1. I've had usb-micro ports die on lots of phones /devices. Never had a usb-c port fail, anywhere. I can accept maybe it's still not good enough. Personally though the durability has been exceptional. I've been so so happy at USB-C as a mechanical interface. Overwhelmed with joy. I'm surprised there are complaints. You and another poster both made it your top complaint, and I'm shocked; I had no idea there were complaints from anyone, anywhere. For it to be a top complaint is astounding to me.

2. It definitely sucks getting usb2 cables. It would be good if cable were better marked but a usb3 cable will give 3A, 20V, 5Gbps. If you want more, you gotta go higher. Look for a 5A (also 20V) capable cable for more power, or look for something 20Gbps capable. Don't bother looking inbetween. This goes to point 3:

3. I just look for USB4, which standardizes things better.

4. Agreed the various USB3.x specs are frustrating. Not a USB-C problem.

5. This feels like #4b. Agreed that the USB spec proliferation has mostly confused not informed. But I'm not super sympathetic to these complaints, because I don't think it affects 99.99999% of uses. Most of us still use USB3.2 Gen 1 devices & ports: 5Gbps. There's a ratcheting up of speeds that is now well defined: some devices/hosts/cables support 10Gbps signalling (and often cables not rated for 10Gbps still run it fine in my experience): USD 3.2 Gen 2 or Gen 2x1; 10Gbps. Either your host or your device might not support this signal speed, ok, sorry, no go. If you need more there's USB Gen 2x2, 10Gbps x 2. There was a time when 5Gbps x 2 was a thing, but 1x2 is kind of obsolete, kind of crap. Most cables do 10Gbps signalling, whether they advertise it or not: there's enough slot, enough to work. Needing a whole extra set of lanes is a much bigger ask. It's easy to get overwhelmed, but there's a middle-ground that's simply not worth evaluating, that doesn't actually really exist. USB 3.2 defined away & deprecated a lot of that questionable middle ground. Thankfully.

I don't see a lot of these issues as USB-C's fault. They're things USB in general did. What's missing from these mew'ings is recognition that USB-C also enabled it's killer feature: multiple channels/lanes. That we can plug in a USB-C connector & get USB3 AND DisplayPort, or USB3 AND HDMI is absolutely killer, just amazing leaps and bounds. It's such a huge win for connectivity. Giving us 3A/20V is another epic win. USB-C is just tops.

USB4 pivots us into a future where we no longer need dedicated lanes for different protocols. It is an epic leap forward. But I am so happy USB3 lead us here, opened the doors, became the one connector that could do it all. That it also happened to have some short-lived semi-confusing mixed modes... it's not 100% clear, but fuck it, it was an obvious & available & great engineering win at the time. Short-lived but it was part of the race for better & it cost us nearly nothing to add, was using the cables & transceivers we already had, so I get it. I am 100% sympathetic. This grumbling & grousing... it's pedantic & boring & irrelevant. Everything still worked, even if you weren't getting crazy speed. Most people won't notice nor care. Those who do care can figure it out in 15 minutes (after making the mistake once). USB-C rocks (particularly now that USB4 raises the bar, re-sets expectations, & does away with the USB3.2 multi-tiering).