Indexed DT is great - I fondly remember the 8 sp Athena drivetrain I used in the mid-90s - crisp positive shifting, never needed adjustment, looked great. However, would I revert from my current 10 sp Campag Ergo to DT? Never, except maybe as a nostalgia trip. Ergos address most/all of your perceived criticisms of brifters:
Ergos are identical in size and form, and only marginally heavier than standard brake levers (My Chorus brifters have CF levers and (AFAIK) bodies).
The levers themselves remain dedicated brake levers that don't rotate. Additionally, the idea that the Ergo downshift button is prone to accidental shifting simply isn't the case
Multiple up- and down-shifting
Trimmable front
Rebuildable/repairable
Front/rear shifting any time, in or out of the saddle - momentary unweighting the pedals by shifting weight onto the bars allows smooth crunch-free shifting, even when steep climbing out of the saddle
As I see it, the only possible advantages DTs have over Ergos are weight (although I suspect that DT shifters + standard levers weigh pretty much the same as Ergos) and mechanical simplicity/reliability (although, given that my Ergos have functioned flawlessly for ~20 years with one maintenance overhaul suggests that this is an academic advantage).
Indexed DTs are great, but making a case for their superiority over brifters is a tough sell.
Last edited by Litespud; 11-08-18 at 10:09 PM.