Dick Masterson says Patreon alternative New Project 2 is closing after getting blacklisted by Mastercard

submitted by Drewski from reclaimthenet.org

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[–]Drewski[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

Noone can deny there are are issues with using bitcoin and other crypocurrencies for daily transactions, but they still offer a viable solution. The biggest hurdle is converting to or from fiat, and while exchanges are heavily regulated by governments there are other solutions such as local bitcoin atms, local trading platforms such as hodlhodl.com, local.bitcoin.com and localmonero.co, and decentralized exchanges such as bisq. Not saying it's frictionless; there is a learning curve with effort involved and that's not even touching the issue of price volatility. Still, I think cryptocurrency is a viable alternative to the payment processing cartel the more people that adopt it the better.

[–]Chipit 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

They're not viable and stop pretending they are! Normies don't use them! Normies use Visa/MC just like everyone else.

[–]Drewski[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Look, I'm not saying it's seamless like cash or credit cards, but cryptocurrency does work and unlike credit it's decentralized and can't be remotely censored or confiscated. A lot of worthwhile things like a Google-free phone, linux, encryption, and the like do require some effort to use but that doesn't mean they're not viable. I have got some people started on cryptocurrency using easy mobile wallets such as Edge, and showed them how to do basic transactions. And while it's not widely accepted in person, at least where I'm at, there are a few shops that accept crypto and I've helped another to accept it also. We need to be the change we want to see, instead of saying that it can't be done.

[–]Chipit 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

If it was going to be done, it would have been done by now. It's only of interest to the fringe and will never be popular.

Do you understand what normal people are like? They aren't going to get a Google-free phone and install linux on their PCs and wrestle with apt-get and library incompatibilities. Telling them to install a cryptocurrency wallet ain't gonna work. Ever.

[–]Drewski[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

It may only be a fringe, but that fringe can still be large enough to be usable. I do believe cryptocurrencies will be a part of our financial future, but to what extent and how remains to be seen. I know a lot of countries are looking to implement their own, so we need to participate and help develop and educate people on more open alternatives.

As for what normal people are like, well.. sure, not everyone is going to do all these things, but I have already helped people install Google free phones, got a lot of family members including parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles on linux, and helped people install and use mobile cryptocurrency wallets, among other things. So if you don't have a defeatist attitude to start out with you can definitely accomplish a lot.

[–]Chipit 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

that fringe can still be large enough to be usable.

Not for a crowdfunding site. You need a little money from a lot of people.

you can definitely accomplish a lot.

Your little dribs and drabs method depends on you being there, personally, to do these things. And then be available for tech support afterwards. It's not defeatism, it's realism.

[–]Drewski[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

That's why a more people need to start using crypto, which we can help move forward. With mobile wallets it's already become much easier to use for the less technically inclined.

As far as requiring me to be there, after the initial setup there have been few issues. I already help my friends and family out with tech stuff, which I don't mind, and switching people from Windows to Linux has actually resulted in fewer problems as it's more stable and secure.

[–]asterias 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

There is a learning curve, but for those willing to invest some effort it's not impossible.