Comment 7 for bug 996604

Most users, specially those migrating from other OS, only use one workspace. Having four workspaces is confusing for those users, as it's easy to loose windows. I installed Ubuntu in more than twenty laptops (friends and family) and NOBODY is using more than one workspace, so I always reduce the number of workspaces from four to one. As I said, I do that because sometimes they accidentally moved a window to another workspace and could not find it.

I think it's a mistake that Ubuntu doesn't provide an easy way to change the number of workspaces in the default installation, or the option to remove the workspace switcher icon from the dash. They are imposing their default settings to the users, making it harder to change them and not caring about bugs if you are not using these default settings. Before Unity, it was very easy to change the number of workspaces, as it is very easy to do it in Gnome Shell. The current direction Ubuntu is taking is to remove the options to customize your desktop (eg. unity "dodge windows" behaviour). Even if their decisions are the least convenient for users...

BTW, I don't think changing the number of workspaces is "tweaking every single possible compiz setting".