@nprofile1q... @nprofile1q... You could still, hypothetically, use a single wire & solder on new connections like the old Ethernet method if you want.
You might have to use custom hardware to cope with that, though.
The plastic pins are a cost efficiency thing, I suppose. There's no real reason to not have that part be a metallic wraparound component, except that couldn't be molded and would cost a few fractions of a cent more per piece.