I'd like to see Runit [1] and S6 [2] get more attention.
Docs and easy-to-apply tutorials would be a godsend in this area. I too really want to replace systemd on Arch. Currently, this is an uphill battle due to so many packages having systemd service files, and the fact that I've never replaced an init system before makes things that much more daunting.
If only there were more information out there, or more ready-made solutions [3], I'm sure there are plenty who would be ready and willing to give this a shot.
It's not risky in and of itself. It's risky because scammers are getting _really_ good at scamming people on localbitcoins. I've seen stories of criminals printing up fake receipts from Chase. I've also seen stories of con artists who will trick a completely unrelated third party into sending cash to your localbitcoin's bank account, then telling you "cash sent", meanwhile the rightful owner of the cash has no idea their money is being used for these purposes and will inevitably open up a fraud suit with their bank. And then there's people paying with counterfeit bills. Not exactly a walk in the park. Then again, I guess this is all to the buyer's advantage, but this higher risk is reflected in higher prices than what you'll find on vetted online exchanges.
Actually, depending on your respective tax authority's treatment of Bitcoin taxes, it's more like:
A pays B (A now owes taxes on realized gains)
B pays C (B now owes taxes on realized gains)
C pays D (C now owes taxes on realized gains)
However, as a commodity with limited supply, BTC may still be a good store of value.
Basically what you guys need to realize is Bitcoin only makes sense when you completely disregard "the system". If nobody pays any taxes, nobody does AML/KYC, and everybody uses BTC ubiquitously, then yes, it's a cheaper and more efficient system. What irks me to no end as a proponent of Bitcoin is how many people are into Bitcoin nowadays purely as a get-rich-quick scheme or because it's en vogue. There are real, significant societal conversations that need to be had on a massive scale before Bitcoin makes sense for the average person, and most people just aren't willing to bring that conversation to the forefront. Too busy raising VC.
What do you need Windows for anyway? Especially in a "secure computing" context, modern distros are cheaper, easier and quicker to install than Windows, and yes, often more secure. Plus, learning GNU/Linux will make you a better programmer and a more capable team player. What do you have to lose?
Learning Linux makes you a better programmer? That's what I'm talking about in a nutshell. "Learning GNU/Linux" doesn't make one a better programmer. I'm not even sure how that's supposed to work...you know that there are really good programmers that use other platforms, right?
Ever heard the term, "don't knock it til you try it"? What do you have to lose by trying free operating systems? It costs nothing to run GNU/Linux in VirtualBox on Windows, and learning to interact with your machine from the command line will expand your skillset and your horizons, making you a better programmer and more valuable team player. Regardless, you're bashing people for using free operating systems in a security context, which is just asinine. This is not the holy war you're making it out to be.
Do you honestly think that I have never tried Linux? Seriously? The first time I installed Linux I had to download the floppy images over a 2400 baud modem connection to a bulletin board.
I'm not bashing people for using Linux...I'm saying that its not good security to say..."Linux is secure"...and not review your security needs from the standpoint of what you are actually trying to accomplish. I'm not making it out to be a holy war...I'm saying that people are just accepting that "Linux is more secure" on blind faith.
Facebook's market cap is $63,000,000,000. If the market cap of Bitcoin were just 10% of Facebook, each Bitcoin would be worth about $500. 1% and it's about $50.
Can a global financial system conceivably give the world just 10% of the value of Facebook? Because just ten percent ... and one BTC is $500.
I couldn't have possibly imagined that Bitcoin would soar so quickly. In all honesty, the infrastructure has NOT improved noticeably over the last 6 months. This runup in price was fueled by shameless speculation, or possibly the Chinese seeking to evade capital controls. I've followed the Bitcoin market closely since the time I made that post, and what you'll notice is the price moves up considerable amounts based on miniscule volume. Liquidity is dire.
I would advise very cautious optimism if not pessimism at this point. Is Bitcoin worth really 20% of Facebook right now? That's a tough question, especially considering the open regulatory question in America, which I personally don't see doing so hot.
I think Bitcoin was a fantastic, visionary buy at $10-$50 back when nobody was taking it seriously, and I enthusiastically stated as much to everyone who would listen. However, at this point I'm telling people they've missed the boat. There's still plenty of value in Bitcoin, don't get me wrong. It's just that this run up was 100% speculative, and based on people hoarding coins because the price was going up. Not the sign of a healthy foundation.
The only conclusion is that Bitcoin generates more value than Facebook for it's users ;-)
To be honest I don't think you can compare a company and a market. I don't even know how you can estimate what is a "reasonable" price for a bitcoin ; since it's a finite resource it seems normal that the price would go up when more participants enter the system but I don't know of how much.
Yup, I am amazed at how people seem to be blind at the scale of money when we are talking about whatever. I can't be arsed to dig up credible sources ATM but my business is ecigs so I pay attention to the lobbying by big tobacco and pharma against ecigs. The federal government isn't supposed to use tax money for lobbying but there are loopholes which essentially allow it. The number I remember is something like $2 billion given to anti-nicotine zealots to end up lobbying even though it is truly said to be for some sort of "social awareness service". There are billions given out for war and Fed thrift plus all sorts of horrible programs but they seem to come up short for $20 million for some sort of space program.
Still, the DoJ might like to use it for law-enforcement toys, as with other seized funds. (The DoJ can't print its own money and like other agencies, fsces practical budget limits.)
Which raises the interesting question: if they win their case against Ulbrecht, and the right to keep the coins, what will be signalled by the moment and method thay choose to liquidate?
Should whatever exchange they use be happy — chosen by the FBI! — or fear it's a trap?
Might the Feds be signalling, based on inside info of upcoming enforcement, that the BTC/USD rate is at a local maximum?
I've provisioned and maintained dozens of servers all running Arch, and currently have four home PCs running it. I've found Pacman to be one of the easier and more pleasant package managers to live with.
You can sort through tens of thousands of existing PKGBUILDs on the AUR [1], which typically makes it quick and easy to start packaging software for Arch. You can even sync a flat text file database of all official Arch packages with abs [2]. The ability to reverse engineer every PKGBUILD for a wide variety of software is a major plus in my book.
Writing a PKGBUILD takes roughly the same effort as compiling software from source with a bash script. PKGBUILDs are simple to write, and there's just enough "magic" in Pacman to keep things sane.
Nine times out of ten, the PKGBUILD writing process boils down to copy/pasting directions from README or INSTALL files. It's like a bash script, except more 'done-for-you'. Finding exact dependencies is typically a cinch with the AUR and tools like packer.
Maintaining a rolling distro can be a labor of love, but if you love the system, you'll find it may significantly increase your overall sanity. It's another way of doing things, but I consider choice of distro to be one of the more important decisions to make, and IME, Arch has been such a significant departure from other distros that not trying it in a serious capacity is roughly equivalent to not trying Vim / Emacs ever in your career. Which is to say, I think it's a mistake not to at least see what it may offer you, especially if you're in any doubt.
I hope my positivity is only seen as that: positivity, and not overzealous dedication to one specific toolset. Arch probably isn't a panacea, nor will I claim that it's a perfect fit for your way of doing things. But I have never found something as pleasant as Pacman to work with. In addition, I never would've even tried Arch if I hadn't been slightly flustered by the seemingly irrational exuberance random sysadmins displayed for the system.
I'd like to see Runit [1] and S6 [2] get more attention.
Docs and easy-to-apply tutorials would be a godsend in this area. I too really want to replace systemd on Arch. Currently, this is an uphill battle due to so many packages having systemd service files, and the fact that I've never replaced an init system before makes things that much more daunting.
If only there were more information out there, or more ready-made solutions [3], I'm sure there are plenty who would be ready and willing to give this a shot.
1: http://smarden.org/runit/
2: http://www.skarnet.org/software/s6/
3: https://github.com/chneukirchen/ignite
3: https://github.com/rubyists/runit-services