Bitcoin should be calles "digital currency" instead of "virtual currency"

[bcearl]

"Virtual" sounds like not real. Like virtual realities, or Linden Dollars and WoW dold.

"Digital" is a much better word, like digital audio and video, or digital signatures that are used for transactions.



I think that is an important difference that affects the public perception of bitcoin a lot.

[TiagoTiago]

I agree, geeks understand virtual is just another type of real, but the general public thinks it's make believe

[bcearl]

I agree, geeks understand virtual is just another type of real, but the general public thinks it's make believe

"Virtual" is acutally a word with a fixed meaning. For example virtual is what you see when you look in the mirror.

Digital instead just means that it based on discrete numbers, which is very true of bitcoin.

[laanwj]

Money in your bank account is also virtual. It only exists as a number in a database. Just like linden dollars and WoW gold :p

[bcearl]

Money in your bank account is also virtual. It only exists as a number in a database. Just like linden dollars and WoW gold :p

Yes, but opposed to that, bitcoins are not. They are digital - like digital music - but not virtual.

[TiagoTiago]

Even though LL tries to get their asses out of the line of fire by saying L$ is just make believe monopoly money, people still trade it back and forth with official government money; what could make that any less real than Bitcoin?

[bcearl]

Even though LL tries to get their asses out of the line of fire by saying L$ is just make believe monopoly money, people still trade it back and forth with official government money; what could make that any less real than Bitcoin?

Your L$ is just a number on a computer of LindenLab's. They could just change it like they want.

Your BTC balance is established by the block chain that nobody can just change.

[TiagoTiago]

So you're saying Bitcoin is more real than government issued money?

[bcearl]

So you're saying Bitcoin is more real than government issued money?

Depends. Maybe not more real than green paper bills. But more real than FED loans to banks.