Modern software controls dependencies because it helps software authors
Yes, nowadays it is very common for software to pin its version. This practice strikes me as questionable. One danger is that dependencies are not getting updated regularly and one day one find oneself depending on a very old version of a dependency. The other is that it may not always be possible&#x2F;practical for other people to be at the that exact version. Some libraries can depend on system libraries that cannot be easily upgraded. E.g., numpy depends on underlying system libraries and it is not always possible to choose whatever version. GUI-libraries ultimateley depend on system GUI-libraries which also, practically speaking, cannot be updated to any random version.<p>It sure is a pain that occasionally a dependency breaks. One question that one can ask, though, is whether one wants to experience that pain sooner or later. I am thinking of <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;martinfowler.com&#x2F;bliki&#x2F;FrequencyReducesDifficulty.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;martinfowler.com&#x2F;bliki&#x2F;FrequencyReducesDifficulty.ht...</a> here.