No, the former behavior of @replies was not confusing. That you just arbitrarily changed it is.
Most of my best “Twitter friends” I found by checking them out after someone I was already following replied to them. Now that you’ve removed that ability, we’re all roped up inside our little circles of existing followers.
Please give us the option back. Removing an “option” is what’s confusing here — it’s an OPTION! Now you’re just disenfranchised all of us who wanted it. Nicely done.

