Today/yesterday's hilarity: I am being blackmailed for ฿400,000+ by a cra...

gwern branwen - 2013-12-12 15:29:50-0500

His messages to me are lengthy, include some allusions to my own stuff, and tailored to my responses. If he's trying this on many people, he must be spending a huge amount of time. But I do plan to write this up when the deadline is past, so you'll be able to read and judge for yourself whether he's trying that strategy.

Evelyn Mitchell - 2013-12-12 15:58:17-0500

400,000 Bitcoins? awesome!

gwern branwen - 2013-12-12 16:01:28-0500

400,000 isn't cool. You know what's cool? One billion bitcoins.

Evelyn Mitchell - 2013-12-12 16:08:53-0500

hahahah

John Douglas Porter - 2013-12-12 16:32:12-0500

Great is OK, but amazing would be great. -Bender

Benjamin McMahan - 2013-12-12 18:32:55-0500

Can you ask him to move up the deadline? You can tell him if he waits too long the Christmas season might sweep the news under the rug.

gwern branwen - 2013-12-12 19:58:08-0500

Ben: I think it's too late to get him to change his schedule, but fortunately, he seems to be planning to do everything soon, based on his last message to me: "...I promised this was going to be the worst mistake of your life Gwern. This will also be the worst Christmas of your life since you're so seemingly optimistic." So, we're on for Christmas!

John: sorry, but I don't recognize your fancy Internet tulips as real money.

Evan Laforge - 2013-12-13 03:51:51-0500

From the outside, the bitcoin world has an air of "tons of money out of thin air for nothing", and if that's indeed becoming a popular impression, I can imagine it would start bringing out the "quest for free money" types.

Boris Borcic - 2013-12-13 15:49:46-0500

A failed prosecutor, apparently. Aren't prosecutors privileged with a power to constrain even innocent persons to deals?

God Emperor Lionel Lauer - 2013-12-14 01:05:29-0500

This sounds hilarious. I'll be looking forward to seeing the 'proof'.

David Gerard - 2013-12-17 14:10:18-0500

So what happened? We need the punchline!

gwern branwen - 2013-12-17 14:32:57-0500

David, his last 2 messages took on a distinct tone of threatening a third party (which would be hilarious as proof of his shitty research skills - if I wasn't seriously considering the possibility he's schizophrenic & so that third party was at risk), and I've been waiting on additional developments before posting any more.

David Gerard - 2013-12-17 14:47:23-0500

Well, it's pretty clear (a) he's a nutter (b) you can't do anything about this. So sit back, enjoy the ride, and contact the authorities as necessary.

Dave V - 2013-12-17 19:22:31-0500

I jokingly commented on a bitcoin article of yours a while back saying i think you're satoshi... i kind of regret that now. i hope you know the blackmailer isn't me lol. i was being jocose when i posted that comment. i would never blackmail one of my favorite writers

David Gerard - 2013-12-18 03:10:04-0500

We are all Satoshi. Except me, I'm a vicious statist who hates your freedom.

Boris Borcic - 2013-12-18 03:22:12-0500

I find a superficial similarity with this newsbyte: http://goo.gl/LnKWz5

Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who’s already lost as much as $500 million betting against Herbalife Ltd., is sticking to his case that the company is an illegal pyramid scheme after it said a re-audit found no material changes.

God Emperor Lionel Lauer - 2013-12-18 03:23:33-0500

+David Gerard I'm a vicious statist who hates your freedom too, & so is my wife!

gwern branwen - 2013-12-22 18:33:22-0500

Update: http://gwern.net/Blackmail

God Emperor Lionel Lauer - 2013-12-23 00:00:54-0500

LOL. This is like a crypto version of a 419eater conversation.