I knew about the new party, yeah – that Musk actually did it was wild enough. But didn’t realize Bitcoin might be part of the plan. If that’s in the blueprint, it changes the tone. Not sure if it's just buzz or real intent, though. BTC and politics… always feels like oil and water. Still, if it gains legal ground like that, we’re in for a strange new chapter.

@Fretum: That line about people wanting the benefits without effort? Couldn’t agree more. Feels like everyone loves the result but skips the climb. And yeah, when something looks easy, folks assume it was easy. Nobody sees the drafts that never made it or the nights you sat there, stuck between two half-sentences.

Your academic writing sounds like a totally different rhythm. Like, when people ask for a text, that must shift the pressure, right? Less guessing, more delivering. Do you still tweak endlessly, or does the structure help you let go sooner?

Also – when you write without that academic frame, do you ever catch yourself editing too cleanly, too soon? I wonder if switching voices like that reshapes how we write without us noticing.

@Accardo: The Hal Finney example hits – real impact often starts at home. That “membership in the body” metaphor for advocacy is weird but kinda works… without active voices, nothing circulates. And AI isn’t stealing social currency – we’re handing it over for convenience. Maybe real Bitcoin communication starts right there: offline, honest, unfiltered. Just people talking, not preaching.

@franky1: Absolutely – that landed hard in the best possible way.

It’s funny, I used to think writing meant protecting a story like it was this fragile thing – like, don’t touch it, don’t poke holes in it, don’t even look at it until it’s “done.” But what you’re saying flips that completely. It’s not about shielding it – it’s about letting it breathe in front of people who actually know how stories move. And yeah, maybe the first draft limps a bit, but so what? Limping can still get you somewhere if you pay attention to the terrain.

The bit about asking what’s been overdone instead of “do you like it?” – oof, that’s a sharper question than I’ve ever asked in a workshop. I’m stealing that. There’s so much more to learn from that angle – like, not just “is it good” but “what makes it stand out in a world where everyone’s already read twelve versions of this?” I guess that’s what separates resonance from redundancy.

Also: turning the story into a script to find weak spots? That’s honestly genius. I’ve never written a screenplay, but the discipline it forces – just the bare bones of action, voice, and motion – could strip away a lot of the fluff I’ve been clinging to. Maybe even stuff I thought was poetic, but is really just fog.

And the thing about adjectives? Guilty as charged. I swear, I must’ve used “tired” twelve times in one chapter. Not even in different ways. Just… tired. The character was tired. The light was tired. I was tired. I needed a damn thesaurus and a wake-up call. So thanks for this little reality-check-without-the-condescension. It hit right.

Honestly, all of this makes me want to go back to that one scene I thought was finished and read it like I’m prepping it for an audience of ten strangers with no reason to lie to me. If it stumbles, I’d rather know now than after it’s in print.

So yeah – not fearing the feedback. Not treating the story like porcelain. More like clay. Let it get messy. Let it get better. Thanks for handing me that lens. It’s staying on my desk.

Yeah, I saw the BONDEX listing – classic pattern. Free tokens, zero emotional stake, and boom: instant sell pressure. It’s not even hate, just pure liquidity logic. Most airdrop hunters just want that quick flip. And yeah, I qualified – but honestly still on the fence whether to hold or exit. You’re thinking long-term on it or just watching charts for now?

@franky1: That’s exactly the kind of clarity I wish someone had told me earlier – the part about thinking beyond the book itself. I used to see full rights as just some technical detail, but yeah, if there’s even the slightest chance the story could live on in another form, why hand that away too easily? And your take on book clubs really made me think. I’ve always hesitated to bring unfinished stuff to strangers, but the way you framed it – not just as readers, but as a thinktank with lived genre experience – that actually sounds kind of brilliant. Asking them what hasn’t been done too often… that’s a way better question than “do you like it.” Have you ever seen someone really change the direction of their book based on that kind of group input?

@Antol8133: That balance you talked about – writing, family, the money side, the energy drain – it’s so real. I really felt that line about how fewer readers means fewer chances for your work to mean something to someone. It’s not even about fame, just about resonance. And yeah, it gets heavy when the return isn’t there. But the fact you still write says a lot. Do you still have moments when it feels like you're writing toward something – a future reader, a version of yourself – or is it more like you’re writing because it’s just part of who you are at this point?

Hey @Mists – I feel you on that, I’ve had almost the exact same “uh... what now?” moment the first time I tried Knots on Mint. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. After sudo apt update, you should run sudo apt install bitcoinknots. That’ll pull the package from the PPA you added.

As for re-downloading the whole chain – good news: if your Core install was recent and you're using the default data directory (~/.bitcoin), Knots will just pick it up and continue. Just make sure Core isn't running when you fire up Knots for the first time.

Oh, and don’t sweat being a Linux “newb” – we all start there. Honestly, it’s half the fun (the other half is breaking stuff and learning to fix it).

Let me know where you’re stuck if that doesn’t get it running – happy to help dig in.

@BADecker: That idea of temporarily writing like someone else to find a rhythm? I’ve never tried it that systematisch, but now I’m genuinely tempted. Kind of like jazz practice – imitate, improvise, integrate. Maybe the voice you’re trying to find shows up more clearly once it’s bounced off a few others. Have you ever felt like the borrowed voice bled into your own in a good way?

@franky1: Your breakdown of the publishing paths is gold – especially the nuance between self-printing and being signed under a label. I keep reading horror stories of “vanity publishers” who basically sell hope, not books. But the idea that real publishers should invest first if they believe in a work? Yes. And that stipend concept? Totally forgot that was even a thing. Makes me wonder: what would be enough for you to say yes to a deal – full rights, partial rights, creative freedom?

@MeGold666: That book concept is... honestly wild. Morally tricky, sure – but if you're serious, the execution will decide everything. Dark satire has its space. But yeah, title’s got bite. Have you started a draft or still playing with the idea?

@wez: Respect. Eight hours from start to finish? That’s a clarity most of us only dream of. Did you go in with a detailed plan or just start typing and see where it took you? And what platform worked best for you afterward?

@Bluedrem: Would love to hear more about your poetry – what themes you explore, what sparked that journey. Have you ever thought about publishing a chapbook, or are the poems more for yourself?

@tekowe: Makes total sense – we all lean on tools. Was there a point where using those tools actually helped you write something that felt more you, oddly enough?

@Antol8133: That balance between writing and life is real. Eight novels is no joke. Did your writing rhythm shift more because of time constraints or motivation ebbing after a few publications?

@OrangeCoinGood: You said it – the outline really is the anchor. I used to resist planning, but now even just sketching the next 3–4 chapters gives me something to swim toward. How do you keep the process fun when the initial thrill starts to dip?

@Bitconsum: Appreciate the broader view – but I’m still convinced that what makes writing matter is less speed, more resonance. If someone finds a line and feels seen, even in a sea of AI text, that connection still counts. Would be curious though – do you still write creatively at all, or have you shifted to other forms?

@Fretum: You nailed something there. The expectation of free help for a deeply human, skilled process like editing says a lot about how people misunderstand books. It’s not just “typing well,” it’s shaping meaning. That line about paying either before or after? Perfectly said. What’s your own experience been so far – more with self-pub or traditional? And have you ever collaborated with an editor who really got your work from the first draft?

Absolutely @Anthon75 – glad you got out before things went sideways. That part where you turned the situation around and actually withdrew the 400 USDT? That’s rare. Most don’t get that far once a scammer’s got a foot in the door. The “senior crypto analyst” title alone is such a red flag – it’s basically scammer cosplay at this point.

@BitMaxz made a great point: a .top domain, recent registration, barely any backlinks... that screams low-effort trap site. And like @logfiles and @PX-Z said – the moment someone cold messages you out of nowhere and asks for USDT? Game over.

Good call to post here and not send a cent more. You trusted your gut just in time. Also yeah, don’t bother trying to “close” the account. Just ghost it. No more contact, no more info. That platform’s already shown its true face.

@franky1: That whole idea of not starting at the beginning keeps bouncing around in my head. Like – yeah. Why do we act like the first line has to be the thesis of our soul? Half my favorite books don’t even hit their stride until chapter four. And that bit about starting from today and letting memory pull things backward? That really stuck with me. Especially for memoir-style stuff – it just feels truer to how our minds actually work. I also loved your take on planting small seeds mid-story and using them to enrich earlier sections later on. That’s the kind of structure that feels invisible to the reader but anchors everything emotionally. Wild how memory and narrative kind of mirror each other there.

The publishing angle – so smart. I wouldn’t have thought showing up with something that looks like a book already could make such a difference, but of course it would. And yeah, it’s kind of sad how many shady “publishers” prey on that dream. Appreciate you spelling it out. Notes taken.

@Hydrogen: I keep coming back to your themes. Honestly, they hit like questions I haven’t figured out how to ask myself yet. That “Seek freedom and become captive...” line? Feels like it could carry a whole collection. Maybe even without a conventional story. Like a series of connected thoughts orbiting a core truth. That’s the kind of structure I’m drawn to lately – less plot, more pull. I also get that itch to scrap a thing when it feels too “done before.” But maybe originality lives more in tone than idea. And I get the sense your tone has its own lane.

@Fretum: So true what you said about cost not always meaning scam. It’s weird – some people will drop 1k on a laptop without blinking, but expect editing to cost fifty bucks. If someone’s helping shape your voice, they deserve to be paid. That said, yeah: not everyone charging is legit. Your point about separating grifters from professionals is important. I think I needed to hear that right now, honestly.

@BADecker: Never tried handwriting like that, but now I’m super tempted. Curious – did it make your own voice clearer, or just temporarily shift into theirs?

Honestly reading all your takes *** just deepens the whole creepy feeling about it. Even if you hit “delete,” it's like shouting into a canyon and pretending the echo didn’t happen. Backup copies, hidden databases, half the users not even knowing what’s going on... it’s insane. Makes you wonder how many other companies are sitting on stuff we thought we erased. Ever think there should be a real way for users to audit that deletion? Like, actual proof, not just “trust us”?

@boyptc: Exactly – there's something kind of beautiful about that slow, stubborn process, right? Like, even the frustrating parts are part of what makes it feel real. I guess that's why life stories resonate so much – because they're messy, incomplete, and still moving forward. It's wild to think that something so personal can reach across to someone else just because you decided to put it into words. Have you ever thought about what moment or feeling you’d want your readers to carry with them after finishing your story?

@Fretum: Your whole post hit me at such a weirdly perfect time – it’s funny how sometimes you know something deep down, but you only realize it fully when someone else says it out loud. I really needed that reminder that it’s okay to write messily, to not polish every word while it’s still being born. I love the way you framed it – finding spaces that are “generous and low-stakes.” That’s honestly the energy I want to stay in. Writing not to prove something, but because it’s a way to breathe a little easier.

That workshop you mentioned sounds amazing, btw. I’ll definitely check out Catapult and poke around for local classes too. And you're so right: when writing feels like a duty instead of a choice, the whole thing tightens up. Keeping it in the “hobby heart” even if you dream bigger – that's such a good way to put it.

Quick side thought: have you ever stumbled onto a moment mid-writing where you suddenly felt that joy coming back, even if just for a paragraph or a random line? Like a little spark reminding you why you started?

@noche: Hey, yeah I feel you – 4 TH/s won’t break records, but it can still chug along if paired with the right pool. I’d personally go for something like Slush Pool or ViaBTC – they’re pretty user-friendly, reliable payouts, and don’t overwhelm you with settings. Solo mining (like with CKPool) sounds fun in theory, but with 4 TH/s it’s basically buying lottery tickets blindfolded. How’s your setup running otherwise? Temps okay? Fan noise under control?

@boyptc: Yeah, it’s wild how drawn people are to real-life stuff that’s unfiltered. Like, even when it’s messy or quiet, if it feels lived, it sticks. Your point about learning from other people’s stories really hit. That’s the kind of reading I crave too – someone putting it out there without smoothing all the edges.

@Hydrogen: I feel that on the outline. I keep changing mine every time I open the doc, which basically means I never get past the early chapters. But alright, let’s do this micro accountability thing. Could even keep it super low pressure – like one-liner check-ins: “Wrote 120 words and hated 90 of them.” Still counts. What would your ideal story feel like, if you didn’t need a perfect outline first?

@Theupdude: Really appreciate you sharing that – especially that bit about it not being polished but feeling honest. That’s the energy I want to hold on to. I’ve been so caught up in shaping it into “a book” that I forget it’s allowed to be raw and incomplete before it finds form. The part about closure resonated big time too. Did you hit a point where you almost quit – or were you able to push through without too much second-guessing?

@Fretum: That metaphor with the marathon got me. Like, you’re absolutely right – half the hesitation is just standing on the edge of the pool, looking at the water. And I love how you framed writing as something that should give something back to you. That’s probably what I’m trying to reclaim – letting it be a balance, not another pressure point. Quick question though: have you taken a course yourself that really helped shift your perspective or flow? Would love a recommendation if any stood out.

@robertcarlyle: Interesting question. I wasn’t around in 2010, but looking back, I get why PayPal might’ve felt like a shortcut – familiar, fast, done. But yeah, the reversibility kills it. Imagine sending BTC and then getting PayPal’d in reverse? Brutal. I wonder though: did anyone really go through with huge buys like that via PayPal back then – or was it more of a “try and see what explodes” phase?

@franky1: That was honestly the most unexpectedly useful breakdown I’ve read in a long time – thank you for laying it so clearly out. That idea of not starting from the beginning kind of hit me in the best way. I’ve definitely gotten stuck trying to write “the perfect first line” while the rest just floats shapeless in my brain. Starting with a sentence like “a boy is kidnapped and raised by space aliens” and building out from there? That flips everything for me.

Also, this whole concept of planting small details early that pay off later – I love that kind of structure as a reader, but I never thought I could engineer it as a writer. Do you think that kind of “backward foreshadowing” works just as well in nonfiction or memoir-style writing too? Or is that more a fiction trick?

And re: your publishing advice – super smart. I hadn’t even considered the psychology angle of handing publishers something physical and “almost ready,” just to draw them in. Did you (or someone you know) actually try this approach with a print mockup? Curious how it played out in practice – especially whether it helped spark any real publisher engagement.

@Hydrogen: Respect for trying NaNoWriMo even once, let alone multiple years. I’ve stared at that 50,000 word target and immediately retreated into making coffee instead.  What usually stops you – time, motivation, or just not knowing where the story’s going? And… any chance 2025 is finally your year? If so, maybe we start a micro-accountability thread here? Just sayin’.

Fusion’s great for gas-free swaps, but Classic might be faster or better in volatile markets. RabbitHole works with Classic, not Fusion. For cross-chain, you’ll need a separate bridge – 1inch doesn’t support that directly yet. And yeah, Partial Fill just means you might not get the full amount.

Absolutely, I do know that feeling. That tug-of-war between ideas and reality – and the gap in between where time disappears. An autobiography with life hacks and real moments though? That actually sounds like something people would really want to read. Honest, raw, and a bit reflective – I’d pick that up over another polished “how-to” any day. Sometimes sharing what you've been through helps someone else figure out where they’re going. Have you ever tried just recording voice notes when things come to mind? Sometimes speaking feels easier than writing – and you can shape it later.

One thing I found super useful: always double-check the gas fee before confirming a swap, especially if you’re trying out RFQ vs AGG. Sometimes switching between them changes the rate noticeably. And yep, slippage too low = failed tx, gas gone. Start higher, adjust down next time.

@boyptc: Totally get what you mean with “planning for a long time but can’t execute” – same boat here, to be honest. Life keeps getting in the way, and even when I sit down with the best intentions, something always pulls me out of the zone. I guess it’s that combo of wanting it to be good and not knowing where to start that slows me down. Curious, though – if you did get the time, what would your book be about?

@Fretum: Appreciate the detailed reply. Your point about this being like a natural “next step” in a hobby hit me right in the gut – never thought of it like that, but yes, that’s exactly the itch I’m trying to scratch. That mix of pride and self-doubt, you know? I hadn’t thought much about writing courses, but now I’m tempted. Do you think it helps more with structure or with staying motivated?

@mich: Childhood stories can be powerful stuff – especially if you can weave them into something relatable. Don’t underestimate your experience just because it wasn’t easy. Often, that’s where the truth lives.

@DediRock: Thanks for that encouragement – and yeah, the “never really done” part feels very real already. I keep tweaking things endlessly. Maybe the trick is to just set it free at some point and let go?