Bitcoin Social Experiment

[Enkel]

So, I think I saw 6 participants... does the next stage start now?

[practicaldreamer]

This social experiment has really got me fascinated - I would wish to participate by giving you 10 BTC - and though I realise that this is above and beyond [in your lofty altruism] what you need in order to make this experiment come to fruition, do you think there could be any way we could make this possible ? Please ??

    In the not too distant future I would like to start up a similar BTC experiment - but to be honest the level of contribution would need to be much higher than that currently required by the OP - as such it would only really be of interest to the serious/experienced BTc investor and source code officionado  

   Seriously man - do us all a favour  

Thread needs removing IMHO

[Enkel]

Thread needs removing IMHO

Well, there are now 6 donors, so I think the thread should stand so we can see what this grand experiment is. It would be unfair to the donors to delete the thread.

[Starman22]

Sent, interested to see what comes of this "experiment".

https://blockchain.info/tx-index/8c2f4fd7ef8d2788c678a297dd8abb468bacf8a43bf18c9df299ea969143011e

Thanks lucas! 

We now have 5 participants, I would still like to see one or two more though, so I will give additional time before making the decision to move to the next part.

[Starman22]

So, I think I saw 6 participants... does the next stage start now?

There are now 5 actually, some of the other dust was acquired via different means which will be revealed as this progresses. Again, everything will be readily visible to all, I will keep the front page address in the loop through-out the experiment.

[Enkel]

So, I think I saw 6 participants... does the next stage start now?

There are now 5 actually, some of the other dust was acquired via different means which will be revealed as this progresses. Again, everything will be readily visible to all, I will keep the front page address in the loop through-out the experiment.

Thanks for the response. I put the topic on "watch" so I can check back. I'm interested in hearing what this experiment is going to turn out to be.

[Starman22]

This social experiment has really got me fascinated - I would wish to participate by giving you 10 BTC - and though I realise that this is above and beyond [in your lofty altruism] what you need in order to make this experiment come to fruition, do you think there could be any way we could make this possible ? Please ??

    In the not too distant future I would like to start up a similar BTC experiment - but to be honest the level of contribution would need to be much higher than that currently required by the OP - as such it would only really be of interest to the serious/experienced BTc investor and source code officionado  

   Seriously man - do us all a favour  

Thread needs removing IMHO

Very interesting why people get so worked up about things. I never said this was for anything specific, simply a social experiment and have often commented I make no promises about what happens to the donations. Maybe I just disappear and keep my $4.32 or whatever it comes to, who knows.

This requirement of a donation is a key part of the experiment and is already yielding good results more so in the form of people so jaded and blinded by skepticism that they cannot bear to watch anyone even part with a few cents. I might just need to run another experiment on that aspect of human nature alone.

Anyway, thanks for your input.

[Enkel]

Very interesting why people get so worked up about things. I never said this was for anything specific, simply a social experiment and have often commented I make no promises about what happens to the donations. Maybe I just disappear and keep my $4.32 or whatever it comes to, who knows.

This requirement of a donation is a key part of the experiment and is already yielding good results more so in the form of people so jaded and blinded by skepticism that they cannot bear to watch anyone even part with a few cents. I might just need to run another experiment on that aspect of human nature alone.

Anyway, thanks for your input.

So sad... is threatening to be a scammer part of your experiment? 

You do realize that there are plenty of people who do try to scam people for BTC, so it is not unreasonable for the members of this forum to have strong reservations about someone who has recently joined and then asks for donations for a "social experiment".  The only thing that you've revealed about this experiment so far is that it involves getting people to donate BTC to a wallet that you control. Maybe if you gave your real world information or you explained more about what your experiment involves, people would be less skeptical about the experiment. Either way, you need to grow a thicker hide if you want people to continue giving you BTC just because you asked for it.

TO BE CLEAR: I still support keeping this thread open because the donors deserve to see an outcome from this experiment one way or another.

If anyone has BTC burning a hole in their hard drive, I think I have an address in my signature bar. Life is tough for me right now and I promise to use any donations to pay for my continued online access that is about to be cut off... And, if I'm not back... then I'm out scrambling in the carbon based world for the money to pay my ISP bill :-)

[the_poet]

Kinda obscure thread...

[FalconFly]

So sad... is threatening to be a scammer part of your experiment?  

You do realize that there are plenty of people who do try to scam people for BTC, so it is not unreasonable for the members of this forum to have strong reservations about someone who has recently joined and then asks for donations for a "social experiment".  The only thing that you've revealed about this experiment so far is that it involves getting people to donate BTC to a wallet that you control. Maybe if you gave your real world information or you explained more about what your experiment involves, people would be less skeptical about the experiment. Either way, you need to grow a thicker hide if you want people to continue giving you BTC just because you asked for it.

TO BE CLEAR: I still support keeping this thread open because the donors deserve to see an outcome from this experiment one way or another.

If anyone has BTC burning a hole in their hard drive, I think I have an address in my signature bar. Life is tough for me right now and I promise to use any donations to pay for my continued online access that is about to be cut off... And, if I'm not back... then I'm out scrambling in the carbon based world for the money to pay my ISP bill :-)

I hear ya...
Especially keeping everyone in the dark on the very same undefined expectations he tries to build isn't exactly what I'd associate with the term "trustworthy" or worth venturing into.

I'd also prefer the thread to remain open, so everyone can see the outcome.

PS.
0.02 BTC sent to 1HcfEMptLgzC6GnKbnxL46sYa7T3p2nP94

[franky1]

i think what starman is forgetting when he suggests that its only small amounts. but what maybe $1 today, maybe $1000 next year, and with it taking a noob miner maybe a couple of days to earn such amount of dust from a single GPU, they are reluctant to just hand it over without some idea as to the reason.

there are a few of us that don't simply hand over £$3 a month to oxfam purely on the observation of a TV advert requesting funds. we do like to research where or what the funds will be used on.

this should not be new to anyone. go to any social network and just make a comment/shoutout/post asking for a dollar in actual fiat. you will get the same responses. its not just a bitcoin thing, its a human thing. everyone wants to know a bit about other people they dont already know before handing them money.

[Starman22]

Very interesting why people get so worked up about things. I never said this was for anything specific, simply a social experiment and have often commented I make no promises about what happens to the donations. Maybe I just disappear and keep my $4.32 or whatever it comes to, who knows.

This requirement of a donation is a key part of the experiment and is already yielding good results more so in the form of people so jaded and blinded by skepticism that they cannot bear to watch anyone even part with a few cents. I might just need to run another experiment on that aspect of human nature alone.

Anyway, thanks for your input.

So sad... is threatening to be a scammer part of your experiment?  

You do realize that there are plenty of people who do try to scam people for BTC, so it is not unreasonable for the members of this forum to have strong reservations about someone who has recently joined and then asks for donations for a "social experiment".  The only thing that you've revealed about this experiment so far is that it involves getting people to donate BTC to a wallet that you control. Maybe if you gave your real world information or you explained more about what your experiment involves, people would be less skeptical about the experiment. Either way, you need to grow a thicker hide if you want people to continue giving you BTC just because you asked for it.

TO BE CLEAR: I still support keeping this thread open because the donors deserve to see an outcome from this experiment one way or another.

If anyone has BTC burning a hole in their hard drive, I think I have an address in my signature bar. Life is tough for me right now and I promise to use any donations to pay for my continued online access that is about to be cut off... And, if I'm not back... then I'm out scrambling in the carbon based world for the money to pay my ISP bill :-)

I think you misunderstood my intent in the response you quoted above. I was just explaining that yes, that is a possibility that I could simply disappear with the money. This is actually an requirement of the experiment. The donors need to be aware, and hopefully all are, that this could simply be a one time deal and their donation is gone.

Again, this is why I wanted the total amount to be kept low to help avoid drama, but I understand with minimum transaction sizes, fees, etc. sending very small amounts may be hard and it seems the donors so far have sent more.

There is another motivation in my original intent to keep the amount low, which I will explain later. Much of this will make more sense as it goes on but the more I explain the harder the subsequent phases are going to be.

[Starman22]

i think what starman is forgetting when he suggests that its only small amounts. but what maybe $1 today, maybe $1000 next year, and with it taking a noob miner maybe a couple of days to earn such amount of dust from a single GPU, they are reluctant to just hand it over without some idea as to the reason.

there are a few of us that don't simply hand over £$3 a month to oxfam purely on the observation of a TV advert requesting funds. we do like to research where or what the funds will be used on.

this should not be new to anyone. go to any social network and just make a comment/shoutout/post asking for a dollar in actual fiat. you will get the same responses. its not just a bitcoin thing, its a human thing. everyone wants to know a bit about other people they dont already know before handing them money.

Good points all of them. I do understand this, and again, why my original intent was to try and get multiple people to donate small amounts that combined would add up to $1.00, thus each person would be risking a minimal contribution of say $0.20 worth of BTC.

I will also point out that I am collecting quite a bit of information on the human nature aspect as you point out. I just did not expect it to be quite so, well vocal, at the start. I am finding it very hard to keep myself separate from the experiment due to the overwhelming suspicions of being a scammer. So while it is fun and exciting to see all the different reactions, in my desire to keep the experiment on-track and reassure people enough that I can get enough participants to work with, I am also risking breaking one of the first parts of the experiment.

[Enkel]

0.02 BTC sent to 1HcfEMptLgzC6GnKbnxL46sYa7T3p2nP94

You know, I started to make a post about this, but was unsure about etiquette and didn't post it.  But THANK YOU! That gots me 1/4 of the way to staying online so that I don't have to sit outside in my car using wifi from the local gas station (BTW: most Sheetz have wifi for those who live out in the country side and need it).

So, I would like to have this added to the "social experiment" because FalconFly has been completely generous to a total stranger for no other reason that because FalconFly is a nice person (and everyone should upvote his account).

[Bit_Happy]

What next?

[Starman22]

0.02 BTC sent to 1HcfEMptLgzC6GnKbnxL46sYa7T3p2nP94

You know, I started to make a post about this, but was unsure about etiquette and didn't post it.  But THANK YOU! That gots me 1/4 of the way to staying online so that I don't have to sit outside in my car using wifi from the local gas station (BTW: most Sheetz have wifi for those who live out in the country side and need it).

So, I would like to have this added to the "social experiment" because FalconFly has been completely generous to a total stranger for no other reason that because FalconFly is a nice person (and everyone should upvote his account).

Good to hear, yes thanks FalconFly! I will also take note of this as you suggested, I am unsure if I can incorporate it into this experiment, but it is nice to see people willing to donate to those in need.

[Starman22]

What next?

Still hoping a few more people join in.

I want to be clear right now, this is not going to unfold in minutes, hours, or days, but will be something that draws out for some time. I could easily let the sign-on period last for a week without jeopardizing the experiment in any way, and in some ways that would be the best course of action I could take. I do know this community will not stand for that, and running an experiment online through a forum is going to be interesting enough.

So I am thinking maybe 24-48 more hours, but the fastest way to see it get started is to join in. I am sure a few more of you can donate a few cents of Bitcoin.

[Enkel]

I will also point out that I am collecting quite a bit of information on the human nature aspect as you point out. I just did not expect it to be quite so, well vocal, at the start. I am finding it very hard to keep myself separate from the experiment due to the overwhelming suspicions of being a scammer. So while it is fun and exciting to see all the different reactions, in my desire to keep the experiment on-track and reassure people enough that I can get enough participants to work with, I am also risking breaking one of the first parts of the experiment.

Okay, I do a lot of MTurking... and experimenters assure people by posting their IRL information. So if what you say it true, you should post your IRL information. No need to explain the experiment. But, for all we know, you're an 8yo kid trying to see if he can get the bitcoiners to give him/her free BTC just for the asking. Surely, you are not a part of the experiment and your IRL info will not sway the experiment.

Previously, you said you could move forward with 5 people. You have 5 donors, but now it sounds like you still can't move forward for some reason?

Also, not sure why you posted that you have $4+ in BTC when you were only asking for $1 equiv?

You have not stated if the donors will ever get their donation back or not.

All the cloak and dagger is not working in your favor. That you didn't expect back-lash for it, seems to say that you're not very familiar with online fund raising. As someone else has posted above said, go on any website looking for donations and you'll get the same scrutiny. That is not a failure of the bitcoin community. Once you've collected your data, post it and your interpretations and I'll bet you that I can match your 'experiment' tit-for-tat through pre-existing community threads where people solicit donations for anything from sick animals, to baby formula, to pizza.

I am personally amazed by the bitcoin community and I don't see anything unexpected in this thread. (Well, except for FalconFly who is wonderful and I wish them every good thing on earth!)

[Starman22]

I will also point out that I am collecting quite a bit of information on the human nature aspect as you point out. I just did not expect it to be quite so, well vocal, at the start. I am finding it very hard to keep myself separate from the experiment due to the overwhelming suspicions of being a scammer. So while it is fun and exciting to see all the different reactions, in my desire to keep the experiment on-track and reassure people enough that I can get enough participants to work with, I am also risking breaking one of the first parts of the experiment.

Okay, I do a lot of MTurking... and experimenters assure people by posting their IRL information. So if what you say it true, you should post your IRL information. No need to explain the experiment. But, for all we know, you're an 8yo kid trying to see if he can get the bitcoiners to give him/her free BTC just for the asking. Surely, you are not a part of the experiment and your IRL info will not sway the experiment.

Previously, you said you could move forward with 5 people. You have 5 donors, but now it sounds like you still can't move forward for some reason?

Also, not sure why you posted that you have $4+ in BTC when you were only asking for $1 equiv?

You have not stated if the donors will ever get their donation back or not.

All the cloak and dagger is not working in your favor. That you didn't expect back-lash for it, seems to say that you're not very familiar with online fund raising. As someone else has posted above said, go on any website looking for donations and you'll get the same scrutiny. That is not a failure of the bitcoin community. Once you've collected your data, post it and your interpretations and I'll bet you that I can match your 'experiment' tit-for-tat through pre-existing community threads where people solicit donations for anything from sick animals, to baby formula, to pizza.

I am personally amazed by the bitcoin community and I don't see anything unexpected in this thread. (Well, except for FalconFly who is wonderful and I wish them every good thing on earth!)

If you look through the posting, you can see early on I admitted to messing up by not more clearly stating I need participants more than a set amount of Bitcoin to begin. The experiment can indeed move ahead with 5 people, although it will work better with more. I have no reason to move forward simply to try and appease inpatient observers.

I am starting to get the feeling that instead of merely raising valid concerns, some people are just actively trying to sabotage this thread. Thus my original vision was to have something like 10 people each donating $0.10 worth of Bitcoin to make an even $1.00. The amount was arbitrary and intentionally meant to be kept low to avoid all this distraction. I simply needed enough to not be eaten up by fees, since there will be multiple transactions involved.

Now I have been as upfront and forward with everyone as much as I can be without disclosing too much to ruin the experiment. I have taken the time to try and respond to almost every post to address any concerns or complaints, but some seem to be never satisfied.

[ledmaniak]

I think starman22 is doing a lot more effort than the average scammer. Maybe I'm just naive as I was the first donator, but please, we have heard your voice and your concerns. Please stay away or just observe the thread if you don't agree with what is happening. Thank you for the concerns, but repeating it won't help keeping this thread clean.

I'm sure we hear soon enough from starman22 how he is going to proceed and if not.. I lost a dollar. Whooptydoo, my problem