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Author Topic: Bitcoin and me (Hal Finney)  (Read 279656 times)
Gleb Gamow
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April 19, 2018, 06:39:45 PM
 #581

I was just browsing the forum only, when I saw these impressive threads.
To write a grateful story for you. At first you looked nice. You can trust for your good. You are enjoying a complementary existence despite facing numerous obstacles. Best wishes for you.


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MrRiuss
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April 19, 2018, 06:45:34 PM
 #582

wow very inspirational story, thank you for sharing
Gleb Gamow
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April 19, 2018, 06:47:28 PM
 #583

wow very inspirational story, thank you for sharing

Are you expecting a "your welcome" after they thaw the Popsicle?
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April 24, 2018, 01:29:56 PM
 #584

You guys really changed the world and now a lot of people gain benefits from your hard work.
Today many people are using bitcoin and can support their daily living with the innovations that you made guys.
"Hats off" "Respect"  Smiley


Thanks for sharing your story. It's very inspiring and fun. You have a good perspective. No one knows what will happen with Bitcoin and we still do not know. This is a great experiment. I hope I can live according to the example you set for all of us. And I hope that Bitcoin lives longer than all of us.
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May 03, 2018, 09:16:08 PM
 #585

To be able to look back upon ones life in satisfaction, is to live twice. ~ Khalil Gibran


Thank you good sir for what you have done for us and future generations to come. Such an inspiration to read your story.

May Your Soul Rest In Peace
Gleb Gamow
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May 04, 2018, 01:14:24 AM
 #586

To be able to look back upon ones life in satisfaction, is to live twice. ~ Khalil Gibran


Thank you good sir for what you have done for us and future generations to come. Such an inspiration to read your story.

May Your Soul Rest In Peace


"Thank you, Guvn0r. WAIT!!! I don't have a soul.
I paid mega bucks to be put in this state so to return on the day Bitcoin moons.
On a side note, is it getting warm in here?"
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May 04, 2018, 01:22:41 AM
 #587

You guys really changed the world and now a lot of people gain benefits from your hard work.
Today many people are using bitcoin and can support their daily living with the innovations that you made guys.
"Hats off" "Respect"
Guvn0r
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May 04, 2018, 07:23:29 AM
 #588

To be able to look back upon ones life in satisfaction, is to live twice. ~ Khalil Gibran


Thank you good sir for what you have done for us and future generations to come. Such an inspiration to read your story.

May Your Soul Rest In Peace


"Thank you, Guvn0r. WAIT!!! I don't have a soul.
I paid mega bucks to be put in this state so to return on the day Bitcoin moons.
On a side note, is it getting warm in here?"

I share the same dream, 1$ = 1 Satoshi  Grin Grin

Hope to see him again soon
Gleb Gamow
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May 04, 2018, 01:57:18 PM
 #589

To be able to look back upon ones life in satisfaction, is to live twice. ~ Khalil Gibran


Thank you good sir for what you have done for us and future generations to come. Such an inspiration to read your story.

May Your Soul Rest In Peace


"Thank you, Guvn0r. WAIT!!! I don't have a soul.
I paid mega bucks to be put in this state so to return on the day Bitcoin moons.
On a side note, is it getting warm in here?"

I share the same dream, 1$ = 1 Satoshi  Grin Grin

Hope to see him again soon

Me too, seeing Hal and Stephen Hawking racing their motorized wheel chairs while in neutral down the streets of Sans Francisco.

<humor at both the venerable  dudes' expense>
perova93
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May 05, 2018, 02:51:38 PM
 #590

I would be interested, and would find value, in knowing the identity of one person who Hal Finney felt most closely shared his own vision for the future of the internet as it relates to empowerment firstly, and to distributed crypto-currency solutions as a important but secondary consideration.
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May 05, 2018, 05:53:19 PM
 #591

If Hal = Satoshi then don't you think he would have left his private keys for his wife and children?

I am of the opinion that Satoshi was not an individual but a collective of DARPA scientists that released their creation into the wild. Crypto is in its "wild west" infancy stages still. Just like when the military released the internet. It was a "wild west" freedom too and now it has become the world's greatest spy tool.

Blockchain can be used to turn you into a government slave if applied nefariously. For example, your Social Security number could be put on the blockchain and a certain service or product could be limited or denied if you didn't pay your taxes.

Give this tech another 10 years and you will see government blockchain controlling your life.


Jump you fuckers! | The thing about smart motherfuckers is they sound like crazy motherfuckers to dumb motherfuckers. | My sig space for rent for 0.01 btc per week.
Gleb Gamow
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May 05, 2018, 07:08:45 PM
 #592

If Hal = Satoshi then don't you think he would have left his private keys for his wife and children?

I am of the opinion that Satoshi was not an individual but a collective of DARPA scientists that released their creation into the wild. Crypto is in its "wild west" infancy stages still. Just like when the military released the internet. It was a "wild west" freedom too and now it has become the world's greatest spy tool.

Blockchain can be used to turn you into a government slave if applied nefariously. For example, your Social Security number could be put on the blockchain and a certain service or product could be limited or denied if you didn't pay your taxes.

Give this tech another 10 years and you will see government blockchain controlling your life.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Finney_(computer_scientist)

Quote
Harold Thomas Finney II (May 4, 1956 – August 28, 2014) ...

Extortionists have demanded fees of more bitcoins than Finney had left after using the majority of them to cover medical expenses in 2013.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2014/01/03/hal-finney-received-the-first-bitcoin-transaction-heres-how-he-describes-it/?utm_term=.3911531ba241

Quote
Here's how he described his initial involvement in Bitcoin in a forum post in March of this year: ...

<the year was 2014>

...

"My bitcoins are stored in our safe deposit box, and my son and daughter are tech savvy. I think they're safe enough. I'm comfortable with my legacy."

So, which is it? All of Hal's bitcoins went toward medical expenses or they were passed to his tech-savvy heirs?

Also gleaned from the last link ...

Quote
But he also had worked on cryptographic digital currencies -- having met and corresponded with Wei Dai and Nick Szabo, the people generally acknowledged to have come up with the intellectual precursors to Bitcoin, and attempted to create his own cryptocurrency.

I content that Hal, Wei, Nick and perhaps a couple other cypherpunks were secretly recruited by James Simons, a former NSA employee who claims to dislike the Federal Reserve (a must read, occurring less than two weeks after the creation of the Bitcoin White paper), the [Renaissance Technologies LLC] mantle passed to Robert Mercer and Peter Brown.

I further postulate that Nick Szabo was the [online] voice of Satoshi and that Renaissance has complete control of early mined bitcoins under the auspices of Satoshi Nakamoto.

Speakin' of control, [on a side note] did you ever notice that all the monologues of late night comedians when referencing Trump (or any other topic fresh in the news) never employ the exact same jokes, albeit the theme is consistent? Them writers are very bright dudes and could've easily pen jokes virtually echoing verbatim what their counterparts penned for their comedian host. To me it's like they're sharing copy with one another, rotating the best jokes on a show-by-show basis. But I digress.
watervo1999
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May 05, 2018, 07:12:47 PM
 #593

In my opinion. I'm impressed and inspired by your attitude in the face of adversity. I've been programming for 30 years and I hope I can continue as long as I am able. I have wondered before to what extreme efforts I would take to continue programming under conditions such as yours. I'm glad you are able to continue your love for programming. It makes me realize how much I take for granted.  Smiley
Gleb Gamow
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May 07, 2018, 12:37:37 AM
 #594

In my opinion. I'm impressed and inspired by your attitude in the face of adversity. I've been programming for 30 years and I hope I can continue as long as I am able. I have wondered before to what extreme efforts I would take to continue programming under conditions such as yours. I'm glad you are able to continue your love for programming. It makes me realize how much I take for granted.  Smiley

News flash, watervo1999 - Hall has been dead going on four years now but I guess that doesn't matter as long as you're fulfilling your sig campaign commitment, eh?
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May 07, 2018, 01:53:31 AM
 #595

I think Bitcoin is involved with many people. I'm also involved with Bitcoin for about two years. I have seen that Bitcoin is the most profitable and popular in the crypto market. That is why I want to say that those who are involved with Bitcoin must surely be successful.
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May 07, 2018, 02:05:01 AM
Last edit: May 07, 2018, 02:24:48 AM by POM
 #596

Reading this, is completely inspirational. It gives us hope, ambition and positive energy and i’m glad that i’m here cuz i can read these kinda things whener i want. I’m really impressed by this.
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May 07, 2018, 02:38:22 PM
 #597

it is an honor to be part of the environment in which you take components in realizing lifestyles, and an honor to be part of the community you take as the element that brings existence.
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May 07, 2018, 07:29:37 PM
 #598

RIP Hal.
Your legacy will live on.

Also enjoying reading this article by Forbes

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2014/03/25/satoshi-nakamotos-neighbor-the-bitcoin-ghostwriter-who-wasnt/#125406db4a37
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May 07, 2018, 07:51:18 PM
 #599

I just realized how motivated Hal's word have given me. Such a great man ever lived to carry and support apparently virtual idea (bitcoin) to its actualization. Today, all bitcoiners are highly indebted and inspired by the good life you lived despite the ALS illness, you proved no disability. R.I.P.
Bitcoin is still gaining higher heights on the market.

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May 09, 2018, 01:45:21 PM
 #600

I thought I'd write about the last four years, an eventful time for Bitcoin and me.

For those who don't know me, I'm Hal Finney. I got my start in crypto working on an early version of PGP, working closely with Phil Zimmermann. When Phil decided to start PGP Corporation, I was one of the first hires. I would work on PGP until my retirement. At the same time, I got involved with the Cypherpunks. I ran the first cryptographically based anonymous remailer, among other activities.

Fast forward to late 2008 and the announcement of Bitcoin. I've noticed that cryptographic graybeards (I was in my mid 50's) tend to get cynical. I was more idealistic; I have always loved crypto, the mystery and the paradox of it.

When Satoshi announced Bitcoin on the cryptography mailing list, he got a skeptical reception at best. Cryptographers have seen too many grand schemes by clueless noobs. They tend to have a knee jerk reaction.

I was more positive. I had long been interested in cryptographic payment schemes. Plus I was lucky enough to meet and extensively correspond with both Wei Dai and Nick Szabo, generally acknowledged to have created ideas that would be realized with Bitcoin. I had made an attempt to create my own proof of work based currency, called RPOW. So I found Bitcoin facinating.

When Satoshi announced the first release of the software, I grabbed it right away. I think I was the first person besides Satoshi to run bitcoin. I mined block 70-something, and I was the recipient of the first bitcoin transaction, when Satoshi sent ten coins to me as a test. I carried on an email conversation with Satoshi over the next few days, mostly me reporting bugs and him fixing them.

Today, Satoshi's true identity has become a mystery. But at the time, I thought I was dealing with a young man of Japanese ancestry who was very smart and sincere. I've had the good fortune to know many brilliant people over the course of my life, so I recognize the signs.

After a few days, bitcoin was running pretty stably, so I left it running. Those were the days when difficulty was 1, and you could find blocks with a CPU, not even a GPU. I mined several blocks over the next days. But I turned it off because it made my computer run hot, and the fan noise bothered me. In retrospect, I wish I had kept it up longer, but on the other hand I was extraordinarily lucky to be there at the beginning. It's one of those glass half full half empty things.

The next I heard of Bitcoin was late 2010, when I was surprised to find that it was not only still going, bitcoins actually had monetary value. I dusted off my old wallet, and was relieved to discover that my bitcoins were still there. As the price climbed up to real money, I transferred the coins into an offline wallet, where hopefully they'll be worth something to my heirs.

Speaking of heirs, I got a surprise in 2009, when I was suddenly diagnosed with a fatal disease. I was in the best shape of my life at the start of that year, I'd lost a lot of weight and taken up distance running. I'd run several half marathons, and I was starting to train for a full marathon. I worked my way up to 20+ mile runs, and I thought I was all set. That's when everything went wrong.

My body began to fail. I slurred my speech, lost strength in my hands, and my legs were slow to recover. In August, 2009, I was given the diagnosis of ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, after the famous baseball player who got it.

ALS is a disease that kills moter neurons, which carry signals from the brain to the muscles. It causes first weakness, then gradually increasing paralysis. It is usually fatal in 2 to 5 years. My symptoms were mild at first and I continued to work, but fatigue and voice problems forced me to retire in early 2011. Since then the disease has continued its inexorable progression.

Today, I am essentially paralyzed. I am fed through a tube, and my breathing is assisted through another tube. I operate the computer using a commercial eyetracker system. It also has a speech synthesizer, so this is my voice now. I spend all day in my power wheelchair. I worked up an interface using an arduino so that I can adjust my wheelchair's position using my eyes.

It has been an adjustment, but my life is not too bad. I can still read, listen to music, and watch TV and movies. I recently discovered that I can even write code. It's very slow, probably 50 times slower than I was before. But I still love programming and it gives me goals. Currently I'm working on something Mike Hearn suggested, using the security features of modern processors, designed to support "Trusted Computing", to harden Bitcoin wallets. It's almost ready to release. I just have to do the documentation.

And of course the price gyrations of bitcoins are entertaining to me. I have skin in the game. But I came by my bitcoins through luck, with little credit to me. I lived through the crash of 2011. So I've seen it before. Easy come, easy go.

That's my story. I'm pretty lucky overall. Even with the ALS, my life is very satisfying. But my life expectancy is limited. Those discussions about inheriting your bitcoins are of more than academic interest. My bitcoins are stored in our safe deposit box, and my son and daughter are tech savvy. I think they're safe enough. I'm comfortable with my legacy.
[edited slightly]
You have singlehandedly elevated the level of discourse on these forums by several degrees... for that alone, you deserve our praise and thanks.
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