paulo
I have no idea what a bitcoin actually is or how it can possibly have a value.
I've read stuff, had people who claim to understand it "explain" it to me and I still haven't a scooby-doo wtf it is, how you get one or what you're supposed to do with it if you have one (or more).
Think of cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin but there are many others now) kind of like "virtual" gold bars/ingots/whatevs. Unlike regular national currencies (Dollar/Pound/Euro) that can be artificially manipulated by govs/banks/economics/etc your gold bar is going to maintain market value. Not to say there can't be fluctuations in the price of gold but it generally goes UP in value over time because it is a finite and physical entity. So instead of a pile of gold bars you get a digital file that you can store wherever and transfer to others as needed (in exchange for services, products or real cash). Also much like (unstamped) gold it is untraceable which is why it is so popular amongst criminals and weird internet libertarians.
As for how you get them/spend them I think (and don't quote me on this) there are various crypto currency exchanges online where you can buy and sell them. Not sure if it requires any special software or how the process of transferring/adding to one's pile looks like in real life because I've never used it (though I may accept bitcoin for my own mayhem someday if there seems to be a need for it).
It's pretty weird stuff BUT, and knowing you and your kind of "stick it" attitude, it is pretty useful and counter culture if that's your bag.
I'm fine with Paypal for now. They pound us hard with the fees and crap (and just generally annoy me) but a) I know how it works, b) it's pretty simple to use and is accepted more broadly than crypto currencies and c) is far less likely to arouse the suspicions of the taxman/Johnny Law (if you aren't actually a criminal/tax dodger).
To sum up it's like burying gold in your back yard except instead of gold it's bits and bytes and instead of your backyard it's any digital storage (whether it be physical like on your computer or a flash drive or in the "cloud").
Now I look forward to someone who ACTUALLY knows WTF they are talking about to correct what I'm sure are multiple inaccuracies in my explanation.
Seriously... I probably should get boned up on the durned things if plan to accept them in the future.