Change the Bitcoin addresses

[Elwar]

The only thing keeping Bitcoin from becoming used by everyone in the world is the long addresses. We need to shorten them to make it easier for the public.

Since people are able to remember their phone numbers, we should make the address only 10 characters long and only consist of numbers and add two numbers for country codes.

And the private address is way too long. Just make it an 8 character max with upper and lower case letters like a password.

And people should be allowed to have easy addresses like 1234567890 or 1111111111.

Implement this and I guarantee every single person in the world will start using Bitcoin tomorrow.

No need to branch off a new branch of the Blockchain for my genius idea. Just change all of Bitcoin to comply with this new strategy.


Ok, I am sure I will get some troll in here saying stuff like "10 numbers is too hard".

Just to head that off right away, I agree. Maybe some addresses can be less. At least one number though.

Or maybe even just have everyone use their first name for their public address and last name for their private address.

Make it that easy and it will be a huge hit over night.

[waspoza]

How about email as address? Just like paypal. 

[Elwar]

How about email as address? Just like paypal. 

It appears that there is more than one genius on this board. touche

We would be more popular than PayPal within the week if we did that.

[BkkCoins]

I think there should be email client plugins, like for Thunderbird etc. With a MIME type defined it would be possible to transact bitcoins directly by email address and the actual bitcoin address would be behind-the-scenes encoded into the message as a MIME part, much as inline images and attachments are.

The plugin could handle address generation invisibly, do transaction verification and work as a wallet such that payments could be sent/received entirely as emails. You would simply send a invoice by email that contains a payment address inside (visible by viewing source or with a button). A reply from wallet (with authorization) would send the transaction via bitcoin network (or like Electrum), and then embed the transaction id into a reply email.

Even if you buy something on a website it could generate a request email that your client only needs present to you and get authorized to finish the transaction. I think email addresses can be sufficiently anonymous that even people seeking to maintain privacy may be able to use it. Well, assuming the MIME type includes encryption.

Allowing users to send/receive money by email without a central authority using Bitcoin as an underlying backbone IMO would be the best way forward. It's something everyone already understands.

[hathmill]

Excellent proposal, also everyone should get much more coins from facet for free. After all it is only fair that you get some coins for free if you help the network by creating extra addresses. +1 for suggestion about one digit address. Hope they impl this now, should be simple to do. Just open and change the excel sheet. I could do it in less then a day if I wanted to. Probably a big bankwr will think of this someday and everyone with a hotmail adressd will get coins for free. Just change the json block chain hasing algo in the excel sheet. Also bitcoins should be more physical and we could setup a list on cloud who has what coin and tag with GPS for sake of simplicity and protection against devaluation and hackers. +1 for good ideas!

[hamdi]

short-addresses: we have firstbits which doesnt rely on 3rd party services and is proof - read up on that

short "passwords" - wanna trade security for lazyness?


you can always use services like MTGOX  or BTC-E which are built on top of bitcoin, where you can use easy usernames and passwords and even transfer funds in USD / EUR between users and use bitcoin just as an underlayer.

[Elwar]

short "passwords" - wanna trade security for lazyness?

obvious troll is obvious

[hathmill]

I think there should be email client plugins, like for Thunderbird etc. With a MIME type defined it would be possible to transact bitcoins directly by email address and the actual bitcoin address would be behind-the-scenes encoded into the message as a MIME part, much as inline images and attachments are.

The plugin could handle address generation invisibly, do transaction verification and work as a wallet such that payments could be sent/received entirely as emails. You would simply send a invoice by email that contains a payment address inside (visible by viewing source or with a button). A reply from wallet (with authorization) would send the transaction via bitcoin network (or like Electrum), and then embed the transaction id into a reply email.

Even if you buy something on a website it could generate a request email that your client only needs present to you and get authorized to finish the transaction. I think email addresses can be sufficiently anonymous that even people seeking to maintain privacy may be able to use it. Well, assuming the MIME type includes encryption.

Allowing users to send/receive money by email without a central authority using Bitcoin as an underlying backbone IMO would be the best way forward. It's something everyone already understands.

I like the idea of embedding transactions in a format which people could understand. Also, since it is a virtual entity why not leverage that fact. I understand that the concept of a coin is probably vital for communicating the money aspect of the protocol, but I am eager to see how the messages could be used for contracts and such things. Coins is just the beginning I think (and hope).

[Elwar]

Also bitcoins should be more physical and we could setup a list on cloud who has what coin and tag with GPS for sake of simplicity and protection against devaluation and hackers. +1 for good ideas!

Physical with GPS linked to every person would be perfect. Maybe instead of a distributed list we give the printing authority to a centralized entity who can print as much as they want (but let the government choose their chairman for the sake of oversight).

[Elwar]

It could be like NCI long distance: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/nci-long-distance/1355242

[kalleguld]

You can make a namecoin name link to a bitcoin address: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=120467.0

[caveden]

The only thing keeping Bitcoin from becoming used by everyone in the world is the long addresses. We need to shorten them to make it easier for the public.

Come on. That's irrelevant. Bitcion URIs and QR codes already make a good job on that front.

A much greater blocker for wider adoption is the difficulty to protect a private key. The "public" simply can't do it right - even tech savvy people have issues! They will end up being robbed if they start using bitcoin.
While a serious solution to this problem (= dedicated devices) is not cheaply available, Bitcoin is not ready to the general public. eWallets with 2-factor authentication might be considered a partial solution. They may protect you, but they add counter-party risk.

[Grinder]

How about making room for one alias in each block? People could add bids for it in the same way as transactions are queued. The one who solves the block gets to decide who wins. The transaction fee won't make up for the lower block reward in the future. The extra reward would make it more profitable to mine, which is good for the security of the network.

[markm]

If namecoin does not yet have a "sendtoname" RPC call, add one, and presto, those who want a name-based coin can use the one designed specifically for implementing and using names...

-MarkM-

[IMakeComps]

obvious troll is obvious

The only obvious troll in here is Elwar

[SgtSpike]

short-addresses: we have firstbits which doesnt rely on 3rd party services and is proof - read up on that

+1 - it works well.  I know that an address I own is always easily within reach as long as I have an internet connection, because the firstbits are incredibly easy to remember.  No need for QR codes or hand-typing wallets or any other shenanigans.

[fivemileshigh]

The only thing keeping Bitcoin from becoming used by everyone in the world is the long addresses.

Are you sure about that?

My experience has been quite different. it seems bitcoin requires a whole new mode of thinking, and it also requires the audience to truly get the evil that is fiat money.