nobody complained about it, because it wasn't top. when youre at the top a light is brightly shined on you. Damage wise, all affliction is losing is sniping shards. the damage from reap soul and artifact can be rolled back in passively.
Playstyle wise, reap soul and the other things being gone is making the spec atrociously boring.
affliction can be buffed where its still as dominant as to what it does now, but with the changes, how you do that will be the major part; its boring now.