I don't know, I guess I am a Linux pseudo-elitist. I think that downloading and installing a distro is kinda like an entrance exam to the world of Linux. If you can't accomplish the simple research required to burn an iso, then you aren't ready for Linux. Doing the google searches and researching your hardware compatibility is a way to prove your commitment to learning something new. Once you've taken that step, then everything else is easy, because now you know that asking questions and reading documentation and google searces are how things get done in expertland. It's not just an installation, it's a "how-to-think-in-Linux" exercise.
Strangely, according to the article's definitions, I am a *nix expert.