-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mancs
Mt. Gox, Flexcoin, Poloniex, bitstamp, BTER-according to wiki all places where bitcoins were stolen, hacked, evaporated. Keep a tight hold of your digital wallet.
Exactly. For anyone getting into bitcoin, 1) don't use a web wallet, and 2) you're most likely going to end up using a HD BIP32 wallet, which means you'll have a private key like this (even if you don't see it):
xprv9s21ZrQH143K2JF8RafpqtKiTbsbaxEeUaMnNHsm5o6wCW 3z8ySyH4UxFVSfZ8n7ESu7fgir8imbZKLYVBxFPND1pniTZ81v Kfd45EHKX73
Keep that private key safe, and your funds will be fine. With current technology, you can not brute force (ie. guess) that key, so as long as you keep it away from the internet as much as possible, nobody can ever touch your funds. It's really that simple.
As I tell all my clients, I can't guarantee safety, but in 2.5 years I have yet to have a dollar stolen, so have a pretty decent track record.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnmatt
For anyone getting into bitcoin, 1) don't use a web wallet, and 2) you're most likely going to end up using a HD BIP32 wallet, which means you'll have a private key like this (even if you don't see it):
xprv9s21ZrQH143K2JF8RafpqtKiTbsbaxEeUaMnNHsm5o6wCW 3z8ySyH4UxFVSfZ8n7ESu7fgir8imbZKLYVBxFPND1pniTZ81v Kfd45EHKX73
Keep that private key safe, and your funds will be fine. With current technology, you can not brute force (ie. guess) that key, so as long as you keep it away from the internet as much as possible, nobody can ever touch your funds.
Although I *do* agree with everything you just said here.... from a factual standpoint....
The problem is.... as you well know.... Nobody here has *any* idea what you're talking about.... so what's the point? Just trying to hear yourself talk?
(1) If a user could ever get even close to seeing their own private keys... ( that long alphanumeric string you keep posting ), then whatever method they are using, IT IS NOT SAFE. A user should *never* be able to see that. And never needs to see that. You're trying to teach people how to drive by explaining the inner workings of a carburetor.... that you read out of a book. What's your point?
Quote:
...as long as you keep it away from the internet as much as possible, nobody can ever touch your funds.
(2) As long as you "keep it away from the internet" 10000%. Problem is, nobody knows what you mean by that ( not even you ). This private key can never never never touch an easily compromised laptop or desktop computer, for example. It can certainly never be passed via an easily compromised USB device of any kind.
Your private keys should either remain encrypted and offline completely ( on paper, for example)..... or they should exist *only* in the secure memory of a secure device ( Android or iPhone ) and never ever leave that device unencrypted.
Unfortunately, the apps you've recommended don't meet these minimal security requirements. They also don't have any automatic encrypted backup function. So it's very easy to lose your money in a variety of ways.... with them.
Those apps are designed for bitcoin engineers and technologists who don't need to be told the basics of security. It is *assumed* that they already know better than to run them on any type of compromised computer with any type of an Internet connection. It's also assumed that they don't need to be told to encrypt their wallet on their own, and back it up off-site, on their own. However, even some of the most famous bitcoin developers themselves have made huge mistakes. ( Members of the core team, without mentioning any names, have made "stupid" mistakes and lost *thousands* of bitcoin. For example, one guy encrypted his wallet.dat file and then stupidly copied it to his Dropbox for backup. Of course, he lost everything. )
That's the beauty of Airbitz. All the most intelligent "security best practices" are built in by design. It's all automatic. The user doesn't have to do anything. It even protects the user from himself --- from making any of those stupid mistakes on his own. And they made it as easy to use as any normal banking app.... even easier, in fact.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruce_nyc
The problem is.... as you well know.... Nobody here has *any* idea what you're talking about.... so what's the point? Just trying to hear yourself talk?
Because I'm trying to dumb it down for people. You can think of that private key I posted above as a credit card number, except more important, because if / when your funds get stolen there is no bank to call. AirBitz is encrypting that key, and passing it around to a P2P network when they don't even know who the owners of the nodes are, which is a massive design flaw.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruce_nyc
(2) As long as you "keep it away from the internet" 10000%. Problem is, nobody knows what you mean by that ( not even you ).
I know exactly what I'm talking about. I've even developed an offline signing app in Python which is open sourced.
And I don't really care... I'm going to go continue my search for Kim. I don't know why, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about him for the past month. I know he's in Bangkok now, but that's all I know.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
PS -- Saying "HD BIP32" is redundant. It's like calling them, "those gay homosexuals". Both terms mean the same thing.
Also, you don't need to be using an HD wallet to have a private key. Every bitcoin, since the beginning of bitcoin, ( years before HD wallets were invented ), has a private key. It's one of the most basic elements of the bitcoin network.
But again, users don't *need* to understand that the rod to stroke ratio (R/S) is the center-to-center length of the conrod divided by the stroke. ......in order to safely drive their Toyota to the mall. That sort of talk is intentional gobbledygook to an audience of normal people.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
I hope you find Kim. He shouldn't be that difficult to find. Through former friends? Former coworkers?
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnmatt
I've even developed an offline signing app in Python which is open sourced.
If you're interested in offline signing, you might be interested in taking a look at the open source app one of my friends here in Bangkok developed. I gave him the structure and design input. We met every week. And he coded it.
It uses script key stretching to make a brain wallet that you can memorize, yet that actually cannot be brute forced. It's pretty cool.
Take a look at it here: http://easy-btc.org
-
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Also, merchants and shop owners can easily use this tool to give to every waiter and cashier.... so they can receive payments only.... directly into the shop owner's Airbitz Wallet..... ( even if the owner is in Tahiti ).
With this, they can Receive payments only. Nothing else.
http://easy-btc.org/#receive
The owner can designate one bitcoin address for receiving payments on http://onename.com and assign it to a handle.
For example, this one: https://onename.com/eatmerestaurant is the bitcoin address for Eat Me ( a gay owned restaurant I love! in Bangkok http://eatmerestaurant.com )
So now, any waiter, cashier, anyone can go to http://easy-btc.org/#receive and enter "eatmerestaurant" on the "adresss" line. ( The photo confirms that you have the correct address ) ....and enter the amount in Thai Baht.... or any world currency.
This allows the waiters and cashiers to receive the correct amount at any time.... but only receive. They cannot spend. They cannot even check the balance.
All they have to do is show this qr code to the customer to pay....
:)
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruce_nyc
I hope you find Kim. He shouldn't be that difficult to find. Through former friends? Former coworkers?
Me too. He was an asshole, but an asshole who genuinely loved me.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Got him! Or I should later today at least.
Now whether or not he misses / loves me is another question.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Perhaps you maybe want to go back and re read a few of your old posts and just remind yourself of the not so joyous time you had when with him before allowing the rose tinted glasses of love and lust to cloud your vision once more ?
By all ( of your own) accounts he treated you like shit, used you and physically threatened you - do you REALLY need all that drama back in your life, when we break up with someone it's usually for a very good reason and I'm guessing that reason still exists where Kim is concerned and surely in the whole of Thailand you can find a nice guy who won't do all the things I've already mentioned and that you have already told us and many others about before to you again just because you're feeling a little lovesick about what "might have been" - but WASN'T.
Find a nice guy, move on and don't look back ( in life ever) is my advice ( that you didn't ask for !) but of course once you post to a / the board then you're sort of opening yourself up for others opinions whether you like the answers you get back or not I guess.
Either way, no matter how things end up chok dee and all the nest with it and I just hope that history doesn't repeat itself for you.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
I only posted about the bad things regarding Kim. I'm not Mr. Perfect either, and although he was an asshole, he did genuinely love me. Plus it's been over 2 years, so there's a chance he's matured enough by now to be capable of a proper relationship. As long as he can adhere to a couple simple rules, he's taken care of for the rest of his life. For example, no partying in the house -- if you want to party, go into town somewhere and do it.
And yes, I want him. It's not about lust. Sex is a Line message away. I keep meeting various guys, and have yet to find someone I can see myself actually loving day-in day-out. However, I can see myself doing that with Kim.
I don't know though. My old next door neighbor still hasn't gotten back to me. I guess one of Kim's ladyboy friends opened a beauty salon here in town somewhere, and she said she was going to visit her today to get Kim's phone# for me. Haven't heard back though, so no idea. Thinking about that, I'll drop her a message.
I'll find him somehow.
Besides, more than likely he's already in a relationship and will just tell me to go fuck myself for abandoning him.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
I keep meeting various guys, and have yet to find someone I can see myself actually loving day-in day-out"
I think if it was me I'd definitely keep looking just ! Anyway, like I said best of luck either way, I think you're nuts but who knows perhaps history won't repeat itself this time and his two years away from you will have made him realise just how much he loves you after all and this time things will all be different once you invest some more time and money on him to win him back and then he moves back in with you again - there, that's what you needed this time right......even if deep down you don't really believe it yourself either. Oh well, like I said ( genuinely) the best of luck with it and lets hope I'm wrong.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
I've only ever loved two people in my life (outside of my family). One is my ex-husband, and the other is Kim.
I don't get a choice about who I love. Love is just one of those things that happens.
I'm 34 now, and it takes about 2 years of living with someone to get to know them inside and out. I really don't feel like going through that process with someone new. Kim and myself already know each other.
More than likely, it's nothing though. Again, he's probably already in a relationship in Bangkok living a good life, and will tell me to go fuck myself. Who knows. I will eventually get his phone# and find out though.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
I can relate. ( to what *both* of you are saying )
My ex from New York finally called me one week ago, after refusing to even speak to me for a few years. What a shock! We had been together 18.5 years. All those ( good / love ) feelings come flooding back.... immediately followed by pangs of guilt.... "Did I abandon him?"
Sometimes it's not easy to keep a clear perspective on a relationship. While you're going through the break up....., you can only think about the bad things. Then years later... Looking at it a few years later in hindsight and nostalgia, you can only think about, and remember, the good things. That's natural. Our hearts and minds deceive us.
While what you say is true..... We don't get to choose who we fall in love with ( to some extent ).
It's even worse than that.
We don't get to choose who falls in love with us. Nor even.... How *much* someone may or may not fall in love with us.
So don't mistake *you* loving *him*...... for.... *him* loving *you*.... even if it seems like the same thing. It's not.
Not to mention.... His / our feelings change and evolve over time.
Be careful. Don't get your heart broken. Again.
It's also *very* possible to.... "Love someone from a distance." That's what I know I must do with my ex. I tell him I love him. But I know that I must keep a certain amount of distance between us ( for example, I could never live with him again ) in order to protect *myself*.
About meeting a new guy you could spend your life with.... It's a simple numbers game. The more guys you meet and get to know.... the better the chance you'll meet an amazing one..... or two... So meet six new guys a week.
When I came to Thailand in 2006, I met an amazing guy within 1 week. So I had 2 boyfriends. Six months later I met another amazing guy. Then I had 3 boyfriends. Then the 1st Thai guy broke up with me out of jealousy. ( the one I saw at A Bomb the other day ) Then only 3 weeks later, I met another amazing Thai guy. Then I was back to 3 boyfriends. Then my bf in New York and I mutually ended things... after 19 years. Then I had only 2 boyfriends. We all 3 lived together for about 1.5 years. Then the last one began to get more and more jealous. And then finally I caught the other one using drugs. He was so ashamed, he disappeared from my life. Then I had only 1 boyfriend..... until today. We're both very much in love and we make each other very happy.
But love is truly unlimited. When one relationship ends, for whatever reason, there's always another one waiting to find you. Like magic.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruce_nyc
So don't mistake *you* loving *him*...... for.... *him* loving *you*.... even if it seems like the same thing. It's not.
No, he actually did love me. I know this because we were poor as dirt during a good portion of our relationship, and he still stuck by my side. Now I'm no longer poor, so that may help alleviate some issues.
Got his phone# now though. Hasn't read any of the Line messages I sent yet, but hopefully will tomorrow. Who knows if the phone# I got is even active. Definitely him though. Much whiter than I remember, so he definitely lives in Bangkok, lol. Aged a fair bit, which is good. Still working morlam apparently.
Who knows.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
I don't doubt that he loved you....
The questions are:
How much? ....and....
How about now / still ?
But never stress about those things. If it's meant to be...... In other words, if you're meant to "love him from a distance", so be it. If you're meant to love him "close up", so be it.... as long as that's cool with both of you.
Nobody can stop you from loving someone..... even if it's "from a distance".
I've learned some of my most profound lessons from boyfriends.
First, was a joke....
Once, over breakfast, I asked my first Thai boyfriend... "How much do you love me?" He replied, "How much do you have?" :-*
Ha ha ha ( Ever heard the expression, Things said jokingly are meant seriously... )
I once asked my second Thai boyfriend, "If I was poor and had no money at all, would you still have chosen me to be your boyfriend?" He replied, "If I were fat, ugly, and feminine, would you have still chosen me to be your boyfriend?"
There is a lot of honesty and wisdom there in those two answers. There's nothing wrong with any of it. But keep it all in perspective. Going to "Paris" at Epcot Center in Disney World... isn't *really* Paris. ( .....not that it couldn't lead to a trip to the real Paris one day. :) )
( There. I brought it back to money. Are we back on topic now? ) :p
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Are we back on topic now?
That all depends, are you paying for your trip to Paris with real money or insisting on using more of those dodgy bloody Bitcoin things !!! :-)
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruce_nyc
I don't doubt that he loved you....
The questions are:
How much?[/quote]
Enough to stick by my side while I was poor as shit. That's probably the biggest thing I miss about him. He wasn't materialistic in the slightest. He just didn't care.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruce_nyc
IHow about now / still ?
Fucked if I know -- that's why I'm trying to get ahold of him. Whether or not he'd like a relationship with me, who knows. I'm pretty confident he'd be up for it though. At the very least, I'm sure he'd love to talk to me again. You don't spend 3.5 years of your life with someone, then just forget about them.
I have a phone# for him now, but the Line messages I sent are still unread. I'm not sure if this is his active phone#, or if he has a new one already, etc. The phone# I got is definitely him though, as I can see his Line profile pics.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnmatt
One is my ex-husband ...
I'm so pleased for you to hear that the divorce has finally come through.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by kommentariat
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnmatt
One is my ex-husband ...
I'm so pleased for you to hear that the divorce has finally come through.
I'm in Thailand, he's in Budapest, the marriage is in British Columbia, Canada, so I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter. Besides, I only ever hear from him via e-mail once every 2 - 3 months when he tells me how much he thinks about and misses me.
He's almost a bigger asshole than Kim was.
Line messages still unread, so quite obviously I got an old phone#. It's definitely him, but I don't think he's using that # any more.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
If it is a legal marriage..... then it *will* matter..... next time you want to get legally married.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Just as well you're going to marry Kim now once you find him as of course being Thailand you won't actually be married anyway even if you do ! ( sometimes Thai law isn't such a bad thing maybe ! :)
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
We'll worry about that if/when it comes. I'm sure I can get him to sign the papers now if I wanted. Before he refused, because he was worried about losing his permanent residency status. He's now officially pissed that away, because Canadian law stipulates permanent residents must reside within Canada 2 years out of every 5, and he hasn't done that.
Another thing that pisses me off. If I ever fall in love with someone decent, it's very unlikely I'll be able to bring them back to Canada. I'm pretty sure the Canadian government will only grant me one spousal sponsorship in this lifetime.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
I doubt that that's true. In the USA there is no specific limit on how many times you can get legally married and bring your foreign spouse to the US for permanent residency.
However, you *must* be single or divorced to get married again.... obviously.... which was my point.
I'd get to work on getting the marriage annulled or divorce finalized now.... before you need to be single. Otherwise, when the time comes you want to bring a guy to Canada, it might take a very very long time to get it all done. Not to mention, having to explain to Immigration Officers why you have remained married for so long when there was no relationship.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
you could always fall in love with a Canadian ....although I'm hearing they can be very demanding and put their pets first and are very selfish that way and stuff, I'm not sure where I heard that, i think I read it somewhere on the internet perhaps ! ? :-) ( joke :-)
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
If you read it on the internet..... then it *must* be true..... ;)
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
See, whilst I'm all for marriage equality etc this is SO why I've told my BF he can fuck right off that I'll not be getting married anytime soon / if ever as my god what a lot of drama and paperwork just to continue fucking the same person that you're already fucking !
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
he he and we're SO right back on topic too now ......."Alternatives to Western Union" - yes - a Thai Union - as it means fuck all legally which is GREAT depending on your needs ! :-)
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Exactly! If it weren't for the *lack* of freedom in mobility and travel.... we would never need to get married legally. Just for immigration rights.... we are forced to get married legally. If my bf were an American, I would never marry him legally in a million years. The government has no business *licensing* personal relationships at all in the first place.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruce_nyc
I doubt that that's true. In the USA there is no specific limit on how many times you can get legally married and bring your foreign spouse to the US for permanent residency.
Have you ever been through it? For us at least, it took about 18 months, $8000 (we had a good lawyer), and about 6 inches of paperwork. Initial application was about 4 inches thick, and during the process we sent in two more sets of documentation about 1 inch thick each. Didn't get interviewed though.
People love to bitch and complain about how Canada just let's everyone in, but no, that's not actually true. It's actually quite difficult to get into Canada.
Well, unless you're Syrian, then you get a free pass, which is really fucken cool in my opinion. I'm glad Harper is out of power.
[youtube:22sat86j]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e48U2pmc8Do[/youtube:22sat86j]
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Yes. I've been through it with many of my friends over the years.... And now, as you might have read here in this forum, I am going through the final stages of it with my bf now. We will probably be in New York by about this time next month.... getting married.... and then immediately getting his green card.
Yes, I've never seen so much paperwork for a single "transaction" in my life. I've bought and sold plenty of homes, condos, etc... but nothing like this. The pre-nup alone was 150+ pages.... and every single page had to be signed by both of us.... and *five* copies of it.... We thought our hands would fall off from signing papers all day.
We're flying to Yangon tomorrow.... just to get more documents that they need... from the government there. We also have to have about a hundred photos of us together, printed on paper the old fashioned way.... plus letters from dozens of friends and acquaintances who can attest to our relationship, etc., etc., etc...
We've been working on this visa process for almost 2 years now too.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
I can vouch for what you've just said there Matt as my marketing manager told me over a year and a half ago that he was leaving to emigrate to Canada. He has relatives there and already owns a house there ( left to him by a rich Canadian Aunt who died hence him moving there in the first place). He's VERY well qualified, has quote a bit of money in the bank and I've no doubt will be a model citizen but (thankfully for me) due to your strict immigration rules he's STILL employed by me here as his Visa is taking forever and he's still not even sure that he's getting one yet even ! Amazingly he said he even had to go and sit an English exam here as part of his application ( he's a native English speaker! ) which he said was tougher than many that he sat while in College ( and he's educated to degree level !) and still he's having to now wait now until his "score" gets high enough to get a visa granted ( or not) - and his application has been going on for almost two years ago now !
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
"The pre-nup alone was 150+ pages"
Holy shit - I'd only need the one page - which would state clearly and in black ink "You're getting FUCK ALL" - now, sign here or don't !
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
LOL Unfortunately that would be a waste of paper and ink.... because it won't hold up in court. You cannot say, "He gets nothing."
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Oh no, I'm betting a Belfast ( kangaroo ) Court could soon help you uphold that document - i.e. two men standing behind him complete with Balaclava masks on and each holding a pistol, I'm guessing that would make the courts decision VERY clear ! -See, it's not only the Thai's that can play dirty when money is at stake ! :-)
* I AM joking by the way before anyone thinks otherwise - well, probably :-)
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nirish guy
Amazingly he said he even had to go and sit an English exam here as part of his application ( he's a native English speaker! ) which he said was tougher than many that he sat while in College ( and he's educated to degree level !) and still he's having to now wait now until his "score" gets high enough to get a visa granted ( or not) - and his application has been going on for almost two years ago now !
I'm assuming he's applying under the "Skilled Worker" program? Then yeah, an English exam would make sense. Honestly, I don't know anything about the skilled worker application process.
I do know about the spousal sponsorship process though, and that's definitely not as easy as someone would think. They want DEFINITE proof the relationship is genuine. That's why it took 18 months, and a couple extra sets of documentation. We had to keep sending in date stamped photos, letters from people, e-mails, birthday cards, lease agreements, and all that type of shit, just to prove that yes, we do actually live together and our relationship is genuine.
That's actually the whole reason we moved to Europe. If you apply within Canada and get declined, there is no right to appeal, and you just get your deportation notice. Apply outside of Canada and get declined though, then you have the right to appeal. We thankfully didn't need it, and got approved without even an interview, but at least the option was available to us.
I very highly doubt I'd be able to get a Thai into Canada for PR status. What am I going to do? Show them my bitcoin wallet for proof of finances? Especially since I've already had one spousal sponsorship approved, and he pissed it away. I doubt I'm getting a second one.
Not the end of the world though. In Thailand, you can just buy immigration status -- 500,000 baht every 5 years, lol. And I wouldn't have a problem living here the rest of my life. Summers are a little too hot for my liking, but that's about it. Weather is excellent now. Everyone else is freezing and thinks it's cold it -- it's about +20C at night. If they think that's cold, they should really try out a Canadian winter at -40C. :)
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Ok, found him.
Let's just say he seems a little less than thrilled with me, so that idea is out the window.
Damn, and here I was hoping he would have matured by now, but obviously not. If I ever met him again, I think I'd end up with a knife in my neck, so we'll just leave that be.
Back to work.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Errr. He doesn't want to reunite with you so that makes him immature......
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad the Impala
Errr. He doesn't want to reunite with you so that makes him immature......
No, the fact that he sounds as though he's willing to murder me if he sees me again makes him immature. His words were a little less than cordial.
It was 2am though, so I'm assuming he was just drunk.
What the hell. Before, he was willing to basically murder a black market lottery agent in his mom's village over 7000 baht. Apparently, he hasn't matured past that yet.
I can understand his hatred, and it's fine. After all, I did basically straight up abandon him. I did give him a generous severance, but completely disappeared with no means of contact. It's been over 2 years, so I thought he has probably grown up by now, but I guess not. Oh well, shit happens, life goes on.
-
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
I seem to recall you were fairly sure that if he could have found you that he WOULD have murdered you when you last broke up - what is it they say about insanity being when you do the same thing and expect a different outcome ? Oh well, at least now you know, better to enable you to move on now - and just hope you haven't opened a can of worms that would have been better being left closed perhaps ! :-(