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from the shocked-to-discover-there's-gambling-in-this-establishment dept.
Wired has a story about OpenBazaar, a software project created with the idea of being to e-commerce what BitTorrent was to file sharing. From the article:
This weekend, the developers behind OpenBazaar plan to release a beta version of the software designed to let anyone privately and directly buy and sell goods online with no intermediary. They describe it as “pseudonymous, uncensored trade.” Rather than hosting its commerce on any server, OpenBazaar installs on users’ PCs, and allows them to list products in a file stored in a so-called “distributed hash table,” a database spread across many users’ machines. Everything will be paid in bitcoin. The result of that peer-to-peer architecture, they hope, will be a marketplace that no one—–no government, no company, not even the OpenBazaar programmers—can regulate or shut down.
But Patterson and OpenBazaar founder Brian Hoffman adamantly insist OpenBazaar isn’t designed for selling narcotics, guns, or other contraband. They see their invention as a freer, more democratic eBay or Craigslist, with no seller fees and no one to arbitrarily change the rules or censor products. “We’re not the ‘Super Silk Road.’ We’re trying to replace eBay in a better form,” says Patterson. “We recognize that people may choose to use that technology in a way we see as distasteful, immoral, and illegal, but we’re giving them the option to engage in a kind of human interaction that doesn’t exist right now.”
(Score: 1) by Horse With Stripes on Sunday August 31 2014, @07:12PM
I'm not against trackable or un-trackable digital currency. I'm also OK with folding money, coins, checks, etc. I just find his "if this turns out the way I think it will I can deny any responsibility simply by saying 'Raw milk, radar detectors and fireworks'" attitude repugnant.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 31 2014, @07:28PM
I just find his "if this turns out the way I think it will I can deny any responsibility simply by saying 'Raw milk, radar detectors and fireworks'" attitude repugnant.
So, precisely what kind of responsibility do you want him to take?
Do you want him to go to jail if someone hires a hitman using this system?
Or make restitution to the victim's family?
Seriously, what actions could he take that would make his attitude not repugnant in your opinion?
(Score: 1) by Horse With Stripes on Sunday August 31 2014, @07:40PM
I think he should man up and lose the "I only wanted good things from this ... radar detectors! ... I'm outta here" bullshit.
He sees a need for this type of marketplace. Many others see the same need. He helped create the marketplace. If it turns out that it's not all ponies and rainbows, which he already acknowledges it won't be, then he should stand his ground. "I can't control what everyone does with OpenBazzar, but I know the freedom it brings to the masses will far outweigh the potential for abuse. I'll stand by OpenBazzar even when it comes under fire from those whose intentions are not always what they portray, which is a similar situation that can occur on OpenBazzar."
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 31 2014, @08:22PM
So your entire complaint is a nit-pick over a minor wording difference in one interview.
Your life must be so empty.