Well, to cut a long story short, you do realize that bitcoin is basically monopoly money built on a ponzi scheme and that early adopters have massive holdings while the rest of you are having to waste money to make this stuff, right?

The money you waste to generate a single coin is astounding.

You are wrong too my friend - tens of thousand of stores accept it, a few of the most notable being:

wordpress.com
reddit.com
okcupid.com
zynga.com
tigerdirect.com
overstock.com
even porn.com...

...and many others.

I really don't understand the apparent skepticism and fear about this new technology. Bitcoin has been endorsed by such technology grands as Bill Gates (the creator of Microsoft) and Marc Andreesen (the creator of Netscape browser). Would that not make you at least study it, before so easily dismissing it as a "fraud"? (Although I still haven't got the answer how an open source network protocol can be a "fraud").

I would kindly suggest you to read these two articles about bitcoin, because most of the time people's skepticism comes from misinformation or ignorance about the subject.

dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/01/21/why-bitcoin-matters/ ("Why Bitcoin Matters" By MARC ANDREESSEN).
thenextweb.com/insider/2014/02/15/bitcoin-platform-currency/ ("Bitcoin: It’s the platform, not the currency, stupid!" By Sander Duivestein and Patrick Savalle).

If you change your mind, and want to help your potential customers reach you, instead of turning them away in a patronizing manner so quickly, I will still be glad to become one. :) Good luck!

Yes I do, through localbitcoins.com

Since I am a programmer, most of my big purchases are virtual - hosting services, VPN services, domain names, etc... I pay for all those services directly in bitcoin.

Instead of helping the world by folding proteins, crunching DNA, or searching the stars, you generate a massive electric bill to produce monopoly money.

You know, a Libertarian's dream so that they'll have something to barter if economic collapse occurs, even though monopoly money isn't high on the barter chain.

My friend, do you realize that bitcoin is an open source network protocol, like http, smtp or bittorrent? And that using it as a currency is just one of the thousands of possible applications of the bitcoin protocol?

There was a mathematical problem called "The Byzantine Generals Problem". You can google to find more about it, but basically it was a problem of reaching a consensus in a group of people (or computers) without involving any authorities or central parties. For decades, scientists all over the world have tried to solve this problem, until finally, the solution was found, and the first practical implementation of that solution was called "bitcoin". Did you know all that?

If not, then I would suggest you research something first, before calling it a "monopoly" or a "ponzi scheme", when it is exactly the opposite - in monopolies or ponzi schemes the owners or controllers are the ones who benefit. In bitcoin there are no owners or controllers, just open source programming code - in other words, a system, "owned" and "controlled" not by people, but by publicly transparent mathematical algorithms.

Also, I did not waste anything to generate anything, I accepted bitcoin as payment for my services as a programmer.

I just want to point out, I was calling it Monopoly money, not a monopoly itself. :B

As it stands currently, my opinion is that you're a shill, but that's because I already hold an incredibly low opinion of this so called currency. I actively denounce it.

Again, your comment shows that you simply don't know how the bitcoin system works. The massive computing power is used not to create the currency, but to confirm, verify and protect all bitcoin transactions. It is based on a concept called "proof of work" (you can read more about proof of work here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof-of-work_system). It is true, that during the same transaction confirmation process, the new units of currency are created, but this is just a secondary, and definitely not the main use of all that computing power. Please, read the two articles I gave. Your claims really show that you haven't spent even 30 minutes researching the subject,

I don't know, and I couldn't care to know. You can read a 'crotchety old man' rant I made here on the matter.

A shill for who? No one is "behind" bitcoin. It would be the same as to say "you are a shill for the internet". It is not a currency, it is a network protocol. Using it as a currency is just one of lots of it's applications, just like e-mail is just one application of the internet, but definitely does not equal the internet itself.

Again, please read these two scientific research articles, instead of some troll forum posts to educate yourself about it:

dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/01/21/why-bitcoin-matters/
thenextweb.com/insider/2014/02/15/bitcoin-platform-currency/

Also, this video lecture from Microsoft is pretty good, and it addresses the most popular myth about bitcoin - that it is anonymous. In reality, bitcoin is the least anonymous system in human history - it is 100% transparent. According to Microsoft, it is bitcoin's biggest problem, and in this lecture they explain both about bitcoin, it's problem of lack of anonymity, and also propose a solution to solve this problem:

http://research.microsoft.com/apps/video/dl.aspx?id=192058
How is it possible to discuss something like this? You seem extremely biased and even refuse to research more about it, but insist on calling it a ponzi scheme. Sorry to say my friend, but you are the one who fits the definition of a shill, not me.

Alright, before I leave, why are you taking bitcoin anyway? Are you avoiding taxes, or just doing unscrupulous activities? Or can you not work?

None of those, I accept bitcoin because it is the safest, quickest and cheapest way for me to receive my payment from my employers from other countries (mostly USA). I am doing honest programming work, nothing unscrupulous about it. I report all my earnings in Belarusian rubles, and pay all required taxes.

If I used any other ways, I would have to lose about 10% of my paycheck just to transaction and other fees, and wait about a week to be able to use the money. With bitcoin I can receive my paycheck for several cents and be able to use the money after 10 minutes.

It is a bit insulting, to think that because I am from Belarus, I must be a tax cheat or involved in unscrupulous activities. If I was a crook, then I wouldn't bother to buy games in the first place. I am a programmer, I wouldn't have any technical difficulties pirating games, but I want to support their creators, because I understand the hard work required to create a game.

Don't bother Gamer. Some people are just stuck up with old ways and can't accept new ways can be better.

And in the latest bitcoin news, Mt. Gox, formerly the largest bitcoin exchange, just shut down. Anyone who was storing bitcoins there can now wave goodbye to them. Isn't unregulated currency fun?