Hi all. I'm the original author of this thread over at anandtech. The person who reposted the content here notified me after he did so, and presumably after it was suggested he do so by some of you. While I'd prefer to be asked prior to someone reposting it, I don't really mind, though I obviously don't plan on keeping the post up to date over here.
The recommended parts in that list are based on technical specs, value/price, professional reviews, personal experience, user reviews from message boards and newegg, etc. A fair amount of thought has gone into it, though I've been very open to suggestions for improving the list and continue to be receptive to anyone who can make a compelling argument that a part be added or deleted, or wording changed.
It seems many people have found it helpful over on the anandtech boards. I wrote it after noticing that there seemed to be fairly close consensus on which parts provided the best performance/price ratios within certain price-ranges. Though I agree all users have somewhat different needs, most aren't unique and can be accommodated with a system comprised of components from the list. I've kept the post updated over the past few months at anandtech, including updates regarding the new nVidia and ATI GPU's, the P45 chipset, the VelociRaptor release, etc as they occurred.
The list was also prompted by the fact that many posters seemed to consistently ask the same questions and make the same "mistakes" on a daily basis, and this post was an effort to help remedy that. I hope it provides those who haven't kept up with recent hardware developments a basis from which they can then ask more concise and intelligent questions on the message board.
I'm not an Intel fanboy. I agree the AMD section could be more extensive, but it would likely lead to more confusion, and is not really necessary given the fact that Intel has a substantial lead over AMD in terms of chip performance and value at this point in time. Here's to hoping that changes - I love competition such as what exists in the GPU segment currently since it leads to such nice rapid price drops.
In short, consider this post a supplement to the excellent personalized advice you all provide, not a substitute.