Tag Archives: Peer To Peer

Jeffrey Tucker: Who Will Lose in the War on Contractors?

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“The haters of the sharing economy are rallying around a plan for destroying the most spectacular ad innovative sector of modern economic life.  The hint came from a speech by Hillary Clinton at the New School in which she suggested that current ‘contractors’ be redefined as ’employees.’ According to her, this means that the workers can then enjoy new human rights, as if by magic. Hillary’s comments amount to a cloud no bigger than a man’s hand. She was speaking for the entire cabal of special interests who dream of crushing innovation.  Hillary poses as a spokesperson for the worker. What it actually means for employment is that many will be out of a job.”

http://fee.org/anythingpeaceful/detail/whats-at-stake-in-the-war-on-contractors

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Overstock Unveils Blockchain Trading Platform at Nasdaq Event

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“Patrick Byrne, CEO of US online retailer Overstock.com, unveiled tØ today at the headquarters of the major US stock market Nasdaq in New York today.  The announcement marked the formal debut of tØ (pronounced tee-zero), Overstock‘s long awaited blockchain-based private and public equities trading platform first announced in 2014.  Byrne also unveiled a ‘big surprise’ in the form of the platform’s Preborrow Assured Token, which Byrne suggested would democratize securities lending. The product, he said, is already being used in an enterprise pilot program, and is the subject of interest by major banks.”

http://www.coindesk.com/overstock-unveils-blockchain-trading-platform-to/

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Vermont Considering Blockchain Tech for State Records, Smart Contracts

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“Vermont has recently taken some legislative steps that could see the state using Bitcoin’s technology for state records, smart contracts and other applications in a drive to become ‘a leader in the field.’  Neither the bill nor the amendment reference ‘Bitcoin’ but rather the distributed immutable worldwide ledger database that Bitcoin runs on – the blockchain.  Legislation such as that from Vermont seems to follow this same path of burying Bitcoin and at the same time embracing it. This also has to do with the recent Bitcoin 2.0 awakening that the Bitcoin blockchain public ledger is not merely a rail to move virtual currency, but a powerful means to transmit information.”

http://cointelegraph.com/news/115064/vermont-considering-blockchain-tech-for-state-records-smart-contracts

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How Life Finds a Way in the Regulatory State

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“Instead of calling it the sharing economy, perhaps a better name for these phenomena might be the ‘gap economy’ — the economy that grows like a weed in the interstices of regulated markets and incumbent cartels. In an interventionist, mixed economy, it’s not hard to find examples of both ‘differentiation from generality’ and ‘life finds a way.’ It’s in the spaces left free from arbitrary government constraint and meddling where the ingenuity and resourcefulness of ordinary people are comparatively free to do extraordinary things.”

http://fee.org/freeman/detail/how-life-finds-a-way-in-the-regulatory-state

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Uber reduced drinking and driving deaths in California, study suggests

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“Uber’s economy driving service appears to have reduced drinking and driving deaths in California cities where the service is offered, says a new study that comes as many Canadian municipalities are trying to keep the service from expanding in their cities.  The study analyzed data from 2009 to 2014 and concluded the UberX service resulted in a decrease in drinking and driving deaths of between 3.6 and 5.6 per cent in the Californian cities where the service is offered. The researchers speculate the cheaper price of Uber and its easy access, compared to regular cabs, make people more likely to call the service when they have been out drinking.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/uber-reduced-drinking-and-driving-deaths-in-california-study-suggests/article25820101/

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New attack on Tor can deanonymize hidden services with 88% accuracy

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“Computer scientists have devised an attack on the Tor privacy network that in certain cases allows them to deanonymize hidden service websites with 88 percent accuracy.  Hidden services allow people to host websites without end users or anyone else knowing the true IP address of the service. The deanonymization requires the adversary to control the Tor entry point for the computer hosting the hidden service. It also requires the attacker to have previously collected unique network characteristics that can serve as a fingerprint for that particular service. The new research underscores the limits to anonymity on Tor, which journalists, activists, and criminals alike rely on to evade online surveillance.”

http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/07/new-attack-on-tor-can-deanonymize-hidden-services-with-surprising-accuracy/

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Who Is Building the Private, Peer-to-Peer Marketplace?

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“Online commerce today is mostly centralized; companies own websites where users visit to buy and sell things. Those companies charge fees, monitor their users’ data, and censor their transactions based on their own rules and on behalf of the government.  OpenBazaar is different. Instead of relying on a centralized third party, trades occur directly between buyers and sellers. Users install peer-to-peer software on their computers, similar to bitcoin or BitTorrent, and this connects them to other users running the same software. They transact in bitcoin. Since there’s no middleman, there are no fees, no collection of data, and no censorship of trade.”

http://fee.org/freeman/detail/who-is-building-the-private-peer-to-peer-marketplace

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The War on the Gig Economy Has Begun: Homejoy Is the First Casualty

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“As of July 31, Homejoy is gone. The ‘Uber-for-home-cleaning’ is closing its virtual doors after three years of service, millions of VC dollars, and the endorsement of all kinds of Silicon Valley darlings.  Homejoy was being hit with the same employee/contractor lawsuits that Uber and Lyft are currently fighting in California. In a moment of clarity, the Homejoy CEO blamed their shutdown on these lawsuits.  This is a dangerous moment for the so-called ‘gig economy’ and clearly the Homejoy owners and investors thought it wasn’t worth the fight. Better to cash out now and fight/create another day.”

http://fee.org/anythingpeaceful/detail/the-war-on-the-gig-economy-has-begun-homejoy-is-the-first-casualty

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Taxis on Las Vegas Strip go idle in protest of Uber

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“Dozens of taxi drivers parked their cabs and instead took to the Las Vegas Strip sidewalk today to protest the arrival of Uber and the disastrous effect drivers said it would have on their livelihoods.  The protest was organized by drivers from the Industrial, Technical and Professional Employees Union Local 4873 and took place on a sidewalk in front of Caesars Palace for about two hours.  Although many drivers who participated were on the clock and supposed to be on the roads, they won’t be subject to discipline from Yellow Checker Star because the protest is protected as a union-related activity.”

http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/may/29/taxis-strip-go-idle-protest-uber/

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Get a Room (But Only if it is Government-Approved)

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“Before we assume that the government crackdown on Airbnb comes from genuine concern about safety, we should consider some other, less benevolent motives.  First, many state and local governments have turned to hotel taxes to pad their budgets. Travelers can pay a tax up to 17 percent of the cost of their hotel room.  Second, and not surprisingly, many hotels staunchly oppose Airbnb. The threat is significant. Last year The Economist magazine stated that Airbnb could reduce hotel revenues as much as 10 percent. The American Hotel & Lodging Association spent over $1 million in lobbying last year, including a variety of attempts to legally disrupt or dismantle Airbnb’s business.”

http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=7438

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