Bitcoin Dissemination Project (free and easy to participate)

[colinistheman]

So I was just sitting here trying to think of a way to increase public awareness of bitcoin (not to get people to buy it). At first the best idea I could come up with was a giant orange bitcoin decal on the back of my car. But I wanted to reach even more people than just those who saw my single car in my one city.

Then I thought of this:

What if we create a black and white flyer that any of us can print out of our laserjet printer, and we put it up here for everyone to download who wants to. Each person would print 25 copies of it and distribute it to the mailboxes or doors of the homes in his or her immediate neighborhood.

The flyer should include *very* simplified factual information on bitcoin and it's advantages in a very, very simple to understand format. Then there should be a couple of website addresses to where they can learn more about it if they want.

It is a purely voluntary project. But if everyone did this, imagine how many cities around the world we would hit.

Does anyone want to volunteer making the flyer?

And would anyone do this (deliver it in their neighborhood)?

People could report how many they delivered and we could keep track of the total number of flyers delivered for fun.

[franky1]

bitcoin is not ready for average joe purchaser.

bitcoin needs more infrustructure and business acceptance. after all everyday joe wont want bitcoin to buy things online if its limited.
until walmart and other grocery home delivery services accept it so that people can use it for their daily life, its not worth wasting time trying to convince them.

i personally use bitcoin for groceries, bills and other normal purchases, but thats because i done the hard work of getting local businesses to accept bitcoin.

we all need to push local businesses around where you all live and then, and only then would you succeed in advertising bitcoin to locals.

the only reason i can see anyone trying to push average joe to buy bitcoins now is those average joes wanting to invest, or those advertising bitcoin only caring about causing a bitcoins FIAT value pump.. which just shows limited understanding of the whole bitcoin possibilities.

so dont waste your time trying to get the general public onboard until you have got local businesses around you onboard. then the list of business acceptance will be your advert for later, to the general public.

[colinistheman]

franky1: While I understand what you're saying, it seems awfully pessimistic.

The purpose would be to increase the general populace's understanding of bitcoin. Heck, we could even leave off any website addresses about buying bitcoin. That would help show it's not intended to be a value pump.

Increasing understanding is the first step we all had to go through. And an idea can be a powerful thing.

They may be shop owners themselves. Or have a family member or cousin who is a shop owner. Or they may mention it at the dinner table. It's all about spreading awareness and increasing understanding.

[franky1]

franky1: While I understand what you're saying, it seems awfully pessimistic.

The purpose would be to increase the general populace's understanding of bitcoin. Increasing understanding is the first step we all had to go through. And an idea can be a powerful thing.

They may be shop owners themselves.

its not yet time for average joe to understand bitcoin.. instead design leaflets for BUSINESSES to understand bitcoin, then later when there is a local shop in every town or atleast the town you live in.. then highlight bitcoins actual usefulness to joe public.

anyone can make a advert about gold or oil, about all the investment possibilities about the fact that its different from FIAT. but until you can show some local uses of it, joe public wont need it. and only 1 in 500 would want it purely for investments.. the same goes for bitcoin

so try sorting out the local usefulness first. and then sort out joe public second.

i say this because i got a few local stores to accept bitcoin and then i told a few friends about it and actually help them use it.. now they love it. Yet if i just threw a leaflet into a strangers mailbox they will just think your a dodgy salesmen and its just junkmail because you cant even tell them somewhere within walking distance that bitcoin can be used.

so concentrate on businesses, first.

[Ron~Popeil]

bitcoin is not ready for average joe purchaser.

bitcoin needs more infrustructure and business acceptance. after all everyday joe wont want bitcoin to buy things online if its limited.
until walmart and other grocery home delivery services accept it so that people can use it for their daily life, its not worth wasting time trying to convince them.

i personally use bitcoin for groceries, bills and other normal purchases, but thats because i done the hard work of getting local businesses to accept bitcoin.

we all need to push local businesses around where you all live and then, and only then would you succeed in advertising bitcoin to locals.

the only reason i can see anyone trying to push average joe to buy bitcoins now is those average joes wanting to invest, or those advertising bitcoin only caring about causing a bitcoins FIAT value pump.. which just shows limited understanding of the whole bitcoin possibilities.

so dont waste your time trying to get the general public onboard until you have got local businesses around you onboard. then the list of business acceptance will be your advert for later, to the general public.

I work in the merchant processing industry and have talked to several clients about bit coin. I plan to start working with a few of them this summer to start taking bit coin. It is a slow process to say the least, but I have a pretty broad customer base to work with so I think I should be able to get at least 5-6 in my area. I kind of wonder if I were to approach bitpay if they would be open to an ISO type of organization similar to the way merchant processing is done.  

[Ron~Popeil]

franky1: While I understand what you're saying, it seems awfully pessimistic.

The purpose would be to increase the general populace's understanding of bitcoin. Increasing understanding is the first step we all had to go through. And an idea can be a powerful thing.

They may be shop owners themselves.

its not yet time for average joe to understand bitcoin.. instead design leaflets for BUSINESSES to understand bitcoin, then later when there is a local shop in every town or atleast the town you live in.. then highlight bitcoins actual usefulness to joe public.

anyone can make a advert about gold or oil, about all the investment possibilities about the fact that its different from FIAT. but until you can show some local uses of it, joe public wont need it. and only 1 in 500 would want it purely for investments.. the same goes for bitcoin

so try sorting out the local usefulness first. and then sort out joe public second.

i say this because i got a few local stores to accept bitcoin and then i told a few friends about it and actually help them use it.. now they love it. Yet if i just threw a leaflet into a strangers mailbox they will just think your a dodgy salesmen and its just junkmail because you cant even tell them somewhere within walking distance that bitcoin can be used.

so concentrate on businesses, first.

Can you explain how you set them up? Did you buy tablets for them? Do you get a percentage of the bit coin payments they take?

The selling points are fairly obvious. The customer absorbs the transaction fee and there are no chargebacks etc. But the actual setup is something I am trying to work out in my mind.

[franky1]

Can you explain how you set them up? Did you buy tablets for them? Do you get a percentage of the bit coin payments they take?

The selling points are fairly obvious. The customer absorbs the transaction fee and there are no chargebacks etc. But the actual setup is something I am trying to work out in my mind.

some go through me direct where i set up a contract and a 'bartab' so that they had the fiat on hand already to cover X amount in bitcoin purchases customers made.

some go through me where i pay them at the end of the day, week, month at set amounts using a price tracker page i designed that validates payments.

some went through bitpay or decided to go self sufficient and exchange or invest at their own choice.

the best way is to not just have 1 fixed plan, bitcoin has a multitude of possibilities so offering the best tailored solution or simply guiding them in the right direction based on their personal circumstances, works.

its just like being a salesman. finding the uses, benefits and matching the features will work alot better then trying to force only 1 plan in their face.

for instance if its a delivery service that likes cash in hand to pay temporary staff, and your town is a small town where maybe one pizza delivery a day may be bought by bitcoin.. then you can hand them maybe just $30-$50 as a bar tab upfront to cover a few days of sales, or maybe you can organise that if the delivery drivers get paid on a friday, you will turn up on thursdays to pay out on the bitcoins.
again multiple ways of doing it if you want to be the payment processor in your town.

there is no one solution fits all, and that is a good thing, so look into what you want to do/offer and treat the business manager like a king, by making him feel special by him making bespoke decisions. which is less of a fight then trying to convince someone that only one way, your way will work.

[colinistheman]

franky1: While I understand what you're saying, it seems awfully pessimistic.

The purpose would be to increase the general populace's understanding of bitcoin. Increasing understanding is the first step we all had to go through. And an idea can be a powerful thing.

They may be shop owners themselves.

its not yet time for average joe to understand bitcoin.. instead design leaflets for BUSINESSES to understand bitcoin, then later when there is a local shop in every town or atleast the town you live in.. then highlight bitcoins actual usefulness to joe public.

anyone can make a advert about gold or oil, about all the investment possibilities about the fact that its different from FIAT. but until you can show some local uses of it, joe public wont need it. and only 1 in 500 would want it purely for investments.. the same goes for bitcoin

so try sorting out the local usefulness first. and then sort out joe public second.

i say this because i got a few local stores to accept bitcoin and then i told a few friends about it and actually help them use it.. now they love it. Yet if i just threw a leaflet into a strangers mailbox they will just think your a dodgy salesmen and its just junkmail because you cant even tell them somewhere within walking distance that bitcoin can be used.

so concentrate on businesses, first.

I understand what you're saying. But as a point: not everyone here on these forums are business owners accepting bitcoin, yet they are interested. Some people get *interested* in it and fall down the rabbits hole. I completely agree that we need more merchant adoption. But I don't think we should limit who we tell about it. Because I got into bitcoin and I wasnt a business owner accepting bitcoin. And now I am. If you wouldn't have told me about it then I never would have got to this point. And I wasn't sold on bitcoin as a business solution at first.

[Ron~Popeil]

Can you explain how you set them up? Did you buy tablets for them? Do you get a percentage of the bit coin payments they take?

The selling points are fairly obvious. The customer absorbs the transaction fee and there are no chargebacks etc. But the actual setup is something I am trying to work out in my mind.

some go through me direct where i set up a contract and a 'bartab' so that they had the fiat on hand already to cover X amount in bitcoin purchases customers made.

some go through me where i pay them at the end of the day, week, month at set amounts using a price tracker page i designed that validates payments.

some went through bitpay or decided to go self sufficient and exchange or invest at their own choice.

the best way is to not just have 1 fixed plan, bitcoin has a multitude of possibilities so offering the best tailored solution or simply guiding them in the right direction based on their personal circumstances, works.

its just like being a salesman. finding the uses, benefits and matching the features will work alot better then trying to force only 1 plan in their face.

for instance if its a delivery service that likes cash in hand to pay temporary staff, and your town is a small town where maybe one pizza delivery a day may be bought by bitcoin.. then you can hand them maybe just $30-$50 as a bar tab upfront to cover a few days of sales, or maybe you can organise that if the delivery drivers get paid on a friday, you will turn up on thursdays to pay out on the bitcoins.
again multiple ways of doing it if you want to be the payment processor in your town.

there is no one solution fits all, and that is a good thing, so look into what you want to do/offer and treat the business manager like a king, by making him feel special by him making bespoke decisions. which is less of a fight then trying to convince someone that only one way, your way will work.

Thanks for the advice. The sales side of things is pretty easy once they understand what it is. Perhaps a hybrid of the options would be best. Start out sort of hand holding with the bar tab thing and then transition them over time to being more self sufficient. As you said it will vary with each business, but if i can get a few on board it might be the start of something very cool. Mom and Pop type businesses are the key to wide adoption I think.

[colinistheman]

So I guess the consensus is this is a bad idea right now?

[franky1]

So I guess the consensus is this is a bad idea right now?

if your talking about advertising to average joe. ask yourself..

not about the dream of bitcoins future (once infrustruture is more accessable) but what actual/factual usages and ease of use for average joe does bitcoin have right now.

for instance. how easy is it to get bitcoin without risks of banks closing accounts by linking to exchanges
for instance. what everyday goods (food / toiletries / car fuel / household goods) can average joe buy with bitcoin right now.
for instance. what exchange has proper.. and i mean this PROPER insurance to cover peoples funds if lost. (and not just exchanges that are quoted as having it)
for instance. what wallet software is 'average joe' proof and also not coded by basement dwellers, but by proper security trained programmers

if your going to advertise to average joe, dont be wishy washy about it. dont give basic theories or dreams, or possible futures. give present day factual usage and features.

so get to work finding the perfect universal 'average joe' solution, and you will have something worthy of highlighting to average joe.

but until then lets concentrate on getting the features, security, ease of use and ease of access sorted.

[colinistheman]

So I guess the consensus is this is a bad idea right now?

if your talking about advertising to average joe. ask yourself..

not about the dream of bitcoins future (once infrustruture is more accessable) but what actual/factual usages and ease of use for average joe does bitcoin have right now.

for instance. how easy is it to get bitcoin without risks of banks closing accounts by linking to exchanges
for instance. what everyday goods (food / toiletries / car fuel / household goods) can average joe buy with bitcoin right now.
for instance. what exchange has proper.. and i mean this PROPER insurance to cover peoples funds if lost. (and not just exchanges that are quoted as having it)
for instance. what wallet software is 'average joe' proof and also not coded by basement dwellers, but by proper security trained programmers

if your going to advertise to average joe, dont be wishy washy about it. dont give basic theories or dreams, or possible futures. give present day factual usage and features.

so get to work finding the perfect universal 'average joe' solution, and you will have something worthy of highlighting to average joe.

but until then lets concentrate on getting the features, security, ease of use and ease of access sorted.

I understand what you're saying but I guess I have a different viewpoint.

Your viewpoint of how to proceed seems pretty apathetic honestly, like we should not promote Bitcoin to anyone because it's not ready now. But how the heck are we supposed to increase adoption and awareness to the future users-- some of whom will help build the system? If they're never introduced then they can never help. It's not just on our backs to build this technological revolution. Everyone should be invited, whether it's completed now yet or not. Some will see the benefits, even before it's all completed, just like we did.

Ask yourself: Why are you interested in Bitcoin right now? (If Bitcoin is not ready for the mainstream as you keep saying) Well, there are other people like you and me out there. They just haven't been made aware of Bitcoin yet.