>I don't know where this persistent myth comes from that people love choice and tinkering, because they clearly don't.

I think it really depends on the product.

If it's something like Photoshop or Vim which are used by professionals for multiple hours a day and productivity is to be maximised, customisation is not just a nice-to-have but a necessity. Power users appreciate it too.

You're absolutely right in 90% of the cases, though I'm not sure which box web search would fall into.