Quote from: Lorna Morgan on August 27, 2011, 07:54:02 PM

Quote from: Chris Acheson on August 27, 2011, 07:22:58 PM

Quote from: Lorna Morgan on August 27, 2011, 06:51:48 PM

That's right, it's really important that both currencies thrive side by side. We need a good exchange medium outside of $ / £ /

Why do you think it's important to have both? I'm pretty sure we're dealing with a natural monopoly here. There don't seem to be any significant benefits to having two viable blockchain-based currencies, while there a several disadvantages.

Even if another blockchain does overtake Bitcoin, SolidCoin won't be the one to do it. To be successful, the challenger would need to make significant protocol-level improvements, and even that might not be enough. CoinHunter hasn't done this. Protocol-wise, all he's done is changed a few constants; nothing more complex than what the creator of Ixcoin did.

I should say "don't ask me".

Why not? I'm asking for your reasoning behind the claim that you made. Who else would I ask?

Quote

Maybe there is a natural monopoly for one currency, that may not be Solidcoin, but it's just as likely not Bitcoin either.

By all accounts the "First to market" isn't always, or even usually, the final "winner". Look at Altavista V Google, Friendster V Facebook, the list goes on ....

I acknowledged that Bitcoin may not win out. However, it is currently the only viable contender. Trivially-different "me too" clones don't stand a chance. The comparison to social networks is rather apt here; network effects are key. There's no benefit for current Bitcoin users to switch to SolidCoin, and newcomers to the cryptocurrency world are going to be heavily inclined to pick the more popular one.

I've been skeptical of these blockchain forks since Ixcoin started, and events have played out pretty much as I expected with both Ixcoin and I0coin. I've been a lot quieter about SolidCoin, because I figure that everyone getting into it has already had more than ample warning about what's to come.

However, I didn't see you involved in any of the previous Ixcoin/I0coin threads. You lack the "fuck you got mine" attitude typical of alternative blockchain speculators. You seem to actually care about promoting cryptocurrency for its own sake, and are trying to offer something of value. Hell, you even donated your merchant bounty back. I'd hate to see you get burned on this thing without warning, so consider this your warning and do with it what you will.