The bigger question here, IMHO, is how many neurologists actually use the McDonald criteria for diagnostic purposes?

Is it a guide or is it a requirement that they follow it to the letter for diagnosing?

There is no easy answer. It's subjective at best. Docs observations are subjective, even reading MRIs. The same patient can go to 3 different docs and get 3 different opinions as to whether or not they have MS. A good friend of mine has been dx, undx, and re dx by the same neuro over the past 4 years. He can't make up his mind. That's the trouble with NOT having a definitive test for a disease or disorder, whether it be MS or something else.

Putting the McDonald criteria in layman's terms may help PwMS understand it better but it's not going to change how the doctors use the information. It may help how we, as patients, ask questions, so that may be the value of breaking it down.