It isn't a moot point, it is literally the point of the article. The whole article is explaining the history of the 737 and explaining why they designed the max

It isn't a moot point, it is literally the point of the article. The whole article is explaining the history of the 737 and explaining why they designed the max to avoid retraining. It mentions digital UIs, fly-by-wire, and other designs found in modern jets to paint the picture that the Max was successful in avoiding retraining, but that requirement restricted the engineers and led to a potentially compromised design.