Feels like I am screaming "get off the beach" before a tsunami but no one cares

[BitChick]

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.  People really don't like change so anything new does not seem important to them.  But I often feel like I telling so many people around me about Bitcoin and how they really should buy just a little or at least read about it and look into and and almost everyone ignores me.

Here is one example: Just this week I posted a comment on this article about the growing perils of a cashless society and my comment about how Bitcoin could solve some of these problems is now the "worst" comment with no thumbs up and all thumbs down!  Really!?  I don't know why that bothers me so much.  Sigh.  Oh well.  I guess I have to be thankful that I will be "up the hill" when the tsunami does hit.  

Here is the article BTW:


http://money.msn.com/personal-finance/the-growing-perils-of-a-cashless-society

[BillyBobJoe]

I am with the thumbs down crowd. I WOULD NOT WANT A CASHLESS SOCIETY.

Everything from an extended, major power and/or internet outage to privacy concerns scare me.

Hell, recently I lost my ATM and had to call the bank. I sat there with the banker and she told me which Starbucks I stopped at on the way to work. Where I had lunch, stopped for gas and which grocery store I stopped at on the way home, etc.

I certainly am not infatuated with bitcoin, like some, where I want to see it take over. It is an good alternative, but hell no.

You tell me why you want a cashless society?

[bitsmichel]

But I often feel like I telling so many people around me about Bitcoin and how they really should buy just a little or at least read about it and look into and and almost everyone ignores me.

You should tell in a different way. You cannot say people 'do this' and expect them to do it, human psychology does not work that way 

[jonald_fyookball]

Yep, people do not like change.

Back in 1995 my friend bought a cell phone.
I thought he looked like a total jackass
with that thing.  "Why the heck would
you need a phone on your belt?  Are
you showing off?  What are you trying
to prove?"  Those were my thoughts
at the time.

[beetcoin]

i don't think that analogy works. getting off a beach before a tsunami comes is about preserving your life.. bitcoin is about your finances. and besides, bitcoin is not a sure thiing.

[BitChick]

i don't think that analogy works. getting off a beach before a tsunami comes is about preserving your life.. bitcoin is about your finances. and besides, bitcoin is not a sure thiing.

Of course I did not tell people the tsunami analogy.  I was just saying it feels like it to me.  If Bitcoin does become used worldwide, which it seems it is on it's way to that point, people will be left "stranded" in that their fiat will continue to lose value.  If they invest just a little right now they could have a chance to avoid financial issues down the road.  The choice is theirs of course.  

As for a "cashless society" I am actually not that excited about that aspect.  It is just that I see that we are headed there.  There are some benefits to Bitcoin over credit cards.  I like the fact that there is more anonymity and more security (as long as the coins are held correctly of course.)  But as a Christian I feel that there will come a day when governments will feel that they need to control people by requiring a mark (barcode or QR code or something like that) so people cannot buy or sell without it.  That is quite unnerving but it has been foretold that it will eventually happen which makes me even more assured of Bitcoin's success (or some other cryptocurrency) in a strange sort of way.  But that is an entirely different discussion of course.

[zimmah]

well, just keep on warning them and informing them about bitcoin.

Eventually some of them will listen, and the ones who are too stubborn to listen and who prefer to be a part of the biggest ponzi-scheme in history (fiat) will sooner or later pay the price.

While bitcoin may or may not succeed, fiat is sure to fail.

[jonald_fyookball]

reminder:

[snarlpill]

^ What exactly is that chart supposed to represent? i.e. "late majority" losing 34%? Or what? Just wondering what those percentages refer to.

[jonald_fyookball]

the first 2.5% of the population to adopt bitcoin are the innovators.
(and we will reap the most reward)...

13.5% are early adopters (some reward but much less)

and then the majority comes in....

the laggards will be the last 16% of the population,
last to reap any benefits.

[Meuh6879]

with bitcoin, you can print CASH ... and ... it's legal ! 

[BitChick]

the first 2.5% of the population to adopt bitcoin are the innovators.
(and we will reap the most reward)...

13.5% are early adopters (some reward but much less)

and then the majority comes in....

the laggards will be the last 16% of the population,
last to reap any benefits.

The laggards are on the beach.  The wave of financial change is coming.  I tell them they might want to prepare just a bit.  It might be worth it to take a short walk up to the cliff just in case and if the tsunami was a false alarm they can just go back to the sand and then may have just wasted a little time (a few bucks).  Sigh.  I guess it isn't really my problem.

[wachtwoord]

Try not to care. I couldn't care less if people don't want to think. If they cannot learn by thinking they'll learn by experience.

Anyway, I have upvoted your comment to make you feel better (and I noticed so have a few others )

BTW:

I checked the type of comments you made earlier too and if I had no idea what Bitcoin was I would blindly assume your were advocating some retarded HYIP, ponzi or penny stock. I would completely ignore it. If I would go as far as to go through your post history I would see you post the same thing on many articles making it more likely you're just shilling. Just so you know

[BitChick]

Try not to care. I couldn't care less if people don't want to think. If they cannot learn by thinking they'll learn by experience.

Anyway, I have upvoted your comment to make you feel better (and I noticed so have a few others )

BTW:

I checked the type of comments you made earlier too and if I had no idea what Bitcoin was I would blindly assume your were advocating some retarded HYIP, ponzi or penny stock. I would completely ignore it. If I would go as far as to go through your post history I would see you post the same thing on many articles making it more likely you're just shilling. Just so you know

Thanks to the "upvotes" on MSN my post is now "Controversial" instead of the "Worst" post!  That is good I guess! 

Yeah.  I thought about the fact I come across a little crazy on MSN.    I have made an effort on that specific site to be the voice of Bitcoin since no one else seems to take it seriously at all and they dismiss it as "tulips" "ponzi" etc.

Maybe it is better to just shut up?

Of course it will be tempting to go back when the price is $5000 and say, "I told you so."  

[Bit_Happy]

^ What exactly is that chart supposed to represent? i.e. "late majority" losing 34%? Or what? Just wondering what those percentages refer to.

Not "losing 34%"
Those are the ~ amount of people in each group in the adoption curve.
This chart is more clear, there was a popular book called "Crossing the Chasm"

[Beliathon]

reminder:

I suspect a strong correlation between that graph and this one:



Don't frustrate yourself, OP. Everyone will come around in time, all you can do is wait. Be patient.

Imagine how someone as smart as Satoshi must feel about society. Frustrated, I imagine, since I am - and I'm no Satoshi.

Being exceptionally intelligent is a curse as much as a blessing.

[BittBurger]

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.  People really don't like change so anything new does not seem important to them.  But I often feel like I telling so many people around me about Bitcoin and how they really should buy just a little or at least read about it and look into and and almost everyone ignores me.

Here is one example: Just this week I posted a comment on this article about the growing perils of a cashless society and my comment about how Bitcoin could solve some of these problems is now the "worst" comment with no thumbs up and all thumbs down!  Really!?  I don't know why that bothers me so much.  Sigh.  Oh well.  I guess I have to be thankful that I will be "up the hill" when the tsunami does hit.  

Here is the article BTW:


http://money.msn.com/personal-finance/the-growing-perils-of-a-cashless-society

Why view it as a Tsunami that you have to be out of harms way from?

How about more of a "Missing the Boat" analogy?   Theyre missing the boat to potential riches, and they'll be kicking themselves in 5 years when they look back and see Bitcoin sat at $440 for several months. That's how I view those who ignore me right now.

I don't think some horrible armageddon is going to come that I will be saved from.   Reality doesn't happen that way.  Just like Obama never was really going to "Destroy America", the "Crash of the US Dollar" probably wont happen.  At least not as suddenly and dramatically as people predict.   Doomsday prophesies are always wrong.  

[wachtwoord]

reminder:

I suspect a strong correlation between that graph and this one:

Yes, it's known as a normal distribution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_distribution . The most common probability distribution.

[beatljuice]

Remember that not everyone reading your comment gives it a rating. In fact most don't since I assume you have to have an MSN account to do that. Several people may have been inspired to do some bitcoin research because of your comment. My mother-in-law likes to say "ignore ignoramuses."

[beetcoin]

linking the bell curve of bitcoin's adoption with IQ points makes me cringe.. almost everything statistically follows the bell curve. i think that's a stretch.