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Topic: Why is it so hard to get family/friends into bitcoin? - page 5. (Read 4390 times)

hero member
Activity: 518
Merit: 500
I was at a real estate investors meeting last Thursday, I talked to a couple people about bitcoin this is how all the convos went.
ME: Have you heard of bitcoin?
Them: Didn't it get hacked and fall apart or something?
Me; No that was a exchange
Them; oh...

LOL
legendary
Activity: 1904
Merit: 1037
Trusted Bitcoiner
its kinda like trying to get your mom to buy a 28.8K modem and connect to an IRC so you can chat in 1995, she thinks its cool that your having fun, but she'll stick to the phone. no amount of you telling her how gr8 the internet is and what its massive potential is, is going to get her to connect to an IRC chat room. 10 years later your mom is sharing her vacations pictures on Facebook, and recently started to "Tweet".

you saw what most don't and you wanted it right away, when they see what they want to see, it they'll get it too, end of story.

dose that make sense? lol
legendary
Activity: 1498
Merit: 1000
You want to get people to accept bitcoins, take them out to a nice dinner. Pay with bitcoins, and don't say anything, they will believe it. That is how I converted everyone in my family, I brought a huge dinner, and paid in 2 seconds.
member
Activity: 84
Merit: 10
I was at a real estate investors meeting last Thursday, I talked to a couple people about bitcoin this is how all the convos went.
ME: Have you heard of bitcoin?
Them: Didn't it get hacked and fall apart or something?
Me; No that was a exchange
Them; oh...
legendary
Activity: 1456
Merit: 1001
This is the land of wolves now & you're not a wolf
It's difficult because of the volatility and all of the bad press.   From an outside perspective, it would be really easy to just read headlines and believe that it is a Ponzi Scheme or some sort of scam.  The profits in 2013 were pretty much unheard of, for any investment vehicle.   In addition, any high risk investment is a difficult sell for friends and family, especially if they already know you to be someone that is willing to make high risk moves.

Unfortunately, a lot of people are probably hoping that bitcoin fails, just so that they can tell you "I told you so..." but those same people won't admit that you made an educated and calculated risk by investing early.  They will just say that you got lucky or something like that, but deep down inside they will be wishing that they listened to you.

Also, many people just don't have much disposable income to put at risk.  I know a lot of people that are living paycheck to paycheck.   They would love to invest in bitcoin, but they just can't risk losing 30-40% of their money...potentially in a span of a few days.   The volatility is enough for a lot of people to lose sleep over...
hero member
Activity: 784
Merit: 1001
I just mentioned btc to them, not like I am forcing them etc.  I tell them the risks.  I wouldn't hold their coins.  The purpose of this post was to get others experience on how they brought up bitcoin to others (and was sharing mine)

I got some of my family to invest a small amount last fall, after talking about it for half a year. I got them excited about its potential and let them know I believe in the technology. After I could see them catching the enthusiasm, I told them it is super volatile and its value could drop, but if it did ... they should hodl. I said this over and over and over. I showed them the 2011 run to $32 and crash to $2 and told them how sorry they'd be if they had sold at $2. Some of them bought in Dec close to $1000 and I told them that if it crashes to $500, $200, $100, $10, that they should ride it down ALL THE WAY TO ZERO.

IOW, I told them how to approach bitcoin like an investor, not a speculator. If an investor loses the entire investment, he can still take satisfaction in having backed a worthwhile idea.
MOB
hero member
Activity: 493
Merit: 504
Because its a ponzi scheme?  Granted, everything is a ponzi scheme, but that does hurt one's credibility.
hero member
Activity: 518
Merit: 500

Looking to pursuade them towards investing in bitcoin, which is what it sounds like you mean (else; would you even care?) is probably a bad idea even if you are convinced it's going to da moon.  cause: what if it dumps in the ocean?  You also take full responsibility for the secure holding of their coins in perpetuity - at least until the ("where my bitcoin at bitch?") day of their self awakening'.  I can tell you from experience; this unexpectedly just is not fun, even when you know enough to know its properly done..

I just mentioned btc to them, not like I am forcing them etc.  I tell them the risks.  I wouldn't hold their coins.  The purpose of this post was to get others experience on how they brought up bitcoin to others (and was sharing mine)
sr. member
Activity: 241
Merit: 250
Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Looking to pursuade them towards investing in bitcoin, which is what it sounds like you mean (else; would you even care?) is probably a bad idea even if you are convinced it's going to da moon.  cause: what if it dumps in the ocean?  You also take full responsibility for the secure holding of their coins in perpetuity - at least until the ("where my bitcoin at bitch?") day of their self awakening'.  I can tell you from experience; this unexpectedly just is not fun, even when you know enough to know its properly done..
hero member
Activity: 766
Merit: 509
Most people who even know about Bitcoin are just filled to the brim with the negativity that the media gives it.  Only bad media about Bitcoin makes it into bigtime news and that is how it has always been.  People aren't keen on big change in something that they are used to.  Can you imagine how many older people will become obsolete if BTC takes over? Smiley
hero member
Activity: 518
Merit: 500
Steering friends and family into Bitcoin is a staggeringly pisspoor idea in my opinion.

If it drops or turns to shit then it will never be Bitcoin's fault, it will always be yours.

If they come to you out of the blue then I'd put them on the right path but otherwise steer well clear.

I agree with this, and after I told someone, they asked me if they should go in, I said that it could all crash so there are risks etc (and they seemed to back off)
I just mention it and not try to "really" push them to do anything.  (I would have loved for someone to atleast mention it to me before november 2013 Wink )
legendary
Activity: 2590
Merit: 3015
Welt Am Draht
Steering friends and family into Bitcoin is a staggeringly pisspoor idea in my opinion.

If it drops or turns to shit then it will never be Bitcoin's fault, it will always be yours.

If they come to you out of the blue then I'd put them on the right path but otherwise steer well clear.
hero member
Activity: 518
Merit: 500
Don't act like you haven't done this, cuz you know you lyin' brah?!  Try to get your friends/family into bitcoin.

Like everyone I know, I try to get them into bitcoin (new users etc)

They just listen and like the idea (and sometimes get intrigued because of local news).  I also test to see how a new user would get involved.
I get a little frustrated because I think it might succeed and here I am trying to educate a family member/friend on it and there like "okay thats cool, whats on tv" type of attitude.

What would it take to get people seriously behind bitcoin?

And how have you guys explained bitcoins to others (and what were the results?  similar to mine or different?

[Personally this bitcointalk site has taught me a lot and I think newer people (then me) would need something like this to get in]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reo7WbibxaQ
shit bitcoiners say xD
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