It absolutely has something to do with programming. The economics of programming make behavior like this deeply foolish. In other circumstances it can be reasonable. And some of the ways of solving the problem are software specific.

But that doesn't really matter. You cite the rules as the authority for what should be there. I agree that the users and the rule-writers have different ideas about what the site should be. I'm saying the rule-writers are wrong, just like the Friendster rule-writers were wrong.