What about a REAL Bitcoin community?

[Yankee (BitInstant)]

have a law prohibiting the use of fiat currency (punishable by stoning),

But, I like getting stoned 

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[edd]

Sorry, guys, I believe I meet all the criteria listed above but I like where I live. I think I'll just continue working on turning my existing community into a bitcoin community. (You all are welcome to move to San Antonio, if you wish.  )

[BookLover]

I claim that current BTC price proves that 99.9999% (1-10^-6) of humanity cannot be awake. The lock-downs on free trade are causing damages beyond imagination, hitting everywhere around the world, on a scope a sane mind cannot grasp without turning into a cynic. Any glimmer of hope, like Bitcoin, should have people jumping and screaming. But the 10^6th fraction of the world, 7000 people, throwing in 2k USD on average, would close in on current Bitcoin market cap. There's no way Bitcoin is liquid enough to let even 1000 such people jump in invisibly.

So, this rough estimate gives that there are less than 1000 people on the entire damn planet who know what is going on and willing to do the easiest move! (And two of them are relatives of mine, they became Bitcoiners the moment they understood what it is, just like me). What the hell? This is scary!

foreveralone.jpg

You forgot to factor in the people who either just haven't found bitcoin and those who are extremely lost when it comes to computers.

Besides that, WAY TO GO!!

[Steve]

I like this idea (but moving is not an option for me and my family).  Might I suggest you look into the Free State Project in New Hampshire.  They are already supporting bitcoin.  You could create a sub-community that wants to deal exclusively in bitcoin.  You should try and become completely self sufficient for the basic necessities…generate your own power, grow your own food, use well water and septic tanks, etc.  That will enable everyone to use bitcoin exclusively for their basic needs.  For other things you might need that you don't produce within the community, I think there are already plenty of vendors willing to sell you things for bitcoin.  You might look into other such isolated communities (amish, various religious communes, etc and see what issues they face and what you'll have to deal with).

I've often thought that if a sizable community developed that used bitcoin as its primary currency that it would have an extremely positive effect on the more general adoption of bitcoin.  The existence of such a community means that there is always a place on Earth where one could move and obtain the basic necessities of life using bitcoin.  That could be the reassurance needed for some people to be comfortable in using bitcoin.

[westkybitcoins]

I've been planning something similar, and have been wondering when the net offers enough smart people to pull this through. But it's not only about Bitcoin for me, it's about limiting government insanity in general. We must create a place on earth that is not drowning everything in idiotic dynamics. Unpunished corruption, patents + patent ceasefires, tax friction within productive cycles, government stealing and re-distributing funds in arbitrary fashion, hell, I HATE IT. I want to show these people the true power of a modern society, but the system is set up to throw as good as every cheaply available obstacle into my path. (They never throw expensive obstacles, the cheapskates. )

I think of a country that makes only few rules, rules that can be proven or very strongly indicated correct. Then, it makes sure everyone who breaks these rules is hit hard, hard enough to satisfy the requirements from game theory. It is the only functional type of society I know, and the place of my dreams. I believe anybody truly awake should be longing for a place like that. But this is the sad part: exist enough people who are "truly awake" by my definition?

You sound like a perfect candidate for the Free State Project.

http://freestateproject.org

In case anyone still doubts it, I am serious. I think a new country can be built from scratch that easily outperforms anything mankind has seen. All we need is the correct set of rules, a qualified population of 1~10k, a patch of land with trade access, enough know-how and funds to bring up basic infrastructure, and an international payment method not blocked by trade barriers (heh, guess what! ).

On the issue of building a new country "from scratch"... how would you acquire land that isn't already supposedly under the jurisdiction of (read: owned by) some existing government?

[ThiagoCMC]

Here's a crazy thought I had.

So, I'm sure there are probably 1 or 2 extreme diehards lurking around here that will be seriously intrigued by what I'm about to say.  For everyone else, consider it a fun thought I had the pleasure of entertaining for the past few minutes.

I would estimate that there are a fairly large amount of people on this forum that all meet the following critera:  

1.)  They check Bitcoin everyday or almost every day  
2.)  They are invested in Bitcoin both financially and emotionally
3.)  They genuinely believe Bitcoin is an improvement upon traditional currency and believe it would be good for society
4.)  They are generally good and honest people

Additionally, I would add that these members likely have a wide variety of talents and abilities as a group.

So, how about all the people on this forum who meet these criteria liquidate all of their assets, collect their money, join together, and build their own community from scratch.  The cash from their "real world" lives could be used to establish rudimentary housing and infrastructure.  Then, Bitcoin would be used exclusively within this community.  Community members would work to collect food, keep the community area clean, sell basic products/services, etc.

While the community will (naturally) have a law prohibiting the use of fiat currency (punishable by stoning), there will be an exception in the case of paying the electric bill.  How else ya gonna mine?

If you ever wanted to see the price of Bitcoin increase, this would be chance of a lifetime!  With Bitcoin being the only legal means of acquiring goods and services, Bitcoin would be practically virtually (get it?) priceless!

Er...but what about the exchange rate?

You mean...no more fun on the exchanges?  No more rally cries while dawning donning viking hats and blowing kazoos, the smell of titanium in the air?

Now I'm all confused.  A community without Gox Live?  Fuck it.

I'm already doing this.

The land will have about 20 hectares, with rivers, wind, solar power, food and homes for every single person of the community...

All of our technology will be open sourced, including electric generators, cars, money, food, medications, water treatment, etc...

The CryptoCurrencies we are planing to use include the Bitcoin itself, of course, Litecoin and Namecoin.

If fact, my objetive is to create a "moneyless" society, based entirely in a resource-based economy but, this is for the future, long run...

All our Bitcoin Mining Rig will be powered by renewable energy, produced in our experimental city, so, no electricity bills. The generators (hybrid powerplants), nobreaks, powerlines, trafos, etc, will all be open source. So, everybody in the World will be able to copy what we are doing, for free.

The base of our city will be built using the project "Open Source Ecology - GVCS". And the future it can be somethuing like The Venus Project.

Best!
Thiago

[netrin]

Might I suggest you look into the Free State Project in New Hampshire.  They are already supporting bitcoin.

I assumed (and still unjustly presume) they are a bunch of wacos. I read some of their earlier threads and at least the material I came across was of high quality, well reasoned, from intelligent articulate authors. I'm curious enough to consider meeting this gang of "Live Free or Die-ers". I still think Greenland is the best place on Earth, but I can't even get my own parents to visit.

[Bitbird]

I have a related "plan" which might be modified or incorporated into these kind of project easily. I can go Greenland or anywhere with my family belongings, pets and mining rigs if there're already have a credible receiver/hosts. But the first question always is: Will local governments/authorities welcome us? If they're welcome, I think there'll have less difficulties.

[netrin]

Greenland has several times dabbled with creating its own currency, but it hasn't been practical given the tiny population and low revenue. I would not suggest that any government exclusively adopt this hyper-volatile bitcoin, but it makes sense to use it as a payment protocol, particularly among a thinly and widely dispersed population (affordable internet is a citizen's right in every tiny village). The government could accept tax payment in bitcoin, lock an exchange rate for ten minutes, perhaps run an exchange themselves. However, it's difficult to argue against every citizen opening an account in the capital with 'trusted' banks.

[bb113]

but it makes sense to use it as a payment protocol, particularly among a thinly and widely dispersed population.

This, think beyond the concept of "countries". Where does that word come from anyway?