Official Disclaimer: This is off the cuff but I'm seeing a pattern here so wanted to give it a shot trying to identify these stages before we are "all in". This is my take...please feed back if I left any out or could change it around a bit better. I'd like to come up with something relatively fitting that can be shared with others to see how adoption is trackable - even if it's never a full blown psych eval, it's still fun to tinker with in a social way.
The Ten Eleven Stages Of Bitcoin Adoption - Serenity S.
Stage One: Oblivious IndifferenceHuh? Bitcom? Naw. Oh did you see what Justin Bieber did yesterday in Germany zomg?!
Stage Two: Utter Confusion Based IndifferenceOh yeah bitcon? That's totally a scam. They went bankrupt. Hey dude, wanna drive me up to Taco Bell?
Stage Three: Mild Curiosity Yeah, I've heard about it here and there. I heard lots of people are getting rich with it. There must be something to it though, been seeing some stores starting to accept it.
What is bitcoin, exactly? (<<< this is the make or break it moment)
Stage Four: Abject CuriosityWait, so I can buy any amount of bitcoin I want and make some money? I'm hearing more talk about this. *Asks more questions*
Stage Five: Remedial Comprehension So basically, I can send my sister a couple thousand dollars for less than a buck? It's anonymous? And nobody can steal it?
Stage Six: Fear Based Skepticism Yeah, it's a great idea but
there's no way in hell the government's gonna let this happen, it's financial suicide. And really, not many people use it. I don't even shop at Overstock anyway, too expensive. And the price keeps jumping around - how can merchants know what to charge? It's too easy to implode...this is a fad. (coincides with a sense of disappointment because it really was a good idea that is in a precarious position with simultaneous hope that there's bound to be something that can get this to take off)
Stage Seven: Self Directed Learning*Google, Wiki, You Tube, Bitcointalk, Coindesk, Reddit, Massive Internet Bitcoin Research & Education Bender*
Stage Eight: Healthy SkepticismThis is gonna be HUGE but right now it's too complex for the average user...and there's the security issue. These need to be solved.
Stage 8 alternative:There's too many outside interests looking to interfere and milk the bitcoin enthusiasts, and too many bitcoin insiders also looking to milk other bitcoin enthusiasts, a vocal number of early adopters who want to see their trivial investment make them into the wealthy elite, and huge toxic pillars (bitcoin foundation, miner manufacturers), that there's going to be many explosions along the way, I think I'll sit back with some popcorn and watch this geek version of all-my-children from a safe position. (Contributed by Chopperman)
Stage Nine: Proactive Paradigm ShiftSo, all these mega venture capitalists are throwing money into developing and reinforcing the infrastructure and to make it mindlessly easy for the average person on the street to use bitcoin, the conferences, all this support is there, happening, launching NOW...and it's meeting little resistance save but the periodic gloom and doom reports...this is going to change the world as we know it!
(tears of profound giddiness)
Stage Ten: Full Adoption: All InBitcoin Accounts Set up with Coinbase, Blockchain.Info, Bitstamp, other...jumps in to contribute, participate, be part of the solution, and position for potential wealth and security
Stage Eleven: Obsessive Chart WatchingOMG! It went up 40 cents! No, down 15 ce- up 82 cent--OMGOMGOMG IT HIT 400!!!
Sleepless nights obsessing over Bitcoin... (Contributed by: ChuckBuck)
Stage Twelve: Bitter Divorce?
Wrong.
There are TWELVE STEPS in Bitcoin adoption and the last or twelfth step is GOVERNMENT CONTROL!
And because of some of the earlier stopes, that is exactly what you are getting!
