This is a little OT, but I am confused. I just opened an account at MtGox and it is asking me for a verification step, one which will include all my personal data, and a image of my face or scan of an ID card.
I thought the one aspect of bitcoins was anonymity?
They also have been the victim of at least one, probably more, hacking escapades. Why would anyone be inclined to give them this information?
What is a good recommended place to purchase a few coins just for fun? And then do most people xfer then to this CoinBase?
Most people keep bitcoins in their own wallets on their own computer, USB sticks, whatever. Make multiple copies of your wallet, and encrypt them if there is any risk of other people getting your wallet. Or test out services like coinbase if you feel comfortable trusting someone else with your money.
I thought the one aspect of bitcoins was anonymity?
It's not (only pseudo-anonymity), but in any case, MtGox is not bitcoin, but a service on top of it. If you want something closer to anonymity (yet not real anonymity either), you need to run your own client and do all the things that prevent others from tracking it back to you (run it through Tor, use an anonymous gateway, etc).
And even if you achieve that, chances are that you won't be able to do much with your bitcoins.
I thought the one aspect of bitcoins was anonymity?
They also have been the victim of at least one, probably more, hacking escapades. Why would anyone be inclined to give them this information?
What is a good recommended place to purchase a few coins just for fun? And then do most people xfer then to this CoinBase?