Yup, we have 3 votes now for my idea of a decentralized automated p2p auction site with no owner and no central server. To MrPiggles, yes, there would be the occasional bad buyer who would opt not to press the payment release button just like there is the occasional diner who doesn't tip the waitress. However, the vast majority of diners tip the waitress. Perhaps you are reflecting on what you would do, not what most buyers would do. Also, silk road was not scam city because the system did not work. The system did work. I've never used it, but didn't Charlie Shrem said in an email of his, "Wow, silk road really does work!" The reason why it was a scam is because, again, of simple economics. If the OPERATORS of Silk Road (not the sellers) honestly continued to run the website, they would eventually get busted. This means zero profits and jail time. The US Government has UNLIMITED RESOURCES so if they want to find you, they WILL find you. Being able to print unlimited amounts of fiat is being able to have unlimited power, at least until you have runaway inflation and the whole house of cards fall down. However, faking a hacked website and taking off with everyone's coins has a 100% chance of success. Therefore, the conclusion that it is or will be a scam by the OPERATORS is a 100% certainty unless they are not motivated by economic factors.
The economic motivator for the buyer would be to release the coins to the seller after receipt of merchandise because;
1. buyer doesn't get the coins back. It goes to the miners.
2. buyer will get a discount on his next purchase if he builds up a positive feedback history.
Again, unless the buyer is not motivated by economics, then this system should work.
I would appreciate a site that functions like ebay but uses bitcoin/alts instead.
I pay 10% in fees to ebay and then another percentage through Paypal AND Paypal takes days to get funds into my account (my small amount may not be much in interest but the amounts they're holding?)
A way to put your skills to profitable use.
Trading goods for goods could be less cumbersome in relation to regulations.
Or figure out what it is that would make your everyday work a pleasure.
Wishing you much luck.
I invite you to notice that, A 21st century money of the Singularity, Bitcoin, needs a 21st century libertarian marketplace.....
P2P auctions using bitcoin. Have a blockchain record all financial transactions just like bitcoin, it is distributed so no central server nor company.
1. buyer pays and bitcoin enters into a wallet controlled by the computer program and not controlled by any person. private keys held by computer and not a person.
2. buyer's bitcoins are in escrow in the computer system.
3. seller sends stuff.
4. when buyer receives stuff, buyer hits a button to release the bitcoins to seller. buyer cannot get the bitcoins back.
If seller cheats buyer, buyer will not press button to release bitcoins to seller.
If buyer doesn't hit the button to release the bitcoins, buyer cannot get a refund so buyer cannot cheat the seller.
system is free to use. there are no auction fees.
bitcoins trapped in the system from buyers who have paid but not released the bitcoins to the seller, will be distributed to the "miners" after 30 days. The "miners" get the bitcoins for running the distributed central serverless network auction program for everyone to use for free. Smiley
All auction items are found with a simple search engine. There are no complicated menu trees and employees. The entire system is automated. System is encrpyted just like bitcoin so miners will not be liable for any crazy stuff people put on there since they do not know what is on there.