I agree that I would prefer a screen with no glare. However, I prefer the glossy screens with their high brightness and contrast (at least, so it seems to me) over matte screens with lower brightness and contrast. I find that even though I can see the reflections when they're pointed out, in practice I don't notice them any more, partially because they're at a different depth than the data on the screen.
The interesting thing is that you mention the high brightness and contrast, I'm writing this on a cheapie LG 24" and I have the brightness turned down considerably from the default settings, and in low light I turn it down even further. I noticed that since I started doing that my eyes are a lot less 'tired' after sitting behind the machine for a whole day.
It used to be so bad that it simply hurt to work in longer stretches.
I agree that I would prefer a screen with no glare. However, I prefer the glossy screens with their high brightness and contrast (at least, so it seems to me) over matte screens with lower brightness and contrast. I find that even though I can see the reflections when they're pointed out, in practice I don't notice them any more, partially because they're at a different depth than the data on the screen.