The dilemma with mining always lays in risk. Too much risk not many able to handle it.
When AUR was out difficulty was ~6 for several days because there was no exchange and no interest to spare your time for it.
Then when difficulty spiked up x700 times at a plausible rate those who made it to the coin before it went to Cryptsy cashed out like mad.
But hey, some of those guys were mining coins which never made it, like GiftCoin or Leprocoin etc., they lost the game, time and resources.
The question is how far you should believe in the coin you are mining ahead of hype it conceals ahead of time?
The thing with crypto-crapcoin-market is those who are buying are not doing it just because they are crap lovers but because of Greater Fool theory.
No one ever wished to be at the looser end of this whole game but you always want to be the last one before the last before the opportunity door closes.
Talking about ZEITCoin now, what makes it so special? Nothing in particular aside from two factors which can make it big and strong: developers and pumpers.
Developers are human beings too, so dumping easy-gathered coins is a way to go 99% of time round these places but what about price though?
Hype brings everything to the value of anything being totally worthless yesterday, look at where AUR was at the launch.
Then pumpers come in the game, when you are in luck they will pump it free of charge, when not - pay them off.
At the end of the day both of you plus your beloved "believers" who were mining so along at 1 satoshi, all will get a nice paycheck, then say adios and chao.
P.S. What about those who bought all that needless coins at the top though? They deserve it. Why?
Well, there was no extra time invested in carrying and stressing self as you did my friend, your risk paid off finally, when they were riding an easy wave of hype.
Zeitcoin is special, the people backing Zeitcoin are of a different kind, self-less community's thrive better then selfish ones.
We are not simply interested in making profit, we want to change the world. We have the will to do things for the greater good, even in absence of monetary incentive.
We are tech savvy and skilled, we are not afraid of innovation.
Im speaking for myself, but the greater voices define a community.
If the above does not apply to you, make it so. Go out and learn, skilled and educated individuals are needed to build a better future, be part of the solution.
If your not interested in self-education, go watch
Idiocracy