Using Generics to improve code readability

Obviously Generics in .Net 2 provides the ability to write type-parameterised code, which is great for collections and the like. But it was only when I started using it a bit I realised the potential for much wider cast-elimination.

Take for example some kind of factory method (or any method that has a type as a parameter, and returns an instance of that type):

SomeType instance = (SomeType)Factory.CreateInstance(typeof(SomeType));

Using generics can cut right through:

SomeType instance = Factory.CreateInstance<SomeType>();

It's particularly noticable in VB.Net (because it has such munted cast syntax in the first place), but the result is normally a lot more legible. Unfortunately the framework is full of missed opportunities to clean up:

thing = DirectCast(Enum.Parse(GetType(SomeType), someValue), SomeType)

could become

thing = Enum.Parse(Of SomeType)(SomeValue)

That's got to be better, right?