This is original content. AI was not used anywhere except for the bottom right image, simply because I could not find one similar enough to what I needed. This took around 6 hours to make.
Transcription (for the visually impaired)
(I tried my best)
The background is an iceberg with 6 levels, denoting 6 different levels of privacy.
The tip of the iceberg is titled "The Brainwashed" with a quote beside it that says "I have nothing to hide". The logos depicted in this section are:
- Apple
- TikTok
- PayPal
- Google Chrome
- CashApp
- Samsung
- Steam
- Microsoft Windows
- Ring (Security Camera)
- YouTube
- Amazon
- Discord
- Gmail
- ChatGPT
The surface section of the iceberg is titled "As seen on TV" with a quote beside it that says "This video is sponsored by...". The logos depicted in this section are:
An underwater section of the iceberg is titled "The Beginner" with a quote beside it that says "I don't like hackers and spying". The logos depicted in this section are:
- Telegram
- Authy
- Brave Browser
- Privacy.com (Virtual Cards)
- DuckDuckGo
- iMessage
- Proton Mail
- AdBlock (Browser Extension)
A lower section of the iceberg is titled "The Privacy Enthusiast" with a quote beside it that says "I have nothing I want to show". The logos depicted in this section are:
An even lower section of the iceberg is titled "The Privacy Activist" with a quote beside it that says "Privacy is a human right". The logos depicted in this section are:
- Monero
- GrapheneOS
- Vanadium (Web Browser)
- KeePassDX
- SimpleX Chat
- Accrescent
- SearXNG
- Aegis Authenticator
- OpenWrt
- Mullvad VPN
- An illustration of physical cash
The lowest portion of the iceberg is titled "The Ghost". There is a quote beside it that has been intentionally redacted. The images depicted in this section are:
- A cancel sign over a mobile phone, symbolizing "no electronics"
- An illustration of a log cabin, symbolizing "living in a log cabin in the woods"
- A picture of gold bars, symbolizing "paying only in gold"
- A picture of a death certificate, symbolizing "faking your own death"
- An AI generated picture of a person wearing a black hoodie, a baseball cap, a face mask, and reflective sunglasses, symbolizing "hiding ones identity in public"
End of transcription.
I think this is simply a privacy education issue. Here's how to anonymously buy a steam game, step by step:
If your secure computer is totally anonymous, so is your purchase.
Of my last 1 million purchases, exactly zero were done this way. The currency is not worth zero so obviously it's useful to some. "I don't personally use it" is an unconvincing argument, you simply don't care about private purchases which is totally ok.
If you were a progressive reporter in Saudi Arabia buying a web subscription to New York Times you would probably keep a balance of monero around, so these steps would take no time at all.
For the rest of us with nothing to hide, some of us use Monero like this simply to protect those who do need privacy. The more who use it, the better anonymity it provides.
"Again: How many of your last 100 purchases were made directly with monero? Just ballpark, I’m sure you have a sense.". A reasonable interpretation of this is, "you don't use it, so no one should".
Apparently millions of people find it useful. If you don't that's totally ok.
I've never used a parachute personally. They're pretty inconvenient, have to be set up exactly right in order to work, and can expose you to pretty serious danger if not. That said, I'm sure they're extremely useful for those in niche situations in which they may apply.
Lol, appreciate it. Thought it was somewhat apt, though not perfect.
On topic, I do agree with you to an extent. The lack of point-of-sale implementation will always be the greatest pitfall of something like Monero. Of course, many store fronts have no desire to easily facilitate truly anonymous transactions, whether for legal reasons, customer data collection, or otherwise.
The idea of complete anonymity is alluring, but not really achievable in most cases as things currently stand. Having said that, don't let the dream of absolute perfection get in the way of progress, it is still a useful tool regardless and can provide a degree of anonymity in situations where you would otherwise have none.
You won't get a lot of people talking about their usage, lol. Are you in witness protection? I think witness protection is useless too, since I've never heard anyone even admit to being in the program. Do you watch porn? Porn is completely useless, no one has ever even admitted watching it to me, even after I badger them about their fetishes.
Monero is exactly what I think it is. Is its value inflated 100x by pump and dump investors? Sure. Is it useful to millions even without the investments? You bet.