They’re a kind of modern version of web directories, and they failed for the same reason the original web directories did (spam/self-promotion, and outdated stuff).
The "actual awesome" lists were awesome, as every single software linked in those were good software.
But yeah, once "influencer developers" got a hold of the concept, misunderstood it to be an index rather than a curated list, it stopped loosing any value the concept had.
Now it's just random individuals who want to "own" a collection, but have zero care about the quality, and just merge whatever additions.
The "actual awesome" lists were awesome, as every single software linked in those were good software.
But yeah, once "influencer developers" got a hold of the concept, misunderstood it to be an index rather than a curated list, it stopped loosing any value the concept had.
Now it's just random individuals who want to "own" a collection, but have zero care about the quality, and just merge whatever additions.