What is with all these Linux distributions?

Doesn’t it seem a bit ridiculous that there are so many Linux distributions? I had recently read an article where some guy was lamenting about five Linux distributions which they believe need some TLC (Note: I did not say THC 🙂 ). That is five extra Linux distributions, on top of the five main Linux distributions which just about everybody knows about and from which every other Linux distribution is based off of. Not only that, they all claim pretty much the same thing. Everything just works out of the box, blah, blah, blah. I would consider that a standard for today’s Linux operating systems, not something to use as a selling point. Here we have around ten Linux distributions and we have some one looking at trying Linux out because windows has cra…. foobarred in it’s bed one too many times and the average Joe Blo is finally saying enough. So what happens?