> Why do people feel compelled to even consider it to be a battle?

Because words have specific meanings. There’s a specific expectation when using them. It’s like if someone said “I can’t install this app on my iPhone” but then they have an android phone. They are similar in that they’re both smartphones and overall behave and look similar, but they’re still different.

If you are told an api is restful there’s an expectation of how it will behave.