community” - Everyone

This is the battle cry of true-believers and deniers alike. There is no CEO, PR, or speaker for Bitcoin. Bitcoin is decentralized, so there is none of that. So why do people get triggered so easily when people utter the phrase “Bitcoin community”?

Surely there is something, but what is it?

During Bitcoin’s short existence, it has grown from a small cryptography email list to a globally traded money with a $100B+ market cap. How can something like this happen with no “Bitcoin community”.

Surprisingly, there is “no Bitcoin community” but there is a Bitcoin diaspora, a confederation of tribes.

To fully understand this social phenomenon, we must have a basic understanding of these concepts: diaspora, tribes, specialization and disciplines, and confederation. This will not satisfy all critics, but the aim is to present a mental model we can use when describing all individuals and communities that use Bitcoin.  

What is a Diaspora

A quick search on the internet will yield many different definitions for diaspora. Traditionally, the word has been reserved for describing the dispersion of Jews beyond Israel but it is now commonly used to describe the scattering of people away from their homeland.

While traditional diasporas are rooted in the physical world, the Bitcoin diaspora is rooted in the digital world. Over time, we have witnessed the transformation of the Bitcoin diaspora into a hybrid of both physical and digital worlds.

From the beginning of Bitcoin’s creation, users were geographically scattered but shared a common digital home via the Cryptography Mailing List.

The original cryptography mailing list members eventually scattered to join other digital communities and even made joined communities in the physical world via meetups, conferences, business, and educational institutions. Once Bitcoin users made the jump to connect in the physical world, the Bitcoin diaspora transformed from being digital to a hybrid diaspora, which is a special characteristic of this social phenomenon.

As their numbers grew, so too did the Bitcoin diaspora voice and influence. Finally, a natural tribe would form which we’ll get to in the next section.

A great example of this scattering is their infiltration within Libertarian circles. For decades, Libertarians fought for sound money and more liberty, and for decades they cheered for a return to the gold standard and limited government. Libertarians never had a way to bring change because they needed permission from the state. Then along came Bitcoin. Some core principles of Bitcoin are sound monetary policy and it’s permissionless nature. Diaspora members began to infiltrate libertarian circles and share their domain knowledge of Bitcoin. Libertarians soon discovered those core monetary principles and found they were in alignment with theirs. As a result, we now have a blossoming knowledge base centered around Bitcoin and Libertarianism.

The scattering of the Bitcoin diaspora has resulted in countless physical and digital tribes. As the diaspora continues to grow and mature, we will see more organization and representation.

Tribes

Tribes come in all shapes and sizes but share common characteristics. Tribes are connected people that share an idea. Tribal needs are communication and a way to share ideas. As tribes mature natural leadership begins to form. Leadership delivers better organization and communication.

One of man’s most powerful survival mechanisms is to be a part of a tribe. The opportunity to give and to receive from a tribe of like-minded individuals and to learn from a leader give him a sense of fulfillment. But man is not satisfied with one tribe, he desires to be in many. That is why you probably are a member of many social networks, organizations, and smaller groups.

The Bitcoin diaspora began as a single tribe with a small group of members in the Cryptography Mailing List, but naturally, the members shared and explored the idea of Bitcoin. From that moment, tribes began to form groups outside the mailing list.

As mentioned earlier, a popular example of a tribe is the Libertarian Bitcoiners, but there are many more great examples. One of the earliest tribes that are still around today is the Bitcoin Talk forum. This was the early place where Bitcoin ideas were shared and sharpened. Wild speculation, how-to’s, and fud were all hashed out within this tribe. There are more than 30 local meetups for Bitcoin, many developer communities on GitHub, and Bitcoin tribes are forming across every social network.

The expansion of Bitcoin tribes is a powerful example of Bitcoin’s network effects. The scattering is a positive feedback loop as Bitcoin is strengthened as the network grows and tribes grow the network.  

Specialization and Disciplines

When mankind leaps forward, it’s the result of new knowledge. New knowledge is the product of specialization which occurs when productivity is focused along different skills. Since Bitcoin is decentralized, advancement relies on the shoulders of the tribes and tribal members. Since tribal members are free to work on whatever they choose, this leads to more specialization because they can focus their energy where they are most productive.

Within a specific tribe, there is domain knowledge which makes tribes a breeding ground for specialization. Tribal members peer review, share, critique, and advance knowledge specific to their tribe. This process is another example of a positive feedback loop for Bitcoin. Tribes develop specialization, which adds to the overall value of Bitcoin.

Once a person with domain knowledge got their mind on Bitcoin, they tended to see the world through a new lens, and this outcome was specialization.

“I believe that Bitcoin is a mirror - it reflects who you are; it reflects your beliefs.”  Gigi

Domain experts began crafting new ideas and narratives around Bitcoin. Over time, this specialization has led to the deep study and exploration of Bitcoin which has produced various Bitcoin disciplines. Bitcoin disciplines are branches of knowledge dedicated to understanding Bitcoin.

Disciplines are like schools within a university. They encompass an overall idea or school of thought and have deep focus areas that add to the understanding of that discipline. As you can see from the chart, Bitcoin disciplines are developing along conventional schools of thought, however, specialization is developing which further the understanding of how Bitcoin relates to that discipline.

Once the Bitcoin diaspora scattered out beyond the cryptography mailing list, Bitcoin was exposed to people with different areas of expertise. Tribes formed which led to specialization and disciplines. This all happened organically and is another example of how the Bitcoin diaspora is influencing the world.

These disciplines might look familiar at first glance, but once you dig into the writings, code, and other knowledge created, you will find that Bitcoin is changing us far more than we are changing it.

Confederation

Let’s now dig into the final aspect of the Bitcoin diaspora, confederation. The most useful definition of confederation is an organization that consists of several tribes united in an alliance. History has many examples of tribal confederations from the Iroquois to the Mayans. Each tribe had its values, norms, and leaders, and they found strength in an alliance.

The tribes of the Bitcoin diaspora are like these native confederations of the Americas. Although there are no formal alliances in the Bitcoin confederation, tribes and tribal members all share a belief in this informal alliance.

But what forges this alliance? That is the beauty of Bitcoin. It means many things to many people. For some, it is as simple as sound money and for others, it is their path to riches. Interpretation is up to the individual, but it can be summarized as a shared desire for Bitcoin to succeed.

The strength of the confederation is in the tribe and tribal members and vice versa. This is another example of a positive feedback loop.

• As individuals are on-boarded to tribes →
• those tribes create more specialization →
• which benefits the confederation →
• which brings more value to bitcoin →
• Loop repeats

Through scattering and specialization, the diaspora has spawned many tribes that share ideas, norms, and values, and they all work as an informal confederation.

Conclusion

The Bitcoin diaspora has already changed the world and will continue to bring positive changes to humanity. With each epoch, new waves of innovation and users join the Bitcoin diaspora. As new technology is unlocked, this will bring in more areas of study and new disciplines.

Tribal communication will change rapidly over the next decade as VR and AR technology is brought to the mainstream. Already today, we are seeing primitive Bitcoin meetups in VR. As VR technology is improved, this will unlock new levels of human communication and collaboration. Tribes will continue to meet in the real world, but VR will become more and more common and eventually will be the norm. Better tools will lead to the better communication of ideas and more rapid specialization.

Over the next decade, we will see the creation of many new tribes. Some will be unthinkable because they will be dedicated to technology not yet created. Today, we are witnessing new tribes being developed such as the Bitcoin Artists and the Bitcoin Religion.

There are already Bitcoin Artists, but they are just now getting organized. This tribe is already spreading the ideas of Bitcoin through art and is on the cutting edge of technology creating digital and physical art the world has never seen or imagined.

The Bitcoin Religion is an emerging meme within the Bitcoin diaspora. While this might be laughable to some, this is rapidly becoming a more common idea within existing Bitcoin tribes. As more ideas are created and shared around Bitcoin religion, the tribe will find itself. It too will bring value to Bitcoin through self-betterment.

The Bitcoin diaspora will continue to scatter as Bitcoin makes its way into more and more areas of study and human life. Tribes will organize and the confederation will be strengthened. This will ultimately lead to hyperbitcoinization.

Eventually, we will reach a point of hyperbitcoinization which is when Bitcoin is the global currency. This will trigger a switch in mindset for humanity. Humans will no longer think with shorter time preference. Human action will be shifted from inflationary money as a store of value to deflationary money as a store of value. This will make all human actions weighed with longer time preferences. Once hyperbitcoinization is achieved, the Bitcoin diaspora will be the global human tribe, because Bitcoin will be the global currency.

In the hyperbitcoinization period, there will still be tribes of innovators working to improve Bitcoin and their discipline, but for the common man, it will be an afterthought. The common man will use Bitcoin and act with a longer time preference. He will be changed by Bitcoin. He will become a better man.  

Thanks

Thank you, David, for your early conversation and review. Thank you, Gigi, for your review and encouragement.  

Supplemental Resources

• Satoshi Nakamoto Institute
• bitcoin-only
• 21 Lessons
• Lopp’s Bitcoin Resources
• WORDS Bitcoin Journal