Bitcoin Forum

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/bitcoin-the-new-way-to-pay/

This continues to happen  :D

Nice one, short and informative enough to get you curious for more.

And I noticed only two mistakes in it:

1. I don't think there are a million bitcoin users. From the Data available I would put it between 50.000 - 100.000

2. Bitcoin has never been hacked.


Edit: Just realized I could only watch half of the video, it was the better half  :(

Or not.  

I think the scammy, greasy used car salesman that is Bruce Wagner is probably the worst possible publicity for Bitcoin.  For example Bruce's claim that there are a million users simply can't be proven and all the stats indicate he is off by a least one order of magnitude.

And also PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can reporters earn their paychecks and stop making blatantly obvious claims like "Bitcoin has been hacked".  It would be like saying because a 7-11 got robbed the US dollar has been "hacked".

Well that's a general misunderstanding of all people with only a very briefly understanding of computers:

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/cia.png

I'm not familiar with the character in the video however I am familiar with national geographic, this video was on T.V... yes maybe Bruce Wagner may not be the best representative but I don't feel that's that large of an issue. It's triggering interest and even if it's a skeptical interest it's an interest isn't it? If anything I can say it's better to be a skeptic as that appeals to a wider audience of people. "Bitcoin? Please, what a laughable idea.  I better do some research, though and figure out why 1 million people are interested in something so silly. For entertainment reasons of course..." Then BOOM we get the torch, and use that interest and mold it into something respectable.

October 25th, 2012, I think it aired recently though.

I don't get to see the whole video  :-\  Loading issues half way through (1:02)

Edit: Seeing bitcoin is reported in so many places is quite nice.

It's been aired in the UK apparently too.  I had a great experience the other day of talking to someone at a party about Bitcoin and two others within earshot came to join in the conversation because they'd heard about it too.  One of them mentioned this programme and his impression was that someone had bought a house with it!  Not only should Wagner have not made up a vastly exaggerated figure for user numbers he should also have not let the 'houses' thing go.  Something like 'yes, in principle but it's early days yet for transactions that big to be commonplace' would have done.  

It's all very well that big impressive figures and impressions bring in interest but people who consequently do a little research and find its use and distribution is not what they'd been led to believe will from day 2 at some level get the impression that people to do with Bitcoin are not entirely honest.

;D
Do a little research here (on this forum) about Bruce Wagner, he's the worst person on this planet to speak to about Bitcoin.
That's like talking to pirate, or the Intersango-Gang, but worse.

Can someone give or point me to a summary about this Bruce Wagner.

Forum search actually give to many results, would take days to read all this.

15 Pages Results for "Bruce Wagner".

Edit: Thanks, adamstgBit. My curiosity is satisfied.

Bruce Wagner has a criminal record for some scam he was a part of. ( not bitcoin related, this is years ago )
Bruce Wagner was host of the bitcoin show
he told everyone to put their bitcoins in mybitcoin.com
mybitcoin.com leaves with everyone's funds including Bruce Wagner's
I post a bounty for mybitcoin's owner to be found and put to justice, people commit bitcoins left and right to this bounty.
mybitcoin comes back and refunds everyone half their bitcoins.
Bruce Wagner appears to be really high on cocaine when making his bitcoin videos (must of hit the silk road...)

there's not much more to tell.

Oh god, where do we begin...

Bitcointalk is a fickle forum full of scammers. Some they will throw money at, others will be drawn and quartered. Bruce Wagner was someone that had a history before Bitcoin and because he did not disclose it, he was ostracized by bitcoiners. What he did to promote Bitcoin was arguably more than anyone else since.

National geographic talking about it is a big thing. I don't really care about most of the mistakes (it is not that revelant to most people whether there are 100k or 1M users and whether or not a transaction for a house has actually taken place).

The fact that so many sources keep on claiming that Bitcoin has been hacked shows that they all lack basic understanding of the system itself. I made a comment trying to explain this.

Same thing here. You can see it here though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9V7V5c-UGY

I had a facepalm moment when I saw this ~5 months ago.

I though you were trolling, Welcome to bitcointalk.com

thanks for the link. I had issues watching it on the original website too.

Nice of them to interview the guy who lost his wallet.dat with ~BTC15k in it.  ::)

Bruce Wagner represents a symbol of the kind of attitude present in this community. A modern shit preacher.

Isn't there a bounty? Send your minions!

Thank you.


What a piece of garbage, I want my 4 minutes back National Geo.!

Next time do a report on how safe are bank's deposit boxes http://www.rapidtrends.com/safe-deposit-boxes-maybe-not-so-safe/, or who really owns the Federal Reserve http://www.globalresearch.ca/who-owns-the-federal-reserve/10489 you place so much trust with.

Overall, although in an earlier post on this thread I was critical of Wagner, I don't think it's that bad.  I prefer that this came out as it is than that it didn't come out at all.  I actually like the inclusion of the story of the lost wallet even if for the narrator, and I guess for many for whom this is their first exposure to Bitcoin, it leads to a 'not for now' conclusion.  Better that, given we're still officially in Beta experimental stage, than naively diving in expecting and assuming the same protections as people are used to with cards and emailed password resets etc. 

If their next exposure to Bitcoin is more positive and eventually they decide to jump on board, with any luck the cautionary tale of their first exposure will have left a lasting impression and they are less likely to personally suffer such an experience which could switch them and their network of friends off Bitcoin for a very long time.

 :'(
Sadly, I don't quite have the resources...