I've been thinking about this, while I don't disagree that doing something different is good and I have used alternative baits, I've got to play devil's advocate on some points.
How can you say a hair rigged prawn wouldn't have caught in the same situation?
Also people still catch a lot of fish using frippery I don't think you can say that the hair rig has blown, and there are many other rigs people use in certain situations, might be a variation on a theme but people use what they have confidence in.it might not be your thought process but it is still valid,and not everybody does exactly the same thing.
And this isnt a dig as i can see that there is some merit in freelining, it's something I used to use many years ago and quite successfully,but it isn't a solution that covers the whole of carp fishing,it is limited mainly to a close in stalking scenario.
Stalking 101 regardless of set up = finding the fish, set a trap,keep quiet and hopefully catch them.