I imagine an alternate reality where most people were far less concerned about the blocksize issue, assuming it will obviously be raised fairly soon and there's no real rush. They would say...
"Fidelity Effect? Nah, any company that believes the 1MB limit will stay when tx demand substantially exceeds it doesn't understand how Bitcoin works. That's like worrying Bitcoin won't have a workable legal framework just because it doesn't have one now. Sure, it would be better if it already did, but believing in Bitcoin means believing in the economic incentives on governments to regulate it with a light touch, just like the Internet, lest they lose out on the great economic benefits and all the resulting tax revenue. Believing in Bitcoin means believing economic incentives will overcome piddling things like that temporary cap, even if it looks like it might become a fixture for a while before rubber really meets road. No one ever said Bitcoin would never look like it could be held down, just that it can't in fact be held down."
"Higher fees? Who really cares? We all know Bitcoin is mainly still in its store of value phase, and those who use it for commerce like the dark marketeers are totally willing to pay a premium because Bitcoin is the only way to pay. A few businesses here and there will complain and lose some money as some of their lines of business have to be modified or abandoned, but while this remains a minor current it will have negligible effect. I didn't sign up because I thought Bitcoin would respond to every tiny threat immediately; in fact it's probably better it doesn't do that. Once fees reach a certain level, we'll have action. If I thought this wasn't true I would never have invested. Nothing that happens in the meantime can change that until rubber hits road."
"Core isn't responding? A business with tons of investment is dominating Core? So what? If I thought Bitcoin was in Core's hands I never would have invested. The economic incentives either work or they don't. If they work, there is nothing Core can do to keep Bitcoin down. If they don't, there is nothing Core can do to save Bitcoin. Core is irrelevant, like the particular water that constitutes a wave is irrelevant. The wave is what is important. The pattern, not the people. If water refuses to keep waving, other water will takes its place. That is the only reason I invested; not because I judged the Core team to be sound."
In this reality, BS/Core is proposing all this stuff, wining and dining miners, writing all sorts of propaganda pieces, and people are kind of going, "Meh." Uptake of new Core versions is disappointing for all the millions they have put into the marketing effort. And worse, competitors have already emerged and gained a strong foothold, all prior to fees even rising or anything particularly annoying happening to any bitcoiners.
Greg would solemnly survey this landscape and lament, "We tried, but interest seems to be minimal. Some people are giving it lip service, yet they are running Classic and Unlimited, software by completely new and untrusted teams - even one with a stoner guy as director of marketing vs. our $75 million. If this is all the traction we can get with all the advantages of incumbency and inertia, even theymos's formidable empire on our side completely, and even with all that investment money and coding power...perhaps we should just give up. Tightening our grip even a slight bit loses us tons of market share. Maybe we should shelve this and propose it again down the line somewhere."
"But Greg, what about that money? Hill and PWC will want a return. We have to do something. We have to keep going. Let's burn all the monies! At least we can say we tried."
