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Folks, come on... What was the idea anyway - use government-backed digital currency to buy a decentralized digital currency? No offense, but there is nothing innovative about this. Actually, there is, but it was not explained at all. Try to see it from their perspective.
I am happy that this brought some attention to bitcoin - including members of the panel. I am sure some of them will be smart and curious enough to read and think more about Bitcoin. Good enough for me.
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I seriously think it was a misunderstanding. To them, it seemed like an obscure group conspired to vote "use mintchip to buy zangalabapops online"...
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The 7970's are to act as a stopgap while we wait for asic to actually hit the market. While we lose mhash/$ going with gaming rigs, I think we will gain in ease of resale and retention of equity.
My only fear is: the person who purchases the rig expects any kind of warranty. If no warranty is given, then resell price could be hurt. The store would still honour any manufacturers warranty, as far as the store is concerned, they warranty/insure the hardware, not the customer. Would cost a small premium but 2 years of same day swap in store insurance is available for purchase, and is transferable as well. The insurance service also permits a reset to factory settings(clean os install) and a virus scan a couple times a year. This will help with any concerns our customer would have. Yes. I can vouch that Gigabyte cards are covered under 3-year manufacturer's warranty, based on serial number. Reselling is not a problem. |
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Does sonny have access to millions that have not been recovered from the scam, and is he using bfl to launder the money?
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Just lining up more pieces: http://www.scribd.com/doc/106409576/Indictment-USA-v-Vleisides-Houston-Emmett-Cloud-WaltherThis one is interesting: RESTITUTION:Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3663A(c)(3), restitution is not ordered because (1) the number of identifiable victims is so large as to make restitution impracticable [3663A(c)(3)(A)]; and (2) determining complex issues of fact related to the cause or amount of the victim's losses would complicate or prolong the sentencing process to a degree that the need to provide restitution to any victim is outweighed by the burden on the sentencing process [3663A(c)(3)(B)].
http://www.scribd.com/doc/106409553/Judgment-probation-order(snip) Victims of the scheme were directed to send their money to mail drops in Ireland, The Netherlands and other locations, where participants in the scheme returned the money to the United States. From domestic bank accounts controlled by Henry Walther and others, some of the money was sent back to victims who were told that they were receiving “winnings,” even though the “winnings” were far less than the amount of money sent in by victims. The rest of the money was either spent to further the scheme or to enrich the defendants. Investigators estimate that victims lost approximately $20 million during the scheme, which ran for more than 15 years until it was shut down by federal agents in July 2006. Yes. This answers my earlier question: Inaba stated that that preorders were not used to fund development and that outside investments (VC, etc) were taken.
Ah. Hmm, there goes that theory I guess! :-) Unless the "VC" actually means his own savings from a scam...? A likely theory. It's a good way to launder some money I guess. You take pre-orders, but finance the production with dirty money. This way all the scam money is hidden as working capital and eventually extracted as clean profits. I cannot figure it out, but hopefully some can: how much of the alleged 25M has been recovered? The answer seems to be: almost no money was recovered. Makes me wonder about the origin of "VC" investment, and how it brought Sonny to be in charge of BFL. |
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I don't use liquid metal products anymore. I used some with my CPU and waterblock and when it came time to dismount it to sell off and upgrade, the waterblock and cpu became nearly fused. The stuff completely dried up and it was EXTREMELY difficult to pry it apart. The waterblock (fully copper) is ruined now, and the CPU had to be sanded and lapped to be in resaleable condition for use in air cooling. I'll take a picture when I get home from work.
According to the MSDS it's an alloy of indium, copper, and bismuth that melts at 59 C. Not surprised that it fused with the water block made of copper! |
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History is full of people who have had some moral faults but then turned their life around.
History is even fuller of people who have had some moral faults and never turned their life around. It makes me wonder why you choose to ignore this fact. Remain skeptical, sure, but don't cross into that point where you imply something that doesn't exist or they will release a product and, frankly, we're never going to be able to trust your word again.
Above you are saying that we should be able to trust a convicted scammer whose company now takes money upfront and lacks transparency, and at the same time we should never be able to trust someone who once "implies something that doesn't exist." This is another logical inconsistency in your post. Again, I would like to know what specifically you are referring to in this thread when you say "implying something that doesn't exist"- the documents, the inconsistencies in statements, what? Ley's try and stay on topic. You've see the title and the OP, right? What do you think? |
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@Raize: what specifically are you referring to when you say "imply something that doesn't exist"?
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Funny. I thought the market was saturated with all the BFL preorders, and I was the only one left interested in buying from non-BFL sources...
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Nefario does not deserve a scammers tag, on the contrary. This thread, however, makes me wish there was an "idiot" tag we could all choose to apply to certain idiotically prominent members. Perhaps a button for each member which would gradually change color as more and more people click it... Let's be nice and not call it "idiot" - how about "ignore"? You know - ignoring, as in not wasting your precious time with self-centered, useless assholes.
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hrm this means ~ $400,000 USD will be exiting the bitcoin market.. prepare for incoming bitcoin price drop.. the question is how much will it drop.
I have a great, three-step advice for all the speculators: 1. Whenever you make an expert prediction like the one above, make a note of it 2. Keep track of your success rates 3. Adjust your self-confidence accordingly That, and always try to stay on topic on the forum. |
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The reality is that people outside Bitcointalk see a thread like this, see the screaming, foaming idiots posting all of this tinfoil hat shit and all these highly improbably or impossible, convoluted contortions to fit the facts into their version of reality and think "Holy shit, they are on to something here, I better go check things out."
Inaba, please try to stay on topic, even if some people go on tangents and ponder on conspiracy theories. There is nothing screaming, foaming, or tinfoily about your customers and potential customers voicing concerns about a convicted fraudster running the company, apparently in violation of his probation. In some way I agree with you that ultimately everyone here should shut up and either give up mining, or place orders with BFL, or with their competitors - but only after you and the company you represent provide specific answers to specific, legitimate questions. Only then can you expect people to decide for themselves and move on. Everyone, let's try to stay on topic: post in this thread relevant information you are able to find, and post specific questions for Mr. Vleisides in the town hall thread: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=110786.msg1206139#msg1206139 |
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^ doesn't know what it feels like.
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I would like to know what specific functions Sonny carries out within BFL. Is he a director, president, owner, CEO, founder, employee, or a combination of some or all of the above? Also, what is the history of his involvement with BFL?
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The success cases increasingly look like $1000+. Fail case is obviously pennies. Intermediate scenarios don't look all that likely. Anyone care to refute that; eg, can you make a reasonable case for some adoption model that yields $/BTC stable at something like $50/BTC long-term (assume 2012 dollars to get the fiat-inflation variable out for the moment)?
Agree with your assessment. Binary outcome. Either this rocket goes all the way to the moon, or it explodes before exiting the atmosphere (and all the pieces burn up on re-entry). No middle ground. Zero value if fatal algorithmic flaw is found, or some new cryptocurrency outcompetes it on features or mindshare. But otherwise, even the crappiest adoption scenario (declared illegal worldwide, full-on government repression, usage in black markets and criminal contexts only) still yields potential demand in the billions and a price $1000+. Interesting discussion pertaining to "all or nothing" - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=99689.0 |
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How reliable is the power consumption figure?
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What a lame debate. All we have to do is wait six weeks. If they ship it, apologize. If they don't, you can whine and complain and do whatever you guys do.
Again, why would anyone need to apologize for raising perfectly valid concerns? Look at the town hall thread, questions are all reasonable, and remain unanswered. |
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Why would they not give it? Someone could submit a request and get it at any time, its public information.
I'll have to take your word on that as I'm not an American, but I find it hard to believe that a random person with no valid reason to demand the information could petition the court to reveal Sonny's parole officer. On the contrary. Anyone can call the probation department and provide information/concerns to the PO. The PO will not provide any information, of course, but will listen. Interesting. Does that mean you can just contact the federal probation services, or you can actually call up the probation officer working his case? I've never done it myself, but from what I gather you can call the probation department and ask to talk to a PO handling a particular case. |
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You do know that the United Nations is often wrongfully accused of wasting money on bureaucracy when not long ago they received less than half of the funds of the New York City Police Department to pay for all their expenses including all peacekeeping missions around the planet.
New York City still isn't safe with all that money that some people would rightfully claim to be a waste of valuable tax dollars.
So, please if you just want to strengthen prejudices spread by unilateralists in the US don't do it here. For the rest of the world the concept of working together and having a chat before going to WWIII seems worthwhile. Not to mention what would happen to numerous crisis zones on the planet if you pulled out UN troops.
+1 I, too, have no significant problems with the UN. They do some cool stuff, they screwed up a few times, and some of their efforts I dislike for personal/ideological reasons, but all in all - I don't mind the idea. The specific kind of negative attitude you see in this thread is an American specialty, never heard it anywhere else. Mistrust and cynicism towards your own government and societal institutions is only amplified in case of some "foreign" UN. Come-from-Beyond obviously had best intentions, no need to be sarcastic just because you don't share the same culture and views. |
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Why would they not give it? Someone could submit a request and get it at any time, its public information.
I'll have to take your word on that as I'm not an American, but I find it hard to believe that a random person with no valid reason to demand the information could petition the court to reveal Sonny's parole officer. On the contrary. Anyone can call the probation department and provide information/concerns to the PO. The PO will not provide any information, of course, but will listen. |
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