There's an interesting article over at OSNews about Gentoo Linux and it's universally acknowledged biggest asset - the Portage package management system. As most people around here know, Gentoo is my distribution of choice, and I find the author's assertion that Gentoo should dumb itself down to appeal to the broadest possible audience unconvincing: He says:
Gentoo developers, this is not about giving up your beliefs, it is about providing the best for your users. Sometimes "best" is not what would actually be best, but what would be hassle-free for the user. Microsoft built an empire with this way of thinking.
I'm sorry, but I have a serious problem with that. Microsoft built an empire of shitware with that thinking, and everybody knows it. Would you tell a doctor he or she should only prescribe over-the-counter medication? Would you tell a professional plumber he had to use Drano? The fact is, there are different tools for different people and jobs. Gentoo is the Linux professional's tool, and it is no more intended for the Windows user than prescriptopn medicines are meant for Joe Sixpack.

We already have Red Hat, Mandrake, and SuSE to appeal to the Microsoft crowd, so why would we want to add another Windows clone to the mix?

The whole article is here.