At the end of the day, however, it comes down to who uses it. Since bitcoin was advertised as a way to make a quick buck (I quadrupled my money in one week), a high percentage of the new members were uninterested in the culture of bitcoin or how it works. This led to a rapid decline in the quality of posts IMHO.
I don't know where you heard about it, but I knew it as a way to transfer funds securely and relatively anonymously. Not a ponzi scheme.