Why does half of HN seem intent on ruining the iPhone for the rest of us?

The explicit selling proposition of the iPhone is that it is a closed ecosystem. I and my family buy it for precisely this reason.

If you want a choice about what you install, you can have it! It's called Android, and hundreds of phone manufacturers are lining up to sell you a compatible handset. Leave us with the one phone manufacturer who has managed to reliably deliver a mostly safe and secure handset.