What's "real" is the global, trustless network of nodes that help secure the network.  You can't make a digital copy of people choosing to be part of a network.  There's no financial incentive to run a node unless you are mining, but people are still freely choosing to do this.  They presumably do this because they understand the importance of censorship resistance and being immune to regulatory shutdown.  In comparison, it's obvious that you are totally incapable of seeing Bitcoin as anything other than a speculative tool and that's due to your failure to comprehend.  We're not simply "naming special properties", we have physically built a network that can't be dismantled without shutting off the entire internet.

Stop talking to us as if you are qualified to speak about this subject when you clearly don't understand the first thing about network effects and utility.  It's true that there are thousands of different blockchains, but unless lots of people use those blockchains, they are just poor imitations and have little value or utility aside from mindless speculation.  Some people do attempt to speculate with Bitcoin and it is possible to lose money doing that.  But, choosing to speculate on Bitcoin does not detract from the utility Bitcoin provides (and other blockchains can't compete with).

Also, stop double-posting.  Combine your mindless drivel into a single post with multiple quotes.

We aren't "deciding" anything.  His original post that got deleted specifically states it's a multipool that switches algorithms.  Bitcoin-only pools don't do that.  How are you not comprehending this if you are a user of this pool?



Good for you.  It doesn't necessarily mean that you're mining BTC, though.



Why would anyone give them permission to break the rules?  What's the point in having the rule in the first place if we're just going to let people post altcoin mining in the Bitcoin mining section anyway?  You believe that because both of you are unable to comprehend why that's not how it works that you can just ignore it?  

Neither of you are giving me the impression that there's anything remotely professional about this pool of yours.  If I were a miner, I think I'd be looking at other pools and giving yours a wide berth.

I'm working under the assumption they meant "mindset" rather than "mental health".  Otherwise, yeah, it makes no sense.  Chalk it up to a language barrier, perhaps?

"Mental health" would infer the people panic selling aren't in a good state of mental health, while the people HODLing are mentally fit.  That would be a rather strong statement, even for a perma-bull, heh.

Yeah, it's pretty disgusting that newly printed money is being used as yet another bailout for billionaires, despite the fact that numerous studies have shown it to be a weak method of providing stimulus to the economy.  Maybe that's why they don't refer to them as 'stimulus packages' anymore?  The term seems to have fallen out of use.

In fairness, though, even though we'll probably never agree with how QE is utilised by central banks, it's not like Bitcoin is capable of providing loans to the companies that need it either.  They'll need an entrepreneurial whale for that.  The totally debt-free nature of Bitcoin is absolutely the right path for what we're setting out to achieve, but it does mean we aren't really in a position to "save" the ones who are already in debt.

Bump acknowledged.  I'm still sympathetic to the idea, but I think now isn't the right time.  A few thoughts come to mind as to why.  To get the aforementioned out of the way, as others have already commented, there may not be enough content to warrant a separate board yet.  

Beyond that, my primary concern is that, while many of us may be eager to see increased Lightning adoption, it's also not something that should be rushed.  I wouldn't want people to come away with the impression that just because it has it's own subforum that somehow means it's "production ready" and all set to go for mainstream adoption.  People could conceivably treat it like an official endorsement or seal of approval that the floodgates are open for the masses.  It might sound silly, but I feel like people often forget that Bitcoin itself is still, in fact, beta software.  

Lastly, the Development & Technical sub has a more strict policy on trolls than other parts of the board and it's fair to say that topics about LN always seem to attract "the usual suspects" who like to either derail the topic or fill it with FUD, so I'd rather see LN discussed there, where such behaviour isn't tolerated (inb4 oMg cEnSoRsHiPs!).

Personally, I'd say give it another year or so.  There's no doubt in my mind we'll have such a section at some point, but not quite yet.

You are not listening to what you are being told.  And the fact that you would dare to accuse philipma1957 of not understanding mining makes you an insolent asshat.  I'm not an expert in mining, but even I can see what you're doing wrong, so maybe you need to reconsider how much of an expert you think yourself to be.

You can post Bitcoin pools in the Mining section.  ViaBTC have a BITCOIN-ONLY pool.  It mines only Bitcoin and pays in only Bitcoin.  They are therefore allowed to post about it in the mining board.  They ALSO have altcoin pools that use different algorithms, but if they want to discuss those, they have to do that in the altcoin mining boards.

If you have a pool that is BITCOIN-ONLY, you can post it in the mining board.  But the second you start talking about switching algorithms, you can no longer post that in Mining.  If you want to highlight that your pool switches algorithm, do not post it in Mining, because that is a Bitcoin-only board.  No other algorithms are permitted there.  Post it in the altcoins mining section instead.

Let's use Poolin as an example:

They have a Bitcoin-only pool here in the Bitcoin mining section.  
They have a multi-currency pool that also supports Bitcoin here in the altcoins mining section (where your topic should go).
On top of that, they also have a Transaction Accelerator service here in the services board, because that's not related to mining Bitcoin either.

Each topic goes in the right place and those posts don't get deleted.  Got it?

It's really not difficult.

Here it is one more time:


Your.  Topic.  Belongs.  In.  Pools (Altcoins).

Post it there and it shouldn't be deleted.

As we're bumping the topic, I guess it's worth mentioning seasteads would be a fantastic way to self-isolate, heh.  They'll be the latest trend after all this drama.   

I certainly don't mind the PM.  Can't speak for everyone else, but it's hard to imagine anyone would have taken offence to it.  It's not like someone is trying to sell us something.

Pretty sure the unsolicited messaging stuff is related to spam, which this isn't.

I just hope people remember this and maybe stop and think a little more carefully in future next time they start wishing for the whales to join the party.  The people who have a few mBTC are effectively plankton in this sea.  The whales have other concerns and are not here to save them.    

Maybe the self-isolating masses won't have much of an impact, then. 

I suppose our subpopulation of bounty spammers are largely basement-dwellers who never leave the house anyway, heh.  No real change for them.   

It occurs to me that since a large number of people are going to be stuck indoors for a while, the forums might be busier than usual.  Are Cloudflare ready to anticipate and cope with the extra demand?


//EDIT:  Confirmation from Theymos that all is well, locking the thread to prevent spam.

You are an opportunist blowhard capitalising on unusual circumstances to push your anti-Bitcoin agenda.  People should absolutely still be ridiculing you.

Seconded.  I made this post two years ago and it still seems to hold true.  There's far greater potential still to be unlocked and we just need to give it time.  Anyone writing off bitcoin now is just impatient.

I've seen a number of posts over the years saying that once Wall Street and the like get involved, that's the time for "moon" and prices will supposedly skyrocket.  But I'm convinced that's fundamentally backwards.  My leading theory so far is that institutional investors treat Bitcoin like they do any other commodity.  They aren't looking at the important stuff, they're just reacting to market movements.  I'm not selling.  This crash doesn't faze me in the slightest.  I sincerely doubt anyone else who made a sensible post in the "Social Phenomenon" topic is selling either.  We're instinctive HODLers.  Therefore, it's undoubtedly speculators who are selling, because "follow the market".  

So the irony is, if fewer speculators were involved and more people cared about why Bitcoin is actually important, the price would likely be more stable.  

When everything goes to shit, Bitcoin is still censorship resistant, tamper-proof, resistant to legislative shutdown, decentralised, borderless, open-source, neutral, impartial, etc.  It still has all the same qualities that make it useful and valuable.  So when your bank closes its doors for a few weeks because none of the staff are allowed to leave their house, spot the difference.

Maybe it boils down to the shortfalls of conventional wisdom.  It was a widely held belief that bad news for the traditional economy would generally equal good news for crypto, but this was only tested on occasion with some minor economic blips.  In practice, when something major happens, it's seemingly not always the case.

Perhaps in all the while that some people have been clamouring for more institutional investors to get on board, this is the knock-on effect?  Maybe crypto will follow traditional markets more closely if there's a larger proportion of speculators involved?  It's kind of difficult to pin down exactly why the theory didn't hold up.

Those are the words I was trying to find.  Thank you. 

Bitcoin's "identity" is that it's going to find another block in the next few minutes.  That's all it knows or cares about.   

Sage advice.  I've been around long enough to see more than a few dips in my time.  Back when I was just a speculator and had less appreciation for the real benefits of using Bitcoin, I remember being down by 65% at one point.  It was never really a big problem for me, though.  I had been very sensible and it certainly wasn't any kind of life-altering sum that I had sunk into it.  But I stayed in and subsequently my patience has more than paid off.  Now, of course, that's not to be taken as any kind of guarantee for anyone affected by the current dip, but just an example to show that things can improve.  Don't make any rash decisions, remain calm and weigh up your options carefully.  

Also, if you haven't done so already, consider moving beyond raw speculation and start looking at the other advantages that can be gained through using this technology.  The real value goes far beyond what figure in your national currency you might be able to sell it for.  Don't simply invest wealth.  Invest your time and your understanding.

As an aside, it's the fiat investments I'm getting hammered on.  Definite regrets in buying shares in my workplace.  Still, not losing any sleep over it.  You win some, you lose some.

Whatever your wealth is stored in, these seem to be very turbulent times.  Don't let it get you down.

Keep telling yourself that.  You think just because people don't bother wasting their time trying to convince you what an obstinate, audacious and ultimately misguided fool you are that you've somehow won the debate?  Get over yourself.

I was going to start a new topic in Reputation, "Greedy DooMAD versus the Three Stooges", where I point out that all three of you topic-derailing wingnuts have, at some point or another, accused me of wanting to "get rich" by supporting blockstream's supposed "agenda".  Incidentally, it always seems to happen when you've run out of arguments and have nothing left to offer up.  Anyway, I was going to do that to demonstrate just how easy it is to avoid derailing a topic.  Lead by example and such.  But you know what?  Screw you, I'm going to ruin your topic and see how you like it for a change, because it's not like you're ever going to learn, even when shown how.  So here goes:

When I get old and people ask me what I did during Bitcoin's formative years, I'll tell them I tried my best to keep this place sane while it was set upon by a small but determined number of mentally unhinged fanatics.  If I tell you your idea is a load of mindless drivel, I'm not saying it because I'm chasing some mythical paycheck or anticipated future profit.  I say it because I believe integrity is important.  And that's all forms of integrity.    

First up there's personal integrity, where I have to be intellectually honest with myself and say that even if I have what I believe to be a great idea about how Bitcoin should move forward, I'm probably not in a position to single-handedly turn an entire ecosystem on its head to implement whatever changes I might find favourable.  Even in the unlikely event that I ever thought the same way you do about ASICs and pools, I would have to be an egomaniac to believe I can simply undo something that numerous people have invested time, effort and money into in order to nurture and develop.  You don't just snap your fingers and undo the hard work of others.  In fact, you can't in this particular instance.  But you seem to think that, not only is it a piece of cake to completely decimate what is effectively an entire industry in its own right, but there are seemingly no moral implications to consider either.  The only "good" is your good and anything else is unquestionably evil.  It's that black and white to you.  Reasonable people, on the other hand, may have misgivings about pools or ASICs, but don't believe themselves to have either the power or moral authority to simply wipe them from existence as though they were nothing.  Who the hell do you think you are?

Then there's the integrity of the Bitcoin network itself.  If changes are to be made, they should never endanger the security or decentralisation of the network.  You demonstrate time and again that you have literally no concept of what those words mean.  I don't need to start a "smear campaign" for people to see what kind of moron you are.  They have eyes and are perfectly capable of seeing it for themselves.  You would gladly sacrifice the security of the network for even a hint of a chance that your fantasies would come true.  They won't, though.  

Cry about it all you want.  This is not censorship.  People aren't trying to extinguish your unique and precious flame.  They're just trying to talk some damn sense into you.  But you flagrantly ignore them and keep spouting dangerous, ignorant nonsense.  Then you act like the victim when mods delete your inane, whiny potshots meagerly disguised as casual conversation.  You still genuinely believe that what you saying is important, but sadly you are the only person who seems to think so.  And on top of that, you can't find a manner in which to express it that doesn't piss people off.  To say that's not a winning formula would be an understatement.


Other assorted thoughts in the topic:


I'm sure you're very proud of your inbred mutant circus freak-show offspring.  Doesn't mean the rest of us have to pretend to care.



I'm not a developer, but I'm fairly sure that introducing much larger problems in the mistaken belief that it might fix something is not how development works.



Topics that are important to you personally != crucial.  Perhaps you're confusing it with the word "crusade", since you definitely seem to be on one.



I think history is written by the winners and you are one of life's losers.  It won't remember you at all.

Certainly seems to be a larger crowd by the time the Q & A segment kicks off at the end.  Definitely more than just 5 people there.  I think the photo in the OP is possibly a little misrepresentative.