Bitcoin's Code: a "Political Object"

2016 Oct

The below presentation tries to convey the idea that code in the Bitcoin community is not only "code", but rather a conscious networked object.

How is code in the Bitcoin Community a "networked object"?

The Bitcoin's developer community revolves around code.

Today, there are over 400+ active developer working on Bitcoin's code base. Code is the "glue" of the community.

Code and Selfies have many similarities.

1. Code is no longer just text, but visual representations of computer logic.
2. Code on Github allows for tagging and comments similar to an image.
3. Bitcoin's developer's use code to support their beliefs.

1. Bitcoin developers are very opinionated.
2. There are 132 issues which have been tagged with the word "privacy", as they deeply care about these issues.
3. Comments are often expression of very personal views.

By committing code to Bitcoin and making their private opinions permeant and sharable by everyone. It is an act of defiance for the existing system.

Bitcoin's code is not just binary data, but rather an: Autonomous social movement through code.

1. Code is the object which bonds the community together.
2. Bitcoin's code travels through people's computers, binding everyone together.
3. It contains the personal thoughts, social concepts, and political motifs of its creators.