Thanks for the lwn link, it really helped to put things in a larger perspective. And I can't help but feel that Gnome is being used here to enforce systemd dependancy for reasons other than purely practical..

I think systemd is currently the best init system when it comes to potential, however I don't like how it 'swallows' other core components like udev as I think that might have a negative impact on possible alternatives being developed.

I think systemd should compete on it's merits and not by what seems like it becoming a dependency as part of an agenda rather than a practical necessity.