Why not just do it?

[mark@coombs.anu.edu.au (Mark)]

With all the talk of banking regulations etc with regard to messing
with the monetary system, why dont we just create a test system where
everyone emails in an amount that they are prepared to coughup if 
they really had to, but at the moment dont (have to).

Then we can go ahead with the digital "cash" scenario and not be
governed by the banking/security laws of any country because no real
money is involved. 

The object is to get a system going, find flaws, create software and 
protocols and basically experiment with it. The issue of actual cold 
hard cash is, to me, a not important. After all it's just numbers.

Eric volunteered to do this earlier and, if he still wishes to, I'd be
willing to participate in it. Maybe he doesnt have the benefit of a big
cushy bank trust account earning him intrest for his work, but I dont
think that was a consideration for him anyway.

Mark
mark@coombs.anu.edu.au