Only horizontal changing screens needs to be restricted to edge swipes and those are the most easy to pull of (in phone portret mode).

Newbie horizontal swipe functionality:

Edge swipe left: notifications (or back to multitasking)
Edge swipe right: notifications (or back to multitasking)
Edge Swipe middle to left: notifications (or back to multitasking)
Edge Swipe middle to right: notifications (or back to multitasking)


Configurable is the way to go, especially since very soon there will be users giving feedback based on larger display tablet experience while others are using the phone.

And we have a "gestures" menu that is virtually empty (contains 2 items only) to put all those extra configuration options.

We have an OS that is described as (9/2015): It’s unlike what you’re used to. But once you get the hang of the gesture based Sailfish OS, you’ll never want to go back. Totally independent and highly adaptive, Sailfish OS is an open platform, so if you know how, you can change whatever you want, whenever you want.


Newbies:

they are encouraged to try and get the hang of it, aren't they?

With configurable option I would ask them: hey how long have you been using Sailfish and you did not yet enable swipe cover actions? Let me show you something really nice: now, go to settings...

I would be seriously interested to see scientific publishing about the cover actions operation where a representative group of elders, hipster and managers including long term Android / iOS users and a few chimps are using Sailfish for a month and later get interviewed about the swipe cover action system and if they like to see it go or configurable.

I suspect it was through feedback of potential hardware partners that the swipe cover actions needed to go. Too complicated , too confusing, our customers blah blah...

Why should I have to start from unilaterally stripped down version to go "change whatever I want" through patches to make it look like the more powerful Sailfish which I took for granted only weeks ago?