Peerbase

Posted on Nov 11, 2022Read on Mirror.xyz

Maybe Crypto Shouldn't Be Invisible, After all

I'm seeing a lot of these types of statements:

'Crypto' needs to be transparent in order to Web3 reach the mainstream.

Facebook doesn't talk about python or MySQL databases on their landing pages

People don’t care about private keys, networks, or blockchains. They just want the value provided by the app.

and so on.

This is partially true but is important to pay attention to some caveats.

Yes, if you are selling a product and your pitch is a bunch of infrastructure technology, probably you are doing this wrong. You should be talking about the problem you solve and how.

That being said, yes, technological user education still is extremely important for two main reasons.

1. We need more builders, not just users.

For a regular user to be able to send an e-mail to another user, he doesn't need to know any technical concept about E-mail, such as domain or DNS registers.

But, this only applies if they are really a basic user and don't explore or create anything in the tech industry, and don't have any professional growth ambition.

Otherwise, if they are even a slightly more advanced user, such as a solopreneur, or a dedicated employee, you can bet they will need to know at least the basics of the underlying technology.

How to buy a domain; how to set up the MX records on DNS, how to set up a simple website in a host, etc.

Not understanding basic concepts like host, DNS, server, domain, subdomain, and register might let the path a lot harder, even impossible.

And don't think this can be applied just to a tech company founder/employee. If you one day needed to buy a domain and set up a website/email for yourself, do you know what I'm talking about, right?

So, yes, the most transparent the Web3 apps' UX, the easier will be the adoption.

But this doesn’t mean that creators, entrepreneurs, or anyone who doesn't see themselves as basic users, shouldn't learn the underlying crypto technologies.

Quite the opposite.

2. Every Web3 user needs to learn the underlying technology

Every day people buy crypto on Exchanges and give custody away to it without understanding the risks and implications.

They think they own the Bitcoin they just have bought, or that withdrawing their crypto to a wallet is not that important.

“I read some Linkedin influencer talking about the uselessness of knowing about Blockchains and decentralization. It’s just nerd stuff, it doesn’t matter.”

But this type of idea is just useful for companies that make money out of users' ignorance and their predisposition for choosing convenience over resilience.

But when moments like the collapse of FTX happens, it is ultimately the end user who suffers the most. It’s their life savings that will be lost forever (or frozen for a long time).

Bitcoin, the kick-off of the entire Web3 industry, was created over a radical decentralization ethos for a very clear reason: centralization of power and the need for trusted third parties are the root cause of several injustices around the world.

If you don’t care about principles and ideology, and just want to make money, fine.

But at least don’t spread miss information or discourage users to learn more deeply about the underlying technology. Otherwise, you are doing a disservice to the whole ecosystem.

We are heading into a digital-first world.

And if people care about freedom and safety, they will eventually need to learn about basic web3 concepts and the importance of digital property on neutral plataforms.

Or will suffer the consequences.

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