It is a privledge to introduce myself here...

Hello Steem,

I'm aware that Steemit tradition is to introduce yourself with a picture of who you are. I respect that but I shall not. Let me tell you why.

I'm from a time on the internet when revealing who you are in any capacity was in general not recommended. It was a new thing and not many netizens made it apparent where they were from by choice. I prefer things that way. Anonymous and private. It was a pleasant unspoken rule.

That is until Myspace, Facebook, and Instagram became dominant hubs on the internet. The rule was obsolete. Not only must you reveal more and more, you need to brand yourself as a personality.

I have always been uncomfortable with this idea. I wasn't one to socialize much in real life. The internet forums offered me a chance to forge a whole new persona and be me with no filter.

Nowadays you can't hope to embarrass yourself publicly and it not somehow getting recorded to be uploaded for millions to see. Everyone sees now. There seems to be no way to hide anything anymore. In fact many people seem to be of the opinion you should not hide anything. "If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear."

They wouldn't know these words come straight from the book of Nazi propaganda. Along with the justification that there is an exception in extreme times or circumstances. My personal stance is privacy should not be compromised at any time. It has more to do than just hiding things, it is protecting them.

It is human nature to hide things, to protect them from the intrusive eyes of our peers. As a child I loved to hide things, sometimes for fun, sometimes for important reasons. It is a natural thing to do. As an adult it becomes more important to protect things(your sensitive identity information, property, passwords, intellectual ideas, children). That is the essence of what this is all about. The right to having a thing to yourself, without requiring permission from an authority to keep it. This is the cornerstone of the idea of America. You have a right, not a privilege, to ownership. Privacy is that right to a space where you can cultivate a thing, an idea, a something and it be yours. Without this space there can be no real freedom to expression. Privacy is a right to self.

The internet, in my opinion, was born with this natural inclination to privacy. To have a space where the self may be expressed with no filter, no permission needed. It is the most valuable thing the internet has to offer. Which would explain it as a desired commodity. Everyone is encouraged to expose and our personal data is harvested by corporations to directly advertise to us. I advocate a return to internet anonymity and privacy. I say return because much of this aspect of the internet has been lost. The "Death of Privacy" as some have decried.

As the internet was an important part in my growing up and continues to be apart of my life, I want to give this topic more attention. My interest lie in how one can be more private, anonymous, and secure on the internet. The best methods and techniques to remain hidden on the web. And discussing our basic right to individual privacy.

But I'm interested in far more than just privacy. I've known about Steem since it launched but I choose until now to sit back and see how it developed. One thing I like about this platform is that this is a community that is motivated by money. In one way or another money was a factor in many people participating on this platform.

Which makes this a perfect place to talk about it. Cryptocurrency certainly changes what we think money can be and can do. Having learned more about them the past year I have expanded my knowledge of finance and economics. It's an area in which many are less than savvy or even conscious of. In the U.S, half of Americans have less than $1000 in savings and more still find it difficult to deal with emergencies without going into debt. Quite alarming for the number one economy in the world.

Financial literacy in my opinion is a required life skill. But traditional school remains lack-luster in providing adequate education in this topic which should be as important as mathematics. The consequences of which are felt through income inequality, older workforce members short of retirement goals, and a young population with an aversion to investment.

My parents are not wealthy. My dad has been driving buses for most of his adult life. My mom is the true definition of a hustler, working odd jobs, cleaning businesses, property management, all to support our family during hard times. My mom understood the importance of basic financial knowledge. I had a "loose" understanding of it until I really came face to face with my future and the challenges my country faces. In short, it's very messy. You really can't skate by just knowing how to budget and being a good saver(important skills nonetheless, many people just focus on having enough for the bills and food and occasionally a luxury or vacation, this is not a financial plan for the future! You must save!)

The internet gives the average person a wonderful amount of ways to make money and just as important the knowledge of what to do with it. "A fool and his money are soon departed". Really there's no longer an excuse in this era of information to not have a head for finance. The new era of digital currency is revolutionizing money in exciting ways and we are watching and participating in it's birth!

As much as I value privacy I am completely transparent in the exchange of ideas and thoughts and welcome all discussion into privacy, security, and wealth. And wouldn't you know it, cryptocurrency wraps all that into one neat package. I look forward to talking you all and having some fruitful discussion into these topics!