Re: Alternatives to Western Union
;) Matt, I regret getting into a "debate"(?) with you about technology... for several reasons. (1) These things are not matters of debate. They are facts which anyone who cares can google and learn or even take online classes to learn. It's totally pointless to "debate" them. (2) Nobody here understands what we're talking about... and even if they did, they definitely don't care about it. This is not the right audience.
If you would really like to learn about this stuff, please contact the founder/ceo of Airbitz. He will be happy to answer all of your questions and explain everything. By the way, no, Airbitz is not *my* project. I have nothing to do with it. I'm just a huge fan of it because of it's cutting edge technology, especially with regard to security, decentralization, privacy, but also in the area of ease of use.
Seriously, if you care at all about the truth, then watch each of these first two videos several times until you really understand what they're saying... They are a good starting point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkTyxnhZ16w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFoEdKxH1fQ
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... z+security
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
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Originally Posted by bruce_nyc
Matt, I regret getting into a "debate"(?) with you about technology
You have yet to give any semblance of a technical response, whereas I have, so yeah, I don't blame you for regretting it.
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Originally Posted by bruce_nyc
If you would really like to learn about this stuff, please contact the founder/ceo of Airbitz.
I know the protocol inside and out, and am also quite well versed in online security these days, so thanks, but no thanks. I started this journey about 2.5 years ago when a long-term client hit me up, and asked me to develop a bitcoin site for him. I accepted, and the next year of my life was definitely a strong learning curve, waking up nearly every monrning to e-mails with subjects such as "URGENT! Hackers again!". Go through that for a year, and you'll quickly hone your online security skills.
Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. If AirBitz is actually passing keys around on a P2P network encrypted with just the user's password, then again, that's a very stupid and dangerous thing to do. My assumption is they got a little carried away with the concept of decentralization, and made some fundamental flaws during development. That's just one of those things you don't do. Ask any online security expert, and they'll agree with me.
My apologies for getting so defensive, but again, you're fucking with people's money by giving bad advice. Don't do that unless you know what you're talking about.
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
I first got into IT consulting about 37 years ago. As I may have mentioned, I worked my way up to Director of IT R&D for a Fortune 400 company. Later, I launched my own IT consulting firm... and had one of the largest banks in the US as a major client. I ran that for several years. I got out of that just a year or so before the tech bubble burst.
I first discovered bitcoin in November 2010, less than 2 years after Satoshi created it and launched the blockchain. I immersed myself in understanding everything about the network, the protocol, and how it all works.... I practically didn't eat or sleep for 2 weeks... just studying it 24 hours a day.... just because I recognized that it was pure genius, and I wanted to understand everything about it. One bitcoin was selling for about $0.20 at that time. ( The price had just climbed suddenly. It had been at about $0.06 per bitcoin for most of 2010. Today the price is $415 per bitcoin. ) I used to chat with Satoshi himself directly on the bitcoin forum ( the predecessor of what later became the wasteland called bitcointalk ). The lead developer of bitcoin, who Satoshi appointed to take over running the project, is a close friend of mine as well.
Also, I am fanatical about bitcoin security and safety.
These days I spend my time educating people about bitcoin, and enjoying life in Thailand with my bf. ;)
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
haha, you're friends with Gavin? Ok... :) He's not too well liked any more, for obvious reasons.
Or maybe Greg Maxwell you're talking about? He's still very well respected.
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Originally Posted by bruce_nyc
Also, I am fanatical about bitcoin security and safety.
Quite obviously not, because you're under the assumption private keys are passed around the blockchain. You have no idea about BIP32, and don't understand the basics.
Let's just agree to disagree. That's easier.
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Gavin. He was the 2nd in charge technical lead of the Bitcoin project when he and Satoshi were working on it together. Then, just before Satoshi decided to disappear, he appointed Gavin to be the 1st lead of the project..... which he has remained..... until recently. Anyone who doesn't have the highest praise for Gavin, is ignorant of things.
Nowadays, I'd say about 99% of the "bitcoin community" ( if you could call it that ) is totally ignorant of how bitcoin really works, the history of the network, everything.
It's very much like the Internet itself. In the earliest days of the Internet, it was the creators of the Internet themselves who were the users. Nowadays, 99.9% of Internet users don't have the first clue about how it works.
I was among the first early users of what was the predecessor of the Internet. ....of the first Mac. ....of the first Windows. Of many things. And I was among the very few who were the first ones into, and using, bitcoin. I could go on and on. But this is the wrong forum for this topic.
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
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Originally Posted by cdnmatt
Quite obviously not, because you're under the assumption private keys are passed around the blockchain. You have no idea about BIP32, and don't understand the basics.
Again, everything in this statement is incorrect. But I'm not going to get into it here.
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Gavin's commit access to the Github repository has been revoked, because him and Mike Hearn tried to hijack bitcoin with XT. However, XT failed miserably, which is good -- Gavin and Mike can go fuck themselves with their blacklists, centralization, denying Tor nodes, etc.
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Nowadays, I'd say about 99% of the "bitcoin community" ( if you could call it that ) is totally ignorant of how bitcoin really works
You don't know either. You thought the BIP32 private key I posted previously was wrong, and it's not.
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It's very much like the Internet itself.
Yes, the difference being we're fucking with people's money now. Don't do that unless you know what you're talking about, and trust me, you don't.
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Again, everything in this statement is incorrect. But I'm not going to get into it here.
Then explain to me Mr. IT consulatant who's been in the business for 37 years, how is it incorrect?
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
( I'm not going to reply to any more nonsense posts. )
But back to the OP's original topic....
Yes, Bitcoin is *the* free and instant alternative to using Western Union.
If anyone would like simple step by step instructions for sending money internationally for free..... using bitcoin, send me a PM..... or ask here. I'm happy to help.
__
One side note, I am surprised that more businesses in Pattaya aren't accepting bitcoin yet. The Pattaya Beer Garden at the foot of Walking Street has been accepting bitcoin for a long time now.... and they love it, obviously. And we have many gay businesses here in Bangkok who are already accepting Bitcoin. But I don't know why more other gay and non-gay businesses in Pattaya are not accepting bitcoin yet.
To get your business set up to accept bitcoin, it's as easy as setting up a free email account. And there are zero fees. Zero charge backs. Let me know if anyone would like (free) help with this as well.
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
https://youtu.be/kkTyxnhZ16w?t=25m57s
About half way into this video, Paul starts talking about Airbitz. It's a real eye opener.
Re: Alternatives to Western Union
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruce_nyc
https://youtu.be/kkTyxnhZ16w?t=25m57s
About half way into this video, Paul starts talking about Airbitz. It's a real eye opener.
And right out of the gate he begins discussing how they pass private keys around on a P2P network they developed. Again, even if encrypted, you don't do that. It has to be two-way encryption, which makes the concept even worse. I'm a little uncertain what their end goal was, but they made some very fundamental flaws during development. Even just mnemonic passwords would have been better than that, and I dislike those as well to the point I refuse to integrate them either.
He also mentioned quite a few inaccuracies in that video. I'm assuming he knows what he's talking about though, and is just dumbing it down for the audience. He seems like an intelligent guy, so all the best to AirBitz, but I think they need to revisit the drawing board on a few crucial aspects. I promise you, if and when this thing gains traction, people are going to get their money stolen.