Yes and it's get paid in devcoins, not $. 'In the case of developers...' - this is where I have a fundamental disagreement. It's as much down to writers and perhaps artists and musicians to build interest as it is developers. Writers should be selling their dvc to people who value their writings. Likewise other areas. If interest can't be drummed up then what's the value of their work?

The 'challenge' is the core of what devcoin's about. If growth of interest and activity is being throttled it's because those benefitting from dvc aren't catalysing equivalent forward interest. And so they should find realising gains difficult because they don't yet deserve for it to be easy. Yes that's a bit chicken-and-egg but there's so much talk here that seems to ignore the basic issue that in order to pay there have to buyers.  

You keep referring to 'traders' but I also don't get that point. DVC is obviously global. If you found a job that paid in £ then you'd want to exchange it to A$ at a bank, or turn it down because it's too complicated. It's the same for devcoins. It seems what you mean by 'trading' is risk of losing money compared to what you expected. Well that risk is down to you and every other devcoiner working to support it. If writers in particular find the process difficult then it should be writers who find a way to make it easier and more efficient.

I have no idea b/c it depends on a growing community doing enough to warrant it, and others not yet involved thinking the same.

If you're not that concerned about price stability then why all the talk of of trading risk and prices?

A few questions:
1) Did you buy dvc before earning them because you valued the work you saw?
2) Have you bought any since for similar reasons (not speculative)?
3) Have you personally traded your dvc for fiat with others who valued your work specifically?
4) Or to anyone who just appreciated the general concept?

You don't have to answer those, it's to make the point that price and sustainability is supported by value. I think there's a really big gulf here between tech and non-tech perceptions of what devcoin is meant to offer that chips away at the foundation of reward for open source work (and I'm not a techie fwiw). That's a moan at the incentive structure that causes it, not you.
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(You can only sell what you have on vircurex, so can't lose everything and don't need to worry about that).