Quote from: HodorHodl on February 14, 2018, 07:44:27 PM

Hello newcomers!

It's awesome that crypto is getting so much attention, and that so many people have found this priceless repository of information. Welcome!!

But....maybe a few things you guys should know, before you put digit to keyboard. Might save you some questions, might save you some hurt feelings.

1 - Here be dragons - As of recently, the forum has a merit system, which means you need to post something of quality to rank up. Although this is currently being abused, "red paint" (aka an untrusted tag, not good) is being splashed around on people found doing this. Don't, is the thing.

2 - Don't post nonsense or reply with nonsense just to fill some "activity" quota. It will get you by just fine up until Jr. Member rank, then you need merit, see above. On a more human level, just be yourself, say your things, ask your questions, and you'll be fine.

3 - Don't take advice on investing here. You see, the crypto world is filled with a very diverse selection of egos, personalities, wants, needs, ambitions, concerns and opinions. Some of them will be holding bags of some coin which they have a vested interest in pushing (you might see the term "shill-ing" used). There are agendas here, and you should always do your own research (DYOR). You'll see this advice a lot, and it's solid.

4 - Not every post is useful, helpful or truthful - again, hidden agendas. We have a delicious buffet of the ignorant, the arrogant, the stupid, and the just plain wrong. Read, think and consider carefully. The other end of the buffet which contains the smart, the informed, the insightful and the respected....well, you'll have to figure out who they are by yourself - and there are plenty. Ever picked something from a buffet that smelled delicious but tasted like how you'd imagine dog-turds would taste? It's the same here. A little tip: Their member status is not an indicator of knowledge.

5 - Most coins will fail. It's really, REALLY easy to make a new cryptocoin. There's a script for it. People got wise to the idea that "hang on, a script is not enough" a while back, but it's been replaced by other ideas now. See point 6, but the same. The junk will fall by the wayside, the really good ideas will succeed. Read whitepapers, check the social media action, look dev teams up on linked in and google, and ask here if there's something you don't get. Some coins will make you massive profits, most will eat your shoe-money.

6 - ICOs - the new script for alt-coins. Stands for "initial coin offering" (among other acronyms), and is a way to get in before the coin/token even goes to market. If your coin succeeds, you're in clover, but most will fail. Between the incompetent and the scammers, most of this market is like risking a fart when you know that prawn last night was dodgy.

7 - I can haz free BTC? - nope, you can't. There's no trick, and there's no shortcut. Bitcoin doublers, youtube videos on the "directory.io hack", advance payments (i.e. the 419), etc are all designed to part you from your coins. If it's too good to be true, it's not true. Never give a private key, never pay up front for a transfer of funds. Simples.

Hope this helped!

H.

Nicely done, H. Great OP worthy of Merit. Your welcome in assuming thanks for the bump.

Summer Wylie