Quote from: TheMagikarp on May 29, 2011, 01:58:10 PM

Quote from: cvramen on May 29, 2011, 07:46:03 AM

I am a person of higher-than-average intelligence and I am an IT professional. I know how computers and the internet work.

And yet you didn't think to Google for your answer.

Ahem...

Quote from: cvramen on May 29, 2011, 07:46:03 AM

I have spent over an hour just trying find a way to acquire Bitcoins and I have given up

This "over an hour" also includes searches on google Tongue

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Quote from: WakiMiko on May 29, 2011, 10:07:50 AM

Quote

I am a person of higher-than-average intelligence

I bet everyone thinks that of themselves. Roll Eyes

LOL

Quote from: bitdragon on May 29, 2011, 10:14:23 AM

Quote from: WakiMiko on May 29, 2011, 10:07:50 AM

Quote

I am a person of higher-than-average intelligence

I bet everyone thinks that of themselves. Roll Eyes

Depends on the view of intelligence, and in my book, intelligence is definitely not about being above, better than others in any way- quite the opposite, and even less about saying it loud.

Yeah, well there's this thing called an IQ test....

I knew before I posted, that some people were gonna come up with some unsympathetic posts or otherwise say some not constructive things. I think the point of saying "person of higher than average intelligence" was to emphasize the problem here. I did not come to show off or anything like that (why do *I* care what a bunch of people I don't know on some internet forum think about me?). The point I was trying to make was...

1. I know how to download a program and install it on my computer
2. I have sufficient wealth in order to be willing to take the risk of investing some of it in a new currency.
3. I sympathize with the goal of abolishing government-issued currency.

There are so many people out there that have do not even fall into *one* of the above categories. In order to get this bitcoin thing off the ground they gotta get people to want to participate. Eventually, they have to make this thing useable for a wide variety of people. I LIKE Bitcoin. I WANT Bitcoin to work.

Sorry if my original post did not make sense, but I don't know what to do other than to go to the Bitcoin forum and bring up the fact there is (or at least, there appears to be) a problem. Just remember, we want Bitcoin to succeed, and therefore, we are all on the same side. Grin

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Quote from: srb123 on May 29, 2011, 12:28:01 PM

Quote from: cvramen on May 29, 2011, 07:46:03 AM

I downloaded and installed the Bitcoin program. I then looked for a way to acquire Bitcoins.

Bitcoins aren't acquired, they are earned.

How do you earn them?
1. Mine. (Boring.)
2. Sell something useful to someone for bitcoin.
3. Exchange. (mtgox.com et al.)

Just because the internet is all about instant gratification, doen't mean bitcoin is. Unfortunately for we humans we need to earn money by participating in an economy, just is in real life.
(Dont know about you, but when I was born, some stranger didn't just walk up and hand me a fiver, it took a while.)

Well same is true for me. I'm 24 and I've been employed for the past 7 years. I've been working at jobs where I've earned money (in the form of US Dollars) I'm just trying to exchange some of them. And yes, I know that currency exchange is a service, and that whatever the exchange fees are, I'm willing to pay. The exchanger is doing something for somebody and deserves to be compensated. I certainly *do* want to engage in exchanges that benefit both sides and the people who do business with me should earn something for whatever they're doing for me.

As a matter of fact, I just bought some Shire Silver a few days ago. I gave the company some US Dollars, and they gave me gold and silver that fits in my wallet. The amount of US Dollars I gave them was more than the actual US Dollar value of gold and silver, because I'm paying not only for the gold/silver, but the service of cutting and packaging the gold/silver into a specific form, shipping it to me, and any other costs associated with that business.
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Quote from: sortedmush on May 29, 2011, 12:29:19 PM

Quote from: cvramen on May 29, 2011, 07:46:03 AM

I am a person of higher-than-average intelligence and I am an IT professional.

I am an unemployed person of lower than average intelligence.
I managed to buy bitcoins after 20ms research.

Good to know you're having a better first experience than me.

Quote from: Drifter on May 29, 2011, 01:18:38 PM

IF the world ran on bitcoin, exchanges would be faster than ever before. No waiting for funds to be deposited into your bank account, then to your online account, then to pay someone else. No overdrafts, no fees. If I was paid with bitcoins I could send money overseas to family in need within minutes of receiving my paycheck, without having to wait for a bank transfer or an outrageous Western Union fee. You know the advantages...

Furthermore if bitcoin does come to reach further popularity, and some of your family/friends/neighbors had bitcoins, well you could just trade with them. Once we reach that level, exchange won't be a problem. If I could simply step into Walmart and hand them some cash for bitcoins, things would be easy. It's still a long path to get there, though, and the ones who are willing to go through the murky grounds now will reap the benefits later.

That is reassuring.

I wanna make that world happen. Grin

Quote from: trentzb on May 29, 2011, 04:19:31 PM

Darnit, I got excited for a moment. I thought someone created a Point of Sale terminal for Bitcoin.

Ya know, after I created this thread, I was afraid someone would think I was posting something like that Cheesy

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For those of you who made some constructive posts, thank you. And thank you to those who posted advice on what to do. I *did* go to the "official" FAQ page and looked at Mt Gox prior to posting this thread. I guess I'll try it again. And I'll take a look at some of the other websites people recommended.