Mack, nice link with some good pics.
The thermometer mod is a nice convience, but isn't really a big deal. Just a little experience with a cooker will tell you what the difference between the indicated temp and actual grate temps are. On my horz its 15 degrees, I got used to the difference before I got mine moved so I've never bothered.
Basket burning is certainly a convenient way to cook but I would hate for beginners to get the wrong impression about this technique. It will produce good Q, but nothing beats the tedious task of feeding the fire a stick of wood every 30-60 mins for really delicious eating. It's more trouble, and wood can be expensive depending where you live, but that's how offsets are designed to be used. When time doesn't allow, I do use the Minion Method in my offset, but the end result isn't the same as stick feeding.
To get the best quality product, there are no short-cuts.