> I think this is a bit daft from a marketing POV.
I agree. It's dumb and seemingly incomprehensible but I finally understood why it happens after seeing it occur inside a large company with a long-successful product line with well-known signature traits. When a product and it's major features are successful enough to last literally decades, they outlive the careers of product managers, designers and marketers. Over time new people come in and work their up into positions of influence. Many times they are there because they appreciate (or even revere) the product, but they're also anxious to put their own mark on the legacy. This isn't just self-centered, they often view their role as bearing the responsibility to guide the legendary product's journey into the future.
At the same time, they didn't inherit complete knowledge of all the reasons why things got the way they are or all the things which were tried in the past. There's also the ever-present ambient need in any organization to "do things" significant enough to justify their, now senior, role along with promotions and bonuses. It's ultimately just a combination of common human behavior in the context of large, long-lasting organizations. I see it so many places in the tech I use daily - Windows is a good example as is Firefox. The current product managers and designers seem to always be removing or fucking up some lower profile but essential feature a subset of users rely on that had been good for a decade or more.
Of course, understanding it doesn't excuse that it's dumb and shouldn't happen.
I agree. It's dumb and seemingly incomprehensible but I finally understood why it happens after seeing it occur inside a large company with a long-successful product line with well-known signature traits. When a product and it's major features are successful enough to last literally decades, they outlive the careers of product managers, designers and marketers. Over time new people come in and work their up into positions of influence. Many times they are there because they appreciate (or even revere) the product, but they're also anxious to put their own mark on the legacy. This isn't just self-centered, they often view their role as bearing the responsibility to guide the legendary product's journey into the future.
At the same time, they didn't inherit complete knowledge of all the reasons why things got the way they are or all the things which were tried in the past. There's also the ever-present ambient need in any organization to "do things" significant enough to justify their, now senior, role along with promotions and bonuses. It's ultimately just a combination of common human behavior in the context of large, long-lasting organizations. I see it so many places in the tech I use daily - Windows is a good example as is Firefox. The current product managers and designers seem to always be removing or fucking up some lower profile but essential feature a subset of users rely on that had been good for a decade or more.
Of course, understanding it doesn't excuse that it's dumb and shouldn't happen.