A long time ago...

[JPage]

A guy saw this very stupid shit: "C:\>cd.." and said: 'what the fuck is that?'  So he got rid of the command line and made Win3.1.  Very soon after that, he was the richest guy in the world.  

Real people can't read things like C:\>cd...  That is for computers.  Computers and nerds - but not people.  So long as computers have things like C:\>cd.., people won't use them.  And they didn't use them when C:\>cd.. was used.  If you want people to use computers, you've got to get rid of that crap that is unreadable to humans and replace it with something else.  One look at C:\>cd.., and people run away.

Why is Bitcoin having no luck at all with user adoption?  Because the very first thing people see is: 3BgtSzEpMH6PVwKNhp4MV5ruTFLTvmqmLo.  They don't want an explanation of what it is.  They don't want to learn how freaking cool asymmetric cryptography is.  They don't want to hear about elliptical curves.  They don't want to try to read it, or pronounce it.  It is junk.  Junk that only a computer can digest.  The first time a person sees that garbage - they run away.  Only nerds want to read about what that means.  Only nerds are proud to be able to decipher such things.  

Real people even hate QR codes.  Even if a wallet had no Bitcoin address and all QR codes - people hate that crap.  Only nerds use Bitcoin.  Real people aren't ever going to use it - unless we figure out how to turn C:\>cd.. into cute little clickable icons that are clean, easy and fun to read and understand.  Figure that out, and you'll be the next richest guy in the world.  

We have to stop showing 3BgtSzEpMH6PVwKNhp4MV5ruTFLTvmqmLo to the public.  It can't be read/understood anyway.  Why show it?  That belongs in the engine room of wallet - not in the user interface.  If you want to keep people away from Bitcoin, just keep printing 3BgtSzEpMH6PVwKNhp4MV5ruTFLTvmqmLo everywhere - on wallets, on websites, on exchanges, on checkout systems.  

Only Circle seems to be going down the path of making this user friendly for non-nerds.  That is not enough.  Now go fix your wallet.

[BitcoinPenny]

Interesting, with a great analogy. The basic idea of "we need to make this simpler for the masses" has been said a thousand times, but the "C:\>cd.." analogy is fresh and right on the money! I also like the ending of the analogy--"Figure that out, and you'll be the next richest guy in the world." (You have a talent for writing.)

Thanks for the read.

Regards,
Chris

[AmDD]

I couldnt agree more. The basic idea of Bitcoin is there and its solid. The next step is to make it look good. 95% of people have no idea how a credit card works even tho they use it daily. Bitcoin needs to get to this point and it will eventually.

[MFahad]

The C:/CD is very different than BTC address. They have notthing related in common. BTC has come so far away and has shown a
great growth in last couple of  Years.

[BitcoinPenny]

95% of people have no idea how a credit card works even tho they use it daily.

Amen. (Include me in the 95%.)

Me

[blunderer]

A guy saw this very stupid shit: "C:>cd.." and said:

To be fair, the the guy came up with C:>cd.., 8088 was a non-starter for GUI, and, by the time A:>cd.. turned to C:>cd.., he was doing pretty well.

[alyssa85]

Services like Xapo use email addresses, which people find marginally more friendly. But yes, the hard core bitcoiners who have their own wallets are small.

[mkc]

Coinbase converted ugly address to email address.
I do think their conversion is not simple and easy to use, someone can start a better service.

[adamstgBit]

OPs right.

here's a possible solution

web browser plug-ins

make a plug-in has a built in bitcoin wallet
the browser recognizes  and replaces bitcoin addresses with Send Payment buttons
user clicks the button and is prompted to enter the amount to send.

or append to the HTML language <BTC_PAY addr="1asfk8234msdkfal8934nasdf908sad"  amount="10$" >click here to pay</BTC_PAY>

this would be cool
we need to have bitcoin wallet stuff buried under the covers as much as possible
poeple should be able to send payments to email addresses or usernames

nodes could be made to understand what "send a payment to adamstgbit" means, it could mean, all they have to remember is adamstgbit = 1zjdafky293487sndafj9sadf8

[krunox123]

Only nerds use Bitcoin.  Real people aren't ever going to use it

Nah. I don't think I could agree to that as I have seen quite a lot of 'non-nerds' use Bitcoin.

[adamstgBit]

wait if we makes bitcoin to simple to use before we solve the scaling problem we might run into problems

let's keep bitcoin nerdy till its ready for mass adoption

[spazzdla]

The C:/CD is very different than BTC address. They have notthing related in common. BTC has come so far away and has shown a
great growth in last couple of  Years.

I disagree this analogy is perfect.  Until windows 99% of people wouldn't touch a computer.  They made fun of those who did now every single person has one in their pocket.

[SFR10]

I'm surprised I never had similar thoughts to you, even though I've been using it since late 2011. It's a great way into showing non techy people that BTCitcoin usage it's not that complicated to use (if ever this gets implemented in the future). A simple change of name aside from the chain of letters and numbers would surely make it easier to the eyes of public and as result, drive more users to try it. This function could be used as a option for others into remembering the address better, just like how we can do it with identifiers.

[franky1]

95% of people have no idea how a credit card works even tho they use it daily.

Amen. (Include me in the 95%.)

Me

if anyone thinks they know how credit cards work.. ask yourself without googling. what is a luhn check.
if you dont know the answer then your part of the 99% that dont know the technicals of credit cards.

and its things like making bitcoin so 'laymen' that people do not need to know about cryptography of elliptic curves or even the basics of how many bytes a tx is to work out a fee.

they just need the most simple '3 click solution' to pay for something.

back in the 90's people needed special programs called FTP clients and needed to learn about ftp addresses and ports and commands.. to get files onto the internet
but now FTP hosting is now 'cloud services' that people can use without knowing any technicals. they just press upload, and its done

[wiggi]

or append to the HTML language <BTC_PAY addr="1asfk8234msdkfal8934nasdf908sad"  amount="10$" >click here to pay</BTC_PAY>

one day later, click bots will be all the rage 

The most "human compatible" address format was probably the robot faces from early bitshares. Sadly, they kicked this out.

[Raimonn]

Qr codes and an wallet app, could solve this problem, i use it for small payments, and its easy to explain to people that don't know how bitcoin works. You open the app, scan the wallet payment address, write the amount, and click send.

[unamis76]

Figure that out, and you'll be the next richest guy in the world.  

Write your own suggestion on how to improve this and present it to the devs. This is an issues that needs no fixing: Bitcoin is designed to work this way. Could it improve in being user friendly? Maybe. I don't have better suggestions. If you feel so strongly about this, you must have a way to replace the system currently in practice for something better and more user friendly.

[Slowturtleinc]

wait if we makes bitcoin to simple to use before we solve the scaling problem we might run into problems

let's keep bitcoin nerdy till its ready for mass adoption

Agree its almost a good thing that bitcoin has these barriers or it could run quick out the gate to its fate if not prepared properly. The masses are a fickle lot and group think is the flavor of the month for most of them.

[BitcoinPenny]

wait if we makes bitcoin to simple to use before we solve the scaling problem we might run into problems

let's keep bitcoin nerdy till its ready for mass adoption

Agree its almost a good thing that bitcoin has these barriers or it could run quick out the gate to its fate if not prepared properly. The masses are a fickle lot and group think is the flavor of the month for most of them.

Great points.

Me

[btvGainer]

Services like Xapo use email addresses, which people find marginally more friendly. But yes, the hard core bitcoiners who have their own wallets are small.

New wallet services are being more innovative and making it simple for users.
Spectrocoin also allow user to transfer funds with email addresses besides bitcoin address