I really hate to get involved in flame wars, which is why I spend my time on this particular forum, but I feel the need to chime in on a few things.
First of all, if there's anything I've learned from Denny it's not to take anyone's word for anything and to try it out for yourself. Oftentimes my results are in line with Denny's, but not always. In the end, I do what works for me. I've certainly never felt like Denny's way is the only right way.
As far as the other experts mentioned, I certainly trust Charlie Bamforth, but keep in mind that he is most concerned with the scale and procedures at the commercial size. That doesn't always extrapolate well to the homebrew scale.
And the Yeast book was mentioned. I don't know how anyone could quote Jamil and try to use that to discredit Denny. Don't get me wrong, I have learned a lot from Jamil over the years and there's no doubt that he has been a tremendous asset to the homebrew community. But all the disparaging comments made about Denny in this thread could be applied just as equally to Jamil.
As far as starters go, if I'm taking the time to determine how much of each ingredient I'm using in a recipe down to the ounce, why would I pitch a couple of liters of light DME that was fermented way too hot? Decanting seems like a no-brainer to me.