How To Force Sites To Accept Bitcoin!

[Bruce Wagner]

It's much easier than you think....

Yesterday, I decided that since Bitcoin is good enough for EFF donations ...  It should be good enough for my technology mentor hero --- and super influential tech icon --- Leo Laporte. 

I happened to know that he accepts "Tips" in his "Tip Jar" on his web site.   He says that that money is the only money he takes out of the business for himself personally. 

So.......

I sent him this little email:

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Subject:  Tip Jar

I would like to donate $100 to Leo for his "Tip Jar". Could I please have your Bitcoin address to send payments to? Thanks, Bruce Wagner New York City 646-580-0022

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Well, I got this reply PERSONALLY from Leo himself...

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Hmm. You mean bitcoin.org or bitcoin.com? Leo --Leo Laporte <http://twit.tv/leo>

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So I responded today.....

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Sorry. I should have said.... It's http://bitcoin.org That's the official site of the digital currency.... All you have to do is download and launch the free open source app. It instantly gives you your own Bitcoin address, which you can publish on your site, for tips. ( FYI, it's catching on like wildfire. Even the EFF now accepts donations by Bitcoin. ) More info, see: Value: http://mtgox.com/trade/history Discussion Forum: http://bitcointalk.org/ A very Interesting Read about Bitcoin: http:// www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/luongo7.1.1.html

Bruce

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I think you get the idea. 

All you have to do is contact all your favorite bloggers...... youtubers....  musicians....  charities....  causes....   open source projects....   content creators....  etc
. And say:

"Hello.   I'd like to donate $xxx to you via Bitcoin.   Could I please have Your Bitcoin address for donations? "

In a jiffy, I think you'll see a Bitcoin address show up on their web site (spreading the word and the credibility of bitcoin enormously)....  AND if they're tech bloggers too, you very likely might see them write a news story about Bitcoin too!    Imagine all that free Press. 

Imagine if Leo Laporte gets intrigued, fascinated, and hooked on Bitcoin fun.....  He'll be mentioning it as TEXH NEWS on all his shows!!!    Millions of tech fans will instantly be checking it out!   

I am good at marketing and PR, I've been told. 

Now, my challenge to YOU.  Yes, you.   

Name one semi-famous content creator.   Here in This thread, post his/her Name, Web Site, and Contact Email Address (or contact form page).

Then, each of us will write to him and say we want to make a donation.  "What is your bitcoin address?"

( Just ask as if you TOTALLY ASSUME that he has a bitcoin address!)

If we all ask him for it......  He'll get one. 

Of course, be prepared to actually donate at least one bitcoin to the guy, if he gets a bitcoin address set up....  He's gotta know we're serious...   and that it instantly showed some results!   That'll excite him!   Receiving his first few coins!   

Who's YOUR favorite blogger or content creator?

[da2ce7]

I like the concept of useing bitcoin to donate with. But the whole point of bitcoin isn't to force anyone do do anything...

Btw, maybe we can make some good email templates.

[Bruce Wagner]

I Just got This feedback via Twitter:

inertia186 @brucewagner Why don't you just use BitCoinMail.com to cold sell people on the idea of bitcoin? I get around 80% acceptance.

My Reply:

Really? Just mailing them cold thru that? What happens to the money if they don't claim it? MtGox.com has the same ability - to email bitcoin or USD to anyone.

It sure is easy!   You can easily go down a list and email EVERY blogger, EVERY YouTube show, etc.  Sending each one a few coins...  or sending each one as few as one bitcoin!

That might be an even more efficient way to do it.

I like MtGox.com ability to "Send Bitcoin by Email".

So let's make a list of content creators to target!

I'll start:   Send Bitcoin to Leo Laporte at leo@leoville.com

[Bruce Wagner]

Julian Assange for Wikileaks. Has had problems with accounts getting shut down and needs to stay anonymous.

Great one.    Do we have a known working email address for him, or for his staff...?

[grondilu]

This is quite a good idea.   Some kind of a mind trick, in some way.

Also, instead of suggesting the installation of the software, one could point to mybitcoin.com.

[Bitquux]

This is quite a good idea.   Some kind of a mind trick, in some way.

Also, instead of suggesting the installation of the software, one could point to mybitcoin.com.

Or even Mt.Gox.

This is a great idea. No one is going to ignore a decent size donation.

[Bimmerhead]

This is a good idea.  I'm going to start spreading the bitcoin love now.

I tried it with both MTGox and bitcoinmail and I like the email presentation of bitcoinmail better.

[Anonymous]

The noagenda podcast with adam curry and john c. dvorak.

If you donate $200 or more they make you executive director of one of the shows. With a listernership of over 300 000 people  if bitcoin was credited as the executive director it might bring some exposure. Most of the listeners would skew anti central banking.

[davout]

I'm not sure about cold selling bitcoin to people using the e-mail send feature.
I think having people make a small committment by downloading the software is an important step to go from :
 - hmm, whatever, i already have some habbo dollars, to
 - wait, wtf, there can be... money? on my hard drive?

Mybitcoin is cool but it's an online banking experience, the bitcoin client is something different, it's a real dematerialized cash experience and I think it makes a biiiig difference in how people perceive what they're being gotten into

[kiba]

Bitcoin.org text sounds like the classic FOSS project blurb.

It's also the most unmarketable information. Here how you market your software: http://www.bingocardcreator.com/

[The Madhatter]

* The Madhatter pretends to be a fortune teller

Here is what I see in your future:

1. People using Bitcoinmail drive interest to Bitcoin.

2. Mass "spamming" from Bitcoinmail to different sites who consider the emails to be spam or otherwise irrelevant.

3. Bitcoinmail getting rich by keeping all of the unclaimed Bitcoins.



If Bitcoinmail took the senders' Bitcoin address and returned the funds have been unclaimed for, say 30 days, this problem would be fixed. Also the email that Bitcoinmail sends out tells the recipient to go to bitcoin.org. That's probably a big mistake.

[The Madhatter]

It's also the most unmarketable information. Here how you market your software: http://www.bingocardcreator.com/

That's how you market software. We are trying to market a concept. There's a huge difference.

[The Madhatter]

I sent this email to Bitcoinmail:

Hello,

I have a suggestion for you. I think you should ask the sender for
their Bitcoin address and return the funds to the sender if they
are unclaimed after a month or something.

Cheers!
The Madhatter

I will summarize the reply: I was thanked for my suggestion and told that keeping unclaimed coins was their only source of income so they'd probably not change it. They were open to me suggesting a better way.

In conclusion, Bitcoinmail is only useful for sending Bitcoins to people who already use Bitcoin. This totally defeats the purpose of  even using it.

Edit: (Full email reply from Bitcoinmail with PGP signature removed from public view. My apologies. That was rude.)

[grondilu]

This pretty much confirms my suspicions about Bitcoinmail.com:

Dude, quoting a signed email like this is totally not cool...

I hope you won't do that with the mails I sent you.

[harding]

BitCoinMail says the same thing about unredeemed bitcoins in its FAQ (and has for months):

"What happens to BitMail that isn't redeemed?

"Recipients have 14 days to redeem their BitMail. In the rare case that a BitMail is not redeemed after that time, the bitcoins will be used to support the site and help ensure that BitMail is always free."

-Dave

[The Madhatter]

Dude, quoting a signed email like this is totally not cool...

You're right. I guess I was just a tad choked about Bitcoinmail keeping coins.

I hope you won't do that with the mails I sent you.

Why would I? I have no reason to.

[The Madhatter]

BitCoinMail says the same thing about unredeemed bitcoins in its FAQ (and has for months):

Hmm.. I guess I missed that. Thanks for clearing that up.

I still stand by my conclusion that Bitcoinmail is not the best way to introduce new people to Bitcoin.

[davout]

BitCoinMail says the same thing about unredeemed bitcoins in its FAQ (and has for months):

Hmm.. I guess I missed that. Thanks for clearing that up.

I still stand by my conclusion that Bitcoinmail is not the best way to introduce new people to Bitcoin.

And probably not the best thing to send bitcoins through email at all.
Look at it this way, they have no incentive to setup any spam prevention measures : domainkeys ? ugh that's complicated.

Meh, natural selection will do its job.

[The Madhatter]

Well, instead of just saying "it sucks"; I've decided to try to help them. It is far more constructive.

I sent Bitcoinmail the following email:

Hello *OMITTED*,

You could just take a small fee from the sender instead. If the
Bitcoins are unclaimed you could keep the fee.

Also, you might want to point the recipient of the automated email to
bitcoinme.com instead of bitcoin.org. bitcoin.org is too technical for
most people to understand. Terms such as "cryptocurrency" and "P2P" just
receive blank stares from most people.

As it stands, Bitcoinmail is only useful for sending Bitcoins to people
who already know what Bitcoin is. If the recipient already knows what
Bitcoin is why would the sender even use Bitcoinmail? They would just
transfer coins to their address directly. See the problem?

Sending a Bitmail to someone who doesn't know what Bitcoin is results in
a donation to you by the recipient's own inaction.

This seems sort of crooked to me, and I'm sure this was not your
intention.

If you were to return unclaimed coins and improve the email that is sent
you'd likely make more money; not less. More people would use
Bitcoinmail to introduce new people to Bitcoin. See my point?

The Madhatter

[Bimmerhead]

I like your suggestion Madhatter but would make one change.  Instead of keeping the fee if the bitcoins are unclaimed, they keep the fee only if the bitcoins are delivered.  That puts the incentive in the right place.

Having said that, I sent two bitcoinmails last night about midnight, and by 9 am this morning one had already been claimed.  A somewhat famous Canadian political discussion forum that had a run-in with the Canadian 'human rights' commission.

The other donation was to Matt Drudge.  That's like playing the Powerball.  About 0.001% chance it will work, but if it does... watch out!