Hello everyone, as i'm still fairly new here I feel a bit   when i post in this section as don't want to give the wrong impression of me. I just thought i'd share an observation of what i see here on a daily basis as a newer member than a lot of others here.

I'm sure i'm not the only person who sees the same things being asked MULTIPLE times everyday by people on here, in particular in the beginners section and in the Bitcoin discussion sections. I just find it staggering that some of the most basic questions are asked repeatedly and the answers are even on the same page as they've posted on!  

I genuinely think that some of the things posted are virtual copy/paste clones with maybe a few different words sprinkled here and there.

Has this always happened here or is this a fairly recent thing? I can't answer that. But, what i do think could be the reason for these posts, is they are new people with literally nothing to say, so they write some BS that we've all seen dozens of times, even though the answers are most probably available in the next thread.

A suggestion

I don't know the extent of how many people join here daily and how many are just timewasters etc, but i suspect a fair few will NEVER participate in any part of the forum other than the bounty threads, and even then it's pretty much guaranteed to be very very basic.

What i thought of was an idea where an Introductory section was implemented into the forum, whereby, if someone were to join the forum they would be pointed to this specific section and would be asked what they are joining for, what they hope to achieve, what can they bring to the table etc etc. Basically, a way to see if people are genuine or not and in a way-POLICE (politely) members prior to actually posting elsewhere.

This may seem harsh to some, but i think its a good way of encouraging the right sort of people to be joining up here and sets a precedent that this place isn't a meal ticket, spam fest or a pathway to riches.

Of course, i'm not sure if this is even a possibility, and i know its possibly a drain on resources and people to moderate it. I'm literally only thinking of the  'Greater good' of this place. Anyhoo, i just thought i'd throw that out there to see what other people thought?

The fact that you have clearly stated that you need 10 Merit (future member status on Merit) shows to me that you are clearly here for monetary purposes and to give Zero back to this forum or contribute in any way, shape or form.

Why not try having a real good look around the site at the absolute WEALTH of information that people have bothered to post for the benefit of everyone here, learn a little, then make a valued contribution that someone might actually find a little useful.

As judging from your post history you are a million miles away from ANY Merit.

Please don't let this discourage you, this is intended as constructive criticism and hopefully you'll realise that you actually have to give a little to receive a little. Unfortunately a lot of people here can't seem to grasp that concept!  

Be careful with masternodes. Seems to be the 'in' thing at the minute as everyone is dreaming of passive income forevermore. Just make sure you do your due diligence on what you are getting into first or you'll lose your BTC very quickly.

There are some great paying masternodes out there, but there are some that are blatant cash grabs so just be careful and do your research first before spending your hard earned cash/BTC 

Yet a lot of these spammers are creating posts EVERY DAY saying why no Merit etc? Look at their post history and it is just absolutely riddled with spam. Their accounts were made primarily to spam.

For me, these are the 'people' who are not needed here. If tough action was taken against spam i think it would send a strong message.

You know what? Totally agree with you OP.

This place has some brilliant information and if people just looked and learned a little before making assumptions or asking ridiculous questions then they'd likely not be discouraged or feel like the whole site is against them!

I've been here since Mid-May, only been posting 2-3 weeks, and in my short time here i've went from thinking i knew a lot about crypto, to realizing that in comparison to some people here I actually know very little!  . That said, I do try to browse on here as much as i can to educate myself.

The people on here that are moaning are the same people who's post history is full of useless spammy comments from bounty hunts- don't get me wrong. if you're here and participating then sure! Use a signature for a bounty, you'd be daft not too. But people are expecting a pat on the back for contribution when in actual fact- they havent made a contribution! 

Great to hear some positive feedback anyway and good post! 

I think the big companies you've mentioned here and the likes of Facebook/Twitter/Instagram- pretty much anyone with a MASS fanbase/support will be scrutinizing Crypto currency and have probably been monitoring its growth for years.

I don't think they are likely to step in until there is some form of regulation or control. Personally there are simply too many scams and too many chancers at the minute and i definitely don't think this is helping crypto in any way. There are just too many horror stories around for the likes of those companies to attach their name to, this is the reason they are taking a step back (from advertising on their platforms etc) rather than embracing it.

I also think its quite possible that if they did step into crypto, there's a good chance they'd use a 'coin' that is their own rather than one of the several thousand that are floating about at present.

This depends on you and ONLY you.

Look at the data thats there to support your decision (either way). Look at how the price has performed over the years and the percentages and timescales of when it has retraced or went parabolic.

Personally, i think its a great entry price at the minute. You have to remember some poor buggers were paying 20k in december, so the price its at now?? Logic tells you it's a no brainer really! BUT you have to look at the flip side and understand everything that is going on in this space as its not all 'sunshine and rainbows' 

Unless you have money to burn you really need to be doing your due diligence. STUDY the data and make your own informed decision rather than relying on strangers on the internet. Don't get me wrong i try to get as many opinions - good or bad - as i can, but ultimately its your choice and your call.

Anyone using 3rd party wallets wants to be very careful indeed.

Cyber crime is getting more sophisticated by the day. Trying not to repeat the other guys on here by the way.

I seen something a while back about how theres HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of people worldwide have downloaded supposedly friendly apps like Emoji keyboards and other 'cute' looking apps that we all think are harmless are just infact riddled with spyware/malware. This is just to spy on peoples everyday activities! so when Bitcoin rose in price this is effectively a cyber criminals lottery!

When some unsuspecting poor soul types in their most precious characters into their phone- the ones that hold the keys to their BTC/crypto- whoosh- keyloggers have grabbed your precious data and your Bitcoin sits on the proverbial lap of a cyber crook! Don't want to start an Android vs Iphone debate here...but Androids are more prone to this sort of thing! 

ANY crypto exchange you have funds on is essentially a 3rd party wallet and at risk of an attack, and although i'd expect an exchange like Binance to be Super-secure, if they were to lose everyones funds (worse case scenario) would you be getting reimbursed? Possibly- but I'm not so sure! On a smaller exchange i'd say its little to no chance.

I'd say this is one of the reasons a LOT of people are yet to dip their toe into the crypto waters, and perhaps one of the reasons i'd not be so sad to see some form of regulations come into place where the exchanges/wallets are held accountable. Until that happens crypto will be like the Wild West as criminals exploit the vulnerabilities.

I'd like to see multi layer security - way beyond 2FA. I think the first company/product who simplifies this and makes the UI super user friendly (for anyone with basic knowledge of tech) are in for a very bright future! 

You think i'm "Merit fapping" Mu_enrico? Is that what you're saying here? 

Hi nngella! Great post. Thought it was very detailed and definitely relevant to some people who are simply lost when they first get into crypto as there is quite a lot to take in at first! So somebody will definitely benefit from what you have said. 

I'm also awarding you Merit (the first i've ever sent!  )for the effort you've clearly put in here, and it would be great to see you continuing to post good content.

Have a great day! 

Very well said guys. Bravo! I'm not here on a merit hunt, without sounding cocky or arrogant, from what i've seen on here so far, i know its possible to be rewarded for posting on here so that's all that matters to me. 

I'm trying to do my bit by posting things to stop other people posting the same questions or making trouble for themselves when they first join up. I feel for you guys in a way as it seems you have to explain or be judged on why you've merited- that shouldn't be the case. It should be evident in the post that you've awarded it too.

I have said this before, i'm a positive person and i truly believe that you get what you deserve. Good feedback and a positive response to my posts is always great to see. If i can help just ONE person and change their mindset to alter their posting habits then i've made a contribution here. I'd take that over Merit any day of the week! 

Another SCAM ICO i found today was one called 'Surety'. It didnt look the most professional site iv'e ever seen but they didn't look bad either to be honest. Got an email today asking me to follow the next steps to claim my tokens- led me to a FAKE MYetherwallet website.

There has been tens of thousands in this and a few poor sould will unsuspectingly hand over their private key to these absolute cowboys.

Please be aware that the name is SURETY. Do not trust this 'ICO'

We are seeing a lot of new exchanges popping up here there and everywhere. Some which are obviously more established, and some that are pretty crap or just looking really shifty.

One thing that stands out to me recently though, is the amount of 'promotions/competitions' these exchanges are running whereby you have to invest or trade the biggest amount of a specific crypto in order to win a prize.

To me this just shouts out GAMBLING.  I personally think its totally irresponsible, it portrays crypto in a really negative manner to someone neutral/not into crypto yet, and above all it could be very dangerous to your finances!

Don't get me wrong here, i think the vast majority of us that are in crypto are risk takers, as realistically we can't be 100% certain that it will ever get to the hallowed 'Mass Adoption' stage, but i'd also like to think that the vast majority of us are looking at future use case/fundamentals of a said project before making an investment.

'Competitions' like this are only going to get us all (more) scrutiny, and sadly, not taken seriously by would-be investors sitting on the sidelines.

Just my opinion and i'd like to hear what you all think?

Hello everyone!

Hope you're all well and surviving the dreaded bear market!  

Just thought i'd share my experiences of the first few weeks i've had here. I joined here for the first time ever in mid-May, i didnt start posting until approximately 2-3 weeks ago though and mainly browsed topics and threads when i wasn't logged in. I wanted to find out what it was like here first, what i could bring here (if anything!), to study what people were doing right and avoid making mistakes a lot of people do when they join here.

If you're new here i seriously recommend doing the same.

For the most part i've thoroughly enjoyed it here, i've picked up some tremendous tips which i knew little about before being here including:

• Understanding mining. Always had an interest in it, but never really knew a too much about it. This place has a wealth of info on mining and i'm glad i have found it.
• Astounding amount of knowledge and insight into most of the niche areas i'm involved with or interested in.
• Opportunities and rewards that i genuinely never even knew about before being here.
• Tips to grow or start your crypto related social media channels.
• Pointers to other great content across the web- rather than the same boring FUD filled channels you see on google all the time.
• Wise words from the senior members of the website who've been in crypto through every bear and bull market who can put our minds to ease when it looks like things are going 'tits up'!
• How to say "Great project" repeatedly.....well maybe not that one!  

Seriously though, I could go on and on. I'm absolutely over the moon i have found this place as i don't know ANYONE in real life who is into crypto. So finding likeminded people with the same passion and interest that i have is an awesome feeling.

I'm thrilled to have ranked up to Junior member today, very grateful for the Merits iv'e received as it shows people are looking at what we all post, and  that i am genuine and wanting to contribute here- as and when i can.

What i'm also trying to say is- all the info you need is here! You just have to seek it out and find it. I've learned a lot in a short space of time and i'm grateful to each and every persons post that has helped me.

If you're new here, don't ask silly questions that will immediately put you in the bad books and on people's ignore list! Learn, contribute and stay positive!  

#Proof of authentication post
@rosshol joined airdrop

In all honesty I am not 100% convinced with bcharity.io . There are a few too many spelling mistakes and bad grammar on their website/communication. Could be wrong mind. 

Honestly mate. i know you might be new here but if you want a detailed description of a faucet and what is they do you're better off googling it. For what you make from them it's not even worth going into detail about it. Just google it dude! 

Hi everyone,

What i am saying here might be basic to some of us, however, everyday i see more and more newbies on here, so i think its relevant to mention. Not only that, its also a little heads up to some of us who might be set in our own ways. Not only that, you'll probably have noticed that some of these scammers are starting to get a little more sophisticated. So we all need to be careful really.

Airdrop analysis

I don't know about yourselves, but my twitter feed is inundated with Airdrop offers/promotions, luckily enough for me i can usually spot a bad one ASAP- and lets face it- there's plenty of them!  

To separate the good from the crap, I use a basic rule of thumb:

• Good English. Poorly written English is one of the biggest giveaways of a scam Airdrop. I'm not being judgemental here- it's a fact! If you are an ambitious start-up business, then surely you'd outsource such a vital task to someone who can provide professionalism to your project. I also understand that we have people from all over the world here, so they may fall victim to these scams because of the language barrier.
• No website. I might have missed the boat on a few good airdrops for following this- who knows? But i use it as a guide. If they don't have even a basic website they are full of crap and won't be around for long. Just my opinion though
• How long have they been posting. Again, this is just a quick check, have a quick flick through their posting history. So they've only been posting a few days- great- MOVE ON! 99% chance its just another bullshitter looking to try and blag some ETH from you.
• Due Diligence. Probably the most important part. If you're going to sign up and give away some of your sensitive information to an unknown, isn't it worth just checking that this project/these people, are actually real? Google is your best friend, check for reddit, steemit, medium posts about their business. Check to see if trustworthy people have gave any positive feedback anywhere. This only takes seconds so its worth doing.

Friendly reminder

Just please be aware of all of these supposed Airdrops. You'll be wasting your time with a LOT of them who'll never even make it out of their supposed 'ICO'. Just protect yourself by getting a new Email address which is ONLY for your crypto stuff and use passwords that you don't use elsewhere.
These scammers are a little more savvy these days, so we all need to be on our guard to protect ourselves, fellow users and the crypto community.

Feel free to add anything here that others may find useful.

Thanks for reading.  

John McAfee, love him or loathe him is compulsive viewing.  

I do think he has made some relevant points in the past, but i'd say he's made more clangers than anything else! Some of the 'projects' he has backed recently, and some of the predictions he has made on them are just laughable really!

He goes on as if we are this big happy family in crypto, yet he has shamelessly asked for ENORMOUS fees from people and projects to shill them all over twitter. Wouldn't trust this man as far as i could throw him. He must be sharpening his knife and fork everyday too as he will be "eating his dick on live TV" in the near future.

Running for President?    The guy has clearly lost his mind!

Well, after seeing a lot of pretty hopeless looking ICO's lately, this one looks like it might actually be worth looking at. Good to see that all of the team are totally transparent, infact they are encouraging people to follow them on twitter as part of the bounty campaign, that speaks volumes to me as i don't see why they would set themselves up for a fall. They obviously have high hopes for this and are attracting quite a bit of attention. Looks like a professional project with a clear road map and actual destiny they are looking to fulfill. Their bounty campaign is quite varied, you can cover as many or as few tasks as you want to, integrated with a leaderboard system to show how and where you rank compared to other people you are 'competing' with!

This ICO is also rated a very impressive 4.8 out of 5 on a major ICO review site. Aswell as many other positive feedbacks across the crypto spectrum. All in all, i wish you luck and hope you fulfill your destiny so that we all succeed!

This one is worth a look in my opinion, there are far worse projects out there at the minute.