Quote from: BSGMiner on March 25, 2018, 07:16:39 PM

Quote from: Waztim on March 25, 2018, 11:14:06 AM

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Bitcoin must stay decentralized.
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Bitcoin is the ultimate concept that you can take control of your own lives and banking/financial requirements.
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It's Bitcoin baby, the ultimate [censored] to Centralized Control Freak Bankers. The enslavers.
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A common means of exchange between Nations and People that cannot be corrupted by a Central Banking System...

I agree with much of what you said in your original post; however, I picked out the above phrases to highlight an eye-opener that I've recently realized--granted, I'm still new to the whole payment exchange process--that led me to believe there are already third parties involved that seem to be the gatekeepers to the freedom you speak of.

For example, I just ordered my first hardware wallet, and let's say when I get it that I don't ever want to use the company who made it to handle my transactions--or any other company or that matter... What can I do? How can I single-handedly send you some Bitcoin without that or another third party being the middleman used to propagate that transaction to the rest of the Bitcoin network? Is there a way I can sweep my mining proceeds into my hardware wallet and buy something online without involving a third party? I'd love to know a simple way to do this.

Also, if Bitcoin isn't the digital equivalent of handing someone precious metals, then aren't we still headed the direction of a cashless society with Big Brother watching, tracking, and data mining our every move? This does not sound like freedom to me.

Just a couple of things that stood out...how do you see any third party involved if you're sending BTC from your Core to theirs? It doesn't go anywhere other than the tx network itself. Even if you're paying for something online using Bitpay or that other new(er) service (read as with Newegg, Hostwinds, etc.) they're only providing the exchange service to the seller, not you (you're not paying a premium yourself to use the service).

Seems the nexus of this is where you store your coin...which subject accounts for at least a couple of hundred pages on this board... Cool

...which is about the only place a "third party" comes in. Some of us whom have been around since the white paper (and before Mt. Gox) have pretty strong opinions in that area. Reader's Digest version...your own Core on your own computer is the safest, IMHO.

Mine on.