[HacktionLab] FW: "Bitcoins, Money (and Credit)" public meeting

[Michael Reinsborough]

----- Forwarded message from wineandcheese at hush.com -----
     Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:52:14 +0000 (UTC)
     From: wineandcheese at hush.com
  Subject: "Bitcoins, Money (and Credit)" public meeting

Hi, we are doing a public meeting next Tuesday.

Title: Bitcoins, Money (and Credit)

Date: Tuesday, 16.8.2011

Time: 7pm

Location:

  LimaZulu
  Unit 3J, Omega Works,
  167 Hermitage Rd
  N4 1LZ London

  www.limazulu.co.uk
  twitter: @limazululondon
  reception at limazulu.co.uk
  02088007428

Content:

  Bitcoin is a virtual currency whose claim to fame is that some US
  politicians became aware of its use to buy drugs on the
  Internet. However, the Bitcoin project is much more ambitious than
  merely providing a somewhat anonymous way to buy stuff on the
  Internet. Bitcoins are meant as a new currency: a new money for the
  Internet age. In fact, this new money is based on different
  principles than all modern currencies, i.e., credit money.

  Because of this ambition, the project provides splendid opportunity
  to ask what money is. That is, we claim that Bitcoin reflects on
  various qualities of money which are usually taken for granted by
  addressing them as "technical challenges". In particular, the Bitcoin
  design is an attempt to solve the "technical" problem of how to
  exclude people from social wealth and how to maintain a permanent
  conflict of interest. Hence, we want to present how Bitcoins work and
  discuss what these technical innovations imply about the social
  conditions known as the "free market".

  Furthermore, the Bitcoin protocol is an expression of scepticism
  against credit and credit money. For example, the total amount of
  currency that can ever be created is fixed to the arbitrary magnitude
  of 21 million. Hence, a lot of discussions about Bitcoin focus on the
  imminent "deflationary spiral".  On the contrary, if there is time
  left, we want to discuss the question why all modern currencies are
  credit money. That is, why does capitalism lead to the development of
  a credit system and in the last instance credit money. Instead of
  discussing the advantages/disadvantages of a new gold standard we
  want to discuss why there is no gold standard any more.

  No prior knowledge of computer science, finance or Bitcoin is
  necessary to participate.

Website:

  LimaZulu set up a Facebook event page at

     https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=245815378774307

  See also:

     http://limazulu.co.uk

Cheers,
the Wine & Cheese Appreciation Society
of Greater London

--

from: The Wine & Cheese Appreciation Society of Greater London
.www: http://junge-linke.org/en
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