Are promoters of blockchain technology snake oil salesmen?

One of my listeners (named Colin) thinks so. Colin posted a blistering critique of Winding Tree on my website (see it below).

Meanwhile, Gary Arndt, who appeared on the WanderLearn podcast, wrote on my Facebook page, "I'm willing to bet money that Winding Tree and blockchain technology will not disrupt the travel industry or any other industry for that matter.

The two co-founders of Winding Tree appear on this episode to respond.

If you prefer seeing them, watch this YouTube video of the conversation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9h6W7vjbrc). 

I apologize for the audio quality of the conversation. I wasn't planning to make it an episode, but the content was interesting enough (for those who care about how blockchain technology may impact travel) to merit the upload.

If you haven't heard it already, you should listen to the original Winding Tree episode on the WanderLearn podcast. If you don't, this episode may not make much sense. You can also search for "Winding Tree" on your podcast app to find that particular Winding Tree episode.

Here's what Colin wrote:

"Been following The Unseen Africa since your Kickstarter, and started on this podcast. This episode was absurd. The guest was poor at explaining Winding Tree, and the content (a backend for the travel industry) is so far removed traveling, living in the moment (or at least next five years), or through-hiking that you might as well have attempted to talk about AWS or GCS. I don’t understand why you posted it. Half of the podcast felt like an advertisement. The other half was awkward where you ask simple questions like "how does this benefit anyone" and we get snake oil answers like "everyone benefits! Collaboration and innovation!". Oh, and how do you take part? Give them money / etherum. 

If travelers are going to pay with these tokens, what's in it for me as a traveler? Why would I use tokens instead of cash? Or credit cards? Why do I care that the token carries data around? It's my data. I don't want others to have it. In this day of privacy concerns and the lash-back against Facebook, it's stupidly out of touch to complain that airlines don't get all your data if you book through an intermediary. 

And then real on the ground matters: how does this simplify technology matters for the little guy -- the folks on the ground trying to give tours around their country? Google lets them sell adwords to the WORLD. Airbnb lets them host their houses to a worldwide market. And yet Winding Tree's busy crapping on Google? Give me a break. 

This guy thinks the travel industry has small teams of “a few software engineers and a designer and a manager?” Are you kidding? Come on Francis. You live in Africa. Call him out on this BS. Google is helping folks around you get the word out. This guy? Selling snake oil."

More info

Go to Winding Tree's website to learn more about it.

Max mentioned Conway's Game of Life.

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