It happens to all applications like that.<p>Remember CUSeeMe, ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger, Paltalk, ...<p>They start out pretty good then they rot. Something new comes along and then the cycle repeats. Right now people perceive Zoom works but 5 years from now we will be asking "How can Zoom be so bad?" and something new will come along.<p>It happens because instead of having multiple applications that can interoperate with each other where competition would lead to better applications, competition is based on two-sided markets that compete based on inertia.
It's lasted better in the non workplace world than Cisco webex.<p>Offering direct out dial to the PSTN probably did it huge favours: "it's the phone, stupid" for the generations old enough to remember and want phones.<p>"Works well enough" can survive a long time once on a device.<p>Its NAT busting was best of breed.<p>Much though it irks me, I continue to use it.
FTFY: "... continue to be so bad?"<p>See, <i>exempli gratia</i>, circa 2017: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14691203" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14691203</a>