Dear John

Please can you explain how BitCoin is vulnerable to Heartbleed?

I think good architecture is essential to good security. That's why I posted.

Many Thanks

Jawad Yaqub

good architecture => good security

Growing up in Holywood, Northern Ireland I went to a very religious independent grammar school.

While atheists and even atheism itself was generally frowned upon I have to say as the first Muslim and non-pink person to attend - I was very glad to have gone there and grown.

Despite what people may think the teaching there is some of the best in the UK and even with the deep and sincere commitment to faith you have an equally deep and sincere commitment to scientific enquiry and truth. We were never taught creationism, and any school or teacher considering it would have been politely but firmly shown the door.

I guess the thinking was us kids would need our wits about us out here to survive.

I've always felt stronger after the Holy Month - that surprised me as a kid. Nice Article.

Good point.

A person without a dream is a tragedy unfolding.

he deserves it. good kid.

I woke up this morning and found myself wondering - if I met Snowden what would I ask him?

Then I realized, he's managed to turn the focus of the world back onto the invasion of our selves, social and personal, by governments.

So I'd ask: "why then, is the response so anaemic?"

Who we are used to be about our bodies, our family, our social interactions day to day. Suddenly as technology began to increase our reach - we found all forms of communication first monitored, then censored by governments, and their corporate proxies.

I don't deny them the right to protect themselves, but it seems to me that 'they' are 'us'. We all want status, and security, so we aim for money (counters printed by them), power (positions, and authority rationed out by them), and I don't know a single business leader or politician who doesn't defend themselves by setting up legal structures to deflect blame or absolve themselves.

What we need perhaps is to take the tools of the internet and create something new - looking at BitCoin and its resilience in the face of massive corporate and government opposition I think what worries them is they'll first cede control of the coinage, and then cede control of the courts.

Coins are important - we used to rely on governments to stand by their currency but with BTC and related currencies we can now create unforgeable, and publicly verifiable money. No need for banks, and their associated parasites.

Courts are also vital - well aware that people are tried in public as much as in private - both the etiquette and the frameworks for legal accountability are shifting towards the individual. I'm heartened by the approach of the EU, and glad that Google is moving forward to implementing privacy carefully and thoughtfully.

Sorry for writing so much, please let me know what you think privacy will be like in 5-10 years - and critically - if you think we'll be able to be private citizens again, or is it already too late?

Thank you.

Thank you! I didn't know this. :-) Much appreciated.

Definitely! Good point.

That is precisely my point. The fact of aiming a laser can't be enough - so it comes down to intentions. Those of the person accused - and their accuser.

Planes get lost, re-routed etc ALL the time. Think a nightclub with laser advertising, plane flies overhead, or helicopter. Can they be punished?

Is privacy requires work.

When I was a kid I burned my right hand at age 5. I couldn't write, and I had recently gotten a rubiks cube. I wondered how to solve it and worked it out in my head. When my bandages came off I solved it in one day. Because I couldn't open it up or play with it I had to think about it, it made me hungry to play with and understand everything. Something I still feel to this day.