[oblio]

It's the "boil the oceans" problem (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=%22boiling%20...). Same thing that happens with vi, for example.

You have a widely adopted tool with some real or perceived flaws. Everybody knows them and wants to fix them.

But unless you somehow get mass adoption from the start, the project flounders because everyone will be pointing out that you can't install & use the new tool in restricted environments or on very old environments.

So we're left with the lowest common denominator.

At this point, to break the cycle, either the original developers come with the 2.0 interface and push it hard (which might cause backlash: https://xkcd.com/1172/) or someone with a ton of pull and resources does it from outside (which could trigger a fork or other unpleasantness).

[blakeyrat]

Except we all knew how to write better UIs back in 2008 when Git was first written. It's not some brand-new research that only came to light a few years ago. We knew how to do usability tests in 2008. We knew what patterns worked and what didn't. We knew how to build discoverable software.

Why the heck wasn't the UI improved back then, before the thing was even released?

I mean, while your explanation is correct, it doesn't explain or excuse the pure incompetence of the original developers when it comes to usability issues. Their laziness or ignorance back then has confused and irritated thousands or millions of developers now, and continues to, and will continue to for the foreseeable future.

Make sure the shit you're going to set in stone is good before you grab the chisel, guys. You're professional software developers, not clowns.

Sorry for the rant.