Which still has immense value.

It's standard practice to install outlets with NEMA connectors in North American buildings. Sure, you could technically swap those out with a more optimal connector that is "better" (one that prevents electricity from flowing while the plug is partially exposed, for example), but using the standard practice is best practice for human-shaped reasons that are often not apparent to early-career engineers.

I’m a bit confused with the analogy here. Would the non NEMA outlets work with my existing things or is the implication that they wouldn’t?

They wouldn't, but about half of the developers commenting here would do the equivalent of switching from NEMA to something else on the grounds that the something else is better.