So I want to put together a list of just how successful NEM has become. It seems that because it has taken so long (and understandably so) that people haven't kept up with the amazing progress it has made.
If those that know can just reply with the details, I will add it here as they come.
I think those outside the community will be surprised how far we have come.
If you mean features, then NEM was the first coin to offer proof-of-importance as an alternative to proof-of-stake and proof-of-work. Proof-of-importance was a modification of proof-of-stake that is designed to discourage hoarding and encourage its use as a currency. NEM was also the first altcoin to feature Eigentrust++ as a reputation system to help protect the network and disincentivize bad nodes as well as the first coin to implement blockchain-based multisig upon launch.
I have a few NEM myself (in addition to the NXT I originally had) which I intend to hold as a long term investment. Gotta say I do feel sorry for utopianfuture though (assuming that the sockpuppet scandal wasn't completely planned out and staged like some people here think). Without him, NEM would never have existed. I can completely understand how it might be easy to forget to log off and post under the wrong account.
NXT was marred by a less-than-perfect initial distribution while NEM was marred by the founder getting caught with sockpuppets. Despite these, I still think that both coins have enormous potential to become major players in the future. Unfortunately for their communities however, these associations will probably continue to haunt these coins forever - as the replies made in this thread so far show.
This is what I'm talking about. What else? Or what else is coming out?