PoS = proof of stake and PoW = proof of work.  They are two different mechanisms that can be used for achieving consensus in peer-to-peer networks.  With PoS, consensus is formed by those holding stake; with PoW, consensus is formed by those doing work. 

You can dance around this fact as much as you like, but that's what it comes down to Mgburks77.  The question is which mechanism will the market prefer?

I would actually like to see a PoS alt-coin and I believe that through blockchain mergers of like-minded alt coin communities one can grow to challenge litecoin.  This will help us answer these questions empirically, rather than through hand-waving debates that this thread is evidence of. 

I think it would be proper to call this PoS alt bitshares instead, for it is no longer a coin.  Dividends are awarded to share holders for holding stake, rather than to miners for doing work.  Arguments are settled based on how many shares one holds, rather than by how much work one performs. 

Yes, it is a hard-fork of the blockchain. Not a from-scratch genesis block as used by altcoins. The Proof-of-Stake version of bitcoind would be made to reject as invalid new blocks created by the then-existing Proof-of-Work version.

This scenario is worst case. In the best case, public opinion sways the majority of Bitcoin Core developers to embrace Proof-of-Stake and the migration from Proof-of-Stake to Proof-of-Work is handled via long advance notice and simply a new version of Bitcoin Core for download by everyone.

SlipperySlope what you say is what Dan Larimer from Invictus started saying months ago.

Bitcoin is an autonomous company which have a negative bottom line. Bitshares, thanks to a variante of PoS, will be a range of several autonomous companies which will make profits and therefore pay dividends to shareholders/owners of the company token. Bitcoin will need to adapt (ie. eliminates PoW) in order to survive.

you want to fork bitcoin and call it bitcoin?

Then, if i want to send some coins, which protocol is being used?
Do I have to tell someone , i want to send you bitcoin v1 or v2 ?
how is that going to work?

I get the notion that existing and planned Proof-of-Stake altcoins are a short-term bet that Bitcoin continues its 3.2x annual economic growth, and lifts the value of all altcoins as the public adopts crytocurrencies. Those same altcoins are a long-term bet that Bitcoin keeps Proof-of-Work and thus gets banned in some countries as wasteful allowing those altcoins the opportunity to replace Bitcoin.

My mission is with Bitcoin.

Could you please elaborate on the nature to your objections. The public consensus cannot be moved towards Proof-of-Stake unless all objections are reasonably addressed.