Author

Topic: Could we stop using the word "taint"? (Read 1233 times)

legendary
Activity: 3038
Merit: 1660
lose: unfind ... loose: untight
November 26, 2013, 02:44:30 AM
#10
In reading the responses to this thread - it is in the careening between the scholarly assessments, and the commentary upon the slang, where one finds the lolzers.
donator
Activity: 1218
Merit: 1015
November 25, 2013, 01:55:47 PM
#9
the word taint allows for people to realise that in the real world if something changes enough hands its bound to get dirty
Sad
legendary
Activity: 4410
Merit: 4766
November 25, 2013, 04:59:19 AM
#8
the word taint is actually better then the word marked.

taint is about it containing traces of something which over time can reduce in levels

Quote
taint (teɪnt)

n.
1. a trace of something bad or offensive.
2. a trace of infection or contamination.
v.t.
3. to modify by a trace of something bad or offensive.
4. to infect or contaminate.
5. to sully or tarnish (a person's name, reputation, etc.).
v.i.
6. to become tainted; spoil.

if we say its marked then that applies a more permanent status that the coin is forever marked at a single level that cannot change. meaning each time a bitcoin is used it will be flagged up as bad funds, whether its passed 1 hand or 500 hands.

if we say its contaminated then that applies that bitcoins on a physical level have been altered/damaged/changed in a negative manner. which we all know bitcoins are not physical. meaning that people will not want to touch it. at all.

taint is more appropriate as the level of negative trace reduces with each transaction, thus allowing for judgement that the receiver directly knows the negative trace (high taint) or has no knowledge or connection to the negative trace (low taint).

unlike bank notes, which after being in circulation for a few years, get burnt by banks and new notes are produced to replace them, bitcoins can not get deleted and replaced with fresh bitcoins, over time every coin will have some taint of some sort. so i would never want to use the term marked as every bitcoin will get flagged up everytime its used. the same with contaminated, every bitcoin will get flagged or people will not desire to touch them, making bitcoin theoretically useless. but the word taint allows for people to realise that in the real world if something changes enough hands its bound to get dirty, but atleast they can tell how dirty it is to accept it or not.
rat
sr. member
Activity: 253
Merit: 250
November 25, 2013, 04:41:59 AM
#7

i vote this OP a scammer.

there is no taint to be found here. *sniff* *sniff*
sr. member
Activity: 266
Merit: 250
November 25, 2013, 04:40:30 AM
#6
Taint - it's on the tip of my tongue.
rat
sr. member
Activity: 253
Merit: 250
November 25, 2013, 04:38:22 AM
#5

i'm here for the taint.
legendary
Activity: 3598
Merit: 2386
Viva Ut Vivas
November 25, 2013, 04:30:43 AM
#4
Anyone who uses that word is a duplicitous taint.
legendary
Activity: 1232
Merit: 1001
November 25, 2013, 04:28:30 AM
#3
""contaminated"

Wouldn't that be even worse?
hero member
Activity: 812
Merit: 1022
No Maps for These Territories
November 25, 2013, 04:27:27 AM
#2
"taint" is a normal word for what is being done, it comes from information flow tracking in computer science, see for context:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taint_checking
donator
Activity: 1218
Merit: 1015
November 25, 2013, 04:21:10 AM
#1
"Marked" or "contaminated" would be fine replacements, I think. Maybe it's just a US thing....

In Bitcoin, we now have taint trackers, 0-taint mixers, Phin was just about to post a "Spot the Taint" game in the off-topic subforum... I mean, Blockchain has widely-used "Taint Analysis" tools. It's like Urban Dictionary opened a hardware store.
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