Not every day can you meet people like Joel Dietz, Founding Member of Ethereum, Architect of MetaMask, and the Founder of MetaMetaverse. I sat down with Joel to chat about Web3 technologies, innovation, and our future as he sees it.
What's your current role and what do you like about it?
I founded the
In the past, I was a founding member of Ethereum and the founding architect ofMetaMask. I have over a decade of experience in Ethereum development, governance protocols, cryptoeconomics, and establishing legal standards for utility tokens at Harvard and MIT.
How and when did you get into programming?
I was always a logical thinker. I think of myself more as a thinker, rather than just a programmer. I first started programming games, but later my research interests focused on the confluence of blockchain network topologies and swarm intelligence, especially how the principles within decentralized organizations can be used to fuel global innovation. I also worked on holonic philosophy, the evolution of jurisprudence, data-driven approaches to innovation, and smart city data architecture.
What's your earliest memory of learning to code?
Very long ago. I think I was about six years old and started with Qbasic, and this cool magazine called 3-2-1 contact that used to have basic programming challenges. Not to show my age, but I think nowadays a lot has changed within the sector.
When Elon Musk achieves his dream of getting us to Mars, what technology do you think would be important on Mars and why?
Well, once the dream becomes a reality the next step needed would be one of Horticulture, they say Martian soil has some nutrients which plants need to grow and survive. But because of Mars's extremely cold conditions, plants such as Watney's potatoes would need to grow inside a controlled environment.
This technology might already be around to sustain this growth.
Another important step would be transportation, outside of the obvious necessity of providing appropriate tech and science to have individuals being able to breathe air freely.
What's a programming language that you would build EVERYTHING and ANYTHING in and why?
I love metalambda because it is the first language oriented about generating your own metaverses, simulations, and virtual reality. MetaLambdas are cross-platform functions that accompany computational lifeforms such as anticipated by Von Neumann in his
What's something you think Software developers do not do enough of?
I believe software developers nowadays need to focus more on QA, effectively making sure they read their own code and making sure it works in that scenario. Planning out the purpose of building that code is another one of major importance, rather than building it because it ‘ended up in your lap.’
Writing test coverage is another thing. For those who do not know what that is, it’s a technique that determines whether our test cases are actually covering the application code, and how much code is exercised when we run those test cases.
Build it with integration in mind - this is of the utmost importance nowadays given flexibility and robustness are of the highest necessity.
A solid life balance is significant. Honestly, more developers need to cut time away from their computers and enjoy life a bit. Sometimes individuals who are constantly coding become lost in their work, and mistakes become abundant.
What is your least favorite thing about programming?
This goes back to my previous answer, it’s very easy for programmers to become introverted, with lots of people ending up not understanding you. It ends up being easier for people with bad intentions to take advantage of you. That’s why a solid life balance is important.
What’s a technology you’re currently learning or excited to learn?
There are too many, time is the issue. Currently, I’m looking at Pickover, who has a list of esoteric languages, and, in general, I like these very obscure programming languages.
Time travel 10 years into the past or 10 years into the future? What does technology look like? Give reasons for your answer.
In my opinion, I feel as if Telepathy will be the new frontier for the future. Imagine having the element of a smarter, sharper AI connected to your mind, and having the possibility to manipulate 3D space. The implications of this would be incredible.
I’ll also be chatting with Joel about metaverses in twenty years on stage during Badass Show, an edutainment talk show about Web3, that I’m launching as a host during