On the upgrade to the EC+ seats, I think that they should remove Silver from the equation. For Gold, I am ok with it - since very often in my experience, on a full flight, because for whatever reasons, for the connecting flights, especially Short-Mid haul flights - they get filled with very obvious non-FF.
Even now - at some outstation - if you ask nicely at the check-in counter (especially managed by 3rd parties) as a Gold, you do get assigned these EC+ seats.
So I do welcome this move.
Cheers!