One of the very big hopes for Bitcoin was the notion of enabling 'micropayments'. Today, one can't practically pay 50 cents with Visa because there is a 30 cent swipe fee and a percent fee on top.
However, now with the stalwarts of 1MB blocksize limits, it looks like we are going to have to start setting our miners fees to (remarkably enough): 30 cents.
Does this spell an end to micropayments?
Only time will tell.
I believe micro-payments are what will really push Bitcoin/bitcoin to mass adoption one day.
Any amount, around the world, any time, without trusted parties. That is special.
But as I have said, only time will tell.
This is why it needs to be addressed. Why allow a problematic weakness when it can be easily solved? IMO micro payments are an important part of the bitcoin ecosystem. We need them for wider adoption. And having the fee the same as visa is just depressing. We are supposed to be better than those guys right?