I understand this would theoretically stop the CCCP from getting info on US Consumers, but is there anything to this that actually limits the data collected? I assume not.
Parenting is so tough to discuss. Nothing is ever a best (or even 'right') answer. I agree with this take, with a "yes, and" -
I worry about apps / video games for children also stunting imagination. Yes, in a game like Minecraft you can build anything out of blocks, or with Photoshop draw anything. However, the entire 'universe of outcomes' is inherently bound to the mind(s) of the developers, compared with a bored kid who's possibilities are limited only by their own imagination. Children are therefore pressed to stretch and practice creativity. Its not a perfect analogy, but I'm reminded of the theme in the Matrix movies of bounded outcomes.
I personally think creativity through raw boredom - rather than directed distraction (especially through digital devices)- is essential to mental development.
I don't disagree on the second part, but i highly doubt the author of minecraft envisioned that somebody would recreate a computer inside the game. From any point of view, that's an incredible exercise in creativity.
Also, having boundaries and getting bored is great for creativity
The problem is fraud + disputes. Who's liable for people sending money to fraudsters? For letting fraudsters operate on the platform? See the fraud issues of Zelle, which is basically a free money moving service comparable to FedNow.
The service the networks provide is a way for all participants (banks, people, businesses, etc) to trust one another, as well as a healthy rules-based system to address disputes. Getting this working is not trivial.
This is a generally unsurprising event to industry, but exciting nevertheless.
Cap One and Discover both focus on the nearprime / subprime / thin credit / credit invisible segments (think people who have bad credit, expats, students, etc.). Cap One is excellent in their analytics on understanding people, and likely sees Discover as an opportunity to acquire new customers + improve on Discover's operations.
The network side of Discover's business is intriguing. Its nowhere near as sophisticated as Visa/Mastercard, but it is something! The idea may be to turn into an Amex focused on everything but prime consumers, and use the improved economics (from owning both sides of the transaction) to give rewards (at least something) to cardholders who don't normally see them. I doubt their intention is to build a serious competitor to the card networks.
My grandfather invented / designed the bullets for the Phalanx. The dumbed-down idea is that smaller bullets with high kinetic energy can be more devastating to armored targets than larger, slower bullets releasing chemical energy. He used to take my mother out to the CA desert to help him test his latest designs on thick armored plates (they now decorate her front yard - metal!).
Reflecting on the Phalanx brings mixed emotion, given that the US Navy avoided paying patents on his designs and buried him in legal fees so that he never saw a dime (at least that's what I've been told). He was older at the time, and this absolutely took several years off his life. That said, I know he'd be proud to see his ideas still being relevant today, from implementation to video games.
