The reason why linear was introduced is the exact same reason why the Whale Experiment ran. When hf 17 came out not long after Dan left the most demanded change by the community, linear, was missing. This is what prompted the Whale Experiment. The demand for linear was directly tied to the chasm that exponential caused in voting power. Yes it was a naive overcorrection and it should have been retooled long ago, but here we are, let's learn from the past (that the community demands should be more thoroughly examined) and move forward.

Onwards and upwards.