Kuzu Zangpo La!
I'm back in town, and I was wondering if there's any interest in a FOSS crypto party [1] in Thimphu.
It's a great opportunity to get non-tech and tech people together while actually doing something useful together and not just blah blah.
I suggest a PGP key-signing session using FOSS tools, as a great context for a crypto party.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CryptoParty
Long blurb/Disclaimer: Since people like throwing around buzzwords - "Crypto" here means "Cryptography" - not money laundering or "blockchain" or anything like that. This meaning was in use well before the modern blockchain was invented. In fact, one of the reasons that it's called "Crypto" is because cryptographic techniques were used in the first blockchain (bitcoin) as a means to demonstrate "Proof of Work". This technique was borrowed from an existing implementation called "HashCash", which was initially implemented as a way to deter spam (believe it or not!). Here is a more colourful and user friendly description:
https://crypto.news/what-is-hashcash/
I look forward to meeting you all soon, and signing your PGP key!
Hey Mathew,
Yes, I'm definitely interested! Count me in for the crypto party and key-signing session. Looking forward to it!
On Wed, Apr 9, 2025 at 12:31 PM Mathew Cherry G. < cherry@backyardinnovations.co.uk> wrote:
Kuzu Zangpo La!
I'm back in town, and I was wondering if there's any interest in a FOSS crypto party [1] in Thimphu.
It's a great opportunity to get non-tech and tech people together while actually doing something useful together and not just blah blah.
I suggest a PGP key-signing session using FOSS tools, as a great context for a crypto party.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CryptoParty
Long blurb/Disclaimer: Since people like throwing around buzzwords - "Crypto" here means "Cryptography" - not money laundering or "blockchain" or anything like that. This meaning was in use well before the modern blockchain was invented. In fact, one of the reasons that it's called "Crypto" is because cryptographic techniques were used in the first blockchain (bitcoin) as a means to demonstrate "Proof of Work". This technique was borrowed from an existing implementation called "HashCash", which was initially implemented as a way to deter spam (believe it or not!). Here is a more colourful and user friendly description:
https://crypto.news/what-is-hashcash/
I look forward to meeting you all soon, and signing your PGP key!
-- Math/(~cherry) _______________________________________________ Thimphu mailing list -- thimphu@fossbhutan.bow.st To unsubscribe send an email to thimphu-leave@fossbhutan.bow.st
On Wed, 9 Apr 2025 12:38:17 +0600, bug loper bugloper@gmail.com said:
Hey Mathew, Yes, I'm definitely interested! Count me in for the crypto party and key-signing session. Looking forward to it!
Hello Bug Loper, this is great - I think a first step might be to encourage everyone to get back on xmpp - I haven't seen any traffic on the channel for some time now.
For first time users of xmpp, it's like whatsapp or signal, but with not limited or dependant on any one provider. Here is a quick summary:
https://xmpp.org/getting-started/
Basically first find your own preferred app (I use Dino on linux, gaijim on Windows, conversations on android and monal on iphone) - then connect to your account (the clients normally have a quick and easy onboarding process - I personally run my own server, and fossbhutan have our own server, but currently we limit access - so you can find a public server like yax.im or conversations.im
Once you have logged in, just join the xmpp channel:
thimphu@muc.fossbhutan.bow.st (your app should have a menu driven way to get this done.)
Hope to see some of you there, so we can plan this out.
Best
Hello,
I am interested too, looking forward to it.
On Fri, Apr 11, 2025 at 6:46 AM Mathew, Cherry G. < cherry@backyardinnovations.co.uk> wrote:
On Wed, 9 Apr 2025 12:38:17 +0600, bug loper bugloper@gmail.com
said:
Hey Mathew, Yes, I'm definitely interested! Count me in for the crypto party and
key-signing session. Looking forward to it!
Hello Bug Loper, this is great - I think a first step might be to encourage everyone to get back on xmpp - I haven't seen any traffic on the channel for some time now.
For first time users of xmpp, it's like whatsapp or signal, but with not limited or dependant on any one provider. Here is a quick summary:
https://xmpp.org/getting-started/
Basically first find your own preferred app (I use Dino on linux, gaijim on Windows, conversations on android and monal on iphone) - then connect to your account (the clients normally have a quick and easy onboarding process - I personally run my own server, and fossbhutan have our own server, but currently we limit access - so you can find a public server like yax.im or conversations.im
Once you have logged in, just join the xmpp channel:
thimphu@muc.fossbhutan.bow.st (your app should have a menu driven way to get this done.)
Hope to see some of you there, so we can plan this out.
Best
Math/(~cherry) _______________________________________________ Thimphu mailing list -- thimphu@fossbhutan.bow.st To unsubscribe send an email to thimphu-leave@fossbhutan.bow.st
Replying to self inline (see below):
On Wed, 09 Apr 2025 06:20:36 +0000, "Mathew Cherry G." cherry@backyardinnovations.co.uk said:
Kuzu Zangpo La! I'm back in town, and I was wondering if there's any interest in a FOSS crypto party [1] in Thimphu.
It's a great opportunity to get non-tech and tech people together while actually doing something useful together and not just blah blah.
I suggest a PGP key-signing session using FOSS tools, as a great context for a crypto party.
Hello - thank you to all who expressed inteterst.
Can you reply to me privately, or jump on xmpp (conversations/monal/whatever you use) on the thimphu channel - need help from someone to help coordinate this.
Ideally, all co-ordination should be done on-list, in the interest of transparency. But let's maybe take the details offline first. Please shout here if you dislike this approach.
Many Thanks,
-
bug loper -
Kinley Wangchuk -
Mathew Cherry G. -
Mathew, Cherry G.