I can't get the link to come up, so some of this might be a rehash.
LightngSVT- Nah, not dumb Q's at all. Let's see..
1) First, remember that there are different grades of wool. A WWI-era wool army blanket (VERY coarse) and merino wool socks (VERY soft) are about as different as two textiles can be. Wool polishing pads are different from the mitts. Also, the mitts are used soaking WET, and are further lubricated by the wash solution.
2) Some of us don't bother much with linear motions for the exact reasons you mentioned. If you *DO* get a scratch/swirl/marring, a linear one (especially one that goes front-to-back, only really showing up from ONE viewing angle) will usually be less noticeable than a circular one (which can be seen from all viewing angles). But if you DON'T inflict the marring anyhow, it doesn't matter. It's not like paint magically "doesn't mar" in one direction/motion (straight) but DOES mar if touched in ANOTHER direction/motion (circular). Marring is caused by scratching the paint in ANY direction. So linear motions are merely a little more foolproof/forgiving than nonlinear ones- *if you goof up* it won't be noticeable from as many viewing angles.
Oh, and using a rotary doesn't *necessarily* lead to rotary-induced marring, but such imperfections ARE far more likely than with a random orbital (which is both milder in action and more like the inherent randomness of human-hand action). Used properly, a rotary *will* leave a flawless finish, with no marring at all- no buffer marks, nothing. Heh heh, it's that "used properly" bit that's the catch! As Patrick said, with the ROs there's less CHANCE of such problems because with ROs, technique is not as critical for "proper use".
