When the game launched, the tracker was great - “these are nearby, hot, cold, warmer, colder.” They’ve now taken it to the most extreme other end.

The game was functional when the in-game tracker was in place. It was challenging, but fun. This version of the game is what you are describing as the true Pokemon Trainer experience they were trying to create.

People who are upset want to catch them all. I am one of those people. Luckily, I caught a lot of stuff before this update, and I should be able to fill out most of my Pokedex. The rest will likely have to be gained through eggs. I accept that.

Gaming communities are devilishly efficient at finding ways to cheat. Was PokeVision and other apps like it too powerful? Absolutely. Did they offer a way to effectively search for nearby Pokemon while the tracking feature was essentially useless? Yes - and that is why people turned to them.