Run the node that aligns best with your personal values, and be fully aware of what you are choosing.

TLDR; the core issue behind the Knots vs. Core v30 debate, excluding the personal attacks, can be summarized as Knots = “Bitcoin is only money” whereas Core v30 = “The Bitcoin blockchain is free data storage, and Bitcoin is also money”.

The main consideration is whether you want your node to relay only financial transactions or also arbitrary data that will be recorded on the blockchain. Knots focuses on relaying financial transactions, filtering out as much spam as reasonably possible - but it cannot block all spam. In contrast, the new Core v30 will relay the existing spam currently encountered by the network (like older Core versions already relay) and introduces a new way for spammers - such as VC-funded startups - to exploit nodes for free data storage without paying additional miner fees to bypass node filters.

Relaying and storing arbitrary data also increases legal risks for node operators compared to channeling that data through the large miners’ choke-points (e.g. via slipstream). Those large mining companies can be held accountable for the arbitrary data they choose to include in the blockchain that nodes refused to relay, creating an incentive for them to avoid mining the most awful content.