Ditch gnome. Lubuntu, Xubuntu or Linux Mint offer alternatives (xfce and lxde) that follow the old desktop paradigm. You have options. Some people like the direction ubuntu is going...
If you are not one of those happy with ubuntu, just look elswere for the thing that makes you click. This is not intended to be a troll post. I trully believe that diversity is a strenght and in this sense, ubuntu is contributing a lot. Maybe just it's not for you.
I had the same thought myself. Those icons should be out of my way most of the time but maybe it's dangerous to put them close to scrollbars at the right edge of windows. An old school applications menu or even a bottom-of-the-screen dock (which is one of the reasons I don't like Macs) seems a better solution to me.
There is an option that sets the bar to be shown only if you get the mouse pointer at the ubuntu logo (top left). Its way better than the default option (show if the mouse hits any part of the left edge). To people hwo don't know unity, the default option is more dicoverable, but if you already know that the bar exists, I advice you to change this behavior
Then, during credits you see a little evil message:
This movie came as a warning. Today we fixed the problem. Who knows if we are gonna be able to do it next time?
Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death. -- James F. Byrnes