1: https://ripple.com/
2: https://ripple.com/developers/
3: https://ripple.com/wiki/Main_Page
4: #ripple on freenode

once you're familiar and have more specific questions, shout back

I'd be more concerned about which one will FALL in value quicker.

Ripple itself is great, a side feature of it is the currency XRP, and the ability to trade within the client - this text focusses purely on a quick intro to trading within the client.

Basic:
Currency like USD and BTC can be traded within the Ripple client by using Gateways - such as Bitstamp and Weex. In short you add currency to your gateway account, then withdraw it to Ripple, trade within Ripple, then deposit from ripple back to the gateway (and elsewhere) as you see fit.

Why
Like any other digital currency, it's value can fluctuate up and down, on a per currency basis - it's roughly tied to the $USD and this provides two important properties to the trader (a) arbitrage ability (b) a comparatively stable home for digital currency whilst BTC / ***coin markets fluctuate.

A couple of weeks ago one XRP was worth $0.0009 and now it's worth roughly $0.00138 - a rise of 43.6%. If it goes parity with the cent that's a 935% rise in value. Even a conservative estimate of $0.027 USD per XRP gives a 2695% rise.
 

Seeing the markets:
The client: http://ripple.com/client

1) Sign up
2) Contacts -> add contact (the +) Name: Bitstamp ... Address: rvYAfWj5gh67oV6fW32ZzP3Aw4Eubs59B
3) Advanced -> Trade ... click "change issuer" and start typing bitstamp or rv.. hit "confirm" .. hit "order book"
4) Chance currency pairs and repeat the (3) for each


Using the markets:
You'll need to get some USD/BTC/Whatever in to Ripple, to do this you need to trust the gateway (say bitstamp) and then withdraw from the gateway to your ripple account.

1) Advanced -> Trust (add +) .. enter user Bitstamp, then the amount and currency - typically set this high, certainly higher than the amount you want to put in to ripple. You must repeat this for each currency you want to use.
2) In Bitstamp (or whatever gateway) hit withdraw -> ripple, then withdraw to your ripples address.. within seconds it'll be in your ripple account.
3) make offers to buy and sell currency.

Caveats:
You need a base level of XRP to add trust, and to make offers, it's good to keep min 500-1000 200 XRP in your account at all times - if you don't have any and want to get started, ask in #ripple on freenode and I'm sure somebody will lend you some to get started, or sell you some for defacto market rate.

Disclaimers:
I don't work for Ripple, Opencoin, or anybody, I'm unaffiliated and have no business interests other than a spot of typical side trading in my spare time.

What a strange thing to say, you can buy or sell ripples instantly, and the 30k XRP given away can be traded quickly for $30 / 0.3BTC or more - that's certainly not "worthless" is it?

did a transaction with Projects today, awesome fast turnaround - had money cleared in the bank by the time the confirms were coming through bitcoin thanks so much and hope to do business again soon

Thanks Melvster, acepting XRP again, in return for .46 BTC for 29k

Guys, I'm just a user who consulted some logs and let you guys know - this is the wrong place to ask.. 

Lots of XRP (3m+) has gone out over the last couple of days in two rounds that I can see.. if your address is on the list, then you've got 30k XRP to play with, hold, or sell.

round 1 (72x 32,000 XRP = 2,304,000)
rNqwbRXD6tNLyLaMVjzfaRANywgsQKADZh
rhzuYBuSnQwLthB5aWxMGrJXBQ5RScUugX
rabeexXLsb6Eua7BgChjVXKGKFs3Wc6UxE
rQKw4tBEdZHpZbXMqYKfpgkkzL4uN8FUoi
rakE2R66THznysoqqQAeN4oXd8MquY6UAg
rBPA1HL8dGZc2rtJjLeSHqURZw11tFzBh2
rJDJPkB3a8kmiemoqrh8ydC2MZHagHEyAN
rNZZBkXd1s1n7WsPse8awRy3BLBPkLbjni
rNw2ZP1SyGWVxY5uRXRVWAoXgv9veBUXid
r3ciCQzZdf1eMcDKGvxaFH6EeRyfYtCHQB
r4K71fucp34LApHXeWDmANpTLzjT6yEMGb
rGQhrweTstdCfZCAxuwwzwosGAcDeb9htc
rsAfp7jkeMotE4xtxfP766rWqJzgB6qqSq
rPDBT1T2KkPGPYsL5QwGuFp9V2RprnpmuN
rEnHyoQXk1GfosmLXRnNtoPuqpmfURh8o4
r9mX12CP8eecs2bF4huWNXKEsKYZvheRm4
r4V9vvqLXPetsnqrr6DuTK5k1wvzfeREgM
rhcEyLcRmF9C4XrDLMBi2DeDmV2gUPUhsf
rNFNE9UMtMAxFqmv5qXFTgPuD17NXsu8Cd
rhPGfqBGrZBa5urgZDASuQVw4kvhuqvVL5
rnzgprbHJsrJDGhzgNgXhbLSSLcQZd9HHw
rMXZCdpfrMRh7eguy1Dun8xwoqLAAuZw5h
rho6mCdqW8VHTPBzHdsWbcARQWueCufHFw
rntw81TNaYSXrCy5eTrQBGp7HmZn38Q2Yc
rGjQfBci6JAAqN4FrySLJVNwt8dymVqFZ8
rE9fsyqknKjhea25nZr5AQgG8tekkpSRCr
rHFeqcHPoCNghXgW6retTc3V7FBGszUtce
rDfUGJs7n1m1yhRDYqYHMYrmeJwGPj7H9r
raMs2xk53nWxhcd7FkT7YXW2rSEzZcgAYv
rNbSSC8n8RtKYUobBsTAGqFT9KHVcAkFji
rhrT97oY9Pqoo3Ghv1gwZrQJLBgYSQ6dK8
rQwPYha1YYw6GfSMW3kYm7shWp9LsH7Rii
rGmC57N1ocPiQJpBxFWY5KkSMpsjeZWdqF
rG9TdMrY16qbe1cQKm4n2CpY8YzYRW4BLY
rNmyAtNLkPPak7KQRhE1jcZpqk6yHGYVwe
rsfj5XjTjcNK5ugRmn5kqdSU8oPnH7EWKp
r4Nto1Qenw5oBwu8cR3wiS5k38gH9e6y2Z
raMbfqdDwnAXiuJ5g3iHGTPX263GvFdNGT
rpdqeRWEMc4KRHXYdCsGwpH5bDH8xZP4ee
r3CyBXBprmmXbGNbaJvuof5j279zvMMpFb
rpSoaDqZFpyHb3jqEFzXb4gGVxYRDXYeRC
r9JJ28tGZ9p83Ngqu4tWTCWYUSxU6FeRQC
rUx5pkrYN1r1di2GoMVhz9BrZxhtwouGmM
rHcg5x6LYMPeniRQMmvpW4SChLZ6rgtSK6
r31k1MTpNCUjQr8Z1bVhXi7t8dSf8hVgro
rsYNMNS8gA9A8YKCpihT2PgjYZY7c8kb9y
rGzhgA28iQjFiWnEN87obTbafWvbQXz7qj
r4du6aik8crkQJguAmvDFC9bAPgYzjvnFc
r3RunKpvxnZPSPpvubdASxVAL6RdAGnsQ1
r4jyYoevUDeAwuncTQfdfWwtXAhWVkL23J
rKG9RF4UKwPeSfQ4x3D7rGhHTpdGz6Nq3Z
rfjbQJ6BTVUZFwFC1BU4g4wzjdrxBQaxc1
rsc6bsVECYc1i5R6nhn9STs79Br665d8nW
rJa6Y9VvHiv4yWAesV17oefk4EJcyA7LDF
rhZCUSQWcmXjx1jU7HaBUGTvrSfdUccRkJ
rrdLW76bLo5x3EB6jifEDABmLpA3JzpSGX
rJnPZniVR3peVtJn3oDWz7ED6y7QkdrXLq
rNmkncJtna6duFDTfdjRdNtekgmQ57YnzA
rLiuY3yyxBK3DePCMNAcfh81KwqxB3q1v1
rarcFpWzotLwaouszCRLsqFyJmAsxypwtq
rJGhywN5p9hHkmfJ6kjQGecWbupXEKKE3F
rfG5Zv75uz3QbiRwxC4K7XHwG7WmhFjCbu
rrhB7ScPQkX53iFsdpGccomkq3s13he8pC
rPMjPV1fjYPbRUKZTrA3QhNwVuwn4n3GXd
rnNPxg3pJbBjx9anymQHwwxCmKffWqgVmk
r3Zab8z4Kj6MaUuaTh8opvDT2xPfdHUynk
rPuVPi8AxZHB1nWq2jxvr8hJU2Zh1mjdeP
rBScs5VCwwzPgwYA63aH6WxCUxGQuvhJ7t
rHZngUum2dT7CcsuUzLNFAtRo3oaUa56fg
rMBoaRZXSrREQfbacVx2cQL3RrDA9tdpLJ
rHtrEPmUBqtx4Czd6pjh7op8Rn962ULsi2
r91qyBpLMLV1UVA3XWsATZouay7LaXqTxg
rEn16vPnYgXvz1Ek4wCjJZwnKPsefG7sJ3

round 2 (22x 32,000 = 704,000)
rNAdLjW46ZBnwG2DS4cHDXxaW3XLdowvLF
rLS6DCHdvMirYxqUAH4sfyoWdFgvsvHGHm
ra2Q3eDGbucNUAi7YptkdAMKk6bzAB6gdp
rGg28MRVc8UcrrHnaKQmX23oQVbAuyUvvn
rEn16vPnYgXvz1Ek4wCjJZwnKPsefG7sJ3
rs1phUnFRfBd3F7JXniqo5UuzPTUDtQczF
rnjzUH7maZ2URRyS1Fg5jkPVwULVQh9Co2
rLvSNWDpMuD9FkQ49sqb4SEUmymnU4PSA9
rabNRDgqS7qkDq4q2qAsNKrfS9Wb83rRG2
rQNe3dH3D8Mzoh1kUoBuaoahwBSKdRwBaU
rrsLZe8G7Kd9vLueq5wypao2aNDtL4Rg8T
rpa9CEtzPb17EVcP46uNh1zUHb1qmiZP8N
r994Qbks4PBVz8y75AbWLprW38neUr378N
rsXYdqSMSD7KYbB5mjTVz7jUSkByNnsy6L
rLexKq5uzLo5ryxRxEmxRzP7qCueXjDurD
rMj5cGZUCFgUqXbmwrc14R27Gs9E4HsWcD
rM8BExuvAMaUtAUdyUJUPd8qyH7BdQPwbj
rnz31dRfZzj9c6dzxB3EeGZy7gsAYUecPZ
r9Ur9tvfvSqgpWgA42fVA19iMgJPJV8QjR
rn5mr4VQD1fV79FNmed7gJN43UmVY9ca5o
rDHRyXv2B8ReeFTBT6qjV2nNFNPwsA6B1Z
rHV67rSBE7nDuYLKdURisYxt1zYuL3xCTN

Congrats!

rnW7DHtmZGJk4uhGTSU2BW3iPCPWb2xegg

thanks, I can do one more at .50, then need to drop to .48 I'm afraid.
edit: prime14k just took the last .5 BTC, down to .48 here, if I can offer better I'll update the OP.

I'll match arvicco's price of 0.5 per 29k (it's actually slightly better since I'd encourage you to keep 1k yourself).

As for post count, I've been lurking and am fairly new, but in #ripple all day, and a quick google of webr3 points to everything about me and a many year audit trail + personal detials + reviews and kudos around the web

you could probably get these questions answered on IM forums more satisfactorily now that they're drifting ot

now two offers:
 0.46 BTC per 29k XRP for fast turnaround
 0.48 BTC per 29k XRP for < 24 hour turnaround

I'll get prices back up to 0.5 when it's possible, the deluge of free XRP has driven the value down comparable to a surging BTC.

1) Login to your Ripple client and transfer 29000 XRP to my address rnW7DHtmZGJk4uhGTSU2BW3iPCPWb2xegg
2) PM me on Bitcointalk with your Ripple address and your bitcoin address (or email me on btc at webr3.org )

Transactions should be fairly fast, although I may be afc for a couple of hours. If I receive more than I require I'll return it back to you instantly + 500XRP for your trouble.

If you check https://www.bitstamp.net/account/withdraw/ripple/ before doing a deposit or withdraw, it'll tell you the ripple status - if it's down, don't send, if it's up you'll have low latency

rMBXaiRBg9LzFRpZixndAqp84smkhB83E1

stumbled across it at circa 5am on the 21st July 2010 - shared it with a good friend, who shared it with amir, who then got in to it and organised the first bitcoin conference - funny how things work, wish I'd staked in it then rather than later - could have had several thousand BTC, instead i just kept 5 and ignored it for a couple of years whilst i worked on other stuff

If you're committed to a project, then there's nothing quite like putting your time and money in to it - as you are doing, kudos.

I'm nathan, very interested in crypto currencies, and particularly the webization of them and bootstrapping them to existing trust networks, current favourite is ripple.

Whitelist please, I've been lurking the crypto-currency scene for years and have things to contribute elsewhere in the forum, but not so much in newbies, and I don't want to basically spam with irrelevant stuff just to get an arbitrary post count up.

lurking since summer of 2010, about time to join I think