I agree with you, OP (postscript included). Suffice it to say, Microsoft's handling of the updates is unacceptable and worrisome. Yes, I can try to comfort myself by repeating trite things like "they're in it for the long haul", etc. but I'm concerned that either they 1) just don't get it and/or 2) they're hindered by their corporate culture. Yes, I don't want them to push an update that breaks phones but it's perfectly reasonable to expect that bug fixes would have come a long time ago, that NoDo would have been delivered in a timely and transparent manner and that NoDo would address more issues. I'll be so happy if this debacle just turns out to be a case of them getting their sea legs and not the beginning of a larger pattern of oopswedidn'tdoitagain.
(Of course, even though I just called Microsoft's actions (or lack thereof) unacceptable, I will accept them because I have no other choice. I'm a refugee from Windows Mobile, a supporter of several Microsoft products (Windows Live, Zune, Windows Media Center, Xbox, Office) and a prisoner of a two year contract. As much as I complain, I'm not going anywhere and I still strongly believe in the potential of the platform.)