Comment 5 for bug 504405

As an aside, yes, GNOME made their keyboard policy first. But ctrl-tab as a document-switching method has taken on much more ubiquity than GNOME's human interface guidelines, and the conflict is unavoidable.

Especially since Ubuntu has at least two programs, then - and popular they are - where tab-switching is inconsistent with the rest of the Ubuntu desktop. Leaving the inconsistency in place is just another reminder of the incompleteness of the UI experience, but subtle enough that people might overlook it. That is, a paper-cut, per Ubuntu's definition.

Ubuntu should expect the best of itself - and GNOME, to make a polished interface that people can enjoy.