http://xkcd.com/606/

I know this doesn't address your point, but here's a couple ideas to solve those problems.

If you're using Gnome, try Gnome Art Next-Gen. It's not very polished, but it has a simple GUI that lets you customize your UI easily.

And about stuff working out-of-the-box? I know "try another distro" is a worn-out answer, but seriously... instead of installing Ubuntu, next time try Linux Mint. It's an Ubuntu-derivative that has lots of extra stuff already set up (Flash, Java, codecs, DVDs, mp3s...). It goes a long way toward making the "bare basics" work immediately, so there's less stuff you have to tinker with to get it functional. Although I still like to install VLC.

Yes, it's usually available for me by 3:00 AM US Central time.

Maybe you would be able to if GM could create new autos the same way Microsoft creates new copies of XP.

You can't know if anyone else wants to use it before you release it.

Because the alternative (simply keeping it to yourself) has a zero percent chance of being useful to someone else.

So if you have a little app you wrote for yourself, you think, well it can't do any harm if I make this available. Maybe some will find it useful.

If someone downloads it and gets angry that you won't listen to them, that's their problem. "No warranty" kinda sucks in this way, but it gets you a heck of a lot more free stuff.

Thank you. This is one of the more insightful posts I've read lately. Unfortunately if you try to defend anything remotely socialistic in this country, you will probably just be labeled a socialist and promptly ignored.

Don't know if the speeds have changed now, but that page is showing comparisons between different versions of OO 2.4.