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Yes, it's a trend.
No, it's not. Trends eventually die out. This has been going on since art existed. The only difference is you didn't notice until it happened to Star Wars.
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It's not the same as The Exorcist restoring a couple mins
Yes, it is. You're trying to argue semantics and it doesn't fit. It's the same as Close Encounters, it's the same as Lord of the Rings (The book, mind you, not the movies), there's hundreds upon hundreds of examples of this very thing happening all throughout history. That's not a trend. It ceases to be a trend once it lasts a few decades. this has lasted a few CENTURIES. Artists have always gone back and altered their work from a different perspective. And artisans have always gnashed their teeth over it, some of them, at least. But it's nothing new, and Lucas, as I said, isn't popularizing it any. If any, the fact this board exists shows he's almost shining a VERY harsh light on it that doesn't make it look as alluring as it has to many an artist that has come before him.
The growing activity (which is a negligible claim, actually) comes more from the technology making it possible than it does Lucas actually doing it. It was harder to make those sorts of changes and revisions before--but it's not like it wasn't done, either.
Again, this line of argument is typically only good for the sky is falling scenarios played for cynical punchlines and that's about it. They're amusing to read, though
But giving it any more weight than that is being shortsighted. Especially since the practice you're decrying is the practice this board gets MOST of it's attention from now--the act of revising art to make it better fit someone's vision. We've got 3 different "Fan edit" boards now. A big difference here is that the ARTISANS are doing the revising along with the ARTISTS. You can't decry this "trend" on one hand and then support it a couple forums down 
Well, you can, but it sort of weakens your argument.