I think it's just currently badly explained rather than difficult to understand ... but then, perhaps my understanding of it is incorrect!



OpenCoin will ultimately have no direct control over who is a gateway or not, or any means of setting rules for what they charge.  The only control they'll have will be via XRP.  I'd suggest that if that control is enough to dictate rules to gateways in practice then Ripple has failed to be an open system.