I like gritty skills in Rolemaster and Runequest (and probably would like them in GURPS, too, if I were to play it), but for me they are a poor fit for D&D in the way 3E grafts them on, because I find their grittiness clashes with other non-gritty parts of the system.Though in my heathen nature I must still say I liked 3e more... but I'm a dirty gritty skills lurving type... which is why I loves my GURPS (even if she is needless complicated sometimes).
I recognise that others (including you!) have different preferences, and find different combinations and contrasts of mechanics to be appealing or unappealing. I don't see the point of trying to show that one of is "truer" to D&D's tradition than is the other. If we ever have to game together I'm pretty sure we'll find some sort of compromise - until then each of us can play what we like, and post about it on messageboards!