Luck indicates that our concious decisions to take a chance on an unproven technology did not play a role.

There are plenty of people who have heard of Bitcoin that have dismissed it and missed out on this "luck".

reserved

You can "buy" one, yes. But you are not going to get any ROI, because no working BFL ASIC hardware exists.
Avalon does exist and currently running units get an insane ROI.

Avalon should be pricing their subsequent batch units at $5k, since they are proven to be able to deliver. They are selling themselves short on profit otherwise. While they are probably still making assloads of money being an all China based operation, people are willing to pay.

Nothing in your car manual states that you shouldn't plow pedestrians over driving down the street.   Since it's not in the manual it shouldn't be a worry right?

BFL_Josh: Your appointment with Luke-jr should be finalized within the week. I've already discussed the matter with Judy.
Sonny: I take it he was agreeable?
BFL_Josh: He didn't really have a choice.
Sonny:  Has he pre-ordered?
BFL_Josh: Oh yes. Most certainly. When I mentioned we could put him on the priority list for the MiniRig, he was so willing it was almost pathetic.
Sonny:  This delay... the rioting is intensifying to the point where we may not be able to contain it.
BFL_Josh: Why contain it? Let it spill over the dorms and trailers, let the bodies pile up in the basements. In the end they'll beg us to save them.
Sonny:  I've received reports of armed attacks on shipments. There's not enough ASICs to go around, and the underclasses are starting to get desperate.
BFL_Josh: Of course they're desperate; they can smell their insolvency, and the sound they'll make rattling their cages will serve as a warning to the rest.
Sonny:  Mmm. I hope you're not underestimating the problem. Intelligence suggest they're behind the problems in bumping.
BFL_Josh: Bunch of pretentious young kids playing at running the world. But the world left them behind long ago. We are the future.
Sonny:  We have other problems.
BFL_Josh: Avalon?
Sonny:  Formed by 2 dudes in China after the strike on bAsic. I have someone in place though. I'm more concerned about friedcat. He's relocated to BTCGuild.
BFL_Josh: Our FanBox is far in advance of theirs, as is our electronic sentience, and their 'ethical inflexibility' has allowed us to make progress in areas they refuse to consider.
Sonny:  The augmentation project?
BFL_Josh: Among others. But, I must admit, I've been somewhat disappointed with the performance of the primary unit.
Sonny:  The secondary unit should be online soon. It's currently undergoing preparations and should be operational within 4-6 weeks. If necessary, the primary will be terminated.
BFL_Josh: We've had to endure much, you and I, but soon there will be order again. A new age. Satoshi spoke of the mythical city on the hill, soon that city will be real and we will be crowned its kings. Or, better than kings... Gods!

If it has to happen here in Canada, you can be sure that I will empty my bank account and turn ALL my savings to the last cent into bitcoin.
This is pure robbery!

I sometimes feel that the course of events in the near future will be very erratic. As soon as Avalon announces the imminent opening of Batch 3, it feels as if hundreds would rush to move assets into XBT. And once Batch 3 opens, I bet it won't be half an hour before it sells out.

The question is, why? Participating in an ASIC lottery is little better than participating in a regular lottery. Why is there such a rush to queue? Is it for the thrill, is it the gambler's fallacy, is it something else entirely? It almost feels as if Avalon will be the next SatoshiDICE—when measured by how much money people lose, and lose gladly.

This might work out like a turbo for the Bitcoin economy.

Of course this is the case, but what happens if some discovers a weakness that suddenly halves the key length? Suddenly you have a reduction of 2^128 the amount of work done. Cracking a 128-bit key isn't infeasible.

Things are impossible until they're not.

I think you've missed the point of quantum computing (at least the theory anyway)

It is not about brute force decryption and a quantum computer is able to consider multiple instances at the same time.  Liken this to being able to trace backwards the encryption algorithm used to encrypt the data...if every point down the road can be simultaneously compared, the last point that lead to the previous point can be discovered.   IF quantum computing ever becomes a reality even a basic quantum computer able to compare a handful of instances simultaneously would make quick work of any encryption sequence generated by a binary computer.   

Make no doubt about it...if quantum computers become a reality Bitcoin and the security of any computations done on conventional computers will break down in a hurry.

Seeing as SHA1 has already been compromised I expect we'll live to see SHA256 compromised, that if unless you happen to be 80+. It could take 10 years, or 10 minutes but I'm quite convinced I'll live to see it.

Its really sad to keep seeing this question, its like a slave being let out of his cage, dosnt know where to go or what to do.


you have been given the tools of freedom, be creative, why contribute to there fiat money ponzi scheme that is creating hell on earth for many people foreign and domestic?

why not calculate your taxes owed, do some creative magic with bitcoin, take 10% off for you and yours then donate the rest to local charitable projects?

"legal stealing" is an oxymoron.

Regardless, the government can take your property from you legally, and with few restrictions. Furthermore, if they want to take your property and they don't have the authority, then they just pass a law that gives them the authority, and then they take it.

This is why people should withhold as much information from the government as possible. It will use that information against you.

germans [...]... totally retarded.

Someone should document your life and send it to comedy central..