> While
> many do play with such features, and are likely to do so, the great
> ergonomic lesson of the last twenty years is that wide variations in
> UI are expensive to maintain and result in products that are
> difficult to learn and use.

Yes, but the last 20 years consisted primarily of a closed source culture.
When the burden of maintenance is placed on a relatively small group of
developers, the cost is prohibitive.  Not so in open source where the
developer and consumer can be one individual.  In this regard, I think the
next 20 years will be much more interesting.

I believe people will (and do) decorate their desktops in a similar manner
that people decorate their homes.  Declaring that someone's scroll bars are
ugly is the social equivalent of walking into their home and telling them
they should reconsider their choice in window blinds.

- Stephen