I edited the VOD of the talk Aratu Week 2024 Talk by Ciro Santilli: My Best Random Projects about the CIA 2010 covert communication websites a bit and published it at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFfuzZC5Qpc.

Announcements:

Materials paywalled: www.cs.ox.ac.uk/teaching/courses/2022-2023/grl/

Materials paywalled. E.g.: www.cs.ox.ac.uk/teaching/courses/2023-2024/cads/

MediaWiki extension that does this:It diddn't take off and is not in main Wikipedia. Kind of cool though.

TODO clear example and application.

www.quantamagazine.org/quantum-memory-proves-exponentially-powerful-20241016/ from Quanta Magazine has an incomprehensible news of something that sounds cool

On Friday 18th October 2024, Ciro Santilli received a call from Barclays asking where some of the money in his Barclays account came from and went to, obviously linked to the Monero donation and sale.

The following day, the 19th, a "explain your income in 30 days or you'll lose you account" letter arrived, dated from the 8th of October. This had been available on the online documents, but Ciro did not get an email for it so he was unaware.

The following Tuesday, the 22nd, Ciro noticed that all payments from his card were being declined, and upon calling Barclays they said that this was for pending regulatory issues. His account had been frozen.

The following Tuesday, 29th of November, Ciro noticed that a regular payment had gone through. He then tested his card and it was working again, so at some point the account had been unfrozen.

Part of me wants the donor to give me his real identity and sort this out. It would likely be better for the OurBigBook Project. But the other part of me wants to test the British monetary system. Fun and stressful times.

The chaotic nature of Barclays' Know your customer is apparent:

It is also slightly fun, but not surprising, to see the AgoraDesk buyers refuse to give any contact besides their public Telegram, not even email. I'm not sure that Barclays does Telegram! Not super important though because ultimately the initial Monero donation is anonymous. Shame I started on AgoraDesk before finding out about cryptocurrency swappers such as SimpleSwap.

De-banking is apparently a widespread issue in the UK: www.uktech.news/fintech/revolut-good-reason-debank-20240909: e.g. www.uktech.news/fintech/revolut-good-reason-debank-20240909 notably mentions a well known base by, God forgive me, Nigel Farage.

Related cases:

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How Does International Money Transfer Work?

In simple terms, an international money transfer is a process of sending money from one country to another. When you want to transfer money from Canada to a different country, you pay a service provider the amount in Canadian dollars (CAD), and they convert and send the equivalent amount in the local currency of the destination country.

You can send money through various methods, including:

Banks:

Money transfer operators (like Western Union, MoneyGram)
Online money transfer services (Wise, Remitbee etc...)
Cryptocurrency transfers
Best Ways to Send Money from Canada
In the digital era, there are many ways to send money internationally. Each method offers different advantages, depending on your priority—whether it's speed, cost, or convenience.

Banks
Traditional banks remain a popular method for sending money abroad, but they are often the most expensive. Banks usually charge higher fees and offer less competitive exchange rates compared to online services. However, if you prefer working with established institutions, they may be a good option for you. Keep in mind that it may take a few days for the transfer to complete.

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Money Transfer Operators:

Companies like Western Union and MoneyGram have been in the game for a long time, allowing customers to send money in-person or online. They offer a wide network of locations, but their fees can be relatively high, and exchange rates might not always be the best.

Cryptocurrency:

If you're familiar with crypto, sending money through Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other cryptocurrencies might be a convenient and low-cost option. However, this method requires some understanding of how crypto wallets work and may not be suitable for everyone.

Key Factors to Consider for International Money Transfers
Whether you’re sending money to family in India or making a business payment to Europe, it’s essential to understand the key factors that can affect your international money transfer.

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