Will be buying my first BTC's shortly.
I'm mostly worried about making sure I don't lose control of my BTC's. I've been reading all over the net. And that's a problem since as soon as you think "I got it." something else comes up to screw that up. Way too many clever people out there with way too many good ideas. I don't need good ideas. I need working ideas. They're even better.
Frankly, the whole notion of "storing" the BTC on a USB key, online account or cloud point or whatever leaves me feeling a bit off.
I want redundancy (copies) to make sure I can use them, but more redundancy = more risk of theft or loss.
I have gold. It's in box in a vault at the bank. The bank lets me in, I use my key, they use their key, I get my gold or add more to the huge pile (
). There are no copies. No passwords. No accounts. No private keys. Just my mug when I show up at the bank.
If When I croak, my heirs will get to crack it open and squeal in delight. I've made sure they know what a BTC is and will add a line or 2 to my last lies and desires.
Really - the gold can be lost, stolen, forgotten...
And oddly enough (I'm real old) that seems like the best option.
If BTC's are in a physical form that I can (with carelessness) lose, I am nonetheless safer than electronic storage since the keys to that are no more safe, sites get hacked, I get hacked, etc. Try hacking my wallet while I point a 12 ga. at you. Please count the pellets as they hit - I find that a salve to my soul.
Since I can print a BTC easily enough (or a couple copies for that matter) and put them in my leather wallet (or safety deposit box or piggy bank) I have control over them - to a degree at least.
Please reply with your sage thoughts. What's a guy to do? I use PGP - it's not a mystery. I tunnel into the US with HideMyAss (Netflix is so much better in the US than here in Canuckstan[1]. I'm not afraid of technology and crypto.
I just don't want to lose any BTC's for some sillyassreasonIdidn'tthinkabout.
Nor do I want protection to be a silly burden:
https://blockchain.info/wallet/paper-tutorial Really?
Please weigh in and treat me gentle.
DarthSillious. (You can call me Dar).
[1] Canada's new "Economic Action Plan 2013" uses the term "Bail-in" where failed banks are concerned. Same plan says Canada's taxpayers will not bail out "too big to fail" banks ... they will strike at depositors though. Cyprus anyone?
http://www.budget.gc.ca/2013/doc/plan/budget2013-eng.pdf see p. 144/145.