New Currency

[gansett]

I'm interested in developing an alternative currency.  I have some ideas on how to produce a currency where the demand for money does not cause product inflation/deflation.  I just need to find a good starting point first.  Reading through this forum I'm able to see some talks about alternate proof systems (specifically proof of stake).  Which alternate currency do you guys believe has developed the best technology to date?

Second, i'm a newbie here (obviously).  Where's a good place to go to find people with a good understanding of the existing bitcoin code base?  I have several questions about the block chain, and mining system.