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speeder

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Quote from: ribuck on May 17, 2011, 08:38:12 AM

Quote from: jed on May 17, 2011, 08:16:22 AM

Quote

Bitcoins are super-convenient barter tokens for the internet

This is better since it speaks more to function.

But I still think saying how it is an improvement over something people are already familiar with (like paypal) is better. Even if the comparison isn't the complete story.

I agree with you, Jed, that comparing Bitcoin to familiar things such as PayPal is the most productive option.

But I can't bring myself to tell people "Bitcoin is a free paypal that anyone can use" when Bitcoin isn't always free to use. And I can't think of an honest slogan that's as catchy as your slogan.

Agreed!

Totally. And I would use that slogan... I hate when I see someone explaining bitcoin as a crytocurrencywhatnot and people just look at them with a "huhwtf?!?!?" face.

ribuck

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Quote from: jed on May 17, 2011, 08:16:22 AM

Quote

Bitcoins are super-convenient barter tokens for the internet

This is better since it speaks more to function.

But I still think saying how it is an improvement over something people are already familiar with (like paypal) is better. Even if the comparison isn't the complete story.

I agree with you, Jed, that comparing Bitcoin to familiar things such as PayPal is the most productive option.

But I can't bring myself to tell people "Bitcoin is a free paypal that anyone can use" when Bitcoin isn't always free to use. And I can't think of an honest slogan that's as catchy as your slogan.

JohnDoe

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Quote from: berlin on May 17, 2011, 05:52:32 AM

Socialists are greedy now? Huh

Of course. They always want to steal more from the productive to give to the unproductive.

Nesetalis

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of course, because socialists are "evil" and greed is "evil" so socialists = greedy Cheesy

its just basic math!

Terpie

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Quote from: jed on May 17, 2011, 08:16:22 AM

Quote

Bitcoin is a peer to peer protocol used to exchange scarce cryptographic tokens called bitcoins, which can be used as money.

But people don't care how things work. They just want them to work. (This is still lightyears better than mentioning how it will take out banks though)

Quote

Bitcoins are super-convenient barter tokens for the internet

This is better since it speaks more to function.

But I still think saying how it is an improvement over something people are already familiar with (like paypal) is better. Even if the comparison isn't the complete story. The above quote will make most people think, "What do I need barter tokens for?"

Important characteristics that need to be harped on:

Unfreezable
Predictable (Unable to be manipulated)
Near-zero transaction fees
Potentially Anonymous

jed

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Jed McCaleb

Quote

Bitcoin is a peer to peer protocol used to exchange scarce cryptographic tokens called bitcoins, which can be used as money.

But people don't care how things work. They just want them to work. (This is still lightyears better than mentioning how it will take out banks though)

Quote

Bitcoins are super-convenient barter tokens for the internet

This is better since it speaks more to function.

But I still think saying how it is an improvement over something people are already familiar with (like paypal) is better. Even if the comparison isn't the complete story. The above quote will make most people think, "What do I need barter tokens for?"

berlin

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Quote from: technotarian on May 17, 2011, 02:03:21 AM

It is actually something more than money, as we know it ... (it's money Jim, but not as we know it).

Bitcoin will succeed regardless and because of "dog-food vomiting libertarians."

The socialists and statists will not be able to overcome their greed and yearning to have the best money and information technology available. They will use bitcoin in spite of themselves. We will shove it down their throats and they will ask for more hard currency. True Liberty has never come about through pretty means, palatable to the braindead masses.

"Occasionally the tree of Liberty must be watered with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants."
— Thomas Jefferson

(Hopefully in an online world all this blood-letting is purely figurative ... but "they" got the guns so who knows?)

Socialists are greedy now? Huh

ribuck

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"Bitcoins are super-convenient barter tokens for the internet"

technotarian

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It is actually something more than money, as we know it ... (it's money Jim, but not as we know it).

Bitcoin will succeed regardless and because of "dog-food vomiting libertarians."

The socialists and statists will not be able to overcome their greed and yearning to have the best money and information technology available. They will use bitcoin in spite of themselves. We will shove it down their throats and they will ask for more hard currency. True Liberty has never come about through pretty means, palatable to the braindead masses.

"Occasionally the tree of Liberty must be watered with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants."
— Thomas Jefferson

(Hopefully in an online world all this blood-letting is purely figurative ... but "they" got the guns so who knows?)

Shortline

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Quote from: N12 on May 16, 2011, 05:03:06 PM

Quote from: Shortline on May 16, 2011, 05:00:20 PM

Bitcoin is the native currency of the World Wide Web.

This! Bitcoin is the Internet’s money.

Yeah I thought that too but I feel if you don't say "currency" it'll bring to mind beenz and flooz and whatever the hell. Currency is an under-utilized and powerful word. To my mind, "Internet money" conjures an image of etheriality and substancelessness not on par with the current/projected buying power of bitcoin.

N12

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Quote from: Shortline on May 16, 2011, 05:00:20 PM

Bitcoin is the native currency of the World Wide Web.

This! Bitcoin is the Internet’s money.

nereer

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Why settle for the lesser evil?

Quote from: gigabytecoin on May 16, 2011, 03:26:52 PM

I am 90% certain that Calcanis purchased ~100k of them a week or two before his show, and is now trying to promote the crap out of them for a quick profit.

Well, apparently he popped up on the forums the other day, so he is doing hell of a performance if his real aim is pump & dump. I get the impression he is really excited about the project. Note that this does not mean he is doing exactly what you say anyway.

BitterTea

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Quote from: Shortline on May 16, 2011, 05:00:20 PM

I suggest:

Bitcoin is the native currency of the World Wide Web.

How about...

Bitcoin is a peer to peer protocol used to exchange scarce cryptographic tokens called bitcoins, which can be used as money.

Shortline

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Quote from: jed on May 16, 2011, 02:58:13 PM

The problem is the way bitcoin is presented. You guys all like it because you are libertarian types. But keep in mind that the vast majority of people in the world aren't. But bitcoin doesn't just appeal to libertarian types. All you need to say to promote it is:

Bitcoin is a free paypal that anyone can use.

Please leave the libertarian, going to replace all other currencies, take over the world stuff out of it. That just turns people off.
The only important thing for people to know is that it is better than what people use now for online payments.

Huzzah! Too true. Though I think bitcoin is a robust enough idea to withstand the general disdain most people have for anything libertarian, there's an exclusionary attitude around these forums that doesn't help either. Every time you say the word "bankster" or "brainwashing" one person nods in assent, two people are bored and ten leave in disgust. Just sayin - no need to post it in every single thread, you do more harm than good.

Quote from: BitterTea on May 16, 2011, 03:07:56 PM

This seems misleading, as Paypal is a transmission method for supported currencies while Bitcoin is a currency of its own. Saying it's like Paypal might lead people to believe that they can use it anywhere Paypal is accepted, rather than the limited number of merchants that accept Bitcoin.

Huzzah! Also too true. I suggest:

Bitcoin is the native currency of the World Wide Web.

benjamindees

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Bitcoin is not a security. No one is under the impression that Bitcoin is backed by anything.

unk

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Quote from: gigabytecoin on May 16, 2011, 03:26:52 PM

Quote from: BioMike on May 16, 2011, 02:37:00 PM

With such title on slashdot, I didn't even bothered to read the article... I was quite embarrassed with such title on slashdot. Seemed a bit that someone bought bitcoins just before MtGox went down and wanted to push MtGox back with some cheap publicity.

I am 90% certain that Calcanis purchased ~100k of them a week or two before his show, and is now trying to promote the crap out of them for a quick profit.

i'm not at all a fan of calacanis, but i doubt this. he couldn't be that stupid, because this would probably be very public and easily investigated securities fraud. didn't some celebrity rapper run afoul of the same thing (not bitcoins, obviously, but some penny stock) on twitter a few months ago?

eMansipater

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Quote from: jed on May 16, 2011, 02:58:13 PM

The problem is the way bitcoin is presented. You guys all like it because you are libertarian types. But keep in mind that the vast majority of people in the world aren't. But bitcoin doesn't just appeal to libertarian types. All you need to say to promote it is:

Bitcoin is a free paypal that anyone can use.

Please leave the libertarian, going to replace all other currencies, take over the world stuff out of it. That just turns people off.
The only important thing for people to know is that it is better than what people use now for online payments.

+10
It seems that very few people talking up BitCoin on other sites have a good grasp of the way this sort of thing actually looks to the majority of people. If you restrict your pitch to your own philosophical interest in BitCoin, you will at best appeal to that narrow subset of people who already agree with you. If you leave out your own philosophical agenda and just talk about BitCoin as BitCoin--a protocol, not a philosophy--you will hook every geek out there.

My number one concern for the future of BitCoin is that it be restricted to those of a very particular philosophical bent which represent only a couple percent of the general geek population (and not me). Even though I'm essentially a kopimist, I never would have tried to sell BitTorrent as the birth of the kopimist utopia. I would have just talked plain tech, because that's how BitTorrent succeeded: everywhere. This community needs to stop vomiting their own dogfood over everyone and allow BitCoin to start diversifying.

Matt Corallo

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Quote from: BitterTea on May 16, 2011, 03:22:28 PM

Besides, I would argue that it was designed to address the flaws of our current financial system.

No, you are right, sorry I misspoke. I meant that although it might have been satoshi's intent, I dont think its reasonable within any reasonable timespan. That said, bitcoin has many uses for Internet transactions (great for digital goods so that people anywhere in the world can easily buy things) and maybe some use cases in LDCs.

BitterTea

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Quote from: gigabytecoin on May 16, 2011, 03:26:52 PM

Quote from: BioMike on May 16, 2011, 02:37:00 PM

With such title on slashdot, I didn't even bothered to read the article... I was quite embarrassed with such title on slashdot. Seemed a bit that someone bought bitcoins just before MtGox went down and wanted to push MtGox back with some cheap publicity.

I am 90% certain that Calcanis purchased ~100k of them a week or two before his show, and is now trying to promote the crap out of them for a quick profit.

What evidence leads you to this conclusion?

elewton

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DIA | Data infrastructure for DeFi

Quote from: gigabytecoin on May 16, 2011, 03:26:52 PM

I am 90% certain that Calcanis purchased ~100k of them a week or two before his show, and is now trying to promote the crap out of them for a quick profit.

Bingo. Now does he cash out quick, or does he go in for the long haul?

Topic: Slashdotted (again) (Read 5053 times)