The article is really about GTK3 versus GTK4, using the settings pane as an example. My comment is about the larger picture. However, take a look at what it mea

The article is really about GTK3 versus GTK4, using the settings pane as an example. My comment is about the larger picture. However, take a look at what it meant to reset your default settings in 2010: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/08/restore-default-gnome-settings-in-ubuntu-quick-tip https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/08/restore-default-gnome-se... Settings panes are still largely confusing on all platforms, commercial included, as you broaden your user base. They've also grown in utility as iOS has pushed the idea of a centralized place for settings for all aspects of the system (apps included), which you're starting to see elements of on other platforms as well. There's plenty of room for improvement, including simplifying everything down so that few settings can make big differences where the heavy lifting is done for you. Linux in particular suffers from this, from a legacy of a million .conf files everywhere that many people blindly copy-pasta'd random configurations they found online (I'm looking at you XFree86).