@PossiblyMax This is what I mean by walking on eggshells. I didn't come in swinging saying things are terrible. I'm saying that even small changes (which I HAVE tried) get shot down. It's demoralizing.
It's not just me, many other UX designers point this out. There just MIGHT be something else to talk about. I'm not saying maintainers are horrible. I agree they likely do want better UX. I'm saying the 'just a small PR' advice just doesn't work in practice.