This weekly roundup highlights what we believe to be the most thoughtful and/or interesting discussion of the week. We're also be highlighting one particularly cool comment in each installment. π
The DEV Community is particularly special because of the kind and thoughtful discussions happening between community members. As such, we want to encourage folks to participate in discussions and reward those who are initiating or taking part in conversations across the community. After all, a community is made possible by the people interacting inside it.
Discussion of the Week
It's gotta go to @perssondennis for the hilarious prompt Top 10 Celebrities Who Code
Never have I had an easier time choosing the discussion of the week. π
Okay, so there were absolutely excellent technical discussions throughout the week, but nothing else made me laugh this hard. There were just so many hilarious responses here! Thank you, Dennis... you have brought joy to so many.
And folks, if you haven't already, hop in there and drop your own take! The cornier, the better. π½ I've been off/on thinking about this all week and unfortunately I got nothing, but every time I check the post, there is something new there waiting. π
Annnnnnd... honorary mention to @cassidoo's "Moose Facts". It's not technically a discussion, but it's kinda turning into one. π
Comment of the Week
I'd like to award the comment of the week to @nombrekeff for their thoughtful and thorough response to @hr21don's excellent prompt "Explain Blockchain like I am Five"
Well, I don't think it's a topic you can explain to a five year old, but I will try. I hope you're a smart 5 year old xD
It's a decentralized system, which means that instead of having all the data in one server (or multiple, but operated by a single entity) they are distributed across multiple entities (called nodes), which all need to be synced.
Blockchain usually refers to decentralized systems for alternative currencies, instead of currencies being managed by banks or centralized authorities, they're managed and verified by a network of nodes. These nodes, and what are called miners are in charged of verifying the transactions by running some algorithm. Once you make a transaction they can't be modified, giving us a greater level of trust in the system (kinda).
All the transactions are stored in a chain of blocks, therefor the name, which just means that from any transaction you can follow the chain all the way up to the point where the coins where created (minted). A complete history of all the transactions and movements are stored, so we can track anything in the system.
One negative aspect of this is that currently everyone can speculate with these currencies, making them really unstable and not usable in most cases.
It's a really smart tech, but the use-cases are kinda crap at the moment, and I have not talked about NFTs... which are some of the worst use-cases IMHO.
My tip would be: don't get dragged into this world, it's not worth it for now. Let's see how they evolved and mature and maybe they become useful.
PR: I tried, but it's quite a complex topic to simplify π
As Keff comically begins, it may be pretty difficult to explain this concept to a five year old. π
However, this explanation really is a fantastic overview of Blockchain. While it's a lengthy comment, they really dive into a lot of different interesting aspects about this tech. Keff covers the decentralized nature of Blockchain, why it's named what it's named, how miners contribute to the system, and their opinions on the current downsides of it all. It's a super helpful explanation and absolutely worth a read if you're at all interested and/or confused by Blockchain. π
What are your picks?
There's loads of great discussions and comments floating about in this community. These are just a few we chose to highlight. π
I urge you all to share your favorite comment and/or discussion of the past week below in the comments. And if you're up for it, give the author an @mention β it'll probably make 'em feel good. π
Top comments (2)
Thanks @michaeltharrington, it's an honor to be mentioned here. Glad you enjoyed my discussion topic :)
Oh heck yeah! You are very welcome, Dennis. And thank you for posting such a fun post! π