BE CURIOUS - SEARCH LEARN GROW
G'day from New Zealand. Kia ora.
If you are reading this as a newbie to Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, you are an early adopter! Be proud! Only a small % of the world are invested in Cryptocurrency as this is just now getting traction in the everyday world outside of the software developer world. Blockchain is where the internet was in the 1990's. New. Not main stream. People didn't get it. People couldn't see it's potential.
Now you are on your smart phone using the internet to download music, makes memes, banking and to read this blog that pays people in Cryptocurrency to write stuff. Crazy! The uses of Blockchain are as wide as we can imagine them.
If you are in NZ, you are a massive early adopter. Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies aren't even on NZ nightly news or in the paper on a daily basis! Wake up New Zealand!!! The rest of the world is in full swing!!
WHAT'S IN THIS POST?
Why I started this blog
Bit about me & my Blockchain journey
Tools you will need for learning - My top 2 Tools
Action points marked **** for you to do
Your Learning Package: Links to learning "What is Blockchain?"
New words to learn
Summary & Thanks
WHY THIS POST?
I wanted to start a post for newbies to Blockchain and cryptocurrency (crypto for short). As a newbie myself, I want to help others learn in small steps by making it easy for you to find information and to explain stuff in simple language. It's a massive new world out there, with it's own language. It can be very alien and over whelming when you first take a peek in. Even the words Blockchain and cryptocurrency are confusing. Aren't they the same thing? no they aren't. You will learn the difference.
I've attempted to write this post as concisely as possible with HEADINGS to break up the information into parts. As a first introductory post it is quite long as i'm introducing myself and outlining learning tools. Future posts will be shorter with links and a chat about a Blockchain / Crypto concept.
What made me want to do this blog? My friends have no idea about Blockchain or crypto as I didn't 6 months ago. They don't know where to start and freak out when i mention it.....immutable distributed ledger what?!! Blockchain? Bitcoin what!!??? Don't criminals use it?!!
It's soooo confusing and over whelming. So I've been emailing/texting/msn my friends links to information about bitcoin and how it is going to massively disrupt business as we know it....in a very positive way.
ABOUT ME:
I live in Auckland, NZ...little over 35 (that's all i'm saying). Female. Those two personal facts are important as I especially want to encourage females to not be afraid of this new technology, but to be bold, have courage and learn. It's just not a technology for Millennials. You can learn at any age. This technology is here to stay and will affect you! :-)
I work 9 to 5. Knew zero about bitcoin until July this year. Read about it somewhere and thought i'd find out about it. I pulled that small piece of curiosity string and I have been on a 6 month massive journey delving into the world of blockchain. I got my hands on all the information i can find.
FOR YOU:
I'll post up links to Youtube posts and suggest books i've read, people I follow on Youtube that helped me learn about Crypto. The focus is to build up your knowledge bit by bit so its not over whelming. I still have a lot to learn, at times my brain is exploding with information and I have to switch on the radio or sit in silence, to let it process - so it's ok i f you feel like that. Go at your own pace. Learning new stuff is a challenge for the brain (also creates new brain cells so you have better memory when older!)
We are going to learn together!
SO I EVENTUALLY BOUGHT BITCOIN:
After spending months learning, I bought my first Bitcoin on 12 December 2017 from www.localbitcoin.com. I bought a small amount I felt comfortable with. Yes it had gone up in price lots. But I didn't feel I had missed the boat as there is a lot more boat to come.
I was sooo nervous i was shaking! I needed a strong drink! I was excited, scared and thought I'd be sick, all at once! haha.
**** TOOLS FOR LEARNING:
Your device - smart phone / tablet / ipad / PC / laptop
Headset / ear buds
Bluetooth in your car / blue tooth portable speaker
Amazon Audible
Amazon Kindle
Tedtalk app
Local Book shop or library
what ever else you want to use to learn with.
The best tool for me was listening. You may prefer to read a book and highlight the pages. You may like your kindle. You may like to write notes in a special book or on your device. Only you know how you best learn.
I listened in my car whilst driving to work which made that time into an educational opportunity. Makes you love red lights and traffic jams as you want to continue listening, not arrive at your destination. I listened whilst walking to the cafe. I listened in the cafe. I listened whilst food shopping (i like to walk the isles so don't shop on line). I listened when cleaning my teeth with my mobile on speaker on the basin side. I listened when in the shower with the blue tooth speaker turned up loud (and in a dry spot). j
MY TOP 2 LEARNING TOOLS:
YOUTUBE:
Youtube is a university of knowledge. From simple to complex. Everything is here.
****YOUTUBE LIBRARY/SUBSCRIBE: Start your own library of information. Create a file called "Blockchain' in your library and save posts you like to that file. If you find a speaker on youtube you like, subscribe.
****TED TALKS: Down load the app and look for talks on Blockchain.
AMAZON AUDIBLE:
Great value! Can vary the speed of the speaker to a pace where your brain can take in and process the information. Can stop and start, rewind as you need to process the information (it can get over whelming). Has car set up with a large 30 seconds button so you can go back 30 seconds to listen to that bit again cause you didn't quite get it. (do this legally please). Can also share books for free when you have finished reading to spread the knowledge.
Not all books are on both Amazon Audible / Kindle.
****YOUR LEARNING PACKAGE: What is Blockchain?
Here are the links to the first youtube posts i looked at to learn what is blockchain. I had zero clue and this all made sense on a really simplified scale. Watch then a few times. Let the information and concepts soak in at your own pace.
Blockchain Demystified - easy cartoon explanation using the Yap People and their stone money.
Ted Talk: Introduction to the Internet of Money: Blockchain expert Andreas Antonopoulus **** Excellent to follow. What is money? How will internet money work? New ways to donate to Charities. Cars that own themselves
Ted Talk: Blockchain Massively Simplified:
19 Industries The Blockchain will Disrupt - insight to the vastness of how Blockchain will change many industries. Learn the difference between Blockchain and cryptocurrency, data storage. There's a lot of new jargon. So listen a few times.
Book: "Blockchain: The Beginners Guide to Understanding the Technology Behind Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency"
By: Artemis Caro.
Download on Amazon Audible or buy the book. Explains in simple terms how Blockchain and Bitcoin work. This author has many books. All are very good
NEW WORDS TO LEARN:
These words will be very odd at first. But so was tethering to a hotspot, connecting to wifi and pairing with blue tooth. Now those are common in your every day talk. The more you read and learn, the more these words will become normal.
Blockchain Words: Distributed ledger, Decentralised, Immutable
Cryptocurrency Words: Bitcoin, Crypto
SUMMARY & THANKS
I've told you I started this blog to help you to learn in small steps by making it easy for you to find information and to explain stuff in simple language
I've shared with you about me so you can relate as a beginner you are not alone or dumb in struggling to learn this crazy new stuff. It can be scary and over whelming. I especially encourage females to be bold and learn.
I've shared some tools for learning that you can use. Use these in a flexible manner that suits your learning style and daily routine. Drive safe!
I've posted some links to posts to start learning "What is Blockchain?" . Go find more! be curious. Pull that string and see where you end up.
You have some new words to get used to. They will sound really really weird. But the more you learn, read, listen they will become normal.
THANK YOU for reading my first blog to the end! :-) You stuck with it. Be encouraged to learn. Feedback welcome.
BE CURIOUS - SEARCH LEARN GROW
Enjoy the journey.
Kiwicrypto