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Homeless, Unemployed, and Surviving on Bitcoins

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Re: Homeless, Unemployed, and Surviving on Bitcoins

#91

Post by spyder »

hooande wrote: post #29

There were a few points that the article didn't bring up. I was surprised that they didn't discuss the speculative value of bitcoins. There's no way that the value of a dollar in your pocket will suddenly double, but the value of a bitcoin has and will again. Obviously volatility isn't all fun...would you want your salary paid in bitcions? In the current market you might actually come out ahead over the next few year…

The volatility of bitcoin isn't a big problem for these homeless guys because they probably spend it the same day when they receive it, it's more of a problem for the hoarders. And if the price of bitcoin changes too much then probably the "money making" services adjust they prices accordingly so the next day the homeless receives the same dollar value (in bitcoins) than before.

Re: Homeless, Unemployed, and Surviving on Bitcoins

#92

Post by sidko »

Just so everyone knows, the calculation with watching videos at BitcoinGet is wrong. They would be making 6 cents for watching 12 videos and not 60 cents. This makes it even less of an incentive to go there. I am surprised they do.

The site pays 40uBTC/video, which converts to 40*10^-6BTC = 0.00004BTC = $0.005(assuming 125USD/BTC) = 0.5 cents/video = 6 cents/12 videos.

Also, it is a Silicon Valley startup Virool that offers these videos, not BitcoinGet per se.

Re: Homeless, Unemployed, and Surviving on Bitcoins

#93

Post by rfnslyr »

jebblue wrote: post #88
zanny wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But for the tons of unskilled craigslist jobs, in these depressed areas, they will get hundreds of resumes. In most places around the US, the reality is multipointed: * Nobody who would want to hire someone has the capital to do so, or the resources to handle the absurd regulation surrounding hiring an employee. * The economic cycles in a lot of these areas are not producer ones, so they don't see job growth even whe…

>> because you don't earn a living wage on minimum wage Are you saying minimum wage is not already high enough to live on?

I can't help but feel sorry for all these chaps that are arguing. Do you all live in a fantasy land? I feel like almost nobody here has truly started from the bottom, but rather like to observe from the tower they were born in.

Why is it that I was able to live on part-time minimum wage ($10/hr) that covered rent (rented a room for $500), food ($100 a month and I ate like a king, never ate outside, always home cooked), and my drinking? I was living fine. If you can't manage your money, that's your problem. Sure I couldn't buy the latest boots or iphone, but who gives a fuck? Buy a book, it'll cost ya $5 and last you for far longer than that stupid phone you slaved a month away working for.

If you manage your money well you will save little, by little, and you will invest that capital into bettering yourself and moving up. I saved money for online courses.

If you don't get out into the real world and hustle, you will get nowhere. Reading a lot of HN I can't help but feel that most HN'ers want their computer to be their absolute portal into real life.

It isn't. It's like, 1% of real life. Real life is face to face. Real life is personal relationships with people, it's respect, it's keeping your word, it's keeping calm, it's keeping your mind in a good state, it's building relationships that benefit both people, it's not being a bitch. It's not about you. It's about them, and when you enforce that attitude, that attitude spreads and starts to work in your favour. You start meeting people, and keeping those people. Nothing has ever changed anything for me than buckling down, making myself presentable, and being confident. It's hard, but it needs to get done.

I invested PURELY IN KNOWLEDGE. I then sold that knowledge. That's how you make money. You trade knowledge, for cash. I buy gourmet food now, because I can't cook it myself. I pay for university, because it's far easier to learn something from a professional in 4 years than ripping through books my entire life. This entire world is built upon this foundation.

I fucking hate seeing people argue this shit like it's black and white. The problem isn't the money, it's the people and the decisions they make. If you play your cards right you'll get to where you want to be.

I could have acted like a cynical poor ass like the world was working against me, and it was, but you need to rise above the victim mentality.

Re: Homeless, Unemployed, and Surviving on Bitcoins

#94

Post by john_b »

rorrr2 wrote: post #70
oleganza wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I hear about "wasted capital" I imagine some central planner in a uniform from 1950s. Or North Korea. These guys do have jobs: they are doing work for money. Even if the work is to sit on a street panhandling. Those who donate buy themselves some good feelings. If you don't like that trade, don't do it or pay for it. Simple. Why don't you get up at 5 AM and work till midnight like Tim Cook? What a waste of resou…

> they are doing work for money They are doing one of the least productive things I can imagine. They are actually wasting public electricity and services. It's fine if they are mentally ill, or disabled, but I doubt that's the case.

Charging their laptop at a library intended for use by the public (which they are a part of) burns less energy than someone who leaves their air conditioner running while they go get groceries.

Most homeless people go out of their way to not waste public resources and services because they are used to criticisms like this, usually issued from a vantage point of indifference and ignorance.

Re: Homeless, Unemployed, and Surviving on Bitcoins

#95

Post by abuda »

sidko wrote: post #92

Just so everyone knows, the calculation with watching videos at BitcoinGet is wrong. They would be making 6 cents for watching 12 videos and not 60 cents. This makes it even less of an incentive to go there. I am surprised they do. The site pays 40uBTC/video, which converts to 40*10^-6BTC = 0.00004BTC = $0.005(assuming 125USD/BTC) = 0.5 cents/video = 6 cents/12 videos. Also, it is a Silicon Valley startup Virool that…

If true, seems like a pretty big oversight by the author and editor. They claim 0.0004 BTC per view, when in reality it's 0.00004? Your math checks out, but I'm not familiar with what the site actually pays.

While it was a good read about the other merits of bitcoin, there's a pretty huge difference between earning 60 cents a day vs 6 cents a day...

Re: Homeless, Unemployed, and Surviving on Bitcoins

#96

Post by Nikker »

jeffasinger wrote: post #59
michaelwww wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, because homeless people should have nothing and suffer as much as possible because they can't afford rent.

I think the point is, the cost of having/using those things is approaching the cost of rent.

Rent for how long though? One month? With no security deposit and no documented income? If you wanted to rent an apartment for one year it would cost $500/month x 12 months + security deposit == $6500. This does not include food, utilities or heat.

So no a $400 laptop does not approach the cost of rent.

Re: Homeless, Unemployed, and Surviving on Bitcoins

#97

Post by jebblue »

reginaldjcooper wrote: post #56
usaphp wrote: post #48

Ok, so I am paying around 30k of my hard earned money as taxes from working 10+ hours every day, just so this guy can do nothing all day long and get free food stamps...I would rather spend this money on my kids and family...

I know, right? Let's take back all these entitlements from these lazy poors. If they really want to eat they should get a job like the rest of us. And let's have a word with the inefficient government bureaucrats. How do they start with your hard-earned 30k and end up with just enough to give this guy food stamps? Totally inefficient if you ask me.

>> How do they start with your hard-earned 30k and end up with just enough to give this guy food stamps? Totally inefficient if you ask me.

They started it with the welfare system, good idea but then let the majority of its users abuse it rather than finding work. They started it, they keep it going because their users vote for them which keeps them in power.

Re: Homeless, Unemployed, and Surviving on Bitcoins

#98

Post by cool100 »

twoodfin wrote: post #87
Helianthus wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There are always enough jobs. There aren't enough jobs that people are willing to do for the money others are willing to pay. Nice. "Work willing to be done for others willing to pay" is what defines a job. It only took you two sentences to make the rest of your post into rubbish capitalist handwaving. >If I knew someone near me was living on Please do this actually. Someone near you is living on "It's not practical…

Someone near you is living on Oh yeah? Running $0 worth of income through a SNAP benefits calculator tells me that an individual with no job is entitled to $200/month. That's one anti-poverty program that blows past your <$1/day by almost an order of magnitude.

Not everyone is eligible.

Re: Homeless, Unemployed, and Surviving on Bitcoins

#99

Post by pyoung »

mrb wrote: post #34
rorrr2 wrote: post #6

The math doesn't add up. At "0.000133 bitcoins a day" it would take 7518 days (more than 20 years) to make one bitcoin. At "0.0004 bitcoins" per video it would take 2500 videos to watch to make one bitcoin. The amount of wasted human capital is insane. Why don't these people get jobs? There are tons of posts on Craigslist for jobs that don't require any education - delivery, waiters, busboys, cleaning, etc.

"At 0.0004 bitcoins per video it would take 2500 videos to watch to make one bitcoin." You seem confused by the divisibility of bitcoin. His goal is not to make one whole bitcoin, but probably to watch ~100 videos (3-4 hours total?) which is 0.04 bitcoins which is enough to buy a meal (~$5). Also the article is poorly worded but it sounds like the homeless guy is not taking advantage of the 0.000133 btc per day offer…

I just glanced at the FAQ on the services website, and it sounds like the offers pop up from time to time, so you might not be able to watch one video after the other, you have to wait for them to come in. My guess is that the $0.60 day that they quoted is an average of sorts, with some days a bit higher and some lower. Regardless, that is not a lot of money, could take you two weeks of work to buy one pizza.

Re: Homeless, Unemployed, and Surviving on Bitcoins

#100

Post by DanielCM »

Taylorious wrote: post #50

Love the picture of the "homeless" guy using a laptop newer than mine, with his pet, nice bike, playing a video game while he smokes a cig. He also has an energy drink... as if he needs it to get through his day of sitting around. It's people like him who are hurting the homeless people that are actually in need.

Your comment reminded me of a Colbert segment from a few years ago: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/39316...

"'Poor' in America - A Heritage Foundation report proves that as long as 'poor' Americans have refrigerators and the strength to brush flies off their eyeballs, they're not really poor."

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