Yes, and it was to prove that (un?)"popular" and long-standing issues don't always get prioritised over new features. Is there a corresponding counter-example of a UI spec-led issue which has been changed by popular vote?

I don't think I can be accused of giving up after 2.5 years and another 3000 bugs in Bugzilla! Rather, I think the maemo team have (on this issue); for example the community's not allowed the bug to be closed.