Why you should question Bitcoin Core and SegWit.

in #bitcoin7 years ago

Hello, so this is post trying to shed some necessary light on Bitcoin scaling debate. I've been trying to chose sides for a long time and have spent a lot of time researching different opinions on how to solve this issue. While not particularly liking any of the solutions I've come to decision to suport the controversial proposal of block size increase without SegWit (USHF - Bitcoin ABC). While I'm not a programmer I've dedicated a lot of time to objectively (Objective, because I have no affiliation or sympathy to any of the sides or proposals what so ever, because I only care about what is the best for Bitcoin and it's original idea and purpose) evaluate what is the best course of action. My point of view is somewhat more "feeling" oriented and while it may not seem like a legit enough evaluation tool, I must assure you my "feeling" has hardly ever let me down, as it is more of a collection of impressions compared with facts, opinions of different "experts" on Bitcoin that I've talked to and most of all behavior of different sides, that says a quite a bit about them, if observed closely.

I've observed the way different sides are behaving and their incentives for actions. When you analyze Jihan Wu's behavior even though he's maybe not entirely sure how to go abut it, as he is risking a shitload of money, he seems to have a clear vision of how things should be and what he is willing to do to get there. He was decided on bigger blocks and no SegWit even on the Blockchain Conference in Amsterdam in the middle of June and hasn't seem to changed his perspective ever since. Likewise other people who are opposing the Core side, seem to be uniting behind this philosophy. Not to mention there are basically no attacks from this side towards the other side. They simply want to go their way and seem to have faith in it, even though they are in much worse starting situation, which is pretty much the only reason they are afraid, but not because their technological solutions would be worse. They "know" that what they are doing is "the right thing to do" but are only afraid that other people might not see it, or not sure when will they start to see it.

On the other hand, when you look at the SegWit side, there seems to me too much chaos among themselves, they are not united and everybody in there seems to want something a bit different and whilt it seems how they've won with the SegWit, I think it is highly likely their community will split over the block size increase in November as a large part will try to back out of it and that will cause a cascade of shit-storm that will have likely have a disastrous effect on Bitcoin and also notable supporters will diverge to USHF side. They seem to be fearful, irrational, manipulative and desperate to gain power and will ruin Bitcoin if they must, just to get that. Jihan doesn't have to ruin anything, he has the power and while it's somewhat opposed to the decentralization model. It is actually only somewhat centralized in certain part of the whole thing, that doesn't matter as much, since the technology itself will remain intact, decentralized and in alignment with the original idea. On the other hand the SegWit part appears to be more decentralized, but only in the not important and actually counterproductive part - in its organization. People there will only keep arguing to reach some sort of consensus like it has been so far (No, Bitmain is not the only entity they don't agree with) and the important part - the technology - will slowly slip into the hands of institutions that are centralized and will taint and pervert Bitcoin just to get money (fiat money) and power. They are basically selling Bitcoin to the system it was created to destroy. As for example Lightning Network is not and will not be decentralized and centralized authorities will get control over it. Something we as community were trying to escape this whole time. Not to mention, that they are very manipulative when it comes to public opinion and are doing everything they can to control the opinions of people by censoring everything they can, that anyhow questions their concepts or technological solutions. Doesn't this sound familiar??? It is exactly what all the suspicious and controlling institutions of today are doing. Those we are trying to break free from. We should think very carefully and critically before trusting somebody with our allegiance.

Just look at the social media and see how aggressive they are. **CENSORSHIP IS NOT A PRACTICE OF THE TRUSTWORTHY. **

I encourage you to take a critical look at what is happening, try to step away from what you've already accepted as your opinion and re-evaluate things, with putting the emotion aside.

I believe that Core folks are planting a Trojan horse in Bitcoin and if we don't see through it soon, we (Bitcoin) will perish.

Here are some posts I've come across on Reddit and Bitcointalk that show this manipulative censorship, while they are only a speck of all the cases of this behavior.

https://www.reddit.com/r/btc/comments/6ptl4j/wow_my_2ndmostupvoted_post_showing_how_rbitcoin/

https://www.reddit.com/r/btc/comments/4b8xcq/unbelievable_censorship_on_bitcointalk_bitcoin/

https://www.reddit.com/r/btc/comments/5ipd7a/censorship_test_i_called_out_utheymos_for_giving/

https://forum.bitcoin.com/bitcoin-discussion/how-the-censorship-in-bitcoin-got-us-to-where-everyone-blindly-supports-core-and-segwit-t31317.html

Unfortunately the post on bitcointalk I wanted to share I cannot find anymore, but it was quoting responses of some Core members and links to censored posts. The OP pointed to a whole 40-something page discussion being locked as it was questioning SegWit upgrade with legit non-biased technical questions and such.

I don't know how about you, but I simply cannot believe this kind of people. Please people do your own due diligence and research. Try to look at things from different sides, try to see why is who doing what. And what it is that they are doing. This is a big game for sure and many things are still hidden from us and it is hard to see, what is happening or going to happen, but you should not blindly believe anyone - not even me- I'm just encouraging you to look for your own answers (and you will find them only if you look everywhere not only where you want to look). Question things. Make up your own mind, don't let somebody do it for you. That is the beginning of the end.

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It is your right to be ignorant and ignore all the technical aspects of it. But failing to see the incompetence in the people that are supporting big blocks, the dirty tools that they are using to take control of Bitcoin. While Bitcoin Core is just creating code that users are asking for and leave it for community to decide if it is useful.

Users arent asking for anything, they have been made to believe that this is what they want. It's the same as when people are voting in our "democratic" system, it's all campaigns and manipulation. Im not saying Jihan and co. are saints I am questioning them too and event hough I might not like them, their proposal for upgrade is better IMO, but it's shocking no one is questioning Core and co. I am sorry but your opinion seems too biased and emotional for me to take it seriously. Give me facts. But either way, it is like you say, for community to decide on what it "wants". Only time will tell. It just doesnt seem fair to me and in alignment with anarcho-capitalism and free market which is the basis of these systems, that they don't even want let the Jihan and co. to have their go and let the market decide. If they are the ones who are right, why are they so afraid?

One thing I could say to Core and co. when it come to discussions about SegWit and other upgrades and their censorship is this:

It's been more than a year since majority of the users started asking for SegWit. Clearly you haven't been a user for long enough to know it. Big names like Roger Ver and Jihan Wu who own big Bitcoin businesses have been pushing big blocks for years now. And they have no support from the users, that is why we still don't have bigger blocks. So clearly Bitcoin Cash is a solution for everyone. Users get the SegWit that they wanted and those who don't know what Bitcoin stands for, can go to Bitcoin Cash and enjoy big blocks.

a) from what I've observed, people are heavily manipulated and don't seem to have their own mind and there is too much censorship and lack of transparency in SegWit and b) Bitcoin Cash is trying to follow the original whitepaper idea while the other side is not. What is wrong with that? SegWit folk are turning Bitcoin into something it is not supposed to be.

People who are "heavily manipulated" don't make any decisions in Bitcoin. Decisions on what software to run are made only by miners and those who run full nodes. And those are the people who know more about Bitcoin than an average person. Bitcoin has been around for a while and reputations have already been made. In time you will get the hang of it who are the sleazy bastards looking for personal gain even in unethical ways.

Remember your last sentence in a few years. What you don't understand, that trying to decentralize mining is a stupid and pointless effort and in order to try to achieve this Core and co. are selling the BTC as we know it to those we despise. There is nothing we can do to change the fact, that Chinese already "own" Bitcoin. But they have no reason to do anything ridiculous with it, because they already have everything they want, as it might not be the ideal scenario, it is our reality. Better to have Chinese-centralized mining of Bitcoin than have Core and co. decentralized mining Bitcoin that they will sell out to centralized corporations in order to get money and power they are lacking. SegWit is not going to solve anything, probably a notable group of people are going to boycott the 2x part and that's when they will have dug their own graves. Many different people technically involved/interested question if it's even a safe upgrade. Either way -we need bigger blocks, there is no other way (and if there is - it's neither SegWit nor any currently know scaling solution) . How do you suppose things will work when certain groups reject the 2x part?

That's the thing, we don't need bigger blocks, at least not in a near future. So I don't see why wouldn't certain groups reject 2x. And Chinese don't "own" Bitcoin, no one does! Fools who think they can control Bitcoin will only get disappointed.

picture found on Google, source unknown

Right where Roger Ver likes you to read your news, on his site. That's like letting criminals be their own judges in the court.

Ok, fair enough, but there there are tons of other places where you can see this censorship. And that's just not OK imho.

And it is up to you to find the sources that are truthful.

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