I can't believe I actually read this entire comment thread! Really great topic. I've also been wondering about all the EOS/ONO posts I've been seeing on here in recent weeks.

I won't repeat things I've already said in response to the comments of others, but will simply add additional perspectives here.

I think one of the problems with Steemit is that the makers of STEEM seem to only see it as a proof of concept. They don't seem to actually care about the steemit community or any of the other steem platforms per se. It's more to prove what can be done with SMTs, which is what they really care about for the company's future.

So it does stand to reason that there's an opening for competitors. A competitor just needs to come along with a governing team that prioritizes the needs of the platform and makes the technical changes needed for it to thrive. That would be things like groups and mobile on here, not SMTs. A new platform that can offer groups and mobile right off the bat definitely has an advantage, and more so if it seems that the reason it can is simply because someone cares enough to be bothered.

That said, while I can understand the desire of some people to find their FB and let steemit become their myspace now, I don't share that sentiment. I have absolutely loved what I've found on steemit and am not really all that bothered by the problems. I feel like I can work within what I've been given to make this worth my while, so want to see more effort put into improving this place instead of fleeing for another.

But I'm not here all about the money. I love the quality of conversation I get to engage in on here more than anything and consider it a bonus that I get paid for it. I do work to get paid a decent amount, say $10-20 per post, to compensate me somewhat for my time, but I actually make more like $300 per hour in my real work, so really, I can't take the money that seriously.

Yet others do take the money that seriously. So for them, if they see the number of people they're splitting payouts with go from say 200k people to suddenly 500k people (I don't recall the actual numbers, so really just making a point) they may reasonably think, "Well I'd like to go do this someplace where only 100k people are splitting the pot."

And since nothing stops them from doing it in both places, since the ones you're talking about are not needing to invest a lot of time to see great rewards anymore (if they ever did), again, it just makes sense that this would be happening.

Understood or not, I would however appreciate your posting the names of what witnesses you're referring to, because I would definitely want to make sure I'm not supporting them as witness.

As a user here, if I see that a platform like Ono has groups working and working mobile, and that quality content and conversations are in fact happening there, I will start using both platforms. I feel that's the user's prerogative and no loyalty should be expected of platform users if the platform doesn't keep up with competitors. But witness is a role that is beyond 'user.' I don't expect loyalty to the platform out of users, but I do out of witnesses.