Again, we all agree charming existed in classic: no one is saying otherwise. But look, you and I were on the same server: do you remember Dome, a Druid in your guild (he also had an Enchanter named Domey)? Do you happen to know if Dome charm soloed his way to 60? I can tell you, he didn't.
Dome's most elite XPing strategy was to quad Barbarians/Dwarves (not knowing this, when I later inherited his account, I would get Dome killed several times by visiting Butcherblock/Everfrost
[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]). It wasn't because he didn't know how to play his character, and it certainly wasn't his Internet connection, because like many in Club Fu he played from a gaming center with a T1.
So, he had a good connection, he was in the most powerful and knowledgeable guild on the server, and yet he completely eschewed animal charming (which every Druid here will happily tell you is an amazing way to get XP) ... why?
I submit that it's not because charming didn't exist: as you noted Fu absolutely charmed. I'd also submit that it's not because he was a dummy or had a bad connection. The most logical explanation I can see is that,
it was because charming wasn't as safe and as easy on live as it is here.