It's not related to contributed modules so much, but I'd actually like to see us have more top level admin sections rather than less - the current split between content, building, reports, users and configuration doesn't really work out in practice. Several core menu items are mis-placed - 'post settings' in content, and simpletest in site building, for example. So while there may well be contrib modules which are abusing this (and I definitely think panels /doesn't/ abuse it), core could do a lot better to provide homes for some of these menu items.<br>
<br>See <a href="http://drupal.org/node/228236">http://drupal.org/node/228236</a> for the core issue dealing with this.<br><br>Nat<br>