The DMG 2 of 4e changed my perspective on skill challenges, and helped me devise much better ones. Published adventures that came later in 4e did a good job with skill challenges, too.
I am all for roleplaying, but I don't want D&D to go back to this sort of rp interaction:
DM: You manage to track down the merchant's contact in the tavern
Player1: We go over, as a group, and talk to him.
(exchange of dialog, improv-acting, or 3rd-person description)
DM: Hmm . . . the contact isn't convinced to help you.
Player2: The party forms a semicircle around the contact to intimidate him.
DM: Hmm . . . um, sure, he's now intimidated.
Also, this interaction from 2nd-3rd edition to be problematic:
DM: You tracked down the merchant contact.
Player1: The party's rogue, with a high diplomacy skill, tries to convince the merchant to give the vital information.
(exchange of dialog, improv-acting, or 3rd-person description)
DM: Okay, roll, but I'll give +2 in your favor.
Player1: *rolls* Yuck, I rolled badly.
DM: Ah, well, the merchant is unconvinced.
I liked skill challenges, because when done well, it moves away complete DM arbitration, and also means that an important exchange is settled with more than one die roll.