I think you are missing the obvious, this episode highlights that Bitcoin development is centralized which is a problem. We need multiple options to prevent this.
Discussion
Bitcoin Core is free and open source software. Anyone is free to fork it, adjust it however they see fit, and run that instead. Or create a new implementation from scratch.
If you think there should be more competition, no one is stopping that.
True but they do attack people who choose that route
Who does that?
Ignoring social attacks, there was Portland Hodl’s IBD request attack against Comcast knots nodes
Who is Portland Hodl? (I don’t see him listed as a contributor to any recent Bitcoin Core release…)
He’s an active core contributor. He’s on the mailing list. Mainly working DoS issues AFAIK
I see.
Well exactly because Bitcoin Core is a free and open source project, anyone can contribute to it. I don't think you should hold the entire project accountable for the actions of any one individual.
Nor does it change the nature of the free and open source model; anyone can still fork the code.
Of course any project that operates on the open internet can be attacked in all kinds of ways, including Bitcoin Core itself. Being a FOSS project doesn't prevent that.
(To be clear I have no opinion on whatever it is Portland Hold may or may not have done because I know nothing about this.)