We should rename "miner" as "auditor".

[qikaifu]

Maybe "miner" is bad name for the promotion of the bitcoin

People are questioning that what are you mining for? a string of numbers? And you get money from the thin air?

The "miners" are bookkeeping and verifying the bitcoin transactions. and the coins generated is the reward for their work. "Auditing" is kind of contribution that will make people believe that the miners are doing useful job. By metaphor in "mining", people will get confused.

I guess Satoshi use "mining" is to promote the bitcoin conception among the early adopters to get involved, but now we need get people trust that the coins spread to the miners are really worth it.

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[cypherdoc]

Maybe "miner" is bad name for the promotion of the bitcoin

People are questioning that what are you mining for? a string of numbers? And you get money from the thin air?

The "miners" are bookkeeping and verifying the bitcoin transactions. and the coins generated is the reward for their work. "Auditing" is kind of contribution that will make people believe that the miners are doing useful job. By metaphor in "mining", people will get confused.

I guess Satoshi use "mining" is to promote the bitcoin conception among the early adopters to get involved, but now we need get people trust that the coins spread to the miners are really worth it.

finally you post a reasonable suggestion.

[nmat]

I prefer mining. It sounds more real. Auditing sounds like a financial buzz word.

[NF6X]

If we promote it as "auditing" instead of "mining", that should drive the difficulty down by making it sound boring! But on the negative side, it may attract Scientologists. 

[ctoon6]

may attract Scientologists.

FFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK

but really, this is a more accurate name for what it does.

[qikaifu]

I prefer mining. It sounds more real. Auditing sounds like a financial buzz word.

mining itself only "sounds" real, but most people will then ask what exactly are you mining, and you inevitably will speak with some geeky words which people just cannot understand.

But if you tell people that we are auditing the transactions, people will think that they already get it. In fact, the miners ARE AUDITING the transaction and get paid for the contribution.

We can still use the metaphor of mining in our daily life, just as the notebook/laptop/, or cell phone/mobile phone. But we should promote the auditor/auditing conception in the public.

Does the core developing team has any agreements or disagreements?





 

[Meatpile]

Imagine the monumental waste of effort and resources if we had to change every word in the language every time one person found it offensive / old timey / antiquated / or just wanted to sound useful by coming up with an idea

[qikaifu]

Imagine the monumental waste of effort and resources if we had to change every word in the language every time one person found it offensive / old timey / antiquated / or just wanted to sound useful by coming up with an idea

I guess that's how open source and macro collaboration work. And we didn't find that much words who were mentioned by people that want to be changed in this forum, which makes you so impatient.

[nmat]

mining itself only "sounds" real, but most people will then ask what exactly are you mining, and you inevitably will speak with some geeky words which people just cannot understand.

But if you tell people that we are auditing the transactions, people will think that they already get it. In fact, the miners ARE AUDITING the transaction and get paid for the contribution.

We can still use the metaphor of mining in our daily life, just as the notebook/laptop/, or cell phone/mobile phone. But we should promote the auditor/auditing conception in the public.

Does the core developing team has any agreements or disagreements?

Well, you are mining for bitcoins! You don't have to use geek words. The less you explain about how bitcoins work, the more people will understand it.

I got your point, but I agree with NF6X: auditing sounds really boring. Mining may not be exactly what we do, but people don't care for what we really do. Mining is just a metaphor for "we find bitcoins like people find gold".

[cypherdoc]

from Vladimir:

@cypherdoc, you just wrote bitcoin PR manual.

Quote
1.  don't talk about mining.  its confusing.
2.  don't talk about the blockchain.  its even more confusing.
3.  say that bitcoin is "digital gold".  that'll definitely make them sit up.
4.  say that only a fixed number will be issued and then NO MORE.
5.  say that since its digital it can be instantaneously transported across borders w/o detection.  they'll immediately realize the implications of this.
6.  don't say anything about "cryptocurrency" or "cryptography".  this makes it sound like bitcoin is trying to hide something along the likes of Silk Road and other illegal activities.
7.  say that bitcoins are secured by "advanced mathematical algorithms" that prevent counterfeiting.  sounds impressive.
8.  try to avoid saying anything about Satoshi since an unknown character brings to mind a shady type character or hidden agenda.
9.  do explain that the decentralized or "spread out" nature of bitcoin makes it indestructable to gov't or Fed intervention.    they'll like that.
10.  when they ask what its denominated in say that bitcoin is a currency unto itself and "floats" in value against other fiat currencies like the USD but bitcoin is in fact NOT a fiat currency.  you might mention that you think that bitcoin will become the gold std against which all other currencies will be measured.
11. i wouldn't recommend newbies go to forum.bitcoin.org especially with all the trolls we've been getting there recently.  the best place for them to go to learn about bitcoin is bitcoin.org which explains all the facts and has references.

I'll restate your points and will add some

Don't mention:
- mining
- blockchain
- crypto (unless it goes into technical details and you are asked how it is implemented)
- satoshi
- forum
- specific exchanges and businesses (unless you've been paid for that, maybe)

Do say:
- "digital gold"
- there never will be more than 21 million of bitcoin in existance
- bitcoin is secured by "advanced mathematical algorithms"
- "no government can repeal laws of mathematics"
- decentralized with no single entity to be shut-down or pressured, just like bittorrent
- quick and low cost payments over internet,
- can be easily and covertly transported over national borders
- negligible transaction fees
- "Disruptive disintermediation" (if audience seems to have above average IQ)
- pseudonymous and potentially anonymous transactions
- accounts cannot be "frozen"
- can make donations to wikileaks etc
- easier to store and transport than gold
- it is just like gold which you can teleport to anyone on the planet
- bitcon.org
- valued below 1$ in Spring 2011, valued at <whatever> dollars now.
- traded on a number of independent exchanges, which set up valuation against fiat currencies.
- potential low cost replacement of interbank settlement networks such as SWIFT

feel free to add to these lists

@all, do not freaking even think to speak to media before reading this.  Wink

[nmat]

We really need a "Son, what is a bitcoin?" website. Like www.weusecoins.com, but with a really really simple video and a really really simple description meant for people who don't care about mining and just want to know what a bitcoin is.

[qikaifu]

If we have so much "not to mention", we should rethink about the whole PR strategy.

And I think Vladimir is the guy who give us a suggestion to use 14 "easy" steps to keep wallet safe, but never urge and even oppose the developing team to make a default encrypted wallet.

The IT geeks will understand the exciting aspect of the boring conception of auditing immediately, but it's hard for average people understand why are you miners should be get paid 300 bitcoins per hour collectively with so much waste of energy...

It's not a problem of whether mention it or not, people who try to get the concept of bitcoin will do their own research, and the words of mining just show up.  Some guys just ask, are you just search for the medicine of curing AIDS or looking for E.T.? why you should get paid? If miners are mining gold, OK, gold is useful to people. but you're mining strings of numbers, is this a fraud? a pyramid scheme? a ponzi game...

we all know that if people get the first impression bad, it will be very hard in a very long time to adjust it.

[Serith]

Imagine the monumental waste of effort and resources if we had to change every word in the language every time one person found it offensive / old timey / antiquated / or just wanted to sound useful by coming up with an idea

That's called good marketing, no really, i am serous

[lacedwithkerosene]

Guys this just WONT work for me.  bitcoinauditingaccidents.com would sound like a joke.

[CurbsideProphet]

Audit has a negative connotation for most people (at least those who live in the US).  The average person will equate "audit" with the IRS.  It's probably a more accurate description than miner but if you're trying to appeal to the masses, probably not the best choice of words.

[wumpus]

Or why not just "transaction processing"... It loses the negative connotation of auditing and is simply what it is. Process transactions into data packets appended to a distributed log.

Not that www.transactionprocessingaccidents.com would be any better.

[bracek]

what about not explaining anything ?
acting somewhat secretive, people need and want to know,
they will ask, and if they get brushed of, they will ask more...

imagine if ur friend saw u putting a bunch of money into ur pocket,
asks u about it, and u try to change subject
he will start stalking u
give info bit by bit

we are opportunistic monkeys, instinctively we know that good things are scarce,
no one will advertise if he found a gold nugget,
and we all (bitcoiners) act just contrary to evolution processes,
survival instinct is to explore if u suspect that something is good,
that is what separated us from other monkeys...

bury some coins in ur backyard,
critical mass has been achieved , sit back, enjoy the ride... 

we are in the "when" zone now, not "if" anymore

[qikaifu]

Audit has a negative connotation for most people (at least those who live in the US).  The average person will equate "audit" with the IRS.  It's probably a more accurate description than miner but if you're trying to appeal to the masses, probably not the best choice of words.

Thanks for you post.

Excuse me I'm not a native English speaker, and even before your post, I already feel that there must be something wrong with the word "audit" in English or U.S, which word is a highly respectable, expert-style conception in Chinese.

So maybe just everyone emphasize the useful part of miners' job to newbie, but not the gold-rush feelings.

[ensign_lee]

This is actually a pretty good suggestion.

[cypherdoc]

Scenarios:
1. if cornered into talking about mining or blockchain, just say "its one huge verification network for financial tx's"
2. if they say "isn't that a huge waste of electricity and computer work?"; just say "not compared to the waste of the banksters and financial system in place today which the blockchain replaces".
3. if they ask "can't the gov't shut it down?" just say "they can't".  never mind the 51% attack since thats a theoretical concept that is highly improbable if not impossible.
4. if cornered into talking about Satoshi just say "i've never met him but i know the head dev is from Princeton (i know, i know but the MSM loves this sh*t whether we do or not) and the rest of them are wicked smart."