[ANN] LocalBitcoins.com - a location-based bitcoin to cash marketplace

[2weiX]

I did enter 10627 Berlin, but it still put me 340 km away (Frankfurt, imho)

http://localbitcoins.com/postal_code/DE/10627/

Hmm, seems to work for me, it is 4,5 kilometers from my place (10557, Berlin).

mebbe i are doing it wrong - what format does country code have?

http://localbitcoins.com/postal_code/DE/10627/
puts me in the right spot, but the frontpage puts my ad (http://localbitcoins.com/ad/25) like this:

340.3 km   4.23 EUR   100.00 - 5000.00 EUR   Contact!

[paraipan]

interesting... i'm in 

[kangasbros]

mebbe i are doing it wrong - what format does country code have?

http://localbitcoins.com/postal_code/DE/10627/
puts me in the right spot, but the frontpage puts my ad (http://localbitcoins.com/ad/25) like this:

340.3 km   4.23 EUR   100.00 - 5000.00 EUR   Contact!

Hmm ok, so the ad location is wrong... I'll try to fix it.

[Bitcoin Oz]

BTW, anyone have suggestions where I could fetch normal currency exchange rates, eg. NOK -> EUR?

I was gonna say if you can automate the pricing it would be nice.

[kangasbros]

BTW, anyone have suggestions where I could fetch normal currency exchange rates, eg. NOK -> EUR?

I was gonna say if you can automate the pricing it would be nice.

Yeah, it is now automated. The values should be updated each 5 minutes. You can use any parameters from bitcoincharts.com, for example {{ mtgoxEUR_close }}, {{ mtgoxUSD_high }} etc. Also wighted averages for currencies can be used: {{ USD_24h }}, {{ EUR_7d }}

I'll try to add more parameters in the following days...

[Bitcoin Oz]

http://www.crypto.stanford.edu/~dabo/pubs/papers/locpriv.pdf  this is an interesting paper on how to have a proximity aware service without a third party knowing where or when you are going to meet....

[kangasbros]

SOme serious bugs found when you left min and max amount undefined. These should be fixed now. Sorry for the downtime!

[giszmo]

Ok, so I can't add myself. I'm in Chile where there are no ZIP codes. It doesn't allow me to save my Ad.
Considering that the nearest traders are at 8.000km I feel a bit alone here

Why not have a map to click in where I am?

[kangasbros]

Ok, so I can't add myself. I'm in Chile where there are no ZIP codes. It doesn't allow me to save my Ad.
Considering that the nearest traders are at 8.000km I feel a bit alone here

Why not have a map to click in where I am?

Hmm OK, I will try to add that kind of feature. Just have to think a way to implement it...

You can also try adding by a city/town name. However currently it might not work, since google has probably blocked our location requests...

[giszmo]

Ok, so I can't add myself. I'm in Chile where there are no ZIP codes. It doesn't allow me to save my Ad.
Considering that the nearest traders are at 8.000km I feel a bit alone here

Why not have a map to click in where I am?

Hmm OK, I will try to add that kind of feature. Just have to think a way to implement it...

You can also try adding by a city/town name. However currently it might not work, since google has probably blocked our location requests...

kind of frustrating, but I'm subbed here. While 2h ago the closest trader was more than 8.000km away, now it's *only* 7.000

[kangasbros]

kind of frustrating, but I'm subbed here. While 2h ago the closest trader was more than 8.000km away, now it's *only* 7.000

The map feature takes a long time to develop, and I really want to go to Berlin bitcoiners meeting today, which starts about 1 hour from now.

What was the location you tried to add? Maybe I can quickly add a city database to my app, so that cities/towns can be added without resolving to google database...

[giszmo]

kind of frustrating, but I'm subbed here. While 2h ago the closest trader was more than 8.000km away, now it's *only* 7.000

The map feature takes a long time to develop, and I really want to go to Berlin bitcoiners meeting today, which starts about 1 hour from now.

What was the location you tried to add? Maybe I can quickly add a city database to my app, so that cities/towns can be added without resolving to google database...

Don't rush things. If no Chile location opens in the week after you fixed the bug, pm me and I will add it.

Else: http://localbitcoins.com/cash_exchange_howto reads like you only target small time exchanges. Can you reword it so I can leave the link at every brick and mortar exchange office that I run into pretending to expect them to also exchange BTC?

[kangasbros]

Else: http://localbitcoins.com/cash_exchange_howto reads like you only target small time exchanges. Can you reword it so I can leave the link at every brick and mortar exchange office that I run into pretending to expect them to also exchange BTC?

Well, I will edit the article "for extra pocket money" -> "for becoming a millionaire" and so on Yeah, the guide is probably geared too much for small exchangers, the site is of course suitable for bigger exchangers as well.

[kiba]

Yeah, it is twitter bootstrapped. What do you have in mind?

Just some small things. It could be google map, statistics, or graphs, or all the above.

What is your technology stack?

[Stephen Gornick]

Maybe a person doesn't really want to meet up with a stranger to exchange cash for bitcoins or vice-versa.  

If there were a local courier service, the buyer could give the courier cash, the courier delivers it to the seller, and the seller sends the bitcoins to the buyer.

HipSwap enables this (only in L.A. or New York City so far).

So the LocalBitcoins.com listing could describe how to to start the process.

Here's a post on HipSwap:
 - http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=74912.0

[Panama Jack]

Nice. 

[Trader Steve]

Excellent! This will help make bitcoin much stronger by helping to decentralize the exchange process and making it easier for people to trade "off-exchange". Glad you put this together!

[mollison]

As I stated on IRC, I'm enthusiastic about this.

Please allow users to view distances in miles. In the US, kilometers are completely meaningless to 99% of people.

Ideally, the site would detect whether to display miles or km based on location.

[mav]

BTW, anyone have suggestions where I could fetch normal currency exchange rates, eg. NOK -> EUR?

json interface to google calculator, eg

http://www.google.com/ig/calculator?q=1AUD=?USD

or if you wanna go pro sign up for the xe.com api

edit: fantastic idea btw.

[MadSweeney]

The nearest buyer for me is 6251.2 km away, but the nearest seller is only 1706.9 km away. Heh.

It would be nice if Philippine peso(PHP) currency is supported, then I'll be able to use the website.

Donated btc to your address.