Odhanan
Adventurer
That's not a very useful answer. I presume it wouldn't help if they renamed feats "talents" and skills "proficiencies"?
Do you hate character options outside class? (Then class specific bonus feats could still be ok.)
Do you hate the complexity they add? (Then a short list of simple feats could still be ok.)
I like OD&D. I like AD&D. I like B/X D&D. Look into them. These games do not include Skills or Feats. These games are part of the core of D&D as well. NO, it would not help to rename these "talents" or "proficiencies". There's a reason I quit the d20 system entirely (i.e. alluding to Star Wars Saga here and its talent trees) and a reason why I play First Edition and not AD&D 2nd edition with its Non-Weapon Proficiencies.
I mean. It's really not that complicated: either this game is for all the fans of D&D, or it isn't. If it's a game for people who like feats and skills, as I said, I'm cool with it. I'm fine, my hobby is fine, I have my D&D editions to play with my friends, I'm getting a reprint of the game as a treat from WotC, my retroclones to use and publish stuff for them under the OGL, I'm cool really.
But in the interest of being helpful here, if the WotC guys believe for a moment that Feats and Skills in the core-sans-modules of the game is a way to win over the fans of the game who do not play 3rd/4e/Pathfinder, they're either deluding themselves or have a serious problem understanding the D&D game in the first place.