Oh ok, I got it now.  Apparently I had to restart ixcoin.exe after I made the changes to the ixcoin.conf file.  So now I have 3 DOS windows with Phoenix miner going.  How do I know when I find a block?  I've never solo mined before.  I only see one "Accepted" out of all 3 windows.  I'm seeing one line of activity in ixcoin.exe client.  Something about XX Confirmations, Generated 96.00 matures in 81 more blocks or something along that line.  Not sure what this means.

Ok, do I have to run ixcoin.exe first before I start Phoenix?

Ok I'll give this one last try, thanks!

Meh, I've tried getting this thing to work and can't.  I'm going back to Bitcoins.

Here's what I'm trying... From the command line:

phoenix.exe -u http://username:password@localhost:8338 PLATFORM=0 DEVICE=2 BFI_INT VECTORS FASTLOOP=FALSE AGGRESSION=11 WORKSIZE=256 -k phatk

I've tried 8337 as well, but it doesn't appear to do anything different.  What pre-requisites need to be fulfilled before I run that Phoenix miner?  I think I'm missing a step, no?

How'd you do this?

Thanks.  So you're saying I should rename ixcoin.exe to bitcoin.exe in \Program Files (x86)\Ixcoin (or wherever the ixcoin.exe is located)?  I tried that and specified that location when GUIminer->Solo Utilities->Set Bitcoin client path.  I then do Solo Utilities->Launch Bitcoin client as server and then attempt to start my solo profile (localhost, username/password, 8337 or 8338 -- can't seem to get either to work), and the console just sits there at:

2011-08-10 20:09:29: Listener for "IxcoinPHX": [10/08/2011 20:09:29] Phoenix 1.50 starting...

I can't get it to work.  I'm using GUIminer and simply copied over my bitcoin.conf file then renamed it to ixcoin.conf, which contains:

rpcuser=username
rpcpassword=password
server=1
rpcport=8338

But when I start the solo miner in GUIminer I see this in the console:

2011-08-10 19:46:47: Listener for "IxcoinPHX" started
2011-08-10 19:46:49: Listener for "IxcoinPHX": [10/08/2011 19:46:49] Phoenix 1.50 starting...

I've tried 8337 as well in both the .conf file and in GUIminer.  What gives?

Why would you be jealous?  Back then Bitcoins were going for less than a half a cent each.  It was nowhere near as profitable back then as it is now.  Even at a "diminished" exchange rate of $6 per Bitcoin, mining is still WAY more profitable now than it was back then.  Remember, when you talk about mining profitability you have to assume current exchange rates, not exchange rates in the future.

A few Q's:

1. What vendors accept Ixcoins?
2. What is being done to build/strengthen trade infrastructure with Ixcoins?
3. What is being done to ensure secure transactions between merchant/customer?

Ah, mine says "Manage" instead of "Leave".  I had to randomly type in parameters and discovered the /leave option lol

I'm still running 11.5 w/no problems.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Hey can somebody who joined a team (as opposed to created one) try going to your team page and adding /leave to the URL?  I think that allows you to leave your current team, so long as you're not the one who created it. 

What's up with all the invalid blocks lately?  I've seen like 3 in the past 24hrs.  Good thing we still get paid on them though

I'm not even thinking about exchange rates, or at the very best, it's on the back burner so to speak.  I'm more excited about the prospect of Bitcoin becoming accepted by mainstream merchants.  Hopefully we'll see new products and technologies that can help merchants adapt the BTC as a viable currency without the hassle and fear that has been associated with transactions up to now.  We desperately need an escrow/Paypal-like service to make this happen though, and whoever steps up to the plate will probably make bank off it.  I'm anxious to know who is going to first to market with such a service!

Exchange rates are neat to look at, but it's a tertiary aspect of Bitcoin IMHO.

Not to be nit picky, but you're talking about Bitcoin exchanges, not Bitcoin itself.  But to answer your question, I think we'll settle on a fairly stable rate of around $8 more or less, and we'll see slow organic growth from here on out that continues the curve we saw in May before everything went ape shit.

Do you have to put in "http://"?

Still have these cards?

MtGox.  TradeHill is alright, but there's just not enough volume to support larger trades in a timely fashion.  Plus they don't support Dwolla.

Probably end of May 2011, right when the $ value of the BTC started to ramp up all stupid-like.  I know a lot of people will say 2009 or early 2010, but those periods, while you could mine hundreds of Bitcoins per day on a Core2Duo, weren't nearly as profitable as they are today even with the recent diminished exchange rate.