Boingcoin

meta
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I guess this is a meta topic so here goes.

Edit:

To avoid confusion I’m going to leave the introduction as it was when I originally created the topic but will leave this here as I believe the intent of the thread is unclear.

Not much time to really engage with this right now, have to leave this here and come back later to elaborate but…

Why not a boingboing currency for the community?

It seems that this is how the format is advancing and value can be derived from community interactions so why not monetize it?

back l8rs…

edit:

So, beside the… weird reactions from some of my more respected community members (this has really [thrown me for 6][1], I’ll admit), I’d like to pursue my earlier suggestion…

Bitcoin is an emerging form of currency of which I’m sure you are all aware.

To my mind the challenge of creating such a currency would be invoking how the community members who trade in such a currency would attribute value to the thing.

Mulling this over for the last few hours… there seems to be some underlying truths to which such a currency would have to adhere.

Namely; the specific value for the community would be assigned by the elders of said community, acting like a bank, attributing value to particular types of interaction increasing value through their own cultural evaluation of products, ideas or artefacts that the community creates.

I’ve seen some earlier suggestions and promotions from various community members and thought there might be some value to engaging with the promulgation of such currencies.

Concresence of knowledge and in particular, the knowledge of the outsider could be amplified through such a currency, the community would be instrumental in determining how it would even gain value.

Could we do this, shall we do this and why shouldn’t we do this?

Another edit:

So, thinking more about this, I would suggest that the value derived from a boingcoin would be attributed to traditionally negative-value enterprises. Such as culture jamming or other forms or counter-cultural propaganda. Perhaps holding a class on learning the underlying principles of LINUX could be paid in boingcoin, to be banked with an anarchist collective for future cultural initiatives.
Protest marchers could exchange time commitments with other community members through the currency; or a digital artist could bank on the future community value when accepting payment for a charitable project.

Money is a wide-open concept and harnessing it could be of easily-attainable value.

:edited to remove junk
[1]: http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/throw-for-a-six

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ugh…

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Are you upset about badges? Keep in mind the main use for them here are to teach people about the system. All except for the posting badges are trivial to get.

The posting ones help people find interesting content cause it gives you another vector to discover stuff …

Or are you talking about the leader trust level thing, a few things there. If @beschizza wants to make that badge non-titleable, it can be done.

Kind of hard to follow what grievance here is we need to address.

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[Quietly polishes “Great Post” badge with a newfound sense of emptiness.]

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Grievance? …upset?

I thought the proliferation of digital currency (specifically how many on-line communities have created their own) would be an interesting topic we could pursue… not quite sure how you’ve interpreted the suggestion.

I have no grievance or am, as you say, ‘upset’… what on earth would make you assume that?

edit:

aha! Upon re-reading my comment I believe the issue arises from the use of the word ‘format’.
I meant the format of digital currency itself. Not boingboing (which I love).

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You mean, like, I could PAY certain people NOT to respond to me, like, EVER? I’m in.

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Yes! That’s more like it! Like; WAY more like it.

Is there some kind of weird community burn on at the mo? Do people really wanna see the lounge that badly?

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No, people here are just super snarkypusses. They get off on it. Other boards are full of people who only want to take a giant shit on each other. Here, people want to take a giant METAPHORICAL shit on you.

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Well, I can handle that. My metaphorical cup is never more than pouring over.

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Your great post is truly awesome, you should feel no emptiness. You should feel fullness.

@miasm I was just a bit confused, super double apologies. To be honest I am still a bit confused but mostly about the practical aspects of running the bank of boingcoin.

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The more alternative currencies the better, I say.

The official ones suck balls and blow chunks, since they’re all steered by fucking Skesis.

Just look at the board of the ECB.

Scumbags, to a man.

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Your dog will still like me… snifff. :wink:

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@miasm are you familiar with ChangeTip? It plugs into various social media platforms and allows users to tip one another in Bitcoin. As Bitcoin is already gaining a lot of traction in terms of merchant adoption it would have far more practical purpose than creating another alt-coin… unless I’m misunderstanding the gist of your opening post?

This discussion forum is developed and managed by the folks at Discourse, so it may be worth mentioning something over at meta.discourse.org.

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Hypothetically, could a user under your proposal exchange a large hoard of “likes” for something of tangible value? Because I would not be opposed to that idea.

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You mean drugs, right?

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Shh! You want the FBI to shut us down like they did to Silk Road? Just use euphemisms like “banana” or “unicorn chaser” like everyone else.

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Oooo, I getcha! So, banana and unicorn smoothies is code for speedballs, yes? And Juice Plus = Bath Salts. OK, got it.

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Hey fellers, I think we could be onto something, here…

Just think of the positive feedback loop involved.

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You are correct in that I see the value of the thing as mostly existing outside of the function of a basic monetary exchange, which is, as they say, covered.
More than just awarding one another small amounts of bitcoin, we can participate in creating the currency. Literally, by devoting processing power to make the underlying crypto work and figuratively, in determining, through discussion with community members, how value should be attributed and to what.

This is, at base, a community of makers but I wonder what kinds of community-oriented projects we would attribute value to and therefore make?

Also, wouldn’t it just be really cool?

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Drugs for likes sounds like the best thing I’ve heard all year.

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