I'll also recommend 99designs.com. I've been through the design process multiple times with different projects and various (talented) designers as well, finally arriving at 99designs.com. It's no comparison.

One designer may be talented, but just not have the best style for a particular project. With 99designs if you set a good award you'll receive designs from numerous talented designers. As you leave comments about designs you like all the other designers see it and start tailoring their work to that, not outright copying but putting their own ideas out.

If you have a favorite/preferred designer you can also invite them to participate in the contest. The difference between design work and programming is you can get quality production (and changes) super fast. As long as you have a good award price top designers will not mind going for it.

+2

Also, consider adding the tag line "Avoid PayPal fees!" as PayPal Business and Premier accounts are charged fees for regular Chipin as well as debit/credit card use, sending from outside U.S. etc.

This can go a looooong way toward expanding Bitcoin awareness  

Why so? I think there is a growing separation of classes of people, and some might love the chance to jump into a new economy.

Keep in mind Stockton, California, 84 miles from San Francisco, just became the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy.

That's not what I call completely low tech as the person I'm paying needs a smartphone or similar.

Now, handing over a Casascius physical bitcoin which only needed to be looked at to verify the intact hologram is the same level of tech as looking at current fiat bills. Super low tech would be something like that but hopefully more cost effective, without much markup.

No, but I shouldn't have to. There are loads of people around me. There are also unemployed people around me. I have money and want to spend it on things as mentioned. I'm sure there are people willing to provide such things, they just don't know what bitcoins are or that I (and possibly many others) want to give them bitcoins for different things.

In other words, some large cities already have a good supply of bitcoiners I'm estimating (and growing), so if local goods and services could be promoted a possible economy could begin to coalesce.

Well, they can't regulate it either. That's one of the key strengths of bitcoin is the lack of permission needed to use it.

Okay, so I've posted before about how bitcoin would really take off if used in a localized economy. The current economy is too disjointed to produce synergy and growth which feeds upon itself. Sure you can convert bitcoins to Amazon.com with spendbitcoins.com, or buy web related services, or other gadgets and gizmos but these are likely one-off purchases which lack continuity.

I finally got around to looking in on SilkRoad. Now that's an actual small bitcoin economy. Regardless of my feelings toward drugs it was impressive to see walls of products listed with BTC. Not a $ in sight.

So this post is a bit of a rant, and tossing the idea out, along with a request for service possibly added in. [rant]

I just bought some chocolate chip cookies from the supermarket, chewy chip's ahoy. This is probably my 5th bag in a few weeks. Aside from being addicted to such cookies I have problems with this purchase. First, the price $3.29 with club member saving is ridiculous. But that's no worse than the $1.20 7-eleven charges me for a regular size snickers candy bar. Inflation is pretty apparent nowadays regardless what the govt. says. Second is all the crap I'm sure that's added in with the cookies so that they stay perfect for weeks during transit and then on a store shelf.

The same thing goes for bread. Pricing is not so bad (yet) but I'm not happy eating additives I can hardly pronounce. Bread and cookies are a recurring purchase for me and I would love to buy them homemade locally for bitcoins. (bread is a staple for many people)

Another thing: the other (hot!) day I was squeegy-ing my car windows at the gas station. They were really dirty and afterward I said "phew!" Quite a little job. I would love to have paid some labor seeking person instead for the job. I could just use my phone to SMS coinapult them over the payment to an email address.

These are low tech goods and services I would happily pay for not to support bitcoins, but because I need/want them! Almost anyone could become "employed" in bitcoins by serving enough local clients. Add in the ability to pay with bitcoins at direct to farm vendors such as at localharvest.org and suddenly a person could actually begin supporting themselves without the dollar based economy.

So the idea I'm sort of tossing out is a website focused on identifying local bitcoin goods and services, things like baked goods, car washes, haircuts etc. The cash exchange site localbitcoins.com shows there are definitely bitcoiners around me, even if sporadically. I think any major metropolitan area would have a shot at the beginnings of an economy coalescing.  [/rant]




(vendors accepted bitcoins at PorcFest)

Governments can't stop Bitcoin because they will just be routed around. The only way to control Bitcoin is regulate/control all electronic communication between people. Good luck keeping that working.

It's up to you, but I also do advise people to follow their passion. If it's something your passionate about then do it. If something you're passionate about involves bitcoin definitely do it, you may even make money from it.

Don't forget bitcoiners are probably inclined to support such endeavors.

That would just show people the ones released were redeemable. If someone was running a scam of course they would make the trap look like it wasn't a trap

The value of every single bill (or whatever) could not be questioned, otherwise people wouldn't accept the value of it, which is a key requirement for something being money. I think the best way to do it is like Casascius and attach a verifiable identity to the addresses used - someone to hold accountable.

Of course the challenge of any physical version is convincing people the manufacturer destroyed the private keys and can't use them. I think Casascius physical bitcoins handle that well.

Other than that the only real version of physical bitcoins would need to be electronic enabled somehow like the bitcoincard.

You know I thought about this earlier... perhaps going back to the community in North Carolina that was using the Liberty Dollar. They got shut down when the feds raided Liberty Dollar, but that couldn't happen with bitcoins of course...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1zf2ymYRwc&feature=related

Maybe we should reach out to Kevin Innes.

I doubt it. Unless the investment advisors are under age 27.


It needs two things. Understanding, and proven track record. The track record is being established, but the understanding will come too late for it to be considered by the mainstream.


I don't think any bitcoiners would either. Personally I'd highly recommend having some silver and gold too.


It would to us, but it would be a forward thinking investment advisor indeed that would also feel that way.


I agree about the insanely high return part, but I view the risk as moderate to high with it favoring the moderate side more with every passing day.


That won't happen.


No value wouldn't erode, it would increase.


People will do that, but it won't be because bitcoin is adopted by the mainstream from people beginning to "get it". It will be because it will be one of the de facto replacements for fiat currency in the not too distant future.

It's not a competitor to Bitcoin because it's not a currency. All it does is enhance the usability of existing fiat currency.

Bitcoin improves (at least) two distinct problems:

1. Inflation - Bitcoin eliminates this purchasing power robbing phenomenon virtually all fiat currency is destined to experience

2. Maximum Transaction Flexibility - Bitcoin allows people to issue payments themselves without a middleman or gatekeeper. This significantly opens up the range of who they can pay, when, how, how much, and at what cost.

Zunguz.com is advancing the existing paradigm of fiat currency, which unfortunately is now in its death throes. It's a good idea and the next logical step in money transfer, but it's betting on the wrong horse.

It's not a Bitcoin competitor at all, but it is a certain PayPal killer.

I misunderstood your original quote

You said Faraday cages only work if they are self powered, and I took that literally, as in the Faraday cage had to be self powered. But you were talking about computers running bitcoin

I meant why would civilization end if only eletronic/magnetic affected devices were destroyed?

But your statement doesn't seem accurate either. A faraday cage appears to work based on conductive material.

From your wikipedia link:

Why would you think that? AFAIK there would only be an affect on electronic/magnetic sensitive devices.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_flare#Hazards

Yes, I agree accepting Bitcoin is a great idea and can help the bottom line of any existing business.

But the OP asked about becoming a Bitcoin entrepreneur, which I take to mean the business will primarily accept Bitcoin.

Nice site BTW 

+1

I'm speechless. This is huge.