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There sure seems to be a ton of bitcoin articles that show up on HN, with many of the same usual subjects showing up to comment as soon as they're posted. I kno

by trotsky 15y ago

There sure seems to be a ton of bitcoin articles that show up on HN, with many of the same usual subjects showing up to comment as soon as they're posted. I know you guys want to drum up as much interest as possible in bitcoin for the obvious reasons, but it comes across a bit spammy/scammy at least to me. Besides, if you really want people to set up shop trading things of actual value for BTC you're going to need to get the bullish forces under control so that you don't have this runaway strength in the currency. Promoting it so heavily looking for those slashdot type bumps in the value makes the community come across as just a bunch of greater fool theory speculators.

kiba 15y ago
There sure seems to be a ton of bitcoin articles that show up on HN, with many of the same usual subjects showing up to comment as soon as they're posted. I know you guys want to drum up as much interest as possible in bitcoin for the obvious reasons, but it comes across a bit spammy/scammy at least to me. Who's going to answer HNers' questions and criticism? Besides, if you really want people to set up shop trading things of actual value for BTC you're going to need to get the bullish forces under control so that you don't have this runaway strength in the currency. Promoting it so heavily looking for those slashdot type bumps in the value makes the community come across as just a bunch of greater fool theory speculators. Maybe Bitcoin is just a very viral idea. Bitcoin prices functuate and they don't alway goes straight up, so it's not always bullish. Corrections are part of the natural part of the market.
- wmf 15y ago
  Your enthusiasm for Bitcoin may be innocent, but shills and astroturfers abound on the Internet. If Bitcoin is so interesting, other people will take up the conversation; you don't need to dominate it.
hugh3 15y ago
It's fascinating, in an aggravating kind of way. It's a particularly virulent sort of meme -- one that you spread because the meme basically says "spread this meme and you'll get rewards!" And unlike a religion, there actually are genuine rewards. If you play it just right, then sometime before everybody loses interest in the game (around about the time people start saying things like "If you mention bitcoins one more time I will shove a very large economics textbook up your ass") you might make a few dollars. Economic bubbles and religions have another thing in common, too -- I'm only interested in playing if I'm starting it myself.

by trotsky 15y ago

kiba 15y ago

There sure seems to be a ton of bitcoin articles that show up on HN, with many of the same usual subjects showing up to comment as soon as they're posted. I know you guys want to drum up as much interest as possible in bitcoin for the obvious reasons, but it comes across a bit spammy/scammy at least to me. Who's going to answer HNers' questions and criticism? Besides, if you really want people to set up shop trading things of actual value for BTC you're going to need to get the bullish forces under control so that you don't have this runaway strength in the currency. Promoting it so heavily looking for those slashdot type bumps in the value makes the community come across as just a bunch of greater fool theory speculators. Maybe Bitcoin is just a very viral idea. Bitcoin prices functuate and they don't alway goes straight up, so it's not always bullish. Corrections are part of the natural part of the market.

wmf 15y ago
Your enthusiasm for Bitcoin may be innocent, but shills and astroturfers abound on the Internet. If Bitcoin is so interesting, other people will take up the conversation; you don't need to dominate it.

hugh3 15y ago

It's fascinating, in an aggravating kind of way. It's a particularly virulent sort of meme -- one that you spread because the meme basically says "spread this meme and you'll get rewards!" And unlike a religion, there actually are genuine rewards. If you play it just right, then sometime before everybody loses interest in the game (around about the time people start saying things like "If you mention bitcoins one more time I will shove a very large economics textbook up your ass") you might make a few dollars. Economic bubbles and religions have another thing in common, too -- I'm only interested in playing if I'm starting it myself.