From what I remember reading about the spec, USB-C feels like an attempt to make things simpler for users (one plug for everything!) and manufacturers (here's all the things you can do, but they're all optional!) simultaneously, which of course just makes things more complicated for everyone.
With USB-A and -B, there is a physical indication of the direction of flow (data and/or current). Just "connecting" two things is sometimes unambiguous, but sometimes it's not.