> I wonder how many years need to pass after a company removes a user-hostile pattern before it should stop being lambasted for it.

Why would there be a statute of limitations on this. A company doesn’t have an inherent right to customers. A lot of us gave up on Windows with XP (a second strike, after ME). Maybe it’s better now, maybe not, but why would I be motivated to give a company who screwed up already (due to making choices I hate, not just incompetence) another chance? NYT absolutely permanently lost customers by placing revenue above civility; which of us benefits from hoping people forget that?

You missed the point.

That's okay.