Author Topic: Strengthening other people's understanding of why BitShares exists  (Read 5956 times)

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Offline davidpbrown

I'm not sure why you'd be against option B.  Are you mostly arguing against use of the "we" statements?

Yes.

"BitShares is" is much stronger than any "We believe" .. everyone has an opinion and a belief. Just evidence of why people should want BitShares in their life and avoid the direct talk on behalf the community.

You can suggest that BitShares is supported by a strong community with a diverse skillset and here is how you can become more involved. Obviously in basic marketing there is the attraction that "All your neighbours are doing it", so having something that alerts people that they are not alone is important but BitShares is not a political campaign.

None of those statements above jumped out at me. Some alone the lines of what Ben suggested is better.. BitShares is disruptive blockchain technology that helps individuals take control over their own wealth and assets. There's a myriad of statements that could be made but the point is they need to be suggested relative to the technology not relative to the fanbase. The technology should be seen to be more significant than just its community's ambitions.
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Offline Ben Mason

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BitShares is technology used to increase the potential for sovereignty of every individual in the planet.

Offline robrigo

Instead of "We at Bitshares believe in challenging the status quo and building technology that makes life simpler for all."

What about something along the lines of:

"BitShares [is a tool that] enables those that believe in building technology that makes life simpler for all by [facilitating a non-violent and voluntary, contract free digital economy] and challenging the status quo."

That way, the statement doesn't speak for everyone by saying "We at BitShares" but instead speaks to a specific group:

"Those that believe" X
« Last Edit: March 22, 2015, 03:23:00 pm by robrigo »

Offline Globally Distributed

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This looks foolish.  >:(

Unless BitShares only has ambitions to be niche, you need to promote BitShares against its function and not your perception of the ambitions of those who use it. For all the importance of community, you will never provide a simple statement like that which does not push people away. BitShares should not be political in motivation but in effect. It's fine for those contributing and developing it to express their politics but that should not be confused with BitShares itself.

Properly, if it wants to succeed in the longer term, it need to be that BitShares is seen to be predicated on the same thoughts that make Blockchain technology work; namely, the decentralising of third part authority. If you make it more complex, then you will dilute its potential.

What you could do along the lines of the OP, is note how BitShares functionality lends itself to those ambitions. Please don't confuse the potential uses of the tool with the tool itself! BitShares should be created unrestricted for others to use as they want, not because they subscribe to some niche political ideology. The OP as proposed appears pretentious, wanting to appear to speak on behalf of all.

I'm not sure why you'd be against option B.  Are you mostly arguing against use of the "we" statements?
« Last Edit: March 22, 2015, 03:40:44 pm by Globally Distributed »
"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA

kudos robrigo

Offline davidpbrown

This looks foolish.  >:(

Unless BitShares only has ambitions to be niche, you need to promote BitShares against its function and not your perception of the ambitions of those who use it. For all the importance of community, you will never provide a simple statement like that which does not push people away. BitShares should not be political in motivation but in effect. It's fine for those contributing and developing it to express their politics but that should not be confused with BitShares itself.

Properly, if it wants to succeed in the longer term, it need to be that BitShares is seen to be predicated on the same thoughts that make Blockchain technology work; namely, the decentralising of third part authority. If you make it more complex, then you will dilute its potential.

What you could do along the lines of the OP, is note how BitShares functionality lends itself to those ambitions. Please don't confuse the potential uses of the tool with the tool itself! BitShares should be created unrestricted for others to use as they want, not because they subscribe to some niche political ideology. The OP as proposed appears pretentious, wanting to appear to speak on behalf of all.
« Last Edit: March 22, 2015, 03:07:04 pm by davidpbrown »
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Offline robrigo

I think all the statements are pretty close together in that they say similar things that most people would agree with on all three.

I see A and C options as politically charged statements that cater to or romanticize certain idealism in association to BitShare on a far from center pendulum swing. They pigeon hole the why of BitShares to a certain segment. Where B is a more generally inclusive and balanced statement.

Solid analysis, I think you're right in that B is more general and inclusive, and A + C (increased autonomy of persons, increased respect of personal freedoms) could be argued to be a subset of "making life better".

It's easy to attack a politically charged statement, but it could also have more emotional impact. At the end of the day, we want to make BitShares something that seems so intuitive and natural that people ask themselves "Why aren't I paying attention to this / supporting this / using this?" As Simon said in the TED talk, people didn't go to Martin Luther King's civil resistance rally for him, they did it for themselves.

You are probably correct that we shouldn't seek to exclude a demographic by making statements that lean too far from the center.

Offline Globally Distributed

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"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."

i would say what + why are important :)

+ 1 why -> how -> what
« Last Edit: March 22, 2015, 02:54:01 pm by Globally Distributed »
"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA

kudos robrigo

Offline cass

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"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."

i would say what + why are important :)
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Offline BunkerChainLabs-DataSecurityNode

I think all the statements are pretty close together in that they say similar things that most people would agree with on all three.

I see A and C options as politically charged statements that cater to or romanticize certain idealism in association to BitShare on a far from center pendulum swing. They pigeon hole the why of BitShares to a certain segment. Where B is a more generally inclusive and balanced statement.
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Offline robrigo

Out of the ones you listed, I like C the most. I think that strengthening human rights and enabling freedom will resonate with future users, and addresses a problem that many are aware of in the world (eroding freedoms).

Glad you are thinking about the "Why" of BitShares existence.

"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA

Offline cass

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Offline xeroc

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+5% ... nice pitches ..
Just a short remark:
Bitshares -> BitShares

Offline Globally Distributed

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BitSharers,

Why does BitShares exist? 

If any of these is the best explanation of "why" bitshares exists, please vote for it, and if none are the best, choose 'other' and please say how you really feel below.

A We at Bitshares believe in challenging the status quo and building technology that allows people to be more independent.  The Bitshares Decentralized Exchange that we built is making people more independent every day.  People get access to peer-to-peer trade, savings accounts, provably fair voting, world currencies, business contracts, crowd funding, practically free remittance, reputation verifiers, music downloads, and much, much more -- it's all instant peer-to-peer transactions with no middlemen on an open source network.

We at Bitshares believe in challenging the status quo and building technology that makes life simpler for all its users. The Bitshares Decentralized Exchange that we built is helping people across the world get better opportunities to meet their needs in life and work.  People get access to peer-to-peer trade, savings accounts, provably fair voting, world currencies, business contracts, crowd funding, practically free remittance, reputation verifiers, music downloads, and much, much more -- it's all instant peer-to-peer transactions with no middlemen on an open source network.

C We at Bitshares believe in challenging the status quo and building technology that gives people greater personal freedom and strengthens human rights across the world. The Bitshares Decentralized Exchange that we built is helping people find freedom to choose and freedom from transgression everyday. People get access to peer-to-peer trade, savings accounts, provably fair voting, world currencies, business contracts, crowd funding, practically free remittance, reputation verifiers, music downloads, and much, much more -- it's all instant peer-to-peer transactions with no middlemen on an open source network.

D Other
« Last Edit: March 22, 2015, 05:27:02 pm by Globally Distributed »
"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA

kudos robrigo