Sapnu you said  " keep on exploring the forum but be careful with the information, not all are reliable and valid here."

This is so true, and also the more I explore for answers the more confused I am many times. Some info is flat out contradictory.

Can you tell me where to ask questions to basic questions? Like can I put my BTC in my ledger wallet without the private keys?

I am trying to do all recommendations and I see "if you don't have the keys, you don't own the bitcoin"

Also don't keep your BTC on exchanges.

I'm not sure how to get the private keys from exchanges (even read coinbase will not give them out) but now having the keys seems less important than getting my BTC off the exchanges.

I have BTC on 4 exchanges so can I put just one of the addresses in my ledger wallet and send all of it from each exchange to that one address?

     Or do I have to put addresses from all 4 exchanges in the wallet and then make sure I send the BTC from each exchange to the correct corresponding address? I guess that makes more sense because I am assuming I would need to send it back to the correct exchange if I want to cash out or trade.
Not sure how to do that yet but I just have to learn as I go and worry about that when I get that far!

Biggest issue Where can I ask questions and get a clear concise unconfusing and non-contradictory answer?

Thanks

Thanks  Pmalek

I have been doing more research and I sure appreciate your detailed and clear response.

I think what happened with the words I had to rearrange was in the setup of coinbase wallet. I was given a list of words which I wrote down then later I was taken to a screen where the words were written in a grid pattern and I was instructed to click and drag them into a list in the correct order.

I have not used the coinbase wallet. It seems to me insecure to have a wallet online if the seed phrase is given to me by coinbase.

Or maybe (actually what it seemed at the time) it was just a complex way of logging in, maybe other coinbase users can verify this.

I study a couple hours a day, and a lot of things I have a better understanding of.

I have a ledger wallet and frequently see advise to not keep BTC on exchanges but since I am uncertain how to use it correctly I have BTC on 4 exchanges to hopefully at least not have it all in one place.

Pmalek your answers have been awesome! By being very clear and concise. So much of what I read here and everywhere is just very confusing to beginner.

I did figure out to send BTC from coinbase to Kucoin so can I use only that Kucoin address in my ledger? Can I send all of my BTC to that address then after putting it in my ledger? Or do I need to get a sending address from each of the exchanges? I mean like sending BTC to each address after putting all four addresses in my wallet.

Conflicting info I get on private keys (is same as private address??) I have read the private keys go to the BTC or do they go to the wallet?
        I see all the time
"if you don't have the keys you don't own the bitcoin"
                      Then I saw coinbase won't give me my private keys, hence my confusion about the 12 words they gave me!! I thought maybe those were my priv keys but I just don't know. Why give the phrase and then tell me I can't get the keys? Now I'm leaning more to thinking the words is just lengthy password.

I will have to keep researching I guess. I don't understand how to put the BTC from the 4 exchangesin to my ledger if they don't give me the private keys.

I just realized I have seriously deviated from the title "unpopular opinions" Please someone let me know if I shouldn't be just replying here and should ask somewhere else.

Thanks!

Yes so would I but also need direction to more clarification of addresses.

Simple please.

I have spent several hours a day for 3 weeks to understand how bitcoin works and always get confusing and even contradictory info.

It is aggravating to keep hearing that it is easy, but the computer geeks do not understand that it is not easy for average people with no computer experience or tech know-how.

I finally got an account at Coinbase and even transferred BTC to Bittrex by following step by step (x20) instructions but I really don't know HOW I did it!
They say address but I think I have a private address and a public address and a private key?

Which is which? I know I should keep my private key (or is it keys) hidden but I'm not sure which set of numbers that is

If nobody can answer these questions, should I ask them separately? Or is there a straightforward explanation somewhere?
     I can't find a clear answer
I am supposed to put this in my Ledger wallet I think BUT:

I'm so scared of doing anything with my Bitcoin on my 2 accounts because I keep seeing
           "make sure this is the right number or your money will be lost"
AS in LOST FOREVER

Yes I think newbies many times actually do understand that but since it is so complicated they just choose not to get involved.

Most people just give up and I don't believe will pursue as much as I have,

It took me hours of research to finally make my small purchase of bitcoin and even managed to send some to another website.

I was careful to write down the dozen or so numbers and the word phrases and keep them secret as recommended, but I am scared to death now to do any more since I can't figure out which numbers are what!

So even if newbies understand to protect our money, we don't know how.

At least with my bank and credit cards I don't fear sending my money off into oblivion, never to be found.

Thank You NotFuzzyWarm
Especially for not just ridiculing me for my lack of understanding, as I have spent hours and days reading and researching.
I am just horribly confused.
Your info is very helpful, and I just need to keep learning I guess.

I still can't figure out what my private keys are exactly so I am fearful of doing anything at all because I may accidentally give them out.

As a side note I am amazed how people who think Bitcoin will become the currency of the future cannot see the obvious reason it will not.
Because it is so complicated to use, but more importantly, the complexity it creates causes real fear of losing everything with one wrong click.
The fear is the reason.

oops I'm sorry I guess I misunderstood the initial question.

I thought it referred to beginners with bitcoin. Maybe it is beginners with the forum

The biggest issue with the forum is I can't find simple answers to simple questions without being contradictory.

Example:
#1) I bought bitcoin on coinbase. Where are they?
answer: they don't actually exist, they are just numbers.

#2) how do I keep my bitcoin safe?
answer: put "them" in a wallet (contradicts #1 answer)

#3) Am I supposed to keep my private key secret?
answer: usually yes

Why then is there a post on this website asking newbies to sign their posts with their private key?
Is it a scam post to scam newbies?
unanswered

TIME
ACTUAL USE TOO COMPLICATED
FEAR OF LOSING MONEY, ESPECIALLY CHANCE OF EVERYTHING GONE IN ONE CLICK

It takes too long to do a transaction. people get impatient when the card reader takes more than 10-20 seconds, do you really expect them to wait 10 minutes to buy a candy bar.

Also the complexity of using it. I am below average with computers (but 50% of us are) so if it is too complicated for average users obviously it can't be number one.

Fear of losing one's money is probably the number one reason people won't accept it. Due to it's complexity.

WHILE IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THE QUESTIONS BELOW ANSWERED OR AT LEAST DIRECTED TO WHERE I CAN ASK THEM
     i REALLY AM JUST TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT I MEAN BY THE COMPLEXITY AND CONFUSION

I don't mean fear as an investment, I mean simply losing the numbers or sending them the wrong place or losing the "wallet" or hacking.

Complexity in using I don't mean the complex blockchain of how it works, but just the simple mechanics of how to use it are complex.

I compare to using a credit card with chip reader. The chip technology is obviously complex, but average people can understand the simple mechanics of inserting the card without understanding "how" it actually works.

Can I use bitcoin with out understanding "how" it works? I would think so, but it is not as easy as inserting a card.

I managed to buy bitcoin on coinbase and make a transfer to bittrex following step by step (x about 30 steps) intSructions on youtube.

Now I think I am supposed to have a wallet (or maybe not I read some places) but why does coinbase have "wallet" in the name?

I think I am supposed to have a private address and a public address but which numbers are they?

Then there are places to put just "address" --which one? or is this a 3rd address consisting of a combination of the other 2?

I think I am supposed to have a private key. Is that one of the numbers? That is what I read on google.

They gave me 12 word code. Is that my "secret" key? Hardly a secret since I had to rearrange the words in order to send the bitcoin to bittrex so obviously coinbase has it.

I am below average on crpto but probably in top percentage of average actual research of the actual mechanics of this. Most people do not spend literally hours a day for 3 weeks as I have and this is where I'm at.
 
So now I am scared to do anything because if I put the wrong numbers somewhere I am cautioned that my money will be lost.

This is the fear of losing money that 99.9% of people have

PROBABLY GET BANNED FOR THIS LONG POST BUT I AM AT MY WITS END TO FIGURE OUT BASICS  HELP!!!
The biggest issue is that bitcoin and the whole crypto world is just too confusing for regular average people.
There is all this prediction that it will be the currency of the future but is just way too complicated. Also too time consuming.
People get impatient when they wait 20 seconds for the card reader at the store! Do you really think they are going to wait MINIMUM 10 minutes for a bitcoin transaction?
I have spent hours per day for 3 weeks and have a fair but very low understanding of crypto currency.
I feel like I need a degree in computer science though just to start to use it!
Most people on these sites seem to think everyone is on their level but I am a carpenter and I don't use a computer much.
Okay I am below average with computer skills but if everyone wants 100% participation in crypto for the future you need to see that 50% of the population is "below average"

Where can i find info on how to actually do all of this?

Please don't tell me to just google it because I have, and I get confusing and contradictory answers.
The thing that is probably holding millions of people back is the fear of losing their money.
Google fear of losing money on bitcoin and all the answers are about risk management, investment strategy, etc.
I am talking about the massive complexity of just a transfer, sending my bitcoin into space.
I managed somehow to buy bitcoin on coinbase and thought I had a wallet there but managed to send some to Bittrex but to do it again I don't think I can figure it out as I am literally terrified of using the wrong number.
I was given a 12 word code which appears to most people as just a massive heard attempt at making it easy for people to "lose" their bitcoins but obviously the exchange wallet still has them.
I think I am supposed to have a public address and a private address but there are palces to put just "address"
Is this my public address or private address and I don't even know which is which
and where is my private key? Is it the 12 words? Hardly a secret since coinbase had me enter them to make the transfer to bittrex.
And further contradictions are that my key is supposed to be my own secret key but there is even a post on here where they say to sign the post with my private key. Doesn't even make sense.

I'm sorry this is probably too many questions and I just don't know where to ask them.