Quote from: cjp on March 02, 2013, 09:46:45 AM

You don't need to make payment links with your friends;

Absolutely right, and this is confirmed by the principal architects of Nouveau Ripple:

Quote from: JoelKatz on March 02, 2013, 06:15:42 AM

...we're not relying on community/social credit. We're promoting Ripple as a payment system based on gateways. The social credit system will always be there should people be ready to use it.

And

Quote from: cjp on March 02, 2013, 09:46:45 AM

I think it's reasonable to only make "business-related" links...

Also confirmed by the Nouveau Ripple architects:

Quote from: JoelKatz on March 02, 2013, 06:15:42 AM

...the path will almost always be either:

Payer -> Gateway -> Recipient

or

Payer -> Payer's Gateway -> Middle -> Recipient's Gateway -> Recipient