RE: My take on the current situation.
Right now, with this stalemate, we are at the pinnacle of decentralization. The user are, if they are posting, the ones benefiting from this stalemate. The price is back to some where between 12-18 cents last I looked. We are getting more steem if we get votes, so people need to stop their vote buckets from overflowing and vote for stuff, post stuff, and comment on stuff. The community needs to keep being a community, showing both sides that we are here, we are paying attention.
Prior to the purchase there were post talking about and want shorter power down cycle, there were also post talking/asking would you still be here if there was no steem rewards. Post about doing away with the reward system altogether. If the witnesses think the community is going to forget the trespasses of the past by the witnesses once/if they ever regain control.
The community I think if steem block chain survives, will not let bygones be bygones. They will expect transparency, they will expect communications on plans before implementation. Some of the top 20 witnesses may not survive in the top 20 when it is all said and done. We have the chain to remind us of the trespasses after all.
For now I say let the stalemate ride for another 2 months at least. See who has the staying power, who can think and find a way out of the stalemate. A fork, a sister chain, another block chain as some want, I will wait and see. Personal preference is for the steem block chain to survive.
Justin is buying up Steem
If he buys enough to take total control, I will still wait and see what happens. I know one thing only right now and that is I am 85% sure I will not migrate to any chain that andrachy creates. A steem fork, is about 50/50 right now if I will go or stay. A steempeak block chain I could consider. I would still like to make it another 2 1/2 years here make it to my original 5 year mark, I may be stubborn enough to make it, just not sure.
A fork simply ensures that the work put in to date is not lost.
That is probably the simplest way of describing it, while many can definitely add to what all it brings to the table, the simple fact of the matter is a fork saves the blockchain as is to the date of the block from which it is forked from.
Front ends like Steempeak, will be able to utilize both chains, no matter what the situation may be, after all imo it is us the people that matter and many have clearly stated that they plan on using both chains after a fork happens.
So there is no reason to look at a fork as "something different", in fact, if anything, it is a normal part of evolution in the blockchain scene.
Especially in cases like this, where saving what we have built to date is the foundation of the fork.