Wow, that is actually a good answer. If someone can say "the technical implementation of the official client is not ready" it means they've really done their homework.

Yup, all it would take is a little fee.

Do you really need a lesson in the differences between a Parliamentary monarchy and a republic? Harper won a majority government with a ridiculous MINORITY of the votes. Oh, and go ask Canadian conservatives if they want to do away with health care, deregulate and invade foreign countries, the way neo-cons do? They'll look at you like you have two heads.

Do you have two heads? 

Heh, in a weird way, it's a vote of confidence in Bitcoin. The trolls yell SELL SELL SELL, because they want more BTC. If they wanted more dollars, they'd be yelling BUY BUY BUY.

Actually, people aren't buying bitcoins because they're not particularly easy to buy. If you're a regular Joe who just heard about Bitcoin and thinks it's an idea with some merit, think of what you have to do in order to just get your hands on 100 BTC.

That's one of the reasons I am so keen on the idea of a Bitcoin ATM. Now, if someone could just come up with one... 

Actually, and this is why we need a higher discussion on a more philosophical level, you are about as dead wrong as one could be. Artistic movements are by definition decentralised, and it is in our nature as humans to embrace them. Whenever some misguided attempt has been made at "centralising" art and giving it direction, it has failed miserably.

Is Bitcoin art? hmmm... In some ways, yes, I guess.

The US will never invade Canada. They wouldn't want another 40 million Democrats! 

And yet, somehow, even with the low prices we have right now, miners are mining... lots of them. It's probably because the term "mining" is a bit misguided. Think of them as the "high priests and priestesses of the network". 

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on this one, but let me just say that without Hitler I would not have been born. It still doesn't make him a good idea. 

Heh... Hugo, tenle paciencia.

Yes, Anth0n, it's unrealistic if your goal is to come up with a clone of gold, or platinum, or diamonds. But that wasn't the goal with Bitcoin. Rather, it was to make both the total supply and the way in which we'll reach it both open and predictable. This has its advantages too.

About the only new block chain and cryptocurrency I can foresee any success for in the future, other than Bitcoin, will be an inflationary one backed by BTC. This will serve the dual purpose of having a decentralised currency with a predictable inflation rate - therefore putting to rest the "deflationary spiral" arguments - and a chance at becoming really popular because, being backed by Bitcoin, it won't be seen as competing against it.

Can't speak to the Liberty Reserve issue, as I don't really use LR anymore. But the practice of hiding offers in whole or in part is, I'm afraid, pretty well established in trading circles. Again, I personally don't really like it all that much. But then again, so many people put up fake offers and walls anyhow as to make any attempt at reading market depth pretty baseless. But hiding part of an offer is a service that some might think has value, and as such there will be those willing to offer it.

In the end, though, I suspect things tend to even themselves out. The problem with the BTC market right now is that, in terms of fiat currencies, it's trivially simple to manipulate. Anyone with 150,000 dollars/euros/pounds can pretty much do with the Bitcoin market as they please.

Under all that, however, the Bitcoin world continues to churn, the idea becomes better known every day, and slowly but surely (and especially after early 2013 when the payout drops from 50 coins to 25), the BTC value will rise. As it does, it will become progressively more difficult for anyone to manipulate the market.

Until then, though, keep posting notes on that refrigerator door... it's going to get pretty crowded there soon!

Un saludo.

Yes, and we as a community should therefore put this entire thing to rest... the sooner, the better.

Yes, and while transparency is highly desirable for some, and under some circumstances, it simply isn't for others. Someone out there may not want to know there's such a huge pressure at 7.00 until he or she is ready to push forwards.

Some exchanges do not keep anything hidden, Mt. Gox does. There is no presumption of transparency (nor a right to it), unfortunately for some, fortunately for others.

If someone wants to keep it really hidden, they can put a note in the forums saying "I want to buy 10,000 BTC and will meet you at the nearest Starbucks... bring your big bucks" 

I think when the order executes, then it becomes public, but the point is that a portion of the order is kept hidden up until it executes.

But I might be wrong. 

I was being funny, btw, I know Maria isn't Bruce because Maria speaks Spanish and Bruce doesn't.

Part of me feels bad for Maria. Perhaps she's serious and wanted to be nice.

But a little part of me thinks Maria might actually be Bruce 

I really have to stop coming here so much, it's playing with my mind.

Ack, the old argument about the Soviet Union and North Korea being atheist.

Are you truly suggesting that the failings of communism had to do with their insistence on open and free enquiry? Is that what was wrong with communism? Is the real problem in North Korea that there are too many opinions being voiced, and that nothing is taken as an article of faith, or on the authority of the "dear leader".

The Soviet and North Korean versions of communism (as well as quite a few others, if not all) are essentially religious systems. In the case of the Soviet Union they did not believe in a supernatural deity, but they sure as hell believed in a long litany of natural ones... you'd typically find them leading he Communist Party.

The North Koreans don't even presume to do away with a supernatural deity. It's called Kim Il Sung. He's been dead for ages, yet he's still the official leader of the country. He has a son, who also has a son... it is, in fact, a Holy Trinity! As Christopher Hitchens so eloquently put it: At least you can fucking die and leave North Korea!

Every other aspect of how those communist systems were and are run is a carbon copy of the most established religions. Their hierarchical nature. Their obedience to the edicts of the "authority". Most importantly, their suppression of free enquiry and open discussion of ideas.

You want to find the counterpart to a theocracy? Don't look for it in the communism of the Soviet Union, North Korea or even Cuba. Go to Sweden instead.

Or... Maria is really, really smart, and wants to sell Bitcoins high. So she makes the original post, which is so childish no one will believe it. Bitcoin users are initially sceptical, but on reading the forum post by The Duke, realise this could well be a double psych, and start to BUY, not SELL.

Hope you have a really big, refrigerator, Maria, because it's turtles all the way down!

Agreed, that's a bit of a waste, but if that's what makes you sad, in the grand scheme of the depths of putrefaction this forum has been flirting with lately... well, you've either been asleep or away