Rooting...Why?

" First question we'll tackle is "what is root?":
To have root access on a linux based system such as android means you have the equivalent access of Administrator on a Windows based computer. You will have unrestricted full access to nearly all aspects of the android system stack.

Second question "why would i want to obtain root access on my phone":
For those of us who would like an extreme level of control over our phone's files, root access is a necessity. Having a rooted phone gives the end user unprecedented control over the phone, enabling them to have limitless possibilities. Essentially unlocking your phone's full potential. With root/superuser access on your phone you would be able to flash modified roms (roms from other devices) , have access to certain functions on "root only" applications (example: wireless tether for root users - ability to tether your phone). The possibilities are endless.

Third question "how do i obtain root access on my phone (and keep it)":
To obtain root access, akin to jailbreaking, developers/hackers will need to find a system exploit that enables them root access.

WARNING:
In addition to voiding your warranty,
There are many risks associated with rooting your phone. The most apparent risk is bricking your device. If this happens,

Your phone is and forever will be, nothing more than, a brick.

So far, there are no software solutions for a bricked device. Your phone will be stuck at the splash loading screen indefinitely.
The only for sure way to brick your device is to corrupt both the recovery image and the secondary program loader and the actual rom itself (assuming you have a recovery image that can flash modified roms, an SPL that can fastboot, and a rom with root access)
As long as you have at least one of the three items listed, you are not the proud owner of a bricked device and can recovery your phone.
It is only when you are unable to enter recovery, fastboot, or your rom, and your device is stuck on the splash screen indefinitely, do you have a bricked device.

How do I brick my device?:
In most cases, you really have to try, to brick your device. As long as one of the three safetys built into your phone are functioning, you should have no problem resurrecting your phone. "

Hope this helps. Many people use it to remove things that they don't want, like Corporate Calendar. They do so at the risk of removing something important, so I left everything intact. I simply rooted in order to gain superuser permissions (the little ninja) so I could load a custom ROM onto the Droid.

Very nice explanation, Chief. Believe me, Lewi, you would never get that in depth an answer at another forum.

I think it's very fair to say that nobody needs to root the Droid. It's a very powerful device that offers a level of customization that a phone like the iPhone could never have. If the Droid is a Ferrari, rooting is the after-market products you add to optimize the performance and unlock the vehicle's true potential.

I rooted b/c after waiting and waiting for 2.1, I was starting to feel as I did when I had the Dare. You're a former Dare owner, so I'm sure you remember how we were always waiting for firmware updates to fix what should have never needed fixing, and those were far and few between. And then there was version 7, which never came.

Rooting the Droid insures that I don't have to wait for Google, Motorola, or Verizon to do anything. There's plenty of brainy people out there who create these roms who are just itching to get the most out of their devices. It's certainly not for everyone due to the risks Chief made us aware of. But these same brainy people have figured out ways lessen the risk, which made it worth it to me.

And what proved to be the biggest reason I wanted to root was "clocking". Sure, I wanted to overclock the Droid's processor, and let me tell you it's a dream. But I also love that I can underclock it when the Droid is in sleep mode (whenever the screen is not on), which saves battery.

Overclocking requires root, but not necessarily a ROM. SetCPU from the market will run on any rooted Droid without your having to do a lot of heavy modification. Like YankeeDudeL said, that's reason enough to root. Some folks just took it further.

For example: As a root user, you can easily change your Droid to view YouTube videos in High Quality by default, not having to select it every time. A standard user can't do that.

im not seeing any reply from chief...am i missing something? cause i kind of trust his opinion, and that of our old forum mates.

Just fixed it.

I'm still working on fixing all the little markup differences.