Research on the Bitcoin community

[cst]

We are all the same.


There is no individuality among us.

Are we Anonymous?

[unfinishe]

Are we Anonymous?

I hope not. Whatever your opinion, I think it's clear that if adoption is going to increase, we will have to try to keep Bitcoin from being directly associated in people's minds with Anon and that whole cyber-prankster ethos.

[unfinishe]

I guess that was a bit off topic. So, anyway, I suppose as a first step I might start by throwing together a quick survey app, maybe start off by asking some basic demographic questions.

One quick question, if I required Google account authentication to deter spam or abuse (like the Bitcoin Faucet), would that turn a lot of you away? I understand if you would rather not give out your email and risk spam for yourself.

[weex]

Every choice has the potential to skew your results. If you wanted to focus on new users however, the impact of using google for antispam is likely minimal. If money is involved, you will probably want to at least review the list of users before letting them do the part that is rewarded. The faucet does a version of this to guard against some obvious automated coin grab.

[Xenland]

Well me... heres my two cents.

I'm an aspiring entrepreneur, and computer developing wizard where all my past USD businesses flopped because of some restriction mostly high barriers of entry put in place, how ever I found Bitcoin with the intention to make money off my CPU cycles, after much question asking I found out that Bitcoin is far my wildest dreams -- It presented me with a free market, an opportunity to cut the cord from the system that forces me to be apart of and spread my own wings.

Back down to earth,
 Im' just a regular 22 year old that does nothing but program/contribute Bitcoin projects all day(besides my PIPBOY 3000 project but that project will also have a Bitcoin app so hehe )

[unfinishe]

Well, the more I think about it, there probably isn't any easy way to get nice statistically sound data when on the Internet, and especially in the Bitcoin community as a whole. But I guess that's okay, depending on our goals.

On one hand, I'd like to study outside the community, with focus groups and the like, to learn more about the general perception of Bitcoin and potential obstacles to adoption. In that case, statistical bias probably isn't that big of a deal as long as we cast a wide net for our groups.

On the other hand, I'd like to look within as well, to learn about what brought us to Bitcoin in the first place. It'd be useful if we could use it to learn more about the future of Bitcoin, but I guess we can only predict so much. I think I'm more interested in the less useful, but perhaps more inspiring, qualitative aspects of the community, and especially the active, out-going people we see on the forums.

I don't really know how to put this, but I guess I just feel so drawn to Bitcoin, not because of Bitcoin itself, but because it is an alternative, and I think the world is sorely lacking in alternatives. But with technology, you can take a brilliant idea and it can take a life of its own, and it can become that alternative. And those alternatives could maybe grow and perhaps finally overcome our dismal status quo. I think the seeds are within us here. I mostly just want to know that I'm not alone with these feelings. Sorry for the rant. I'm pretty tired.

[edd]

I mostly just want to know that I'm not alone with these feelings.

You are definitely not alone. While I tend to turn my bitcoin tinted glasses toward business ventures, I read threads about using bitcoin to combat the erosion of privacy and civil liberties, to fund humanitarian and scientific breakthroughs, to crowdsource just about everything imaginable, etc and I can't help but feel that bitcoin might just be the tool the human race needed to allow those of us with a little foresight to point the way toward a brighter, better future.

[unfinishe]

I tend to get a little carried away with things, so I am trying to be too irrationally exuberant about Bitcoin. It may never really be the global currency we dream of, but I guess what I'm saying is that if we can take something like Bitcoin this far, then who knows what potentially lies in store. You know?

[cst]

Anyway, I would participate/help/whatever, but..

One quick question, if I required Google account authentication to deter spam or abuse (like the Bitcoin Faucet), would that turn a lot of you away? I understand if you would rather not give out your email and risk spam for yourself.

..yeeaahh, that would turn me away, sorry. Call me paranoid tin-foil hatter, but I don't trust google even that much anymore.

[RodeoX]

I would participate. And I think it would make an interesting sociology paper. I have a friend who is a sociology professor. He was interested in it himself until I got into cryptography and foreign currency arbitrage. This is exactly what he looked like. ---> 

[unfinishe]

Ok, so I think my app is almost ready, so what kind of questions would be good initially?

I'm thinking about keeping this first survey not too long (5 minutes or so). So, I think I'd start with a few basic demo questions:

Location
Age
Gender
Education
Work
Political leaning
Etc. (Let me know if I'm missing something)

And then ask a few bitcoin related questions:

How and when did you first hear about Bitcoins?
How do you use Bitcoins, and how often?
Why do you use Bitcoins?
Are you optimistic about Bitcoin adoption, stability, etc?
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Bitcoin and the Bitcoin community?

What do you all think? Does that seem like a good start?

[LightRider]

Ok, so I think my app is almost ready, so what kind of questions would be good initially?

I'm thinking about keeping this first survey not too long (5 minutes or so). So, I think I'd start with a few basic demo questions:

Location
Age
Gender
Education
Work
Political leaning
Etc. (Let me know if I'm missing something)

And then ask a few bitcoin related questions:

How and when did you first hear about Bitcoins?
How do you use Bitcoins, and how often?
Why do you use Bitcoins?
Are you optimistic about Bitcoin adoption, stability, etc?
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Bitcoin and the Bitcoin community?

What do you all think? Does that seem like a good start?

Religious affiliation.
Are you Satoshi Nakamoto?
Do you know Satoshi Nakamoto?
Are you a government agent?
Are you now, or have you ever been an SA goon?
What is your favorite anti-bitcoin meme?
How many times have you changed positions on bitcoin? (pro/anti)
How many times have you been scammed?
How many times have you scammed others?
Are you now, or have you ever been, secretly the head of Bitcoinica?
When will we get our money back from Bitcoinica?
No seriously, tell me when we get our fucking money back from Bitcoinica, I need it yesterday.
Etc.

[adamstgBit]

the questions should be able to be answered with radio buttons
maybe 1 or 2 questions you can ask the user to write a bit of text.
I'd also like to see a Personality test, lets see if most bitcoiners fall in particular personalty group

[unfinishe]

the questions should be able to be answered with radio buttons
maybe 1 or 2 questions you can ask the user to write a bit of text.

For most of them, I'll give radio buttons (maybe multiple checkboxes) and try to outline most of what I would suppose are the common answers, and then give an "Other" choice with a open text box, just in case.

I'd also like to see a Personality test, lets see if most bitcoiners fall in particular personalty group

You mean like the MBTI or Big 5? I suppose that could be interesting, but I don't know how useful it would really be for the time it would take.

[Stephen Gornick]

Ok, so I think my app is almost ready,

App?  as in mobile app?  Or will this be a web-based survey?

[unfinishe]

Ok, so I think my app is almost ready,

App?  as in mobile app?  Or will this be a web-based survey?

It's just a web application. I could have used a survey site, I suppose, but I figured it would be fun to make it myself.

[Bigpiggy01]

Sounds interesting,

Count me in once your app is done 

[LightRider]

Ok, so I think my app is almost ready,

App?  as in mobile app?  Or will this be a web-based survey?

It's just a web application. I could have used a survey site, I suppose, but I figured it would be fun to make it myself.

Doesn't google docs let you make a quick easy survey?

[genjix]

http://bitcoinmedia.com/catherine-flick-bitcoin-and-the-dual-use-dilemma/

[unfinishe]

So, I guess that I was a little too optimistic about how close I was to finishing... But, it looks like I've got a working app now. Before I release it, though, could I please get a couple volunteers to try it out and make sure it works first? Just let me know and I'll PM you the link. Thank you!