I think we agree it is a matter of aesthetics. I add in case of the implied context (application fonts), that is vanity since it apears there is much investment in the technology for little or no added benefit. Arbitrary scale, for instance, is not needed for general display of information. The only place I've seen it needed is desktop publishing. Desktop publishing can be considered a specical case, and characters for the most part can be treated like any other shape.
Aesthetically I find current user interfaces repulsive. Gnome, KDE, OS X, Windows XP have all taken the same path. Lots of what is called "eye candy" (vanity), little of any actual thought is put into these interfaces. It is not too different from the latest blockbuster movies when you think about it. Perhaps this is something that is intrinsic in our present culture. In any event I'd like to show that a different way is possible.