Don't Do It!

[mikewirth]

Folks, please allow me to give you some nice advice about how the legal system works in the US.  

Bitcoin is a very unique wild new 'thing' with very interesting unusual properties and attributes.  These unusual properties and attributes can enable certain activity which is ILLEGAL!!

Now, since it will take more than 10 years to put into place effective legislation which operates to control bad activity which may be brought about by clever folks who embrace these unusual properties and attributes, the cops need to put some pressure on those who chose to do this stuff.  But the cops don't have good specific laws yet.  However, just because these laws don't yet exist, doesn't mean the cops will let people run wild.  Nope.  Instead they will use the old laws, and with those laws they will put the hammer down early and often.  Not only that, they will put the hammer down hard.  

In this way, they will encourage others to use Bitcoin gently and politely until the effective laws can be devised.  

1) Ross
2) Charlie
3) http://qntra.net/2015/05/deep-web-marketplace-go-betweener-faces-20-years-jail/
4) you are next

Folks, just because it seems like Bitcoin will enable you to do crazy illegal shit without getting caught - you are going to get caught.  And when you do, the penalty is going to be VERY severe.  Don't freaking do illegal shit with Bitcoin!!!

The government doesn't hate Bitcoin.  They aren't trying to wreck it.  They just won't tolerate ANY bullshit from squirmy little nerds who think Silk Road is just clever software.  Silk Road was a massive drug peddling operation.  Your soft characterization of it won't operate to soften the jail time you are about to get.  

Here's the good news: There are 1000s of cool LEGAL things to do with Bitcoin.  Go build a few of those.  

[NyeFe]

Folks, please allow me to give you some nice advice about how the legal system works in the US.  

Bitcoin is a very unique wild new 'thing' with very interesting unusual properties and attributes.  These unusual properties and attributes can enable certain activity which is ILLEGAL!!

Now, since it will take more than 10 years to put into place effective legislation which operates to control bad activity which may be brought about by clever folks who embrace these unusual properties and attributes, the cops need to put some pressure on those who chose to do this stuff.  But the cops don't have good specific laws yet.  However, just because these laws don't yet exist, doesn't mean the cops will let people run wild.  Nope.  Instead they will use the old laws, and with those laws they will put the hammer down early and often.  Not only that, they will put the hammer down hard.  

In this way, they will encourage others to use Bitcoin gently and politely until the effective laws can be devised.  

1) Ross
2) Charlie
3) http://qntra.net/2015/05/deep-web-marketplace-go-betweener-faces-20-years-jail/
4) you are next

Folks, just because it seems like Bitcoin will enable you to do crazy illegal shit without getting caught - you are going to get caught.  And when you do, the penalty is going to be VERY severe.  Don't freaking do illegal shit with Bitcoin!!!

The government doesn't hate Bitcoin.  They aren't trying to wreck it.  They just won't tolerate ANY bullshit from squirmy little nerds who think Silk Road is just clever software.  Silk Road was a massive drug peddling operation.  Your soft characterization of it won't operate to soften the jail time you are about to get.  

Here's the good news: There are 1000s of cool LEGAL things to do with Bitcoin.  Go build a few of those.  

Is this parroting idiot worth commenting on?

[RawDog]

Folks, please allow me to give you some nice advice about how the legal system works in the US.  

Bitcoin is a very unique wild new 'thing' with very interesting unusual properties and attributes.  These unusual properties and attributes can enable certain activity which is ILLEGAL!!

Now, since it will take more than 10 years to put into place effective legislation which operates to control bad activity which may be brought about by clever folks who embrace these unusual properties and attributes, the cops need to put some pressure on those who chose to do this stuff.  But the cops don't have good specific laws yet.  However, just because these laws don't yet exist, doesn't mean the cops will let people run wild.  Nope.  Instead they will use the old laws, and with those laws they will put the hammer down early and often.  Not only that, they will put the hammer down hard.  

In this way, they will encourage others to use Bitcoin gently and politely until the effective laws can be devised.  

1) Ross
2) Charlie
3) http://qntra.net/2015/05/deep-web-marketplace-go-betweener-faces-20-years-jail/
4) you are next

Folks, just because it seems like Bitcoin will enable you to do crazy illegal shit without getting caught - you are going to get caught.  And when you do, the penalty is going to be VERY severe.  Don't freaking do illegal shit with Bitcoin!!!

The government doesn't hate Bitcoin.  They aren't trying to wreck it.  They just won't tolerate ANY bullshit from squirmy little nerds who think Silk Road is just clever software.  Silk Road was a massive drug peddling operation.  Your soft characterization of it won't operate to soften the jail time you are about to get.  

Here's the good news: There are 1000s of cool LEGAL things to do with Bitcoin.  Go build a few of those.  

Is this parroting idiot worth commenting on?

Well, you did you dumbass - so I guess you have your answer. 

[ed_teech]

Law fanboy ?

[NyeFe]

Folks, please allow me to give you some nice advice about how the legal system works in the US.  

Bitcoin is a very unique wild new 'thing' with very interesting unusual properties and attributes.  These unusual properties and attributes can enable certain activity which is ILLEGAL!!

Now, since it will take more than 10 years to put into place effective legislation which operates to control bad activity which may be brought about by clever folks who embrace these unusual properties and attributes, the cops need to put some pressure on those who chose to do this stuff.  But the cops don't have good specific laws yet.  However, just because these laws don't yet exist, doesn't mean the cops will let people run wild.  Nope.  Instead they will use the old laws, and with those laws they will put the hammer down early and often.  Not only that, they will put the hammer down hard.  

In this way, they will encourage others to use Bitcoin gently and politely until the effective laws can be devised.  

1) Ross
2) Charlie
3) http://qntra.net/2015/05/deep-web-marketplace-go-betweener-faces-20-years-jail/
4) you are next

Folks, just because it seems like Bitcoin will enable you to do crazy illegal shit without getting caught - you are going to get caught.  And when you do, the penalty is going to be VERY severe.  Don't freaking do illegal shit with Bitcoin!!!

The government doesn't hate Bitcoin.  They aren't trying to wreck it.  They just won't tolerate ANY bullshit from squirmy little nerds who think Silk Road is just clever software.  Silk Road was a massive drug peddling operation.  Your soft characterization of it won't operate to soften the jail time you are about to get.  

Here's the good news: There are 1000s of cool LEGAL things to do with Bitcoin.  Go build a few of those.  

Is this parroting idiot worth commenting on?

Well, you did you dumbass - so I guess you have your answer.  

Point taken.

[Vod]

I think he typed all that just to link to his website.   

[redsn0w]

Own and use bitcoin it is not illegal or at least here in my country, I think also in the unitede states of America. Everyone has the right to issue his 'own' money.

However you can buy illegal stuff also with all the FIAT currencies, so your point is invalid.

[S4VV4S]

Nice speech.

You do however realize that cash (fiat) is worse than Bitcoin right?
Bitcoin transactions are registered in a public ledger.
Cash aren't shown anywhere.

Have a look how cash is stacked and no-one knew about it:



Source: http://elitedaily.com/envision/police-find-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-exotic-animals-and-gold-guns-in-mexican-drug-lords-home-photos/

[PremiumCodeX]

Even though BTC is different at some points than the cash we are using in the restaurant - for instance -, the human nature is the same and people do illegal activity with or without BTC for various purposes and because of a big variety of reasons. I appreciate the effort you put into writing this thread but I think it will not be an effective attempt to break down illegal activity.

[redsn0w]

Nice speech.

You do however realize that cash (fiat) is worse than Bitcoin right?
Bitcoin transactions are registered in a public ledger.
Cash aren't shown anywhere.
...

(cash) It's worst for the various government but good for the criminal  .  In this case bitcoin is 100 times better than cash because all the transaction (as you said) it is permanently registered.

However I think that with bitcoin you can do some good things and *if you want* also some bad things, it is not a problem of BTC but a problem of who use btc.

[BCwinning]

ok lets take advice from a new user with less than a 100 posts.

[louise123]

I think he typed all that just to link to his website.   

And what a horrible website it is.
It looks like it came out from the early 90s 

Didn't anyone tell this guy that Wordpress has some very cool free themes?

[chalkboard17]

Thank you for telling me what not to do with my private property.

[RawDog]

Thank you for telling me what not to do with my private property.

OK - since it is private property, you can do whatever you like with it - right?  Murder, Rape, Drugs -

[KaChingCoinDev]

Wow, why all the mean comments.

He is right, just trying to convince people not to do illegal stuff with bitcoin.

[Josef27]

I'm not on US, I would be suprised that legal system work in Indonesia
Anyway I don't do illegal things

[sdmathis]

ok lets take advice from a new user with less than a 100 posts.

Sure. Why not? If it's good advice. He basically said "don't do illegal shit." That's pretty good advice.

[yayayo]

Wow, why all the mean comments.

He is right, just trying to convince people not to do illegal stuff with bitcoin.

The law changes so much that what is legal today can be illegal tomorrow. That said we all know that Bitcoin is anonymous only to a certain degree because if you're buying something in the internet you still have to provide your address to receive it and that's where you're vulnerable so I see no point in his preaching.

Exactly. Legality does not equal legitimacy.

Law fanboys lack reasoning skills to see that governments do not make laws solely based on moral grounds. First of all, they make laws to preserve their own power.

The natural human state is freedom, not legality.

ya.ya.yo!

[Mr. Burns]

All this illegal stuff basically comes down to buying small amounts of weed online.  A non issue in most states

[AcidDemo]

By the way thanks for your advice. So much ponzi scheme now a days,great.

[Beliathon]

Bitcoin is a very unique wild new 'thing' with very interesting unusual properties and attributes.  These unusual properties and attributes can enable certain activity which is ILLEGAL!!

Coward. When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. There is nothing to fear in death, it is the destiny of all mortals. So why not greet eternity with the dignity of being one who didn't crumble beneath fear of bogeymen?

[Beliathon]

Of all the people who engage in illegal activity using bitcoin, how many get caught and have served jail time?

Very few. It's always that way, the police know they can't jail every criminal, so they try to make high profile examples to scare all the others.

For example: http://freakonomics.com/2011/07/27/in-new-york-city-it-still-pays-to-hop-the-subway-turnstile/

[futureofbitcoin]

The OP isn't telling you to not hold bitcoins, he's saying don't do bad things with it, and obviously he's right. Those that ridicule him are simply using sad logically flawed attempts at convincing themselves that they're not assholes without morals.

While laws aren't ALWAYS right, they are certainly necessarily for a functioning and orderly society, not a chaotic one where people will kill each other for survival. There's a good documentary I think from National Geographic (it's on youtube, but I forgot what it's called) where they do a thought experiment on what would happen when there's an epidemic that shakes the world, and people will have to fight for their own survival without law and order. It's NOT pretty, and not solely because of the epidemic itself.

Furthermore, a very large number of laws are created because they benefit people, because they are perceived to be right by the majority. To discount law and order because of a few outliers is simply unreasonable.

Obviously if a law is TOO wrong, say "you must kill your father when you turn 18" then you should be against it, and not follow that particular law. But the protesters who rebel against everything and really disrupt society, block traffic, make huge amounts of noise pollution, and sometimes use violent methods, do they really think they're the ones doing the right thing? filthy hypocrites.

[RawDog]

The OP isn't telling you to not hold bitcoins, he's saying don't do bad things with it, and obviously he's right. Those that ridicule him are simply using sad logically flawed attempts at convincing themselves that they're not assholes without morals. 

OP made the big mistake of thinking intelligent people reside in these forums.  There are so many assholes who can't read the message and stand on an apple crate to start yelling: 'fuck the police'. 

I'll make the message more simple: If you use Bitcoin for murder, theft, fraud, - you are gonna get fucked real bad when they come for you.  Just because 'Bitcoin ain't money' - doesn't mean you can get away with murder. 

[jjacob]

The OP isn't telling you to not hold bitcoins, he's saying don't do bad things with it, and obviously he's right. Those that ridicule him are simply using sad logically flawed attempts at convincing themselves that they're not assholes without morals.

The lesson is not "Don't do bad things with Bitcoin". The lesson is "Don't do bad things".
If you are a criminal, you are going to get your comeuppance, whether you use Bitcoin or not.

[RitzBitzz]

Breaking the law with bitcoin just give bitcoin a bad name.

[redsn0w]

...
The lesson is not "Don't do bad things with Bitcoin". The lesson is "Don't do bad things".
If you are a criminal, you are going to get your comeuppance, whether you use Bitcoin or not.

Breaking the law with bitcoin just give bitcoin a bad name.

A reply of these two posts:

... and why breaking the law with dollars, euros, yen, etc... doesn't give to the FIAT currencies a bad name  . This is the 'insane' thing here, the problem is not the 'money' but the humans.

[Snorek]

First of all, there are a number of currencies in existence that are not official government backed currencies. A currency is, basically nothing more than a convenient unit of account.

While your national law may be different in each country, and you should certainly check the laws of your jurisdiction.

But trading in any commodity, including digital currency like Bitcoin or even  game currencies like WoW gold, or Linden dollars (from Second Life), is not illegal.

[RitzBitzz]

...
The lesson is not "Don't do bad things with Bitcoin". The lesson is "Don't do bad things".
If you are a criminal, you are going to get your comeuppance, whether you use Bitcoin or not.

Breaking the law with bitcoin just give bitcoin a bad name.

A reply of these two posts:

... and why breaking the law with dollars, euros, yen, etc... doesn't give to the FIAT currencies a bad name  . This is the 'insane' thing here, the problem is not the 'money' but the humans.

It gives bitcoin a bad name becuase bitcoin is new and not supported by a goverment that has been around more then just 6 years.

[Cinnob0n]

Yeah. Even though they seem anonymous every bitcoin transaction someone makes from the same address can be traced. Be careful kids! 

[hayabusa911]

Dang it! I just got done buying illegal things with bitcoin. Should I turn myself in right now and save the FBI some gas money?

[spazzdla]

Cash is the best way to do anything Illegal it is almost impossible to trace.

Odds are most people won't be able to cover their tracks using BTC.

[RodeoX]

Thanks OP. I promise I will only do legal things like buy slaves in Syria, and not do anything illegal like buy a Bible in North Korea.