Ah fuck it, I'll take a stab at this

1) Problem was really "discovered" apparently three years ago, and is not actually a problem. The people who wrote that recent paper made some glaring mistakes and assumptions regarding mining and the bitcoin economy, not the least of which is that the network doesn't care when you mined a block, just when it was broadcast. Being selfish and holding a block while mining the next one has a huge risk that someone else will mine a block and push it out to the network before you push your own out, making your block worthless. In short, #1 is not an issue.

2) Similar to #1, since this attack is costly to perform, and is extremely risky. Plus 0.9 may address it in part, since it will be the merchant that will be receiving, checking, and broadcasting transactions.

3) Its not the same as being owned by the government, because miners will still not have control over the currency. Only over transactions. And as long as two pools are competing for fees and mining revenue, they will continue to process as many transactions as they can. Also, the world is large. Instead of one government, you Han have many mining corps all around the world. Even the wealthiest corporation in the world, Exxon, still has tons of competition.
As for the ballooning blockchain, that will get pruned long before that becomes a problem.

4) Then I guess there is no fix, until bitcoin comes out with a fix.

5) Money is not valuable because you can print it at home, money is valuable because it is useful for transaction and commerce. Apt coins are mostly a waste of time and resources. Just because lots of people mine them will not automatically mean that they will be used in trade.
During the MtGox hack in the summer of 2011, it was revealed that there were over 65,000 MtGox users. That number very likely doubled or tripled by the summer of 2012. By January of 2013, MtGox was adding 25,000 new users every month, and my March/April that number was 50,000 every month.Services like instawallet boasted of having over 1.5 million accounts, and Blockchain alone recently said they had over 300,000 (which I found surprisingly low). And now we also have China, which surpassed even MtGox, and may have possibly doubled the number of bitcoin users around the world (though I suspect it may account for 1\3 of new users). Either way, your 350,000 number is extremely wrong, and was likely surpassed over a year ago, before we had Cyprus, Silk Road news, and China. (My personal guess on total number of bitcoin users is 2mil to 3mil users)

Bitcoin is much less vulnerable to competition than eBay is.

I would be most  comfortable with 0.0000001 and anything above that. The amount doesn't matter as much as a show of commitment.

The Diamond Age has the best guess at how this could be done (and if we aim for it, how it will be done), which is through phyles. People will organize themselves into culturally similar groups, and as groups, families and all, will compete against other groups. This also means making sure their children are the best educated, so that they can outperform their competitors, in both skills and status.

FIFY

Man, if simply meeting with the government regulators is going to totally kill bitcoin, I'm out. Anyone want my 10BTC? It obviously has no chance to stand up to any government, and will be worthless in... What, one or two weeks?

Excellent, THANK YOU! (sent a tip for your help with this 0.003)

I would like to attend this meeting, even if I have to sit quietly in the back. Is there information on how I might be able to do that? I,d also like to help any way I can (I'm near DC)

I have used ad hominem attacks against you before, but thi post was not one. It was my observation, as how I believe things are. There was no logic or arguments, and no points to make. You are who you are, and that is all I was stating. If the idea of subjugating humans under the control of an all powerful AI disturbs you, perhaps you should rethink what it is you are advocating for.
I do not fear technology. I embrace it. I would gladly be the first to enhance myself with technology, whether it's cybernetics or biotech. And I likewise advocate the use of science and technology, but the difference is that I also advocate for people being free to explore that technology, and make their own choice as to which they believe will benefit them best. You, on the other hand, advocate for a rigid one-size-fits-all technological decision that will be made on behalf of everyone, and force everyone to comply. Money, bitcoin, is itself a technology, which, like all tools, is up to people to choose whether and how to use. I think Bitcoin, the technology, will change the world for the better in ways we can't yet even imagine. You believe it is "arbitrary and crippling. ... A system that, under closer examination, is no longer useful and is in fact detrimental to humanity and the environment that sustains us." You think all trade, mutual exchange, feeling greatful to someone for their deed or help, is an "unnatural brainwashing" that must be wiped away. Right now you are proposing it be done with education, teaching people that you shouldn't feel like you owe someone because they did something for you, that everyone should be free to take whatever they want. How long until your words falling on deaf ears makes you frustrated enough that you decide to do this not with education, but with coersion?

He is not a transhumanist. Transhumanists don't go so far as to completely reject the basis of human needs and instincts. He is a techno-communist, aiming to transform and subjugate human society and politics. Transhumanists wish to incorporate technology into humans, and thus make humans use technology as a tool, or a stepping stone, to make ourselves better. He wants to subjugate humans under machines, and make humans the machine's tools or personal toys, toiling under the all-powerful control of some ai. As a transhumanist, I'm a bit offended you would compare us like that.

Spaghetti monster, godamnit! Dank, fuck off. You are but a sauce stain on the corner of the mouth of a fat greasy mobster compared to his holy noddleness! No one gives a shit about your flying, when compared to the awesome flying powers of he of great meatballs.

Why? Will that help you make a decision? She never brought that up as an issue to be considered in her campaign. Her opponent did.

It may be a stall tactic, but someone who keeps claiming they are god can't be anything but vain. He thinks he is so grand, that he literally has no care or concern for others, and thinks they can just wait on him if he wants them to. What's worse is that he doesn't even see that himself, as he comes up with excuses about how maybe those whom he wronged might not need restitution now, or that maybe he even did them a "favor." Some "love." If dank really had any love, least of all "unconditional" one, he would be doing everything in his power to help others, starting with those whom he personally harmed himself. But instead all he does is crow about how he loves everyone, and expects people to revere and worship him for those empty words, while even refusing to show a tiny deed to demonstrate that claim. He won't even do as simple of a gesture as pay back a tiny amount, because that might interfere with his delusion of his self-grandure and importance. Jesus didn't walk around telling everyone he loved them, he washed their feet, healed their sick, fed their hungry, and walked around and felt and experienced their pain. Dank just sits in his position of safety ahd comfort, and slings empty meaningless words, thinking they have some power or meaning, not realizing they are worthless to everyone but himself. The only reason dank would bother paying anything back is just "to show others" how great and godly he is, not because it's the right and decent thing to do. He's basically a greedy, pompous, self-important asshole, who only shows off and brags about his own greatness, no better than the fat, gold-robe wearing filth that inhabits the pulpits of the church.

And now this thread is forever proof of that. Thank you dank for showing us all the truth about your true self.

What do we say to the god of $1,000 bitcoin?

Not today.

By the way, I think "I don't want to give him very little, I want to give him a large first payment" is EXTREMELY arrogant  and conceited. You are basically saying, "I don't want him to see me make such a little payment, because I'm afraid he will think I have little, and instead I want to make a bit payment so I can show off and brag about how much I am able to give." You are extremely vain, and very un-christ like. He, or "god," or any decent human being would give whatever they can to atone for their wrongdoing. You are just waiting for an opportunity to show off.

For many things, yes, but not for this.

Not at all. Your argument was, eh, ok, and I thought of refuting it, but then you waded into crazy, and I decided not to bother.


My bad, I mistook that line to refer to the prior paragraph. But it was some deep crazy you were speculatively wading in. We have a lot of members here who are in that part of the pool, and it's easy to get lost in that crowd. Besides, your speculation was presented as your opinion of how things are. Not my fault it sounded crazy.


I am quite a realist (just ask the people in the religious threads  ) I'm not biased for Bitcoin, I just don't see anything that can challenge it in any way, yet.

Freemasonry isn't a religion, it's a secret society. They don't even care what religion you are, as long as you believe in some higher power. They are just deists, which is one step away from agnostic.

Also, government isn't a religion, and I have undisputable proof: If you go down to DC, you will actually see government buildings, government employees, and maybe even government politicians and senators. They all exist. And that's the biggest difference between government and religion.

I like your avatar too! It's very thought provoking, and isn't that what all great art is at its core?

You're in luck, not only did I find a video that has those pictures, but it's a very recent one, and has updated info, including about dreams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8iEogscUl8

Hey Vod, say something positive about me