BITCON... WHY its totally FLAWED

Discussion in 'Digital Currencies' started by 1for1, Aug 6, 2012.

  1. spdz

    spdz New Member

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    Ok, lets go get rich!

    25x Quad-Spartan 6 LX150 FPGA Board @ US$950ea (volume pricing) = US$23,750
    ..gets us 21.5Ghash/sec. By comparison, deepbit.net (distributed mining effort) is currently running 3,455 Gh/s and claiming to have mined 1m coins in its first year.

    Current difficulty of 1155038 allows us to 'mine' 18 bitcoin a day / ~$185 a day.
    39W of power per unit x25 = 970W plus control system (probably 1000W total). I'll let someone else do the power costing.


    Obvious problems - difficulty change, exchange rate crash, power price hike, hacks....
     
  2. 1for1

    1for1 Well-Known Member

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    What a Crock of Schitt

    If you cant dazzle them with Brilliance, Baffle them with BS...

    THere is no reason youd need anything other than your mummas laptop... All i am hearing is hollow strawman shout em down arguments... "the science has been confirmed" the talk is over its legit.. it must be because they use a super computer "calculated Algorithm" to incrementally increase the supply.. like this is a reason to pay for something that has no value... i doubt "there complex" method of feeding the public an electronic coin would fool many when a simply time release would do the same thing.. im sorry but mining for gold has real costs... no ones that are just on papaer to make there scheme seem like something its not.. a finite commodity with actual properties making it useful as a monetray alternative,


    things it is not.

    1for1
     
  3. bron suchecki

    bron suchecki Active Member Silver Stacker

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    You clearly have not read all about it. There are no "these guys" who issue bitcoins (it is a peer to peer system), there are legitimate hard cash costs to the transaction validation process (which "produces" bitcoins) and the maximum limit of bitcoins that can ever be produced is hard coded into the mathematics.

    I don't have any problem with those aspects and think it is a very smart design. The issues I have are:

    1. all transactions are visible, so you have to use randomising services to mix up bitcoin addresses
    2. you have extra risks trying to secure your bitcoin "files" from loss
    3. because the costs of validation are high it seems this is becoming limited to "miners" who have the big dollars to set up the hardware, which means over time you may well end up with a limited number of these validators, who then effectively "own" the system and if enough of them with a majority of processing power agree with each other, they can change the rules (and thus I assume the max number of bitcoins).
    4. Is electronic, relying on the internet and electricity, without either you can't spend bitcoins.

    The first two points I see as a turnoff for average people. There is a tradeoff between ease of use and security/robustness. Unfortunately average person wants ease of use.
     
  4. LTEK4NZ

    LTEK4NZ Member Silver Stacker

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    and once you've set the system up. you hope you can live off it.
    or you can go get a real job and earn real AUD which you then exchange for REAL food and Ag / Au as you see fit.
    or you do both at the same time and have a nice little win lose project on your computer system.
     
  5. thatguy

    thatguy Active Member

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    [​IMG]
    https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Controlled_Currency_Supply
    From what I have read it would not be possible
    Kick Keynes where it hurts. Still prefer G&S but when bitcoins crash again I may be tempted :)
     
  6. spdz

    spdz New Member

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    Collusion in a finance market, who would have thought..

    Yep!

    (bitcoin / aud / coles gift cards) ......... (food / water / silver / 3000000 cans of beans ;) )
     
  7. 1for1

    1for1 Well-Known Member

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    I was expecting a strawman "you dont understand" generic statement.. please i was trying to be more sophisticated here and discuss specific points and what is recoverable from the basics of a good idea. Rather than tell me i need to understand basic computer facts can you please address actual posts im making as your generic response could be pasted into any thread even posing the question.

    I understand P2P as its a rather simple process. Although id say baffling people with Jargon is the marketing strategy... i actually think part of the strategy is TO MAKE THE BARRIERS TO ENTRY SEEM SO GREAT they get no compeition.. if it was a simple time trigger there would be various competitors already.. by inventing a complicated expensive system they hoodwink idiots and make it appear difficult for anyone else to emulate there business model (whereis the truth is a simple program could generate this very system to the tee).

    OF course limiting there creation is key, yet the way they do so is revolutionary/ a total waste of time.. a time trigger would be a basic sustitute and could even mirror results.

    Not sure how this validates the fact a private individual profits at the expense of those who buy into something that ticks the WORTHLESS box in all catagories. ... its much like why we want to stop the private banks (IRB IMF) from creating money as debt..

    Im not impressed they have BIG COP (costs of production) when the system would work the same as if they did it with a trigger... as i said.. they are a law unto themselves.. to me the MAX is like a govts debt ceiling, have it there until it gets close and then bump it up... not sure why you put so much trust in the hands of the owners/creators... HAVENT WE LEARNT COMPANIES ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THERE WORD AND THAT THEY CAN GO BACK AND SCREW INVESTORS MAKING UNPOPULAR DECSIONS PURELY FOR PROFIT MAXIMISISING REASONS? Are Bitcoin a charity or for profit?

    Not sure why regurguitating their speil makes it more legit... not saying its not a good short term buy... just saying its a poor model if the goal is to create an optimum monetary system.. this totally blows like our current money as debt system..

    Im sure Bill Still would critique this well... anyone heard Bill (the money master) talk about (SH)it coin?

    the whole idea of a decent system would be money created debt free to benefit society, not private hands..

    1for1
     
  8. bron suchecki

    bron suchecki Active Member Silver Stacker

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    I understand the coded limit, but the code can be changed if agreed, and this happens now for minor improvements. The code can be changed by anyone, the problem is the other users running on a different code version would not recognised your different bitcoins because the validation process is working off the old code. But if you have a majority of validators agree to accept a new code version (with a higher limit of bitcoins) and tell users they need to "upgrade" their code accordingly (for whatever reason), then the bitcoin system will fork into that new version.

    People could still continue to use the older 21 million limited version, but if the majority of users and validators are using the new version then you have an incentive to upgrade as well or get left out.

    Re deflation, yes who would want people to save but I don't see how saving means people don't invest in businesses and create jobs, that is exactly how most save.

    The biggest problem with deflation for governments is that you could "invest" your cash at very low rates (say 1%) but if prices dropped 10% per year, your are 11% better off. Problem is govt can only tax you on the 1%, whereas in inflation environment you would earn 11% interest and pay tax on that.
     
  9. bron suchecki

    bron suchecki Active Member Silver Stacker

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    Follow on, this just appeared in my RSS feed

    http://themonetaryfuture.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/top-10-bitcoin-statistics.html

    5. Hash Rate Distribution - This pie chart is an estimation of hash rate distribution amongst the largest mining pools. It is important to monitor because the integrity of the network depends on a single actor not exceeding 50% of the overall hashing power.

    [I note if you go to the link given in the article there are not many who could get ove 50% easily]

    9. Average Transaction Confirmation Time - This measures the average (mean) amount of time in minutes that it takes for a transaction to be accepted into a block. Reasonable estimates differ on the amount of time and confirmations for a transaction to be considered cleared and 'good' but that appropriate risk level would be associated with the transaction's value.

    [note that it takes about 10 minutes before a transaction is confirmed, better than a bank account but not instantaeous as it is often presented]
     
  10. Water&Food

    Water&Food New Member

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    Away from this hell bent place
    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA holden vs ford

    Can understand both sides. Personally, I side with IF IT AIN'T PHYSICAL.

    Two words:
    Tulip Bubble.

    However, it is the future, but I will not be joining in. Might see you in sewer city in the future, put a rat burger on the barbie mate.
     
  11. Dogmatix

    Dogmatix Active Member

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    It does sound a tad ponzi. The ones who benefit the most from mining are the early adopters. I guess that isn't the definition of a ponzi though.

    So what they've essentially done is try to engineer artificial scarcity - and they've somewhat achieved it. But it also lacks any kind of sovereign control - ie, a country having control of its own money, which means it can be used as leverage. Can you imagine the US witholding bitcoins from Iran? Iran would stop using them. That kind of thing is happening now, but not because there are not enough USDs floating around, but simply because they have no value. Bitcoin can lose value in a similar way, not because it is not scarce enough, but because it is not universally accepted.

    Probably the biggest few biggests hurdles bitcoin has are:
    - being accepted for payment of taxation
    - being 'allowed' by Govt and not being made illegal, eg for money laundering
    - being proven to be stable and not just a speculative instrument (big price swings in its short life)
    - getting over this BS mining crap...seriously?

    Conversely, it would be nice if bitcoin was 'untouchable' by Govt, like PMs, but i'd say it is fairly easily confiscatable.
     
  12. Guest

    Guest Guest

    Bitcoin may turn out to be a good investment, in a certain time frame. In fact I reckon it may spike up handsomely. But the following reasons prevent me from even looking at them seriously.

    1. What's to stop a bitcash or something from coming out tomorrow?

    2. Any problems with computers is a problem with bitcoin.

    3. Technology in 20 years could make the foundation that bitcoin is built upon look like a joke.

    4. Gold and silver surge ahead and make bitcoin look like a very silly investment :D
     
  13. thatguy

    thatguy Active Member

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    Free market economics

    no more or less the electronic cash

    unlikely... HIGHLY UNLIKELY

    Finally a winner
     
  14. Dogmatix

    Dogmatix Active Member

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    It already did that, once. I can't recall the spread exactly, but it was up around $30USD and now is sitting around $10.

    http://bitcoincharts.com/charts/mtgoxUSD#tgSzm1g10zm2g25zv

    It's pretty flakey so far, but so is silver ;)

    So... what about bitcoin numismatics? "Check this bitcoin out, i got it in 2010"
     
  15. spannermonkey

    spannermonkey Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    [​IMG]
    Just like fruitbook
     
  16. Jislizard

    Jislizard Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    I thought bitcoins were more a 'means of transaction' than a 'store of wealth', enabling secure online transactions without needing to pay for a service such as Paypal.

    When I start seeing lots of websites accepting bitcoins then I might join in but I am done with early adopting.

    It is not something I would speculate with, having read up on it I have chosen to go with physical metals, it is hard enough explaining a silver bar to people, explaining bitcoins is way too hard to make it worthwhile.
     
  17. Lovey80

    Lovey80 Well-Known Member

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    Did I mention snake oil?
     
  18. JulieW

    JulieW Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Leaving the good dog bad dog arguments out of it. The US has the ability to create stuxnet and bring down the Iranian nuclear program.

    What makes you think that they wouldn't have a vested interest and a lot of motivation to just collapse the bitcoin enterprise with any number of trojan virus bomb code disrupters which would just give you a large binary collection of diddly squat electrons.

    When they release government authorised bitcoin clones then original bitcoin will be outlawed or destroyed.
     
  19. spdz

    spdz New Member

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    Exactly this. 'Investing' in bitcoins would probably be a bad idea - using them for transactions (instead of USD etc) is a great idea.
     
  20. Dogmatix

    Dogmatix Active Member

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    Except that their inherent design is to create scarcity - to act as a store of wealth.

    A medium of exchange does not require scarcity - only a rate of exchange with the 'store of wealth' is required. The point is that people shouldn't hold the medium of exchange for any significant length of time.

    (Obviously you wouldn't want a medium of exchange that increased in volume exponentially from day to day)

    /End of FOFOA rant.
     

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