It constantly morphs and adjusts to situations, and we must continuosly adapt in order to sustain our survival and well being. Many view trust as an unnecessary burden in the Bitcoin space, something that requries effort and risk, and often ends up in disaster or betrayal.
The #UASF and #NO2X events were examples where trust came into play, when people following bitcoin suddenly split along the lines of corporate greed and personal bias. It was Bitcoin's first test of trust for its users, one that ended up rooting out the corporate from the equation and re-assured the superiority of the user. As today shitcoin forks threathen Bitcoin and its users, some bitcoiners seek to band together with friends against their common foes, to fight until the bitter end, or hyperbitcoinization. As more and more shitcoins now seek to convince pre-coiners that the superiority of Bitcoin can be replaced, it is even more necessary to remain toxic to sustain the security of Bitcoin space. But shitcoins are not the only problem bitcoiners face.
Future cooperation rests in the hands of every individual that interact with one another. Bitcoiners form connections and relationships that require constant nurture.
Trust broken today will have repercussions tomorrow. This new era will come with great opportunities, and require new forms of cooperation. To remain successful you will have to look back in time to find your friends, and steer clear of your foes.
But let's come back to today's world, since we are still not in the future. Even though you, the dear reader is already reading this in the future. The future of tomorrow, or years later when there is no more point to reading this other than maybe as part of a study of Bitcoin history. But let's stay a bit serious for this part, shall we?
You may have already realized that there is a very complex network of cooperation and relationships going on within the Bitcoin ecosystem. These organic relationships form through the expenditure of social capital, that we use to establish connections with one another in a space that is riddled with uncertainties.
Bitcoiners are constantly networking with each other.
Having bitcoiner Internet friends is the first step on the pathway to success, that is alone enough in some sense to become a sovereign individual. But going out into the real world and having some real skin in the game can change everything (sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse, if we are not careful). Having real life friends that share the same ideology, beliefs and morals as you do will become part of the future organization structures of trust, well beyond the times of this revolution.
Personal reptuation is that of utmost importance today. It is something besides Bitcoin that you can truly own, something that can not be taken away or duplicated. You will remain you, for the rest of your life, even though life will slowly change you.
Reputation is earned with your actions and presence within the space. By interacting with your new friends and maintaining the necessary morality. Losing your reputation within the bitcoin space is the end of the line forever. If you are not anonymous, you can not restart and will have very limited avenues remaining once hyperbitcoinization happens. Not many will want to mingle with those who have proved they can not be trusted, especially not create organizations or work together establishing enterprise. When someone breaches trust, defies the ethics or morals of the environment, that is the ultimate form of defeat that nobody should seek to suffer.
The birth of the Bitcoin Plebs was perhaps an accident, but still a big step for those seeking to organize within the Bitcoin community. The Bitcoin Plebs are unique animals. They seek active communication with other bitcoiners who unconditionally share a common ideology towards the defense of Bitcoin. A certain form of ethics is enforced universally among all members. Those who join can quickly adapt or they will soon be corrected by veteran participants. Elimination out of these types of groups is immediate and harsh, with no reversal possible.
You don't have to be a people pleaser. Bitcoiners despise fake attitudes and they can see through them over time, even if not immediately.
You should ask yourself: is it worth being alone, instead of being with friends, on this long journey of fighting against the evil National Central Banking establishment?
What are you waiting for? Try to make some new friends in Bitcoin. These friends will last you a lifetime if you treat them right.
Karo Zagorus is a libertarian and a Master Graduate of Social Sciences at a Hungarian University. His specialization within Bitcoin is related to the fields of Society, Cultural Visual Anthropology, Politology and Philosophy. He actively takes part in Bitcoin meetups in Europe and can be found on Twitter as @btcdragonlord, the only Toxic Bitcoin Maximalist Dragon Lord.