Idea: e-mail bitcoins | Bitcointalksearch.org

mjcmurfy

sr. member

Activity: 336

Merit: 250

Quote from: bearbones on September 21, 2011, 06:50:00 PM

Quote from: mjcmurfy on September 14, 2011, 11:14:58 PM

Quote from: evoorhees on September 14, 2011, 08:32:40 PM

BTCinch.com offers this service and it works REALLY well. OP - PM me and I'll send you .1 bitcoins to show you.

This site is running off a wordpress backend that you have removed all copyright statements from. I'm pretty sure that's a violation of their open-source license. I could be wrong, but it's besides the point. Wordpress is blogging software, it's not designed for the purpose you are going to use it for. If you are going to set up a secure, trustworthy e-wallet, you're going to have to do better job at programming it than modifying and tinkering around with an open-source wordpress blogging CMS.

BTCinch.com uses wordpress as a base upon which to build, because it is a solid structure. We comply fully with the requirements of the GPL 2 license on which it is released. We've implemented literally dozens of security fixes, which we intend to contribute back to the community. These fixes, along with the contributions of a multitude of coders, make BTCinch.com quite secure. We believe that the efforts of a global community can far outstrip the efforts of an individual or small group. What's more, no bank info or bitcoins are stored on the web server. This is, in our opinion, basic security for a bitcoin business. That isn't really the point, though.

The bottom line is: if you have a problem with open source software, I'd recommend reassessing your participation in bitcoin.

I don't have a problem with open source software whatsoever.

My point was that an e-wallet service should not be using blogging/publishing software as their frontend, because this is not what wordpress is designed for. I know it can be customized, but it does not inspire much trust in an intermediary if their business does not have the technical and programming proficiency to create a system of their own, without the need to use third-party frontends.

Wordpress is a fantastic CMS, but it not designed to be used for the purpose of facilitating a secure e-wallet platform.
I'm sure your site is safe, however, I would not trust my money with such a service.

Simon Barber

newbie

Activity: 56

Merit: 0

Quote from: J.P. Larocque on September 24, 2011, 03:22:39 PM

I don't think that's an appropriate use of URIs. Why not use a document?

A URI is an identifier - in this case identifying some unclaimed bitcoins, and giving you the means to claim them.

A document isn't as convenient as a URI in some situations. To use a URI from an SMS, you just click on it. From an SMS there isn't any simple integration for documents.

I like the idea of putting the information in a document as well. Documents would work for sending bitcoin by email or downloading it from a webpage.

J.P. Larocque

newbie

Activity: 29

Merit: 0

I don't think that's an appropriate use of URIs. Why not use a document?

Simon Barber

newbie

Activity: 56

Merit: 0

See my recent post on Bitcoin URIs - it enables this.

https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/bitcoin-uris-45512

bearbones

sr. member

Activity: 316

Merit: 250

Quote from: mjcmurfy on September 14, 2011, 11:14:58 PM

Quote from: evoorhees on September 14, 2011, 08:32:40 PM

BTCinch.com offers this service and it works REALLY well. OP - PM me and I'll send you .1 bitcoins to show you.

This site is running off a wordpress backend that you have removed all copyright statements from. I'm pretty sure that's a violation of their open-source license. I could be wrong, but it's besides the point. Wordpress is blogging software, it's not designed for the purpose you are going to use it for. If you are going to set up a secure, trustworthy e-wallet, you're going to have to do better job at programming it than modifying and tinkering around with an open-source wordpress blogging CMS.

BTCinch.com uses wordpress as a base upon which to build, because it is a solid structure. We comply fully with the requirements of the GPL 2 license on which it is released. We've implemented literally dozens of security fixes, which we intend to contribute back to the community. These fixes, along with the contributions of a multitude of coders, make BTCinch.com quite secure. We believe that the efforts of a global community can far outstrip the efforts of an individual or small group. What's more, no bank info or bitcoins are stored on the web server. This is, in our opinion, basic security for a bitcoin business. That isn't really the point, though.

The bottom line is: if you have a problem with open source software, I'd recommend reassessing your participation in bitcoin.

[Tycho]

hero member

Activity: 742

Merit: 500

Sending wallet.dat may be good enough only if you know for sure that the recipient doesn't have his own wallet yet. Otherwise it would be more difficult to reclaim those coins.

J.P. Larocque

newbie

Activity: 29

Merit: 0

Quote from: FreeMoney on September 13, 2011, 02:05:18 PM

Cut out the middle man. Hey mom, I encrypted this bitcoin private key with your PGP. Decrypt it and use the import key utility built into bitcoin v1.2.04.

I like this. Richard Rahl, it doesn't have to be any harder than "after you download and install Bitcoin, open the attached Bitcoins" (Content-Type: application/bitcoin-privkey-transfer [hypothetical]).

Encryption with PGP is complementary and composes nicely into the whole MIME hierarchy. Forget about PGP for $10 worth of Bitcoins to Mom, but for a $10000 transfer, you bet.

Some discussion on key export formats:

mjcmurfy

sr. member

Activity: 336

Merit: 250

Quote from: evoorhees on September 14, 2011, 08:32:40 PM

BTCinch.com offers this service and it works REALLY well. OP - PM me and I'll send you .1 bitcoins to show you.

This site is running off a wordpress backend that you have removed all copyright statements from. I'm pretty sure that's a violation of their open-source license. I could be wrong, but it's besides the point. Wordpress is blogging software, it's not designed for the purpose you are going to use it for. If you are going to set up a secure, trustworthy e-wallet, you're going to have to do better job at programming it than modifying and tinkering around with an open-source wordpress blogging CMS.

Richard Rahl

newbie

Activity: 56

Merit: 0

Quote from: Stephen Gornick on September 14, 2011, 02:58:49 PM

Quote from: hamburger on September 14, 2011, 08:55:52 AM

Here is a Bitcoin for you, just go to https://www.instawallet.org/w/to_mom_with_love_elwar

You have the same problem ... anyone sniffing email for "instawallet" URLs can access and spend that money long before Mom even knows there's an email.

Most people use webmail and webmail only. Companies are mainly the ones who use POP3/SMTP/IMAP and they have plenty of security up.

Problem solved.

There is PLENTY of very valuable email going around the world constantly. Politicians, Bankers, high profile companies, etc. etc. Even if someone didn't go after those people, there would be more than enough Chinese Gold Farmers out there looking to cash in on WoW Password resets for it to make the big time news and become a major problem. ($3bil USD/yr business)

Need to hack an account? NO PROBLEM! Request a password reset and setup a sniffer on the victim's email. Done and done.
Fortunately, it doesn't work like that.

HOWEVER
http://i51.tinypic.com/33af3bt.jpg
I think this is of a bigger concern.

evoorhees

legendary

Activity: 1008

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Democracy is the original 51% attack

BTCinch.com offers this service and it works REALLY well. OP - PM me and I'll send you .1 bitcoins to show you.

Stephen Gornick

legendary

Activity: 2506

Merit: 1010

Quote from: hamburger on September 14, 2011, 08:55:52 AM

Here is a Bitcoin for you, just go to https://www.instawallet.org/w/to_mom_with_love_elwar

You have the same problem ... anyone sniffing email for "instawallet" URLs can access and spend that money long before Mom even knows there's an email.

Elwar

legendary

Activity: 3598

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Viva Ut Vivas

Quote from: hamburger on September 14, 2011, 08:55:52 AM

How about;

Mom, I found this incredible site on line to send and receive money. Here is a Bitcoin for you, just go to https://www.instawallet.org/w/to_mom_with_love_elwar Read all about it at http://www.bitcoin.org/ for more details on Bitcoin. Love, Elwar

Hamburger

I have not seen instawallet. Sounds like a pretty decent solution.

hamburger

full member

Activity: 241

Merit: 107

How about;

Mom, I found this incredible site on line to send and receive money. Here is a Bitcoin for you, just go to https://www.instawallet.org/w/to_mom_with_love_elwar Read all about it at http://www.bitcoin.org/ for more details on Bitcoin. Love, Elwar

Hamburger

Richard Rahl

newbie

Activity: 56

Merit: 0

Cutting out the middle man wouldn't work.

"hey, I know you barely know how to turn on your computer, but here's some digital currency for you......... now do this this this then send me that really long jibberish and I'll give you the stuff"

Yeah....... not gonna work. Most people are computer retarded. I like the original idea.

jostmey

full member

Activity: 224

Merit: 100

Quote from: Stephen Gornick on September 13, 2011, 07:39:31 PM

E-mail is sent across the internet in clear text. Thus the link to download the wallet could be intercepted and the funds from the wallet spent before the intended recipient gets them.

It is probably not that big of a problem. There are perhaps many solutions around the problem.

Example: You could have the receipt email back their new bitcoin address. That way, it does not matter if the email is intercepted. Stealing the coins requires forging the email.

mjcmurfy

sr. member

Activity: 336

Merit: 250

A secret-question type feature, similar to western union, may help to overcome this.

Stephen Gornick

legendary

Activity: 2506

Merit: 1010

Quote from: Elwar on September 13, 2011, 10:26:36 AM

The recipient gets an e-mail with instructions on how to download the wallet and how to set up Bitcoin.

E-mail is sent across the internet in clear text. Thus the link to download the wallet could be intercepted and the funds from the wallet spent before the intended recipient gets them.

mjcmurfy

sr. member

Activity: 336

Merit: 250

Quote from: jostmey on September 13, 2011, 05:47:20 PM

I just sent you a PM with my contact information. If you are serious about the idea but unfamiliar with the email protocol then you should get in touch with me.

Thank you very much for your offer of assistance. I'm sure I will take full advantage of your expertise. At the moment, I am actively developing another service (see my sig) but once that is all polished up, I will move on to the bitcoinmailer project.

I have your contact details stored for future reference.
Thanks again mate.

jostmey

full member

Activity: 224

Merit: 100

Quote from: mjcmurfy on September 13, 2011, 05:37:20 PM

I have just registered the domain: http://www.bitcoinmailer.com
I think I'm going to have a go at it.
See how it turns out.

I just sent you a PM with my contact information. If you are serious about the idea but unfamiliar with the email protocol then you should get in touch with me.

mjcmurfy

sr. member

Activity: 336

Merit: 250

I have just registered the domain: http://www.bitcoinmailer.com
I think I'm going to have a go at it.
See how it turns out.

Topic: Idea: e-mail bitcoins (Read 3160 times)