Are Gift Cards evil?

I was reading a recent article that likened gift cards of all sorts as "the best insult money can buy". I started to think to myself, are they really that terrible of an idea?

I guess I am a lucky person, I get ideas for people's gifts weeks, even months in advance. All that means is I have time to think about what a person likes and get him or her something that I know they will use or love to own. Its only when I cannot think of something to give that I would resort to giving out gift cards, but even then I am selective as to how to approach giving one. Instead of thinking about what a person likes, I think about what store would they benefit the most from shopping at.

Its pretty easy to shop for my friends. Evelyn loves chotchkies and curios, so something from a local shop would be better. Yolie would get something from an import store, since she loves imported items. Teddy is more of an electronics guy, so any electronics store would suffice. Joe is a hardcore anime and gamer, so any videogame store would do. Ivette? Bookstore gift cards, duh.

But then you get some people who are an enigma. If I were up against the wall, I would get an American Express gift card, so they could spend the cash anywhere they want, like a credit card. Those are some of the best gift card ideas ever.

Did I give any gift cards out this year? Nope. Everyone I bought an item for everyone, tailored to what they like and personality is. If theres one thing I know, I know my friends.