Quote from: 1Dq on July 16, 2024, 04:21:01 PM

As you know, 22nd November 2024 is Bitcoin forum’s 15th Anniversary.

Oh, man....I should have known this, but that's one of bitcoin's (extremely important) historical facts that never stuck in my brain. I know what year bitcoin was unleashed upon the world along with the forum, but for some reason it just doesn't seem like it's been that long. Members here who are in their 20s probably only knew a reality in which bitcoin and bitcointalk existed, and I don't think I've ever considered that--and to me it's mind-blowing.

Quote from: 1Dq on July 16, 2024, 04:21:01 PM

What got me on this board and why I stayed here?

Strong skepticism combined with a mild curiosity as to what all the hoopla was all about, as I'd keep reading about this crazy digital form of money, the value of which was more volatile than any other asset being traded. Every time I'd do a search for bitcoin, inevitably some bitcointalk thread would be at the top of the search results. When I read some of the threads, I saw that this forum was jam-packed with drama. Not only that, but I could clearly see that members were allowed to express themselves however they wanted to. My previous experience with discussion forums was that profanity, rudeness, and everything up to and including having your friggin' Windsor knot tied sloppily would be grounds for a ban. I always hated that.

So I lurked in 2014 and kept waiting for bitcoin to be revealed as a huge scam. Whoops! As to why I stuck around, I'm going to confess with a beet-red face that it was to troll all of the awful, idiotic members who'd make posts that were incoherent, repetitive, or just baffled me as to why someone would write them (this was well before I found out what signature campaigns were). The trolling did not last long, because I soon started learning what bitcoin really is and how different it was from prior digital forms of money like Flooz, which I remembered from the crazy late 90s Everything Bubble. My outspokenness apparently caught people's attention, for better or worse, and I kinda-sorta became an oddball forum personality. Wheee!!

Quote from: 1Dq on July 16, 2024, 04:21:01 PM

What do I love most about it?

If I'm honest? The drama, the crazy news stories, battling shitposters, the lack of censorchip, and the consistency of the UI. Oh wait, was I only supposed to pick one thing? Eh.

Quote from: 1Dq on July 16, 2024, 04:21:01 PM

What have I learned here?

Specific to the forum: things often aren't what they appear to be. I'm thinking of members like master-P who'd been a very trusted member and pulled off a massive scam, and exchanges like Cryptsy and a few others (Mt. Gox was just a wee bit before my time) that so many people used without a second thought but ended their existence by absconding with their customers' funds.

A corollary to the above was: trust no one. And yet through the years I've disregarded that pearl of wisdom over and over because I always hope for the best in people despite my knowledge that the crypto space is floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall scamming, scammers, attempted scams, and a whole bunch of disgusting larva in the cracks which would represent scammers to be.

Quote from: 1Dq on July 16, 2024, 04:21:01 PM

How do I visualize my existence here?

Oh you know, there's a nice site called BPIP, and if my arthritic fingers type in my username I get a nice visualization:

Eighth most recognized Huh

Lol, that's why I posted the above. I don't see myself as any kind of popular member, and I sure as hell don't know 1/1000th of what most people here know about bitcoin. I feel like a dribbling, drooling moron half the time--so much so that when I'm reading a thread that has anything remotely technical in it that might pique my curiosity or that I might have a question about, I just keep my fingers still and my mouth shut for fear of revealing my staggering ignorance to the millions of users here. Heh.

Anyway, these days I try my best to be a decent merit source (always falling short, unfortunately) and I continue to give shitposters the flamethrower when I see them. I hate to say it, but it feels like we're headed back to 2016 or so in terms of overall post quality. Anyway.

Quote from: 1Dq on July 16, 2024, 04:21:01 PM

What does this forum remind me of?

High school, only if it consisted of faceless personalities and students from around the globe. Sir, I am kidding you not.

Quote from: 1Dq on July 16, 2024, 04:21:01 PM

What are the most meaningful facts about BTCtalk?

Hmm, that's plural. THE most meaningful fact would probably be that this is where everything kicked off and where Satoshi was a member. I read Digital Gold by Nathaniel Popper, and I do recall that in his recounting of bitcoin's inception, our beloved forum was mentioned several times (though not by name if I recall correctly).

Maybe I'm answering a different question; I'm not sure. I guess I could say that scammers are everywhere; many of the best and most memorable members have disappeared; most members post only to get paid....ah, but that's all negative stuff. True, nevertheless.

Quote from: 1Dq on July 16, 2024, 04:21:01 PM

Is there anything I don’t like here and what is it?

Let's see. Oh yes, the fact that incentivized shitposters and these days members who are just people using AI to write nonsense outnumber solid, knowledgeable members who know how to turn a sophisticated phrase or two (often with a sprinkle of humor and some genuine personality are outnumbered at a ratio I estimate to be at least 50:1. That doesn't make for a great discussion forum sometimes.

Quote from: 1Dq on July 16, 2024, 04:21:01 PM

What question do I want to ask everybody here?

It's a compound question. How many genders do guinea pigs have, and is that number equal to that of human beings?

Or if you find that offensive: how many holes does a bowling ball have?
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OP, I absolutely love your artwork!