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Greetings from Berkshire County! BerkShares don't actually exist, as far as I can tell. I occasionally run across news stories about them, but I've never seen

Greetings from Berkshire County! BerkShares don't actually exist, as far as I can tell. I occasionally run across news stories about them, but I've never seen one and have never met anyone who's ever seen one (and I've asked around, because it's weird seeing news stories about things in your hometown that as far as you can tell don't actually exist.)

frikk 9y ago
what the hell? this is more interesting than the Berkshares themselves.
- outsidetheparty 9y ago
  I mean, I'm not claiming it's a fraud or anything like that; I'm sure they actually did print these and that some business probably do accept them, like any other kind of coupon. Just that they're, well, not much more than any other kind of coupon. According to their list of businesses, apparently my ex dentist accepted them. Missed opportunity there I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
johnfn 9y ago
How can this be possible when the Wikipedia page has pictures of them..?
- cloakandswagger 9y ago
  There are also pictures of Bigfoot and the "moon landing", doesn't mean they exist.
  - solidr53 9y ago
    The moon landings also have videos of them. Also of the astronauts moon driving, which is pretty cool.
    - binarray2000 9y ago
      I could do a writeup of this video, but I am busy. Sacrifice 11 minutes of your time and be open minded: https://youtu.be/SC2Qj8HsMK8 https://youtu.be/SC2Qj8HsMK8
  - RobertoG 9y ago
    I just realize of a prejudice of me. Not that I though a lot about this before, but, I don't know why, until now, in my head, the set of people that don't believe in moon landing intersected totally with the set that believe in Bigfoot. It seems I was wrong. Live and learn.
gcb0 9y ago
For the real thing, Brazil have Local Currencies that are used to foster money lending by banks to small and poor communities. The idea is that the money lent in better terms than elsewhere, will not be used outside of the community. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banco_Palmas#Local_Currency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banco_Palmas#Local_Currency more sources in portuguese (in case anyone want pictures) https://solidu.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/41-moedas-sociais-circulam-no-brasil-revista-epoca/ https://solidu.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/41-moedas-sociais-ci... http://g1.globo.com/economia/noticia/2014/04/numero-de-moedas-alternativas-dobra-no-pais-em-5-anos.html http://g1.globo.com/economia/noticia/2014/04/numero-de-moeda...
RobertoG 9y ago
This is very common with those kind of experiments, nobody cares and nobody uses it. If Berkshire County wanted BerkShares to be used they have a very 'easy' solution available: they should accept BerkShares and only BerkShares for the payment of taxes and others liabilities with the county. Then, as the only BerkShares issuer, they would be able to mobilize any resource that they needed in the county. Of course, that it's not without its problems, because in order to acquire resource from outside the county they would need 'foreign money'.
rnernento 9y ago
Umm, not sure what to say here other than "yes they do". Do you shop at the co-op market in Great Barrington? They were readily available in the past few years (I've since moved out of town). Specific local businesses provide a discount if you shop with BerkShares.

frikk 9y ago

what the hell? this is more interesting than the Berkshares themselves.

outsidetheparty 9y ago
I mean, I'm not claiming it's a fraud or anything like that; I'm sure they actually did print these and that some business probably do accept them, like any other kind of coupon. Just that they're, well, not much more than any other kind of coupon. According to their list of businesses, apparently my ex dentist accepted them. Missed opportunity there I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

johnfn 9y ago

How can this be possible when the Wikipedia page has pictures of them..?

cloakandswagger 9y ago
There are also pictures of Bigfoot and the "moon landing", doesn't mean they exist.
- solidr53 9y ago
  The moon landings also have videos of them. Also of the astronauts moon driving, which is pretty cool.
  - binarray2000 9y ago
    I could do a writeup of this video, but I am busy. Sacrifice 11 minutes of your time and be open minded: https://youtu.be/SC2Qj8HsMK8 https://youtu.be/SC2Qj8HsMK8
- RobertoG 9y ago
  I just realize of a prejudice of me. Not that I though a lot about this before, but, I don't know why, until now, in my head, the set of people that don't believe in moon landing intersected totally with the set that believe in Bigfoot. It seems I was wrong. Live and learn.

gcb0 9y ago

For the real thing, Brazil have Local Currencies that are used to foster money lending by banks to small and poor communities. The idea is that the money lent in better terms than elsewhere, will not be used outside of the community. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banco_Palmas#Local_Currency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banco_Palmas#Local_Currency more sources in portuguese (in case anyone want pictures) https://solidu.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/41-moedas-sociais-circulam-no-brasil-revista-epoca/ https://solidu.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/41-moedas-sociais-ci... http://g1.globo.com/economia/noticia/2014/04/numero-de-moedas-alternativas-dobra-no-pais-em-5-anos.html http://g1.globo.com/economia/noticia/2014/04/numero-de-moeda...

RobertoG 9y ago

This is very common with those kind of experiments, nobody cares and nobody uses it. If Berkshire County wanted BerkShares to be used they have a very 'easy' solution available: they should accept BerkShares and only BerkShares for the payment of taxes and others liabilities with the county. Then, as the only BerkShares issuer, they would be able to mobilize any resource that they needed in the county. Of course, that it's not without its problems, because in order to acquire resource from outside the county they would need 'foreign money'.

rnernento 9y ago

Umm, not sure what to say here other than "yes they do". Do you shop at the co-op market in Great Barrington? They were readily available in the past few years (I've since moved out of town). Specific local businesses provide a discount if you shop with BerkShares.