There are definitely better smart pointer semantics than others -- see the now deprecated auto_ptr.

But it really doesn't fit the argument as framed. All smart pointer implementations are some valuable niceties wrapped around a naked pointer. It has nothing to do with preferring references to pointers; at the end of the day you just have a pointer -- just one that gets default initialized to 0, and deletes itself when you are done with it.

Frankly, the type of C++ developer that spends any serious amount of time trying to come to terms with a smart pointer API; even one they haven't seen before is the type of developer I wouldn't really want manipulating naked pointers.