It is clear to me that the Foundation has agreed on this sneaky change
behind closed doors while some of the most outspoken Wikimedia
volunteers were (and still are) gathered in London.
It's interesting you mention Wikimania, because one of the things I took
away from the conference was the idea that if Wikimedia sites keep on
looking and acting like they did in 2004, we'll get left behind by the rest
of the internet....
Chris