vote_for_palpatine said:
He caused the rift in SW fandom, didn't he?

This is the non-SW fan in me talking here, so don't get too upset: If the fans weren't so insane, there wouldn't have been a rift to begin with. Numerous other films have had major changes made to them years after the fact without their fanbases going ballistic. Most of the people who don't like it simply say "Well, that was unnecessary" and leave it at that. They'd even buy the new versions and deal with the additions (i.e. not start some [honestly] insignificant boycott).