2013-05-17 EFF Resumes accepting BitCoin

[miTgiB]

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/05/eff-will-accept-bitcoins-support-digital-liberty

Today, we’re happy to announce that we will be accepting Bitcoin donations through our website. You can use them to make one-time donations, set up monthly donations or get an EFF membership (which includes awesome membership swag like EFF hats and digital freedom t-shirts).

While we are accepting Bitcoin donations, EFF is not endorsing Bitcoin.  EFF does not typically endorse products or services, and we certainly do not endorse any of the electronic payment methods that we currently accept (credit cards, PayPal, and now BitPay).

With respect to Bitcoin as a technology, there is clearly a lot more to be said. Currently it seems that Bitcoin, while innovative, has a number of limitations and weaknesses in its design, and might yet turn out to be just the first draft for future crypto-currencies.1 However, as an organization that supports cryptographic experimentation, we believe the best answer to Bitcoin's potential shortcomings is for others to come along and offer superior alternatives.

Along the way, we want to give our supporters as much flexibility as possible in making donations to EFF. You can click to make a donation to EFF by credit card, PayPal, Bitcoin, and, in the future, hopefully many other payment systems as well.

[kiba]

Welcome back, EFF.

[RodeoX]

Ah, you came back now that you understand that bitcoin is real money? Well, we don't need you anymore.

[cypherdoc]

the beauty of this announcement is that it comes AFTER the DHS seizure of Mutum Sigellum and AFTER Fincen guidelines.

no fear here, nor should there be.

[Raize]

Why do they not have a public donation address? Why is it when you click the Donate with Bitcoin button you have to enter your name and address?

[StarfishPrime]

Ah, you came back now that you understand that bitcoin is real money? Well, we don't need you anymore.

lol

[Gabi]

A bit too late 

[Piper67]

They should change their name to the Electronic Just-A-Few-Steps-Behind-The-Frontier Foundation

[xenog]

the beauty of this announcement is that it comes AFTER the DHS seizure of Mutum Sigellum and AFTER Fincen guidelines.

Actually, it's the FinCEN guidelines that seem to have been crucial in getting them to resume accepting Bitcoin donations.

[ShadowOfHarbringer]

A bit too late  

I guess still better late then never...

They should change their name to the Electronic Just-A-Few-Steps-Behind-The-Frontier Foundation

Yep. They are "frontier" only by name it now seems.

[marcus_of_augustus]

the beauty of this announcement is that it comes AFTER the DHS seizure of Mutum Sigellum and AFTER Fincen guidelines.

Actually, it's the FinCEN guidelines that seem to have been crucial in getting them to resume accepting Bitcoin donations.

I think this maybe it ... they were right there on the 'frontier' one step behind the brave .gov-crats ... forging into the cryptographic unknown, sheesh, what a bunch of weiners. (in corduroys though) 

[rikur]

A full discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the Bitcoin design will have to wait for a future blog post, but we note here that Bitcoin is very often not anonymous in the ways users might believe or expect, because (for instance) the network doesn't actively conceal the IP addresses from which transactions were initiated; its expenditure of large amounts of computational resources may turn out to be unnecessary; and its monetary policy is controversial and arguably designed to incentivize adoption and holding of the currency, rather than maximizing valuable economic transactions. The fact that Bitcoin is subject to criticism should not be surprising; it would have been much more surprising if the first widely used cryptographic currency had been perfect, and very active research continues on ways of improving Bitcoin or creating new crypto-currencies with other properties.

Yeah fuck you EFF for quoting Paul Krugman and basing your views on his ideology. I emailed them that I was really thrilled to hear that they accept Bitcoins, but can't support an organization not capable of critical analysis/thinking.

[marcus_of_augustus]

A full discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the Bitcoin design will have to wait for a future blog post, but we note here that Bitcoin is very often not anonymous in the ways users might believe or expect, because (for instance) the network doesn't actively conceal the IP addresses from which transactions were initiated; its expenditure of large amounts of computational resources may turn out to be unnecessary; and its monetary policy is controversial and arguably designed to incentivize adoption and holding of the currency, rather than maximizing valuable economic transactions. The fact that Bitcoin is subject to criticism should not be surprising; it would have been much more surprising if the first widely used cryptographic currency had been perfect, and very active research continues on ways of improving Bitcoin or creating new crypto-currencies with other properties.

Yeah fuck you EFF for quoting Paul Krugman and basing your views on his ideology. I emailed them that I was really thrilled to hear that they accept Bitcoins, but can't support an organization not capable of critical analysis/thinking.

Good catch rikur ... maybe their opposition was politically motivated all along?

[superduh]

something has happened with EFF since the early days fighting RIAA.
maybe it's time for NEFF (NewEFF)
i'm actually surprised at how lame they are regarding bitcoins in general

[UPENtXF]

On the Frontier, fair-weather friends are useless. NOT A CHANCE that I would ever donate any kind of currency to EFF again, after the way they acted before.

Same goes for Wikipedia btw.

[oakpacific]

It's always good to see EFF coming back, but unfortunately instead of 1 BTC, I can probably only donate 0.1 BTC to you now, and I think others are thinking the same.  

[Dusty]

They should change their name to the Electronic Just-A-Few-Steps-Behind-The-Frontier Foundation

lol

They became really lame.

[TraderTimm]

I'd rather support a group of enthusiastic bitcoin-oriented lawyers than the EFF. I'm sure there are some recent law graduates that wouldn't mind making a name for themselves, and considering the glut of newly-minted lawyers with falling prospects of employment -- why not just shift to bitcoin and set some new precedent, build a practice around it?