How to get BitCoin noticed in your town...

[FinShaggy]

So, I'm going to share what I know on how to do this, and I will accept any new advice in the comments, so PLEASE add to what I have here.

1. Join and make Facebook groups, ex:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BitCoinNews/

2. Make YouTube videos and hare them with your friends, ex:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy4-0tJrGnw

3. Start accepting BitCoins in exchange for things yourself. (Just give people your wallet ID)

4. Give a BitCoin (and make them a wallet also, or show them how) as a gift.

...

Questions:
How would you encourage local shops to use BitCoin?
How to you get a BitCoin ATM in your area? (They exist, how do you get one?)
How do you make a faucet?
How would you go about trying to get friends to mine with you?

[Lethn]

Use all the money you made from Bitcoin to buy up all the billboard advertisements and put up advertisements for Bitcoin businesses

[Hei_]

So, I'm going to share what I know on how to do this, and I will accept any new advice in the comments, so PLEASE add to what I have here.

1. Join and make Facebook groups, ex:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BitCoinNews/

2. Make YouTube videos and hare them with your friends, ex:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy4-0tJrGnw

3. Start accepting BitCoins in exchange for things yourself. (Just give people your wallet ID)

4. Give a BitCoin (and make them a wallet also, or show them how) as a gift.

...

Questions:
How would you encourage local shops to use BitCoin?
How to you get a BitCoin ATM in your area? (They exist, how do you get one?)
How do you make a faucet?
How would you go about trying to get friends to mine with you?

aight

[(A)social]

Questions:
How would you encourage local shops to use BitCoin?

Maybe it could help having a friend or more with a shop, or better, a childhood friend, and convince him/her. Like I have done here, in italy. Not sure it will work, but we need to start somewhere.

[justusranvier]

How would you encourage local shops to use BitCoin?

I don't know what that is.

I have a project in the works to introduce people in the local area about Bitcoin though.

[FinShaggy]

Use all the money you made from Bitcoin to buy up all the billboard advertisements and put up advertisements for Bitcoin businesses

I wish I had money from BitCoins. I didn't have any money to invest when they were cheap.

[FinShaggy]

How would you encourage local shops to use BitCoin?

I don't know what that is.

I have a project in the works to introduce people in the local area about Bitcoin though.

You don't know what what is?

[alyssa85]

If you are Generation X, like I am, then you'll be aware that an alternative social infrastructure already exists for alternative currencies!

A little history for those who weren't emerging into the adult world in the Days of Grunge: There was a severe recession in the early 90's, and there was a kind of anti-consumerist anti-government anti-fiat thing going on. But this was pre-internet, so all the alternative structures were built in local communities.

There was the LETS movement, which was a sort of Time Bank. Here's what it says on their site:

A LETS operates by Mutual Credit. A group of people come together and agree a name for the currency (or they may decide to use Hours). They create a directory of Offers and Wants to let each other know what they are willing to trade and can contact each other at any time. Organisers may also hold social events to encourage members to meet up.
The currency is created as credits move from one account to another so new members may spend before they earn. The sum of all accounts is always zero at any one time. No interest is charged or paid for accounts which are "in commitment" or "in credit".
The diagram illustrates the end-point of a series of transactions: Fred did a task for Sue who paid him 20 units. Joe sold vegetables to Fred for 5 units. Then Sue did 10 units worth of work for the organisation, which was paid out of the system account. (Apologies if this is difficult to follow - a moving diagram would help).
The System Account - and any special accounts which the organisers may create to facilitate the operation of the scheme - are funded by means of set fees charged to all members and/or commissions or donations. The sterling costs of running the scheme may be supported by joining/ renewal fees or fund-raising. Each scheme requires intelligent and administration and outreach if it is to flourish in its particular local context.

There are LETs groups still going throughout the world. The Generation X Grunge crowd has stopped using them (though there are still some hardcore elements), but the Occupy crowd now uses it instead.

There's absolutely no reason why the "Mutual Credit" unit in these LETS orgs can't be switched to BitCoins. Or BitCoin simply being added as part of the services in the LETs - so people can convert their local mutual credit into BitCoins and back. LETs are not taxed in the UK or Australia - see the following FAQ which says:

The Australian Taxation Office ruling on LETS, released in February 13th 1991 states that there are no Taxation implications for personal arrangements, social arrangements, hobbies or pass- times. These constitute about 70 to 80% of all LETS transactions.
Only if I am a tradesperson, a professional, a business, or a retailer or wholesaler and I am trading in my business is there any implication for tax. In such cases, "Income" is income, and I have to pay tax on my LETS Credit earnings just as I do on my federal Dollar earnings.

I understand that the Libertarian crowd drawn to BitCoins may recoil a bit from getting into bed with the Grunge/Occupy crowd - but BitCoins will only really take off if people use them to do ordinary stuff - buy food, pay for plumbing. As long as it is in the hands of the speculators who see it simply as another gold, then it's in danger of the big investment houses piling in and controlling it, which is the opposite of what the original Bitcoin movement was about.

So the short answer to your question is: Find out if your local town already has a LETs set up, join it and persuade them to add switches into Bitcoins as part of their services.

[FinShaggy]

Working on Starting a Bitcoin town here:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=216139.0

[tclo]

Put bitcoin paper wallets with directions in geocaches.  I think I am going to do this myself.  It would definitely get some more people into bitcoin.

[FinShaggy]

Put bitcoin paper wallets with directions in geocaches.  I think I am going to do this myself.  It would definitely get some more people into bitcoin.

Geocahes are awesome. That is the "Treasure Hunting" hobby right? Where people leave codes/trails for each other to follow/solve.

[Darktongue]

I introduced it to a local Linux user group.  It became a regular mention and the group membership started bringing friends,  family abd co workers to the meetings. For awhile it was the primary buzz.  Still is but it's more sneaky now.  The coffee shop that the meetings are held accept coin and about 8 of the members use abd promote it among the brick abd mortars they own or are apart of

[foggyb]

Run naked through the streets with bitcoin slogans painted on your body.

[FinShaggy]

Run naked through the streets with bitcoin slogans painted on your body.

So your method is go to jail to spread the word?

[FinShaggy]

Do not deal with Facebook, Google, Twitter or any other dataminers, profilers and privacy invaders! Do not listen people like FinShaggy, who are missing the larger picture here and
might actualy be co-ops. Bitcoin and other cryptocoins are not just another normal thing out there, they are already labeled as a threat to existing system, by the system itself.

Lol

So you think it's stupid to talk about bitcoin on Facebook or Google or Twitter?

It sounds like you don't want anyone to hear about Bitcoin, and I'm pretty sure YOU might actually be co-ops, trying to keep cryptocurrency silent.

If they labeled it a threat we need MORE voices. We need people to see that cryptocoins ARE normal things and that NORMAL people use them. If we can get that message out we can make sure no one is getting arrested for Bitcoin behind closed doors.

[farfiman]

1. Join and make Facebook groups, ex:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BitCoinNews/

2. Make YouTube videos and hare them with your friends, ex:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy4-0tJrGnw

Do not deal with Facebook, Google, Twitter or any other dataminers, profilers and privacy invaders! Do not listen people like FinShaggy, who are missing the larger picture here and
might actualy be co-ops. Bitcoin and other cryptocoins are not just another normal thing out there, they are already labeled as a threat to existing system, by the system itself.

Jeez , you are going around spreading this FUD while at the same time saying that we have to get the "real world" businesses into bitcoin. How do you propose to do it and have no connection to facebook,youtube,google and the rest? this IS the real world today ( as much as I hate it).

[Darktongue]

1. Join and make Facebook groups, ex:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BitCoinNews/

2. Make YouTube videos and hare them with your friends, ex:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy4-0tJrGnw

Do not deal with Facebook, Google, Twitter or any other dataminers, profilers and privacy invaders! Do not listen people like FinShaggy, who are missing the larger picture here and
might actualy be co-ops. Bitcoin and other cryptocoins are not just another normal thing out there, they are already labeled as a threat to existing system, by the system itself.

I don't use social networks anymore due to the amount of drama that follows them.  However sad but true fact is some people would be unaware of the world around them if they didn't see it on sites such as FB.  But I will also ssy with that logic being known a face book presence would be wasted effort.  Bitcoin isn't pretty. It's peer to peer but isn't social. This is the social side of it.  A good number of the trend whores on FB wouldn't even take the time to use this forum for research or question and answer.  I'm not saying everyone who uses FB is an idiot mind you.  I am saying if they can't plug and play most won't buy into it. 

[FinShaggy]

Jeez , you are going around spreading this FUD while at the same time saying that we have to get the "real world" businesses into bitcoin. How do you propose to do it and have no connection to facebook,youtube,google and the rest? this IS the real world today ( as much as I hate it).

Yeah. Even real world business is having to look to facebook to get an audience. How can you expect to merge with business if you won't even connect with them?

[Darktongue]

Jeez , you are going around spreading this FUD while at the same time saying that we have to get the "real world" businesses into bitcoin. How do you propose to do it and have no connection to facebook,youtube,google and the rest? this IS the real world today ( as much as I hate it).

Yeah. Even real world business is having to look to facebook to get an audience. How can you expect to merge with business if you won't even connect with them?

The age old question.... What was life before The Facebook?  Lol

[Moebius327]

This is getting out of hand. Bitcoins are still not ready for "my friends"