Can't the testnet be reset at any time by the devs?
Yes
No, it can't. Developers can reset TestNet only with new Bitcoin client released, by changing genesis block (won't happen since
they would lose
millions of coins they mined) or checkpoint(s). The fact
TestNet genesis block was never reseted speaks about what developers really are up to,
basically they don't want
late adopters to have more Testnet coins than they think late adopters should have.
That's not what he is asking. Yes the devs can reset Testnet. Period.
Thats an inaccurate way of phrasing it. You make it sound like they reach into your Bitcoin client and erase your copy of the Bitcoin testnet blockchain. If you were right then testnets wouldn't have versions denoting the current version. Testnet Version 3 is the current one. If they just wiggled into your computer to reset your testnet, we would still be on version 1 no?
Except if for you changing the genesis block doesn't reset testnet because people can still use a modified client to access the old one. That's true but noone will ever give a fuck if the satoshi client doesn't include it
That depends. People give quite a lot of fucks about random projects like AnotherBullshitCloneCone1 or Another BullshitCloneCoin2. A lot of energy is frittered away on projets like these. It would be better if the lessons learned could be applied to bitcoin, rather then be wasted on another fly by night coin.
It's very accurate if you don't take only one sentence.
Yes the devs can reset Testnet. Except if for you changing the genesis block doesn't reset testnet because people can still use a modified client to access the old one.
It depends on what people think Testnet is.
If it is the network you reach by 'bitcoin-qt -testnet', they can definitely reset it, whatever people think or want.
If it is the network called Testnet3, of course they can't 'reset' it. But all your justifications about how it is better than an altcoin would become pointless.
Also, the point is not what they did but what they can do.