Author Topic: Draft Pitch for new BitShares.org  (Read 10984 times)

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zerosum

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I dont think most people know what collateralized  is.
+5% I think most ads use the words 'backed' or 'insured', as in "insured up to $100,000 by the FDIC".

Good... that was bugging me too.  I will used "backed"

We could make it even easier to understand. Something along the lines of:

"Your money is safe - three times its value is held in reserve"
That is very very good !!!
IMHO

Offline hpenvy

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I think it needs to be a lot more clear what bitshares actually is. If bitshares was just an iteration or improvement of some existing tech that the average consumer knows about, then it would be feasible to sell it mainly on emotions through pictures. But the closest we can get to that is to write that bitshares "is like bitcoin" or "bitcoin 2.0". That will probably still not be enough to prevent the average user from bouncing from confusion.

It sucks, but I think we will have to explain some fundamentals of the the system right on the first page, and will thus need to use a lot more text. Unless people are buying into a third party centralized service that holds bitUSD for them, they need to understand that bitshares are distributed and decentralized with no issuer or owner, so there's no risk of an owner running away with their money, but also no official support, insurance or guarantees.

I had an idea that one of the ways we can communicate the public key crypto that powers our system, is to market to our users as "owners". So you're not a bitUSD user, you're a bitUSD owner. An owner can never have his funds seized, frozen, snooped on or restricted in any way. You're only an owner if you control the private key. We can do an emotional sell by playing on this as something that should be a fundamental human right: if you've earned something through honest work NO ONE should be allowed to take it from you.

I think a good source of inspiration for the visual style would be the style of graphics used in the weusecoins video. I especially like the pacifying colors and that each feature has its own unique icon (and even sound), it quite amazingly done.

Here are some random ideas for how I think it could be done in the current style. These are just quick suggestions and written in haste, but maybe some of the ideas are useful.

BITSHARES - a bank without bankers

DECENTRALIZED (picture: stylized drawing of a meshnet) - Bitshares is powered by all its owners, who work together to run the software that maintains the system across thousands of computers. This ensures that there are no intermediaries between owners and that no one have the ability to change or steal from the system.

OPEN SOURCE (picture of whatever people positively associate with open source) - The open source software uses the most reliable proven cryptography to ensure that an owners funds are always safe and spendable only by him. Every line of code is public and can be audited by anyone at any time.

STORE OF WEALTH (gold bars) - You can deposit money into bitshares in many forms: bitUSD, bitEUR, bitGOLD... Each of these tokens always hold the value of their underlying asset, and pay an interest rate (currently x%). Everything is collateralized at 300% of its value by the highly liquid backbone currency bitshares.

LOW FEES, NO RESTRICTIONS (stylized broken or frozen bank)- Using bitshares you can send money in any form, directly to any other user anywhere on the planet within 10 seconds for 2 cents. You can also exchange currencies and assets instantly and at low fees. There are no restrictions, requirements or authorization needed for the owner to send and spend his money as he wishes. Transactions are private and no one will know how you spend your money.

BE YOUR OWN BANK (picture of sympathetic person) - these features allows anyone to store their money with total privacy in the way they decide, out of reach of getting stolen, frozen or seized. Finally you can own what you own.

I love this breakdown. I don't mind the mention of open source and decentralized, however, I believe the other points are much stronger for Joe Average. If you were to ask your parents what matters to them most, that's always a good place to start.
=============
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julian1

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You don't need to understand contract law to buy groceries, or javascript to do a Google search, or PKI to understand blockchain ledgers.

The simpler the metaphors required to explain the features + make use of a minimal viable product the better. 

Techy types/traders are the exception in wanting to know more, for which other resources already exist.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2014, 07:56:46 pm by julian1 »

Offline Vizzini

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'Twas a lousy marketing line anyhoo, just for a laff or three.
Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

Offline donkeypong

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Maybe more like uTorrent knocked up your bank? :p

Napster was centralized, and some users got into trouble with it.

Has the mighty Tor been cracked?
http://www.coindesk.com/day-reckoning-dark-markets-hundreds-illicit-domains/

Offline Ander

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Maybe more like uTorrent knocked up your bank? :p

Napster was centralized, and some users got into trouble with it.
https://metaexchange.info | Bitcoin<->Altcoin exchange | Instant | Safe | Low spreads

Offline Vizzini

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Napster knocked up your bank!

And BitShares is their spawn!


BitShares: Better than your bank. --Faster --Easier --Better "interest" --Send funds anywhere --More secure
« Last Edit: November 07, 2014, 07:16:36 pm by Vizzini »
Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

Offline bytemaster

I dont think most people know what collateralized  is.
+5% I think most ads use the words 'backed' or 'insured', as in "insured up to $100,000 by the FDIC".

Good... that was bugging me too.  I will used "backed"

We could make it even easier to understand. Something along the lines of:

"Your money is safe - three times its value is held in reserve"

I like it.
For the latest updates checkout my blog: http://bytemaster.bitshares.org
Anything said on these forums does not constitute an intent to create a legal obligation or contract between myself and anyone else.   These are merely my opinions and I reserve the right to change them at any time.

Offline hadrian

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I dont think most people know what collateralized  is.
+5% I think most ads use the words 'backed' or 'insured', as in "insured up to $100,000 by the FDIC".

Good... that was bugging me too.  I will used "backed"

We could make it even easier to understand. Something along the lines of:

"Your money is safe - three times its value is held in reserve"
https://metaexchange.info | Bitcoin<->Altcoin exchange | Instant | Safe | Low spreads

Offline donkeypong

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"Backed by" is good.

How about using the term "like a bank" or "like a credit union" or "fully online version of your bank" or "secured equivalent of a bank" so there's a comparison made, but the word "like" (etc.) distances it from defining itself as a bank or credit union. That way, you don't have to fit the whole thing into one misleading noun.

« Last Edit: November 07, 2014, 06:56:29 pm by donkeypong »

Offline bytemaster

I dont think most people know what collateralized  is.
+5% I think most ads use the words 'backed' or 'insured', as in "insured up to $100,000 by the FDIC".

Good... that was bugging me too.  I will used "backed"
For the latest updates checkout my blog: http://bytemaster.bitshares.org
Anything said on these forums does not constitute an intent to create a legal obligation or contract between myself and anyone else.   These are merely my opinions and I reserve the right to change them at any time.

Offline fluxer555

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I dont think most people know what collateralized  is.
+5% I think most ads use the words 'backed' or 'insured', as in "insured up to $100,000 by the FDIC".

Offline bitmarket

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I dont think most people know what collateralized  is.
Host of BitShares.TV and Author of BitShares 101

Offline GaltReport

I think we will probably say "deposits are collateralized 300%" rather than loans.

 +5% I would prefer that.

Yes, that's much better. 

Offline Frodo

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I think we will probably say "deposits are collateralized 300%" rather than loans.

 +5% I would prefer that.