Sitting on the sidelines, many of us might not have the financial backing to outright purchase so Witnesses did what they felt right at the time. Soft-fork was a measure of security to negotiate further.
Always 50/50 hindsight, let us hope the future sorts out soon.
I'm now more concerned on the future of Steem as a blockchain. I wish that we could somehow break free from the one causing all the problems on Steem.