>> (p.1)
    Author Topic: Research on the Bitcoin community  (Read 3847 times)

    • unfinishe (OP)
    Full Member
    ***
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 126
    Merit: 100



    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 05:02:53 AM
     #1
    I've been interested in Bitcoin for a while now, partly for technical reasons and partly for political ones, but lately I've become more interested in learning more about the Bitcoin community itself. Who is using Bitcoin and why? How are we using it? What are our backgrounds, our interests, our plans, our goals? I suppose all that might seem rather boring to some, and I'm not quite sure why I find it fascinating to be honest. I suppose I just feel that whatever is behind the allure of Bitcoin has the potential to really be a game-changer in the future.

    I've read a lot of the informal polls here on the forum, but I was curious about whether there have been any larger scale studies on the subject (I haven't found anything with my feeble google-fu). If not, would anybody be interested in helping with, participating in, or at least reading the results of a informal study? I'm not a sociologist, but I'd love to put my web skills to work on a project that could potentially benefit the community as a whole.

    Anyway, thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think.
    Check out the results from my Bitcoin Survey Project!
    https://bt.irlbtc.com/view/88927.0

  • adamstgBit
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 1904
    Merit: 1038


    Trusted Bitcoiner


    View Profile WWW
    June 07, 2012, 05:26:56 AM
     #2
    this does sound interesting

    i would be participating and reading the results.

  • austonst
    Member
    **
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 76
    Merit: 10



    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 05:42:21 AM
     #3
    I have found it interesting that bitcoin attracts such an unlikely selection of people. We've got the geeks here for the interesting applications of cryptology and the opportunity to work on interesting projects, the economists and stock traders or investors for the chance to make some money off the budding market, and the privacy fanatics (maybe bordering on conspiracy theorists at times) who like the chance to get away from government controlled money supply. It's led to some interesting discussions, projects, and clashes of opinion between people who would otherwise never meet. I'm interested in seeing whatever you end up putting together.
    Bitcoin-OTC Rating

  • Garr255
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 938
    Merit: 1000


    What's a GPU?


    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 05:48:27 AM
     #4
    I'd surely participate.
    “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”  -- Mahatma Gandhi

    Average time between signing on to bitcointalk: Two weeks. Please don't expect responses any faster than that!

  • edd
    Donator
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 1414
    Merit: 1002



    View Profile WWW
    June 07, 2012, 05:54:42 AM
     #5
    Quote from: austonst on June 07, 2012, 05:42:21 AM
    I have found it interesting that bitcoin attracts such an unlikely selection of people. We've got the geeks here for the interesting applications of cryptology and the opportunity to work on interesting projects, the economists and stock traders or investors for the chance to make some money off the budding market, and the privacy fanatics (maybe bordering on conspiracy theorists at times) who like the chance to get away from government controlled money supply. It's led to some interesting discussions, projects, and clashes of opinion between people who would otherwise never meet. I'm interested in seeing whatever you end up putting together.

    Don't forget the entrepreneurs like myself who see the myriad advantages to accepting bitcoins over credit cards and PayPal.
    Still around.

  • benjamindees
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 1330
    Merit: 1002


    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 07:41:58 AM
     #6
    Quote from: austonst on June 07, 2012, 05:42:21 AM
    We've got the geeks here for the interesting applications of cryptology and the opportunity to work on interesting projects, the economists and stock traders or investors for the chance to make some money off the budding market, and the privacy fanatics (maybe bordering on conspiracy theorists at times) who like the chance to get away from government controlled money supply.

    You left out the spooks.

    Seriously, at one point they were the single largest demographic.  It was like a Communist Party meeting around here.
    Civil Liberty Through Complex Mathematics

  • weex
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 1102
    Merit: 1014



    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 07:47:24 AM
     #7
    If you want to benefit the community, study what happens when people first learn about Bitcoin and try to use it. What separates people who "get it" from those who don't? Nature or nurture? With these answers we'll know what we can improve to greatest effect and what to stop wasting time on.

  • cbeast
    Donator
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 1736
    Merit: 1037

    Let's talk governance, lipstick, and pigs.


    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 09:26:05 AM
     #8
    We want to get filthy stinkin' rich. No seriously, we do. Heh! There are many threads on the subject here. Good luck with the research.
    Any significantly advanced cryptocurrency is indistinguishable from Ponzi Tulips.

  • LightRider
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 1500
    Merit: 1022


    I advocate the Zeitgeist Movement & Venus Project.


    View Profile WWW
    June 07, 2012, 09:39:12 AM
     #9
    Everything you need to know is in #Agora.
    Bitcoin combines money, the wrongest thing in the world, with software, the easiest thing in the world to get wrong.
    Visit www.thevenusproject.com and www.theZeitgeistMovement.com.

  • Stephen Gornick
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 2506
    Merit: 1010


    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 11:21:50 AM
     #10
    Quote from: unfinishe on June 07, 2012, 05:02:53 AM
    I've read a lot of the informal polls here on the forum, but I was curious about whether there have been any larger scale studies on the subject (I haven't found anything with my feeble google-fu).

    You might check with @Heathervescent

    I don't remember if she made available to us the results.
     - http://www.heathervescent.com/heathervescent/2011/06/announcing-bitcoin-usage-survey.html
     - https://bt.irlbtc.com/view/26239.msg327558#msg327558

    Nothing else that I am aware of.  If you come across any, don't forget to add it to the wiki.
     - http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Research
    Unichange.me

                █
                █
                █
                █
                █
                █
                █
                █
                █
                █
                █
                █
                █
                █
                █
                █

  • Deafboy
    Hero Member
    *****
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 482
    Merit: 502



    View Profile WWW
    June 07, 2012, 11:26:38 AM
     #11
    Quote
    What separates people who "get it" from those who don't?
    -This

  • unfinishe (OP)
    Full Member
    ***
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 126
    Merit: 100



    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 05:23:36 PM
     #12
    Quote from: weex on June 07, 2012, 07:47:24 AM
    If you want to benefit the community, study what happens when people first learn about Bitcoin and try to use it. What separates people who "get it" from those who don't? Nature or nurture? With these answers we'll know what we can improve to greatest effect and what to stop wasting time on.

    I like this idea. Maybe something along the lines of a focus group would help for this?

    Perhaps you could not only introduce a focus group to Bitcoin and get their initial feedback, but even walk them through the process of setting up a wallet (preferably through some kind of simpler client or online wallet) and give them a few Bitcoin as compensation for their time.
    Check out the results from my Bitcoin Survey Project!
    https://bt.irlbtc.com/view/88927.0

  • Elwar
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 3598
    Merit: 2386


    Viva Ut Vivas


    View Profile WWW
    June 07, 2012, 05:36:14 PM
     #13
    We are all the same.


    There is no individuality among us.
    First seastead company actually selling sea homes: Ocean Builders https://ocean.builders  Of course we accept bitcoin.

  • weex
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 1102
    Merit: 1014



    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 05:44:51 PM
     #14
    Quote from: unfinishe on June 07, 2012, 05:23:36 PM
    Quote from: weex on June 07, 2012, 07:47:24 AM
    If you want to benefit the community, study what happens when people first learn about Bitcoin and try to use it. What separates people who "get it" from those who don't? Nature or nurture? With these answers we'll know what we can improve to greatest effect and what to stop wasting time on.

    I like this idea. Maybe something along the lines of a focus group would help for this?

    Perhaps you could not only introduce a focus group to Bitcoin and get their initial feedback, but even walk them through the process of setting up a wallet (preferably through some kind of simpler client or online wallet) and give them a few Bitcoin as compensation for their time.
    A focus group definitely has it's uses and this does sound like one of those. You might float this idea as something with its own thread and look for contributions to encourage respondents. $25-$50 would probably draw many people into spending an hour. Even $5 will get you tons of people to spend 15-30 minutes.

  • edd
    Donator
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 1414
    Merit: 1002



    View Profile WWW
    June 07, 2012, 05:51:30 PM
     #15
    Quote from: weex on June 07, 2012, 05:44:51 PM
    Quote from: unfinishe on June 07, 2012, 05:23:36 PM
    Quote from: weex on June 07, 2012, 07:47:24 AM
    If you want to benefit the community, study what happens when people first learn about Bitcoin and try to use it. What separates people who "get it" from those who don't? Nature or nurture? With these answers we'll know what we can improve to greatest effect and what to stop wasting time on.

    I like this idea. Maybe something along the lines of a focus group would help for this?

    Perhaps you could not only introduce a focus group to Bitcoin and get their initial feedback, but even walk them through the process of setting up a wallet (preferably through some kind of simpler client or online wallet) and give them a few Bitcoin as compensation for their time.
    A focus group definitely has it's uses and this does sound like one of those. You might float this idea as something with its own thread and look for contributions to encourage respondents. $25-$50 would probably draw many people into spending an hour. Even $5 will get you tons of people to spend 15-30 minutes.

    I might donate some if the focus group was comprised of a fairly wide range of individuals from different backgrounds. I'd recommend drawing from more than a single geographical location, as well.
    Still around.

  • unfinishe (OP)
    Full Member
    ***
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 126
    Merit: 100



    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 06:41:02 PM
     #16
    Quote from: edd on June 07, 2012, 05:51:30 PM
    I might donate some if the focus group was comprised of a fairly wide range of individuals from different backgrounds. I'd recommend drawing from more than a single geographical location, as well.

    I suppose forming some kind of online focus group would be the most cost-effective solution. Though, I'm not quite sure what sort of demographics we'd want to aim for (if any particular ones), or how we could recruit people for the group in a cost-effective yet relatively unbiased way.

    Does anyone happen to know of an existing non-profit group or organization, hopefully with a little more experience in this sort of thing, that we might be interested in helping out if we were to raise the funds? I know that many organizations accept Bitcoin for donations, but are there any that endorse increased Bitcoin adoption?
    Check out the results from my Bitcoin Survey Project!
    https://bt.irlbtc.com/view/88927.0

  • weex
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 1102
    Merit: 1014



    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 06:55:18 PM
     #17
    There was one that put out a press release about how they were paying their subs with bitcoin but I can't recall who that was. Peer to peer something.

  • unfinishe (OP)
    Full Member
    ***
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 126
    Merit: 100



    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 07:11:02 PM
     #18
    Quote from: weex on June 07, 2012, 06:55:18 PM
    There was one that put out a press release about how they were paying their subs with bitcoin but I can't recall who that was. Peer to peer something.

    Oh, I think I found what you're talking about.

    http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/why-the-p2p-foundation-is-paying-its-salaries-in-bitcoin/2012/03/28
    Check out the results from my Bitcoin Survey Project!
    https://bt.irlbtc.com/view/88927.0

  • weex
    Legendary
    *
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 1102
    Merit: 1014



    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 07:19:17 PM
     #19
    Yes, I think they would be a good potential partner. BTW, are you doing this as part of a school project or independently?

  • unfinishe (OP)
    Full Member
    ***
    Offline Offline

    Activity: 126
    Merit: 100



    View Profile
    June 07, 2012, 07:42:45 PM
     #20
    Quote from: weex on June 07, 2012, 07:19:17 PM
    BTW, are you doing this as part of a school project or independently?

    I'm just doing this for fun, interest and out of the goodwill of my heart. Cheesy
    Check out the results from my Bitcoin Survey Project!
    https://bt.irlbtc.com/view/88927.0
    Pages: [1] 2 3 »  All
      Print  
Page 1
Viewing Page: 1

IRLBTC™ © 2025 IRLBTC.com