Yes, universal binaries do not help when it comes to supporting multiple distributions. However I have a problem with the fact that Linux people downright reject the entire idea as being "useless". This same attitude is the reason why inter-distro binary compatibility issues still aren't solved. Whenever someone comes up with a solution for making inter-distro compatible packages or binaries, the same knee-jerk reaction happens.

And yes, the developer must take care of packaging anyway. But that doesn't mean packaging can't be made easier. If I can skip the step "setup a cross compiler for x86_64" then all the better.