the idea of Zib is dead
the zib fanboys have tried to say bit is not worthy due to confusion that bit is already used.. well zib is already used too.. and even stranger zib is already used for the exact same excuses that were used to object to bit.
The problem is that 'bit' as binary-digit is an extremely meaningful, essential concept in what makes Bitcoin work. So important, in fact, that Satoshi named Bitcoin after the binary digit!
And, those bits are very different from a divisible-into-100 quantity. Binary digits are indivisible and work in a base-2 system. So, there are two conflicting senses right next to each other.
Then, you have the sense where 'bit' means a tiny, usually nonspecific quantity. You usually wouldn't give a precise count of 'bits' in this sense, and you certainly wouldn't say something like "45.99 bits" – because a strong connotation of the word 'bits' is 'approximate'. But in monetary amounts, precision to fractions matters... so 'bits' as a currency-value has to fight that dominant sense.
Then, you have the fact Bitcoin early adopters are already using 'bit' in places as an abbreviation for 'bitcoin' (as in 'millibits' or 'ubits'), and potential 'b'-abbreviations for 'bit' also overlap with existing 'bitcoin' abbreviations. So 'bit' is highly confusable inside this domain.
That's what 'zib' solves.
'Zib' and 'zebi' are not the same word, spelling, or sound. Also, zebibyte is a word outside of normal use, Bitcoin use, or normal scales. It's roughly equivalent to 'hextillion' (as compared to the far-more-common millions/billions/trillions).
The 'ZiB' abbreviation of zebibyte is similarly obscure/unused-in-practice, and the mixed-casing is important. If that's a problem for 'zib', then the problems for 'bit' are a hextillion times worse.
as currency
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_with_stroke#As_currencyƵ was sometimes used instead of Z to represent the zaire, a former currency of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ƶ is used as a currency symbol in the video game EVE Online to represent the in-game currency Interstellar Kredits (ISK).
Also, the popular British TV show Doctor Who uses ƶ as the symbol for the unit of money, Galactic Credits.[citation needed]
Right, these are the precedents for 'Ƶ' mentioned in the
Zibcoin introductory essay and at
"'zib': the friendlier name for µBTC" reference website.
They demonstrate people understand 'Ƶ' as a currency symbol, specifically a futuristic high-tech symbol, but that there are no conflicts with any real-world currency.
That's a
research institute for applied mathematics and computer science, not a bank. And it's named after computing pioneer
Konrad Zuse, who created the first programmable computer.
A Z.I.B. research institute is not going to be confused for a 'zib' currency unit. But a 'bit' binary-digit central to Bitcoin could be confused with a 'bit' currency unit central to Bitcoin.
I appreciate you sharing your confusion, though, as it offers a chance to clarify how 'zib' is much more distinctive (and within currency, unique) compared to 'bit'.