And it the connector had essentially no relation to the voltage or current required by the device so you couldn't tell just by fit alone what was compatible wit

And it the connector had essentially no relation to the voltage or current required by the device so you couldn't tell just by fit alone what was compatible with what. You could easily damage a device with too much voltage. USB-C might be unclear about what the cable and endpoints capabilities are, but it also won't damage anything to connect stuff together without knowing.