I wonder if this is specific to YouTube in any way. E.g., I'd stop visiting xkcd if Randall didn't keep uploading regularly. Most open source projects (including mine) turn into GitHub graveyard because we can't provide even the most basic maintenance and support.
Lots of traditional-media pop stars have also famously burnt out.
In general, it is hard work to cultivate a proper institution that spreads out the load and makes this sustainable. And the skill for managing that is never really taught anywhere. Most "lone artists" don't even realize it's needed until it's too late. And that's where most of this frustration stems from. Culturally we focus too much on that one "big break", or the "eureka moment".
I don't see how this is political. In that link he presents actual problems that have arisen from non-blocking versions. I'd call that a technical justification.
I don't necessarily agree with his justification, but that's also a difference in technical opinion. The only way I'd fault him is if I can come up with a an approach that addresses his concerns yet he still refuses to accept them.
Full disclosure: I've actually interacted with him on a few occasions. IMO calling him risk/change-averse would be an understatement, which partly explains this stance. While at times frustrating for us, this is exactly the quality you want in someone maintaining such a critical part of the kernel.
Wrapping around sides isn't easy because chips are cut from a single large wafer pretty late in manufacturing. The sides aren't exposed until the end.
Besides, it won't help much. Usually when people want to shrink chips, it's often because shorter links. This means lower latency (ie faster) and lower heat loss. Wrapping or stacking doesn't help those.
I thought I was imagining that! If somebody knows a good JavaScript profiler, I might send a screenshot of that to the author. Hopefully they will choose a better outlet next time, or fix the Politico site.