what's the dignity in NOT pool hopping? are you looking to maximize your performance or not?

was it undignified to bring your 1.9 GH/s online?
was it undignified to use a GPU when others were CPUs?
was it undignified to switch to Namecoins when they were profitable?
was it undignified to switch back when they were unprofitable?
was it undignified to use phatk when it got better performance?
was it undignified to use the modified phatk when it got even better performance?
was it undignified when you chose a fee-free pool?
will it be undignified when FPGA puts all GPU miners out of business?

pool hopping is not some secret thing that only a few people can do. There are at least 2 methods (a proxy and modified client) that are freely available to everyone in this very sub-forum. There is another client that caries a cost of .1 BTC which is nothing for any GPU miner.

You don't consider it an indignity that you use a graphics card that was assembled by people making less per day than the value of your 1 BTC? Yet, using software developed by volunteers to make that graphics card more efficient is somehow an indignity. You are confused my friend.

If you want a 5-10% increase, the answer is plain and simple. If not, then be satisfied with your diminishing returns.

EDIT:
looking at this quote I'd say you owe it to the people in Vietnam to maximize your returns from BitCoin. So you are also confused. You won't "steal" from a bunch of other 1st World Computer hobbyists (because if you aren't hopping you are just a hobbyist) to fund your medical mission to Vietnam? In your situation, I'd say you are selling your soul by NOT hopping.