Iranian players are blocked from playing WoW: an opportunity for Bitcoin?

justusranvier

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Criterion number one would have to be my personal opinion that World of Warcraft is an addictive scourge on society. I know someone who stuck his "box set" in the trash. When asked why not try to resell it on Ebay, he said would never want to inflict so much pain on anyone, not even his enemies, and would rather just throw it away. Iran getting banned from the Blizzard servers is a blessing in disguise, kind of like a boatload of heroin and dirty AIDS-riddled needles "unfortunately" sinking to the bottom of the ocean and failing to reach its destination.

So, why should I help Blizzard in making more money?

There's a difference between your personal opinion and morality. "Murder is immoral" does not mean, "I don't want to murder" but instead means, "nobody should murder (and those that try can be stopped)".

Saying that it would be immoral to help people Iran use WoW implies more than just that you don't want to do it, but that you feel justified in stopping people from doing it.

justusranvier

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Quote from: ?? on ??

So what? A blanket statement of fact isn't automatically a moral thing to pursue.

Since you decided to break out the "m" word, can you explain by what criteria it would be immoral?

ElMoIsEviL

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Quote from: justusranvier on August 30, 2012, 08:13:05 AM

Quote from: ?? on ??

OMG the oppressed Iranians don't have access to Digital Speedball (aka: world of scumcraft), and its psychopathic makers will have slightly less cash to pay their in-house team of psychologists working to make it ever more addictive. How will the Iranians cope without this drug?! Quick! We must use Bitcoin to free the Iranians from their WoW shortage! Roll Eyes

Any instance where some people are being prevented from using their money how they wish is a use case for Bitcoin.

^^ This

justusranvier

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Quote from: ?? on ??

OMG the oppressed Iranians don't have access to Digital Speedball (aka: world of scumcraft), and its psychopathic makers will have slightly less cash to pay their in-house team of psychologists working to make it ever more addictive. How will the Iranians cope without this drug?! Quick! We must use Bitcoin to free the Iranians from their WoW shortage! Roll Eyes

Any instance where some people are being prevented from using their money how they wish is a use case for Bitcoin.

ElMoIsEviL

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Quote from: Gabi on August 29, 2012, 10:04:32 AM

Quote from: Than Jolg WI on August 29, 2012, 10:02:00 AM

Quote from: Shadow383 on August 29, 2012, 09:51:38 AM

"Yes, lets anger a group of people in a deeply anti-western country who are probably one of the most likely demographics to support us."

Can't see how this helps, really.

Actually, the people of Iran is much more "western" than in most other countries in that region. It's the (Iranian) government that is the problem, but it's the people that suffer most from the sanctions (making them gradually turn against us)...

+1
the government should be punished, not the people. But the exact opposite is happening

And the only people who can "punish" the Iranian Government are the people of Iran. If we go around doing it... there will be unintended consequences and we will end up punishing the people.

Sorta like how if you tax Corporations the costs trickle down onto the consumer. If you punish a State... the costs trickle down onto the citizen.

giszmo

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Quote from: ElectricMucus on August 29, 2012, 09:08:47 PM

Just a thought if you guys think about white knighting better do it for free.

Wanna play this American game? Here I made something for you so you can use it but you need this new currency to pay me... oh btw to buy this currency you need to get USD first.
This thread is a testament to the delusional state of the bitcoin community. So much as introducing bitcoin to new cultures, bawahaha doing great Grin

Yes, most likely most bitcoins are in the hands of US citizens so if they are willing to sell them, they most likely want USD for them.
People sending remittance are already outside of Iran wanting to send money in, so they own some non-IRR, probably USD. It's not Iranians in Iran that go buy dollars on their black market to send them to MtGox.

I strongly believe that BTC will play a very important role in the world and that it will be traded far beyond 1000USD/BTC within my lifetime if not within a couple of years. I hope that through remittance it will be distributed somewhat more evenly geographically so the super powers of today are not just even more powerful again, only because they were located close to where the new world currency was invented.

BTW you already can buy cool stuff from Iran without any Iranian sending USD to MtGox Wink

ElectricMucus

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You do if you want to get the best prices, if you don't you basically pay a market arbiter to do it for you. Plus I am willing to bet you don't live in Iran.
I also think there is no exchange which takes the Iranian currency.

matthewh3

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Quote from: ElectricMucus on August 29, 2012, 09:08:47 PM

Just a thought if you guys think about white knighting better do it for free.

Wanna play this American game? Here I made something for you so you can use it but you need this new currency to pay me... oh btw to buy this currency you need to get USD first.
This thread is a testament to the delusional state of the bitcoin community. So much as introducing bitcoin to new cultures, bawahaha doing great Grin

I've never used USD to buy or sell bitcoins.

ElectricMucus

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Activity: 1666

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Marketing manager - GO MP

Just a thought if you guys think about white knighting better do it for free.

Wanna play this American game? Here I made something for you so you can use it but you need this new currency to pay me... oh btw to buy this currency you need to get USD first.
This thread is a testament to the delusional state of the bitcoin community. So much as introducing bitcoin to new cultures, bawahaha doing great Grin

WikileaksDude

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Quote from: ThomasV on August 29, 2012, 08:14:19 AM

Because of US economic sanctions, iranian players cannot connect to WoW anymore, and Blizzard has announced that they will not be refunded:
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/5168067998?page=97#1933

Could this be an opportunity for Bitcoin?
Someone could easily setup a VPN for these players, and/or let them exchange WoW gold for BTC

Now thats f*** Up ...

VPN wouldn't do much as blizzard most have filters most of the IP's, but bitcoins would def. help..

We need more farsi translators

justusranvier

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Quote from: giszmo on August 29, 2012, 06:48:14 PM

We need services in Farsi and other exotic languages. We need our infrastructure hosted on free servers that are not ignoring requests from suppressed people.

Tor is the best bet for the infrastructure. The next version of bitcoind will be able to run as a hidden service, which would allow people from any country where Tor works to participate. Then all that needs to happen is for Bitcoin businesses to be Tor-friendly by at least not blocking connections from exit nodes and ideally operating a hidden service version of their website.

FreeMoney

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Strength in numbers

Quote from: Gabi on August 29, 2012, 10:04:32 AM

Quote from: Than Jolg WI on August 29, 2012, 10:02:00 AM

Quote from: Shadow383 on August 29, 2012, 09:51:38 AM

"Yes, lets anger a group of people in a deeply anti-western country who are probably one of the most likely demographics to support us."

Can't see how this helps, really.

Actually, the people of Iran is much more "western" than in most other countries in that region. It's the (Iranian) government that is the problem, but it's the people that suffer most from the sanctions (making them gradually turn against us)...

+1
the government should be punished, not the people. But the exact opposite is happening

That's right! All we need is a more powerful government who can punish the current government. Please begin preparing an even more powerful government then for punishment of the inevitable crimes of the new more powerful government.

But seriously punishing the government is insane, just withdraw from them where you can.

giszmo

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WalletScrutiny.com

Quote from: justusranvier on August 29, 2012, 06:16:59 PM

Quote from: giszmo on August 29, 2012, 06:00:59 PM

Then, how does an Iranian buy bitcoins? Impossible right now. Fix these problems and then bother gamer kids.

For Iranians, Bitcoin should be the tool of choice to receive remittance as through banks they loose up to 50% in fees and the next 50% they loose via inflation. If you operate any service, put yourself in the place of an Iranian who does only speak Farsi and maybe some Arab or Aseri. Bitcoin does not exist.

I think you answered your own question. Iranians who want to buy bitcoins can get them from other Iranians receiving them as remittances. All that it would take is education of the requsite communities to let them know what options are available.

Yes, the demand should be there but it has to be guided.

"Hey, you want to play WOW? Just go find somebody with family abroad and convince them to use Bitcoin for remittance payments."
"Bit-WHAT?!?!"

We need services in Farsi and other exotic languages. We need our infrastructure hosted on free servers that are not ignoring requests from suppressed people.

justusranvier

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Activity: 1400

Merit: 1013

Quote from: giszmo on August 29, 2012, 06:00:59 PM

Then, how does an Iranian buy bitcoins? Impossible right now. Fix these problems and then bother gamer kids.

For Iranians, Bitcoin should be the tool of choice to receive remittance as through banks they loose up to 50% in fees and the next 50% they loose via inflation. If you operate any service, put yourself in the place of an Iranian who does only speak Farsi and maybe some Arab or Aseri. Bitcoin does not exist.

I think you answered your own question. Iranians who want to buy bitcoins can get them from other Iranians receiving them as remittances. All that it would take is education of the requsite communities to let them know what options are available.

giszmo

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Activity: 1862

Merit: 1114

WalletScrutiny.com

How would Bitcoin help in Iran? There is no information available in Farsi and the bitcoin-qt can not be downloaded from Iran. Neither the code nor the binary. All blocked. By the the country of freedom, not the Mullahs.

Then, how does an Iranian buy bitcoins? Impossible right now. Fix these problems and then bother gamer kids.

For Iranians, Bitcoin should be the tool of choice to receive remittance as through banks they loose up to 50% in fees and the next 50% they loose via inflation. If you operate any service, put yourself in the place of an Iranian who does only speak Farsi and maybe some Arab or Aseri. Bitcoin does not exist.

justusranvier

legendary

Activity: 1400

Merit: 1013

Quote from: Shadow383 on August 29, 2012, 09:51:38 AM

Can't see how this helps, really.

It helps Lockheed Martin sell cruise missiles, it helps generals justify their employment, it helps the Navy request funding for more ships.

It's an extremely helpful strategy, as long as you understand who its designed to help. (Protip: it's not the "citizens")

moni3z

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Sure sell WoW codes for bitcoins, make a site in farsi for it. I think Iranians can use okpay since they list an exchanger in Tehran tho may be blocked now too

Gabi

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If you want to walk on water, get out of the boat

Quote from: Than Jolg WI on August 29, 2012, 10:02:00 AM

Quote from: Shadow383 on August 29, 2012, 09:51:38 AM

"Yes, lets anger a group of people in a deeply anti-western country who are probably one of the most likely demographics to support us."

Can't see how this helps, really.

Actually, the people of Iran is much more "western" than in most other countries in that region. It's the (Iranian) government that is the problem, but it's the people that suffer most from the sanctions (making them gradually turn against us)...

+1
the government should be punished, not the people. But the exact opposite is happening

Than Jolg WI

newbie

Activity: 23

Merit: 0

Quote from: Shadow383 on August 29, 2012, 09:51:38 AM

"Yes, lets anger a group of people in a deeply anti-western country who are probably one of the most likely demographics to support us."

Can't see how this helps, really.

Actually, the people of Iran is much more "western" than in most other countries in that region. It's the (Iranian) government that is the problem, but it's the people that suffer most from the sanctions (making them gradually turn against us)...

Shadow383

sr. member

Activity: 336

Merit: 250

"Yes, lets anger a group of people in a deeply anti-western country who are probably one of the most likely demographics to support us."

Can't see how this helps, really.

Topic: Iranian players are blocked from playing WoW: an opportunity for Bitcoin? (Read 3422 times)