There are many that just "search and do" the first thing that comes up... later to find out that the reason it came up was because of complaints about the "package or process".

I've now fixed about 20 Ubuntu "screw-ups" from former RedHatters/Fedorians that R&R all the time, but bitch and moan when problems occur on transitional problems without re-install.

I show them the ways to fix the issues and all of a sudden lights go off above their heads, very visibly. Most are getting the ideas about being smarter in packaging selections and using the better ways of getting what they want. Rather than doing an alien conversion of RedHat v9 packages and forcing them on to Ubuntu 6.10, because that is all they could find, dude. Never once thinking to look at universe or multiverse or even debian or debian-multimedia types of thing.


edit:
One other thing, a machine I have here is upgraded from Potato to Woody to Sarge, soon to be Etch. I see no reason to "re-install" it. Though the 8.4GB boot drive is starting to hum really bad. I might transfer it to a new (as in vacuum packing from RMA-ville) 40GB drive.

I also have (the machine I am typing on) a continuous Sid rolling update, so basically I get to do 400+ packages a week during non-freeze times. Of course, during the freeze about 15-50 packages a day are from experimental... I also am tracking the "experimental" kernel builds.