Apple has a "long" history of differentiating ports by left and right (e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12711127) which has been frustrating to me. For instance sometimes the left USB port "dies" after a sleep, while the right one keeps working. I agree it's going to be a mess for a long while, similar to HDMI cables that work or don't without any clear reason for the casual buyer.