Hello World!
My IRL name is Aaron but I like to go by the moniker Frankenmint. I came up with that name for my first rig, because it was put together with old computer parts, lying around. Started checking out bitcoin and alt-coins about a year ago and decided early on I wanted to get into mining. I've been a web and database developer by trade but am educated in Business Management. I don't get to listen to the LTB show as much as I'd like because I already find myself pouring over the abundant amount of information everywhere from places like Bitcointalk and its sister similars such as cryptocoin,litecoin, and altcointalk.co.uk, Reddit, webchat.freenode, and youtube. I do occasionally get a chance to listen in though and when I do, the podcasts are magical.
I've accumulated all stages of mining hardware, including a couple FPGAs to be able to 1) get experience with all things mining, 2) be able to assist the community and also to get involved in mining sooner. I have since amassed a very large power bill, and an array of GPUs for scrypt and ASICS for sha256 coins. Though I still choose to mine bitcoin primarily, I have been looking at some of the various profit-led multipool setups as well as several different alt-coins of choice. Now if I could only find the time to focus on DAC driven 2.0 stuff (my next desired challenge: to be integrally involved in a DAC)
I left my traditional full time job to focus on my bitcoin adoption website and mining as a full time effort. In addition to these activities I also mine and actively trade altcoins through Cryptsy as well as on places like coinmkt and btc-e (although it is to be gradually less with the latter company for investment security reasons). It has definitely been a roller coaster for me, but I no longer want to work for anyone but myself as a result of the freedom AND the stimulation brought on from other folks within the Virtual Currency Economy (Virconomy) that has emerged.
As to what Sumanto Said: I think that we're all opportunists to a degree otherwise we wouldn't bother being here. (involved in cryptocurrencies) If you had been around in 2008-2010 years, it would be more reasonable to believe that this was "for the sake of hobby" Despite risking great sums of time and money, we stand to be the new pilgrims of this digital frontier into socio-economic evolution.
My first step towards becoming a bitcoin-accepting merchant was when I took the opportunity to sign up with Andreas Antonopolous's Open Bitcoin Store. I failed somewhat spectacularly as I only made one sell to the netherlands for the equivalent of $2.50 after spending 5 weeks uploading inventory and creating a database of all MTG cards hosted on the site. I decided instead to focus on selling items to spread bitcoin adoption and awareness through the use of Roger Ver and Eric Vorhees' Honey Badger Of Money marketing billboard in Santa Clara California (with their artwork and permission) and created Honeybadgerofmoney.com to sell Magnetic Decals, and bitcoin themed merchandise. My latest addition has been US bitcoin postage stamps.
I am open to collaborate with all other bitcoin merchandise companies - Drop me a note!
