@RHorning: The discussion you point to is very interesting. I am not at all certain I understand all of it. My related reservation is around latency. If a meatspace vendor is going to sell me something for BTC, right now they face a confirmation latency on the order of 10-20 minutes if they require at least one confirmation in the subsequent block. If they require zero confirmations it's 0-10 minutes. When I walk into a store and buy a pack of cigarettes, the equivalent "confirmation" comes by the clerk (cursorily) examining my banknotes and coins, and reaching an instant genuine/counterfeit decision. I wouldn't tolerate a 0-10 minute wait to get my fix, let alone a 10-20 minute wait. At the same time, maybe I'd *like* to adapt to a better system, so who knows. (Yes, I'm probably late to the game and this has already been addressed someplace)

@sgornick: You can bet your ass the moment I hear of someone else initiating another Bitcoin system based on a new genesis block that I'm going to start mining that one, too. Fork, baby, fork!

@em3rg3ntOrder: Aw schucks, ya know me already? Thanks for the contrib And you're right of course in your qualifications. What I've been breathlessly anticipating, though, is the moment of realization that Bitcoin or a system very much like it definitely will out-compete, displace and render obsolete fiat paper. I'd love to be sold on that point.