> have pre-defined layouts, which (for me at-least) create more confusion than value. The reason (at least for AwesomeWM, but DWM too) we use pre-defined layou

> have pre-defined layouts, which (for me at-least) create more confusion than value. The reason (at least for AwesomeWM, but DWM too) we use pre-defined layouts is because you can (and should) pass your own functions for each tag/workflow. This way you don't have to manage the layouts manually. Once you add the custom business logic, it becomes very predictable. Plus, AwesomeWM is modular, so if you want i3 style layouts, you can just do it (https://elv13.github.io/client_tiling/dynamite.html https://elv13.github.io/client_tiling/dynamite.html , by me). Of course not all users want/have_the_time to optimize their workflow. Those people should probably stick with i3. AwesomeWM is all about customization/workflow_optimization, that's time consuming, but you have a good ROI.