The Face Behind Bitcoin? • Hacker News Board

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#171

Post by rickyc091 » Thu, Mar 06, 2014, 2:41 PM UTC

dagw wrote: post #74

nwh wrote: post #22

Being labeled Satoshi regardless of truth is pretty much going to get you robbed, kidnapped or killed. This dude lives in this town and has $400M of untraceable currency? The article gives his name, face, address and relatives. You can be sure as hell that somebody will do something stupid to try and get to it. I wouldn't wish this label upon anybody, it's exactly why the community tries to avoid speculating about it…

Not that I think publishing his name and address was in any way a good idea, but how many US citizens from this list: http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/list/#tab:overall get "robbed, kidnapped or killed" each year?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_kidnappings#Modern_kidn...

List of the known ones, think about how many are unreported...

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#172

Post by candybar » Thu, Mar 06, 2014, 2:42 PM UTC

bane wrote: post #101

Topic other than discussing the irresponsibility of "outing" a guy using the clever tricks of using his name and public records look ups. > A libertarian, Nakamoto encouraged his daughter to be independent, start her own business and "not be under the government's thumb," she says. "He was very wary of the government, taxes and people in charge." > What you don't know about him is that he's worked on classified stuff…

This isn't everything, but racism is a significant part of what's motivating the economic right:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog-whistle_politics

Obviously, a lot of people are caught up in the bubble without being racist or even being aware of the implicit racism of those around them, but much of the motivation behind the right's demonizing rhetoric against the freeloaders seems rooted in race.

Edit: also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_queen

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#173

Post by lcasela » Thu, Mar 06, 2014, 2:43 PM UTC

This is a really irresponsible article. Imagine what this guy is going to have to live with for the rest of his life.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#174

Post by JabavuAdams » Thu, Mar 06, 2014, 2:44 PM UTC

polymatter wrote: post #159

JabavuAdams wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not constructive, and extremely naive. Journalism exists in part to put the powerful under the microscope. They have many more resources to hide their activities and to defend their interests than average folks, and don't need to be protected from public scrutiny.

And if she is wrong? Maybe he doesn't have access to his million dollar fortune. Maybe he lost the keys. Maybe someone else used his name and he is the Satoshi but not the creator. He is certainly not living as someone with hundreds of millions in the bank. In what way did he lose any right to be protected from public scrutiny (assuming anyone does have that right - I'm not sure they do)?

By making something that's used by vast numbers of people to channel huge amounts of money.

Journalists need to be able to go after stories like this because otherwise our society will be much worse. They have editors. They have review boards. We're not talking about 4chan or reddit lynch mobs here.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#175

Post by peterwwillis » Thu, Mar 06, 2014, 2:44 PM UTC

confluence wrote: post #147

bane wrote: post #101

Topic other than discussing the irresponsibility of "outing" a guy using the clever tricks of using his name and public records look ups. > A libertarian, Nakamoto encouraged his daughter to be independent, start her own business and "not be under the government's thumb," she says. "He was very wary of the government, taxes and people in charge." > What you don't know about him is that he's worked on classified stuff…

A term exists for such self serving and convenient thinking: cognitive dissonance. The religious are no different, they rail against how wrong science is, and yet at the same time have no problem using the fruits of scientific labor like air travel, the Internet or clean water. People just do what's most convenient for them at the time.

Cognitive dissonance actually refers to the excessive mental stress and discomfort suffered by holding two opposing ideas in one's mind at the same time. Since these people don't seem to be particularly discomforted by this, the term 'hypocrisy' might apply better.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#176

Post by bruceb » Thu, Mar 06, 2014, 2:44 PM UTC

smacktoward wrote: post #141

grej wrote: post #107

I wonder if Leah McGrath Goodman would like photos of her home published and members of her family identified against her will? I wonder if she thought about that, or the man and his family's safety, before choosing to publish this information about him? Reading the description of the man and recognizing the value he placed on privacy and anonymity, I'm genuinely sad for him. I also fear for his personal safety and t…

> I wonder if Leah McGrath Goodman would like photos of her home published Nobody at Google Street View, which cheerfully publishes pictures of millions of peoples' homes without consent or even notification, appears to have ever wondered that.

Homes you can drive by. Hardly that big of a deal.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#177

Post by nmeofthestate » Thu, Mar 06, 2014, 2:44 PM UTC

I'm wondering how many of the commenters that are equating holding BTC with a death sentence by violent criminals would consider themselves pro-BTC.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#178

Post by rl12345 » Thu, Mar 06, 2014, 2:45 PM UTC

On the bright side: if keeping his anonymity was Satoshi's main reason for not touching his BTC fortune, now he and his family will finally be able to use all that money and take benefit from it - well deservedly.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#179

Post by massysett » Thu, Mar 06, 2014, 2:45 PM UTC

watty wrote: post #52

nwh wrote: post #22

Being labeled Satoshi regardless of truth is pretty much going to get you robbed, kidnapped or killed. This dude lives in this town and has $400M of untraceable currency? The article gives his name, face, address and relatives. You can be sure as hell that somebody will do something stupid to try and get to it. I wouldn't wish this label upon anybody, it's exactly why the community tries to avoid speculating about it…

Why are you so certain he will get robbed, kidnapped, or killed? There are many many people with $400M+ and their information is freely available online and in the media as well.

And many of them have protection. For instance ExxonMobil has security for its executives. They need it: one of their execs was kidnapped for ransom and stuffed alive in a box.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#180

Post by mathattack » Thu, Mar 06, 2014, 2:46 PM UTC

If Nakamoto ever sells his Bitcoin fortune, he would likely have to do so at a legitimate Bitcoin bank or exchange, which would not only give away his identity but alert everyone from the IRS to the FBI of his movements.

I think they just did that.

Amazing that he actually used his real name. This tells me that he didn't realize how far it would go when he started it.