I think it's safe to say that for most businesses, while PayPal may only get you access to 80% of potential customers, Bitcoin gets you less than 1%.
Until Bitcoin is an established process, offering it means that you have to evangelize it. That means you are suddenly in the position of trying to sell both a service and a currency to a customer. That's more risk than most merchants want to take.
I did consider using it, I have a business with a fairly technical audience, but for now, I have to wait until the legal issues (whether only perceived or actually true) are worked out.
Bitcoin people are pretty eager to donate, because they want to support the currency. I developed a very small web site (https://cryptedmemo.com/), and have already received almost 2BTC donations. The site isn't even used that much.
I did /not/ downvote you (and still haven't), but honestly you may as well be suggesting he look into accepting contributions of ferrel camels on his website: 99.99% of people in the position to give you money at all are going to have bank accounts and cards, and are likely to have no clue how to even obtain bitcoin, much less actually own any; it simply isn't a realistic "option".
You make a fair enough point, the market size of bitcoin users is still very small. However, the technology it provides is real, and IMO, a valid solution to this problem. (even if it's not the only solution; it's not uncommon to accept multiple payment methods.)
Those that want to donate with bitcoin can easily google how to buy it, and will discover it's easier than ever to acquire. (in some cases, using paypal!)
Yes, this! For years I have been complaining about how silly it is that I know far more about the day to day condition of my vehicle than I do about my own body.
Yes, the fact that I have to physically go to a doctor is absurd. I want real-time feedback of how bad (or good) the meal is that I'm eating right now, as I'm eating it. I want to get warnings and reminders of the vitamins and minerals that I'm low on. Even hydration. Everyone says that if you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Getting in the habit of staying hydrated is hard work. Little help here?
I suspect that most of this stuff will have to wait for nanobots. Any way we can do this sooner?
Austin is not like the rest of Texas. It's common to hear others here comment the same: "Austin is not Texas". "Keep Austin Weird" is also a common t-shirt and bumper sticker slogan.
I'd rather skip the ads and just pay some money directly for the shows I like and want to encourage to continue. Because I don't want to be tracked, I'd prefer bitcoin.
Because I don't want to be tracked, I'd prefer bitcoin.
Don't Bitcoin's encode all transactions that they have been used for into the coin? Unless you use some intermediary to launder your payment bitcoin provides the ultimate in publicising your spending. And if you use an intermediary they'll be tracking your transactions.
One guy named Bernard von NotHaus created the "Liberty Dollar" and is now facing a 45 year prison sentence. After a little googling, it's unclear why exactly he is being punished, but this how one article summed it up:
"Congress has exclusive power to coin money in the U.S. and to regulate its value, according to the Treasury Department."
This makes me wonder: is it illegal to use non-US coins for transactions in the US? Like if I use Euro-coins? (I say coins because there seems to be a specific prohibition on issuing "coin" and not other forms of currency unless they resemble US dollar bills.)
Counterfeiting, mostly. The coins he made looked like normal US coins, except that the presidents were swapped out for Ron Paul or other anti-establishment figures.
