> why bother with any version of the uuid standard? just generate a random 128-bit number and use it. that's all the newer ones are anyway

Good question.

Won't random 128-bit numbers actually be superior to UUIDs in every way except predictability?

Sorry to be this guy, but did you read the article? Only UUIDv4 is "just generating a random 128-bit number" (almost) -- and there are valid reasons that's not a good choice. Which the article explains. :) Like database insertion performance. Sequential IDs have benefits.