I mentioned this in an old ChangeTip thread, but I think it deserves it's own (I would;)...
A simple way to spread the good word of BTC is in power of numbers through a powerful network.
Since I think the BTC community is big enough now to be considered 'powerful' (if coordinated), and we have a good means to visibly send BTC through the most powerful of networks: Facebook, why not try to coordinate our efforts - we can show the world (the facebook dwellers at least) BTC in action,
and possibly even raise some money for worthy causes too (and selfishly try to get more people to join in and get involved with BTC along the way, people always join in with crowds).
So I'm proposing we try to get as many BTC users on board as possible, by coordinating a kind of tipping wave where we have the same target - one per day - where we tip en masse. It can be a tiny amount or a large amount, it doesnt matter - my thinking is that we at least get to
show the tech in use in a public way and try to start a bit of a 'thing'.
I guess ChangeTip is the best way of doing this, since most dont have BTC wallets yet...
I know a lot of people complain and nit pick and get anal and annoying saying 'you should only tip this way and not that way*' and 'it wont work because' bla bla blah.
Whatever, dont participate then, complain and get it off your chest. But if you really want BTC to go mainstream, dont just expect the world to simply wake up one day and 'realise' BTC is out there and that they suddenly start using it.
Things catch on and spread because of the
efforts of people to spread them. It doesnt just magically happen where 'if you build it, they will come'. You heard about Bitcoin because someone else went to the effort of getting the info out there. Just like every other thing you heard of.
And I personally think if there is a coordinated effort to tip to show off BTC publicly, then why not tip some charities and maybe get some money to good causes? It doesnt have to be all charity, but a little is better than nothing**
So, I propose that we pick a target for each day, and start tipping them on FB or twitter or whatever. Feel free to post suggestions for targets as we go. I found this (probably un-objective) source for ideas:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history
http://www.un.org/en/events/observances/days.shtml
Suggestions:
Feb 07th, 1964 Beatles arrive in New York
https://www.facebook.com/thebeatles
Feb 08th, 1943 Americans secure Guadalcanal
https://www.facebook.com/MilitaryVeteranProject
Feb 09th, 1971 Satchel Paige nominated to Baseball Hall of Fame
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanEqualRights (not really sure if this is a stretch...?!)
Feb 10th, 1996 Kasparov loses chess game to computer
https://twitter.com/DonorChess
Feb 11th, 1990 Nelson Mandela released from prison
https://www.facebook.com/NelsonMandelaCentreOfMemory
Feb 12th, 2002 Milosevic goes on trial for war crimes
https://www.facebook.com/warchilduk
Feb 13th, 1633 Galileo in Rome for Inquisition
https://www.facebook.com/charityscience1
Aug 6th, 1945 Nuclear bombs dropped on Japan
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Atom-Project-ENG/331143776962795
February 4th, World Cancer Day
https://www.facebook.com/fight.cancer ??
March 8th, World Wildlife day
https://www.facebook.com/WWF
June 5th, World Environment Day
https://www.facebook.com/greenpeace.international
December 10th, Human Rights Day
https://www.facebook.com/amnestyglobalI know the above are not all ideal suggestions, and not every day will be to everyone's tastes or sensibilities (and there isn't really a good cause/charity every day afaik), but they're just to get the ball rolling.
So chime in people, you don't even have to get off your ass to get involved. ill send a tip to the above and get the ball rolling, unless there are better suggestions in the mean time.
The main thing that will make something like this work is if we focus: tip to the same target and remain consistent: stick at it and tip every day. It will eventually catch on and get bigger. Especially if the one getting the tips is in the media or getting extra attention on their 'anniversary day'.
It always starts with just one. Then mitosis. People love viral crowd powered stuff. So the more the merrier, so the more ... the merrier.
*
Yes, some charities are imperfect and inefficient, but giving to them (even if only 30% of the donation) gets funds to those who need it. if the rest gets gobbled up into supporting the company or their PR or whatever, at least they can maintain themselves and get more funds in the future. charities have overheads too, its not really feasible to get 100% to the cause and nothing else every time.**
If you are planning on accusing me of exploiting charities to get people to use BTC and create a rally so therefore benefiting myself, think again: this would probably cause more selling than buying, and i dont expect to get rich from BTC nor do i expect this to cause a rally. If anything im trying to exploit people's will for a rally to get money for charity - my only real motivation is to spread the use of BTC, whatever the final avg price ends up at (if i were to get rich from BTC the price would have to rally many many times higher than it has already done, im not that unrealistic) :p
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