(Heard that from several different drywall guys up here, BTW.) My own experiences with texture haven't been good, either. Crank-'em-out new construction houses here just about always have textured walls and ceilings these days because the drywall crews don't have to be as careful about getting the walls perfect, the texture covers up any sloppiness and boo-boos.
:-) I actually find flat to be much more forgiving of patching and such than texture. Count me in with the no-texture camp, and I AM very opinionated about it.
