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Bitcoin => Bitcoin Discussion => Topic started by: evoorhees on August 20, 2011, 07:21:51 PM



Title: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: evoorhees on August 20, 2011, 07:21:51 PM
Quick report from NYC on the conference - I've now met quite a few of the people and my impression is very positive. Lots of great discussions, and I can tell the energy level is high. Unlike the forums, everyone "gets" Bitcoin here.  No tedious reiterations of why "deflationary spirals" are not a big deal, or why Bitcoin can't work because it's not "backed" by anything. The attendees get it, so the conversations are enjoyable on a higher and more productive level.

So many things being worked on - ideas are even just getting tossed around because people are already too busy working on their first and second and third projects. Real solutions are emerging for merchants... Bit-pay and BTCinch both look outstanding. MtGox is releasing a new site to make trading super easy (no ask/bid orders, just buy at market rate for Grandparents, etc.) Lots of networking going on, venue is very nice at the Roosevelt. Meze Grill easily handled over 25 subsequent, individual orders for lunch today in Bitcoin. I was worried it would get backed up, but process was almost as quick as if everyone was using credit cards.  I'm seeing the Android wallet used everywhere, as well as iPad systems.

A diverse group. Americans and Europeans, multiple races, multiple demeanors, multiple areas of interest and specialty. Some jeans, some suits. Even a couple women! Lots of hand-shaking, smiles, and intelligent conversations.

Bitcoin is still very much an enthusiast community- on to something big, and waiting for the world to catch up.


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: Trader Steve on August 20, 2011, 07:28:45 PM
+1 Thanks for the report!


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: Littleshop on August 20, 2011, 07:29:25 PM
Quick report from NYC on the conference - I've now met quite a few of the people and my impression is very positive. Lots of great discussions, and I can tell the energy level is high. Unlike the forums, everyone "gets" Bitcoin here.  No tedious reiterations of why "deflationary spirals" are not a big deal, or why Bitcoin can't work because it's not "backed" by anything. The attendees get it, so the conversations are enjoyable on a higher and more productive level.

So many things being worked on - ideas are even just getting tossed around because people are already too busy working on their first and second and third projects. Real solutions are emerging for merchants... Bit-pay and BTCinch both look outstanding. MtGox is releasing a new site to make trading super easy (no ask/bid orders, just buy at market rate for Grandparents, etc.) Lots of networking going on, venue is very nice at the Roosevelt. Meze Grill easily handled over 25 subsequent, individual orders for lunch today in Bitcoin. I was worried it would get backed up, but process was almost as quick as if everyone was using credit cards.  I'm seeing the Android wallet used everywhere, as well as iPad systems.

A diverse group. Americans and Europeans, multiple races, multiple demeanors, multiple areas of interest and specialty. Some jeans, some suits. Even a couple women! Lots of hand-shaking, smiles, and intelligent conversations.

Bitcoin is still very much an enthusiast community- on to something big, and waiting for the world to catch up.
+1

I agree.  Still here and it has been great!  Hearing about a lot of ideas and seeing lots of new products and services.  There is a lot of energy here!


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: SuperTramp on August 20, 2011, 07:35:08 PM
Thanks for the update !


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: DownloadCoin.com on August 20, 2011, 07:58:18 PM
Any TV camera crews about?


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: Gabriel Beal on August 20, 2011, 10:33:42 PM
Well said, I completely agree.  It's fun to exchange ideas with so many intelligent people.


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: FlipPro on August 20, 2011, 10:46:00 PM
Very nice report . I know sometimes it's hard on the day to day grind to cope, especially with all the negativity that we see on the Internet. I think this has so far been a great first year convention, and I think that many great things are ahead for the community. Nice to see people talking and trading Bitcoins IRL!


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: bitstarter on August 21, 2011, 12:56:00 AM
+1 thank you for this update! I feel part of my family is over there!


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: GeniuSxBoY on August 21, 2011, 01:21:47 AM
Can you tell me the step by step process of how people paid?



For instance:

1. They scanned a QR code.
2. Opened the Android wallet app
3. Sent the bitcoins

How were they confirmed?
or did they use bitpay?

I need to know every step you can think of so I can get an idea of how I will start accepting bitcoins for my business


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: jgarzik on August 21, 2011, 03:30:43 AM
Conference was a lot of fun.  Plenty of people and lots of energy and interest in bitcoin.


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: repentance on August 21, 2011, 03:37:16 AM
Conference was a lot of fun.  Plenty of people and lots of energy and interest in bitcoin.

Care to give us the highlights?  The live feed shit itself so we don't know a whole lot about what went on.  Was there a "big announcement" of some kind made?  Did outside media attend?  How on earth did Tom Williams manage to attend without someone punching him in the mouth?


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: bitcoinTrader on August 21, 2011, 05:05:24 AM
Can any1 please let us know about the BIG announcements?


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: toffoo on August 21, 2011, 05:23:10 AM
Is there any way to follow the proceedings there online apart from the one Bitcoin Show episode full of interviews I saw?


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: haploid23 on August 21, 2011, 05:35:06 AM
awesome, these small reports are great to hear. i'll be holding my coins for a bit longer :)


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: evoorhees on August 21, 2011, 06:17:17 AM
Whew... 2:15am. I'm totally wasted and just stumbled back to my room. Laptop was on so of course an update is called for =)

Outlook is: good!


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: MemoryDealers on August 21, 2011, 10:11:51 AM
Two of the announcements I am most excited about are the launch of
http://www.bitcoindeals.com/ (http://www.bitcoindeals.com/)

and that the Bitcoin ATM machines will be live in a little over a week!

The conference has been amazing so far,  and I have met so many people who I feel have instantly become friends for life.
It is such a wonderful feeling to be around so many other people who "get" Bitcoin.

www.BTCinch.com (http://www.BTCinch.com) also seems to be a wonderful merchant solution site.
It is free to accept bitcoins,  and for a small fee they will automatically convert a percentage of the merchant's choosing into USD.
They also have a system to send out bitcoins by email to email lists.
So far they have had more than 50% of their sent bitcoins claimed within 3 hours!
If you want to start a mass bitcoin email marketing campaign for your business,  contact BTCINCH.com (http://BTCINCH.com)!!


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: Blackout on August 21, 2011, 10:34:40 AM
Where are the bitcoin atm machine going to roll out? I assume here in NYC?  How would they work?  I'm excited about that.
Also I've been trying to find out if there is anything happening today or not as the agenda is a little screwy it says 9pm-12pm I'm sure that's a typo.


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: MemoryDealers on August 21, 2011, 11:25:52 AM
Where are the bitcoin atm machine going to roll out? I assume here in NYC?  How would they work?  I'm excited about that.
Also I've been trying to find out if there is anything happening today or not as the agenda is a little screwy it says 9pm-12pm I'm sure that's a typo.


He said the first Bitcoin ATM will be in San Diego CA.
I believe the first meetings today are from 9AM to noon at the OnlyoneTV studios.


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: BitcoinPorn on August 21, 2011, 11:49:52 AM
I'm so jealous.  Seems like a kick ass time for people who are really into Bitcoin right now, fucking wish I could be there :(


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: BitVapes on August 21, 2011, 12:17:41 PM
I'm so jealous.  Seems like a kick ass time for people who are really into Bitcoin right now, fucking wish I could be there :(

true, I'm sorry I couldn't make it out to New York for the first one but I hope to attend future ones.   I could definitely make it to one if it were in Austin, TX.  I think a  bitcoin conference in Austin would do well, if google trends (http://www.google.com/trends?q=bitcoin&ctab=0&geo=all&date=ytd&sort=0) is to be trusted.


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: evoorhees on August 21, 2011, 03:26:59 PM
Can you tell me the step by step process of how people paid?

For instance:

1. They scanned a QR code.
2. Opened the Android wallet app
3. Sent the bitcoins

How were they confirmed?
or did they use bitpay?

I need to know every step you can think of so I can get an idea of how I will start accepting bitcoins for my business

Meze Grill had printed out a unique QR code for the day, it was posted right at the check-out. After ordering food, the cashier rang me up and told me the price in Bitcoin (was 0.87 btc I think). Then I opened my Android wallet, scanned the QR, and sent .87. I showed the cashier that it had sent and he trusted me enough to let me go after that without waiting for confirmations.

I don't know what software they were using behind the counter, or how they did the btc calculation... it was all just smooth and effortless.

"Proof of concept" for brick and mortar retail is now an understatement in my mind. And this is all done without any specially designed POS system for Bitcoin... so it can only get easier.

And yes, a Bitcoin meal tastes way better than a Federal Reserve Note meal.


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: GeniuSxBoY on August 21, 2011, 03:38:11 PM
How did the BTC price compare to the actual USD of the meal?
Was it exactly the same? Did he add tax? Did he add "insurance" or an ".65% exchange fee" to the BC total?




Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: Phinnaeus Gage on August 21, 2011, 03:58:51 PM
How did the BTC price compare to the actual USD of the meal?
Was it exactly the same? Did he add tax? Did he add "insurance" or an ".65% exchange fee" to the BC total?



I see this as a great interview on OnlyOneTV. Bruce Wagner interviewing Marwan Salem of Meze Grill on the smoothness of accepting Bitcoin during the course of the Expo.


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: tacotime on August 21, 2011, 04:04:44 PM
I'm so jealous.  Seems like a kick ass time for people who are really into Bitcoin right now, fucking wish I could be there :(

true, I'm sorry I couldn't make it out to New York for the first one but I hope to attend future ones.   I could definitely make it to one if it were in Austin, TX.  I think a  bitcoin conference in Austin would do well, if google trends (http://www.google.com/trends?q=bitcoin&ctab=0&geo=all&date=ytd&sort=0) is to be trusted.

Or Moscow.  кpичaть!


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: Phinnaeus Gage on August 21, 2011, 04:28:41 PM
I'm so jealous.  Seems like a kick ass time for people who are really into Bitcoin right now, fucking wish I could be there :(

true, I'm sorry I couldn't make it out to New York for the first one but I hope to attend future ones.   I could definitely make it to one if it were in Austin, TX.  I think a  bitcoin conference in Austin would do well, if google trends (http://www.google.com/trends?q=bitcoin&ctab=0&geo=all&date=ytd&sort=0) is to be trusted.

Or Moscow.  кpичaть!


New Zealand is second on that list. What a beautiful country!


http://romantichoteldeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/new-zealand-nature.jpg




Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: Intervex Digital on August 21, 2011, 04:30:05 PM
Austin? Moscow? If the selection of Thailand and Amsterdam are anything to go by, I'm guessing Las Vegas is somewhere on the list... :-D

Depending on cost, we may try to attend atbleast one of those, or the cruise...


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: helloworld on August 21, 2011, 05:25:32 PM
New Zealand is second on that list. What a beautiful country!

I agree!

By the way, here's a much more up-to-date picture of New Zealand at the moment...

https://i.imgur.com/zcVbu.jpg


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: spruce on August 21, 2011, 06:48:36 PM
"Proof of concept" for brick and mortar retail is now an understatement in my mind. And this is all done without any specially designed POS system for Bitcoin... so it can only get easier.

What the he*ck!!! You were talking good about the conference (as you should), but then you suddenly swap sides and call the system a "Piece of Shit" (POS)! You are out of control, mister.

Dunno if that's a joke or not. POS = point of sale (also).


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: YoYa on August 21, 2011, 06:51:02 PM
"Proof of concept" for brick and mortar retail is now an understatement in my mind. And this is all done without any specially designed POS system for Bitcoin... so it can only get easier.

What the he*ck!!! You were talking good about the conference (as you should), but then you suddenly swap sides and call the system a "Piece of Shit" (POS)! You are out of control, mister.

Dunno if that's a joke or not. POS = point of sale (also).

:D


Title: Re: Bitcoin Conference - quick thoughts
Post by: BitcoinStars.com on August 21, 2011, 07:09:42 PM
Voting for Thailand  8)