an idea - charity miner - a bitcoin miner for everyone that raises $

[dancupid]

The idea is to create a simple bitcoin mining client (and maybe a pool) that runs in the background and raises money for charity. Anyone could use this even if they had no interest in bitcoin.

The money would be converted by a third party and sent to the charities bank account (bit-pay seem the obvious choice).

I think it would create new interest in bitcoin, and give bitcoin some positive press, and we would have thousands of extra people raising money for charity and protecting the network at the same time.
Even my mother could take part in this as all she'd need to do is download the charity miner and pick her charity.

Any registered charity could sign up to the scheme and perhaps each user could pick the charity they wish to contribute to.

[Rarity]

For someone not familiar with bitcoin, what is the benefit as compared to simply donating directly instead of paying via electric bill?

[dancupid]

For someone not familiar with bitcoin, what is the benefit as compared to simply donating directly instead of paying via electric bill?

Because they don't have to do anything other than download it and leave it running. Since their computer is on anyway they are already using electricity. They may feel it's a small and easy thing to do - just like folding at home or the other similar ideas. With bitcoin though, its real money going to real charities.

[elggawf]

Already a pool that does this, I believe.

[opticbit]

maybe give some preference to charities that could use services that are offered for bitcoins, so they don't just cash out the coins at an MtGox or Trade hill.

if you're actually using the computer your not spending much more on electricity.

also most people don't have a good gpu, cpu mining at this difficulty is very inefficient. until maybe a new generation of processors?  Soild coin was built for cpu, I haven't done enough looking into it to say its the better way, and for solid coin to be useful to a charity right now is going to have to be exchanged for bitcoin, and then something else.

[dancupid]

Already a pool that does this, I believe.

Yes but my mother is not going to join a mining pool and set up a miner - she can barely send an email. It need to be simple

[BitcoinPorn]

This idea needs to be brought back and the technology improved as well as more charities to be involved

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