Bitinstant brokering extortion threats?

[Matthew N. Wright]

According to Matt's own words he is involved in every existing bitcoin company

Needs citation.

What Erik says on this forum, even when speaking personally, is in line with BitInstant

Lol. Charlie, that wording was very poorly chosen. Some people might read that as him being a paid shill. I don't think you meant that  

[Matthew N. Wright]

We have nothing to hide, and we should all be extremely proud of Bitcoin. Look where the last year has taken us?

There have been ups and downs, but overall we are alive and kickin!

Let them try and shut us down.

...We are more than a community...WE ARE BITCOIN!

"Eww", no. You're BitInstant, a for-profit corporation. Bitcoin and the community did not attempt a publicity stunt that associates it with blackmail against a Unites States government official, BitInstant did. Don't drag us into that decision by calling "us" a community. Thank you!

[justusranvier]

According to Matt's own words he is involved in every existing bitcoin company

Needs citation.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=106497.msg1169927#msg1169927

[Matthew N. Wright]

According to Matt's own words he is involved in every existing bitcoin company

Needs citation.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=106497.msg1169927#msg1169927

Not seeing it. The above claim is that I somewhere stated that "I am involved in every existing bitcoin business". Citation still needed.

[Bitcoin Oz]

According to Matt's own words he is involved in every existing bitcoin company

Needs citation.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=106497.msg1169927#msg1169927

Not seeing it. The above claim is that I somewhere stated that "I am involved in every existing bitcoin business". Citation still needed.

I'm not sure if there are any bitcoin businesses not directly involved with me. sounds like it to me. Unless you are full of shit and dont stand behind anything you say.

Trolls will be trolls.

[Herodes]

I saw it mentioned in this thread that it's important to stand up for what we believe in.

I agree with this, however there are cases when this can backfire severely and create unnecessary stress.

I've heard law enforcement agencies swipe with a wide brush before when trying to solve a case. FBI for instance simply don't care if they disrupt the service of a company if they're doing an investigation.

FBI aiming for one server, but takes 'tens of servers': http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/f-b-i-seizes-web-servers-knocking-sites-offline/

Homes raided and all electronic equipment seized for several Occupy movement members:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/07/25/18718309.php?show_comments=1


So the point I'm trying to get across is that, standing up for what you believe in is all fine and dandy, but then you also have to face the consequences if just one detective from Secret Service, FBI or whatever decides that Bitinstant is a lead, or may be affiliated with the hackers. Then they may take all the servers, and also raid the homes of the employees and take all the electronic equipment.

I've seen it happen for extremely weak reasons before. And they don't call you and ask you to come down to their offices for a nice chat, no, they go in with a force, and swipe the premises clean.

Not saying that it will happen at all, but it's a possibility once you stick your nose out in a criminal case. No matter if those affected by raids the last years were guilty or not, having something like this happening will affect the business and your personal life.

And if you think about Bradley Manning (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley_Manning#Arrest_and_charges) he probably did what he thought was right, but I think he's in prison for life now.

All I'm saying is that standing up for what you believe in is important and good, but also be aware of the possible consequences and think about wether you're willing to face it, should the unlikely hapen to you.

Note that I have no beef with BitInstant, I think they're doing a great job in general, but I don't know if this offer was the most clever choice they've done.

[bitarrow]

jackasses!  Get a new PR company!

[Draino]

i don't see how this is anything other than a cute publicity stunt, or anywhere near as damaging to a business as a garish dick swinging contest

[Bitcoin Oz]

i don't see how this is anything other than a cute publicity stunt, or anywhere near as damaging to a business as a garish dick swinging contest

At least they never shot elephants like Bob Parsons from godaddy.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Comparing Erik with Matthew is like comparing a BMW with a Hyundai.

A Hyundai never gambles it's gasoline away betting that the stop light will turn out to be a disco ball.

Huh? Do you even understand what you just wrote lol

Let's agree that Bruno should be the only one making metaphors here.

A metaphor is like a penis in an ashtray--you never know who let the bacon burn.

How did I do? 

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Comparing Erik with Matthew is like comparing a BMW with a Hyundai.

A Hyundai never gambles it's gasoline away betting that the stop light will turn out to be a disco ball.

Huh? Do you even understand what you just wrote lol

Let's agree that Bruno should be the only one making metaphors here.

Please lets not.  That hyundai image makes more sense than most of Bruno's jokes... if they happen to be jokes and
not paranoid investigations into whether ZT is really the gunman on the grassy knoll... or who knows waht...  

This ain't the first time you've stuck it up my ass, when all I've HONESTLY done was protect the interests of bitcoiners of which you're one. Let me repeat that a different way. I will go out of my way at my expense, never asking for a satoshi in return, to protect you, Portnoy, from nefarious activities that concern Bitcoin.

That said, the next post I want to see from you in response to this is either an apology and a sticking-it-up-my-ass-further for all the users to read.

~Bruno~

[justusranvier]

A metaphor is like a penis in an ashtray--you never know who let the bacon burn.

How did I do? 

You are an metaphor hero.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

A metaphor is like a penis in an ashtray--you never know who let the bacon burn.

How did I do? 

You are an metaphor hero.

I play it everyday on my x-box.

jackasses!  Get a new PR company!

Funny you should mention that. I'm about to post over at the Neft Vodka thread on this very thing.

~Bruno~

[interlagos]

And I have nothing against unprofessionalism and pranksterism...   it just depends on what you want to accomplish.
Agitate and provoke the establishment etc.,  or run a respectable business catering to the average person within
the established order. 

It seems one may need to choose one or the other. 

"Established order" prints fake money to fund wars across the globe to further extend its fake financial hegemony.
Bitcoin was not created to peacefully co-exist with established order, it was designed to take it down and IT WILL.

If you are in it for a small day-to-day profit it's fine, but it's not what Bitcoin is about, you might want to re-read what Satoshi wrote in the genesis block to get the idea.

[Bitcoin Oz]

And I have nothing against unprofessionalism and pranksterism...   it just depends on what you want to accomplish.
Agitate and provoke the establishment etc.,  or run a respectable business catering to the average person within
the established order. 

It seems one may need to choose one or the other. 

"Established order" prints fake money to fund wars across the globe to further extend its fake financial hegemony.
Bitcoin was not created to peacefully co-exist with established order, it was designed to take it down and IT WILL.

If you are in it for a small day-to-day profit it's fine, but it's not what Bitcoin is about, you might want to re-read what Satoshi wrote in the genesis block to get the idea.

Scammers will destroy bitcoin before the establishment even notice it exists.

[Matthew N. Wright]

And I have nothing against unprofessionalism and pranksterism...   it just depends on what you want to accomplish.
Agitate and provoke the establishment etc.,  or run a respectable business catering to the average person within
the established order.  

It seems one may need to choose one or the other.  

"Established order" prints fake money to fund wars across the globe to further extend its fake financial hegemony.
Bitcoin was not created to peacefully co-exist with established order, it was designed to take it down and IT WILL.

If you are in it for a small day-to-day profit it's fine, but it's not what Bitcoin is about, you might want to re-read what Satoshi wrote in the genesis block to get the idea.

Scammers will destroy bitcoin before the establishment even notice it exists.

Got that right, and not just scammers. Tinfoil hatters need look no further than the mirror for the natural enemy.

[interlagos]

Scammers will destroy bitcoin before the establishment even notice it exists.

Scammers will educate people that the new system is unlike the old one and the rules are quite a bit different.
That education process is now ongoing, and no, it won't destroy Bitcoin
If anything, the educated ones will move to Litecoin and won't repeat their mistakes again.
This process might need a few more iterations, but we will get there eventually.

[Bitcoin Oz]

Scammers will destroy bitcoin before the establishment even notice it exists.

Scammers will educate people that the new system is unlike the old one and the rules are quite a bit different.
That education process is now ongoing, and no, it won't destroy Bitcoin
If anything, the educated ones will move to Litecoin and won't repeat their mistakes again.
This process might need a few more iterations, but we will get there eventually.

Im not interested in funding scammers any longer. If you use bitcoin thats basically what you are doing. Pirate has 500 000 btc Im not interested in making him the new Rockefeller.

[interlagos]

Scammers will destroy bitcoin before the establishment even notice it exists.

Scammers will educate people that the new system is unlike the old one and the rules are quite a bit different.
That education process is now ongoing, and no, it won't destroy Bitcoin
If anything, the educated ones will move to Litecoin and won't repeat their mistakes again.
This process might need a few more iterations, but we will get there eventually.

Im not interested in funding scammers any longer. If you use bitcoin thats basically what you are doing. Pirate has 500 000 btc Im not interested in making him the new Rockefeller.

Bitcoin won't go away because of Pirate, but it can't prevent other systems from cropping up.
If majority of people consider that one person having 2.5% of coins in possession in one system is a negative thing then that system will get less weight within the set of similar systems where the distribution of coins is more fair.
Eventually the value of that particular coin will reflect that and the natural balance will be established.

[Bitcoin Oz]

Scammers will destroy bitcoin before the establishment even notice it exists.

Scammers will educate people that the new system is unlike the old one and the rules are quite a bit different.
That education process is now ongoing, and no, it won't destroy Bitcoin
If anything, the educated ones will move to Litecoin and won't repeat their mistakes again.
This process might need a few more iterations, but we will get there eventually.

Im not interested in funding scammers any longer. If you use bitcoin thats basically what you are doing. Pirate has 500 000 btc Im not interested in making him the new Rockefeller.

Bitcoin won't go away because of Pirate, but it can't prevent other systems from cropping up.
If majority of people consider that one person having 2.5% of coins in possession in one system is a negative thing then that system will get less weight within the set of similar systems where the distribution of coins is more fair.
Eventually the value of that particular coin will reflect that and the natural balance will be established.

Thats a good point. I feel no motivation to keep promoting bitcoin now that some of its richest people are scammers and thieving parasites.