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21  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Wikileaks accepting bitcoin is a big deal on: June 15, 2011, 12:48:09 AM
Wikileaks now accepts bitcoin donations: https://twitter.com/#!/wikileaks/status/80774521350668288

Wikileaks performs a great service for society by making governments and companies more transparent. The fact that anyone can now donate to them without having their payments disabled is a big, big deal. Hopefully more organizations that attack the corrupted status quo will also begin accepting bitcoin donations.

This is good for the acceptance of bitcoin. We often imagine that bitcoin needs to have merchants first, in order for people to have a reason to use bitcoins. But it can work the other way around too. Having lots of people with bitcoins can pressure more merchants into accepting them. With more organizations like Wikileaks accepting bitcoins, this pressure on merchants is increased.
22  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Pitfall using the same block chain data with different wallets on: June 14, 2011, 04:26:46 PM
I use multiple wallet.dat files with the same block chain data. (By "block chain data" I mean all the data in the .bitcoin directory other than the wallet.) Apparently, this method does not work perfectly with the standard client. I tried sending BTC from one wallet to another, by switching the wallet file, and the BTC never showed up in the new wallet. However, it showed up on block explorer, so I knew the transaction was successful. So I deleted the block chain data and downloaded it again, and then the BTC showed up in the new wallet.

Lesson learned: If you use more than one wallet, it appears to be necessary to keep block chain data separately for each wallet, otherwise your transactions might not show up.
23  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / What to do if your computer is compromised on: June 14, 2011, 03:20:56 AM
After reading the disturbing tale of 25,000 stolen BTC ( http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=16457.0 ), I have decided now is the time to make 100% sure my data (including bitcoins) are secure.

So here are my suggestions on how to secure your stuff. I am not security expert, so input is appreciated.

Assume your computer is compromised. Get a new, uncompromised computer with a safe internet connection (where you can be sure no one is changing your unencrypted internet data). On the new computer, create a new encrypted password file using a password manager like KeePass with a long, complicated password. This is the only password, besides the user password to your computer, that you will have to memorize. In your password manager, create new, unique, complicated passwords for every single account you have. Do not bother memorizing any of these passwords... that is what the password manager is for.

Next, assume all data stored on disk will eventually be compromised by someone. Thus, use tools like encfs or truecrypt to encrypt all data on disk. For each encrypted volume, use a different password, saved in your password manager.

For bitcoins, transfer all bitcoins out of your old wallets into new wallets. Otherwise, the money can be stolen at any time if someone has the old unencrypted wallets. Make sure the new wallets are never written to disk unencrypted; they should only ever existed on disk in encrypted form.

If you have private/public key pairs, you will need new ones.

Only place encrypted data into data storage tools like Dropbox, wuala, or tarsnap. Personally, I wouldn't ever trust a data storage service that they encrypt your data. Assume your data is compromised, and encrypt it before using their services.

You have no choice but to assume your computer is not compromised during daily use, or your passwords, and thus all your data, will be stolen. If you ever suspect that your computer has been compromised, then follow the procedure listed here. Change all passwords, rencrypted all data, and create new data (bitcoin wallets and private keys) if necessary.
24  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / Bitcoin will never succeed because [insert problem that can & will be fixed] on: June 02, 2011, 08:34:03 PM
This is one of the common criticisms of bitcoin I encounter. "Bitcoin will not succeed, because X," where X is a symptom of the fact that bitcoin is new, and thus will be fixed in time.

e.g.,
* Bitcoin will not succeed because it is driven primarily by speculation.
* Bitcoin will not succeed because the client is hard to use.
* Bitcoin will not succeed because it requires technical knowledge to use.
* Bitcoin will not succeed because there aren't very many bitcoin businesses.

The criticism is flawed, because it is simply the nature of any new thing to have incompleteness and rough edges. In time, these problems will vanish.
25  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / The Bitcoin Diet on: June 02, 2011, 07:18:33 PM
Since I discovered bitcoin three weeks ago and became obsessed with it, I have been skipping lots of meals by forgetting to eat, and have lost 5lbs. I propose we call this the "bitcoin diet."
26  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / bitcoin t-shirts on: May 30, 2011, 08:08:56 PM





27  Bitcoin / Bitcoin Discussion / The CIA made a statement about bitcoin today on: May 28, 2011, 11:53:56 PM
"We were going to hack the network, but then we realized it was more profitable to mine." -The CIA
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