Why is it so hard to get family/friends into bitcoin? - page 3.

tvbcof

legendary

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Quote from: precrime3 on April 01, 2014, 01:28:45 PM

I think its hard to get people to understand the concept of "digital" currency. The smarter ones concerned about "what's backing it", etch...

That is part of the reason I've happened to only quasi-advocate Bitcoin to people with graduate degrees in scientific fields. These people can appreciate the significance of what being backed by mathematics actually means.

These people also tend to have exposure to the open-source software environment so they can appreciate the risks of the backing foundation being sucked out from underneath them...and recognize that threat if it starts to happen.

(Actually, anyone with any science degree has the potential to understand these concepts, and a fair number of people who don't hold such a degree do as well. I happened to work most closely with people who did hold graduate degrees so it is they who I spoke at length about it with. The 'potential' to understand the concepts is a long way from actually understanding them. Most people with advanced degrees will not grasp and appreciate most of this stuff even though they probably could.)

precrime3

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PM for journalist,typing,and data entry services.

I think its hard to get people to understand the concept of "digital" currency. The smarter ones concerned about "what's backing it", etch...

tvbcof

legendary

Activity: 4690

Merit: 1276

I consider BTC to be more of a curse then a blessing for most people. It is not a trivial thing to deal with safely. It takes focus and technical ability which a small fraction of people really posses.

I give BTC to friends and family to express and interest, but in quantities such that they are induced to take seriously. Otherwise I earmark a percentage of my hoard for my close family and occasionally buy them things that they can use and find interesting.

I have only really advocated Bitcoin for a handful of people and they happened to have graduate degrees in computer science (and economics in one case) a good income stream such that they can absorb a financial loss. Also without exception the people I have suggested Bitcoin to have a high level of interest in macro-economics.

Back in 2011 I was briefly involved in an effort which included Voorhees and Guo to put BTC into the hands of the masses. After some contemplation I concluded that this may well end up doing the actual recipients more harm that good and ceases activity.

nidiagh

newbie

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too many scammers?

Beef Supreme

full member

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Put your trust in MATH.

To the OP, I apologize for biting on off topic posts.

I first heard of Bitcoin while surfing the web on my lunch break early last year. After the first nibbles of info about it, I was hooked. I talked to everyone that would listen, family/friends/coworkers. Not one, took my advice. Like 50 people. Some of them really smart, and the smartest of the bunch told me to stay clear. Well, it was 70 bucks then, now look at it. They don't want to talk about it with me now, the ones who told me it was a bad investment. They would rather talk about ANYTHING else.

Some are still in denial, with bubble and scam flowing freely from their lips…whatevs.

But when bad news about Bitcoin surfaces, they run me down with I told you so's.

I don't even care if they buy it or not anymore, ignorance is bliss for some folks. I am tired of trying to convince them.

Beef Supreme

full member

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Put your trust in MATH.

Quote from: ~Coinseeker~ on March 31, 2014, 10:20:34 PM

Quote from: Beef Supreme on March 31, 2014, 10:14:55 PM

The real world is currently rigged for the house to win.

And Bitcoin solves that how? By getting people to add an extra 1% or more to the total cost of things they buy, when they have to purchase Bitcoin to make those purchases? How is that helpful?

Are you trolling me, or do you not understand the societal benefits of a decentralized currency?

Bitcoin is not just a currency, it provides other innovations, like the block chain.

Much untapped potential. Many aspects.

Suggest enlightenment on the subject, I do.

Beef Supreme

full member

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Merit: 100

Put your trust in MATH.

Quote from: Beliathon on April 01, 2014, 12:04:37 AM

@OP

Because of this:

The intellectual difference between the average person and someone like Einstein, is actually greater than the intellectual difference between the average person and a chimpanzee.

That's why we can have the Large Hadron Collider and the Westboro Baptist Church on the same planet.

Yay I am in the top 2 %! At the very low end, but I'll take it.

marcotheminer

legendary

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┴puoʎǝq ʞool┴

my family doesn't get the technology!

~Coinseeker~

newbie

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Quote from: crunchynut on April 01, 2014, 11:13:45 AM

Quote from: bitcoinsrus on March 31, 2014, 08:05:43 PM

What would it take to get people seriously behind bitcoin?

did you tell them about all the great things you can do with bitcoins and how they improve your everyday life?

oh wait...

crunchynut

full member

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Quote from: bitcoinsrus on March 31, 2014, 08:05:43 PM

What would it take to get people seriously behind bitcoin?

did you tell them about all the great things you can do with bitcoins and how they improve your everyday life?

oh wait...

blacksails

sr. member

Activity: 294

Merit: 250

Because anything that sounds to good to be true has to be a scam. "Digital money and no transaction fees? SCAM!"
I have convinced a few friends and family members that it's not a scam, but that took more than one year before they actually stopped looking at it as a scam.
Ignorance is also a problem, since most people don't know what bitcoin is and therefore thinks of it as that "internet drug currency" that the media writes about and therefore also has a negative view on it.

Satterfield

newbie

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Merit: 0

I think we should give them a clear about bitcoin how to use and how to get benefit from bitcoin.

DubFX

sr. member

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Merit: 250

I think it's cuz goverment or any other authority doesn't control it and/or cuz of everyone on the internet and/or in news is claiming that they got hacked but it's their failure.
And also because of the unstable market price..

zolace

sr. member

Activity: 364

Merit: 250

yeah thikig getting them paper wallet bitcoin whenn there birthday arrives, you get them in slowly.

serenitys

full member

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Be Here Now

Quote from: Beliathon on April 01, 2014, 12:04:37 AM

@OP

Because of this:

The intellectual difference between the average person and someone like Einstein, is actually greater than the intellectual difference between the average person and a chimpanzee.

That's why we can have the Large Hadron Collider and the Westboro Baptist Church on the same planet.

...and more people at the funeral than the lab Grin

Beliathon

hero member

Activity: 784

Merit: 1000

https://youtu.be/PZm8TTLR2NU

@OP

Because of this:

The intellectual difference between the average person and someone like Einstein, is actually greater than the intellectual difference between the average person and a chimpanzee.

That's why we can have the Large Hadron Collider and the Westboro Baptist Church on the same planet.

Zooey

sr. member

Activity: 241

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Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Quote from: serenitys on March 31, 2014, 10:18:48 PM

The answer is mainstream media talking heads and articles spewing misinformation and lies, nonsense, and a poor comprehension of it, and pea brained sorts who don't like to think real hard letting the former do their thinking for them. They automatically accept the media's accounts - that is in the way. If they heard it on the tv, if they read it on a common news site, that's the truth and everything else is scammer BS.

Sad, aint it?

Welcome to Bitcointalk. Know from the start that this place is an unofficial hotbed of vision and lies; and from here on you'll be fine.
The story you bring sounds about right... in fact, I award your neighbour 6 points - for he understands Bitcoin is money!

Quote

"the guy who owned it stole millions of dollars from people and now the whole thing is gone..."

The correction is very simple; the owner of an exchange site stole millions of dollars from funds people had given to him to keep safe on the site and now it's all gone.
But you don't have to interest yourself in that, it changes nothing about anything. perhaps you can even make your first gain from this- a revealed maxim: do not trust fat french men.
Now, to the rest; the truth is... please promise not to tell... the majority holders of coin don't care! There is an incredible engine at work to try and make it look like there's great dissent and fear and it's all coming crashing down Cheesy

But, not a fuck has been given from the start whilst all these poor people have crowded around screaming oh the woe, such has always been the woe - the woe is coming!
I offer alternative advice.

J_Dubbs

sr. member

Activity: 322

Merit: 250

Quote from: beatljuice on March 31, 2014, 11:25:28 PM

Why not hand them a Bitcoin paper wallet with 0.1 BTC (or 0.001 if that's what's in your budget) and tell them to hope for the moon. No risk to them, and might peak interest. Or get them 5 GHz on CEX.IO to play around with. My wife and I decided to buy all the grand-kids of my recently deceased mother-in-law 100 GHz mining contracts from the little bit of money that came from selling her house.

People won't value a piece of paper that they don't know how to spend. Have a look at the gift card market numbers, tons of those go unused. Now take the gift card concept and add a big layer of complexity and confusion. I'm betting that paper wallet gift gets lost or never used. People need to come around when they are ready.

beatljuice

full member

Activity: 196

Merit: 100

Why not hand them a Bitcoin paper wallet with 0.1 BTC (or 0.001 if that's what's in your budget) and tell them to hope for the moon. No risk to them, and might peak interest. Or get them 5 GHz on CEX.IO to play around with. My wife and I decided to buy all the grand-kids of my recently deceased mother-in-law 100 GHz mining contracts from the little bit of money that came from selling her house.

J_Dubbs

sr. member

Activity: 322

Merit: 250

I took a few bad stock tips from friends in my early 20s. Lesson I learned was formed by my own feelings towards people who gave me bad tips. Basically, I never give financial advice or try to talk anyone into an investment. Sometimes I brag about my penny stocks when they shoot up +200% and people ask, "should I grab some?" And I always say, "no, good news is priced in, already went up, too late. But, if you do it anyways just remember I didn't advise it." When it comes to investing I only care about me and my wifey, forget trying to convince anyone.

Topic: Why is it so hard to get family/friends into bitcoin? - page 3. (Read 4377 times)