# Gavin Andresen
# 2011-12-14 20:35:00
# https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=54603.msg650445#msg650445

I like "sweep" @p{--} it has very clear semantics that I think users will understand:  "Take all the funds that were sent THERE, and send them to me RIGHT NOW." @p{par}

Automatic sweep-every-once-in-a-while functionality would be fine, as long as it was coded properly (sweeps should only be done if you have the full block-chain, not if you're busy catching up, and shouldn't be done immediately to avoid a flurry of accidental double-spends if you have several wallets setup to sweep the same key(s)). @p{par}

I don't like "import" @p{--} it has muddy semantics that I think users will not understand.  "You kind-of-sort-of own the funds that were sent THERE, unless somebody else happens to have a copy of THERE that you may or may not know about." @p{par}

Import is bad because it can lead to a situation like: @p{brk}
 Start up bitcoin, see you have 1 BTC in your wallet (sent to an imported private key in block 111,000) @p{brk}
 So you send half of it to your friend to pay for lunch. @p{brk}
 ... bitcoin chugs away, and it turns out that 1BTC was spent already, in block 190,000. @p{brk}
 User is all "wtf??? where did my BTC go???" @p{par}

If you're an uber-geek and know what you're doing, then you should use geeky, dangerous tools like PyWallet to do what you want to do. @p{brk}