Why the change in 7 so what is on iTunes doesn't match what is on the iPod?

Question

For podcasts in 6, if you let iTunes handle the sync and set it to "keep all unplayed", podcasts were not removed from iTunes until the "last played date" was populated. This allowed partially played podcasts to remain on the iPod until completed.
Now in 7, with the same settings, podcasts are removed from the iPod when the "unplayed flag" (blue dot in iTunes list) is off - which happens if it is played for any length (even if it was accidental - no way to reset the flag on iPod). It is not deleted from iTunes until the "last played date" has been filled in (when the last second of the file has been played). If you reset the unplayed flag on iTunes, it also resets the pointer in the file, so you lose your place of what you were listening to.
So effectively, in 6, iTunes and iPod both showed the same things (files and pointers) when you sync-ed. In 7, they don't and won't as "keep all unplayed" is not treated the same for both.
WHY? It was working. WHY CHANGE IT?!
If you wanted to "fix" something:
Get the iTunes to treat podcasts differently that other files. If my settings say "only sync podcasts marked in the list" then podcasts that are not marked in the list shouldn't be copied to my iPod. They don't show up in the podcast area but THE INDIVIDUAL FILES ARE COPIED INTO THE MUSIC SECTION! That takes up space on my iPod for things I set not to be there in the preferences! The only way to stop it is to set "sync only checked selections" and go thru the podcasts and individually "uncheck" everything in the podcasts I set for it NOT to include in the first place. Which also means that has to be done manually over and over when new podcasts I ONLY want on my PC in iTunes get new episodes.

Answer 1

This Apple knowledge-base article may help address that issue.
Strange iPod behaviour.