old way of thinking:
"I prefer lower gearing than my traditional double offers, I will switch to a triple and use all the gears."

new way:
"Oh no, I have a triple, I must never let anyone catch me using it or I will forever be ridiculed. I will only use it if it is the only alternative to walking."

newer way:
"I have a triple and I am going to use the gears to maintain cadence up this hill. Wow, I am at the front of the group, the same group that used to pull ahead of me, and I am not nearly as winded as I used to be. It must be beneficial to use this triple for purposes other than bailouts. I must spread the word to other triple users so that they too can experience this effective climbing technique."

It is new in regards to recent attitudes towards the usage of a triple chain ring, i.e. bailout gear only.