Bitcoin is UNIQUE

[fennec]

Why is it that some of us see this thing as a true - to use OP's word - transcendence, while others see it as an impossible and laughable scam with no value?

Not sure if rhetorical, but..

I think it has something to do with the large number of loud speculators that promote (or disparage) Bitcoin for short-term gain. Also, the history of tech is full of stories of revolutionary inventions that were initially dismissed as insignificant, often by high-profile people. The personal computer, and the web come to mind.

I love drawing parallels between Bitcoin today and the web around 1993. However, one interesting distinction is that Bitcoin has a (very public, wildly fluctuating) dollar figure attached to it. Despite not being a very accurate measure of true value, that figure certainly shapes many people's perceptions regarding Bitcoin's value and potential. I often wonder what the early web would've been like if it had a similar figure attached to it. I imagine it would've been one hell of a roller coaster.

Also, great post OP.

[astana]

laws? isn't btc about no boundaries? untracable & anonymous don't go together with laws

[beckspace]

laws? isn't btc about no boundaries? untracable & anonymous don't go together with laws

In the essence, if P2P Police and Smart Property are fully funcional (along with Open Transactions), that's right, laws may be unnecessary.


'Laws?! Where we're going we don't need laws.'

[Portnoy]

laws? isn't btc about no boundaries? untracable & anonymous don't go together with laws

In the essence, if P2P Police and Smart Property are fully funcional (along with Open Transactions), that's right, laws may be unnecessary.

So looking forward to fellowtraveler's Open Transactions project to come online I am.   

[Jointops420]

Reminds me of the quote
Two men looked out of prison bars, one saw mud the other saw stars.

[astana]

Laws?! Where we're going we don't need laws.

I agree but people please don't piss and moan when you see a pedophile ring get busted with 200,000 bitcoins on their PC's, the world is a pretty dark place you kind of have to expect a revolutionary for of payment transaction to be taken up by those who live in the dark alley ways of soiecty

[beckspace]

Glad that Bitcoins are not untraceable.

[Atheros]

So..
Telling the first Bitcoin users that bitcoins are useless because almost no one accepts them is like telling the first printing press operators that printing presses are useless because almost no one can read.

Feel free to improve the quote. This is all crowd sourced after all.

[Xenland]

Refreshing to see a post like this (and lack of trolls).

The trick is to feed the trolls in the "off-topic" section by posting troll like stuff. But now that I posted you the secret to keep'em away the trolls will be all over this thread(its what they do)

but wait a minute what if because they know I'm trying to do reverse psychology that they will just not post to make me look like I don't know what I'm talking about because if they came in an trolled then I'd be right, but if they now don't come in a troll I will be wrong and thus its more humorously-profitable to not troll and watch everyone troll me(whom are not usualy trolls).

After reading this post I lost consciousness. I woke up face down on the beach with an empty bottle of rhy, one missing shoe, and a swollen big toe.

Thank you so much Cbeast, Your a real hero to all of us.

[Portnoy]

Laws?! Where we're going we don't need laws.

I agree but people please don't piss and moan when you see a pedophile ring get busted with 200,000 bitcoins on their PC's, the world is a pretty dark place you kind of have to expect a revolutionary for of payment transaction to be taken up by those who live in the dark alley ways of soiecty

Not exactly sure what the last part of that is saying... 

I won't be moaning worrying about what takes place in those dark places.  They have been there before Bitcoin. They will be there after Bitcoin.

Should we stop breathing air because "bad" people do so as well?  Should we charge for, restrict, and monitor its use to make sure only the
"right" people are using it? 

And are you sure that your view of who is "bad" and who is "right" will always match the views of the powers that be, e.g. your government?

 

[astana]

Not exactly sure what the last part of that is saying... 

I won't be moaning worrying about what takes place in those dark places.  They have been there before Bitcoin. They will be there after Bitcoin.

Should we stop breathing air because "bad" people do so as well?  Should we charge for, restrict, and monitor its use to make sure only the
"right" people are using it? 

And are you sure that your view of who is "bad" and who is "right" will always match the views of the powers that be, e.g. your government?

 

Well I have a phd in sociology so i'd like think i have some idea, inflated my big head maybe... All I was saying is that sub culture of the underground are always the first adopters and adapt the quickest.

[allten]

Thank OP,

Even though I realize prices could go lower before they go higher, I still shake my head in amazement of what we truly have here.
I cannot stop thinking of what I can do to make it better. Where do I fit in?
There's so much potential. I have so many great ideas that I don't know where to start.

[phelix]

[...]
Why is it that some of us see this thing as a true - to use OP's word - transcendence, while others see it as an impossible and laughable scam with no value?  It's as if we've stumbled upon the first printing press sitting alone in a meadow, and as we marvel at the possibilities of such an apparatus we're incessantly distracted by other onlookers who, noting that nobody uses such a thing, endeavor to condemn and deride our exuberance.
[...]

this is quite an interesting way to think about it: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=47053