Thunderstone: I'm not going to bother going through this whole thread, I'm just going to give my opinion based on what I've seen in the OP.
I'm not wild about Steam either, and I get why you don't like it. The thing is, we get a lot of "I hate Steam Threads" and it becomes extremely predictable and annoying for the regular users here. Double the annoyance when you insult people.
Haters: "I hate Steam because of the DRM/Account tied/region pricing/etc"
Usuals: "I use Steam because it is convenient/auto-patches/etc" (these people can swing either way towards disliking it or liking it)
Neutrals: "I don't use Steam but I can see why people do"
Zealots: "Steam only; no Steam no buy. Steam is god"
Anti-DRM zealots: "Fuck Steam and all DRM systems!"
I would add another category - Casual - I use Steam because there is no other way to play this game - Skyrim - Fallout NV