Hi.
First off, I just want to say that I love this project and find it quite fascinating. I'm currently waiting for my first bank wire to mtgox so I can investe in som BTC. This is quite some entrepreneurial work by everyone involved.
Anyway, to my question which is actually more concerning than at first glance. I have been looking around a bit and haven't really found out if any of the current exchanges allow shorting of bitcoins right now. For those not familiar with the concept, 'shorting' basically means betting that the currency will go down in value, by "selling" borrowed Bitcoins today but with a contractual obligation (forced by whoever provides the service) to buy back the same amount at a future date. Thus, if you are correct on your bet that BTC will go down in value, you make money since you buy them back at a cheaper price. If you are wrong you will be forced to buy them back at a higher price.
The reason I ask and find the lack of this so concerning is that shorting actually serves a very important role in a functioning market. One thing that I believe could bring this whole thing down is a panic of some sort. Shorting helps to prevent this. If a selling panic would ensue, the shorters would become the buyers as they decide it's time to reap their profit, and thus the market would stabilize sooner rather than later. Without shorters a rapidly decreasing market would very soon be without buyers and make the situation even worse. So, in order to decrease the chance of a panic that destroys the entire ecosystem of bitcoins, I really think that someone with the ability should look at providing the service to short the market.
Also, shorting would make it possible to tell the doubters to put their money where their mouth is.