Blocksize discussion pre-2016: "Hey did you guys notice theres a limit on the block size?" "oh yeah, it's a spam protection" "what are we gonna do when it's not big enough?" "we'll just make it bigger" "oh okay, that makes sense".

As someone that's been involved since 2013, I can still remember what /r/bitcoin used to be like. There was an air of intellectual curiosity, comaraderie, and bravery. Most people still thought we were "crazy". When you wanted to talk to someone about bitcoin, you had to start from zero, no one had any fucking clue what it was, and if you told them it was like pulling teeth and they'd tell you to your face you were nuts and definitely buying into a scam and/or "ponzi scheme".

In this earlier community, the blocksize would be brought up occasionally. Everyone knew it would require an update, and that was just accepted. It was assumed that the blocksize would have to increase, because bitcoin was always meant to be cash for everyone, and having a system that actually dared to do that and was actually proving it could was already so audacious, that the thought of some 2nd layer or alternative system was not even considered. Bitcoin was already a crazy idea, why would we dare to push the limits even further? If Satoshi's original implementation was more-or-less good enough to get us from 2009 to the present, it would be good enough to go forward, and that's what we were betting on. We weren't buying into something that would maintain 1MB blocks and be a 'store of value'!

It really makes me sick thats something so trivial, and so uncontentious, was able to completely splinter the community and suck away so many newcomers. And it makes me absolutely livid when they call it "bcash", when most of them are latecomers who don't even understand the vision. I think so many people are just interested in a get-rich-quick scheme these days, and don't even realize how insane this whole project was from the beginning.

In case anyone has doubts about the intentions of Nakamoto and the other early developers, remember that the genesis block contains a hash of the string "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks". 2008 was nothing short of a massive theft from the middle class by the upper class. Nakamoto doesn't remain anonymous because it's cute, he's anonymous because blockchain has the potential to massively disrupt the current power structure of this world. And most of us believe that that structure is topped by those who hide in the shadows and murder and lie and steal to maintain the status quo. If you aren't on board with that, then get the fuck out, because we aren't there yet, and we are just now this past year seeing what exactly that means for the lifecycle of this great experiment, which will have more losers than winners.

submitted by /u/braclayrab
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/btc/comments/8ws8om/blocksize_discussion_pre2016_hey_did_you_guys/