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Amy's Vue on this
Amy's Vue on this

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Web3 Solidity + JavaScript 32 hour course recap #2

timestamps 8:42-36:36
The first thing that I did was clone the github repo that was pointed out in the first 8 minutes. Then I poked around and realized that the repo is literally just a list of resources, so it's better just to bookmark it.

However, I will write this one more time:

$ git remote -v

to see where the origin is, and

$ git remote set-url origin https://github.com/<your repo>

The first two hours of this course is an overview. I really do have to say that the editors had a lot of fun with the stock images, and it's kept my attention so far.

Here are some things that I learned during this first overview session:

  • Oracle Problem - the phrase refers to the need for the smart contracts to have "real-world" input variables in order to run. They are not fully autonomous

  • The major difference between Bitcoin and Ethereum is that Bitcoin is primarily for storing value, and Ethereum is built with utility in mind.

  • Turing hard to Google. My initial results brought back information about a mathematician named Alan Turing, and the ternary operator. Turing complete refers to the Turing machine, which is an abstract algorithm that can eventually solve every algorithm. Ethereum is "Turing Incomplete" which basically just means that it is not fully autonomous and relies on 'real world' input to complete.

  • ChainLink is the most popular and powerful, decentralized Oracle network. As an aside, blockchain and smart contract networks are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably

  • Uniswap a decentralized exchange platform was mentioned. It was mentioned that ERC-20 is kind of like stocks, but it is a little different.

  • Blockchain is pseudo anonymous, so it is not necessarily tied to your identity.

I really stand by my statement of: do not send your friend that is hesitant about crypto a 32 hour video. That is not how you retain friends. If you must, send a specific timestamp, but otherwise find a 5-10 minute video about this topic.

We talked a bit about the immutability of smart contracts. I still think that it's weird to pretend that nobody will be able to be defrauded in Web3 due to smart contracts when the Web3 community came up with an entirely new vernacular for getting scammed called, "getting rugged."

It is definitely true that SmartContracts are executed the way that they are written, but it's also true that for the lay person that it is about as useful as a "terms and conditions" document. This is a rather cynical take, but I would prefer it if everyone would put their most ethical foot forward to embrace this new technology.

The Web3 space is a very idealistic space. The way that the talk was going it was being presented as an alternative to capitalism. Capitalism is very predatory for consumers, and Web3 is trying to hold organizations directly accountable for their actions and to increase individual ownership for more equitable compensation.

Thank you for reading! Please comment with your Bitcoin regret story down below, and you can watch my reaction video here: https://youtu.be/6fEmdCepB6A

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