Originally Posted by Gille

I'm thinking you guys don't have a clue what widgets are in WordPress... Widgets is not a way of coding, it's a plugin. It doesn't matter if you put it in lists or in divs... It's a WordPress plugin that lets you add sidebar items dynamically without having to edit your source-code.

Those saying widgets don't allow flexibility are wrong. If you are unable to use widgets, it's either because it would have no purpose or it is because of poor code. It is easily possible to have n sidebars, and to be able to "widgetize" them all.

For a clear definition, visit this page.