Well, something did change, otherwise it would not have gotten as big as it did. What changed was the role of the user in the eyes of whatever entity controlled

Well, something did change, otherwise it would not have gotten as big as it did. What changed was the role of the user in the eyes of whatever entity controlled the computer/cloud. If the uncertainty was actually a bad thing in the eyes of the big cloud companies that pushed these designs, it would not have nearly gotten as far as it did. It's a way to control how the tool is used, given that it's powerful, making it too usable is not profitable.