You could even think of this as a Pros and Cons list. And no, for all the pessimists out there, "Cons" doesn't mean as-in "Confidence Game" or "Convict". I'm assuming here, that while you are reading this, you have to have some kind of common sense, lets face it, this blog is about cryptocurrency. There are still a rather large number of the population that have no idea about cryptocurrency. "They've heard something about something and heard the name Bitcoin". That is a phrase I hear too often. Which is kind of good for the Pi Miners! Let me explain.

On March 14, 2019, The Pi-Network Mining app came live. Miners first started their mining rate at 3.1 Pi per hour, after 10K user downloads, the rate halved. The mining rate was then set to 1.6 Pi per hour, until 100K user downloads. It halves at every milestone created by the Core Team. Pi-Network currently has over 100M user downloads making the mining rate per individual miner at .1 Pi per hour. 

Now, would you consider that a Pro or Con?

For the Pi Miners that have been mining since the beginning, its a GREAT thing. It brings about the notion that the Core Team is getting ready to launch Main Net.

For the new Pi Miners, it could be looked at in a negative light. Keeping the rate of mining as high as it can be, before it halves again or becomes unavailable to mine. 

My answer is this: Whether you started mining Pi a year ago, a month ago or today... THIS MINING and APP is FREE!! So what do you really have to lose?

I tend to be Pessimistic in nature and need to actually "Believe" in a product/company or be "sold" on it, before I speak publicly. I'm thankful that my friend reminded me about Pi after I hadn't joined up... he waited over a month to remind me. Yes, I did some research on the group, but it wasn't until I read their "White Paper" that I fully understood what they were and are going to achieve. (Again, this is my opinion).

PESSIMISM on Mining Pi:

I've heard a lot of different excuses or "reasons" why people don't want to mine. 

• I don't have the time.
• I would never remember, so whats the point?
• I have anxiety, and it will drive me over the edge.
• This is a gimmick.
• Its not Bitcoin.
• What is cryptocurrency?
• It not worth anything right now, I'm not going to waste my effort.

Well, that's all great, some of those are legitimate. I know exactly how it feels to have anxiety, and at NO point would I ever want anyone to put themselves in harms way - physically or emotionally! So that is of course legitimate.

As for the other common reasons, I'll impose a scenario on you...

You win a scratch off lottery ticket every day for 365 days. Here's the catch: 

• You have to pick it up (on your way to work) and its a drive thru, and wait for 30 seconds for the car ahead of you to leave.
  
  • OR its delivered in the mail every day and you have to walk out and get it.
• You can't scratch any of them off until you get 365 of them.
• If you lose one or all, you can always get another ticket the next day, but the original tickets are lost.
• Now, you scratch off the tickets and you could possibly win NOTHING, $5, $100, $1,000 or $10,000 per ticket.

In this scenario you have 365 scratch off tickets that have the potential of making you a large amount of money, but on the other side of it, You could not make ANY money at all. 

In this scenario, you had the time to get the tickets; you remembered because - its a free lottery ticket; lottery tickets like anything else is a gamble and could be considered a gimmick (but heck... you didn't have to pay for them); It's not like picking numbers - a DIFFERENT type of lottery ticket and harder to win; And all you really cared about is that you COULD possibly hit big, and that equates to standard currency.

EACH of the common pessimistic reasons for not mining Pi have been addressed. Now, what or why would someone NOT want to mine for Pi?

I'll tell you... The fear of the unknown. Those who don't do their "Due Diligence" on a product, company or venture, will make ill-informed decisions.

OPTIMISM on Mining Pi:

• Those that saw the Bitcoin immerse on to the marketplace, slowly at first and then take off like a jet... "They Know".
• Those who have seen over 100 different cryptocurrencies try to gain traction in the marketplace, "They Know".
• Those of us that see the potential in a Social Currency in an otherwise open marketplace that has no other competitor, We Know That Too".

' "You Miss 100% Of The Shots You Don't Take", You Need To Start Shooting At Your Goals'  - Wayne Gretzky "The Great One" via Forbes Magazine

It is true today as it was said back then on January 12, 2014.

I'm not saying Pi-Network is going to be the "Know-All & End-All"... I'm saying it is, for myself and close group of friends... A FREE possibility of a wealthy future. I can mine for Pi for a year, let it all sit there, and who knows, it could be worth NOTHING or a WHOLE LOT OF SOMETHING.

I want to believe the trends in which Bitcoin and Ethereum have risen, that Pi (when released to main net) will have exponentially more users and capabilities. But you have to decide for yourself! 

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free in leaving them in the section provided.

Happy Mining!

Thomas