Topic: Shower thought. Why is Bitcoin hard to define? - page 3. (Read 605 times)
When my friend introduced bitcoin to me, it was truly hard to believe. This is all because of its virtual presence without a physical state. The same thing will happen with each and every common man who has been using fiat throughout his life. Now e-wallets have helped with the digital service for the same fiat, so through some technical difficulties it can be explained according to the effort taken.
*snip*
If you really aren't stupid(lol), it's simply most likely because your friend is simply not explaining it well for a non-technical person. When explaining online, we frequently throw words like "decentralized", "peer-to-peer", "open source", and the like, not taking into consideration the person listening might not even know what these words exactly mean. Hence I frequently use the statement "transacting with bitcoin doesn't need a mediator company"; because based on experience, people tend to understand it better that way.
it is difficult to explain to laymen about virtual money, even many consider bitcoin as the latest gambling on the internet.
Recently I read an article about bitcoin in medium and the tittle of article is You don't understand bitcoin because you think money is real you can read article fully on medium. I think that is the interesting article and we can have an imagine hos to discribe about bitcoin to other people easily. As you may know, the currency always real from time to time (including barter) this thing that makes we have a difficult way to discribe about bitcoin as we assume bitcoin is money. Because a new person who just know bitcoin will be difficult to understand how bitcoin works and what bitcoin is because of they can't hold it.
That old magic internet money. I get your point. Certainly when explaining it to a new person
A non-Bitcoiner friend asked me, "What is Bitcoin?", I was unable to answer directly as my mind was racing to find an answer. My first instinct was to tell him that it was a "peer to peer digital ecash for the internet", but should something global, trustless, provably scarce, independent, open, and censorship-resistant be described as something so shallow?
Bitcoin is much more, but it's very hard to find the words to describe it.
I agree. People arround us that does not have an idea about Bitcoin or cryptocurrency in general will find themselves hard to understand the terms used most especially in technical terms. In my case I just told my friends and relatives that Bitcoin is a new form of money online that can be used as a payment method or investment purposes. For me it doesn't matter on how I explain to them but if they are really interested with Bitcoin I know that they will find an answer for themselves because google is always there to help them. Bitcoin is much more, but it's very hard to find the words to describe it.
A non-Bitcoiner friend asked me, "What is Bitcoin?", I was unable to answer directly as my mind was racing to find an answer. My first instinct was to tell him that it was a "peer to peer digital ecash for the internet", but should something global, trustless, provably scarce, independent, open, and censorship-resistant be described as something so shallow?
Bitcoin is much more, but it's very hard to find the words to describe it.
Bitcoin is much more, but it's very hard to find the words to describe it.
I don't think the problem is defining Bitcoin to people who are not familiar with it, the real problem here is not by defining what BTC is but to find the most effective answer that will make them convinced about Bitcoin, the real question is how can we define BTC to these non-bitcoiners without making them doubt and convincing them that BTC is real.
You should not define bitcoin to a newbie in one go. They will be overwhelmed with the information that you will be feeding them. It is better to just describe it in the simplest word you can but enough to arouse curiousity. If he gets interested enough, he will research it on his own.
Bitcoin is a new way for people to make money, it is available on the internet for now, but in another country, it is available in our real life. So you can pay your expenses in monthly using bitcoin, you can have a new investment type besides gold, you can make more money from bitcoin by trading.
I think you can try to explain that, so I think it will make them curious and want to know more. Then you can try to explain a bit of detail about bitcoin and ask them to search on the internet. You don't have to explain about peer-to-peer or blockchain technology because that will too complicated to them. Just explain the simple explanation, and I hope that they can understand and want to use google to help them.
I think you can try to explain that, so I think it will make them curious and want to know more. Then you can try to explain a bit of detail about bitcoin and ask them to search on the internet. You don't have to explain about peer-to-peer or blockchain technology because that will too complicated to them. Just explain the simple explanation, and I hope that they can understand and want to use google to help them.
I was a "Non-bitcoiner" before 
, and I often ask my friend who's into bitcoin about it. 
Every time he tries to explain it to me I would feel like a grandma who ask my grandson about the internet. ??
It seem so clear to him what he is explaining but every term he uses confuses me and make me jump from one
idea to another. I'm not that stupid either, I even consider my self to be knowledgeable about technology.
But when I really invested in knowing what bitcoin is all about I was like "Well that was that.. Okk soo it all make sense to me now~"
Its nature of being abstract does not help on constructing it in your thoughts and followed by technical terms to define and support the main definition well that's one way to confuse someone
, and I often ask my friend who's into bitcoin about it. Every time he tries to explain it to me I would feel like a grandma who ask my grandson about the internet. ??
It seem so clear to him what he is explaining but every term he uses confuses me and make me jump from one
idea to another. I'm not that stupid either, I even consider my self to be knowledgeable about technology.
But when I really invested in knowing what bitcoin is all about I was like "Well that was that.. Okk soo it all make sense to me now~"
Its nature of being abstract does not help on constructing it in your thoughts and followed by technical terms to define and support the main definition well that's one way to confuse someone
You should answer that bitcoin is an asset in the form of a currency that is on a peer to peer basis that you have said yeah, IMO the short definition that bitcoin is an investment like oil but not real in the very rare sense but even though not real bitcoin is very beneficial and has high popularity. There is also something you have to say that bitcoin is easier to used well you should be able to answer it.
if I get a question like you. I will answer, if bitcoin is one of the blockchain-based digital currencies that we can use for investment and trade. and we can use it to transact if there are sellers who accept crypto currencies. and I will introduce crypto currencies so that your friends will get to know all crypto currencies.
I think it will be simple to tell newcomers that bitcoin is a type of money that is used online or over the internet and it has a limited supply unlike the dollar and that it doesn't exist as a tangible substance, also that it rises and fall in the market.
I often find myself having difficulty explaining the concept to people, more often than not I leave the conversation more confused than I was when I arrived,!and I’m the one they ask questions to? 🤦🏻♂️
Because besides the technical specifications behind it, bitcoin is pretty much fundamentally different for each person. Bitcoin might be a currency for Bob in the Philippines, whereas bitcoin might be a store-of-value of Mike in Venezuela, or maybe both for some people on other countries.
I personally have this problem too. I have so much different definitions of bitcoin on my mind that I really don't know which one to say when someone asks me about it. LOL. Not to mention the number of different definitions increases more and more as I learn more about bitcoin. One thing's for sure though, I never describe bitcoin as an investment, as people shouldn't be doing in the first place.
I personally have this problem too. I have so much different definitions of bitcoin on my mind that I really don't know which one to say when someone asks me about it. LOL. Not to mention the number of different definitions increases more and more as I learn more about bitcoin. One thing's for sure though, I never describe bitcoin as an investment, as people shouldn't be doing in the first place.
It really is hard to define in an easy to understand and exciting enough manner. I think the problem is that you cannot define it in the same way for everyone.
There are different facets to bitcoin that a person will find interesting depending on his/ her background, education and intention. I'll attempt a few examples:
1. If its a tech-savvy person, you can just tell them that it is "Money generated by a combination of mathematics, cryptography and internet".
2. If its a financially-literate, business-minded guy, you can say its "Border less and regulation-free method for raising and storing capital"
3. If its a professional from a different field (Lawyer, doctor, teacher), you can tell them its "The limited edition version of new money that only the most tech-savvy, internet people can access and that they shouldn't miss out".
4. If its your grandmother, maybe then "It is the one investment to recession-proof your pension and legacy (show her the physical coins)".
What more can you add?
I can add this for people of all ages: Basically, if you need to pay without the government noticing your transactions in an anonymous manner, Bitcoin is your solution which is an alternate currency to FIAT, credit cards, Paypal etc. There are different facets to bitcoin that a person will find interesting depending on his/ her background, education and intention. I'll attempt a few examples:
1. If its a tech-savvy person, you can just tell them that it is "Money generated by a combination of mathematics, cryptography and internet".
2. If its a financially-literate, business-minded guy, you can say its "Border less and regulation-free method for raising and storing capital"
3. If its a professional from a different field (Lawyer, doctor, teacher), you can tell them its "The limited edition version of new money that only the most tech-savvy, internet people can access and that they shouldn't miss out".
4. If its your grandmother, maybe then "It is the one investment to recession-proof your pension and legacy (show her the physical coins)".
What more can you add?
If financial anonymity is your concern, Bitcoin is what you need.
I know its little bit hard to explain about bitcoin to nebiwe whoever not yet involved with it. Although your explanation is correct but they will not understand by this way. Short answer should be, bitcoin is a virtual currency. Then step by step you have to explain how it is work. I answer like this if someone ask me. If you can explain that how it would be convert in real money then they will interested on bitcoin. Otherwise newbie will not believe on it.
~snip~
Exactly but since my friends of mine are not really into technical stuff and even I told them the technical term of Bitcoin they still won't understand it but to explain it in a simple way I always tell to them that "It's an online money that's volatile because it's price is defined by the buyers and also depends into demands and supply of it" from this they have an idea what a bitcoin is but yes... it's much more. Anonymity, mode of transaction, investment, trading... it's flexible for what i'm seeing it's really a complicated stuff that a non technical or semi technical persons won't easily understand. 
It is true. Bitcoin is hard to explain but easy to understand when you show it how to do it and how to use it. Like in lesson in school when your teacher teach about every problem procedure it is hard to understand but when you apply it in actual activity you can understand easily and you can perform it well. Likewise in bitcoin you can easily understand it when you try to invest on it rather than reading articles about bitcoin.
It really is hard to define in an easy to understand and exciting enough manner. I think the problem is that you cannot define it in the same way for everyone.
There are different facets to bitcoin that a person will find interesting depending on his/ her background, education and intention. I'll attempt a few examples:
1. If its a tech-savvy person, you can just tell them that it is "Money generated by a combination of mathematics, cryptography and internet".
2. If its a financially-literate, business-minded guy, you can say its "Border less and regulation-free method for raising and storing capital"
3. If its a professional from a different field (Lawyer, doctor, teacher), you can tell them its "The limited edition version of new money that only the most tech-savvy, internet people can access and that they shouldn't miss out".
4. If its your grandmother, maybe then "It is the one investment to recession-proof your pension and legacy (show her the physical coins)".
What more can you add?
There are different facets to bitcoin that a person will find interesting depending on his/ her background, education and intention. I'll attempt a few examples:
1. If its a tech-savvy person, you can just tell them that it is "Money generated by a combination of mathematics, cryptography and internet".
2. If its a financially-literate, business-minded guy, you can say its "Border less and regulation-free method for raising and storing capital"
3. If its a professional from a different field (Lawyer, doctor, teacher), you can tell them its "The limited edition version of new money that only the most tech-savvy, internet people can access and that they shouldn't miss out".
4. If its your grandmother, maybe then "It is the one investment to recession-proof your pension and legacy (show her the physical coins)".
What more can you add?
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