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0 sats \ 6 replies \ @taxd 18 Aug 2022 \ on: Bitcoin Island, Philippines community update bitcoin
Is there a single business where the workers get paid in Bitcoin? If not, this will fail.
If payments are done using Qr-code scanning it will also fail, since the UX of scanning is so horrible. Bolt-card payments might work though.
I've been to the Philippines recently and QR payments are the norm actually (well, aside from physical paper monopoly money)
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No, I want to see the sum of a transfer on my hardware. This is why I'd rather scan a qr than wave a card. Also the card gives away an identifying URL while scanning an LN invoice preserves my privacy.
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It doesn't matter if QR payments are the norm or not. It is still bad UX with plenty of buttons to press. Any NFC card solution is far better, except for the 0.01% who value utmost privacy.
In my country Visa prevails and no buttons are usually pressed. Bitcoin with QR will have a hard time here, I can assure you.
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Have you been here in Philippines? I ask that because it is fairly rare for many people to carry a wallet, ID or any cards. But they all carry their phones.
Have you used Pouch's UI and specifically the QR reader. When I scan the QR for demos it is so fast that often the user does not even see the QR was in frame.
Adoption is a ladder. We are putting the bottom rung very low: "have a possitive feeling towards bitcoin" This hapoens because they see our big office sign, see "bitcoin adopted here" on more and more local business. They might see a demo of me moving value from a US bank to their wallet instantly instead of waiting 3 days and paying 7% in fees.
This project is getting them on the ladder. You quickly said we will fail because you want to be on a rung of the ladder that is three meters up.
We want to be there too. There are many tiny steps to get there.
Do not criticize the sappling because it is not coming out of the acorn fully formed as a mighty oak.
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I certainly do want to see this initiative to succeed. However the previous trials to establish Bitcoin cities have failed.
Arnheim City has seen a decrease in the number of Bitcoin transactions after an initial hype, despite all the efforts of BitKassa.
Who has heard about Gent Bitcoinstad?
Amsterdam as a Bitcoin City?
Barcelona and Madrid Bitcoin Streets?
These things did not work because there was no positive feedback and no incentives for the people there to use Bitcoin. Only efforts by Bitcoin buffs who have no idea about how normal people live and work.
If Phillippinos use phones and scan Qr-codes normally to pay then Bitcoin is not at a disadvantage from start. In my country I prefer cash to Qr-code scanning every day of the week.
The second necessary step will be to get enough incentives that workers spontaneously want to get paid in Bitcoin, but I expect this to be very difficult.
Anyhow, good luck, and maybe the huge remittance market in the Phillippines will push normal people over the edge.
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If payments are done using Qr-code scanning it will also fail, since the UX of scanning is so horrible.
This is clearly not true, as it's the norm in China for example.
It has to be said that the quality of QR scanning software varies quite a bit; it's possible to have a pretty bad experience with it.
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