I spent a few hours talking with colleagues about some Blockchain subjects, but I am confident that I convinced them of nothing. While they do see the benefits in the technology, they struggled to see how it relates to improved governance and a better economic system. The governance is definitely not my area and I was unable to adequately explain myself, but when it comes to economy I do have some ideas.
What I find when I talk about these things is that people have this idea that it should be a quick fix to be viable, flip a switch and everything is okay. It came up several times that "you can't just destroy governments..."
I think even most people in crypto expect some kind of fast result, but how I see it, this is a long process of development that runs alongside the current models, often working in tandem. Even if all the technology was available and scalable, the largest hurdle is changing the behavioural mindset enough to make the shift. Most won't.
I see Blockchain technology and the crypto scene as a type of side chain to the current processes that over time begin to replace one function after another. At some point, the traditional systems become increasingly irrelevant, inefficient and more volatile and eventually more mass is on the Blockchain and through the uptake, transparency and efficiency - the switch will be made.
I believe that rather than a short and violent war, the change will be slow and many small battles won will add up to push centralised systems into obscurity. It will take decades, before the real value will be realized.
One of the arguments met was that people are products of their environment and even with transparency and data, will still act based on the structure they know. This is true, yet here we are, slowly changing out personal paradigms. What about our children - will they choose to remain in the traditional or, embrace the new economy? And, the friends of our children? Not only does a distributed network spread value and information, it also influences behaviour, and can create new cultures that are a little bit freer, a little more responsible.
Blockchain is not a quick fix for the ills of the world, but slowly through different forms of distribution, trust and collaboration, it informs increasingly better and shifts our thinking on the world, and our place in it.
As I said tonight, there is no centralised culture in history that has survived time, yet here we all are. We are already decentralised by nature, spread to reduce risk and increase our ability to adapt. The Blockchain aids our natural processes, the ones that have got us through 2 million years of evolution.
The Blockchain is just another tool. How we use it is quite literally - up to us.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
(posted from phone, watching over my daughter)
I work with a couple of guys that are near retirement age. These are both guys that are very tech savvy for their ages. They're in IT, they "get" technology, they have the money set aside for retirement and investment.
They both think Bitcoin is a joke. "It has no intrinsic value", "it isn't backed by anything".
You'll never convince them, or change their minds. People that fit into this category make up a huge proportion of society. Overwhelming majority. While that is the case, we'll never see the crypto "takeover" that many here imagine. It'll take decades for attitudes to shift adequately and widespread enough.
We will see the wheel constantly turning though. It should gradually become more and more accessible, more and more utilisable, more and more relatable to the average person.
About 20 years ago people were still carrying around cash for most of their spending. Most vendors would charge fees for EFTPOS transactions. Then EFTPOS took over, and everyone was paying by card and signing. Then pay wave took over and everyone was just touching to pay. Now a lot of people are paying on their phones or smart devices. We're getting closer...
I think that eventually, most people will be forced one way or another to change as either the technology is too efficient or, the draw of the value is too strong. All this does is leverage all of the tech and processes people already are using. it is going to move slow for us, fast when looking back.
Unfortunately... Despite all the efforts made to blockchain technology to be recognized as beneficial to the people, I think this is the kind of idea that will still face resistance from the majority of the population for a few more years (imagining the best of the possible scenarios) .
As people start actually using it for some of their tasks, they will start using it a bit more, and a bit more and moving a little value over, then a little more, support a business on the BC, start a business on it and move a little more... In time, millions of blockchains and the data available will be available for all that choose and soon ... people are making very different decisions. As said, I am not expecting a revolution like the past, it is going to be a replacement.
That's the way it's going to happen, obviously. Distributed ledgers will penetrate an increasing number of niches and organically evolve to perform ever more sophisticated functions until the traditional model is squeezed out.
Most people have difficulty wrapping their minds around processes like this. There is also the entrenched tendency to rely on an authority to solve coordination problems - or any type of problems whatsoever. But thing with technology is that it has been in the driver's seat for quite some time now. Efficiency gains through technology are an irresistible force like that of rainwater dissolving rock.
They artificially solve coordination problems by slowing development to a pace they can process and capitalize on. This time, they are likely going to be moving much too slowly and by the time they realize, their only course of action is oppression.
Will that work? I don't think so because it would have to be done in all countries simultaneously.
Nope, doesn't work at all.
I would much prefer slow and many small battles won over a short and violent war (or even a long and violent war, actually I don't even really like war x_x).
There are the people who understand how it works, and there are people who weren't hugged enough as children and are filled with teenage rage :D
People are looking for comfort and safety, the comfort zone in this case is one from which it is difficult to get out. Fortunately we are seeing how every day simplifies the use of any service in the Blockchain and as users and companies are creating new incentives to get people start to enter this "new world".
I trust that it will only be a matter of time before the average citizen begins to see cryptos as a way of being independent of both the banking system and politicians, who see an alternative to saving and a whole new range of possibilities on the net... And don't just see it as a way of "betting" with the current volatility that the market may have.
Progress is unstoppable, the new generations will not have so much "problem" in adopting this system for the simple fact that they will see it as something "normal" and an excellent opportunity/alternative.
Greetings, Peace!
Once upon a time, there were many of the same issues surrounding computing but, it didn't take too long for them to change the world. The governance issues will take longer but the tech will move fast.
Exactly, progress is becoming faster and faster, history has taught us that, we just have to wait and do our bit to help make this change as fast and efficient as possible.
This is what humans are not great at in a decentralized community :)
Hahahaha, you have a good point. Let's see how well it can be done and where it takes us.
Great read @tarazkp and thanks for sharing your viewpoint on blockchain technology. I find myself in a similar predicament when I'm trying to explain the whole cryptocurrency thing to new people. The first question they ask is how can they get their money back from bitcoin and other coins. I lose interest in sharing information when this happens because I take that they are looking for a quick payday. Hopefully, when the market shifts again, it will continue to grow in the right direction.
This is common but out of the group, only one actually cared about this bit.
I'm actially glad you had this meeting and introduced them to blockchain. Maybe this was the first instance they heard it being explained from up close. Probably by not having early adopter mindset they are of course naturally suspicious of new developments. But next time they hear crypto and blockchain mentioned they will remember your meeting too. And so little by little when it will feel safe for them to switch, they will.
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I am hoping that at least through the introduction they have more incentive and framework to dig deeper themselves. I always find it interesting how much time people can sink into entertainment activities but how little they are interested in aspects that could fundamentally change their lives or, the world as a whole.
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