very helpful, thanks.

This was a really great thread for a newbie like myself.  Thanks for posting.  I obviously need to do some more investigating regarding bitcoin security. 

I'm from New Orleans.  I'm fairly new to bitcoins and using MtGox.  I need to get some funds into MtGox faster than what my bank will do for me.  The 3 or more day wait sux.  Anyhow, I need 300 MtGox USD and can trade through paypal.  I want to post this info in the forum where all that is done, so posting here to meet my quota while I wait to see if I'm cleared through the whitelist forum.

Hi, I'm brand new to the forum.  28 minutes logged time.    I need MtGox USDs, $300 to be exact.  So, I wanted to post in the forum that is linked from MtGox.com and ask for a trade using paypal.  Anyways, freedom to post would be much appreciated. 

Thanks for making the forum available.  I'm brand new to bitcoins but need to get some into mtgox as soon as possible.  Guess I'm going to start reading some threads to figure out how to get them and who to trust.