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Any Bytecoin nodes still active?
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Well, if you think that Armory is enforcing unfair fees, then you can switch to a different wallet.
Each wallet has a different approach to fees. An example is that Bitcoin-QT has a compulsory 0.0025 BTC fee with each transaction (when I last checked), and Blockchain.info's wallet has a custom fee you can change, but the fees of previous transactions may build-up to hit you in a later date.
Literally this thread: "Nobody is FORCING you to get to the city by using your car, you can totally just take a bike and NOT pay for gas but it will take you a bit longer to get there." Thats technically true, but its not practical in the slightest, which is pretty much the OP's argument. And the point of the rest of us is that other people are not obligated to make things more practical for you at their expense. When you get your way at the expense of other people, that's the opposite of freedom. It's not much good to get "freedom" if it comes by taking it away from other people. |
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If I put up a sign that says you must do something, that doesn't actually mean you MUST do it. It just means that's my opinion. In this case, there's nothing forcing you to include a transaction fee. There are numerous alternatives documented on this thread. |
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We are FORCED to pay a tax upon every transaction, and they say Bitcoin doesn't have any taxes? That's just pure crap. Taxation is unconstitutional theft via armed extortion. In Bitcoin's case, it's unavoidable, and is without the armed extortion (YOU ARE FORCED TO PAY).
You are not FORCED to pay anything. You are not even FORCED to use bitcoin. You are welcome to use bitcoin if you like, and you are welcome to pay any fee (or no fee at all if you like). Equally, the peers on the network are not FORCED to relay your transaction if they don't want to. They are welcome to relay your transaction if they like, and they are welcome to ignore your transaction if they like. Equally, the miners are not FORCED to include your transaction in their blocks. They are welcome to include your transaction if they like, and they are welcome to leave your transaction for some other miner to include in their block if they like. Isn't it great how NOBODY is FORCED to do any of these things with bitcoin. Nobody is entitled to get their way at the expense of other people. It's a great way to live! |
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We are FORCED to pay a tax upon every transaction, and they say Bitcoin doesn't have any taxes? That's just pure crap. Taxation is unconstitutional theft via armed extortion. In Bitcoin's case, it's unavoidable, and is without the armed extortion (YOU ARE FORCED TO PAY).
No problem, and there's no coercion involved. People who will perform the service of mining for you will do so for a fee. However, you are free to perform the service of mining yourself if you don't want to pay that fee. Or you are free to not use Bitcoin. You could even run your own alternative blockchain if you wanted, with your own rules. The sky's the limit! Thank Satoshi and many others for providing all of this for you for free! |
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I just wanted to post a note of endorsement and recommendation for BitMinter. DrHaribo is very helpful and BitMinter is probably the most enjoyable pool to mine with.
I didn't get paid for saying this; it's just the unvarnished truth.
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I don't think he is gone. His body is kept in cryogenic state at the Alcor Life Extension Fundation.
We may see him back in a near future.
I suppose the good news is, assuming trends stay the same - each day he's kept in cryogenic state, his life expectancy is probably increasing at a rate faster than any toll taken from being in a cryogenic state. I wonder if there'll ever be a day when healthy people have themselves "frozen" as an investment in themselves... or maybe trust fund babies just want to see the future.  I hope Hal would approve of me offering a bit of humor on that note: http://xkcd.com/989/ |
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It sometimes does make sense to attempt to reach a plea bargain, especially for "street" crimes, when you are actually guilty, there is well more then enough evidence to convict you and little/no evidence that would show your innocence. What has happened in the US is that prosecutors use very high potential sentences that a defendant would likely face as a bargaining chip. The justice system is not so much about justice these days. Instead it's more about being on the right side of the law and using statistics as a means to sway judgments. If prosecutors how so much control over the system then how can this be considered justice? It has become a business for the police, cities, court systems and Governments. The money as a get out of jail free card these days and is used to help fueling this backwards system we've got. [/quote] I support everybody's right to contract with a competing service provider for justice services. |
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We cannot permit the Federal Mafia to simply threaten everyone into submission. Why break with precedent? BTW, you are perfectly free to sacrifice your freedom, family, etc., to fight the Federal mafia in whatever way you choose. |
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That's some bullshit, he didn't do anything wrong.
It's a good old fashioned witch hunt, plain and simple. Every criminal empire has it's scapegoats. Bitcoiners and drug users/sellers are the new scapegoats. Don't forget child pornographists. Won't somebody think of the children! |
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Granted these are all very small "fish" and there are no real victims. There are also no victims from what BitInstant/Charlie Shrem is alleged to have done. The only people being victimized here are the ones having their anonymity taken away, and Charlie who is having his rights to liberty and property infringed. The only criminals are the ones enforcing this immoral law. I think the point is that this kind of activity creates a marketplace that makes it easier for potential terrorists to launder money. I believe in people being able to protect themselves from terrorists, including the Western terrorists who are currently killing people in Middle Eastern countries. I don't believe in violating people's rights to try to prevent terrorism. If people are openly breaking AML rules then a terrorist can see this And if people stop killing brown people terrorists will have a lot less to be mad about. If monetary freedom increases, people can protect themselves from being forced to fund imperialist wars, and the ability to wage those wars will decrease, as will the retaliations. |
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Absolutely. In fact, I might name a baby Satoshi just in gratitude for Bitcoin itself.
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The Bitcoin community is being bled dry. And laughing all the way to the bank! |
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In their indictment, the government alleges that 1M of that went to Silk Road. (I wasn't even selling BTC to Silk Road users, I was allegedly selling to a guy who in turn resold the coins to users on Silk Road for a markup )
That means over a 2 year span, 0.025% of transactions on BitInstant were for Silk Road.
BitInstant's total operating profit (before costs, expesnes, ect) on 1M USD is 1.5% = $15,000 total the company profited from these alleged crimes, over an 11 months period. Thats $1,363 per month. Jailtime for this is an absurd injustice. This is small fries, it should be a slap on the wrist fine - $15,000 at most. That's like saying Rosa Parks should have received a slap on the wrist. Enforcing unethical laws is unethical. |
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If you had AML/KYC info for that guy that was selling them to SR then you are not guilty.
From what I understand he is pleading guilty to knowingly selling Bitcoin when he knew they would be used for Silk Road so it doesn't matter what info he had. While it is well known Silk Road was used for some illegal activities not everything there was illegal. BitInstant's part seems be relatively small compared to people actively involved in planning and conducting substantial illegal activities on a regular basis. The documents show the activity he is pleading to was more of an aberration to get the guy out of his hair rather than some type of ongoing effort. Anything else is irrelevant since that is what he is pleading to. I think he will get probation. Even probation is too much unless he knew what the coins would be used for. If I sell Bitcoins to someone from Localbitcoins and he said I work at Newegg but I deal drugs too. Would I be guilty? How am I supposed to know whether he's using them for a purchase at Newegg or to buy drugs. That seems like a lot of circumstantial bullshit to me. Or I don't know the whole story. Makes no moral difference anyway since people have a perfectly legitimate right to buy drugs as well as to buy stuff from Newegg. |
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Granted these are all very small "fish" and there are no real victims. There are also no victims from what BitInstant/Charlie Shrem is alleged to have done. The only people being victimized here are the ones having their anonymity taken away, and Charlie who is having his rights to liberty and property infringed. The only criminals are the ones enforcing this immoral law. |
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If you had AML/KYC info for that guy that was selling them to SR then you are not guilty.
I deny anyone's right to force people to follow these laws. |
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From August 2011 - August 2013 BitInstant processed around 400M worth of BTC to customers. (rough estimate) Thats about 24 months in business. In their indictment, the government alleges that 1M of that went to Silk Road. (I wasn't even selling BTC to Silk Road users, I was allegedly selling to a guy who in turn resold the coins to users on Silk Road for a markup ) That means over a 2 year span, 0.025% of transactions on BitInstant were for Silk Road. BitInstant's total operating profit (before costs, expesnes, ect) on 1M USD is 1.5% = $15,000 total the company profited from these alleged crimes, over an 11 months period. Thats $1,363 per month.
Charlie was doing pretty much exactly this (granted he was making more money from it) but the only other real difference is that he was profiting from and helping SR.
I personally made no extra money from these alleged crimes. Hey, Charlie - thanks for the great service. I never used Silk Road (haven't ever done drugs in my life, though I affirm everyone should be legally free to do so), but I used BitInstant several times last year. It was fantastic, and I was sorry to see it go. I hope your legal woes will soon be as far behind you as they can possibly be. |
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In my mind you are as close to Satoshi as we will know. I think that just about sums it up. Thank you, Hal, for everything. May science advance to the point where you may one day be thanked again in person, and read through these threads, if Bitcointalk still exists then. |
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P.S. If we ever hear that Dorian decides to get frozen as well, where do we sign up for this ?  alcor.org cryonics.org Not for the faint of heart, nor for anyone who expects all the research to have been done and the answers to be handed to them on a silver platter. |
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