Quote from: HZKto on December 16, 2013, 06:58:02 PM

Bitcoin is decentralized. And no small group of people should decide which branch is correct and which is not.
Checkpoints hardcoded in code were selected by small group of people.
But if Bitcoin is still claimed to be decentralized, not controlled by government, small group of people (who can be blackmailed, or forced by thermo-rectal cryptanalysis) - then only majority of users should have right to make decision.

Users should vote on which branch is correct and which is not. Bitcoin already has such voting mechanism - vote by computing power.

Of course hidden fork crunched at high speed in shadow is unlikely, and maybe checkpoints do not harm due to low probability of such fork.
But they harm in other way - they compromise Bitcoin decentralization, which is in my opinion is the biggest attractive feature of Bitcoin.
Today they add checkpoints, tomorrow they could freeze BTC on your address, by adding small tweaks to validation routine (just like checkpoints validation).

Checkpoints add almost no value - they do not prevent offensive usage of high computing power, but they trading off fair amount of credibility.
Nobody except majority should have control over blockchain, and Bitcoin's definition of majority is computing power.
Otherwise users must know that blockchain is controlled by small group of human being.

You didn't actually read this thread before posting, did you?