People who rely on rsync want some kind of clear path forward, the option to use something similar in quality to the older versions.
That's literally what forking it is for.
The guy built the bridge 20 years ago. It became a mainline thoroughfare for the entire city, and he maintained it for free. Now he's automating it and people don't like that. They can build their own bridges, or use the one he maintains and either contribute to the project or stop complaining about it not being up to their standards. It's a free bridge.
You're looking in the mouth of a gift horse.