Arguments IN FAVOR of keeping hide/move silently and spot/listen/search separate?

[Tzardok]

Skill consolidation affects everybody and is merely useful for those who happen to already have more skill points, but as mentioned it's easy for a Wis caster to have a higher bonus in the best skill in the game than the classes intended to specialize in such things. Leaving skills unconsolidated and just handing out extra skill points allows for finer control over who's getting buffed and who's not, and to what degree. All without causing the weird story issues that arise from skill consolidation.

I agree. I haven't played in some time, but I plan to, when I DM the next time, to simply double the base skill points of all classes and see how it goes.