I Think I Got Screwed out of 5 BTC

[theymos]

I see absolutely no fault on the part of old_engineer. Probably I would have done exactly the same thing if it was my contest and I had forgotten to specify a timezone.

It could be more easily argued that you were in violation of the contest rules because you did not specify a single exact date. A date given without a timezone could apply to multiple real dates.

[netrin]

Why the hell should I, a person who uses US central time, make a guess based upon GMT?

While you are clearly the most important center of the world, you are not the entirety of the internet.

For example, by law in the UK (Interpretation Act 1978, section 9) whenever an expression of time occurs in an act, deed, or other instrument, the time referred to shall be held to be Greenwich mean time.

It should be noted that the standard time 'zone' of the internet is UTC - nearly but not unambiguously synonymous with GMT. Furthermore 19/12/11 is an ambiguous dyslexic notation, to be replaced with international standard (ISO 8601), such as 2011-12-19.

[casascius]

I see absolutely no fault on the part of old_engineer. Probably I would have done exactly the same thing if it was my contest and I had forgotten to specify a timezone.

It could be more easily argued that you were in violation of the contest rules because you did not specify a single exact date. A date given without a timezone could apply to multiple real dates.

+1

[casascius]

But, since I was apparently allowed to change my guess under the rule change, it then became impossible for me to win.  I could no longer pick Dec. 20th, the selected winning answer and Goat's answer, because my guess would be instantly nullified since he had already guessed it.  Thus, the rule change itself meant that I not only had reduced chances of being correct, I had no chance of winning.

This would be like playing blackjack in a casino, busting on a hand, and then blaming your loss on the player who took a lower card just before you, the card you would have gotten had he not taken it.

It wasn't his fault.  You had an equal overall chance regardless.

[netrin]

Well not unless our Cassandra actually *knew* the price action down to the hour. Other's were guessing, but as always our Cassandra got shafted because no one (except Zhou) believes her.

[the joint]

I see absolutely no fault on the part of old_engineer. Probably I would have done exactly the same thing if it was my contest and I had forgotten to specify a timezone.

It could be more easily argued that you were in violation of the contest rules because you did not specify a single exact date. A date given without a timezone could apply to multiple real dates.

Thanks for the opinion, Theymos.  I disagree, but thanks.

[netrin]

Dear Serge, Crypt_Current, and Zhoutong,

I commend you for your generosity, but you've perfectly demonstrated 'moral hazard'. Now any immature poor loser will see a profitable incentive to whine in the future. If you don't want the pigeons shitting on your head, stop feeding them.

I've sent you 1BTC, Marry Christmas dude!  i don't believe OE is in a wrong here as painted in the OP subject, he did best he could to be fair to everyone; didn't solicit for payments to run away, nothing to fight over really, it was just a fun game.

I live in Hellanois too.  We're probably the only two people in this state that know what Bitcoin is (hyperbole is fun).
..
In the interest of the spirit of the season and global good will and a nod to locality, I donate thee 1 BTC.
...

Welcome to Bitcoinica! I will send you the f**king 5 BTC to your account for you to start trading. You made a pretty great guess!
...

[BurtW]

+1

My first thought when I started reading this thread was to post "If I send you the 5 BTC will you STFU?"

But then I decided that if we give in to his temper tantrum that will just teach him to throw more temper tantrums.

So now he has won by tantrum and only time will tell.  We will see how he responds next time life is unfair.

[netrin]

I would like to remind OldEngineer that where I live, the first day of the year is determined by the first break of sun above the horizon after the year's longest night. That can be wildly different depending on one's latitude, altitude above southern mountains, etc. So, for example, it is now the 97th hour of 17 December, when the sun last rose just a pin hole of light above the small mountain to my south. My neighbor has a nice view of the Labrador Sea and she saw the sun rise on 18 December. None the less, OldEngineer, you should have considered my specific location and circumstances when formulating your fun game.

[the joint]

It's pretty interesting that people are getting on my case about "not assuming UTC" or "not assuming GMT" when:  1.)  Apparently there are different opinions among community members about what the "obvious assumption" is,  and 2.)  It is equally ignorant/offensive to assume that someone should use GMT or UTC simply because x number of people believe it is the most-common point of reference.  If anything, I think assuming the person's local time-zone as a point of reference is the least ignorant and least offensive solution, for it does not "force" anything upon anyone.

Apparently, if there are at least 3 different opinions floating around (those that agree with me and both those that faulted me for not assuming GMT and UTC), then obviously it's not such a clear cut situation after all.

The amount of time invested by some members of the community in calling me a "whiner" when I, myself, have refrained from name-calling and have remained very civil in the matter given the level of scrutiny I have received (albeit my first couple of posts after OldEngineer proclaimed Goat as the Winner were not as civil...I thought OldEngineer didn't care to check far back enough to see that I had won), does not an angel make.  Moreover, claiming that my "karma" is kicking my ass and I don't even know it could be quite far from the truth...after all, maybe karma is with me on this one and thats why it sent me 7 BTC and not 5 BTC.  Anyone care to assume they know what universal justice is?

All I have done is continue to repeat and defend my decision according to the rules of the game in the order that they were implemented.

I stand my ground and I am content with what I have said, content with my position, and content with where the original 5 (10) BTC in question ended up.  

Continue to flame if you wish, but please, really bad assumptions, tangential arguments, ad-homs, hypothetical propositions, and otherwise do not make you smarter or cooler simply because a lot of other people, though they may happen to agree with you, are also using them.

[BTCurious]

I'll refrain from calling you a whiner.


You do whine an awful lot though.

[the joint]

I'll refrain from calling you a whiner.


You do whine an awful lot though.

  ......................   

[Raoul Duke]

Can I also get 7BTC if I start a whiner thread? 

[the joint]

Can I also get 7BTC if I start a whiner thread? 

If, at the very least, you are correct, then yes....yes you can.

[tysat]

Can I also get 7BTC if I start a whiner thread?  

If, at the very least, you think you are correct and will argue it relentlessly, then yes....yes you can.

FTFY

[BurtW]

Just re-use this thread, like this:

This one time (at band camp), this guy told me he would give me 10 BTC, and then he didn't, waaa, waaa.  Life is so unfair.  Please give me the 10 BTC that guy totally promised he would send me.  He OWES me.  I will argue until the cows come home that he owes me because he said he would give it to me (waaaa, waaaa).

[the joint]

Can I also get 7BTC if I start a whiner thread?  

If, at the very least, you think you are correct and will argue it relentlessly, then yes....yes you can.

FTFY

Thank you for taking the time to do so.

[the joint]

Just re-use this thread, like this:

This one time, this guy told me he would give me 10 BTC, and then he didn't, waaa, waaa.  Life is so unfair.  Please give me the 10 BTC that guy totally promised he would send me.  He OWES me.  I will argue until the cows come home that he owes me because he said he would give it to me (waaaa, waaaa).

Bruce, seriously, you're the absolute last person that should be giving me a lesson in ethics.  I need to go wash my hands now.

[BurtW]

Not Bruce - just give me 10 BTC and I will leave this thread

[RandyFolds]

Just re-use this thread, like this:

This one time, this guy told me he would give me 10 BTC, and then he didn't, waaa, waaa.  Life is so unfair.  Please give me the 10 BTC that guy totally promised he would send me.  He OWES me.  I will argue until the cows come home that he owes me because he said he would give it to me (waaaa, waaaa).

Bruce, seriously, you're the absolute last person that should be giving me a lesson in ethics.  I need to go wash my hands now.

You seem to be confused about who is mocking you...bwagner is not Bruce, fella.