There's something here I don't understand...

Didn't you tell Ripple that you trust TradeFortress to pay you back up to 100 BTC?  Have you now decided to reverse that claim that you trust him?  I don't think Ripple supports that, and it should (which would make it useless, I think).  Since it doesn't, you're stuck trusting TF to pay you back... some day.  Did you happen to tell Ripple how long your trust that he'd pay you back would last?  I guess that's another feature Ripple doesn't have.

I don't think there's any difference between telling Ripple that you trust person X (TF or whoever) to pay you back up to 100 BTC, and actually giving that person 100 BTC.  I think what TF is doing is great.  He could make a lot of enemies (which a very large number of people do, inadvertently, as they bumble through life depending on taxation for various things - see - fiat currency is the ultimate scam - check out Larken Rose's "How to Be a Crook"), or a lot of friends, depending on who's smart enough to see that he's proving that... there's no "difference between telling Ripple that you trust person X (TF or whoever) to pay you back up to 100 BTC, and actually giving that person 100 BTC."

Well done, TF.  I hope the few people who think the lesson is worth less than they lost won't hurt you too much for allowing them to foolishly tell Ripple that they trusted you.

As usual, my understanding of things is always suspect, so if anyone would like to point out any boneheaded things I've said in expressing my understanding of this situation, please go ahead.