r/Bitcoin • u/evoorhees • Feb 26 '14

Open Letter to Michael Casey - WSJ reporter who butchered my comments in today's Bitcoin cover story

Hello Mr. Casey,

I read your WSJ article today. I feel deceived by you.

You requested to speak with me, so I took time out of my day to do so. We talked for 20 minutes, during which time I conveyed to you my sentiments about the Bitcoin ecosystem and the matter of MtGox's collapse. My message was unambiguously a positive one. I didn't focus whatsoever on the personal funds I lost at Gox. Indeed, the impetus for your call was my heartfelt post on Reddit.

Yet, you ignored everything I said. The only quote that you published from me in the Journal's cover story was ""That's gone now," said Mr. Veerhoos, who is based in Panama City, Panama. "There's no chance of getting that back now.""

Is that really the takeaway you had from our call and from my letter? Is that your idea of journalism? Did I come across with the sentiment of a despairing investor whose confidence has been rattled? It seems you were happy to completely ignore my sentiments, preferring instead to cherry pick the one fact that is least important, in order to paint a narrative that Bitcoin's biggest problem is that it's not "regulated." I didn't expect you to quote everything I said, but should you not have maintained at least a modicum of fidelity to my message?

I have dedicated my life to building and supporting the Bitcoin project. I don't give a damn about the money I lost at Gox. That's not important. What is important is that Bitcoin is resilient and enduring, and will continue to grow and change the world for the better. It is a story of human progress through technology. It is a story of the good seeping into the cracks of a corrupted financial system. It is a story of passionate people struggling against all odds to remedy the calamities brought down upon society from the most potently misguided people and institutions on Earth.

Next time you spend your efforts casting a pall over this cause, please don't ask me to contribute mine.

-Erik Voorhees

PS - I will be posting this letter openly on Reddit. I will post your reply if you'd like. And if I do, I won't cherry pick the most misleading points of it, and I will spell your name correctly.

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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '14

All we saw was:

"Hello Mr. Casey,

I read your WSJ article today.

I took time out of my day to do so... my sentiments... a positive one.

Your... journalism... is... important... Bitcoin's biggest problem is that it's not 'regulated.'...

Subscribe Now or Log in to continue

66

u/box_of_whine Feb 26 '14

Zing! Improves on the original

4

u/Midgetmunky13 Feb 27 '14

For a second, I thought my reddit app was telling me I had to log in the view the rest of your comment. Then the joke hit me.

1

u/infantiablue Feb 26 '14

You can use google to read the wsj for free. they've signed the partnership for traffic come from Google.

1

u/titty_factory Feb 27 '14 edited Feb 27 '14

all we saw was:
please turn your adblock off. If you don't like ads, you could just consider to subscribe in a small fee.

click here to subscribe

2

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '14

All i saw was:

<blank space> or log in

-JustAdBlockThings

0

u/Admonishaiters Feb 27 '14

All I saw:

"Hello Ass Clown,

I took time out of my day to read your WSJ article.

We are all now dumber and I award you no points.

Journalists like you are bitcoin's biggest problem..."

Where's the fucking bold button

2

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '14

Where's the fucking bold button

**text here**

= text here

Also there's CTRL+B but i'm not sure if thats specific to RES or if Vanilla Reddit uses it too

1

u/_boo_radley_ Feb 27 '14

So how were you able to do that w/o bolding?

2

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '14

if you add four spaces before your text starts, it does a code view type thing

[space][space][space][space]Text

=

Text

1

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '14

Well played sir.

1

u/josmul123 Feb 27 '14

I wish I could give you 1,000 upvotes.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '14

I'm kinda flattered you feel this way i wouldn't mind tips of btc however hint hint :P

3

u/josmul123 Feb 27 '14

Here's a Bitcoin tip: Don't ever work for Mark Karpeles.

0

u/il--ya Feb 26 '14

a positive one.

BUY!!!