Very predictable reaction. I have to wonder, though: I can understand you being reluctant to use your own money the money given to you by the government to buy bitcoins if you think the technology will fail. I can even understand yourself declining offers for free bitcoins, because of your seeming conviction that if you use it just even once, your objective judgement will be forever clouded. Which I personally think is some of the biggest bullshit I've ever seen on these forums, but hey I like bullshit - see my signature.

But what about distributing free bitcoins to other people? What is your rationalization for declining that offer? That there are "better uses" for the money? Please kindly let the owners of said money be the judge of that. Or are you afraid, that people will get hooked on it, just like if we offered them free heroin? You want to protect them from themselves, because you're convinced you know best what's good for other people? How about letting them form their own opinion? If you're so sure that your opinion is right, they'd probably just validate it by forming the same one.

I think your reasons are different. Even though your pride and your posting track record will never allow it, at some level you realize that your opinion might be wrong. And you fear the embarrassment of your students becoming enthusiastic about the technology. So you would deny them the option to form their own opinions just to protect your pride. I am calling you out on this because I think it's quite pathetic.