To the veterans who have been in the Bitcoin scene for some time...
Throughout time in your observation, has the community become smarter or more dumb?
Faster or slower?
Wealthier or poor?
Pessimistic or optimistic?
Fatter or more trim?
And does it matter for Bitcoin's overall health?
Smarter. First there were only smart geeks mostly, then normal people that often enough got rich. Then the scams started when scammers found there is some item of value that you can steel unfound. So they thought at least.
Bitcoiners were very inexperienced about how to handle those magic internet money that somehow was worth something now. And since they were inexperienced, they had to learn it the hard way.
Now these guys are smarter.
There are still new users coming in but they get warnings from old ones. Scams didnt stop completely since there are always newbies that dont know much yet and werent educated. And there are a lot of scammers that try to do anything to scam now.
So in total i think bitcoiners learnt VERY MUCH.
Faster, slower? Dont know. Knowledge makes it possible to decide faster but generally?
Wealthier... i think wealth is spread. Many lost much or all... or even more. Some are still very rich. But its possible to get rich still, with the correct idea.
At the moment optimistic longterm and slightly optimistic short term.
Fatter? When i read how many fans use bitcoins to order fastfood i would say fatter... only thing is, every bitcoiner i met is rather thin or normal. Didnt meet a fat person. And i think that comes from mindset too. You dont try to explore something like that without the wish to change your life.
Yes, it matters. Bitcoin needs to get a better look to outsiders. Scams wont help there.