Now I bet you're thinking when you read the title: "Why the f**k does this thread exist?" Well, it exists because I am curious of what you guys think what this server will be like in 5 - 10 years, "Whoa hold up! 10 Years?!" Yes, 5 - 10 years. 10 years may seem a hell of a long time, but that makes me even MORE curious. What I wonder the most is, who will join and become an active member? Which well-known players will leave? How many more new maps will there be (on survival)? Will PVP, Skyblock, and/or Hardcore no longer be around? Will any OS retire/resign? Will natbyte still be the owner? Etc. Also I would add a poll but I can't think of any questions for it.
To be completely honest I would be surprised if this server was still running 10 years from now. A lot could happen in 10 years, both in Nat's life and in Minecraft. I honestly see microsoft trying to take over the multiplayer side of MC at some point to get more cash out of the 2.5 billion dollar investment they made. I wouldn't be shocked to see monthly subs to play on professionally run mega servers and severe restrictions on servers as well as reprimands on servers breaking the EULA. Or they could lay framwork down for their own hosting of servers where people had to pay them to run a server in some way. Who knows what could happen in 10 years, minecraft could even die down in popularity and be overrun by the next big thing. Or it could thrive and be so much more. Only thing I know is, nothing lasts forever. Change is inevitable.
I can probably confirm to you in 10 years (maybe even 5) if Minecraft is still a thing and the server is still free from Microsoft's future attempt to take our money, the entire community will probably be replaced.
After Minecraft has become this rich and popular? Why would Microsoft want to take our money when they already have Xbox?
Because companies like money? I don't want to argue further, but no company as big as Microsoft will ever stop wanting more money.