((("bitcoin", "basics", "benefits of bitcoin", id="BCbasicbenefits0")))((("decentralized systems", "bitcoin as")))I first stumbled upon bitcoin in mid-2011. My immediate reaction was more or less "Pfft! Nerd money!" and I ignored it for another six months, failing to grasp its importance. This is a reaction that I have seen repeated among many of the smartest people I know, which gives me some consolation. The second time I came across bitcoin, in a mailing list discussion, I decided to read the white paper written by Satoshi Nakamoto, to study the authoritative source and see what it was all about. I still remember the moment I finished reading those nine pages, when I realized that bitcoin was not simply a digital currency, but a network of trust that could also provide the basis for so much more than just currencies. The realization that "this isn't money, it's a decentralized trust network," started me on a four-month journey to devour every scrap of information about bitcoin I could find. I became obsessed and enthralled, spending 12 or more hours each day glued to a screen, reading, writing, coding, and learning as much as I could. I emerged from this state of fugue, more than 20 pounds lighter from lack of consistent meals, determined to dedicate myself to working on bitcoin.
((("getting started", "benefits of bitcoin", id="BCbasicbenefits0")))((("decentralized systems", "bitcoin as")))I first stumbled upon bitcoin in mid-2011. My immediate reaction was more or less "Pfft! Nerd money!" and I ignored it for another six months, failing to grasp its importance. This is a reaction that I have seen repeated among many of the smartest people I know, which gives me some consolation. The second time I came across bitcoin, in a mailing list discussion, I decided to read the white paper written by Satoshi Nakamoto, to study the authoritative source and see what it was all about. I still remember the moment I finished reading those nine pages, when I realized that bitcoin was not simply a digital currency, but a network of trust that could also provide the basis for so much more than just currencies. The realization that "this isn't money, it's a decentralized trust network," started me on a four-month journey to devour every scrap of information about bitcoin I could find. I became obsessed and enthralled, spending 12 or more hours each day glued to a screen, reading, writing, coding, and learning as much as I could. I emerged from this state of fugue, more than 20 pounds lighter from lack of consistent meals, determined to dedicate myself to working on bitcoin.
Two years later, after creating a number of small startups to explore various bitcoin-related services and products, I decided that it was time to write my first book. Bitcoin was the topic that had driven me into a frenzy of creativity and consumed my thoughts; it was the most exciting technology I had encountered since the internet. It was now time to share my passion about this amazing technology with a broader audience.
@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ If you feel your use of code examples falls outside fair use or the permission g
=== Bitcoin Addresses and Transactions in This Book
((("bitcoin", "basics", "warning: do not use addresses appearing in this book")))((("warnings and cautions", "use of addresses appearing in this book")))((("keys and addresses", "warnings and cautions", "use of addresses appearing in this book")))((("transactions", "warnings and cautions", "use of addresses appearing in this book")))((("blockchain applications", "warnings and cautions", "use of addresses appearing in this book")))((("QR codes", "warnings and cautions", "use of addresses appearing in this book")))The bitcoin addresses, transactions, keys, QR codes, and blockchain data used in this book are, for the most part, real. That means you can browse the blockchain, look at the transactions offered as examples, retrieve them with your own scripts or programs, etc.
((("getting started", "warning: do not use addresses appearing in this book")))((("warnings and cautions", "use of addresses appearing in this book")))((("keys and addresses", "warnings and cautions", "use of addresses appearing in this book")))((("transactions", "warnings and cautions", "use of addresses appearing in this book")))((("blockchain applications", "warnings and cautions", "use of addresses appearing in this book")))((("QR codes", "warnings and cautions", "use of addresses appearing in this book")))The bitcoin addresses, transactions, keys, QR codes, and blockchain data used in this book are, for the most part, real. That means you can browse the blockchain, look at the transactions offered as examples, retrieve them with your own scripts or programs, etc.
However, please note that the private keys used to construct addresses are either printed in this book, or have been "burned." That means that if you send money to any of these addresses, the money will either be lost forever, or in some cases everyone who can read the book can take it using the private keys printed in here.
judymcconville@roadrunner.com
7 years ago