I do agree that unix/linux was full applications written by neckbeards for neckbeards at one point. The push to have applications that are more usable is good. The problem is they have taken this too far, and the programs and DEs that are being created now are truly annoying to use, and harder to learn for anyone.
I think the biggest problem is that everything is being written for "The N00b". I don't think anyone has a very clear picture of who this person actually is, so they cut back functionality and UI elements to try to make it more friendly for this person. What you end up with is a DE like Gnome Shell, that is significantly different to what many people are used to, and takes longer to learn how to use. I also think many developers wouldn't actually use some of their applications, which leads to many more problems. There was a talk at an Australian linux conference recently where a speaker told the story of how he had tried to use evolution, but came across many bugs. After talking to the developers, he found that none of them used/tested the features he was using, so these kind of bugs can popup without soneone fixing them.
I think the biggest problem is that everything is being written for "The N00b". I don't think anyone has a very clear picture of who this person actually is, so they cut back functionality and UI elements to try to make it more friendly for this person. What you end up with is a DE like Gnome Shell, that is significantly different to what many people are used to, and takes longer to learn how to use. I also think many developers wouldn't actually use some of their applications, which leads to many more problems. There was a talk at an Australian linux conference recently where a speaker told the story of how he had tried to use evolution, but came across many bugs. After talking to the developers, he found that none of them used/tested the features he was using, so these kind of bugs can popup without soneone fixing them.