The difference is that I can update all dependencies without having to verify whether they contain breaking changes, because I can just look at the number.

Conformism helps us think less. Imagine if every website had their own way of scrolling or logging in. Press T to login. Triple click here.

Semver helps me update 10 dependencies in 5 seconds without opening any release notes.

Developers are under no obligations, but one should not go out of their way to make others’ lives harder. Just use semver.