Well written. I think the fact that dlive chose this as a testing ground says great things about the Steem blockchain. It doesn't really bother me that they've left, as innovation is all about change. If they were operating on deception, better to let someone else step up and develop another option, and, as you said, there are plenty of bright minds choosing the Steem blockchain.

Also, this:

Steem’s strength comes from its openness in every way.

Yes!

Despite the disruptions of HF20, what I see as a small investor and active user is a blockchain that is evolving. I see witnesses and devs working together to make this thing better, and I'm excited to see what happens as we go forward. I'm in this for the long haul.