Bitcoincard | Blog
Bitcoincard | Blog
Howdy –
I’ve been perusing the “Movement” page of the bitcoincard website (http://bitcoincard. org/movement. html), and I would like to offer some suggestions. В Unusual I know – 😉 – but as a professional writer (and user of bitcoin since 1/11) I may have an insight or two that could be valuable.
As an overall TL;DR I will point out that, while it gives a certain self-satisfaction, dragging people up to your level is proven not to be either as effective or as financially rewarding as lowering yourself to theirs – which is to say that a certain amount of simplification can be useful. В And profitable.
In my opinion, the best line on that long (very much too long, incidentally) page is this:
“Such deep knowledge is not necessary to the actual rider, and in the same way one can enjoy the world of Bitcoin with little more than a healthy curiosity and a bit of practice. ”
This is a true and easy-to-grasp statement. В Bravo. В If it had been used as the Mission Statement for the page, all would be well. В Unfortunately, less than 200 words later the dread word ‘fungible’ rears its ugly head. В *sigh*В Somebody should really run a ‘Search and Replace’ script on that one word, on every website wherein the word bitcoin appears, inserting NOTHING in its place. В Nobody cares, except the mixers. В The word is not only redundant in the extreme – I mean; calling bitcoin a currency imparts the same information: a dollar is a dollar is a dollar – but is almost designed to make an average reader feel linguistically (and therefore intellectually) inadequate.
I am quite aware of Margaret Mead’s often quoted take on small groups of dedicated people being the only way the world is ever changed – and it is true. В But that’s a truth which only applies to the beginnings of things: it completely fails to take into account what happens after that small group expands its reach into the world at large. В We are past the beginning of bitcoin. В Now we need wider adoption. В Therefore:
We need to be speaking to a wider audience. В Perhaps even an audience that doesn’t keep a thesaurus tab open in their browser at all times. В Does this make sense?
Here, I will point out that this post is not intended to deconstruct every sentence in your ‘Movement’ page – I’m only offering a brief critique, and trying to get a point across. В OK? В And please forgive me if I seem a bit heated at times. В That’s life on the internet, I guess.
“It is theoretically impossible to make a fake Bitcoin (to fully understand why this is true, one needs to study cryptography and fairly advanced mathematics). ”
Oh good lord, stop talking down to people. В What about: “Unlike cash, Bitcoins cannot be forged. “В Nobody wants to hear about theory. В Nobody wants to hear about how the energy output of an average galaxy relates to cracking SHA256. В Weaseling out of mathematical certitude is for peer-reviewed papers in “Nature Magazine. “В It’s MONEY. В Folks just want to buy a couple of shirts and a bong on the internet.
This is what I’m talking about:
“You don’t need a name, an address, a Social Security/Slavery [n. b. :В you could remove the ‘Slavery’ snark] number, or any personal information of any kind. Nobody “approves” you for Bitcoin. It’s free and open-source software. You get it from Bitcoin. org. ”
That’s good. В Did more than one person write your “Movement” page? В And was it somebody else who wrote the paragraphs immediately following that quote? В More math. В More cryptography. В Bleah.
The “How does it work? ” section isn’t bad.
But then… politics. В I find it difficult to express my utter dismay at how politics is brought into this issue.
Oh, you “… wouldn’t expect Krugman to “get it”,” wouldn’t you? В Allow me to inform you what the world thinks Paul Krugman ‘gets’. В Mr. Krugman is a winner of the Nobel Prize – one of only 69 men in the world, and one woman, who has done so. В Mr. Krugman has a column in the New York Times with a readership (dead tree + internet) in the millions. В He is endlessly quoted, linked and discussed everywhere that people have an interest in money. В Mr. Krugman (in response to sarcastic jibes about insolvent economists) has a personal net worth that satisfactorily approaches the entire market cap of bitcoin.
That’s what the world knows about Krugman.
And you, right now today, are just some guy on the internet with a website and a gadget that will be in production ‘any day now. ‘В Forgive me – but I think a bit of humility, even if only as a recognition of political reality, might be in order here.
And then:В “As any Austrian economist can tell you… “В Jesus effing christ on a crutch.
Here:В I will roll it all up into a little ball that you can bounce down the sidewalk…
You can take every person on earth who thinks Krugman is mistaken (and by the way, I am in that camp, for what it’s worth), and every person who has even *heard* of the Austrian school of economics; and if every single one of them combined decided to adopt bitcoin, bitcoin would die a slow and withering death. В That’s how tiny those two cohorts are.
You are trying to sell a gadget, with the goal of increasing bitcoin adoption. В Nobody cares about your deeply-held philosophical beliefs.
Again, the “Being careful with money” section is pretty good, except:
“Concept 4 Liberty advocates love free markets. “В PEOPLE love free markets, hmmm?
“Concept 5… This means under no circumstances should people invest money in Bitcoin which they cannot afford to lose. “В Try to stay on the same page when you’re on… ummm… the same page. В Bitcoin is money, or it is an investment commodity. В Pick one – I’d go with money – and stick with it.
Lose Silk Road. В I have no problem with it – but people who have an interest will find it. В You’re trying to sell a gadget to my mother. В Silk Road does not help you to do that. В Donations and gambling (especially gambling) are great.
Just delete “Bitcoin vs. The State”. В Really. В And edit “Bitcoin and Disruption” down to about three paragraphs, after re-titling it.
Please, please, please – try to keep in mind that you want adoption to increase.
In closing, I’ll say this:
The only people who want revolutions are revolutionaries. В Everyone else has the innate understanding that revolutions are messy, and unpleasant, and make it tough to find a decent bottle of scotch.
The primary job of any revolutionary is to force government to take things away from people that they use and like – that is what brings a revolution to critical mass. В Always. В So it follows that – FIRST – in the case of bitcoin and its revolutionary potential, people must like it and use it.
Try to focus on that. В Let the revolution happen as it will.
Thank you.
Toni
