The interesting thing to me is that many discussions around NFTs (my previous comments included) focus on whether people will treat these digital markers of provenance the same as physical markers of provenance (like a signed portrait). The thinking goes that since the physical markers of provenance obviously and provably have value (sometimes multi-hundred millions in value), the digital ones should as well.
I wish instead that there would be more discussion around how fucked up it is that provenance is a thing that has value to begin with, digital or physical. There are literally huge swaths of humanity that are nearly starving on a daily basis, yet others spend obscene amounts of money on things with 0 tangible value. Say what you want around billionaires blowing their wad on flights-of-fancy space projects, at least they are building something real that could have value to humanity. Paying for provenance is just a place to stash wealth, when extreme wealth inequality has made it difficult to find places for the wealthy to store their dough.
I don't really have any purpose with this post - human nature is what it is, and having value in displays of status is as old as the species. I still think it's horribly fucked up.
I wish instead that there would be more discussion around how fucked up it is that provenance is a thing that has value to begin with, digital or physical. There are literally huge swaths of humanity that are nearly starving on a daily basis, yet others spend obscene amounts of money on things with 0 tangible value. Say what you want around billionaires blowing their wad on flights-of-fancy space projects, at least they are building something real that could have value to humanity. Paying for provenance is just a place to stash wealth, when extreme wealth inequality has made it difficult to find places for the wealthy to store their dough.
I don't really have any purpose with this post - human nature is what it is, and having value in displays of status is as old as the species. I still think it's horribly fucked up.