I've been a software developer for over 30 years and have experience developing GIS and mapping application and would be hesitant about claiming to know the complexity of implementing a feature in a software application if I've never looked at the code.
Actually, I also have experience with GIS (mapping servers and territorial analyses are theme of my master thesis) developing of websites and databases, maybe not so many experiences as you have, but enough to know, what you are talking about. I agree with you, but if their database is done skilfully, it should be just one small change in one SQL query on the database. It is already possible to change it in a listing of a cache. I really don´t know their code, but I suppose that easy possibility of implementing of new features is one of the basic attributes at developing of anything. This is not so much about the complexity of the implementing, but more about fact, that there are many suggestions to improve the (I thing very user-unfriendly) website and almost nothing has changed. The change what I have suggested is not only my idea. My personal opinions is, that the developers are either amateurs or they don´t care, or I don´t know... It is not a voluntary activity, they have money form premium members, I would excepted some kind of maintenance. I understand that not every suggestions can be implemented, I even do not wish that, because every user have different ideas. However that´s the reason, why the pages should be more "personalizable" and every user should have possibility of choice. I have other suggestions in other treads of this forum like this one: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=305183&st=0&gopid=5171167entry5171167 It should be also very easy to implement and who would not want it, there is nothing more easy than personalize that and do not use it.