I am a press open kinda gal. I love a FLAT quilt square. It how I measure my success ! Very very rarely do I press to the dark, and only under special circumstances. Yep.... I do get the "look" like some how I'm not a real quilter. It's always is an issue when a Block exchange comes up... and have been publicly scolded for pressing open. It gets quite heated with the press to the dark group and the press open group.
I have had some say its a weaker seam but , I have quilts "out there" for over thirty years and none have had issues. Same for using poly thread , I 've never had a seam "cut" by the thread and have used poly thread for decades.