Bitcoin Forum

I updated my status offering FREE BITCOIN to anyone of my 200+ friends that had an interest in Bitcoin. I gave them the URL to the Bitcoin-QT Wallet and told them to expect it to take an hour or two to sync with the network.... any who....... NOT ONE TAKER.

Does this mean we are crazy? Or are we truly early adopters even at this late stage?

Whatever the case, may I suggest all of you do a similar thing on your FB - if you can spare .01 BTC per interested party it would be a good way to get more people into the Bitcoin sphere.

well if you want to have some friends interesting in bitcoin on fb I can add you my wallet is on the left BTC

An hour or two to sync with the network? Really? Is the majority of the blockchain now included with the initial install?

more than a day sync i'd assume. that's why they switched the clients to a liter one

It takes about two or three hours last I tried to sync up.

It is turn-off to many new users for sure.

This is still very early in the adoption game. Bitcoin right now feels like the internet in the early 1990s.

Regarding giving BTC handouts on Facebook, you CANNOT expect people to download the Satoshi client, or even open a blockchain.info wallet. You need your friends to just receive bitcoin, see it in front of them, and then start asking questions. I used the bitcoin-tx fb-app a few months ago to do that with some of my friends, and most DID take an interest. Here's the app: https://apps.facebook.com/bitcoin-tx/ . Hope it works out for you.

Getting people to appreciate/use bitcoin is hard, and takes time. Most people won't get it until they actually start transacting with it....which is obviously a bit of a chicken and the egg problem. But it'll happen.

No non-geek wants to download a program to use money.  Web apps are for the masses, suggest anything from coinbase to blockchain.info for storing bitcoins.

Did you see my post, immediately above yours?

Edit: https://apps.facebook.com/bitcoin-tx/

Yep. bitcoin-qt took me 9 hours to sync with the network. OP if I were trying to win friends I would definitely point them towards a wallet like Electrum. Way easier to use / friendlier on the eyes in my opinion.

Use MultiBit for Windows, Mac, and Linux
Use Bitcoin Wallet for Android on your phone or tablet
http://bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet

Quick download.
Ready to go.  Synchronize with the network in seconds, not hours.
Very fast.

Somebody uses facebook? I thought people quit fb

To my knowledge, this is the best solution for delivering bitcoin on Facebook:

https://apps.facebook.com/bitcoin-tx/

Honestly, I would recommend blockchain.info to all beginners, easy quick and no installation. The fact that you mentioned a 2 hour load probably put off anyone who was interested.

Where are they supposed to cash out their .87¢, MtGox?

Maybe it's a better idea to offer 25 of your nerdiest friends $7 worth of BTC (enough for a sandwich and a soda) instead.
Nobody I know would jump through a bunch of hoops and download software they don't need for a measly 87 cents.

I tried this with 0.1BTC - the offer is still there, and occasionally I repost it - and no, it seems people just aren't interested.

I posted that I thought the low number of likes for a bitcoin related app on Facebook could prove we were all early adopters on the forum a while ago:  https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=200520.msg2092565#msg2092565

It seemed that most people came to the conclusion that Facebook users and Bitcoin users could be two distinct groups and that not too many were both?  Or perhaps those of us that use Bitcoin want to keep that anonymous?   I have not divulged our Bitcoin interest.  Partially out of respect for my husband's wishes.  We would have invested way earlier in BTC if my husband was not fearful of what the government would do for those that were involved.  So in a way we are the victims of losing out on perhaps thousands of dollars because of that, but my husband is still cautious.  It is not like we are doing anything illegal, but that does not keep the government from making people's lives miserable that are innocent regardless of that.  All that to say, I keep quiet. ;)

I doubt it depends greatly on the value offered. Imagine some of your friends asked you to take his flupcoin. Would you? I mean either I have a strong opinion (I would loudly refuse to take ripples or litecoin) or I would wonder why this not so close friend is giving away free money or I would refuse to take a money gift from a real friend. Therefore I guess making it more would have to be so much more that the "friend"'s moral gets overruled. Yeah, I would take ripple if it was worth $10,000 if I'm allowed to instantly sell them.

what?

Electrum is also very good.