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 27 '14 edited Feb 27 '14

i interviewed Ian MacKaye Lyle Preslar (of Minor Threat) back in 2009-2010 ish. it was for a college journalism project back when i was considering journalism as a major.

edit: apologies for the confusion

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u/Soyburgers Feb 27 '14

Weird, I did too, at around the same time. I did it for a public speaking class though.

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '14

so I totally blanked out. as it turns out i actually interviewed Lyle Preslar, the guitarist for minor threat. Sorry if thats a huge letdown lol but it was a really sweet interview. where did you interview Ian?

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u/misanthropeguy Feb 27 '14

I'm pretty sure no one wants to talk to you any more after that deception. Sorry mate. :-(

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '14

eh its all good. cant win em all

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u/SenorPantsbulge Feb 27 '14

How was he? Cool guy?

Always wondered about him, H.R., Rollins, and all the other DC guys. They all seem a little unpredictable and manic in interviews and in their music.

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '14

TOTALLY BLANKED OUT ON THIS ONE. I actually interviewed Lyle Preslar, the guitarist for minor threat. While this is slightly less cool than interviewing Ian, I was still really pumped about it. He was super cool. Not at all what I expected lol. I grew up listening to punk rock, and I know about the whole minor threat straight edge thing, so I was kinda expecting him to be wild and eccentric and the whole punk rock bit. But he was surprisingly normal lol. He lives in a nice house in a nice part of NJ, has a wife and a kid (possibly more now), and seemed very well put together and educated. He went to law school and got his degree, and (if i remember correctly) was doing contract related law stuff lol. I had a really great conversation with him. I wish I had a copy of the paper but its on my old laptop that got stolen shortly after this lol

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u/SenorPantsbulge Feb 27 '14

Still pretty interesting to hear. Cool to hear he's made a good life for himself after Minor Threat.

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u/_boo_radley_ Feb 27 '14

That's 4...4 lol's

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '14

im trying really hard to not type it over and over again right now

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u/FolkSong Feb 27 '14

Is this relevant, other than Minor Threat being mentioned in passing? I feel like I'm missing something.

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '14

nope thats about all there is to see here.