The Bitcoin Challenge (Idea needing feedback)

[Gabriel Beal]

I've been brainstorming a lot for the past couple of months, like many here, on ways to introduce people to the bitcoin economy in a way that promotes organic growth.  I think I've come up with an really fun idea.  Here are my premises:

1. Purchasing coins via exchanges is currently too laborious for most people.
2. Bitcoins purchased via exchanges are less likely to be spent than coins acquired via other methods.
3. If something feels like a game, many more people are willing to engage and ignore trivial difficulties/inefficiencies.

My solution: The Bitcoin Challenge.  This will be a website that will, for the first part, simply explain bitcoin and then walk the user through download/setup of the bitcoin client.

The second step will be to recommend to the user a variety of bitcoin sites that can help them earn their first coins.  I've already spoken to many sites about partnering with me.  These sites will be ones like forbitcoin, bitgigs, bitcoinclassifieds, biddingpond, etc.  Maybe we'll even include that bitcoin dare site I saw someone writing about on this forum.  The point is that I think it is best to get your first coins by selling your own services or stuff you have lying around your house.

The third part is the carrot.  I'm working on creating a "newbie package" that the newbies can purchase with those first coins they earn.  It will likely include some combination of: An exclusive t-shirt (saying something like "Member of the bitcoin economy", but awesome-er), a physical bitcoin (probably from coinedbits.com), and maybe a btc sticker.  I'd love to give this to them for free, but I can't really swing that. Plus they'll have coins, so it will probably suffice to sell them this stuff at cost.

So the end product is a user who knows how to earn coins, has been motivated to do so with some cool exclusive stuff, and will now be a walking/talking advertisement for the movement.

Problems to overcome
1.  We have to make the "newbie package" something that would actually be desirable enough to motivate users.  I'll likely solicit the community's help in the design of the shirt, but I think we can do it.

2.  The coins to purchase these newbies' goods/services will have to come from those of us who already have coins.  I can imagine a scenario in which we get a bunch of newbies to post their goods/services but no one buys them.

3.  How to make newbies aware of the challenge? Paid Google advertising?  How to raise money?

4.  There are lots of logistical issues to be sorted out.  How do we track/monitor user progress in the challenge?  I would rather this newbie package be something available only to true newbies, but can't think of a way to regulate that.

5.  Need a name/url. Bitcoinchallenge.com is taken.

So, community, what do you think?  Anything you can think of to make this even more game-ish?  I really think that is the key here.  Let me know your feedback.

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[Gabriel Beal]

I've stunned you into silence, haven't I?

[wareen]

I like the idea!

The most challenging part will probably be to really make it easy and appealing for newbies to get some coins. Personally I'm a fan of the Bitcoin-dare site proposed in another thread and I think that would work really well for your project.

I could also imagine some special limited offer dedicated to newbies: pay them some small amount for uploading a video where they just tell where they are from, how they heard about Bitcoins and why they like them. Good videos are then published on youtube and rewarded with a small amount of BTC. I'd definitely donate to fund such an "extended faucet"!

Another idea to help this project by lowering the bar for the newbies would be to have an "adopt a newbie" initiative, where some of the established users here in the forum volunteer to cover 50% of the costs for the newbie package as soon as a newbie has managed to earn the other half. This could also help to "introduce" them to the community.

Alternatively you could also sell the "newbie packages" to non-newbies at a premium price, which funds some stated newbie bonus programs. I personally would buy such a package.

Just my 0.02 BTC - please keep us informed about this project!

[ampkZjWDQcqT]

Your game might be successful in attracting people who feels Bitcoin as a game they're wiling to participate in. Is that the kind of people you want to join us?.

[jostmey]

I think it is one of the best ideas I've heard in awhile.

[Gabriel Beal]

Your game might be successful in attracting people who feels Bitcoin as a game they're wiling to participate in. Is that the kind of people you want to join us?.

I want everyone to join us. What are you afraid might happen if we were inundated with these "game-bitcoiners"?  I think you can have the fun of a game and still be cognizant of the fact that there are some serious concepts involved.

[wareen]

Your game might be successful in attracting people who feels Bitcoin as a game they're wiling to participate in. Is that the kind of people you want to join us?.

What's the problem with people starting to use Bitcoins by playing with them? Heck, that's how I got started - my first online gambling experience ever, just because it was so easy to participate (thank you Bitcoin-Kamikaze for gladly swallowing my first coins )
Even children learn to value money by first playing with it...

The somewhat problematic "games" someone might play with Bitcoins are large scale speculation, market manipulation or online fraud, but that's hardly the thing people will learn from such a site

[ampkZjWDQcqT]

Your game might be successful in attracting people who feels Bitcoin as a game they're wiling to participate in. Is that the kind of people you want to join us?.

What's the problem with people starting to use Bitcoins by playing with them?

Nothing, that's not what I said, please read again.

[Gabriel Beal]

Okay, now some questions:

1. What should we call it.  Bitcoinchallenge.com is taken (hey owner, want to donate it?). Btcchallenge? Thebitcoinchallenge.com? Some other direction?

2. What should the shirt say.  "Member of the bitcoin economy" is rather apt, but not very sexy.

3. Which do you think we'd get more support for, rallying the community to purchase these items/service of the newbies, or rallying the community to buy some "veteran package" that helps fund the "newbie packages"?  Maybe we do both?

[Phinnaeus Gage]

bitcoinventure.com or bitcoinoverture.com

T-Shirt: Founding Member of the Bitcoin Community
                             "                         Economy
                             "                         Currency

Since Alpaca Socks is the new Pez Dispenser (think eBay), build a simple site that only sells Alpaca Socks at a 10%(?) markup, outlining that the socks can be purchased cheaper at ? but all the profit from this site goes toward this endeavor.

I call this idea: Thinking outside the sock.

FYI--I may, or may not, be the guy in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4OzXjOKi9Q

[Gabriel Beal]

T-Shirt: Founding Member of the Bitcoin Community
                             "                         Economy
                             "                         Currency

I know that's the format I suggested, but I think we need to brainstorm beyond the "founding member of..." thing.  It could work, but I bet someone can top it.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

T-Shirt: Founding Member of the Bitcoin Community
                             "                         Economy
                             "                         Currency

I know that's the format I suggested, but I think we need to brainstorm beyond the "founding member of..." thing.  It could work, but I bet someone can top it.

T-Shirt: Got Bitcoin?
            Bitcoin Forever
            What Happens with Bitcoin...    (leaving out the "stays in" part)
            This T-Shirt Paid with Bitcoin
            Bitcoin: Pass It On
            Bitcoin: Movin' Forward

This next idea may cost a little more to produce, but: What Can You Buy With Bitcoin? (and on the rest of the T--front, back, sleeves, etc.--is a list of everything that can be purchased with Bitcoin) The last line on the back of the shirt reads: ...continued on the inside of this shirt--ask to read. NO ONE has ever written on the inside of a t-shirt before (if they have, very few exists). The T could be double printed, inside and out, with no duplicates of what could be bought with Bitcoin. Bitcoin is different, and so is this shirt idea.

Think Outside the Sock!   (hmmm! Maybe this is it--Bitcoin: For More Than Alpaca Socks)

Just another one of my brain farts. Now back to Project X.

[ctoon6]

its a good idea, so is the capital/goodies coming from the shirt and coin people for free? how do you stop people from gaming the system for free stuff.