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The original was posted on /r/monero by /u/EfraimK on 2024-02-24 20:39:22.

I'm very wary of tech "communities" because so often they're closed-off, dismissive of new-comers, and hostile to anyone who shares they've had any trouble with communities' platforms or products. But I have to give the Monero community credit for being, at least in my experience over the years, welcoming of new-comers and open about discussing challenges and brainstorming fixes. The Bitcoin community is, granted larger, but the major focus there is on making money, ideology and everyone-else be damned. A good way to experience these communities' contrasting vibes side-by-side is to trade over time on AgoraDesk then on LM. Every trade on the latter has been smooth for me, with the other party answering questions quickly and amiably. And at the conclusion of the so far flawless (for me) trades, the other party and I exchange positive reviews of each other to cement our community reputations.

In contrast, trading on the SAME PLATFORM's BTC arm (AgoraDesk), I regularly find the other party NEVER replies to my inquiries. Or if they ever do, it's terse and well outside the trade-cancellation window. And even though I've left positive reviews for other AD traders, not a single one has ever reciprocated. Even when asked.

And just try posting about a tech problem with a broader crypto or BTC platform. The fanboys downvote your sharing of your experience out of existence after belittling you for not knowing better. Whenever I've had questions about Monero, someone invariably offers their experience and points me in a productive direction.

Lastly, there are the crypto ideologies of financial autonomy, privacy, decentralization... These are being increasingly challenged by antagonistic state actors, Trad-Fi profit-motive take-over of the crypto space, "Defi" corporations releasing fraud-prone products without caring about catastrophic consumer effects so long as the company posts enough of a profit, and the broader money-at-all-costs average citizens willing to back just about anyone they think will make them a quick buck/yen/peso...

They call the Monero community fanatical. I call us a community that cares first about the ideals crypto was initially founded on--including independence from corrupt financial gate-keepers and the depredations of corporate profit-at-all-costs moguls.

Keep the faith!