The ripple concept is a brilliant one. The part of the main arguments against it being an IOU system are weak (it's not real money!--except this is a construct that is millennia old). Its execution leaves a lot to be desired, though. There is no advantage to anyone using the ripple system vs. a more open competitor.

And, those who are going around and saying half-truths like 28 billion have been distributed without noting that 20 billion of that has been distributed to its coders is not the way to honestly market it. But you know that, and you know that the honest marketing does not sound very appealing.