Hi @surfermarly, nice post!
I haven't been reading posts regularly on Steemit over the last ~fortnight, so it looks like I missed all the furore regarding HF20. Based on tonight's reading, especially what you've said above, it looks like the development team have had to step in to correct a problem with the trajectory of the platform based specifically on resource usage. This shouldn't really surprise anybody - software runs on computers, computers run on electricity, electricity is produced via the transformation of natural resources. It seems to me like as the platform has gained popularity, the costs of the platform have increased to the point that have forced a re-thinking of some of the concepts underpinning it. Probably, some are unhappy that their so-called 'free lunch' (which was never really 'free', only gifted) has been discontinued. Well, tough. What's more important, personal benefit, or the welfare of the platform as a whole? From what I can see, these changes won't really affect the day-to-day experience of anyone honestly using the platform in the spirit with which it was intended. I haven't read all the specific details, so I could be wrong about some (or all!) of this, but that's the impression I get.
Love your work - keep it up! 👍
Cheers,
Ryan