Everyone seems to forget why GNOME and GNOME 3 and Unity happened

Article note: I've never heard the "Threat of Microsoft asserting patents on Windows-Style WIMP desktops" theory for why that generation of UI development went so weird. The fact that Windows 8 went for a bunch of the same bad mobile-like (and OS X/OpenStep like which is frankly a regression from Windows-style in most regards) ideas as the Gnome people got caught up in doesn't seem to lend the idea much credibility.