How exactly were comments sent to FBI's SilkRoad coins address?

[vindimy]

As you've probably heard, many users have sent Bitcoins to the FBI's SilkRoad seized coins address 1F1tAaz5x1HUXrCNLbtMDqcw6o5GNn4xqX.

I'm currently working on implementing comment-sending in my project through the API - but it's not working.

According to API Docs I can do:

sendfrom fromaccount tobitcoinaddress amount minconf=1 comment comment-to

I've tried this a few times and it doesn't work.

According to Gavin:

comment and comment-to are both just stored as text with the transaction. The intent is that comment be used to store what the transaction is for, and comment-to be used to store the name of the person or organization to which you're sending the transaction.

Neither are stored anywhere besides your wallet (they're not sent with transactions), and neither are encrypted in any way.

So, how were the comments sent to the FBI's SilkRoad address?

[leancuisine]

If you use Blockchain.info's web wallet, you could add a comment after sending your transaction. 

(My Transactions, then go to Add Note under the date beside the transaction.)

[gmaxwell]

So, how were the comments sent to the FBI's SilkRoad address?

As far as I know, they wern't. They're just comments posted to the public blockchain.info website. Because of the unfortunate naming of that service the media (and many Bitcoin users) mistake it for a formal part of the Bitcoin system.

[vindimy]

Thanks. I was hoping I can get comments in transactions, too bad!

[01BTC10]

I'm not familiar with this but I found this thread: http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/2631/what-are-the-key-differences-between-different-ways-of-embedding-messages-in-the

However, the message won't show on blockchain.info unless if you use (maybe) their API.

[b!z]

I believe it is a feature of Blockchain.info, not of the Bitcoin protocol. The messages are not embedded into the transactions, as far as I know.

[Amitabh S]

What is more interesting is that that address has received large amounts recently... over 2000 bitcoins. Who are these people? 

[b!z]

What is more interesting is that that address has received large amounts recently... over 2000 bitcoins. Who are these people? 

I think the big transactions going into the address are confiscated Bitcoins from the SR servers and dealers.