I think the problem is that the original plugin which many sites adopted and implemented extensively is now marked end-of-life despite not offering a practical bridge to the new.
I’ve just implemented some KM on a site using the new plugin, so the experience is fresh in my mind. Having to curate an index topic to see anything in the docs view feels really inelegant. Implementing the old plugin was comparatively seamless, providing a decent tag taxonomy existed.
I can understand that new needs drove for the creation of Discourse Doc Categories but by your own admission we’re stuck between an experimental plugin that doesn’t meet current needs and the old plugin which has a finite lifespan.