This type of thing is exactly why Steem has a "public perception" problem. The problem isn't the public's perception... the problem is that "blockchain" was invented to eliminate the kind of BS that Steemit Inc has lorded over the community.
Trusted Third Parties are Security Holes
what steem needs, for any long term success, is to shed itself completely from Steemit Inc.
I believe this as well, and it's not out of malicious intent towards Steemit Inc, but out of the potential positive effects it could have on Steem overall.
The intense discussion about "forking" completely overshadows all the other potential solutions that could be discussed to achieve the same results.