Simple but powerful feature request for Blockchain.info and other wallet apps

[casascius]

I would like to make a simple feature request that would make batch distributions of bitcoins MUCH easier:

The idea:  Please give me a text box where I can simply paste a blob of text consisting either of multiple bitcoin addresses (all to receive the same amount), or pairs of bitcoinaddress:amount, as a shortcut to construct a transaction with a huge number of outputs.  Ideally, the blob of text will be the output of some script.  Parsing should automatically ignore whitespace and characters like commas or anything that is not a bitcoin address or a valid amount.

I can already do this myself with bitcoind (as it accepts bitcoind sendmany "{\"address1\": amount1, \"address2\": amount2 ...}") but this isn't mainly for me.  Ideally, I would like others to be able to create batches of stickers and then quickly fund a large list of keys with 0.01 BTC after having successfully printed them.  Funding these with individual transactions not only really sucks, it's far less efficient in block chain size versus having a single transaction with numerous outputs.

[jaywaka2713]

I would like to make a simple feature request that would make batch distributions of bitcoins MUCH easier:

The idea:  Please give me a text box where I can simply paste a blob of text consisting either of multiple bitcoin addresses (all to receive the same amount), or pairs of bitcoinaddress:amount, as a shortcut to construct a transaction with a huge number of outputs.  Ideally, the blob of text will be the output of some script.  Parsing should automatically ignore whitespace and characters like commas or anything that is not a bitcoin address or a valid amount.

I can already do this myself with bitcoind (as it accepts bitcoind sendmany "{\"address1\": amount1, \"address2\": amount2 ...}") but this isn't mainly for me.  Ideally, I would like others to be able to create batches of stickers and then quickly fund a large list of keys with 0.01 BTC after having successfully printed them.  Funding these with individual transactions not only really sucks, it's far less efficient in block chain size versus having a single transaction with numerous outputs.

So you are asking Blockchain.info to add a GUI to the sendmany command? Blockchain.info doesn't add features unless there is a bounty posted.

[casascius]

Blockchain.info doesn't add features unless there is a bounty posted.

Do you have a source for this?

[jaywaka2713]

Blockchain.info doesn't add features unless there is a bounty posted.

Do you have a source for this?

I'll try to find one, but over time, I've seen features added via Bounty. Usually Bounties posted by the Blockchain.info staff though. I'll see if I can find it.

[Remember remember the 5th of November]

Blockchain.info doesn't add features unless there is a bounty posted.

Do you have a source for this?

Well duh, why do you think piuk even runs this site if he didn't intend to earn money? Would you have made your "casascius" coins for free, and then give them away for free? No, you wanted money, same as everybody else(and then ->) offering bitcoin related services.

Also, you probably have a shitload of Bitcoins(irrelevant to this discussion).

[tiktoc]

As a work around for this, till someone implements it on one of the web wallets. Couldn't you parse a text file in the format you said and covert it to a sendmany line to used in the debug window of the qt-bitcoin client? Not quite as simple, but cut and paste and two clicks

[casascius]

Well duh, why do you think piuk even runs this site if he didn't intend to earn money? Would you have made your "casascius" coins for free, and then give them away for free? No, you wanted money, same as everybody else(and then ->) offering bitcoin related services.

Some people value more things in life than money.  For example, you out of the goodness of your heart seem to have offered to counsel me on why people do things in life - amazingly without getting paid for it.  What would you say if (and this is a HUGE if) I decided I didn't care about money, and just gave away, for free, the code that lets me make physical bitcoins, the secret sauce.  Made it so anyone could create those little key circles so they could make their own coins.  How would such a self-defeating act fit into your "people-only-do-things-for-money" paradigm?

It's reasonable to think that he might have more motivations for implementing such a feature beyond collecting a fee specifically for creating that particular feature. Even from a selfish perspective, he may see that adding such a feature makes his tool that much more useful and valuable and increases his user base and appeal.

As a work around for this, till someone implements it on one of the web wallets. Couldn't you parse a text file in the format you said and covert it to a sendmany line to used in the debug window of the qt-bitcoin client? Not quite as simple, but cut and paste and two clicks

Yes, definitely.  I have done this quite a few times.  But it only helps me, it doesn't help the average joe create his own physical bitcoins.

[tiktoc]

I meant as function of your program(the conversion from plain text to send many which they in turn copy and paste). Which is very nice btw and much appreciated.

[casascius]

I meant as function of your program(the conversion from plain text to send many which they in turn copy and paste). Which is very nice btw and much appreciated.

Yeah, you're right, and I'm proposing the idea that every bitcoin client include, as a standard feature, the ability to paste a recipient list into a text box (without regard for formatting whatsoever, as long as it contains recognizable bitcoin addresses and optional amounts per address).

[deepceleron]

Yeah, you're right, and I'm proposing the idea that every bitcoin client include, as a standard feature, the ability to paste a recipient list into a text box (without regard for formatting whatsoever, as long as it contains recognizable bitcoin addresses and optional amounts per address).

Optional amounts per address? Huh? There should at least be a little bit of technical ability and at leased a feigned desire to send particular amounts to particular recipients in order to multi-bloat the blockchain.

Online wallets, even those that store your bitcoins in your own addresses, may have technical hurdles in moving from an infrastructure built on a one-recipient model; they can't even seem to calculate fees correctly.

BTW: Cut and paste your list between the curly brackets below (this is the windows-escaped version). A little GUI could take the pasted list, have a single "amount" input box, and verify addresses and issue the bitcoin RPC command.