This assertion or some permutation of it would not surprise me in the least. NSA agents are among the most likely people to know how sausage is made and I bet that more than a few of them are fairly disgusted by it.
I rather guess they are just crypto nerds and as exited as a lot of other people that finally a currency based on cryptography has taken off and is "out in the wild".  Also a nice hello to the NSA person reading this and biting his/her knuckles for not being allowed to comment at all about his/her work and any of the assumptions in this thread. I doubt that almost anyone who has their shit together at all has much interest in participating in this forum. Additionally, those who have an professional exposure to the intelligence community are well trained to keep their mouths shut by default. In my (thankfully) limited time in the DC area I noticed that the entire community almost all the way down to the 7-11 clerks adopted a polite but closed attitude. It contrasted sharply with West Coasters who tend to happily blather on about anything. |
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NSA agents are all here, they know how secure sha256 is and they are buying BTC like crazy, their salary have just been lowered by the government spending cuts and they need some extra income to make their ends meet  This assertion or some permutation of it would not surprise me in the least. NSA agents are among the most likely people to know how sausage is made and I bet that more than a few of them are fairly disgusted by it. Many of them are likely recognize the magnitude of the perils that our society and systems face and thus, of course, to recognize the potential of a solution such as Bitcoin. I am quite surprised at the uniformly positive media attention that Bitcoin has received over the last year and a half to be honest. One hypothesis is that it is at least of interest if not actively deployed by a range of individuals from a variety of different backgrounds. |
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You remember that little fiasco where they were using a QFN chip, but then when they tested it, the plastic couldn't conduct the heat out of the chip and into the heatsink? Well, lets just think about that for a second. They had chips, and they were even testing the chips on one of their boards. If they really had a faulty design, and the chips really couldn't hash, then they would have known about it in October.
I always figured that it was most likely that the whole story was made up out of whole cloth. Just a set of words chosen because it was most effective at placating the community and keeping the pre-order funds rolling in. In case you've not noticed anyone can say anything on the Internet, and without some solid evidence and proof, the words are pretty much useless. |
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On the other hand if you have the means to break SHA256(SHA256)) (=mining) and ECDSA (=Bitcoin private keys), why waste that on Bitcoin?
Don't get me wrong, maybe Bitcoin becomes a big threat for the establishment in the future - but there are far more valuable targets.
Another thing to consider:
Not every great cryptographer is from the USA, there are other countries with smart people out there as well... of course NSA will be ahead a bit with cryptoanalysis (I read recently an interesting article about Bitcoin mining with SAT solvers) and breaking codes just because of the ressources they have - still that doesn't mean they can magically "break" mathematics. Current crypto is considered strong enough that it makes much more sense to attack the implementation (side channel attacks) than the actual algorithm. as bitcoin however only consists of data, not hardware they need to attack the mathematics behind ECDSA and SHA256. This doesn't require a huge budget, this requires brilliant people which can show up anywhere on the globe.
Lastly:
Even though a lot of crypto nowadays is public and 100% open source still only few people understand every detail behind and even fewer then really start questioning established truths or trying out if assumptions actually hold. I bet there are some algorithms out there that are considered quite secure but that have some flaws that are very well hidden and only surface after you start from scratch and test everything. Also there's a huge class of proprietary algorithms that are "secure by obscurity" and usually easily broken because they contain rookie mistakes.
I sense that a) a good percentage of the truly brilliant minds for cryoto work are in academia, b) a lot of these folks have strong ethics and principles, and c) deep insights and results related to cryptography are a pinnacle of success in that environment. So, I have much more faith in the strength of open-source cryptographic algorithms than my native ability to analyze them otherwise allows. I do believe that if Bitcoin failed to to cryptographic exploits, it would freeze up for a time, but be relatively quickly re-implemented with the pre-exploited block chain forming the basis for it's distribution. I have significant questions and fears about the viability of Bitcoin, but core cryptographic attack is not really one of the reasons why. |
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Explain to me how a webcam is low class?
Maybe you mean sluts on webcam?
That's what I'm trying to change. The image that you have in your head right now. Just like there are high end products and low end products. There are sites with not so classy models and there are sites with high end educated non foreign models who don't throw dildos in their vaginas for 1000s of users in their rooms for free.
It does not matter to me what models look like, where they are from, what gender they are, etc, etc. Indeed, it's not the models themselves which are much of a factor. Just like with prostitutes, I have some respect for them in that they are able to capitalize on low class people who will, for whatever reason, give them money. That is more what I ment. Now my attitude may sound a bit judgmental. Normally I try to avoid being so. I could probably enjoy web cam stuff myself if I were not either paying for it or being paid for it. Maybe open-source is the way to go? Whatever the case on-line porn seems more convenient and flexible than either sex with a real live woman or web cam wanking. And thankfully there is plenty of it. |
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I feel MEGA is only interesting for a handful of warez groups. For most every-day users the 50 free GBs are enough.
I have this feeling too. But then again, there's no such a thing as a free lunch, so how are these 50GB going to be payed for? I suppose that, as for everything else "for free" on the web, it's going to be payed via advertising. But then again, if his advertisers use traditional payment vehicles, what's to stop the financial blockade? If only Mega was large enough to convince some major web advertisers to start dealing in Bitcoin....  A working cloud storage facility with strong privacy options is very compelling to many. When I've made use of cloud storage in the capacity of a designer working for a corporate entity, I implemented my own encryption scheme which works like Mega because I felt it was not responsible as a business to do otherwise. It was highly tedious and costly (my wages as an engineer) to do so however. If Mega expands their suite of offerings I doubt that they will have any difficulty attracting well paying customers who have the same legal concerns that I do. The key is to stay in business long enough to reach that point, and 3x10^6 users is a strong hand. I say again that Mr. Dotcom seems to be about as highly a skilled player/fighter as I've seen. Even though I'm not a gamer I found it pretty impressive that he managed a top rating out of so many people...whether he cheated and intimidated or not... That alone should have been a clue to the MPAA and their subordinates in the government not to fuck with him. I only hope that he is very careful in his aviation related activities. Unfortunately I cannot tell him to ask Paul Wellstone why. |
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I love the name 'ClassyCams'. If I had to choose one thing which is the epitome of low class it very well could be a web cam. To each his own though.
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...
The only thing that will stop this forward motion will be SERIOUS US govn't regulation or some time of police (bankster) state crackdown on exchanges an/or bitcoin businesses. Fortunately the amount of time it take to get anything done in the US congress, any regulation will be years in coming.
...
I'm not so sure about that. The rather complex and encompassing USA PATRIOT act went through the entire process in less than two months from 9/11 and the anthrax attacks. |
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don't wanna poop the party, but isn't this MEGA + Bitcoin thing a bit overrated?
I feel MEGA is only interesting for a handful of warez groups. For most every-day users the 50 free GBs are enough.
And establishment-conform corporations will choose other, more conform providers of cloud services.
Just as a point of reference, I never gave a damn about warez (in part because open-source software just works better for me and I don't have interest in movies or music.) I also have never had an more involvement in anything criminal than the average person and have no plan to...under our current laws...or at least those laws which are publicly known. Mega and Bitcoin are equally (and highly) important to me on philosophical grounds. It is debatable about what I am politically, but I am definitely anti-fascist and anti-totalitarian. Corporate issuance of dept/money and massive, pervasive, and wholesale surveillance of populations are two things which really trouble me. Bitcoin and the implementation of cryptography popularized by the Mega (hopefully family of) products are giant steps forward in my opinion. These two are several of the most important developments of the last decade in my opinion. |
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Almost completely non-functional for me at this time. Satellite connection with terrestrial hop in Hawaii. But it sucked earlier today from a cable modem connection as well.
I think the issue must be DOS or sysadmin error. Even given the recent (good) news I do not believe that organic growth would cause such a rapid degradation in service.
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So gold is going down, but why? I don't understand it.
Electronic forms of gold are going down (because there are widespread rumors that there is not as much gold as they say they have in reserves) and hence the world price is going down. If one is interested in obtaining physical, it is a delightful thing to have the price dragged down by paper market artifacts. This has happened again and again over the last decade, and it has served me very well. |
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I am just curious what the next excuse is... "Bumping facility was robbed only leaving the boxes the chips came in and some mysterious fans that were placed in the boxes."  I'd go with something like "The mean bad government confiscated all our chips." That would explain why they have zero which can be proven to work, and also would deflect rage away from their poor abused selves. An added advantage is that they could also string 'customers' along for a few more month with stories about how their lawyers are about to make a breakthrough in return of the property and so forth. I think that most of BFL's 'customers' could probably be kept on the line for years judging by the past performance. |
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What you say was already obvious. You are clearly a very simple person.
Obviously  I asserted that you were 'simple'. Not 'stupid'. There is a difference...though also often a correlation. |
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I won't bother to dig up a quote, but a lot of my words on this forum and particularly those of my posts on this thread are distinctly inspired by Sun Tzu's thoughts about the importance of knowing one's enemy. Specifically, in this case, understanding his tactics through either analysis or history or both.
Well I too have read the Art of war, but in relation to your comment I originally took issue because of your comments they implied elitism and possible eugenicist type attitude, because of your misdirection I still do not know your stance, but franlky I care less and less. What you say was already obvious. You are clearly a very simple person. |
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Yeah, hopefully she too will one day be able to experience the wonderful benefits of:
1) Losing money to obvious ponzi schemes
2) Bitcoin bank "hacks"
3) Paying ridiculous fees for the privilege to use bitcoins
4) Having her internet fun money lose over half its value over night!
Chuckle. Not bad. Throw in some mining accidents and ASIC pre-order scammery to make things more complete. Dunno of you are SA or not. I've not looked at their material much lately, but I expect that they are either apoplectic about the price rise over the last month, or to embarrassed to say squat about it since they threw away a nice pay-out even though they were among the few who actually understood the solution. --- I've paid for some things with BTC to people who were interested in the solution. In the primary case, the person turned around and traded them for Litecoin. I explained it to my mother who understood it but was not interested. And I actually advised against her getting involved even if she wished to. Same with other family and most of my friends. It probably is a legitimate consideration that involvement with Bitcoin will result in a flag in certain warehoused data unless one is extremely careful in how it is done. This is not the reason I've discouraged anyone about Bitcoin however. |
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Nope. I observe and comment. It brings me pleasure so I'll continue as long as it is possible and not completely unsafe to my health and welfare.
I have no problem with that and I will always defend your right to say whatever you like. I won't bother to dig up a quote, but a lot of my words on this forum and particularly those of my posts on this thread are distinctly inspired by Sun Tzu's thoughts about the importance of knowing one's enemy. Specifically, in this case, understanding his tactics through either analysis or history or both. |
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Actually it would be doing the backward poor people who don't have alternatives to cash a favor to issue them debit cards and even to re-charge them from time to time in order to help them survive. Doing so will also protect the rest of us from the ill effects of the vices that permeate the existence of these folks.
I don't know about other 'developed' countries, but I am sure that the message will be well received and highly resonant in the fat middle of the United States population.
What the fuck do you mean by that? I don't write in a way that everyone can easily understand, but a certain percentage of those here could probably figure it out. If they've not figured it out for themselves already. Do you work for JP morgan or Mastercard by any chance?
Nope. I observe and comment. It brings me pleasure so I'll continue as long as it is possible and not completely unsafe to my health and welfare. --- Edit: add following observation by Goring which I've always liked. It's about war, but is just as applicable to the (likely) attempt to get rid of cash: "...But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship." ...Interviewer mentions people's power of will in a Democracy... "Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country." |
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Theres a global propaganda campaign underway to demonise cash usage. They are clearly planning to ban cash completely, in the future.
I tend to agree, atleast in the EU. I get the feeling that some circles would actually make it happen today if they could. Yet at the same time I can't believe that they would outright ban it, since there are still a lot of people who have no real alternative to using cash. Also cash transactions still make up the bulk of number of transactions or is this no longer true in the EU (I've read a recent paper from the canadian central bank about it) This video amazes, I had no idea it was this bad already Actually it would be doing the backward poor people who don't have alternatives to cash a favor to issue them debit cards and even to re-charge them from time to time in order to help them survive. Doing so will also protect the rest of us from the ill effects of the vices that permeate the existence of these folks. I don't know about other 'developed' countries, but I am sure that the message will be well received and highly resonant in the fat middle of the United States population. |
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even if you're right about sentiment it doesn't mean it's going to get any better. in fact, it's likely to get much worse.
About the only way it could get worse is if central banks, Chinese, Indians, and Russians were to dump all the physical gold they've accumulated. The exhaustion spike is due, and that's just the paper game unfolding - the tail wagging the dog for just a little bit longer. Where is the supply of real metal coming from? look. we're at $1600/oz. it could get alot worse. and just how much delight would Ben and the Wall St banks get from a forced selloff in gold? I think we all agree that BTC has a vastly higher upside potential than gold. One of the places were gold has an edge is that Bitcoin is a concept and a block chain. The concept is now out there, and there are plenty of places where different implementations could end up having some popular advantages. There is no difference between the Bitcoin blockchain and others except for a first-move advantage. Gold on the other hand is a unique atomic structure and the only way of replicating it currently costs vastly more than it's value. True, it has a first-move mindshare advantage as well, but it's been proven over an amazingly long time. Unlike the Bitcoin blockchain. All this is to say that Bitcoin has certain risks even if it does not fail do to internet transport molestation or architectural failures. As always, I balance my portfolio based on these risk/rewards as I see them and continue to have felt no inclination to change that balance for the last year and a half. That's just me though. If I had only just heard of Bitcoin and had no BTC, it is almost certain that I would liquidate some of my PM's to take on a BTC position. |
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Theres a global propaganda campaign underway to demonise cash usage. They are clearly planning to ban cash completely, in the future.
...
I thought this was going to be one of those ultra-right-wing American conspiracy theories when I read that description, but sure enough, that's exactly what the video is! ... It is said that if one does not believe in hell, one cannot go there. I wonder if a similar principle applies to conspiracies? It probably is a fact that if/when all economic transactions are PII it will reduce 'crime' by a fair bit. At least among us proles...or outer members as the case may be. |
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