You mean like 2) a quicker blockchain or a non-SHA algorithm or more coins, if so desired by society?
Yes, if so desired. Note, however, that these are not changes that cannot be replicated in Bitcoin itself. The faster block interval is unlikely to change, but the hashing algo is deliberately modular in Bitcoin. There is nothing magical about SHA-256.
Exactly, and from where do these changes come? It's not like someone suddenly discoveres that it would be great to have a faster blockchain and then Bitcoin suddenly knows how to handle it. The idea is tested, evaluated, discarded or not, after having been used in alt-coins extensively.
Indeed. You do realize that Firefox is a direct code successor to Netscape Navigator, right? Netscape (the company) did not cease to exist because they failed to compete with IE, they ceased to exist because they were legally destroyed by M$.
Again, exactly. First mover is not a competitive advantage in all cases or even most cases, nor is market dominance, or second mover even. A competitor must stand on their own merit, not simply because of time. If Bitcoins main benefit is being first, then the first Bitcoin clone to offer something more than that will win, or be the IE to Bitcoin.
In the same way that Firefox is an open source version of Navigator and has successfully incorporated features into the codebase that Windows IE pioneered, there is no innovation that any alt-coin can make that Bitcoin can't just steal, if such an innovation proves to be desired by the public.
Bitcoin may adapt by copying what makes its competitors successful, but then the argument could be reversed and say that "Well, Bitcoin is only cloning the success of Litecoin's SCrypt, so why would we use Bitcoin instead of Litecoin?"
Again, evolution. I have no doubt at all that bitcoin will be something quite different, but it will still be bitcoin. Keep on mining your litecoins, though. Bitcoin still needs it's evolutionary failures. Keep in mind that this is a bitcoin discussion forum; if bitcoin didn't have something to gain from the alt-coin section, would it be here?
I don't think we really disagree, but my point is that Bitcoin isn't special
because it is Bitcoin. Bitcoin is special right now because it is largest and most widely known, but that and the fact that it (as well as any other coin) can copy-cat other alts cannot be its primary competitive advantage in the long run.
Like I said; we don't really know what the future holds. We're at Netscape Navigator 2.0 now.
.b