(Maybe this was supposed to be a reply, instead of a top-level post?)
Anyways, as little as 20 years ago, you'd routinely need adapters when traveling from one European country to the next. That's hardly an issue anymore, and I consider this a vast improvement.
You say you have problems when traveling to "other continents", without saying which continent you start from. I'll assume you're from North America, because then you're indeed a bit out of luck, as this map shows: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/WorldMap_... However, that's a North American problem, not an international one.
As to your other point, I didn't cherry pick the examples, I addressed the examples from an article that argues the exact opposite.
I don't understand your retort about plug differences being a "North American problem." Just as an American needs adapters in Europe, a European needs adapters in the U.S. Not to mention that everyone is still potentially screwed across most of South America and Africa, and, indeed, most of Asia.
I'd love to see any data at all about this. Or even a few not cherry picked examples.
You also wrote: "The electric plug situation is rapidly improving".
I have seen zero evidence for this. I've yet to travel to any other continent without this being a problem.