Bitcoin state rant

[gweedo]

Where are the creative people in the Bitcoin community? I look into Silicon Valley and I see ideas flourishing, really changing the script on what things are possible. I then look at the Bitcoin community and half are trolls, a tiny percent just recreate libraries in different languages, some times creating the same library in the same language, another percent are just remaking sites that already exist with no updated features for quick profit. While greed is good, isn't this what sealed part of the faith for fiat currencies. This makes me sick, for a couple of reasons. One we need to draw in the other side crowd only so many of them will play the 5 Satoshi dice clones. We are at a huge peak, from outside companies and VC's this is exactly what we wanted, but now creatively in this community sits at an all time low. I can't remember the last time someone made an announcement on the project subforum and I was blown away. How are we suppose to show people the beauty of Bitcoin when the sites are becoming stale and not pushing that boundary.

Now I know many people are going to write "why don't you make something?" or "You create something that will be awesome". The answer is very simple I have an Evernote notebook filled with ideas, many of them half started. Also I walk around all day writing more ideas. Time is valuable to me and everyone, if only I had enough time I would be building some awesome projects. I have also stopped work on most of my projects as well, cause I realized a software niche that has to be filled, and I hope to fill it. During this time of writing I have added more things to my notebook. So I know this looks like an attack but this is just tough love to the community that I value so highly and hope some new people will get the bug to create things that make this community shine.

[1715320238]

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[Lethn]

I'm making something! >_< It's just taking its time to get completed I totally underestimated the scale of the story I've been making.

Technically I'm making two things as well because I'm learning Jewellery Making but I'm just starting on that. One thing I am taking into consideration though is whether it would be worth just purely sticking with Bitcoin, yes it goes all over the world and shits all over most fiat currencies, but right now there are more sellers than buyers unfortunately at least that's what I can see visibly looking around the internet.

I think creativity wise things will improve with time, especially once we see what other countries will do about the legal status of Bitcoin so I'm just going to keep building and improving my skills until I get products I'm satisfied with.

[Stephen Gornick]

creatively in this community sits at an all time low.

To use a baseball analogy, there have been a few big hits, a much greater number of singles, but yet a fair amount of strikeouts as well.

Today I can go to BitAddress.org and print out a few paper wallets to carry around.  When describing to someone one way that bitcoin can be transferred I'll pull out the paper wallet, and add funds to it using my Bitcoin wallet mobile app. I simply scan the paper wallet's Load & Verify QR code to get the address, enter the amount and hit send.

The recipient can then later take that paper bitcoin and from her tablet go to EasyWallet.org and hit scan.  Seconds after focusing on the Spend QR code from the paper bitcoin, the mobile-enabled web page displays that the funds are enroute.  She can then go to CoinDL and use bitcoin for payment of a new ringtone for her phone.

The magic is that all of this happened without there being some strategic plan that said by the end of 2012, this will be possible.   There isn't even a single party responsible for more than any one step of the above story board flow!    BitAddress was created by an individual.  The vector art for the paper note was created from another independent effort.   Then the wallet mobile app I used was created by yet another individual.  When I hit send it went to EasyWallet which was created by another individual.  And finally the purchase at CoinDL was possible only because an individual built that service.

These were all enabled thanks to efforts of individuals that built these sites, apps and services.  

There are some VC- and angel-backed startups building, shipping and positioning for Bitcoin's future but I'm not so sure many of them are anywhere near earning profits yet.  But the incredible takeaway is that they aren't dramatically that far ahead of these one-person efforts.

And there are so many ideas that probably won't be solid enough to attract angel funding but are good enough that a few months of nights and weekends are all that's needed to get a project from conception to launch.  There are likely many ideas being worked on now as we discuss this topic.

I was hoping that the equity crowdfunding concept (particularly with the U.S. JOBS act) would be what would enable this cambrian explosion of individuals taking ideas and building.  That looks to be fizzling out (in the U.S. at least) and after GLBSE's corkscrew into the ground I don't know how long before that concept finds its way here in our community once again.

But I know the opportunities are out there.   I can't use a vending machine anymore without thinking how the experience could have been so much better with BTC.   Thanks to the lottery-buying zombies at the convenience store (thanks to a record powerball) my gas purchase today took five minutes longer than it should have.  The first person to build a pay-at-the-pump solution that accepts bitcoins has a bright future, I suspect.

Because bitcoin is an open protocol and much the community works together (as the aim is not just profit but to further bitcoin adoption) it is an ecosystem that will continue to grow.   bitZino gave KingCo.in permission to share its "provably fair" verification web service, for instance.  In a world where sometimes you can't even do a deep link to a competitor's website without getting bitched at, here with these two we have two services cooperating and adding value for each other's service.

The year 2012 is not over and I'm suspecting there's a few encouraging developments coming yet.   The takeaway is that a year ago Bitcoin was still reeling, Nobody realized that the bottom had been hit and a rebound into 2012 was underway, with the year yielding some huge strides (and some huge setbacks as well).  

So anyone on the fence about taking an idea and building should consider how fast bitcoin can grow and to not waste time waiting.  Get started planning, creating, designing, building and shipping -- because there's probably a place for it once you have it ready to go.

Certainly someone reading this has something they are working on and would chime in by saying "working on it [...]", right?

[pointbiz]

Where are the creative people in the Bitcoin community? I look into Silicon Valley and I see ideas flourishing, really changing the script on what things are possible. I then look at the Bitcoin community and half are trolls, a tiny percent just recreate libraries in different languages, some times creating the same library in the same language, another percent are just remaking sites that already exist with no updated features for quick profit. While greed is good, isn't this what sealed part of the faith for fiat currencies. This makes me sick, for a couple of reasons. One we need to draw in the other side crowd only so many of them will play the 5 Satoshi dice clones. We are at a huge peak, from outside companies and VC's this is exactly what we wanted, but now creatively in this community sits at an all time low. I can't remember the last time someone made an announcement on the project subforum and I was blown away. How are we suppose to show people the beauty of Bitcoin when the sites are becoming stale and not pushing that boundary.

Now I know many people are going to write "why don't you make something?" or "You create something that will be awesome". The answer is very simple I have an Evernote notebook filled with ideas, many of them half started. Also I walk around all day writing more ideas. Time is valuable to me and everyone, if only I had enough time I would be building some awesome projects. I have also stopped work on most of my projects as well, cause I realized a software niche that has to be filled, and I hope to fill it. During this time of writing I have added more things to my notebook. So I know this looks like an attack but this is just tough love to the community that I value so highly and hope some new people will get the bug to create things that make this community shine.

Some people aren't creative but they are hard working. If you have a notebook full of good ideas, why not list the best ones you KNOW you won't have time to work on and unleash the work horses to tinker away at your creative ideas?

[Third Way]

I wanted to try my luck at a business of selling vegetables people couldn't or can't find outside of a tropical region for BTC. Then I realized how hard it really is to compete with importes of food goods that have locked up the markets and will crush any competition because who the hell wants to pay more in BTC when they can get something much cheaper and locally and without having to wait for the mail when it could also spoil.

So I gave up on that.


Who the fuck wants plantain, papayas and breadfruit anyway?