Good to see this. Put a smile on my face. Slowly, then suddenly.
reply
First off, no it isn't. Source: https://lightningnetworkstores.com/
Secondly, this is low effort. Built with WooCommerce https://woocommerce.com/ (scroll to the bottom of the page of thorbuys.com and click the link that says built with woocommerce) and paid with FIAT to resell in Bitcoin.
I'm sorry for going so hard, but we genuinely need more ground up sold in Bitcoin first companies, not middlemen.
reply
Woo commerce is open source, all free. You could (and should) set up a store just like it and sell stuff, no banks or fiat required. Is it really an issue that is "low effort"? They seem to sell some cool stuff and maybe just trying to hustle a little on the side or even show how easy it is. How pure do we need to be when this moves to broader adoption?
reply
Firstly, thank you for the information about woocommerce I did not previously know. I usually code in ruby on rails so when I saw the landing page I assumed it was similar to square space, wix, or shopify. My mistake.
That being said, I'm personally over here looking at at Coffee beans from the farmer in El Salvador, sold straight in BTC only (source: https://www.tierrabendita.net/en/producto/satoshi-specialty-blend-finca-las-veraneras-red-bourbon-abm-san-pacho-honey-process/?v=d38212a0c0e9) and rural farmers in the US under the guidance of a farmer who helps the other farmers through consulting, sell meat products with lightning (source: https://beefinitiative.com/the-beef-box) but also (source: https://ozarkprimebeef.com/).
In addition to this, I'm seeing projects like Bitcoin Beach (Lessons learned: https://galoy.io/bitcoin-banking-for-communities-lessons-learned-from-el-zonte/) or built with Bitcoin (source: https://www.builtwithbitcoin.org/projects)
So the first thing I'm trying to say, is that drop shipping, isn't it. The second thing I'm trying to say, is we need to be building ourselves so that we can sell useful products and services to each other.
To answer how pure we need to be? It isn't even the right question. Businesses that try to set up quick shops to market to Bitcoiners need to catch up, because there's more and more out there that's better than that. How rooted would I personally like it? Rooted enough for a hyperinflationary event or a bank shutdown event to have little to no impact on the ability to transact in Bitcoin.
reply
Those are both super cool projects. Definitely with more moral virtue than thorbuys, but not everyone will be able to have the luxury to live those ideals right? So are you saying that people shouldn't try to make a living with bitcoin, like doing dropshipping, or porn, or things that even whisper of FIAT. If it cant be "better", if it isn't a "Bitcoin Beach" 3D printed and built at-home project, or grown-at-home coffee beans it really shouldn't be done at all. Better to let that stuff stay fiat. Not trying to put words in your mouth, just seems like the train of thought.
Hey there, thanks for the feedback. @rapaygo here we posted the link because we helped them get started and thought the community would think it was cool so we wanted to share. I would have to say that I understand your interest in keeping a great thing great. Bitcoin and Lightning is a great thing and we should care about it, I think that is where you are coming from. We all want that, but I can say that https://thorbuys.com, while not super pro yet, is run by real bitcoiners who are just trying to provide a cool way for people to spend sats and to see that they can do it too. We posted it because we have been working with them, and want to help other stackers do the same thing. I know they didn't spend one cent of fiat to stand up that site.
reply
Sorry what I meant with paid in FIAT to resell in Bitcoin was that I'm under the impression the seller is drop shipping. As in they don't make their own products. It just seems to me that it would have no impactual difference from using a bitpay card or something. I don't understand how this middle man being a Bitcoiner really helps if the source of the products comes from the old guard.
Good job on helping them setup the website though, you should be marketing your web services.
reply
I found this really wild kinda punk vibe LND store https://lightning.store/, so yeah others have done exclusive LND, which is cool. Maybe they should have just said "That we know of" :)
They have BOTH laser engraving controllers and leather pasties.