0_0 The entire Portal uses it. Personally, I first learned about it from an online player from the Portal, and Gorboonov actually sent me the link (do you know him?)

I wouldn't throw around words like that, entire, everyone... I didn't have that file. Now I looked into the treasure trove, and indeed remembered seeing a file that reduces animation time, but I had no need for it. The name is unfamiliar to me because it's not listed in the treasure trove.

If we approach it formally, that file is NOT a program and NOT code. Consequently, it is not a violation.
But essentially vbn accidentally put himself in conditions of even deliberately worse generation, if we average across many cases. However, in this specific case he got lucky, although purely generating can yield even better results.

If we approach it formally, then of course it's not a program. So let's just go poking around in all resource files, for example. Or straight into saves, why stop there? Let's give ourselves 5000000 gems and forget about taking those griffin conservatories? Then we'll bulge our eyes and say: Why was it nullified? There was no use of programs.
The gameplay was altered. Whether it affected the walkthrough speed or not, I don't know. But the very fact of interference in the game was undeniable. Consciously or not, intentionally or not, that's a secondary question. And if we follow your logic, any interference can be justified.