After some pondering; I have concluded that Bitcointalk members can be grouped in 4 distinct categories:
A - crypto enthusiasts eager to learn more about blockchain technology and also passionate about the idea of decentralized currency
B - people who like the idea of decentralized currency; but don't have time/interest/background to learn much more than basic knowledge needed to effortlessly use cryptocurrency
C - people who are here solely for income from bounty campaigns (those people are usually from very poor countries and I don't judge them because their economic situation is often the result of "effort" of rich countries)
D - spammers, FUD-sters, trolls, etc.
This is a pretty reasonable breakdown. Like you, I started off as B (I was a lurker for about 6 months before that), then I quickly moved into A. However, I did spend some time being a troll in D, but I think my intentions were good. Not getting into it immediately for the money (or shit tokens) is a sign of good faith that you're hear to do some learnin' and contribute, which separates you from 90% of other noobs which immediately launch into a career of mindless shitposting. Best of luck to you.
I don't always know where to put myself if these were the options, I explained before how I get into
BTC, short vers --> play poker for more then 15years, did all the different cash games, tournaments etc but also organised a "HOME" game.
@some point a fella dropped in cause he heard from a friend we were playing.... Now he didn't really was looking for a game but more fore a fun place, smoke a blunt, chill place, play some poker (stakes were not his usual high, i also played higher but it was a fun game etc), now he was an online king in HU playing with no question the BEST from Belgium @ that time and probably a TOP spot worldwide, "HU playing" but he discovered very early the
BTC play sides and crushed them all "literally".
of-course he made all in
BTC and HODLed as that was his main goal for winning.
Now he was playing @the live tables and lost a bit, if he needed to pay € he had to change
BTC of-course and he didn't like to make those
BTC-sells etc
Then it happened, i didn't knew anything of that guy and he asked me if he would lose its ok to pay me in
BTC and i pay the winner of the game.
me---> what is A
BTC?? anno when the price went from 360-ish to ATH "he always repeat i'm the luckiest ever to be introduced @that time"
he ---> highly intelligent guy explained me and provided me everything to handle and so on
then he lose ---> pay, all went good, lucky as i was "i was the winning guy"
then the game changed "No more HOME games with much peeps" only me, him and a select group of peeps playing online for
BTC to each other
What i wanna say= i didn't ever hear the name
BTC or WO-thread before that single guy, and he introduced me to this world so well so good, always took care for me and learned me so much, i'm absolutely no
BTC-tech expert guy, but i no for damn sure he is, i would put myself in CATEGORY
B, with the willing to learn all there is to know about
BTC-)but i'm just not a good computer guy surely no programmer etc, what i am from CATEGORY
A= an absolute crypto enthusiasts....... but when those guys talking about technical stuff then yeah sometimes i lose it and can't follow
of-course my longterm perspective is what it needs to be to be a
BTC'er
as of today we still play our thing and i learn more and more cause of him and cause of being here, then why am I here, obviously to learn, mostly active @the WO, but also cause its a bit of a chill place were nobody cares if i go OT sometimes and yeah that maybe happens to often
but then again everybody there likes to have a good laugh and the humor down there is pretty good, I also like to share some news there that crosses my path etc
so me = MIX A and B
and i think its better to have some Merit system then no Merit system, as I don't only use it as when i think something = of high quality, I also like to use it when I think something is good humor as for THX as when I see somebody is posting something with best intentions etc
BTW@ OP "QuestionAuthority" .......... long time no see :-/
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2827596.msg50321842#msg50321842^
I copied my post from here in an OT thread.... but this is a little bit my run with
BTC