Bitcoin Forum

Local Bitcoin Foundation - Bringing the power of the Blockchain to your community.


Hello all,

The Bitcoin community is going through an interesting period right now. Among all of the bad news, there are still shimmers of light and brilliance. People and businesses, both international and local are being introduced to the power of the Bitcoin technology. Though with new stories about a company adopting Bitcoin being published every day, it was probably not without a large undertaking from these companies to learn and integrate the Bitcoin technology into their everyday business practices.

The mission I am trying to help develop is to increase, and help the adoption and education of Bitcoin within our local communities.

It all starts with you. Taking back control of Bitcoin in your area, starting your own "local" bitcoin foundation that will help the businesses you frequent, learn, experiment, and adopt the technology that we put so much belief in.

Goals I envisioned, but not limited to, for the Local Bitcoin Foundation:

•   Provide direction for local chapters on integrating Bitcoin within their community
•   Provide education on Bitcoin topics, such as best use practices of Bitcoin, adequate security, and new and innovative Bitcoin technology
•   Provide a link for people to seek out local support for Bitcoin within their community
•   Provide a link between the people and their elected Politicians to better understand of Bitcoin
•   Provide a link between chapters of the Local Bitcoin Foundation, to share their ideas and experiences of Bitcoin promotion within their communities
•   Provide a voice for people, through their local chapters, to share their visions for the proliferance of Bitcoin
•   Provide resources and support to members of the Local Bitcoin Foundation, such as but not limited to, Legal, Financial, Accounting, Information Technology, and the Artistic Expression of Bitcoin
•   Provide funding and resources to developers of the open source Bitcoin protocol
•   Provide marketing resources to local chapters


What would be your goals for the foundation?


The intention is not to be a single organization run by individuals behind closed doors.

I envision the Local Bitcoin Foundation to be run like a democracy. I am merely an advocate for the development of such a system that has the ability to be a transparent organization open to any like-minded individuals or groups to help further Bitcoin education, grow local communities, and speed up Bitcoin adoption worldwide.

I am looking to connect like-minded individuals with myself to develop the Local Bitcoin Foundation.  

Areas of expertise needed, among many others not listed:

•   Business Consulting and Management
•   Legal
•   Political
•   Accounting
•   Marketing and Promotion
•   Web Development
•   Graphic Design
•   Programmers


Currently, I will act as a director/facilitator/connection maker until the Bitcoin community has helped build the foundation and it's core values, bylaws, elected officials, etc. have been developed.


If you have a skill set and would like to participate in the development of the organization, please contact me: mike@localbitcoinfoundation.org

If you have any ideas for the development of the Local Bitcoin Foundation, please reply in this forum.

If you know of anyone who you think would be beneficial to the creation of the foundation, please share this post with them.

If you are a local foundation, and would like to participate in the development of the Local Bitcoin Foundation, please contact me:mike@localbitcoinfoundation.org


Please take your time thinking how you envision a better Bitcoin in your community, and consider how you play a part in the development of it.

Please share this with your friends, the reddit community, and your local Bitcoin community.

Thank you for your support of the proliferation of Bitcoin.

Mike Miescke
mike@localbitcoinfoundation.org

Reserved for updates.

I think it's a great idea Mike. I'm a stretched a little too thin to take an active role, but I've made some documents and scalable vector graphics explaining some aspects of bitcoin...You are welcome to have a copy of any of my work.

That would be great! I am thinking one role of the foundation would be to help local chapters with access to pre-made marketing material, so that everything is more "turnkey" and easy to promote.

I had a similar idea but lacked the technical skill to do it. What do you think of this:

A virtual machine on a disk image (possibly on something like amazon EC) that had preconfigured web server, email server, irc, forum, etc with simple customization scripts that prompted the new local group to enter a few key details and get them up and running quickly. Generic logos with obvious places to customize them (and the software to do it) would help too!

Of course, you'd always have the wackos accusing you of malfeasance of some sort :)

A configuration like this would definitely work and will be extremely helpful.

I think in order to maintain the integrity of the foundation, there would need to be some localization of the material. The foundation could setup subdomains for each chapter, such as...

dallas.localbitcoinfoundation.org or
iowa.localbitcoinfoundation.org or
poland.localbitcoinfoundation.org...

that when the local chapter has been established and deemed suitable to receive the foundation's resources, your turnkey method could be implemented!

 

Hey Mike,

I have been working on something similar for the last ~year. I just haven't been able to make it happen with my limited time and finances. If you're looking for some collaboration, PM me. I'd like to bounce some of my ideas and thoughts on the matter off of you and see where we end up.

If/when this forum post gains enough attention, my next step is to create a placeholder website with a simple forum that will allow the Bitcoin community to start discussing topics related to the development of the foundation.

Baby steps :)

Surely there are those here with the time and skill to whip out a web community in a box...I wouldn't mind cosigning a multisig bounty.

Great idea Mike, it's good to see people come up with these innovations. I too would like to see the formation of a organisation who is TRULY dedicated to the cause of bitcoin, and not personal gain. I have limited computer programming skills, but I am based in Australia and would be willing to help in the marketing, promotional or legal areas. I will keep an eye out on this thread for developments and hope this can get off the ground.

tay, you could be a great asset to the foundation, regardless of your programming skills. It is more about the connections we make with people in our communities, educating them on why they should give Bitcoin a chance.

Anyone can be a great asset. It just starts with one person spreading the word. Much like Bitcoin started out. When I talk with anyone about Bitcoin, the first things they tend to talk about is drugs/money laundering/theft. This is only because the source of their knowledge are headline news.

Most people do not have the time to delve into it deeper because they are busy with work/school/family.

The select few in the world who have found Bitcoin, and sought out to understand it were the lucky, curious folk.

Mike, I can help you get your community site setup in a few hours bud. I would like to discuss more long term and beneficial charitable avenues with you though.

EDIT: Just saw you PM'd me.

Anyone who gained from the Bitcoin experience should be interested in some local action. This effort seems great.

I have installed a forum. However, this thread will remain the primary starting point to get the ball rolling. All rights to the domain will be transferred to the foundation when the time is right.


http://localbitcoinfoundation.org/forum/



I feel that giving the opportunity for people to be leaders in their own community really helps serve the whole purpose of Bitcoin. We need more leaders to step up who wish to help their community adopt the next big technology.




Is there anyone who would like to contribute by creating a vesion 1.0 logo?

I got you on that Mike, PM me what you're looking for.

I was recently interviewed for an article in the local newspaper. They reached out to me through my localbitcoins.com sales ad, but it can just as easily be you reaching out to your local newspaper as the local expert on bitcoin.

Here is the article: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20140306/BUSINESS/303060137/Banking-bitcoins-Could-crypto-currency-future-Louisville-

A basic website and forum are now up. https://www.localbitcoinfoundation.org

I was recently contacted by a supporter in Portland, OR who has taken steps to creating Portland's first local organization dedicated to dispute resolution in their community. The site is: https://sites.google.com/site/pdxbtcdro/

Additionally, I establishing a local chapter in Louisville, KY and have had interest from a few people interested in helping educate our community.


We need the support of the Bitcoin community! Speak up!


Edit: I just installed the SSL certificate, so the regular HTTP isn't working at the moment. Use HTTPS!

The website isn't working for now  :-\  You fixed it as I was posting this!


On another note, I'd definitely like to help with this... especially in the Northern VA/DC area.  There is a big need for better resources to learn about Bitcoin.

Please feel free to shoot me a PM and we can talk some more.

Mike, your Local Bitcoin Foundation gave me a reason to sign up here.  We think a lot alike.  I recently attended a local bitcoin meetup and asked several attendees what they thought of the Bitcoin Foundation.  Most had a critical opinion and I suggested a local organization that would formally represent bitcoiners.  Yes, these local groups should be democratic and provide legal assistance, along with promoting Bitcoin.  If/when Bitcoin dethrones the dollar, these groups will be needed to represent our interests during such a disruption.  :)

Sounds nice. A bit like a Debian foundation thing.

How about setting up a blockchain for voting so that members can cast their vote on different issues and elections?

I like this idea.

One question I have though: How local are these "local" Bitcoin foundations? Is it one organisation per town, city, country, or nation?

If it is national: There's already a "local" Bitcoin foundation in Germany, maybe get in contact with them? (link: http://www.bundesverband-bitcoin.de/ )

I like the concept (a lot of people have also thought about this) but I dont think the name is appropriate. It is waay too long and confusing... why not btcfoundation.net, bitcoinfoundation.co, etc?

Example:

<city_name>.btcfoundation.net
<state_name>.btcfoundation.net
<country_name>.btcfoundation.net
<states_union_name>.btcfoundation.net

portland.btcfoundation.net
california.btcfoundation.net
germany.btcfoundation.net
barcelona.btcfoundation.net
china.btcfoundation.net
usa.btcfoundation.net
europe.btcfoundation.net
etc

It should have a clear supranational structure and stay completely independent from countries, independent (initially) from the current foundation, and run by distributed and liquid democracy... and guess what? there's and app for that... https://agoravoting.com/  ;D

I can work on a stunning corporate identity and marketing material as long as I really see momentum and agreement on how to approach this whole issue in a professional and serious way. I could also help designing the website architecture with a proper framework (rails, django, node, etc)

...

Nice , i will contact you.

Yep, same here (about the highlighted parts).

For the naming issue: How about "BitFoundation"? One could argue that shorter names are better / easier to memorise.

Here is the General Assembly of the Bitcoin Association of Switzerland who met in February:
http://www.youtube.com/user/bitcoinassociation

It sounds like the OP wants to create the Church of bitcoin. Who's going to be pope?

We already have one dysfunctional bitcoin foundation. We don't need more, thank you very much.

We already have one dysfunctional currency (the dollar). We don't need more (Bitcoin), thank you very much. ::)

Are you actually comparing this proposed organization with bitcoin itself?

No. I'm trying to explain you that having one failed attempt (the dollar as a currency / the Bitcoin Foundation as a Bitcoin foundation) should not hold you back from doing it better in a second attempt (Bitcoin as a currency / this thing as a Bitcoin foundation).

If you give up after the first failed attempt, you'll never create something better.

Ah but that's my point. This isn't any better. We don't need any sort of umbrella organization because such a centralized organization becomes a target for governments.

People are building bitcoin orgs locally within their own parts of the world. It is happening organically. This is better than having it imposed on them from outside.

Unfortunately, such umbrella organisation already exists, and it is not likely to be dissolved anytime soon.
Therefore, the media will refer to this failed organisation as being the official representative of Bitcoin. (Remember that the CEO of the Bitcoin Foundation was recently misquoted as the "CEO of Bitcoin"? Yes, that's the problem.)

This problem can be addressed by creating a second organisation, making it apparent to the media that neither of them is "official".


This is quite exactly the idea of this thread (or, at least, my understanding thereof).

This would also serve as a global framework for all those local organisations to come together. But the power would go bottom-up, and stay decentralised (unlike the current foundation, which is top-down, oligarchic).

If we were to organize these local groups, it should be done by creating and strengthening the communication lines between them, rather than some umbrella organization.

I am proposing a Dispute Resolution Organization to not only promote bitcoin locally but also to promote ethical behavior within our bitcoin community. It's important that we build these alternative political systems for Bitcoin so that we are not dependent on the hostile traditional system.

And I welcome a plethora of similar local organizations if only to confuse the opposition.

I think this is a step in the right direction. Couple of things though:

- Your email address is broken, mike@localbitcoinfoundation.org.
- Local groups should be left independent of "Local Bitcoin Foundation" itself. Instead Local Bitcoin Foundation can serve as sort of a directory with general information. For instance, pdxbtcdro should be left to operate the Portland based foundation the way that community sees fit. All I would see LBF doing would be providing a easily accessible subdomain, e.g. "portland.localbitcoinfoundation.org" or "localbitcoinfoundation.org/portland" that simply redirects to the appropriate site run by it's own community.

More or less, I agree with the following aspects of your vision:

•   Provide direction for local chapters on integrating Bitcoin within their community
•   Provide education on Bitcoin topics, such as best use practices of Bitcoin, adequate security, and new and innovative Bitcoin technology
•   Provide a link for people to seek out local support for Bitcoin within their community
•   Provide a link between the people and their elected Politicians to better understand of Bitcoin
That should be the responsibility of the local chapters.
•   Provide a link between chapters of the Local Bitcoin Foundation, to share their ideas and experiences of Bitcoin promotion within their communities
•   Provide a voice for people, through their local chapters, to share their visions for the proliferance of Bitcoin
•   Provide resources and support to members of the Local Bitcoin Foundation, such as but not limited to, Legal, Financial, Accounting, Information Technology, and the Artistic Expression of Bitcoin
•   Provide funding and resources to developers of the open source Bitcoin protocol I think the focus should be on developing and supporting the local chapters exclusively.
•   Provide marketing resources to local chapters

Ideally, I don't see LBF becoming a new foundation itself with it's own democratic principles, bylaws, yada yada yada, than as a support group for actual locally-funded, locally-developed and locally-run "foundations" (many of which have sprung up already in different cities, states and countries).

If you share that sort of a decentralized vision vs a replacement foundation for a broken national alternative, than I definitely want to be a part of this project. I have a background in business management and marketing. I also have a tech background and can get your temporary site and email working.