Fair enough, I had no intention of starting an argument. I was just curious, that's all. It's one of the main features which defines the series for me and makes it stand out from the crowd (not just action-adventure games, but a lot of RPGs and open-world games which tend to be more story-driven). Complaining about such a fundamental feature is a bit like complaining that the gameworld is too open or that there's too much freedom to depart from the main quest line.
My problem with the "blank slate" beginning envisioned for Skyrim is that it's too bland and pointless. No - of course I don't want a pregenerated character - that's not the only alternative (thus false dichotomy) nor is it the position I hold (thus straw man). Have you looked at my characters in my sig? I play an Orc mage fergodsake. And a female Dunmer heavy armor tank. And that's precisely what I don't like about the new interpretation of "blank slate." I play an Orc mage and a female Dunmer tank (and a female Bosmer with a battleaxe, and a Nord battlemage, and an Orc thief, and a Breton swordsman, and so on) because I love the challenge of playing against the grain - of creating a character who's out of the ordinary and making it work. With attributes gone and racial differences hammered into doughy plainness - with no discernible differences between races and genders other than skin color and the presence or lack of pointed ears or a tail - with everything depending on which perks you pick - there's nothing to be gained from those characters any more. If my Orc mage is going to end up identical to a Breton mage who picks all the same perks, then I've lost part of the fun I got from past games.
That's why I'm disappointed with the "blank slate" beginning.