[crankylinuxuser]

As another systems engineer, I'd much rather have clearly delineated features and how to interconnect them, rather than a cornucopia of disparate and badly documented "features".

I'm thinking of the class of "Does:X, Y, Z" but Z requires unstated dependency of A and C, and C requires you to have a specific database organization type that was asked at the initialization of the system. And there would be no hint that you had to choose the DB type, and how that would have ramifications 10 steps down the line.

Going back, what I'd rather have is more in line with the Unix philosophy. Do something and do it well. Let me connect somethings to other somethings. But Gitlab is a cathedral, and disorganized at that.

[kevinherron]

I think you're missing the point as well; "dearth" is a lack of. A lack of counter-productive features is a good thing.

[Izkata]

I think you've misunderstood who is responding to who. A "dearth of somewhat counterproductive features" is being described as a bad thing in the OP, using an incorrect/nonexistent definition of "dearth" as "there are too many somewhat counterproductive features".