Takes one to know one.

When will you return the 1 million Nxt worth of assets you were given to deliver a product for which you did not write a single line of code, Josh?

Please explain how, precisely, you would forge on multiple Nxt chains at once.  How would you:

1) set up multiple network nodes, with at least some stake forging on each, and keep them from getting blacklisted for bad behaviour
2) learn enough about network topology in real time to understand which forks are being processed on each of your non-blacklisted nodes -- or, better yet, predict which forks will operate on those non-blacklisted nodes
3) successfully exercise enough stake on those forks (hint: you can't move your stake from one account to another, because it won't forge until it's been in that account for 1440 blocks) to be able to forcibly forge enough blocks to create the longest chain, before any one of the other forks (being processed by a much larger proportion of total stake) outperforms you (hint: you've got about 100 seconds to do it, in competition with all of the other active accounts on the whole network, assuming all previous questions have been successfully met and verified, and then you have to start all over from step 1)

I'll wait.

You're also welcome to follow the old debate (and chime in) on our forum, here: https://nxtforum.org/general-discussion/some-thoughts-on-arguments-of-pow-guys/

Define "low"! Coinmarketcap lists Nxt's volume as 9th in rank... higher than Peercoin, Namecoin, Counterparty, Mastercoin, and countless others.

Bitcoin amounts to 84% of all crypto trading volume; Litecoin is next at less than 8%; and EVERYONE else is under 1%.

Personally, I think the low volume is due to the exchanges on which Nxt is listed.  We are not on BTC-e, Mintpal, Bitfinex, Bittrex, or Kraken.  And the reason we are not on those exchanges is because the Nxt software cannot -- like any other QT-wallet altcoin -- be added with a few minutes of work.  Exchanges like Vault of Satoshi have said they'll implement Nxt, and have balked after realizing it's not just another alt.

One of the most key developments in Nxt which is NOT getting enough attention is the "adaptor" for the Bitcoin API: a piece of software that translates Nxt's interface to one that looks more like those used by Bitcoin and other alts.  Once this work is complete, all of the high-volume exchanges that have been ignoring Nxt will have an opportunity to implement it more easily.

Progress on the "Bitcoin adaptor" can be followed here: https://nxtforum.org/general/adaptor-for-legacy-bitcoin-protocols

No discussion yet of DECENTRALIZED exchanges?

The Nxt Asset Exchange can never run away with your money because nobody controls the exchange.

It's not perfect, of course: we're still waiting for features that help broker trades between blockchains (so you can trade other cryptos trustlessly) but these are in the works.

http://Http://Nxt.org

Hey gang,

I am leaning towards NOT going to Bitcoin Expo in Toronto on April 11-13.

The conference seems VERY Bitcoin-centric (read: not alt-friendly) and I'm not sure how effective I can be there.  It would be just as easy to target key stakeholders in other ways (email/Skype/etc), and that is far cheaper than the $2000 USD (~70,000 Nxt) needed to get me there.

Any strong opinions to the contrary?

I have no issues with NxtMinnow's proposed goals -- what it means is that we have to coordinate between committees, that's all.  IMHO marketing is really a "downstream" activity -- we promote things that DO exist, not things we think SHOULD exist.  The latter gets us into trouble.

I suggest less voting and more doing, EvilDave.  You don't have to wait for anyone else to promote AE or wesleyh's client when you can do it yourself.

"Web site quality" is subjective. What you define as the perfect content is what someone else defines as utter crap. You have provided nothing but vague criticism without a clear proposal for what you think is better. Creating the perfect Nxt web site is not a problem that is simply solved by hiring someone. Whoever builds it has to understand the community, the technology, the strategy, and the vision. The community itself cannot agree on those things.

Be constructive. Propose something concrete (more than "the sites are crap and these expensive guys can build one") and pitch it to the marketing committee. We will then vote.

My views are that we have several very good web sites and don't need to pay for another one.

I'm sorry, but you've been commenting on how terrible Nxt web sites are and respectfully I think this is only your opinion. 

www.nxtcrypto.org, nxtarea.com, nxtclients.org, and mynxt.org are all different, and each is good for different reasons.  There is no need to hire a firm to build something to replace five other alternatives that are just as good.  I would gladly see nxt.org forwarded to one of these sites -- which we can do for free.

I had nothing to do with the decision to pay 15000. I asked for 50000.

I'm very sorry -- I missed seeing the deposit from the marketing fund and haven't been into this thread for a few days!

Bounties have been calculated and are being sent out this evening, time-allowing.  See this spreadsheet for full info.

To complement Damelon's thoughts, which I generally agree with, I like THESE options:


I hate these ones:

Are always a bad idea, and we should never ever ever pay for a press release.  We should be building our own list of key contacts (with associated information about areas of interest/expertise) and then write our own targeted press releases for those folks.

... and finally...

I'd hold off on this one.  I believe someone is meeting up with his wife (AKA the Bitcoin Wife) at the Texas Bitcoin Conference.  It's also very likely that Brian will be there as well.  And I'm willing to bet that what the fine folks in Texas are going to do this weekend will make PAYING for exposure with them unnecessary.



IN OTHER NEWS

I'm trying to get things lined up for Toronto's Bitcoin Expo, and based on the discussion here I think my approach should be as follows:
- Attend the conference as a simple attendee
- Wear a Nxt t-shirt and carry business cards with Nxt client/faucet information on them
- Target specific attendees, as the folks attending the Texas Bitcoin Conference are doing, and aim to connect with as many individuals as possible

I still have not booked flights, conference passes, etc. as I need final confirmation that Nxt funds are available to help defray costs.  Edmonton and Toronto are 3500km apart (Canada is a big place) so travel is likely the biggest expense.  I'll also need a place to sleep for two nights

I'm kinda surprised there are not other Canucks around who may be able to join me... unless someone is just lurking and staying quiet?    It would be better to field a small team at the conference than to have one person go. 

This is a little slap-dash, so I apologize if it's unclear!

What is, in a few sentences, the "vision" behind Nxt?
An evolution of the Bitcoin concept, focused on agility and utility, that is born out of five years of Bitcoin blockchain evolution.  Nxt is a far more flexible "building block" for advanced decentralized systems that more accurately realize Bitcoin's vision than Bitcoin does.

Nxt addresses issues related to the hashpower race, "mining culture", and centralization of mining power (all related to Proof-of-Work implementation); transaction speeds/rates; and energy efficiency.

Nxt is not a cryptocurrency.  It is a cryptoplatform.

What is the purpose of Nxt?
Nxt demonstrates that lessons have been learned from Bitcoin, and that improvements can be made.  Its purpose is to serve as a "low-level" crypto platform.

What are the goals of Nxt?
- Displace all other "bitcoin-fork" altcoins by demonstrating Nxt's superior implementation of second-generation cryptoplatform features
- Serve as the foundation for the creation of truly decentralized applications, communications, and value exchanges by providing an application-agnostic system for building any number of applications
- Foster a community that functions as Nxt does: in a fully-decentralized manner

Where are we now?
In many ways, still at step one.  Until Transparent Forging, Account Control, Asset Exchange and Voting System features are fully implemented, Nxt is still "pre-1.0".  Moreover, the community still needs time to build:
- robust clients that value user experience and security
- toolkits for Nxt integration into other systems (for remittances, exchange, etc.)
- recognition and acceptance from key members of the Bitcoin community

What are the key issues with Nxt at this point?
1)  Much of the current work on Nxt is actually centralized, with BCNext/CfB as the source of that centralization.  Both people have suggested they are frustrated with this situation, but their inability to communicate clearly (for whatever reason: language barrier, paranoia, Yoda-syndrome, etc.) has kept it from evolving.  The fact that source code is now fully open should help attract new devs and cryptographers to the fold, but this will take some time.  

2)  We still lack a full slate of rich clients.  Several are CLOSE, but as long as major changes are still being regularly made to the Nxt core (changes to port numbers, configuration file formats, data storage formats, HTTP GET vs POST changes, the low-level API) it will be difficult for all of these clients to "catch up".  As a current example: almost none of the currently-available clients work "as-is" under Nxt v0.8.4e.

3) We lack respect, recognition, and buy-in from the Bitcoin community.  This cannot be underestimated.  Those of us in the Nxt ecosystem know that Mastercoin is easier under Nxt; that Protoshares is easier under Nxt; that Bitalo is easier under Nxt; that Ethereum is easier under Nxt; that Zerocoin is easier under Nxt.  We just need to convince the folks who are building those platforms.

What are our key target groups? Define at most three.
- The existing cryptocurrency community; specifically the core Bitcoin team and teams working on "Bitcoin 2.0" services
- Anyone who can reliably operate a Nxt node, hopefully as part of providing a service built on Nxt (remittances, applications, DAC, etc.)
- The greater user community.  Only a small fraction of average people know about Bitcoin; only a small fraction of those know about Nxt.

What are the current strategies to engage these groups? Name at most three.
- Build connections with key players in other cryptocurrency spaces
- Continue to build Nxt clients and services
- Leverage a framework of stakeholders, media outlets, and user communities to help disseminate information about what's new and exciting about Nxt

Name a few of the employed tactics in these strategies.
- Press releases for new features
- Involvement in charity fundraisers

What strategies and tactics aren't we using and cóuld be used?
- Evolve past the "swarm" method to build a communications framework for Nxt: a network of key contacts, identified by their areas of interest, as well as a system for generating appropriate information (press releases, coffee-chats, face to face meetings, etc.) for those audiences.
- Reach out to the technical community FIRST.  Get them to buy into Nxt and then spread the word to the rest of the world.  "Average Joe" should arrive at www.nxtcrypto.org to find a complete system ready to use; not the promise of one.  In other words: stop putting the cart before the horse, and start feeding the horse.
- Continue to maintain lists of Bitcoin and crypto conferences and meetups, and get real human beings out to those events armed with good information and tools

I just compared the February stats to the January ones, and there was actually slightly MORE overall translation work done in February.  This was actually a surprise to me.  I thought it would have tapered off, but a few folks have been putting a lot of work into languages that have been thus far under-represented.

I would like to suggest, then, another bounty of 50K Nxt for February.  This would put the top payout at about 7500Nxt, and the lowest at 40Nxt.

I sent a similar message to salsa two days ago but haven't gotten a response, so I'm paraphrasing and posting here.

The Toronto BitcoinExpo site has been updated:  http://bitcoinexpo.ca/

There's a lot more info than there was last week.  The expo is April 11-13.

I offered some time ago to go to this conference, but haven't had anything firm nailed down, and no funding has been officially set aside for the venture.

What strategy might we employ for it?  We're not likely to get on the speakers' list (I've had no contact with Anthony Di Iorio, but he seems to be hand-picking speakers and it's all VERY BTC-centric).  We *could* go in as a sponsor, OR as an exhibitor. 

An exhibitor spot costs $2500 CDN (which we can pay in BTC) and allows us to bring promo materials; a standard ticket for Sat/Sun is $200 CDN; and I haven't checked flights in the last week but we're still likely around $700 CDN to get from where I live to the expo.

We could also become a sponsor.  Paying $2000 lets us bring ONE promo item.

An easy-win promo item would be a version of the tri-fold brochure currently being built for the Texas conference.

Without being a sponsor or exhibitor, we cannot bring promotional materials.

What are the community's thoughts?

I am applying for NxtMarketingFund Committee.

I have been involved with Nxt since about 1 week after its inception.  I host and administer the Nxt Wiki, have proof-read many Nxt articles, provided free voiceover work for people making videos, produce a twice-weekly "Nxt Minute" that is broadcast on "Let's Talk Bitcoin", and have begun a podcast called "The Nxt Crypto".

I am a fluent English speaker, and a serviceable French speaker.  In addition to my degree in engineering, I work as a professional actor and producer, and also manage a team of desktop support personnel for a major Canadian university.  I have eight years' experience serving on boards for arts organizations, including a three year stint on council for a national artists union, where I chaired a two-year, national project to assess and improve policies related to small-scale and independent theatre production.  I am quite accustomed to "herding cats", which is a useful skill in a decentralized environment, such as this one, where geography, time, motive, and political background are all impossible to predict.

This background presents a rare and powerful combination: I have the brains to understand Nxt's internals and potential, as well as the voice and presence to articulate these things with passion.  I am detail-oriented, thorough, and will be involved with Nxt for the long haul.

I agree.... with everything rickyjames is saying.  Somehow we went from "please apply for the committees" to "these are the committees" to "funds will be disbursed" in less than 36 hours.

Posting twice in this thread and once in forums.nxtcrypto.org does not constitute allowing an adequate response from the community.  This rush to disburse funds for things based on minimal information and (more importantly) a SHORT timeframe is not sustainable.  


Yeah.  I've been busy on contract work this week (and will be until April 1) so I'm not able to keep up as much as I'd like.  There are lots of smart, competent folks like me who should be involved in these decisions but can't because they, you know, have jobs.  We seem to be rushing to do things QUICKLY, instead of PROPERLY.  

+1

All we're really doing with this "voting" every hour is driving a ton of traffic to a bottom-feeding exchange that doesn't deserve it. I can't stop you, of course, but I have far better ways to spend my time.

@jl777 and others mining the wiki for API info:

Remember that a WIKI is editable by the community.  It is a reflection of what we can glean from the core devs and other people, but we are always behind the curve and not always aware of what's changing.

I'd suggest that your tinkering with the API is a terrific opportunity to do two things:

1) Help us improve the API documentation as you learn the API by editing it to reflect what is accurate
2) At minimum: point out things that are out of date, as a practice, instead of just suggesting the wiki is "not reliable". Shame on you for that.