John's Stream of Consciousness
This morning I walked through Ann Arbor, MI to Fred's Cafe. I asked the manager for an espresso because I do not seem to sleep as much as I did before I became obsessed with graphene blockchain technology. I handed the man three pieces of paper and he handed me some coins. I did not look at them but I put them in my pocket. When he returned with an espresso I asked him if he had a website or business card. He said no but asked what I wanted to discuss. (internally I thought "do not unload everything on your mind on this unsuspecting guy").
Externally I said "I know a lot of people who would love to frequent your cafe more often if you would accept cryptocurrency - have you ever considered it?".
The manager looked as if a wave washed over him as he said "No, I am an old man (this was intended as a joke - he did not appear old and must have known this) and skeptical of things like that."
I said, "I understand" (I did not) and that I would like to talk about it in the future if he is open to it. He said okay and I thanked him for the espresso.
I started to think about the negative public image around cryptocurrency. Maybe it comes from the term itself. Let's break it down.
Adding the modifier "crypto" derived from "cryptography"
To me, adding secure transmission to currency seems like a good idea. Every day individuals are exposed to the risk that financial institutions will be hacked or otherwise compromised. Cryptocurrency is a replacement to this risk-laden financial services model. So I leave you with this thought. Who benefits from this negative popular image of cryptocurrency?
It's seems the security is hurting us... Lol
We need to keep creating more awareness like you did for the cryptocurrencies to gain more ground.
Crypto is the future of money, so people must know about it.
Exactly!
Smile
Great consciousness experience...@john-robert..
I love your communication technique.. Thanks for sharing
your experience..
Hello John. Good stuff. Looking forward to reading more of your thoughts on alternative mediums of exchange. Mike
Mike, thank you for the response. I encourage everyone to follow the @rtd channel. He is a powerful voice that takes(intentionally) complicated subjects and boils them down for everyday people to understand.
There is an awake community here and I know we will all benefit from continued dialogue.
@hashcash
@ronaldoavelino
Before coming to steemit I had a series of ideas about cryptocurrencies. All negative. All because of ignorance about the theme. All shared by almost all my relatives and friends.
So, what can be done?
Simple: people must be educated about cryptos. It is much easier to educate young people than old people, whose cerebral processes are rusty due to age. That is what happened with the Cafe owner.
We need Institutional Education to everyone about cryptos. Education is a win-win solution for those who Educates (Institutions that work with cryptos) and common people (who will start to understand, accept and use Cryptos).
I think you are right - but I am at the same time dissatisfied with this conclusion. Surely you know the aphorism "you can bring a horse to water; but you cannot make him drink."
Bitcoin is approaching ten years in the public domain. It was released as open-source software and countless reviews, books, and articles have been written about it and other cryptographic asset technology. For someone to have not examined it honestly on the merits at this point is simply astonishing. I think the human mind is naturally inquisitive and seeks to understand all things - therefore I draw the conclusion that the (intentional) misinformation surrounding this subject has dampened the natural tendency towards curiosity.
Still, I recognize part of maturity is developing empathy and patience with others. So I take your point well and consider it a duty to do my part in helping others to unlock the potential deep within this technology.
Most traditionally operating businesses are averse not the idea of cryptocurrency itself but the negative aura the government has seemed to surround it with. The negative publicity that we have received over the past years and particularly the issues surround the ICO's havn;t done us any favors.
I am living in Warsaw and Have talked to several people about adopting cryptos for their business. The people I see most interested in the idea is the younger generation. Perhaps the business owners who are millennials are more likely to go for a trial run with crypto's than older individuals.
That's great. I agree. It is not the idea itself that is repugnant to people - but rather the programming surrounding these topics.
I encourage you to engage with @rtd. He has a great platform for a lot of the topics we discuss here. I know his journey began when he spent time in other countries and saw the concept of central bank money for what it is.
I really enjoy the writing style! Good approach and 'thinking aloud'. Sure is funny how times change - in the 90's or early 2000's it was telling my parents to get email so I can send them pictures, then Facebook comes along and many got onto that before even email .... in the end, when will crypto's big mass adoption moment happen?
Hahahaha, my inner me sometimes have the same thought.... "k... go easy. You do not have to unload everything on your mind on this person". And at times... "No... don't throw your pearls to this pig!". and ask the question, Cui bono? Hahaha, GMTA, my friend! Have a fruitful week ahead! Take care. And stack on those bitsilver!!!
There is a problem today of FUD hooked to the cryptocurrency term. People lack knowledge of the current monetary system which does not facilitate the understanding of the benefits offered by cryptos ... Yes the term crypto does not inspire confidence but in addition there is a lack of knowledge deeper ...
My point is that it is precisely this lack of knowledge that drives the negative feelings about cryptocurrencies! Perhaps if people had awareness of the current state of affairs & awareness of the true meaning of cryptography they would see how this technology is a tool for freedom.
Relating to the FUD.. well I think people only tend to get motivated at the moment when they realize how much trouble we are in.
Totally agree, we always react to the wall in pain
Great thought sir @john-robert.. I think, Cryptocurrency is
a digital currency formed on the basis of cryptography..
Your article is so helpful for crypto holders..
It seems a larger percentage of the population using cryptos are the younger people. So it's no surprise the most people of very older ages still prefer paper transaction for their business to paperless or crypto transactions. It all boils down to ignorance or fear of the unknown. They need to be educated on the promising next-gen form transaction- cryptos. Cryptos are inevitably going be ubiquitous in the near future.