Wouldn't say it's arcane for a lot of people with specific uses in mind.
If you know what it is, its pros and cons, and have a need for it then by definition it's not arcane, I'll agree. But for most users it is.
True, the same applies to IPv6 at the moment. The difference is that static or dynamic IP won't stop you using the internet, but at some (unknown) point in the future an increasing fraction of the internet will be unavailable without IPv6 support. I doubt that Hurricane Electric will be able to provide free tunnels for
everybody!
Hence my point about the minimum 12-month contract.
Has it factored highly in the ISP selection choice of anyone here?
Has static/dynamic IP? Some, but not many I'd guess. As the bigger ISPs tend to use dynamic it seems that most people aren't bothered.
(And yes, I know they don't offer IPv6 either, but sooner or later they'll have to.)
But when all is said and done, it's your spreadsheet.