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Topic: Silk Road: anonymous marketplace. Feedback requested :) - page 18. (Read 152737 times)

newbie
Activity: 8
Merit: 0
As for the userbase statement, I'll bet you 5 BTC that if a poll were made in the general bitcoin forums about the motives driving individual interest in the bitcoin movement, the individuals interested in Bitcoins for black transactions would be outnumbered by the users interested in Bitcoins for either personal profit or ideological reasons by at least 3 to 1.  This thread sees a tremendous disparity of idealogy in favor of the black market simply because it is a thread about the black market Bitcoin economy, which uninterested parties aren't even going to take the time to read, much less post in.

I'd take that bet...if BTC wasn't worth so much right now...
member
Activity: 84
Merit: 10
What exactly would the benefits of a regulated bitcoin currency be?

I would argue not only on one practical issue (who's gonna do the regulating as mentioned) but on another as well -- grey/black markets would provide much more early influx into the currency that getting other vendors to, who really don't have a REASON to swtich (or at least not one that they are convinced of yet).

Right now, the people motivated for BTC to suceed other than ideologically driven early adopters are people facilitating quasi-legal or illegal market transactions. You may not like that. You make think it looks bad. But it actually has the potential to be a very strong "force for good" within the bitcoin economy -- both in terms of encouraging stronger security and actively seeking out potential flaws and by providing lots of cash flowing in that is being used for actual transactions

I am going to alienate every user on these forums with this next bit, but a regulated bitcoin currency would be uncounterfeitable, easily and safely stored, taxable within the regulating economy for the support of beneficial governmental services, all without needing a single bank getting involved at any point.  The banking industry and the united states federal government may be inextricably tangled by now, in which case this situation is impossible.  Bitcoin represents a tremendous threat to the banking industry, and under proper regulation no threat to governmental authorities.  Totally unregulated, Bitcoin is a threat to both parties, and there is no doubt in my mind that the two of them can and will cause a doomsday scenario in the US and other tight-fisted plutocratic countries.  

As for the userbase statement, I'll bet you 5 BTC that if a poll were made in the general bitcoin forums about the motives driving individual interest in the bitcoin movement, the individuals interested in Bitcoins for black transactions would be outnumbered by the users interested in Bitcoins for either personal profit or ideological reasons by at least 3 to 1.  This thread sees a tremendous disparity of idealogy in favor of the black market simply because it is a thread about the black market Bitcoin economy, which uninterested parties aren't even going to take the time to read, much less post in.
full member
Activity: 210
Merit: 100
firstbits: 121vnq
What exactly would the benefits of a regulated bitcoin currency be?

I would argue not only on one practical issue (who's gonna do the regulating as mentioned) but on another as well -- grey/black markets would provide much more early influx into the currency that getting other vendors to, who really don't have a REASON to swtich (or at least not one that they are convinced of yet).

Right now, the people motivated for BTC to suceed other than ideologically driven early adopters are people facilitating quasi-legal or illegal market transactions. You may not like that. You make think it looks bad. But it actually has the potential to be a very strong "force for good" within the bitcoin economy -- both in terms of encouraging stronger security and actively seeking out potential flaws and by providing lots of cash flowing in that is being used for actual transactions
member
Activity: 84
Merit: 10
Tell me, which authority decides which transactions are allowable and which are not? In what method do they have this control?

All I am saying is that if anyone has this authority, Bitcoin has been reduced from a free currency (the original intent) to yet another somewhat novel payment mechanism for fiat money.
I agree with you on this one.  You are absolutely correct - although I think calling it a somewhat novel is a tremendous understatement, considering the multitude of its other benefits.  I simply don't think Bitcoin can survive in my country completely unregulated.  I believe that this is bad, but inevitable, for now.  This climate will change, but probably not in my lifetime.
sr. member
Activity: 294
Merit: 250
I don't understand why Silk Road is so important to Bitcoin?  Please elaborate.
That's an easy one.  The true value of bitcoins to a person who wants to make illegal purchases is the ability of bitcoins to be used for any transaction, however shady, with total safety.  There are a lot of people in this thread who want the goods on Silkroad and consider Bitcoins a means to that end - that is, they consider the Bitcoins only virtue to be unrestricted transactions for any good or service, however the legality.

Tell me, which authority decides which transactions are allowable and which are not? In what method do they have this control?

All I am saying is that if anyone has this authority, Bitcoin has been reduced from a free currency (the original intent) to yet another somewhat novel payment mechanism for fiat money.
newbie
Activity: 8
Merit: 0
Now, IF the government associates Silk Road with Bitcoins and attemps to do something about Bitcoins, then that could be a problem. But then the problem is not Silk Road, but rather the government officials. If they are moronic enough to try and take Bitcoins down because of Silk Road, then that shows our government is full of idiots (though I consider this to be readily apparent) that can't make logical connections and conclusions. Don't blame Silk Road for idiots that run this country. If we keep letting the idiots have their way (which, in your case, would be by blaming Silk Road and trying to get rid of it), then we will continue to be stuck in this idiotic mess.
Hans - have you read the material on senator Charles Schumer?  I apologize if you already are in the know, but if you are not, please google Charles Schumer Bitcoin.  It becomes extremely clear that this PR war is already underway in precisely the method you fear.

EDIT: spelling

Yeah, I've been doing my best to keep up with the whole issue. Schumer sounds like a moron that has no idea what he's talking about or dealing with. The difference is that while he might be a moron and would like to take Bitcoin down, it takes more than one senator to do something like that. So, my whole IF situation is really unknown until/if more government officials get involved in this.

I don't have much hope in the rest of the government being a whole lot smarter on the issue, but I can't predict the future!

Hey was just wondering If u can deliver some morrocon black with some transformers and orange budhas? DO u deliver in UK?? I know stuff is available here but y go out and waste time in searching if u can get it online?

If you send me 20 BTC to my Bitcoin wallet, I will consider responding in one of several different unsatisfactory ways.
member
Activity: 84
Merit: 10
I don't understand why Silk Road is so important to Bitcoin?  Please elaborate.
That's an easy one.  The true value of bitcoins to a person who wants to make illegal purchases is the ability of bitcoins to be used for any transaction, however shady, with total safety.  There are a lot of people in this thread who want the goods on Silkroad and consider Bitcoins a means to that end - that is, they consider the Bitcoins only virtue to be unrestricted transactions for any good or service, however the legality.
newbie
Activity: 14
Merit: 0
If you had to choose one service to survive, dooming the other one to failure, would it be Bitcoin, or Silkroad?

This is a false choice. Silk Road(s) cannot exist without Bitcoin. Bitcoin cannot exist while also prohibiting Silk Road(s).

I don't understand why Silk Road is so important to Bitcoin?  Please elaborate.
member
Activity: 84
Merit: 10
Hey was just wondering If u can deliver some morrocon black with some transformers and orange budhas? DO u deliver in UK?? I know stuff is available here but y go out and waste time in searching if u can get it online?
God damnit.
member
Activity: 84
Merit: 10
This is a false choice. Silk Road(s) cannot exist without Bitcoin. Bitcoin cannot exist while also prohibiting Silk Road(s).
Well, you weren't who I asked, but your answer tells me exactly where your interest in bitcoins originates.

As for the badness you asked about, it's bad publicity.  We need the public on the side of bitcoin for real trade to occur, with which to solidify the value of bitcoins.
newbie
Activity: 1
Merit: 0
Hey was just wondering If u can deliver some morrocon black with some transformers and orange budhas? DO u deliver in UK?? I know stuff is available here but y go out and waste time in searching if u can get it online?
newbie
Activity: 27
Merit: 0
@LulzSec just took a $7k BTC donation and announced it was using it to buy servers to pwn the FBI lol
Oh, jesus.  This is bad.



Not as bad as #1 enemy of USA Wikileaks accepting Bitcoin donations. The moment Wikileaks started accepting it it was a doomed currency, you know eventually clownshoes American's would try to go after it. Just be sure you aren't a US based exchanger or you will get picked up by the Secret Service like that guy peddling the Liberty Dollar in Florida, and every single exchanger in the 1990s crackdown

Still nothing they can do except harass their own citizens trading it, rest of us and our coins are fine tho
sr. member
Activity: 294
Merit: 250
@LulzSec just took a $7k BTC donation and announced it was using it to buy servers to pwn the FBI lol
Oh, jesus.  This is bad.
Why? Presumably they're turning that BTC into USD in order to buy the servers. U.S. DOLLARS USED TO FUND DOMESTIC CYBER TERROR GROUP!
sr. member
Activity: 294
Merit: 250
If you had to choose one service to survive, dooming the other one to failure, would it be Bitcoin, or Silkroad?

This is a false choice. Silk Road(s) cannot exist without Bitcoin. Bitcoin cannot exist while also prohibiting Silk Road(s).
member
Activity: 84
Merit: 10
@LulzSec just took a $7k BTC donation and announced it was using it to buy servers to pwn the FBI lol
Oh, jesus.  This is bad.

member
Activity: 84
Merit: 10
Now, IF the government associates Silk Road with Bitcoins and attemps to do something about Bitcoins, then that could be a problem. But then the problem is not Silk Road, but rather the government officials. If they are moronic enough to try and take Bitcoins down because of Silk Road, then that shows our government is full of idiots (though I consider this to be readily apparent) that can't make logical connections and conclusions. Don't blame Silk Road for idiots that run this country. If we keep letting the idiots have their way (which, in your case, would be by blaming Silk Road and trying to get rid of it), then we will continue to be stuck in this idiotic mess.
Hans - have you read the material on senator Charles Schumer?  I apologize if you already are in the know, but if you are not, please google Charles Schumer Bitcoin.  It becomes extremely clear that this PR war is already underway in precisely the method you fear.

EDIT: spelling
newbie
Activity: 27
Merit: 0
Quote
they would find other excuses to demonize Bitcoin.  

@LulzSec just took a $7k BTC donation and announced it was using it to buy servers to pwn the FBI lol

there's other ways to get paid anonymously if you know what your doing. lot's of carders run cleaning services for LR and WM/WU

i can see them going after MtGox. i hope he has an offshore domain name and hosting
newbie
Activity: 8
Merit: 0
I am a single, small and un-influential voice in this community, and I want you gone, Silkroad.  This has nothing to do with my personal views on unrestricted trade among consenting adults, and everything to do with the fact that the united states government in its totality has every motive to discredit, damage and disable Bitcoin by any means necessary, and that if Senator Charles Schumer's current actions have any weight to them, the machinery for this has already been set into motion, using you.

You, Silkroad, are a tremendous liability to Bitcoin, and while the users here who are interested in Bitcoin purely for black transactions will disagree vocally with my opinion, your assocation with us is extremely damaging.  You can and will be used against us, and I for one want you gone.  I do not wish to purchase illegal substances with Bitcoins.  I want Bitcoins to be the image of moral progress to the people in my country, and as public opinions stand, this cannot come to be for as long as puppets like Schumer can gleefully call Bitcoins "the black market currency". I want you to drop Bitcoins as an accepted currency and terminate all association with Bitcoin.

You are, collectively, a huge threat to the Bitcoin movement, for purely political reasons, and I have no doubt in my mind that the cause Bitcoins represents is socially and economically many orders of magnitude more important for mankind's well being than you, Silkroad. I only wish more Bitcoin users here would recognize the danger of your association with us.

If the government gets involved in this, Silk Road shouldn't make Bitcoins look any worse than when drugs are bought with "real" currency. The only thing the government should care about is drug trade, regardless of what currencies are being used. The currencies are, themselves, completely legal.

Now, IF the government associates Silk Road with Bitcoins and attemps to do something about Bitcoins, then that could be a problem. But then the problem is not Silk Road, but rather the government officials. If they are moronic enough to try and take Bitcoins down because of Silk Road, then that shows our government is full of idiots (though I consider this to be readily apparent) that can't make logical connections and conclusions. Don't blame Silk Road for idiots that run this country. If we keep letting the idiots have their way (which, in your case, would be by blaming Silk Road and trying to get rid of it), then we will continue to be stuck in this idiotic mess.
member
Activity: 84
Merit: 10
Quote
Silk Road is not the end of Bitcoin. Bitcoin itself is evil enough in the eyes of the excited states, remember what happened to E-Gold? EBullion? All the arrested LR and Pecunix traders in the US? yeah
They had an easy kill with e-gold.  Completely centralized.  The resources they'll need to take down bitcoin are something else altogether.  But what you say has truth to it - without Silkroad, they would find other excuses to demonize Bitcoin.  It might be an impossible task to keep our image clean in the public eye, but we have to try, don't we?

-------

And anisoptera?  Rather than continue to argue with you, I have a simple question for you.

If you had to choose one service to survive, dooming the other one to failure, would it be Bitcoin, or Silkroad?
member
Activity: 308
Merit: 10
Then we are doomed to lose.  They will ban the possession and usage of bitcoins, they will subpoena ISPs (successfully), they will devise methods of tracking who is likely to use them, and the same machinery that makes search and seizure of narcotics from individuals so profitable will, with a slight change of its gears, shift to grind miners and traders in their teeth instead of growers.
And then people will use Tor for bitcoin by default. Or bitcoin will change its protocol to evade this. Or Bitcoin will be made illegal, but someone will just start a new blockchain.

Quote
What if what Silk Road does isn't illegal in its country? Just because something is illegal in the US doesn't make it illegal everywhere. Nothing ties Silk Road to any one country, and certainly not the US.
This is true, and valid, and as unfortunate for the health of Bitcoin in the US as it is fortunate for Silkroad's well being everywhere.

The US is not the world, and if the US bans Bitcoin but the rest of the world doesn't, it's not going to be a problem. For Bitcoin, that is. The US might find itself in a bad position.
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