I'm probably going to get a lot of flack as well, but I agree with the author. The problem is that a number of the unsolicited redesigns come from a standpoint

I'm probably going to get a lot of flack as well, but I agree with the author. The problem is that a number of the unsolicited redesigns come from a standpoint that is often ignorant of the stuff that matters: client requirements, existing user data, targets, different kinds of limitations (budgetary, technological, timelines, etc. - basically what the author said, and are thus often (always?) created in a perfect world-type vacuum. If you've worked on (by that I mean you've lead the design on) medium to large sites - the kind that involves teams bigger than 5 people (not including the client's people), and involve thousands of uniques per month, monthly turnovers of hundreds of thousands of dollars, A/B tests, and lots more, you'll understand where the author is coming from. Also, try putting yourself in the initial designer's shoes: you've worked on a site for over 5 months, dealt with weekly client meetings, countless emails, dozens of requirements, digested analytics, studied results of A/B tests, learned about subtle yet important factors, such as the difference between "buy now" and "add to cart" was an additional $50k each month, and then suddenly Random Designer A goes: "hey, look how I made this sooooo much more pretty!" While young designers may think that the original designer's reaction is something that a grumpy old fart would make; to more experienced designers, all that Random Designer A did was expose his inexperience.