I could point out several fallacies in your post. The most obvious one is that some very, very smart people (including at least one professional Linux kernel hacker) are doing a good job working on the official bitcoin client, so it's not true that the only people working on Bitcoin stuff are Rails users.
But what's the point in pointing out this and other fallacies in your post when you already stated that I am misled and that you're not willing to listen to me?
This kind of comment does not belong on HN. I don't care if you're PG, I would still say the same thing.
EDIT: Also, I really strong resent that you're trying to stop me from doing what I want with my time and money, which is what you're doing when you insist that bitcoin needs to be regulated. You have no right to tell me how to spend my money. Fuck off, man.
EDIT AGAIN: OP edited his comment after reading this comment, so this comment probably looks too harsh (but it wasn't originally).
By "Bitcoin stuff", I mean the secondary markets that have arisen around it. That was probably a poor choice of phrase, and I'll update accordingly. I agree that Bitcoin itself is probably cryptographically strong and mostly well-designed.
To respond to your edit, regulation does not tell you how to spend your money. Regulation ensures that the systems accepting your money are designed against and proactively secured against failures such as this one, so you don't lose. FDIC insurance at your bank is an example of regulation designed to protect you. I have no interest in telling you how to spend your money; I do have an interest in the systems processing that money being reliable and safe.
I will ignore the rest of your needless incendiary comment, as it has no place on HN. You also don't need to inform everyone that I've edited my comment, as I did that for you at the base of it.
I claimed his incendiary language has no place on HN, as one of the guidelines is to be civil. I did not claim his post has no place on HN. It's also just good manners to not flame someone to death for attacking something you hold dear. Be objective, and reasonable.
My problem was that you specifically said that all supports of Bitcoin who comment in response to your comment, are automatically wrong.
Which is kind of ridiculous, given that my response prompted you to correct something you had said.
I don't know what incendiary language you're talking about except maybe "Fuck off, man" which is tit for tat when you are advocating making something I've put money into, which is also completely harmless, illegal. I'll probably regret saying that, but that doesn't mean it wasn't deserved.
That part of my comment was specifically designed to annoy folks like you, because you really need to have a hard look at the safety of the currency that you love. The only people that are going to get upset about that are the zealots, and those that support Bitcoin strongly. It is that opinion which needs revision, since Bitcoin is costing people real money now with spectacular failures such as these.
That game started being played once there were graphs of Bitcoin vs. USD and people started converting back and forth and speculating. Remember that big pop of value? Yeah, me too. I almost cashed in on it, as I had generated a shitload of BTC (~$14,000 in 'value') using a big farm. Then I questioned the safety of the sites that would be giving me the USD when I wanted it, and thought better of it. Overseas business, without real regulation, is dangerous territory. Deleted the wallet, never looked back.
Bitcoin won't be prime time until the awfully-designed, one-man-band, usually-offshore-and-questionably-legal Web sites stop. The end.
> Which is kind of ridiculous, given that my response prompted you to correct something you had said.
I didn't correct it, I reworded it because you misunderstood.
> I don't know what incendiary language you're talking about except maybe "Fuck off, man" which is tit for tat
Stuff like my comment doesn't belong, you're going to tell me even if I'm pg, fuck off, pretty much half your comment.
> when you are advocating making something I've put money into, which is also completely harmless, illegal
I never advocated for such a thing, and it is your prejudices toward the word "regulation" that are driving your responses such as this one. There is heavy regulation on motor vehicles, which is why every time you get in a car, it doesn't explode and kill you.
> I'll probably regret saying that, but that doesn't mean it wasn't deserved.
I don't deserve any harassment for sharing my opinion. Ever.
Wait -- you deleted Bitcoins worth around 14,000 USD when there are exchanges (like Mt. Gox) who are very openly trying to comply with any applicable regulations, local and international, and who would have gladly exchanged your Bitcoins for real USD? Unless you're trolling or lying, that's not something I would so proudly admit. It's says a lot more about your common sense than whatever ideological statement you were trying to make.
BTW, I completely agree with your thesis that BTC will continue to fail until it stops attracting so many thieves, crackers, and get-rich-quick con men. That's actually why I pulled out of the game. But delete 14,000 USD worth of BTC? Common on, man.
I don't think this deserves a response, but I do apologize for saying "Fuck off," just because it's not worth behaving that way even if you feel like someone deserves it.
But what's the point in pointing out this and other fallacies in your post when you already stated that I am misled and that you're not willing to listen to me?
This kind of comment does not belong on HN. I don't care if you're PG, I would still say the same thing.
EDIT: Also, I really strong resent that you're trying to stop me from doing what I want with my time and money, which is what you're doing when you insist that bitcoin needs to be regulated. You have no right to tell me how to spend my money. Fuck off, man.
EDIT AGAIN: OP edited his comment after reading this comment, so this comment probably looks too harsh (but it wasn't originally).