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1  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Star Wars coins?! on: August 10, 2011, 06:48:28 AM
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/5423432/Star-Wars-coins-not-a-purchasing-force RLY?
2  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Bitcoin Detailed Calculator on: July 31, 2011, 09:15:56 PM
I understand the formula, just not sure it's realistic to project the difficulty going that high unless you count on amazing new mining hardware coming to market and/or a massive increase in BTC value.  Even at $100/BTC a 1.2Gh/s rig starts costing more in electricity than it mines in less than 130 days.
3  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Bitcoin Detailed Calculator on: July 31, 2011, 08:49:40 PM
Sooo, in a year the difficulty will be 62 billion??  That is quite high!
4  Economy / Economics / Re: so.... what country ISNT in debt? on: July 24, 2011, 04:16:14 PM
Thanks spruce; that makes a bit more sense. That chart explains a few things about New Zealand (where I live).  Argh Sad
5  Economy / Economics / Re: so.... what country ISNT in debt? on: July 24, 2011, 04:11:57 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_external_debt

Upon seeing this thread, I just dug up the above link.  Wow.  Some pretty incredible figures there... and wtf, Luxembourg?!

I don't really know how these numbers relate to the whole picture though, so I too await an informed response Smiley
6  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: US politician wants to prohibit bitcoins? on: July 24, 2011, 02:17:06 PM
Why not just prohibit drugs?  Oh...
7  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Kiwis on: July 22, 2011, 04:15:44 PM
A local exchange would be Awesome.  I was talking to the guys from TradeHill about becoming their NZD partner, but haven't received a reply in a while.  I'll try sending them a reminder.  But yes, in general -- I am keen to help build a direct bridge between BTC and USD in whatever way I can Smiley
8  Economy / Economics / TED video: "How algorithms shape our world" on: July 21, 2011, 03:48:01 PM
I was going to try to come up with some clever commentary to frame the start of this thread, but I think the video will inspire enough of that all by itself:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/kevin_slavin_how_algorithms_shape_our_world.html

Just don't hate on the dude too much for saying "is is" instead of "is" Wink

Enjoy!
9  Other / CPU/GPU Bitcoin mining hardware / Re: 5970 in New Zealand -- why so cheap? on: July 20, 2011, 06:10:10 AM
It turns out the reason they were so cheap is they are refurbished... but they have already been snapped up since I posted!!
Other than that, the best mining GPU deal I can find in the country is $200NZD for 5830s. 
Oh well at least it's cold enough here that I don't have to include electricity in the costs for another few months Embarrassed
Thanks anyway!
10  Other / CPU/GPU Bitcoin mining hardware / 5970 in New Zealand -- why so cheap? on: July 20, 2011, 05:04:03 AM
Hi,
I live in New Zealand, where hardware is extremely expensive.
5970s usually retail for over $1000NZD, but today I found a few of these advertised:

Quote
Sapphire (21165-00-51R) HD5970 2G GDDR5 PCI-E DUAL DVI-I / MINI DP; Dual Slot Fan Cooler; 32M x 32 GDDR5 512-bit; 725MHz / 1000MHz

for just over $400NZD in a few places.  One of them is a reputable retailer so I'm not thinking "scam", but I am wondering if there's anything I should know about this particular model which makes it so much cheaper? 

Will it still perform effectively (~750Mh/s) for mining?  What about gaming?  Any helpful advice appreciated Smiley

11  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Kiwis on: July 14, 2011, 10:46:53 AM
Me.

I think bitcoin will be good for NZ because bitcoin is good for everybody Smiley

It's not ready for widespread use yet though; once it's easy for grandma to secure her wallet, people will start being interested.

Smartphones are not very widespread here yet.  I guess bitcoin could push people into that market but is it the chicken or the egg?

After the "skynet law" epic fails, I can't see our dumb arse politicians wrapping their heads around it very well.  They might well fall for the inevitable "it's only for drugs and money laundering!!!!!11" crap.

Chur.
12  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: USD *is* a virtual currency on: July 11, 2011, 01:04:19 PM
Im pretty sure banks have whatever amount of currency they got somewhere as "real" currency. Coins etc.

This is extremely incorrect.  Unfortunately, it's what a lot of people believe...
You could start reading here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_reserve_banking
13  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Bitcoin Unit Colour Chart on: July 11, 2011, 12:47:49 PM
I agree with "keep it simple" and predict the following:

We know at a glance that $23k means $23,000.00, not $23.00.  So going the other way, 0.000023BTC will become known as $23μ (where "$" is substituted for whatever symbol ends up in common usage for BTC).  All this crazy decimal stuff might seem hard now because most people are not used to dealing with the mysterious world on the right hand side of the point -- I know I had to count the zeroes and then double-check -- embarrassing!  It will become easy though, as it comes into common usage and people get a "feel" for how much $1μ is worth.  People who grow up with bitcoin will have NO problem with this.

Quote
"You paid 23 grand for that gold plated hovercraft?! Hah, damn, all about the bling with you isn't it?  You could've got one with twin reactors for less than 18μ!  LOL!"

Yes: bitcoins will be worth that much, and people will still use "LOL" in the future.  When we all have hovercrafts.
14  Economy / Economics / Re: When US debt ceiling is lifted . . . on: July 11, 2011, 11:30:17 AM
Absolutely nothing will change.  The debt limit is raised every few years with the party in power claiming cats and dogs and assorted ocelots will rain down if it's not lifted, while the party without power claims the other is totally reckless and irresponsible.  A few years later the two parties swap positions and go at it again.  No one is dumb enough on either side of the political divide to risk default over a few political sticking points.

Is that what is happening now?  The news reports going around suggest they may not be able to agree on a deal.  Here's one, but there are lots (just have a look on twitter if you want more): http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/07/us-usa-debt-exclusive-idUSTRE7660GE20110707

Quote
If both political parties suffer from a bout of insanity and refuse to agree on the new debt limit, bitcoin's value will plummet.  It's a pure speculative commodity (not currency) that has no impact upon 99.999% of the world's population.  Ask a villager in India whether they would prefer a bitcoin or gram of gold.  Ask a Chinese businessman the same question.  I bet a Greek factory worker would give the very same answer.

General question to the thread:  Is this true?  Why would bitcoin's value plummet?  Shouldn't it go "up"? 

Firstly, if the USD starts crashing it's not like people already into bitcoin are going to suddenly sell all their BTC to get in on the death spiral action; probably more likely they will dump as many USD as they can get their hands on, right?  It's true as you say, that BTC has no impact on most of the world's population, yet, but the primary reasons for this are that a) no-one's heard of it, and b) the software isn't ready for mainstream usability.  The core technology is solid enough to have gained the trust of a lot of very smart people; it's just a matter of time before its "impact" is felt far and wide.  So, I'm not sure I get what you're saying.  Is it that you think US citizens will buy gold so they can use it to buy food (and from what I've been reading around the place, guns and ammo -- so glad I'm on the other side of the planet!) as the sky falls?  That is probably true, but if I was there I'd certainly be buying a few extra BTCs as well to hedge my bets, or at least definitely not selling the ones I already have...

Secondly, well, I don't understand enough to know what will happen to the other world currencies if USA defaults, beyond the "serious global implications" suggested by lots of middle-aged men with very serious faces... but surely if USD's value falls, it will fall MORE than the other currencies?  If this is true, let's say BTC is trading at around 11EUR/15.5USD, and the USD suddenly falls so that 11EUR = 20USD (yes I know that is extreme but it's just an example).  Before there's any change in the BTC market, won't bitcoins which are still worth 11EUR suddenly be worth 20USD?  (Not that you'd want the dollars even though there are more of them!)...  And if the EUR falls too, well, BTC will go up in price even if it doesn't go up in value.  But of course in that scenario it would quickly go up in ACTUAL value because people would see it sailing along quite happily as the other currencies come crashing down around it...

Surely the relevant question to ask an Indian villager etc would be whether they would prefer a bitcoin or some USD.  Well if I was that villager, and if I knew and understood what a bitcoin is, and if the USA defaults on its debt (whether it's in 3 weeks or further down the road), I damn well know which one I'd pick!

Please tell me if and where and how I'm wrong Smiley

---

tl;dr: Why would BTC plummet?  Wouldn't it go up?  Plz explain!
15  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: deepbit has 50.18 % now on: July 07, 2011, 03:39:55 PM
OMG, now "OTHER" is approaching 50%



Seriously though, I think a lot of people will feel a lot more comfortable when distributed mining pools become the norm...
http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=9137.0

16  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Best 1-3 line selling pitch for Bitcoin on: July 07, 2011, 02:55:02 PM
Mining our own business, since 2009.

WIN  Grin
17  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Usability of bitcoin on: July 07, 2011, 02:45:52 PM
Most of the issues you've mentioned are already on the way to being addressed.  Bitcoin is still very young.  As it grows, it will become portable/secure/easy to use/etc.  I believe this includes the government / threat to power argument, but this is an interesting one, and the topic of the following ramble: 

I think that by its very existence, bitcoin has let the cat out of the bag.  Cryptocurrency is here now.  Barring something on the level of a cataclysmic nuclear war which takes out most of the internet, it's here to stay.  I watch with great interest to see what will unfold.  I truly hope it will turn over a new leaf for humanity as much as it theoretically could in my idealistic fantasy land. 

Just looking at the state of humanity right now, it is clear to see there are turbulent times ahead; even if bitcoin were to vanish from existence right now, it would still be so.  The power structure of the entire civilized world is already threatened, heaving under its own weight.  But it doesn't necessarily have to become World War 3 -- I mean look, there's even a place for central banks in a bitcoin economy:  People will continue to use "trustworthy" services to protect their assets; banks could adapt to profit from this.  Naive?  Probably, but change is required regardless.  No, it won't come easily, but maybe, just maybe, bitcoin will help humanity move toward a better society than they could have if the illusion of the status quo could somehow be maintained. 

I could paraphrase your closing statement:  The big guns in the financial industry will be their own downfall, they will get too big, they will get big enough that they get noticed and then it will all come tumbling down when those in [real] power (i.e., the people) start to pay attention.

The "why can't we just work together" argument only fails when someone wants to be king of the castle.  Well, now we have to work together, whether we like it or not.  Sounds to me like the only acceptable way forward.  Vires in Numeris Smiley
18  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Someone Random Trademarked "bitcoin" : Now we can't use the term? on: July 07, 2011, 02:01:44 PM
Just to be clear, I'm not concerned about whether it offends me or not.  I think it should be deleted because:

1.  It's bad for Bitcoin.

2.  You're threatening an actual person, with family, maybe kids, etc.  He may be an asshole, but he doesn't deserve to have his life threatened. 

It's funny, you cry fascism, but in many ways your absolutist world view and view on violent speech closely mirrors the *real-life* fascism I came face to face with in ex-Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Well said.
19  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Best 1-3 line selling pitch for Bitcoin on: July 07, 2011, 12:22:25 PM
I think what I posted in my thread works rather well and is even informative:
Bitcoin is the perfect form of digitized cash. It is anonymous, easy to use, secure, fast, and can be accepted anywhere at any time.

http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=26322.0

I like it.  I agree with everything in the above statement, but, it's those damn technical details...

  • It can be anonymous, but only if you know what you're doing.
  • It is secure and easy to use, but not easy to use securely.
  • It's a fast compared to international wire transfers, but too slow for day-to-day use. (e.g., 10-60 minutes is too long to wait for a burger).
  • It can't be accepted where there is no internet connection, or where people have no clue.

All of these things can and will be fixed; I just feel that it is important to be careful at this early stage, when talking about ways to "let the world know" about bitcoin, not to make it sound better than it is (yet).  It could be quite bad for public confidence if there was for example a wave of adoption followed by a wave of wallet theft due to ignorance...

How about:

"Bitcoin.  You're not ready."
"Bitcoin is a doorway; your mind is the only key."
"It is like a finger pointing at a coin..."
"Bitcoin is awesome but you totally wouldn't get it."

 Wink
20  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Re: Best 1-3 line selling pitch for Bitcoin on: July 07, 2011, 10:47:51 AM
I find that a lot of people don't understand anything about money or where it really comes from. Trying to tell them about decentralization and middlemen is a waste of time! It has to be about the convenience, ease of use, and security!!![/b]

I'm not sure if I agree with this or not Smiley  Certainly, if one uses terms such as "decentralization" and "inflation" and "market cap" etc, most people's eyes will glaze.  If it's presented in a different way, however, maybe it can very much hit home with your average joe.  The section of this song I've quoted below is one example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqxnm6t3QMw

Quote
I pay my mutha uckin' rent fortnightly
Mutha uckas at the bank trying to play me
And I'm out for my account
'Cause out on A.P
On AP
Yeah, you know me
Mutha ucka charge a two buck transaction fee
Makes my payment short
My rent comes back to me
Minus a twenty-five dollar penalty
So you'll see me 'cause of your mutha uckin' fee
Read the words
On my ATM slip, it said
We're all mutha uckas
And we're uckin' with your shi-
Too many mutha uckas
Uckin' with my shi-
My transaction shi-!
There's too many mutha uckas
Uckin' with my shi-
My weekly statement shi-!
My weekly statement shi-!
Too many mutha uckas
Uckin' with my shi-
With my balance shi-!
How many mutha uckas?
Too many to count
Mutha uckas

One further thing though, directed at this topic of conversation in general rather than your post: After reading the threads about TV ads etc, I agree with the comments in there which are along the lines of, 'Bitcoin isn't ready for advertising yet -- until there are serious improvements to security (for stupid), and UI usability (for stupid), there will be chaos if everyone jumps on board right now.  Stolen wallets and all sorts of scamming, resulting in a loss of public confidence.'  I don't want to be a buzzkill, I believe this situation will most certainly change, but we're not there yet...
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