If Adobe can go back to the core idea of LR and focus on cataloguing, speed, rendering quality and ditch fluffy ideas like MAP, BOOK, SLIDESHOW, WEB (leave those to dedicated programs that do them just A LOT better) I think the program would be a much better user experience.
Ahhh ... unless I am mistaken, the Slideshow and Web modules have been there from the very beginning (Core Idea components in Lr) and the Map and Book modules were later added in response to user requests. There is no justifiable reason that the Library and Develop module suffer because the other modules exist.
For myself, I actually hide the Book, Maps, Slideshow and Web modules. I don't hide them because they add
'bloat' to my workflow and hog resources needlessly, I hide them because they only offer a lack-luster option for their intended use.
The whole impetus of Lr was to offer a mostly complete one-stop-shop for many of the routine tasks that photographers face in taking a RAW capture to a deliverable format for the end user or client. When I worked with Aperture ... and could create books/albums to my own user selectable page size, margins and bleeds, then print them ANYWHERE I wished ... Create impactful and attention grabbing slideshows using multiple transitions, unlimited title pages, multiple music tracks all with timeline interaction and customization .... while directly accessing my RAW files, never having to create derivative files to hand off to another software option ... now THAT is a workflow solution that results in less work for the end user. Tools which offer solutions and results should rarely be considered bloat.
In my estimation, the Lightroom Book, Map, Slideshow and Web modules are not undesirable or unwanted bloat. They simply lack some key capabilities to increase their value to more users. Unfortunately, these modules falls short, they are rendered useless for many users needs. If these tools were more fully developed and capable, I'd wager they would become much more popular and more widely accepted by Lr users.
I make books. Lots of books. I don't print my books with Blurb. (not because I don't like Blurb ... because Blurb doesn't offer the sizes, page and cover materials I offer my customers) ... which renders the module useless for any Lr user who would like to print books elsewhere and require a different template setup.
I sell a lot of multi-media slideshows. But the Lr Slideshow is so limited and hamstrung ... again, it's nearly useless for what I wish to offer. The Web module has suffered in relative obscurity since v1 that it is so far behind the curve to remain a forward-thinking solution, even when utilizing some third party plugins. Heck, it took up until very recently for Adobe to finally see the light and get rid of the Flash templates.
My thoughts have always been ... if they are going to offer these modules ... take on the task fully and make them the best possible solutions they can be ... if Adobe needs inspiration, they only had to look at the Slideshow and Books capability of Aperture 3 ... although it has reached EOL status ... those options blow their Lr counterparts out of the water still today.
I, for one, not only embrace the concept that my software be capable of doing more tomorrow ... I've come to expect it. If done well, it doesn't have to be considered needless bloat.