2013-09-08 Halifax Herald, "Bitcoin ATMs coming to Canada soon"

[aigeezer]

This is a Canadian Press piece that seems to be popping up in various forms all across Canada. It's not bad, for mainstream coverage.

The comments on their site are hilarious, but very discouraging if this is how "the public" reacts to BTC news.
Skip the article, by all means, but read the comments below it and get ready to laugh or cry.

This particular paper, the Chronicle Herald, has a well-deserved nickname "the Chronically Horrible". Nonetheless, it is a very mainstream rag in its part of the world.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1152881-bitcoin-atms-coming-to-canada-soon

[balanghai]

Now this one's funny! 

[pikeadz]

There are constant headlines about these things "coming soon" and only one in existence.  (at a hotel in San Diego)

There seem to be so many legal hurdles that they are not worth it for retailers.

[The Bitcoin Catalog]

Reading the comments in the article. It amaze me that so much people still think that bitcoin is a scam...

[aigeezer]

Reading the comments in the article. It amaze me that so much people still think that bitcoin is a scam...

That paper's comment section is notoriously full of sock puppets, usually on political matters though.

What's odd about these particular comments and commenters is their virulence, their certainty, their closed-mindedness, and so forth - given that the subject of BTC has been completely absent in their local media until this moment. Who are these people? What do they want? Why is it important to them to trash BTC the moment it is mentioned? Are they really "person on the street" types? It's fascinating.

[hacknoid]

Reading the comments in the article. It amaze me that so much people still think that bitcoin is a scam...

That paper's comment section is notoriously full of sock puppets, usually on political matters though.

What's odd about these particular comments and commenters is their virulence, their certainty, their closed-mindedness, and so forth - given that the subject of BTC has been completely absent in their local media until this moment. Who are these people? What do they want? Why is it important to them to trash BTC the moment it is mentioned? Are they really "person on the street" types? It's fascinating.

Oh there's no shortage of close-mindedness around here.  It's natural to fear what one does not understand, and unfortunately people are far too eager to spout off about what they don't understand than to actually look into the facts of the matter.  Sometimes it seems that people here (geographically) are whiners by nature.  It is no end of infuriating to listen to these idiots spout off in the paper or on the radio about things they really don't understand.

[aigeezer]

This thread is probably ready to scroll away into the bit bucket, but I wanted to mention:

A couple of "good guys" got in some rational comments to counter the FUD, including "our hacknoid" and "Tony". Yea!

The paper has now closed comments, but anyone can still vote a comment up, even as a guest (hint, hint).
To vote a comment down you must be a subscriber - consider subscribing if you need a daily emetic.

It's scary to think that without intervention such as hacknoid's, unopposed uninformed voices would have shouted down BTC the moment it was mentioned in that geographical area.

As always, I'm left wondering whether the FUD was/is knee-jerk reaction of the person on the street or enemy action by forces unknown. Creepy stuff either way.
 

[hacknoid]

Thanks for the nod, aigeezer.  Most of the articles I see that have negative comments are already countered by someone else, but I doubt as many people from the bitcoin world read our local paper.  It's so frustrating to see the FUD, but hopefully as things progress more people will become "enlightened".  Sometimes it seems like such as hard battle to fight, but it is worth it in the end.

I'd love to see one of the Robocoin ATMs actually placed out here, and see what the reaction would be then!

[TraderTimm]

Actually, the ATMs showing up will help people ground Bitcoin in something "real". As silly as it sounds, you gain credibility using something that people are used to, then it becomes an ingress to explain what the hell BTC is. A lot of people on the forums here "get it" already, but for a newbie, seeing a Bitcoin ATM will have them wondering what it is - and looking it up on their phone or at home.

[solex]

Does anyone know how the Bitcoin ATM overcomes the double-spend problem?

i.e. Dodgy Dave has 10 BTC at address 1abc. He is ready to withdraw funds, but he sends 10 BTC to another address he owns 1 second before he presents the 1abc QR code to the ATM. ATM coughs up fiat. Dodgy Dave has a >50% probability of free fiat if the ATM transaction is rejected by the BTC network. Time for a free frappuchino at the coffee shop nearby to wait for a few blocks to check the outcome...