I think that what you said has a lot of merit. For real good BBQ I find that the quality of the smoke is super important. If the smoke is acrid or bitter your meat will be also. Really learning your particular cooker I think is the best way to do this. I always shoot for thin blue smoke. The worst is billowing white smoke.
I agree. If the smoke is acrid, the meat will be acrid and bitter. I've noticed that pork is the most forgiving meat to oversmoke, then chicken, and last, beef. In my experience, you need to have a very light hand with smoke (or use mild, neutral woods) when it comes to beef.
I also believe in removing bark from woods, if possible, because the rate it burns is different than the actual center of the wood. I also notice that the bark smells different than the center of the wood. (Yes, I smell the wood I use.)
I also almost always leave the top vent of my cooker (actually, just a Weber 22.5 OG Performer) to let out the smoke to keep the smoke freely flowing. If the cooker is billowing white smoke, it's probably burning too much, too fast, and too hot. That's not barbecue.
I agree with you Jim. Learning to use your cooker is extremely important.