That was a really helpful post as I experienced this problem today when attempting to send out some BTC. The strange thing was on my first attempt the funds actually arrived, but didn't show up on my transaction history - and other attempts to send failed, as per above comments. Changing the server fixed the problem - so thanks!

Well, I've been interested in any form of private digital money since 1998 - back when e-gold first got started. It's been a rocky road though!

What fascinates me about Bitcoin (apart from losing a bunch of it via a hacked service) is that is is totally decentralized - no authority, no central back, no politics.

I can see how there are a lot of teething problems - scams, hacking and the like - and I wouldn't be surprised of some of this was coordinated by the "powers-that-be", in an attempt to thwart the emergence of private digital currency.

Meanwhile I'm enjoying reading the posts, and will soon set up a way to accept Bitcoins for my own online information service - on international living, and the use of offshore structures to step out from under the statist thumb as far as possible.