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Where is My Digital Cash?

Posted by Cliff on from the credit-cards-are-digital-enough-for-me dept.

LinuxTek asks: "Using the IBM commercial as a starting point (the one with the guy from DS9 asking about flying cars), I ask you, where is my digital cash? I remember a couple of years ago all the hype about digital money and several companies that were supposed to make a revolution in micropayment and 'secure' online purchase (i.e. anonymous). I remember Digicash as being one of the most promising companies, and I even remember downloading their digital wallet test app. It seems they went out of business and sold their patents to eCash, but now I can't even acces the eCash site. Does anyone know if there are other projects like this (still alive), and/or Open Source alternatives? Digital money should be a reality by now."

4 of 100 comments (clear)

  1. e-gold by Wonko42 · · Score: 5, Informative

    e-gold is still going strong. Just like in Cryptonomicon, only without quite so many stupendous badasses.

  2. eCash 419 by orthogonal · · Score: 5, Funny

    I ask you, where is my digital cash?

    REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

    FIRST, I MUST SOLICIT YOUR STRICTEST CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION. THIS IS BY VIRTUE OF ITS NATURE AS BEING UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL AND 'TOP SECRET'. I AM SURE AND HAVE CONFIDENCE OF YOUR ABILITY AND RELIABILITY TO PROSECUTE A TRANSACTION OF THIS GREAT MAGNITUDE INVOLVING A PENDING TRANSACTION REQUIRING MAXIIMUM CONFIDENCE.

    IN MY COUNTRY, I AM THE FORMER MINISTER OF DIGITAL CASH, A CHANGE IN GOVERNMENTS HAS LEFT US WITH 30 GIGABYTES (GB) OF eCASH. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST US IN DOWNLOAD IT, I WILL GIVE YOU 10% (3 GB) OF eCASH.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT MY BROTHER IN-LAW MR. BELLO ABACHA IMMEDIATELY ON TELEPHONE NUMBER 234-1-7591526 OR FAX NUMBER 234-1-759O845 WHO WILL INFORM YOU PROPERLY ON THE PROCEDURES FOR EXECUTION . PLEASE, BE INFORMED THAT THIS PROPOSAL IS 100% RISK FREE. HOWEVER, THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THIS PROPOSAL IS VERY IMPORTANT.

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  3. Electronic transactions by vegetablespork · · Score: 5, Interesting
    are going to be used by governments and corporations to eliminate the anonymity and untaxability associated with cash, not to duplicate it. In the wet dream of taxing entities, the $20 you pay the babysitter for watching your child on Friday night out at the movies will have income taxes taken off the top. (If the teenager doesn't happen to make enough to owe, s/he can file for a refund.)

    Governments would love to tax these small, currently impractical to keep "on the books" transactions. What they will call digital cash will in reality be an EFT system in which every transaction is rigorously tracked, and will eventually supplant currency, making it impossible to opt out, save for barter.

    --

    Call (206) 338-5780 COLLECT for information about a genuine BA, BS, MA, MS, MBA, or Ph.D.

  4. Wait 3 years by kurowski · · Score: 5, Informative

    Your digital cash will arrive in 2005, when an important David Chaum patent expires.