[camtarn]

Although, thinking about it, I wonder if the connector is designed for sequencing (power/ground first, then data) and if the linear insertion of the jack plug caused issues with that, since when the plug is being inserted the connector nearest to the outside contacts all three of the rings on the jack in turn.

[gbraad]

Yep, it wasn't perfect and might cause issues with shorting the terminals briefly.

But this wasn't originally for rocket science, but simple DIY projects or kids projects. If repositioned it will have a hard time getting adopted.