The thing which strikes me most is not the walking on eggshells around me, but rather the fear of the machine itself: people are literally afraid to break their computer, do something illegal, or lose their data, because they click left instead of right. That strikes me as being both technically and ethically /wrong/.

IMHO, Microsoft software has to take some of the blame - I use Excel heavily at work and still manage to almost lose data regularly by closing something which turns out to be an MDI rather than one spreadsheet. (Brain thinks “no!” but the “no” option on the dialogue box means “lose my data without saving”). I am well aware I could get used to it, and I don’t do it every time, but it’s still user-hostile because it’s one click from disaster.

The way I feel when I do that? Most computer users (that I know) feel that on all but the 10 most common clicks they make on a computer. That is a deeper malaise than a single UI innovation can cure. And the worst thing? It will take more than software which is merely friendly: it will have to be actively reassuring.

What used to be called - insultingly - “MS brain damage” is much closer to Stockholm Syndrome - “This software terrifies me, but the Unknown could be even worse”.

On reviewing, I realise this is kind of tangential to your post, but I thought you might appreciate a different take on it. Can I get an amen?