Quote from: molecular on August 16, 2011, 07:18:35 AM

Quote from: memvola on August 16, 2011, 06:32:43 AM

Even so, there are many early adopters who (at least claim to) have very little coins left.

Hehe. For some early adopters, "very little" might still be in the thousands, though.

I can understand some of them cashed in too early, though. Imagine you're a little short on cash and the bitcoin value just shot up 400% to USD 0.80!! I'd be tempted to sell, myself. I've been having a hard time holding on to my little stash myself at times.

This just emphasizes the point that being an early adopter, an being it successfully (holding on to the bitcoins), is not so easy, and these people can be envied, but it's not unfair in any way. We all had the same chance. Of course some luck was involved, too, but that's almost always the case. So don't bash the early adopters, they're the ones that got the stone rolling in the first place. Like someone once elaborated on in a TED talk: it's not the leader/inventor that is the most crucial person to the success of something, it's the first follower (showing a video of a guy standing up and starting to dance pertty stupidly, then another one following, then more people successively, until everybody dances). He argues that without the first follower, there wouldn't have been a party, and the leader would've looked like an idiot. I think it's true.

+1,000

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html WATCH THIS VIDEO--ONLY 3 MINUTES LONG

I saw that video a couple months ago, so knew where to look.

Excellent post!

Here's what I propose. The next time another thread like this gets started, simply post the link to this video and kindly request to lock the thread, for the subject will be closed. If the OP of the new thread doesn't get it, he should receive 500 lashes with a wet noodle by (insert your favorite board member here).

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

Speaking of Ted.com, what are the chances of having Bitcoin's main spokesperson give a talk at TED about Bitcoin early next year? Seems to me to be a perfect fit.