Really all that work for some BTCs? (Help a noob)

[Bitcoinnub]

Maybe I should start by stating my intentions: I just want to invest a small amount (an amount I'm willing to loose completely) into bitcoins, but with the searching I've done it seems like unless I do all these security steps I'm unfamiliar with I'll just be giving up my BTCs to hackers. The forums and guides I've read all include like 14 steps almost all of which I don't understand.

Is it that bad to just send BTCs to my gmail account and then to the bitcoin client? I won't be needing to make many transactions as I'll be using the BTCs as an investment tool......

If the answer is "no don't be stupid you're computer is swarming with keyloggers and malware and you'll just be throwing the money away," then maybe you can help me understand what I need to do?

As I understand it, I need to make a new OS on a fresh USB (will liberte linux work?), download the bitcoin client, disconnect from the internet and go to bitaddress.com, generate a single wallet, save the address to the client and write-down (I don't have a printer) the private key. Then send the coins from my email to that address and I'm set?

What/when do I use the private key and is there a better way to do this? Am I doing it correctly?

Thanks in advance

[Bitcoinnub]

Also, how safe is just using a wallet from blockchain?

[hardcore-fs]

Maybe I should start by stating my intentions: I just want to invest a small amount (an amount I'm willing to loose completely) into bitcoins, but with the searching I've done it seems like unless I do all these security steps I'm unfamiliar with I'll just be giving up my BTCs to hackers. The forums and guides I've read all include like 14 steps almost all of which I don't understand.

Is it that bad to just send BTCs to my gmail account and then to the bitcoin client? I won't be needing to make many transactions as I'll be using the BTCs as an investment tool......

If the answer is "no don't be stupid you're computer is swarming with keyloggers and malware and you'll just be throwing the money away," then maybe you can help me understand what I need to do?

As I understand it, I need to make a new OS on a fresh USB (will liberte linux work?), download the bitcoin client, disconnect from the internet and go to bitaddress.com, generate a single wallet, save the address to the client and write-down (I don't have a printer) the private key. Then send the coins from my email to that address and I'm set?

What/when do I use the private key and is there a better way to do this? Am I doing it correctly?

Thanks in advance

You REALLY need to do more homework.
No Hacker is going to target your wallet for a bitcoin...........

Start rough and ready.... ('multibit' Wallet)
Then get  a bit coin or some bitcoins , and if you manage to invest more than $30USD in the enterprise, then look at going the full Bitcoin masterbation wallet rig.

[Atruk]

Also, how safe is just using a wallet from blockchain?

Awfully safe, but not foolproof.

[Dabs]

If you consider yourself fairly competent with computers, operating systems, and malware; do your due diligence; get security updates or do a fresh install (even if it is Windows); bitcoin does not have to be difficult or unsafe.

I use the main Satoshi client.

[Stephen Gornick]

As I understand it, I need to make a new OS on a fresh USB (will liberte linux work?), download the bitcoin client, disconnect from the internet and go to bitaddress.com, generate a single wallet, save the address to the client and write-down (I don't have a printer) the private key. Then send the coins from my email to that address and I'm set?

That's a secure method that you would follow for long-term holdings of bitcoins.   Eventually when you want to spend those coins you would import the private key into your Bitcoin-Qt wallet or some other method.

Now if you aren't confident that your primary computer is secure for holding bitcoins, an EWallet with two factor authentication will protect you even with a compromised system.  This is because an attacker doesn't have access to the OTP from the second device (e.g., mobile smartphone).

Which Two-factor authentication methods are available at which exchanges?
 - http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/4113

[Aahzman]

Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight....

If bitcoin were so simple that anybody could figure it out, we'd have people like the family on "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" and "Gypsy Sisters" on here trolling for handouts.

[mjc]

Check out Bitcoin Step by Step on amazon, it will walk you through all of this, step by step. 

For more information:  http://bitcoinsbs.wordpress.com/book/