Quote from: Etlase2 on September 21, 2012, 12:41:48 PM

Quote from: dissipate on September 21, 2012, 09:51:53 AM

Bitcoin is not just software. Bitcoin happens to be a protocol, and as it becomes more popular and entrenched as the de facto cryptocurrency, it will be near impossible to replace it with a new cryptocurrency. It's called the network effect. If people can't be bothered to try a different social network than Facebook, they sure as heck are not going to be bothered to switch to a new cryptocurrency (and certainly not on a whim).

Because facebook was the first social network Roll Eyes

No, it wasn't, but my point still stands. The OP has completely neglected the Network Effect. Yes, there could be technologically superior cryptocurrencies created, and there is indeed still a window of opportunity for such a cryptocurrency to displace Bitcoin, but that window is probably closing fairly rapidly. The OP makes it sound as if immediately upon the arrival of a technologically superior cryptocurrency, Bitcoin will be toast. Sorry, the real world doesn't work like that.