Newbie restrictions (Please discuss forum policy here.)

[merkon]

With the amount of spamming and trolling I've been seeing, I think people should only be able to post outside of the newbies section if they have a post count of over 9000.

Won't this just increase the spamming and trolling?

[Maged]

With the amount of spamming and trolling I've been seeing, I think people should only be able to post outside of the newbies section if they have a post count of over 9000.

I'm so tempted to delete this, but I want to see where this goes... Carry on.

[aop]

You have to understand that Bitcoin has to operate in the current system. You have to use banks to transfer money in to give Bitcoin value for the time being. You can't just jump from nothing to idealism in a day.

Yeah, I understand that but I see Bitcoin as evolutionary, not revolutionary thing. People seeing it as revolutionary were those who thought exponential deflation was normal when no actual Bitcoin using stores or services were added at significant rate.

Evolution takes time and I think Bitcoin needs that time to become something that can be really used. It might be years or even a decade but I think slow deflation based on how many services and goods using Bitcoin are available is healthier than what were are seeing now.

I hope that greed won't be the tombstone of Bitcoin.

[hyperD]

it makes sense.

i attempted to create a healthy discussion about the value of bitcoin on the main threads but when i hit a raw nerve I continually got iced. I genuinely wanted to get my head around whether bitcoin technology can be emulated, new block chains etc,  before I spent my money on any bitcoins. As an investor I wanted to do some research but I guess nobody wants suckers like me raining on their parade. Especially when the forums are used to spruik up the price. Read, rally rally rally rally. Buy buy buy buy.

[swusc2]

With the amount of spamming and trolling I've been seeing, I think people should only be able to post outside of the newbies section if they have a post count of over 9000.

Won't this just increase the spamming and trolling?


No, the current system works so that if a troll wants to troll he has to post 50 Useful Posts. Along with other possible methods.

There isn't a perfect solution to trolls but at least they do something good before they go crazy.

[Jonathan Ryan Owens]

it makes sense.

i attempted to create a healthy discussion about the value of bitcoin on the main threads but when i hit a raw nerve I continually got iced. I genuinely wanted to get my head around whether bitcoin technology can be emulated, new block chains etc,  before I spent my money on any bitcoins. As an investor I wanted to do some research but I guess nobody wants suckers like me raining on their parade. Especially when the forums are used to spruik up the price. Read, rally rally rally rally. Buy buy buy buy.

Sell! Lol. There's plenty of existing forum threads which can answer your questions. Just take a look around!

[Capitan]

A lot of people call it a Ponzi scheme when they really just mean volatile, or unsustainable.

In a Ponzi scheme there is no underlying revenue/interest earned, but there is a lie told that there is. And when investors seek to withdraw funds the Ponzi operators pay them with funds from new investors. This gives the  illusion that the operation is legit. To continue operation more and more people have to bring new money in until the whole thing just collapses (either someone finds them out, or because the withdrawals exceed the influx of newbie funds). Also in a Ponzi, someone claims returns that are false. That isn't the case with BTC. WIth BTC there is rampant speculation and fad-ishness, but that's just a speculative bubble, not a feature of Ponzi.

I wouldn't call bitcoins a Ponzi, more of a commodity or a currency. It trades like one. There is (supposedly) someone on either end of each trade. You might accuse one or more exchanges of being Ponzi schemes, which may or may not be true. We have no way of knowing since they aren't audited. When the prices crashes from 30 to 10 it doesn't mean that the market capitalization at the price of $30 * total # of BTC is the amount of dollars that was invested. Those BTC were created through mining. $30 became the price because that's what people were willing to pay recently.

If you call bitcoin itself a Ponzi scheme then every other currency is also a Ponzi, as is gold, and silver. Those things can all lose their value. They are backed by governments but no government will last forever, so on a long enough timeline every currency used today is worthless. BTC doesn't have any strong backing, other than what people are willing to pay for it. Right now it has value simply because people thing it will have value in the future. Also because people put  money into "minting" each BTC and they don't want to sell them at a loss so there will always be a basepoint at which selling slows (but that could also crash if confidence shakes enough, or liquidity disappears).

Just my thoughts. I don't trade in the real world or in BTC because I don't feel I know enough that I'm willing to risk my money with my current knowledge. But that's what comes to mind when people call it a Ponzi. I would say there is now and will be bubbles, but I don't see the argument for it being a Ponzi. Incorrect use of the term in my opinion.

[Jessy Kang]

And that is the reason I whitelisted her.

The problem is I have a few thousand local customers, all of whom suddenly have a VERY concrete place to spend Bitcoin, and a good incentive to get their hands on some (I offer a 10% discount on cash rates). They are doctors, lawyers, accountants, deli and pizzeria owners- but they are not for the most part IT guys. Whitelisting me won't do me the least bit of good as my clients will need some assistance, and have their concerns put to rest by experienced posters. If they aren't going to get that why on earth would I want to be the first person in NYC to step into Senator Schumer's crosshairs?

"Bubu-but people who had never heard of Bitcoin before were not true believers and were saying bad things" is not a logical justification for the policy- it is an attempt to manipulate currency prices and a very bad precedent. The media will get wind of it shortly, jump all over it and fun time will be over. At this point there is only a single large Bitcoin forum and it's largely unvetted anonymous Moderators have the power to exert a great deal of influence over the price of Bitcoin- so need to be, or at least perceived to be above reproach.

It was foolish, now the question is can logic override ego and politics. If it can't then Bitcoin has no future anyway and we can all save ourselves a lot of time.

[Light]

With the amount of spamming and trolling I've been seeing, I think people should only be able to post outside of the newbies section if they have a post count of over 9000.

Huh? Say what    
What about the people like me who register in December and just lurk...
Now I can't go and post in the bitcoins.lc thread

Time to RAGE!  

[bitcoinewbie]

Dear Jessy Kang,

Your post contains too much sound logic and reasonable ideas for TPTB to regard one as yourself as a Newbie. Therefore after considerable consideration, it is in the forums best interest that you be whitewashed into full member status will all privileges granted hitherto. For this promotion, you will not discus further the situation of the NOOb member but instead fully support the relegation of NOObs to perpetual grotto (space set aside), wherewithal they will remain in collusion with themselves, unable to provide question or answer in the many Bitcoin forums, to be scrutinized by close moderation for possible terrorist proclivities against the precious forum.

Best regards,
The Moderators       

Actually what happened is she took the time to spur potentially constructive discussion. Her post was a well thought out non-two line post unlike yours.

And that is the reason I whitelisted her.

and that is where-in lies the problem, not all the mods are willing to see views that disagree with this new policy as acceptable, i posted a similar sentiment 5 hours ago as allforone(maybe oneforall - they are both mine) and swiftly had my account banished by a mod.

i surely hope that mod, whoever it was, has or will be dealt with and will have the dangers of censorship explained to them.

that said, like it or not, people who don't want to deal with noobs, won't. we can't and shouldn't make them, if this forum allows for advanced discourse to be bombarded by less advanced discourse, then the advanced discoursers will just leave, this new noob policy is an an attempt to keep the community together, not to drive it apart. A method of peaceful coexistence is what is being sought after here, even if a quick, rash, unthoughtout solution has been implemented for now, a better solution will be implemented or a new forum will arise as the leading forum.

[Bind]

You need 50 posts to post outside, so just share and help others out. Its to stop spam.

what spam is that?

the forum is designed so people can advertise products and services tht deal with bitcoin.

show me one spam post that doesnt.

[killer2021]

With the amount of spamming and trolling I've been seeing, I think people should only be able to post outside of the newbies section if they have a post count of over 9000.

Yes, I agree. /sarcasm.

[Oldminer]

Couldn't agree more.

[dsipal]

Thirty seven!

you dick, clearly you are just trying to get up to 50!

Can't a brother get a little peace?

It's war on the streets and war in the Middle East.

Instead of a war on poverty they got a war on drugs so that the police can bother me!

And I ain't never done a crime I ain't have to do.

I love tupac.

[swusc2]

And that is the reason I whitelisted her.

The problem is I have a few thousand local customers, all of whom suddenly have a VERY concrete place to spend Bitcoin, and a good incentive to get their hands on some (I offer a 10% discount on cash rates). They are doctors, lawyers, accountants, deli and pizzeria owners- but they are not for the most part IT guys. Whitelisting me won't do me the least bit of good as my clients will need some assistance, and have their concerns put to rest by experienced posters. If they aren't going to get that why on earth would I want to be the first person in NYC to step into Senator Schumer's crosshairs?

"Bubu-but people who had never heard of Bitcoin before were not true believers and were saying bad things" is not a logical justification for the policy- it is an attempt to manipulate currency prices and a very bad precedent. The media will get wind of it shortly, jump all over it and fun time will be over. At this point there is only a single large Bitcoin forum and it's largely unvetted anonymous Moderators have the power to exert a great deal of influence over the price of Bitcoin- so need to be, or at least perceived to be above reproach.

It was foolish, now the question is can logic override ego and politics. If it can't then Bitcoin has no future anyway and we can all save ourselves a lot of time.

You should read my post above it access some of the situations you bring up.

[bitcoinewbie]

Couldn't agree more.

fyi - it is difficult to tell what it is you agree with without a quote preceding your agreeity.

[newunit16]

50 posts? really? maybe im socially inept, which is one of the reasons i like the internet, but i cannot for the life of me think of 50 useful posts to make.

maybe you should have gone on par with what most forums use. ~10 posts. 50 is (expletive).

[Maged]

and that is where-in lies the problem, not all the mods are willing to see views that disagree with this new policy as acceptable, i posted a similar sentiment 5 hours ago as allforone(maybe oneforall - they are both mine) and swiftly had my account banished by a mod.

i surely hope that mod, whoever it was, has or will be dealt with and will have the dangers of censorship explained to them.

Unfortunately, if the account was banned, that means that it was one of the old mods, which is unfortunate. I support you completely that censorship should be avoided.

[newunit16]

i agree. this is ****ing ******ed.

[Bind]

its is not about spam at all

its designed to limit exposure and silencet those bitcoin disagrees with.

these people usually post under newer identities.

it was desigend so that silk road gets less exposure here.

of course, bitcoin will do anything to increase legitimacy and the chances someone will invest the funds they need to progress.

... even if that means selling out themsleves and freedom and liberty to the gov, CIA, intelligence community ... anyone or anything to progress bitcoin.

and who says everyone cant be bought =)