I'm sure I'm going to take some heat for this post, but I feel it needs to be said.
Hams across the board should be embracing this new leap, and it is just that, in radio technology. But from what I'm seeing it's just not happening. I see complaining about the user interface (really missing the point folks), while the majority of folks miss the looming gift that has been given to us, a gift which further allows ham radio to stay at the forefront of tech and fix a few "problems" that some folks like to gripe about but never have a solution to.
As I see it software defined radio is an open door that if promoted properly would bring many, many new folks into out community, and realize that the people coming in through projects like GNU Radio are talented and highly intelligent folks. In fact they are the type of people that 20 years ago would have been the tinkers, the guys building rigs from scratch, developing new operating modes, etc. It's just that the tech world is heavily software-centric now. There is only a small community of hardware hackers nowadays (although it looks like hobbyist electronics and homebrew is making a strong comeback), instead the majority of the sharpest tech-minded folks, the ones developing disruptive technology, are poking around in code.
So from that angle this solves the worry and possibly the real issue of being flooded with, as the tone seems to denote, less than desirable people spoiling the ham community now that the code requirement has been pulled from general and up.
Secondly and most importantly, software defined radio is an extremely powerful tool for advancing radio technology. In every other piece of promo literature the claim that amateur radio had and is ahead of the technology curve is hyped. And this was true for the longest time, but honestly the current state of amateur radio tech isn't much to write home about. Sorry IRLP isn't that revolutionary nor is PSK31. Now being able to go from idea, to prototype, proof of concept and into application for a new protocol/operating mode in a time span as short as a few days (no hardware to build, reduced expenses, etc.) creates an environment that fuels innovation and lowers the barrier or even removes the barrier to breakthroughs and innovation.
What we have here is an awesome opportunity to update the state of amateur radio, bring valuable people assets into the fold, continue the greatest traditions and contributions of amateur radio and just plain have fun with pushing the boundaries of what is possible in communications.