Quote from: desired_username on July 11, 2013, 06:28:13 AM

Quote from: MAbtc on July 11, 2013, 06:13:11 AM

Quote from: desired_username on July 11, 2013, 05:48:22 AM

It seems you forgot about the utility aspect for the pure reason that you, personally don't have one for it.

The thing is, I can find lots of things to do with bitcoins. But in virtually all cases, it is much faster, convenient and liquid to use dollars. None of the bitcoin revolutionists here have explained -- what can you do with bitcoin that you can't do more easily with fiat?

You can store value / invest. And you can buy drugs in mail.

What else?

I find shopping with BTC a lot more convenient. I don't need to give away the necessary details for charging my account. By the nature of my work, I travel awfully lot. I got sting by card fraud many times which is quite annoying.

I can do international transfers very quickly and without horrendous wait times and fees. I can buy desired things which are not sold in my country (electronics, domains and many more).

As I said it previously, the usefulness of BTC is highly dependent on personal circumstances and geolocation.

Saying that it won't be mainstream is ignorant in my opinion. maybe it will maybe it won't. time will tell.

I don't see anything fundamental here, though. I mean, I get it, you like bitcoin. (So do I.) And great, there's a niche of tech geeks that like it too. Like this guy--

Quote from: psybits on July 11, 2013, 06:34:12 AM

Many people, including me, are captivated more by the technological aspects of the currency, and how different it is to anything which has come before, more than the black market aspect (myself included).

It is as revolutionary as the invention of the Internet itself, and is the first P2P currency to EVER be created.

I'm all for bitcoin as a payment system. I love anonymity and irreversible payments. But it's just so terribly illiquid. No one uses it. Whenever I've had to get cash to people, domestically or internationally, instant bank transfers and teller deposits (no/low fee) do the trick -- and that's how anyone I've ever known wants it (well, aside from those that require wires). I get the credit card fraud thing... and while that may hurt the image of credit cards for those affected by it, the BTC economy being the scam haven it is doesn't exactly help bitcoin's image either (in terms of adoption). I will say that when I have been a victim of CC fraud, the process was easy and my money was never in limbo. In the bitcoin economy, it is the Wild Wild West -- good luck getting recourse when your accounts are hacked, shady companies run off with your money, people defraud you, etc.

I don't live under a rock, but I've met one person, ever, who uses bitcoins and he is strictly a trader. I get that bitcoin can be used as a currency. By and large, it isn't, though. Perhaps someday. I don't think I said anything like bitcoin "won't be mainstream"... but it isn't. If you use bitcoin as a matter of convenience, I guarantee the vast majority of people (including myself) will use fiat as a matter of convenience. That, and as a matter of peace of mind, as I for one don't necessarily want to hold coins for long. Talking as if we are in some alternate reality where lots of people actually use bitcoin -- as many seem to do around here -- is just a pointless circle jerk.

I still see only two fundamental uses -- investment and black market trade. The rest is geek novelty and cult mentality, which, somehow, people around here pass off as utility.

I'm curious -- in regards to products you can buy with bitcoin (and not fiat? more conveniently than fiat?) what are you talking about, some more examples, web sites? From the perspective of someone who isn't actively involved with bitcoin and thus wouldn't be holding it, is this still true? I just don't see it.