If only the true nature of world power were that interesting?

Seems like our elected officials only listen to two words; votes and money. I think Atlas has a good idea who's time will come. But for the short term, how can we show politicians that there are votes on the line and donation money to be made.
Instead of asking them why they are so F%$#ing stupid? Ask them where their BTC address for donations is? Tell them about the bright spot in our otherwise crappy economy. About how JOBS are being created.  

Senator, your not going to kill my job are you?

I wonder how bad the "bad" press has been? As mentioned above, it has not dropped the market. Indeed there has been a rally. The people who show up here after hearing about silkroad may be moving beyond that once they realize the real power and utility of bitcoin.
Not all these people are haters. Some of them are just skeptical about the claims they have heard, and ignorant of the real facts. let's not treat them as outsiders. Let's adopt them and bring them into the fold. That is how we change minds. Save your fight for PayPal and the banks.

In the future your money will be digital. That money will cost you a lot to store and spend. This is already happened to a large extent. Consider how much more expensive it is to use your credit card vs. cash.
The real strength of BTC is that it has the advantages of being digital and it is still your money to spend and save at basically no cost.

I sold just ahead of the tech burst. It was a good year. 

I'm not sure? But if it happens I'll have check back on this thread.

I am using this app now. I was very happy to see it at the official app store! It just fetches prices right now, but if the option to spend from the phone is added... That would be a big development.

I will continue to offer the EFF donations when they take bitcoins again. After starting a thread suggesting we donate to them, I feel kinda burned.
 

It implies that next week they are adding a wallet? I bought it in the hope it will expand to include a client.

Congratulations to you and your fiancé.

Just for verification i checked, the hashy looking string is not an Md5 of the username.

Hey there is an app for that now!
I just noticed Paxx Media AB has primitive iPhone app available at the official app store. It just fetches some Mt.Gox data at the moment but the author is promising more later. It's $3.99, not cheep but i bought it to show some support.

that made me spit my drink

Perhaps those who do not understand bitcoin think it's a ponzi scheme because they see promises of big growth, great rewards for early adopters, and because ponzi scheme is something they have heard of. He is right that early adopters stand to gain more, but then that's business.
The best counter argument is just to point out that the bitcoin economy is growing and diversifying. It's strengths are ease of use, price, privacy, and decentralization. Those are features that appeal to a global market and are in demand right now. Imagine what an entrepreneur in a poor country could do with a bitcoin phone app and a product to ship.
For those in the richer world, your paper money is going the way of the dinosaur. It's digital replacement will likely be much more expensive. For example; A dollar bill can be stuffed into a mattress, but a digital credit representing that wealth needs to be maintained. There is a cost plus profit associated with storing that credit and facilitating transactions. Consider how much it costs you to store and spend using your credit card vs cash. That is the digital future of your money.
 The good news is Bitcoin!

我々は日本から多くの関心を持っている。我々は日本のセクションを持つ必要があります。

As bitcoin gains the attention of a wider audience a consensus will emerge about what bitcoin is. I know I'm not the only one to mention the importance of helping shape bitcoins image and dispel some of the myths.  If NBC nightly news (a major US evening news) did a story about bitcoin tonight, what do you think it would say? 
I fear it would be about organized crime; i.e. money laundering,drugs, tax evasion, terror. Not because bitcoin is about those things, but because those are the most sensational and easily digestible stories. We need to get the word out about the bigger bitcoin story. About how people are trading in new markets and developing their own convenient, inexpensive and safe economy. As memes go, that's not as sexy as drugs and terror. It is bigger news though.

Any money system is going to attract a criminal element. Consider the Hawala system in the middle east. Trusted for over a thousand years. And had it not been used to fund some terror groups I would have never heard or it. How can BTC avoid being similarly poisoned? The answer is with you fellow peer.

Let's start letting the press know about the bright spot in these bad economic times. There are many positive themes that would make a compelling and interesting story For example:

• Globalization is not dying, it is going peer to peer
• Consumers place faith in math over banks
• bitcoin could open trade to many of the worlds poor

You could easily come up with more of your own and I think you should. I'm not suggesting being deceptive about bitcoins potential use by criminals, but that needs to be in perspective and the mass media is not currently good at perspective. Please use this thread to post your thoughts and musings on how to portray bitcoin when attempting to explain it to a general audience.

Good stuff. It's nice to know there are some grown ups here to shape the future of bitcoin. When I have finished my presentation notes I will post them here for others to use.

+1 horkabork
I am also trying to be a responsible spokesperson for bitcoin. I will be presenting at a prestigious business school in August and I am very aware of the importance of words. As eluded to above, bitcoin will be delivered to the masses as a story. We can shape that story now, but perhaps not later. Do you want bitcoin known as a convenient, private way to buy and sell on the Internet, or as anonymous drug money for terrorist?

An anonymous extortion? Yeah, I'm not afraid of cowards making veiled threats.

Here is a specific and direct threat for comparison:
Touch my bitcoin and I will split  your head open with an axe.
See, much more clear.

Wait. I can fix this.
Ok kids, nobody do any more drugs.
There, that should do it.

as far as I'm concerned this is not a bitcoin problem.