The Not Happy Thread

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Cogito, Nov 20, 2010.

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  1. SethLoki

    SethLoki Retired Autodidact Contributor

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    This is all mental I tell you, you're all correct about the bubble popping sometime soon I'm sure. I'm not old enough for the tulips but I've seen it with the dotcom boom and house prices. Let me regale you though: In light of recent news I went and found a coinbase account I opened, must be five or six years ago, where then I set my little (eco solar) Mac to try and mine me a few pennies and left it be. Convinced I had a fortune (here in the almost now) I rubbed my hands... recovered my passwords and eventually gained access. Nada, nothing, zilch. I didn't have a bean in the wallet. :meh: Must've done something wrong with my mining operation. My penance.... I put a hundred quid on the good ship Litecoin and let it set sail—fully expecting to lose it. This was ten days ago. Anyways, was telling a colleague today and she suggested I take a look at my account again. It's trebled. A gambler always pronounces wins yes? Sell, sell, sell and close account I demanded of myself. So (I got rational) I sold enough to get my cash back and have logged out of coinbase for longer than curiosity will try to persuade me to look in there again.
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2017
  2. The Dapper Hooligan

    The Dapper Hooligan (V) ( ;,,;) (v) Contributor

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    Exactly. Now there's a market that will never crash. Just it's demographic.
     
  3. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    Maybe we could get a hedge fund to set up a cocaine futures market :D
     
  4. LostThePlot

    LostThePlot Naysmith Contributor

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    Excellent! Now where can we find some suckers investors?
     
  5. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    Iain's colleagues would be a good place to start
     
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  6. LostThePlot

    LostThePlot Naysmith Contributor

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    You make the calls, I'll just handle the cocaine money.
     
  7. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    Yeah, bitcoin mining now uses more electricity than Ireland. All that power's got to come from somewhere, and could be used elsewhere.
     
  8. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    That would be something like 5 trillion exhausted guinea pigs, right? :)
     
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  9. minstrel

    minstrel Leader of the Insquirrelgency Supporter Contributor

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    Clarification: That would be something like 5 trillion exceptionally physically fit guinea pigs! ;)
     
  10. LostThePlot

    LostThePlot Naysmith Contributor

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    Did you know that this is actually planned as a way to peg the value of bitcoins? When you mine coins it's a contest, and the higher the value of coins the more competition because more reward, but at the bottom end the goal is to hold the value of a coin at a set level by the computational power (and electrical power) needed to mine one. Like; you mine a coin and spend 10k of energy to do it, so the value of a coin must be over 10k. It's an interesting idea. And it's no coincidence that all the successful mining operations have been from places where the energy prices are either artificially low or directly subsidized; they can afford to put more energy in than others in the market. In fact, going way back in BitCoin history; the people mining (it was less competitive back then) were all university students using university electricity.
     
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  11. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    this link puts the energy required to mine 1 bitcoin at 235kw/h
    https://digiconomist.net/bitcoin-energy-consumption

    Assuming that's so the cost (in the uk) would be about £23.50 that's about $30 - with bitcoins trading so ridiculously high its easy to see why mining is seen as a profitable option (of course theres also the issue of bandwith and the cost of the computers to do it)

    The reason the total energy consumption is so high is the number of miners rather than the energy required to mine - computers draw a tiny amount of power compared to stuff like ovens and kettles.
     
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  12. LostThePlot

    LostThePlot Naysmith Contributor

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    Yes, that's correct - Sorry if I didn't make that clear. It's the total combined energy, not just the energy per user. But it's less clear cut in practice how much it costs to mine a coin because it's not a defined thing.

    Running the hash to mine coins is kinda a luck thing. You generate a load of potential answers to a math problem and whoever manages to generate the lowest(?) answer gets to keep the coin. You get the lowest answer by running trillions of permutations of the equation. But you can never guarantee that you win it, and the more people competing the more guesses it takes to have a reasonable chance at getting the lowest. So it's very... It's complicated how much energy it costs. Because what it costs you is effected by how much others are willing to invest to try and win. In the end it crunches down to the idea that the price of coins will be related to the total energy use of everyone who is mining, and if that mechanism works properlly then the cost of a coin is equal to the total energy use of everyone to create that coin (I think - This stuff is a bit above my head and I'm struggling to remember what I've been told by people who know better).
     
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  13. NobodySpecial

    NobodySpecial Contributor Contributor

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    Went out to the car planning to get some takeout for dinner; car wouldn't start- click click click. So I took the wife's jeep instead.
    After dinner I went to work figuring out what's wrong. Negative terminal is covered with corrosion so I loosened thing up and cleaned with a wire brush and baking soda solution. With everything all cleaned up I started putting the terminal back on and snapped the bolt.

    I dashed up to the auto parts store for a replacement... the replacement bolt was too big. Went back to the store and got a replacement terminal. I cut the old one off and put the new one on and...click click click. Still won't start. Now I'm thinking I may need a new battery. I just paid this car off a couple months ago. Now the nickle and dimeing begins. I hate working on cars in the cold.
     
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  14. Trish

    Trish Damned if I do and damned if I don't Contributor

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    Did you try jumping it? Might be the alternator.
     
  15. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    Seems like half my driving life was spent undoing bits under the hood with numb fingers, I feel your pain.
     
  16. NobodySpecial

    NobodySpecial Contributor Contributor

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    If it's not the battery, the next suspect is the solinoid. Nothing like a bad solinoid to kill a battery. (And I really don't want to swap out the starter) The alternator is a bit farther down the list. (Not that I want to swap that out either) Without the test equipment a real mechanic would have I'm left to wing it driveway style.
     
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  17. Trish

    Trish Damned if I do and damned if I don't Contributor

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    Yeah, it seems that every time it happens to me I make my way all the way to alternator. Now I start there (it's faster). I wasn't aware there was any other way except driveway style ;)
     
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  18. The Dapper Hooligan

    The Dapper Hooligan (V) ( ;,,;) (v) Contributor

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    At least the starter solenoid is easy enough to test. Just draw a jumper between the positive on your battery and the ignition wire on the starter. If it clicks, then you're good, if not, then you're boned. Not sure what you're driving, but when I worked in a parts shop you could get starter solenoids on their own. Compared to a new starter they were a relative steal, and after you got the starter off, replacing it could be done in the comfort of a heated workshop.
     
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  19. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    It pisses me off that my car has been in the shop twice now.
    First guy said I had a dead battery.
    Second guy realized that my slipping tranny, needed to be
    replaced. So I get my car back tomorrow.

    Who the hell thinks the tranny and the battery are connected? o_O
     
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  20. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    Are voltage regulators still a thing? I seem to recall having to swap out a few of those, but my cars were mostly pre-1980 models, and the world has moved on. My stepdad is a retired heavy-equipment mechanic, he opened up the hood of my mom's new Jeep, said "Look at this, I've got no clue anymore," and just shut it back down.
     
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  21. NobodySpecial

    NobodySpecial Contributor Contributor

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    It's a Mopar, nothing is easy on this thing. I miss old cars I could actually fix.
     
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  22. NobodySpecial

    NobodySpecial Contributor Contributor

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    My wife is very protective of her Jeep. She sometimes lets me drive it- like to the gas station to fill it up when it's too cold or mucky out for her comfort.
     
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  23. Earp

    Earp Contributor Contributor

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    Solenoids are usually replaced with the starter as a unit these days. Trying to jump it from the Jeep should tell you if the problem is the battery or further downline. Your profile doesn't say where you are, but here in most of the US, if you can get it started, Autozone or Advance Auto will test the starting/charging systems for free right in their parking lots.
     
  24. NobodySpecial

    NobodySpecial Contributor Contributor

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    After considerable fitzing, fussing, and cussing it's alive. Now I have to replace the battery and the negetive cable. So much for this week's paycheck.
     
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  25. LostThePlot

    LostThePlot Naysmith Contributor

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    So, we're getting close to Christmas and I just got back from a shopping trip. I already knew what I was getting my mother and I traditionally get my sister something boozy. And that just leaves my dad. I looked all over fucking town and I just... I am drawing a blank. What the hell can I get for someone who has no vices and hasn't seemed to enjoy anything in twenty years?

    *bangs head on desk*

    What do you buy for the man who hates everything?
     
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