Taproot Wizards Showlture
Hello fellow Wizards, my previous post had a strong theme around the importance of challenging yourself to learn new things. It came on the back of completing the first two quests as part of the Taproot Wizards School. The initial aim of the first quest was simply to give Wizards a taste of what it was like to use the BTC Lightning Network, but once the proverbial bug bit it was off to building out my BTC full nodes (Windows and Linux) and the rest was history. I’m still fiddling with an LND node but I’m finding it a bit confusing if I’m honest.
In this article, I wanted to share some brief thoughts on why I feel Taproot Wizards can make our entire ecosystem a better place for everyone. But what inspired this article? Well, I realized that my magic powers were diminishing and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Was it because CSW kept haunting Bitcoiners, or was it simply that I was getting bored of reading The Bitcoin Standard?
I tried everything, from creating a special CSW Repellent to help Bitcoiners fight off Cheeseballs, to reading more Eat, Pray, Love with the aim of turning me into a more well-rounded wizard. It then dawned on me that I haven’t taken a shower since 21:21 on the 31st of October 2008 and so I thought it was a good excuse to complete Quest 3 of the Taproot Wizards School.
Following my shower, I realized that being a Taproot Wizard wasn’t about toxic culture, it was about Showlture, something that is a lot more grown-up and can only be fully understood by having a shower and thinking about Bitcoin culture (at the same time).
Taproot Wizards for me is an opportunity and symbol that express the following Tenets:
Bitcoin is crucial, it is one of the most important innovations of our time, but it doesn’t define who I am.
Chill, we can be friends even if we disagree, suggesting that grown-up debates and a pint are now illegal because of our technology and dieatery choices feel backwards (Gatekeeping).
Instead of attacking you, I may just have a shower instead. If it feels like an attack, consider if it’s just light hearted fun.
There’s a difference between not attacking someone and losing your sense of humor. Light-hearted fun should be made legal again. We can still go for a beer and a steak (or a coffee and a parsnip, you see, you have choice).
There are a small minority of “Bitcoin Maximalists” I acknowledge add incredible value to the BTC network. We probably rarely hear from them.
Trying to gatekeep what people do on distributed networks isn’t cool, and if you manage to achieve it then your network may not be quite that decentralized. This of course doesn’t apply to code implemented through broad consensus.
I need to stress that the above tenets have not been curated by the broader Taproot Wizards community or founders, they are just how I see things currently. That’s the beauty of it all, you may see things differently, and that’s OK. You will not be thrown to laser-eyed pit bulls as a result.
The inspiration for these tenets is of course the rising tide of what some may refer to as “Bitcoin Maximalism”. Now, I reckon there was a time that I probably referred to myself as a Bitcoin Maxi, but the hard truth about this in my opinion is the following:
- Nobody fully 100% understands what it means to be a Bitcoin Maxi.
- Many (inc. myself have flopped between the idea and back).
- We know many people who commonly associate themselves with this definition, typically, they will knock those with a sense of curiosity.
- I could be miles off here, but my personal belief is that 90%+ of “Bitcoin Maxis” who portray this image publicly trade or hold other tokens privately. I’ve been there myself.
At the end of the day, the Taproot Wizards community is one that I can get behind, because, even if Udi and I were to disagree on our favorite beverage or religion, I will still shout him a pint (as long as it’s a Spitfire Gold, or screw him — joke).
Onwards fellow Wizards.
