5 ms·

Show HN: my weekend project - sell files for bitcoins

34 points by hippich 16y ago

hippich 16y ago
I have done a while ago, but in one weekend. This project's aim is to combine easy uploads and easy payments via Bitcoin. Main features: - just one field to upload. nothing else - files are stored for one week by default, but if someone downloaded it, file life extends. - payments are in Bitcoins - to download file you have to pay nominal 2 bitcents or more - to setup higher price - you need to "invest" into your file - deposit same amount you want to charge for the file - site takes 10% cut from all payments. here is example of download link - http://ubitio.us/file/download/127 http://ubitio.us/file/download/127 It is weird in terms of requiring nominal payments (it was initial idea to avoid using CAPTCHA) and short life of the file which depends on number of downloads. This was really a fun project and it really never took off, but any comments really appreciated =)
huge_ness 16y ago
I think it's a good idea but am relunctant to think that people would actually pay for files, especially for something they've never seen/used before. Nonetheless, maybe check out: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2406614 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2406614 (http://gumroad.com http://gumroad.com) He/She also did the same thing over the weekend. :)
rchowe 16y ago
Your copyright notice still says 2010.
- dangrossman 16y ago
  As it should, if that was the year he put it up. A copyright notice, if you're going to place one, is supposed to have 3 elements (via copyright.gov): 1. The (c) symbol, the word copyright, or the abbreviation "copr." 2. The year of first publication 3. The name of the copyright owner
  - seiji 16y ago
    Is Google doing it incorrectly? They use: © 2011
    - someone_here 16y ago
      Google updated their stuff this year, so 2011 is fine.
  - rchowe 16y ago
    I had assumed this was a weekend project that just launched, my bad.
- hippich 16y ago
  I put this just 'cos I wanted to put something into footer. I do not care about copyrights at this point =)
clistctrl 16y ago
This is awesome! I personally can't think of a need for the service, but I'm glad to see Bitcoins being used. I don't care how it materializes, but an open source virtual currency needs to flourish.
kloncks 16y ago
Could a fellow nerd explain to me why Bitcoins are a good idea? Or what the idea is behind them?
- radu_floricica 16y ago
  Because if you want to build stuff with payments, you deal with APIs and not paperwork. Which is much friendlier for us hackers. Considering bitcoins actually have value (the market works, you can buy and sell them - right now they're roughly $1), it's a real shot at micropayments done right.
- hugh3 16y ago
  Short answer: they aren't. However, anyone who has managed to acquire some is currently busy trying to talk up their value. Or to put it another way, it's a pyramid scheme with some geek-friendly features.
  - 3pt14159 16y ago
    I totally disagree. Their intrinsic value is that they cannot be controlled by despotic governments, nanny state mothers and fathers, or by corrupt bankers or payment gateway vendors. They do not suffer from long term inflation. They have negligible to zero transmission fees. The fact that the currency is as stable as it is is remarkable, and this is a perfect site to take advantage of bitcoins.
    - hugh3 16y ago
      Their intrinsic value is that they cannot be controlled by despotic governments, nanny state mothers and fathers, or by corrupt bankers or payment gateway vendors You could say that for any currency you might care to invent. Limited-edition Franklin Mint velvet Elvis collector plates? They'd be a great currency, if only you could persuade anyone to use 'em. Alternatively, if you don't like that, then I could invent Bitcoin Prime. It's exactly like Bitcoins, except... well, it's called Bitcoin Prime. Every string of bits that is a bitcoin is also a Bitcoin Prime... except that regardless of who "owns" that bitcoin, I own the Bitcoin Prime. Who wants to buy some? (Oh, and if such a thing ever does become popular, I guarantee that despotic governments, nanny states and corrupt bankers will find a way to get in on the action.) The fact that the currency is as stable as it is is remarkable Stable on a one-year timescale? When the only people who own them so far are the first-gen speculators trying to drive the price up? The "beanie baby" alternative currency lasted longer than that.
thatusertwo 16y ago
I uploaded a .gif and got a huge code dump in return.
- hippich 16y ago
  oh. well.. this is very quick project and I did not really spent a lot of time polishing it. So I could expect that. Do you have screenshot/copypaste by any chance? If so, could you send it to pavel@yepcorp.com?
schwa 16y ago
You probably shouldn't use Mac oS X's zip file icon. Pretty sure that's copyrighted by Apple.

34 points by hippich 16y ago

I have done a while ago, but in one weekend. This project's aim is to combine easy uploads and easy payments via Bitcoin. Main features: - just one field to upload. nothing else - files are stored for one week by default, but if someone downloaded it, file life extends. - payments are in Bitcoins - to download file you have to pay nominal 2 bitcents or more - to setup higher price - you need to "invest" into your file - deposit same amount you want to charge for the file - site takes 10% cut from all payments. here is example of download link - http://ubitio.us/file/download/127 http://ubitio.us/file/download/127 It is weird in terms of requiring nominal payments (it was initial idea to avoid using CAPTCHA) and short life of the file which depends on number of downloads. This was really a fun project and it really never took off, but any comments really appreciated =)

huge_ness 16y ago

I think it's a good idea but am relunctant to think that people would actually pay for files, especially for something they've never seen/used before. Nonetheless, maybe check out: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2406614 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2406614 (http://gumroad.com http://gumroad.com) He/She also did the same thing over the weekend. :)

rchowe 16y ago

Your copyright notice still says 2010.

dangrossman 16y ago
As it should, if that was the year he put it up. A copyright notice, if you're going to place one, is supposed to have 3 elements (via copyright.gov): 1. The (c) symbol, the word copyright, or the abbreviation "copr." 2. The year of first publication 3. The name of the copyright owner
- seiji 16y ago
  Is Google doing it incorrectly? They use: © 2011
  - someone_here 16y ago
    Google updated their stuff this year, so 2011 is fine.
- rchowe 16y ago
  I had assumed this was a weekend project that just launched, my bad.
hippich 16y ago
I put this just 'cos I wanted to put something into footer. I do not care about copyrights at this point =)

clistctrl 16y ago

This is awesome! I personally can't think of a need for the service, but I'm glad to see Bitcoins being used. I don't care how it materializes, but an open source virtual currency needs to flourish.

kloncks 16y ago

Could a fellow nerd explain to me why Bitcoins are a good idea? Or what the idea is behind them?

radu_floricica 16y ago
Because if you want to build stuff with payments, you deal with APIs and not paperwork. Which is much friendlier for us hackers. Considering bitcoins actually have value (the market works, you can buy and sell them - right now they're roughly $1), it's a real shot at micropayments done right.
hugh3 16y ago
Short answer: they aren't. However, anyone who has managed to acquire some is currently busy trying to talk up their value. Or to put it another way, it's a pyramid scheme with some geek-friendly features.
- 3pt14159 16y ago
  I totally disagree. Their intrinsic value is that they cannot be controlled by despotic governments, nanny state mothers and fathers, or by corrupt bankers or payment gateway vendors. They do not suffer from long term inflation. They have negligible to zero transmission fees. The fact that the currency is as stable as it is is remarkable, and this is a perfect site to take advantage of bitcoins.
  - hugh3 16y ago
    Their intrinsic value is that they cannot be controlled by despotic governments, nanny state mothers and fathers, or by corrupt bankers or payment gateway vendors You could say that for any currency you might care to invent. Limited-edition Franklin Mint velvet Elvis collector plates? They'd be a great currency, if only you could persuade anyone to use 'em. Alternatively, if you don't like that, then I could invent Bitcoin Prime. It's exactly like Bitcoins, except... well, it's called Bitcoin Prime. Every string of bits that is a bitcoin is also a Bitcoin Prime... except that regardless of who "owns" that bitcoin, I own the Bitcoin Prime. Who wants to buy some? (Oh, and if such a thing ever does become popular, I guarantee that despotic governments, nanny states and corrupt bankers will find a way to get in on the action.) The fact that the currency is as stable as it is is remarkable Stable on a one-year timescale? When the only people who own them so far are the first-gen speculators trying to drive the price up? The "beanie baby" alternative currency lasted longer than that.

thatusertwo 16y ago

I uploaded a .gif and got a huge code dump in return.

hippich 16y ago
oh. well.. this is very quick project and I did not really spent a lot of time polishing it. So I could expect that. Do you have screenshot/copypaste by any chance? If so, could you send it to pavel@yepcorp.com?

schwa 16y ago

You probably shouldn't use Mac oS X's zip file icon. Pretty sure that's copyrighted by Apple.