I don't like what I'm seeing out there. First we get a paycoin scam from GAWMiners where they pre-mined 12 million of the 12.5 total projected and are now selling to whoever is dumb enough to buy (at $14 the last I checked).

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=895061.0
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=900970.0

Now there's even a Ripple market on Cryptsy! Another massively pre-mined "payment system" described by one poster as being "fuel that powers a network, a seemingly useless, centralized, closed source, network that no one actually uses..." in the Wall Observer BTC/USD - Bitcoin price movement tracking & discussion thread:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=135684;sa=showPosts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripple_%28payment_protocol%29
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=146964.0

Not only do we owe it to ourselves, but we also owe it to everybody else: we must educate the world about what is open source, and what is secure, and what is decentralized, and what is a real life, functioning network. This means debunking the scams, and that means possibly ruffling some feathers, but we have a duty to our fellow humans, don't we? Do we care that unsuspecting victims are being taken. Do we care that our product provides the real thing and is being overlooked? Maybe, maybe not, but one thing's for sure, those behind the business - if only for the business' sake, if only to do the marketing expected of someone who wants to establish their business, if only to become profitable - need to promote the benefits of their product as soon, and as early on, as possible, else they end up failing and saying to themselves "if only we had tried harder to create demand and set ourselves apart when we still had the chance".