The Learning Wallet

[morantis]

This is a project that we hope to have finished by the years end.  It is a simple thing really that can attract new users and keep those that do come around.

For the new user there are tow major problems.

1. Bitcoin confuses them

2. They can't seem to get their first couple Satoshi

This would be a funded project, paid into by the group of devs and others.  The code changes are all GUI mods or rewrites and not direct changes to the daemon or core of Bitcoin.

Picture the GUI of the standard Bitcoin core with a side panel.  Upon first installation the wallet will link to and open a few included files that give the basics in video or tutorial form, not sure yet.  Once that base foundation is set the wallet will reward the user in the form of achievements.  They will not be called that, but the term is a great way to describe the way it works.  A central fund will supply the rewards and there will be some security measures to keep the system from being abused.

Let's say that once the wallet is synced, an automatic function, the "Sync Your Wallet" achievement congratulates them and sends 1 Sat to the wallet.  This is a gimme because we do want people to see something in that wallet.  The amounts are still in debate, but the achievement list, if done in order could take a newbie from just opening the wallet and letting it sync to running cli commands.

Some achievments can be in there to keep cost down and to involve the new person to the Bitcoin community.  For example, they can receive a reward for their first successful sending of coins.  That might get them out there looking for more people.  A one time forum post could reward them, and since that would be a hard thing to verify we will simply point them in the right direction and assume they did it. 

Two main hurdles are funding the project.  Developing cost is low, we got that and we don't even mind throwing a couple hundred bucks of BTC in the fund to pay rewards, but a jump in downloads and users could drain any amount quick.  The other issue being security.  most people have the quick thought that you could simply run multiple wallets and collect the easy rewards.  IP address checks can be done, but not much stops a person from using multiple locations and getting around that.  Best thoughts on that is using a phone number in the registration, IP address validation, and keeping the option of denying or delaying account rewards when we see a potential issue.  The core behind the GUI is Bitcoin and that means we can't stop them from moving the balance, only prevent additional reward payouts.

One other route would be a new token, fully premined as the coin the wallet operates on.  Problem is that there is never a true measure to ensure that any coin holds its value, even when backed.  Plus, the 100% premine, the code changes to freeze the value and other changes remove some options from the coin that Bitcoin has and people should learn. 

[achow101]

While I think that having a wallet with beginner's guides built in is a good idea, I don't think that paying out for achievements is a good idea. Paying out can be easily gamed, and any way to prevent people from attempting to game it would require a significant amount of deanonymization and centralization, both antithetical to Bitcoin. I think it should just stick to achievement unlocking without any form of payment much like in online games, perhaps also a rankings and other things that people can work towards (feel good incentives basically) and stuff to brag about.


I would be willing to work on a project like this.

[morantis]

While I think that having a wallet with beginner's guides built in is a good idea, I don't think that paying out for achievements is a good idea. Paying out can be easily gamed, and any way to prevent people from attempting to game it would require a significant amount of deanonymization and centralization, both antithetical to Bitcoin. I think it should just stick to achievement unlocking without any form of payment much like in online games, perhaps also a rankings and other things that people can work towards (feel good incentives basically) and stuff to brag about.


I would be willing to work on a project like this.

it may have to be that way.  i can easily picture a basement room, ten pcs all spoofed IP's and the wallet running on each, scammer going from one to next collecting reward after reward

[jackg]

This seems quite a ninteresting idea. Although I wonder ow you will get the money to reward people. Sure the rewards individually may be small, but they all add up! Have you though as to how to fund this (how much capital do you have to start with)?

Also, using things such as advertisements may work well in gaining income but may target vulnerabilities in the market (so be careful of them if you ever use them).

Maybe you could have a site sponsor you to do this - such as an exchange site?

Also, to make it so multiple people can't mae multiple payments, log the IP and MAC address of each user in order to improve vulnerabilities (obviously these can still be altered as well and the IP network check would have to bypass the built in TOR port thatis used to onnect CORE to the internet normally.

[funkenstein]

Just search for "bitcoin wallet" in your APP store.  It's totally intuitive, most 2nd graders can figure it out.. that is, the basics of how to use a wallet on a hand device.  OK it's just a start of course of learning but this is imho more likely to be a pathway for noobs than something on a laptop with a video. 

[jackg]

Just search for "bitcoin wallet" in your APP store.  It's totally intuitive, most 2nd graders can figure it out.. that is, the basics of how to use a wallet on a hand device.  OK it's just a start of course of learning but this is imho more likely to be a pathway for noobs than something on a laptop with a video. 

The market of people using Bitcoin needs extending in some way...
So you search "bitcoin wallet" in your app store, then, when you download it you don't know how it works. How do I know how to send transactions with 34 character addresses? How do I recieve Bitcoins?

Then they'll probably uninstall it if they can't find the information straight away.

[kolloh]

The market of people using Bitcoin needs extending in some way...
So you search "bitcoin wallet" in your app store, then, when you download it you don't know how it works. How do I know how to send transactions with 34 character addresses? How do I recieve Bitcoins?

Then they'll probably uninstall it if they can't find the information straight away.

As long as they have good documentation on how to use the app, I don't think there would be any issues. But they should definitely have information for beginners to help them get started so that they aren't confused on how to use the app.

[funkenstein]

Just search for "bitcoin wallet" in your APP store.  It's totally intuitive, most 2nd graders can figure it out.. that is, the basics of how to use a wallet on a hand device.  OK it's just a start of course of learning but this is imho more likely to be a pathway for noobs than something on a laptop with a video. 

The market of people using Bitcoin needs extending in some way...
So you search "bitcoin wallet" in your app store, then, when you download it you don't know how it works. How do I know how to send transactions with 34 character addresses? How do I recieve Bitcoins?

Then they'll probably uninstall it if they can't find the information straight away.

Could be *shrug*

In tests I have found that 6 and 7 year olds can use it quite quickly without much instruction other than "send 0.001 to her".  Also note that systems such as e.g. wechatpay, which from a UI perspective works almost exactly the same, come without instruction and are adopted easily by billions.  Food for thought. 

[jackg]

Just search for "bitcoin wallet" in your APP store.  It's totally intuitive, most 2nd graders can figure it out.. that is, the basics of how to use a wallet on a hand device.  OK it's just a start of course of learning but this is imho more likely to be a pathway for noobs than something on a laptop with a video. 

The market of people using Bitcoin needs extending in some way...
So you search "bitcoin wallet" in your app store, then, when you download it you don't know how it works. How do I know how to send transactions with 34 character addresses? How do I recieve Bitcoins?

Then they'll probably uninstall it if they can't find the information straight away.

Could be *shrug*

In tests I have found that 6 and 7 year olds can use it quite quickly without much instruction other than "send 0.001 to her".  Also note that systems such as e.g. wechatpay, which from a UI perspective works almost exactly the same, come without instruction and are adopted easily by billions.  Food for thought. 

If that's true and bitcoin's value increased by 125% in 2016 then why are people still not using it?

It's great to get 6 year olds that use computers to do it. I bet if you gave them a video game to play they would be more inclined to use it than an 50 year old adult would? How do we get them to use it then?
It's fine getting a 6 or 7 year old to use it but if you do it will take them a while to familiarise themselves with it.

[d5000]

I like the idea.

Although I think that what achow101 said (rankings etc.) possibly would be enough, if you insist with paying something to the users as a "reward", instead of paying "real" Bitcoins you could integrate a sort of internal "bonus points" system (for example, a Counterparty asset, PeerAsset or Coloured Coin).

So you would never run out of funding because you could increase the supply of the asset if the user base grows and/or if there are intents to game the system, and you could offer then real BTC as a bounty for certain achievements (e.g. the user with the fastest growing "score"  in a certain week/month). In this case, the incentive to participate to get real BTC would still be there, but you would have complete control over the BTC you pay as "real" rewards.