Request user choice for new defaults on startup
Currently, every time we introduce a new default, we deal with backlash from people who don't like the change and don't read the release notes to figure out how to tweak or disable the change entirely. Our job is not to try improve literacy, it's to try giving people less friction when adapting to changes.
What we could do to address this is to request user decision on startup every time a new version with new defaults is installed and run. Here is how Blender does it:
Some time earlier, @mitch and me discussed the possibility of resurrecting the startup dialog that offers options to either open a recent file or create a new one — mitch had it working (or almost working) years ago, but it was killed off by Peter Sikking.
Just like with Blender, the stage of picking defaults could be the first page of that dialog. So after a user launches a new version for the first time and picks defaults (the dialog should mention that everything can be changed in Preferences dialog at any time later), they will proceed to the startup dialog where they can open a recent file or create a new one.