Quote from: kosmost on March 11, 2014, 03:28:47 AM

Quote from: kosmost on March 09, 2014, 02:41:58 AM

Any new thing may be a scam (especially those unannounced and unplanned) but at this time we cannot be sure.

A person's ability to communicate in English does not dictate the legitimacy of a cause (especially in another country that uses a different type of English) and neither should other things that may vary from culture to culture (such as methods of contact, website design, name confusion, etc). There are some wonderful causes where the founder can't speak English well, I'm sure. We must give people the benefit of the doubt while keeping a sharp eye. This is KarmaCoin after all. We wouldn't want others to think we're a scam, either, so it is a lesson in process for us. (That's why I'm so vocal about branding and message.. so people will give us serious consideration worldwide, including in countries where English is not widely spoken. We will have setbacks from rolling out globally as well.)

The point is that these things will come up. It's good that it's happening now because it shows us that we need a process for these sorts of things (including forum moderation, if possible) before we become more popular. This way, we can make sure that anyone using the "KarmaCoin" name in future is likely to be doing so for a legitimate reason.

Who will volunteer to create the process? We can be quick to put something down but how quick will we be to lift Karma up and "make it happen"?

And who will help to work on a solid and unified branding message so that other people will know how legitimate we are?

I've read a few stories on Reddit about how someone tried to install the Dogecoin wallet for their friends or family and was asked whether or not Dogecoin was a scam. The graphics on the Dogecoin wallet and website surely do not help them to expand their member base (and old members may get tired of the memes) and be taken seriously.

Let us learn from their mistakes, and be sure that people 1) not on the internet; 2) not on Reddit; 3) not "tuned in" to whatever meme we may come up; 4) not that technical, can get a clear, concise, and unified message.

I know some of us may be turned off when I use terms like "brand message" but we must realize that we are, indeed, building a brand and will do marketing for Karmacoin. No need to try to avoid it. Better to go with what works and carve our our own sound in the "symphony for global change" that resonates with our audience.

There are lots of people in rich countries who aren't too sure about how to use anything more than email or Facebook. We must consider people in different cultures, countries, age groups, and with varying technical ability when designing the elements we use, and deciding on what words to use. We can make Karmacoin easy for the average user. This removes friction in the user experience and welcomes new users who may enjoy the ease at which they can understand and use Karmacoin.

Actually, no offense to the designer but when I first opened up the Karmacoin wallet I thought I had downloaded the wrong one. The brand image wasn't consistent (and I think still isn't). People that know better, know, but I am pretty sure that most people would be confused. Aside from that, the wallet is too technical for the average user. Dogecoin still hasn't released a simpler, more user-friendly wallet that (I believe) most of their user base needs. Again, we can learn from their mistakes. We must continuously learn, seek out feedback, incorporate feedback from potential users into most everything we do, know what to look for when we can't or don't get feedback, adapt to changing market forces, and listen to those outside of our circle... or die.

These considerations and more will help us to see the other side of the table when people go to our website and use Karmacoin. We don't want to have a lesson in karma when other people think that we are a scam.

Kosmost. Your doing a great job, keep up the good work. I just want to thank you for your effort!