It hurts Ubuntu like it hurts other downstream distros: more work they have to do to use Gnome bits.
Check the thread on desktop-devel about adding something to control center. The common practice would be to fork something and carry patches, which is work and not something downstreams would be too keen on doing.
Yes, core gnome would still be "available", but it would be more work and harder to get to the interesting bits and break away from the stuff that, frankly, Gnome doesn't do well for which better alternatives exist. Gnome is going monolithic instead of modular, and that is bad for everyone that won't use a stock gnome.
Check the thread on desktop-devel about adding something to control center. The common practice would be to fork something and carry patches, which is work and not something downstreams would be too keen on doing.
Yes, core gnome would still be "available", but it would be more work and harder to get to the interesting bits and break away from the stuff that, frankly, Gnome doesn't do well for which better alternatives exist. Gnome is going monolithic instead of modular, and that is bad for everyone that won't use a stock gnome.