Topic: Bitcoin press hits, notable sources - page 28. (Read 430888 times)

I just did a Skype interview with a CBS affiliate in Arizona.  If I recall correctly, they said they expect to air their piece a week from Thursday (which would be Nov 10).  Questions I was asked centered on two themes: one, the security of Bitcoin and what I thought about the hackings and thefts, and two, why Bitcoin, what Bitcoin is "good for" besides illegal things, why exactly I was interested in Bitcoin, like whether I was against government, etc.

Regarding security, I basically told them that the first run of Bitcoin required people to keep their coins on their computer or a website, both of which are unsafe and that theft was bound to happen.  He asked if I was worried that my bitcoins would get stolen, I said no, I have never been a victim, because I keep them on paper.  I held up a bitaddress.org paper wallet, told them bitcoins are just numbers and that if you keep the numbers on a piece of paper, they aren't going to get hacked.

Regarding what Bitcoin is good for, I acknowledged that illegal things happen with Bitcoin (just like cash) and that Bitcoin may not exactly be a more convenient way to pay for groceries, but that there are a lot of use cases that just haven't caught on - like remittances to Mexico and payments for goods from China - compared it to PayPal and noted that some people just philosophically don't like someone saying who they can and can't pay, they just want to send money from point A to B without a lot of questions, and that Bitcoin will survive as long as there's a demand for that.

He asked if I was anti-government, noted that others are reluctant to reveal their identity, and I basically said nope, I'm not doing anything illegal, nothing to hide, I'm just a fan of the technology and believe the government could adopt it for their own uses once they understood it.  That we have a constitution of checks and balances, and that bitcoin is just another check and balance available to the people on their government.  That I'm a geek - other people go to bars for fun - I get off on this kind of stuff.  Told him that if the government knocked on my door, they'd find me cooperative, that it's an open source project they have just as much right as anybody else to understand, and that they probably would have a better idea of what they want to do next if they knew more about how bitcoin worked.

The last guy that took a real stab at a unified currency got thrown in jail on invalidated rape charges and lost the French election. Others usually just part with sovereignty or life.

If it's unified, it is by default, not voluntary.  Even Bitcoin wouldn't be voluntary anymore if the nations of the Earth all decided to abolish their own currencies and use it as legal tender.  I don't think that would actually be worse than the current conditions, but it wouldn't be a choice if the choice is between Bitcoin and nothing at all.

A unified currency system is per se not bad. The real issue is whether it is voluntary or by force. As long as it is voluntary I have no problem with it.

Although they mention Bitcoin, what they want is a unified fiat currency system like a super Euro or "Amero".  I don't know that this is good publicity.

WND Exclusive OCCUPY THIS!
Next target of protesters: U.S. dollar?
Group seeks global currency to replace each nation's financial system

Read more: Next target of protesters: U.S. dollar?

"... The currency project seeks to utilize several conceptual organizations already in existence that are attempting to create an alternative currency, including something called BitCoin, an experimental "digital currency ... that enables instant payments to anyone, anywhere in the world." ..."

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=362293#ixzz1cTdFqYcf

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/nov/01/student-startup-storms-cyberspace/

Illicit Bitcoin miners steal resources from infected Macs

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/10/31/mac_os_x_bitcoin_mining_trojan/

http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/macs-targeted-by-new-bitcoin-mining-trojan-devilrobber.php?ref=fpb

Talking Points Memo has an article on a Mac trojan that steals Bitcoins.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2011/10/cash-or-credit

The economist is referring people to bitcoin piece in the "The New Yorker" and their own previous stories in connection with the Euro hubub.

discussion threads:  
"Occupy Wall St. Debating whether convert funds over to Bitcoin"  
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/occupy-wall-st-debating-whether-convert-funds-over-to-bitcoin-50291
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/occupy-wall-st-debating-whether-convert-funds-over-to-bitcoin-50276

It's Fidor Bank AG.

most definitely. I like the "smart bank" idea a lot, too. Did anyone catch the name of the "new german bank that was accounced"? "feda bank" or "feder bank", I can't find it.

i prefer this quote:

"Bitcoin transactions are all free, with no charges or hidden fees and they are simply a matter of clicking your mouse."

This one stretches the bounds of 'notable' - but I think it's an interesting read as a perspective from an 'investor/speculator' who has been blogging on the subject of economics/trading for years, appears to be new to bitcoin and despite the recent slew of media reports sees enough potential to dip in.

nice talk

2011-10-26 Defcon 19 video is now live.
(DEF CON 19 was at the Rio Hotel and Casino August 4-7, 2011)

https://www.defcon.org/html/links/dc-archives/dc-19-archive.html


The 1st part of this youtube clip is the bitcoin part.

DEFCON19: Black Ops of TCP/IP 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3YRuRehlSU
Speaker Dan Kaminsky
...
BitCoin: Network Manipulation for Fun And (Literal) Profit
...