I was waiting for something like this. I always wondered why I never got any real answers to; "How many people control Ripple?". Bitcoin is decentralized and only decentralized markets should handle it. This form of "decentralized" thinking will keep bitcoin being "bitcoin".
What do you mean "never get any real answers"? The obvious answer is that right now Ripple is controlled by OpenCoin and its affiliates. The protocol is distributed though and the software holds great promise if it is open sourced, as OpenCoin has announced it will be, and as appears to be greatly in their interest. If they are successful, it will be great for the ideals the Bitcoin community has been pursuing. Being skeptical is one thing, but many here appear to be out to stop it from being successful. That suggests they aren't doing it out of idealism, but out of selfishness, perhaps because they worry their stash of BTC will not make them rich after all. Actually, I think Ripple will be great for them because it will provide them with an excellent, and nearly impossible to suppress, exchange mechanism between BTC and fiat currencies.
This is a perfect example of a non-answer. I have
no idea how many people that is. Even if it were the number 1000, its not enough people. For example, Wikidpedia is under the control of about 30 people. Yet they are affecting the thinking of most of those on the internet. Bitcoin is not operating like this.
Bitcoin operates under different "thinking". Its decentralized, as in no central point of usage.
Also:
From this:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1e4b9s/the_only_truly_secure_way_to_use_bitcoin_from_a/Look where he says:
The classic create-a-currency-to-compromise-a-users-computer-attack is devastating
He is talking about
Ripple.