The advantages of OB over eBay would include being able to sell items that are on the eBay prohibited list, and the absence of a listing fee or sales fee.
An analogy might be the classified ads in newspapers, which have almost completely disappeared.
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I would classify it as a soft opening and not a Grand Opening
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It is encouraging that they are open. - only the first step in this process, and the software has some limitations
- Search in OpenBazaar is limited to querying the network for listings tagged with keywords that Vendors have assigned
- OpenBazaar users don’t have their IP addresses obfuscated
- All traffic between OpenBazaar nodes is encrypted, so that others cannot see the details of transactions. This includes an end-to-end encrypted chat. Data is only seen by the parties directly involved in the trade
- working on support for IPv6, Tor, and I2P connections
Tor would be important for me.
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The thread could be cryogenically frozen.
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Great thread!
I have done a few local transactions using the local bitcoins platform. I agree with a lot of what's been said. Just to reinforce or add on to best practices:
1) If I am doing a big transaction in which I have to bring a few k to the meeting, for the first time: I get to know the seller as much as I can thru chat. If the guy (mostly men; met 1 woman) sounds like he is ok, just a bitcoin "enthusiast" (people who want to live under the radar), then I meet.
2) First time meets, I always do during the day.
3) As people have mentioned, I don't recommend wifi. Use mobile tethering if possible. If not possible, just use your phone. If you don't have a phone, which some people don't, localbitcoins has a secret code to ensure that buyers don't get scammed. Once the bitcoins are released, the secret code is revealed to the seller, who then confirms with the buyer.
4) I would suggest to women: bring someone else. As someone mentioned earlier, strength in numbers.
5) If you don't use local bitcoins (because of their 1% fee) make sure to use blockchain.info and wait for at least 1 confirmation. Again, establish a minimum level of trust.
ETC.
Those are very good additions to the best practices (especially the bolded ones). When I started doing local transactions I did not have the ability to tether a laptop from my own phone. Now I do, and it works great. It eliminates the need to connect to a "free" wifi and eliminates that possibility of compromise.
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Micon was removed from the process by Nevada. And I believe that is permanent.
Writing an Android app might not be the "real problem" that needs to be solved. Writing a browser version might not be the "real problem" that needs to be solved. They probably exist, in some form, by now. It appears (from here) to be a bigger issue.
Optimists will imagine that someone is methodically rewriting server code to make this all work well with a few thousand simultaneous players. Pessimists will imagine that this is as good as it will ever get.
The Windows client software is functioning well at Version 1.0.0.24 with 256-bit AES encryption. And withdrawals are reliable.
Meanwhile, there is massive "wringing of hands" and "gnashing of teeth" by players at PokerStars over rake increases and other changes, and SwC does not appear to be in any position to benefit from it at all. No promotion. No targeted incentive for registered Stars players to try SwC for a few days.
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I'm guessing they would need to upgrade their infrastructure to handle a significant influx of new players.
It could be the hardware that cannot handle more players. It could be the server code. Large-scale poker clients and servers are supposed to communicate the game state (and occasionally the lobby, etc.) using some very small and efficient tokens sent over the internet. The internet protocol involves the sending of packets, so lags and other timing aberrations must be gracefully tolerated by the poker system. There could also be bad guys who deliberately delay the game. Either hardware or software could be the reason for the apparent inaction by SwC. If the server code was actually written for Windows! (as the client software is) that might not be very efficient. Other opinions are welcome.
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Good for them, and good for us. We have some significant support there.
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Internet gambling can be an interactive form of entertainment for people who may not want to leave home.
It is more interactive than watching a movie.
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I have used redundant USB flash drives in the past, and they are certainly better than no backup at all, but I now consider redundant paper exports of the private keys to be more robust. Paper documents have been known to survive for hundreds of years. The private keys can be a small part of other documents, and should never be labeled "Bitcoins".
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I have Bitcoin to allow me to play internet poker cost-effectively.
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☑ Never get in a big pot unless you have a big hand
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The signal-to-noise ratio is definitely lower than we would like it to be, but quantity has a quality all its own.
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I use Multibit, but Electrum is also a good choice.
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Depending on your location, it may be beneficial for you to become a buyer and seller of Bitcoins. List yourself on localbitcoins and Craigslist. Display a ball cap, t-shirt, bumper sticker, or button that helps to start the conversation when you want to. Be prepared to patiently answer a lot of questions. Learn how to help people download and install a wallet, and how to close a sale. It is never "Do you want to buy some Bitcoin?" It is more like "How much Bitcoin do you want to start with?" Cultivate a network of contacts. Be reachable. Read the "tips for local transactions" thread at https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=137272.0Be familiar with a "wide range" of goods and services available with Bitcoin, but remain law-abiding.
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Poker ... and everything else is tied for last place.
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You don't really need to bet all your money, and you should not drink until you pass out.
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Play against other humans, not against the house
Learn who you can beat, and who will beat you
Play games where you can have an advantage, not a disadvantage
Play where the rake is low
Play with only a fraction of your bankroll at a time
Don't park your money permanently at a gambling site, maintain control of it
Never gamble with money that you can't afford to lose
Keep records of what happened at every gambling session, be honest with yourself, and learn from your mistakes
Don't play when you are exhausted, sick, or depressed
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It sounds more like he was visiting than living there. "Keep in mind this was on my first night in Hawaii after waking up around 3:00 AM Pacific time to make my flight to HNL"
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