I'd say that's a good thing. A product can't be all things to all people and when it tries it ends up as a big hogde-podge of compromises that make no-one happy (either that, or being a beast to configure, thus making support painful).

Now, I don't know what the particular issue over forks are (related to branches?) and whether it's reasonable, but the fact that they were eventually convincible only makes it seem better.