Bitmain, blockstream, segwit, bitcoin unlimited, big blocks, miners, core developers, other developers, uasf, uahf, r/btc, r/bitcoin, hard fork, classic, BTC1, jihan, lukejr, Garzik, Wright, BIP148, deliberate spammers...
FUCK!
I can't trust any discussion about anything above because there's literally nobody who is seen as an unbiased authority / trusted source.
It is sorely needed in the bitcoin world, because right now the community / discussions are a mess and trust everywhere is at all time lows.
We need trusted sources, we need unbiased sources, we need reports / journalists / independent advice! Hell, an independent investigation conducted by some third party organisation or group would go a long way.
The issues affecting bitcoin are extremely complicated, how are we supposed to have a user consensus or decentralised organisation when the vast majority of community members (myself included) don't understand what's being discussed?
People say "just read up and educated yourself" but the problem is that no matter what I read, it's contradicted elsewhere by someone else. I'm sure I'm not the only person who's run into this difficulty, and I think many people share my frustration. The question is, what do we do about it?
- How would a analyst/adviser/reporter minimise bias, and how is this proven to others?
- How is credibility gained and maintained in the bitcoin world?
- How can users trust that a source is truthful and unbiased?
I know I don't have the answer, but this is a very, very big problem and it's something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. The community cannot remain fractured and untrusting. We will not be able to achieve progress and consensus. This seems one of the biggest issues facing bitcoin, the technical side comes second because to even implement change you need community support.
Thoughts?