Wouldn't be easier for people to just start over with a new currency than deal with a hard fork?
Exactly. The confidence in Monero after the hard fork will be shuttered. It's much better to admit it and try again with new coin than to let the whole concept limp in the future because of the initial design problems.
Are you guys serious? You really think if a better technology comes along, that it is easier to build that network out with a new coin (not to mention testing, getting a developer network behind it, promoting it, etc.) instead of just adding that to Monero, BTC, etc? And then rinse and repeat with each new technological advancement. That makes absolutely no sense.
I thought this same thing. Hard forks probably do carry an inherent negative impact on a coin's value. But depending on the reason for the fork that impact could easily be overshadowed by a positive response. I think this factor is coin/situation dependent.
A hard fork is serious business, but not the end of a coin in every case IMHO. I am sure there is precedent for this.
Vericoin did an EXTREMELY controversial hard fork recently, and although the price has reflected a clear negative response the coin is by no means dead or dying because of the fork. (even though much of me thinks it should be)