I think some people are also scared off by the spread-out, volunteer nature of things.
We're betting at least some people (and we only need a small number; we're not greedy) will feel more comfortable with a paid service with an actual company (not launched yet). Won't ever be a large portion of Fediverse users, but I think a broad diversity of options will be what will ensure the Fediverse "wins" in the long run.
@SorteKanin Some people object to any feature they have seen be abused on Twitter, whether or not it also has legitimate uses. And as it turns out almost any feature *can* be used to harass. If you want to just have your own little space, search allows bad guys to find you. It of course allows good guys to find you too. Some still do not think that's a worthwhile tradeoff (I don't agree, and I think it's futile, and I support search, btw.)
@woelkchen I didn't say it was logical, but that doesn't stop a lot of people from objecting.
And I agree it just drives people elsewhere.
@woelkchen @andypiper Consider it a compromise, given how many people were dead set against *any* search.