DONOR THREAD for #OccupyWallStreet Bitcoin Promotion

[P4man]

I tend to agree that "end the banks" may not be the best message here.
But you might want to allude to the fact that you dont want banks to profit from the protests, something eg paypal would cause, or even when donating pizza to  the protesters when paying with.. credit card.

As for donating, im donating bitcoins straight to the general assembly:
http://nycga.cc/donate/

So far this doesnt seem to have generated them a lot, blockexplorer suggests 50BTC to date.

Anyway, if this project goes somewhere and in a direction I like, then sign me up for a few coins too. Think its too early now.

[BitcoinPorn]

As for donating, im donating bitcoins straight to the general assembly:
http://nycga.cc/donate/

So far this doesnt seem to have generated them a lot, blockexplorer suggests 50BTC to date.

Well here is why "Please order vegan or non-meat pizzas" lol

As funny as it is, they shouldn't have secondary agendas they are pushing on the same page they are asking for money, the emoticon put on the page doesn't change the smell of "hippy" that comes from that page just for having the word vegan there at all.



Edit: Putting this link here http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/ktz1b/the_occupywallstreet_bitcoin_promotion_people_on/ so it doesn't get buried on the last page.

[P4man]

so they dont like meatballs on their pizza. Their loss .

[Xenland]

Donating 2BTC

Return address should you fail: 12QY5HYbiT5Nx6fek8ss5pAywPsV3kqdu3

[CosicMiner]

This is a good project!

I donated 1 btc

In case of fail, return to: 1145BDEAieei9CcoZMBJPCyNLq2C5p3jt4

[EhVedadoOAnonimato]

I'm also not okay with the "end the banks" slogan. End the Fed is fine, but banks do have some legitimate functions after all. The problems is the rotten banking system we live in.

[Technomage]

I agree with that as well. I'm very critical of the entire market system but the point of Bitcoin is not to solve all the issues, the point is to solve issues specifically related to the current type of monetary system. This is why the slogan should be about central banking, fractional reserve system, centralization in general, the fact that all money is created from debt and mostly from thin air these days. Something related to that, not all banking activity imaginable.

[P4man]

I think even that is pushing it too far. I dont see bitcoin as the alternative to fractional reserve banking. I see it as complimentary to it, if that. Lets not kid ourselves or anyone, its an alternative, not a replacement. And its more an alternative to paypal than to the dollar.

[Disposition]

Ok, so let's say that's not the right message. Any other suggestions? evoorhees was originally going for the appealing to their "antagonist sympathies" route.

[P4man]

something like, "Its your money".. or "Its our money"
Seems to go nice with the "wall street our street" slogan

[tvbcof]

Ok, so let's say that's not the right message. Any other suggestions? evoorhees was originally going for the appealing to their "antagonist sympathies" route.

I could see that and do not disagree.  In fact, if we go with the 'campaign' idea, it makes a lot of sense to tune the 'campaign front page' to a target audience.  But 'end the banks' still seems a little bit over the top even for a fair percentage of the occupy wallstreet crowd (a total guess on my part.)  At the very least, such a statement needs some rhetorical padding in my opinion.

Here's a quick idea for a slogan before I head off to work.

  "alternative currency systems exist today.  choose freely, choose wisely."

[evoorhees]

Thanks everyone for the comments thus far. I guess the main theme is some concern regarding the "end the fed" type messaging, which I understand.

Let me try to defend it... effective marketing doesn't try to be all things to all people. In this specific project, we are targetting a very niche group of people and this is a wonderful advantage for a marketing message. This isn't a prime time TV commercial. This isn't a magazine ad. This isn't some banner space on a common website. We're targeting people who have decided to -occupy wall street-.  These people are pissed, and while I think many of them are confused as to the proper reason they should be pissed, there is a strong common antagonism toward the "big banks" and the biggest bank is, of course, the Federal Reserve.

So by using language specifically geared toward that sentiment, I think the Bitcoin promotion is most effectively served. Any strong message will alienate some people, sure, but how many #OccupyWallStreeters are going to be alienated by anti-bank messaging?

And indeed, we're not just using meaningless rhetoric. Bitcoin DOES have the potential to upend current financial systems. It is, quite honestly, the biggest challenge to central banking since Andrew Jackson.

There are a thousand benefits of Bitcoin. A portion of those benefits have to do with tearing down the status quo of corrupt financial institutions and replacing them with a productive, superior alternative system. It's not just "anti Fed," it is "pro Bitcoin, pro alternative" 

I want to connect on an emotional level with the protesters. I think a bit of edgy terminology is appropriate in this context. For a different audience, I would absolutely agree that the messaging should be different. But this is freakin' "OCCUPY WALL STREET" for goodness sake =)

Are any donors still strongly opposed to the wording?

[nefanon]

Message sounds spot on to me.

0.5 btc donated. Return address: 1Mxuw6DfTRPMkBn9top6geEhGE8Ych9Cbd.

Also donated 0.5 btc to the NYC General Assembly (An online group helping to coordinate activities for the Wall Street movement by providing resources) via 1Q7DQVTubbUqr5by2YoZJRKCEzj9D3LQ9w

[P4man]

Are any donors still strongly opposed to the wording?

This potential donor still is . It sounds too scary, too radical. I suspect most people protesting there wouldnt even back an abolishment of the federal reserve, let alone the dollar or the entire system of fractional reserve banking. They want jobs, reforms, both economic and political, but not "anarchy". End the banks sounds Utopian, unrealistic and frankly scary. What happens to our money when you end banks?

So I think "Its our money" is a better slogan, although perhaps more to the people who already know bitcoin and understand the double or triple meaning.


My 2 cents.

[tvbcof]

...

Are any donors still strongly opposed to the wording?

I would probably spend some time amongst the crowd if I were in the area and had nothing better to do.  If I saw a project which I knew little about and the project stated 'end the banks' as a centerpiece of it's promise, I would be sorta like "pffft..ya, right."  The 'end the fed' part would elicit somewhat less of a derisive response in my mind although the phrase does have some political baggage associated with it.

At the end of the day, I donated funds to a specific group of people who I thought would be likely to make sound decisions.  I do NOT believe that a decision to go with 'end the fed, end the banks' is UNsound for reasons that both you and I identified (associated with targeting.)  So, as far as I am concerned, do as you see best.  You seem to be analyzing everyone's input, and that is all I ask.

[Deafboy]

1 coin on it's way 14YiELk48dPPEzb79ZHgMsYZRJBFMZMjhW

[trentzb]

"replace the fed", "obsolete the fed" ?

[Andrew Bitcoiner]

I tend to agree that "end the banks" may not be the best message here.

I don't think anyone here realizes that this is sponsored by socialists and revolutionary Communists using resentment against Wall Street for a recruiting drive...

[BitcoinPorn]

I don't think anyone here realizes that this is sponsored by socialists and revolutionary Communists using resentment against Wall Street for a recruiting drive...

Yes.  Very targeted audience.  I think it looks good as it is going.

[P4man]

I don't think anyone here realizes that this is sponsored by socialists and revolutionary Communists using resentment against Wall Street for a recruiting drive...

Gimme a break