I don&#x27;t think anyone wants to discourage people from learning about, playing with, and trying to invent new crypto.<p>The usual problem here is that people new to crypto frequently don&#x27;t treat their whizzy new supercool algorithm as a toy that has almost certainly been done, cracked, improved, cracked and eventually abandoned. For whatever reason, it is entirely too easy for people new to crypto to convince themselves they&#x27;ve made a really cool discovery. There&#x27;s even a cliche for this: &quot;Anyone can create an crypto algorithm that they themselves cannot crack.&quot;<p>Absolutely, learn, play, and try to make something great. But keep perspective. You wouldn&#x27;t invite your loved ones to be the first to test your first attempt at a home-brew parachute; similarly, don&#x27;t use your home-brew crypto to protect important things.