Well we've had some interesting answers so far, thanks all.
I only ever found clutchless changes to be an improvement on the norm with unsynchro'd gearboxes in trucks, synchro baulks the seamless shift too much for me car or truck, though some boxes are better than others and the lovely older Ford and Japanese boxes were real delights and some as noted above still are.
The violent changes i've witnessed recently seemed to be exacerbated by trying to rush the box and revving too high and then allowing revs to drop too much when the rushed change was missed, and as said above usually accompanied by unsympathetic violent ham fisted operation of steering and brakes making progress slow and lurching, despite constant rushing pushing and shoving and tailgaiting in traffic.
I try to make my changes imperceptable and seamless smooth even unaccompanied, don't know whether thats pride in doing it properly or mechanical sympathy, probably a bit of both.
Without doubt good driving practice does lead to long term vehicle life makes for faster smoother progress and is more economical.
Another aside i'll slip in here whilst talking (rubbish as usual) about driving finesse is those same drivers inability to approach traffic lights or junctions with a view to maintaining momentum, race up to junction and brake hard instead of timing ones approach to take advantage of probable flow, which then entails more rushed mistimed fluffed ham fisted gearchanges as this thread started often preceded by a stall...doh.
My new work truck surprised my by A being manual and B having extremely low engine speed capability...could have been designed 25 years ago and a delight to drive after the frustrating experience that overcomplicated automated manuals have been since 2003, coupled to engines that were incapable of operating below 1000 rpm.
I'm undecided about the 6 and no doubt soon to be 7 speed manual boxes found in modern cars, far too much work involved it seems to me one one hand, but having witnessed the 15/1600 rpm at around 70mph cruising of the daughters new to her 320CD BMW in 6th knowing the economy involved, and to be fair the engine on that is very tractable too and the gearbox pleasant i may have to rethink my stubborn refusal to go back to manual at some point.
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