Only time will tell.
Disclaimer: I'm an OpenCoin employee (since July 9, 2013)
But of course they hired you...because they are smart enough to know talent. Congrats bro and I mean that! It's continued good decisions like this that amplify my belief in OpenCoin.
On topic...In my view, one of the biggest hangups for many bitcoiners, is they are unable to view Ripple from any view point other than BTC vs XRP. Ripple is so much bigger than one currency. Sure it contains a built in currency to prevent spam and sure, that currency may or may not be valuable one day. But unlike BTC, XRP does not have to be valuable for the Ripple network to be successful. In fact, it doesn't matter at all, what the value of XRP is, as it relates to the Ripple network.
Ripple is a payment network, a protocol that will transform payment rails forever. It will fundamentally change the way we transact with currencies and each other. In addition, it will provide the legitimacy and mass adoption, single crypto-currencies will likely never achieve on their own.
Me being able to pay a vendor or business in crypto and them receive funds in any fiat currency they choose, is simply amazing. And all in seconds. Not minutes or hours. Now average Joe user, doesn't ever need to actually learn or even deal in crypto, but crypto users benefit from the ability to transact with any business connected to the network, regardless of that business' stand on crypto.
It continues to be my view that naysayer Bitcoiners are going to look at their
BTC wallets soon and thank Ripple.
Disclaimer: Ripple is AWESOME!