I don't see anyone is asking for a feature removal here. This thread seems to be more about how to set a default.

I personally find it surprising for a tool like a compiler to be directory-sensitive. But I've now learned that with `export GHC_ENVIRONMENT=-` in my profile, my compiler indeed isn't directory-sensitive. Furthermore, I've learned how to suppress the env files entirely with `write-ghc-environment-files: never` in my ~/.cabal/config. So I'm not actually all too bothered by this anymore. I retain my opinion that directory-sensitivity is a poor design (it's precisely what threw me off Stack the first time I tried it) for compiler-like tools, but perhaps that ship has sailed, as I agree that changing this now may lead to a poor user experience.

Richard