I would agree with your conclusion. However, until the abstractors are willing to effectively organize into a cohesive body, abandon their apathy and part with a few bucks to properly fund a program for change little is likely to improve. The VM's will continue to capitalize on the disorganized nature of the abstractors. Your assessment of abstractor survival in the face of needed change is quite prophetic, and those that are unwilling to alter their current business form to accomodate the needed change probably will not survive.