I think it'd be sad to the race go down the "official" road; fees, insurance, sponsors... However, it does seem that sooner or later the increased numbers of riders will force some changes. For now, I wouldn't worry too much. Matt makes some good points about FB, perhaps after things die down in a couple of weeks he'll re-evaluate the idea to nix FB for next year. Maybe it ain't broke and doesn't need fixing. For me this forum is fine for following the TD.
They'll always be white dots. To me, they represent people struggling towards a goal, out of the race, out of the limelight.