pwillard:
Blindly taking some advice to leave out a component designed to "protect" your design when you don't understand the reasons it's there, has a high probability of having you replace a UNO or ATMEL 328 because you didn't insert a part that costs 2 cents.
Well, I think this thought comes close to what I am saying. I'm not sure how that was missed. What I am saying is, try to fully understand what it is you are doing and don't blindly take any advice.
There is a lot of misinformation passed out on this site, and many, many others, that propagate ignorance under the umbrella of "it's safe" when indeed that just obfuscates the reality.
In any case, you may have missed, or misunderstood, the entire thread because I'm not asking anyone to blindly do anything. Where the heck are you getting that?. We initially talked about whether it is required that you use a resistor every time you use a MOSFET or not, but it went a little beyond that. From my perspective, as one of the contributors so far, it edged toward the behavior of the AVR and how that would affect the original thesis, then to just how the AVR behaves. A lot of ground covered. And over none of it did I advise anyone to blindly do anything. In fact, I strongly suggested that folks open their eyes. Maybe this is the remedial forum.
In any case, we are talking about a device that cost's less than a bottle of beer. WTF! If, and it's a big if (because I just shorted out pin 8 on 3 different 328s and it did not even affect their internal resistance characteristics, and no, no, no, I'm not saying it's the right thing to do), you demolish one by being brave or inquisitive, what the hell is the big deal? The lack of testicles amongst the Arduino fold is astonishing! So, because you partially or totally disable a $4 chip your going to just tear your life apart? Get over it, for Pete's sake! Have one less McDouble next week and carry on your exploration.
However, that is not even the point. It's the whole attitude. "Man, don't ever do that because I heard from some one in another post (or on another site) that that is a no no.". Shinola!!! You should at least have tried it to know if it is fact or fiction, or try to educate yourself about the basics and put the BS aside.
In this thread I did. What I found in what I tried was that the common sludge is just hokem fiction.
What are we afraid of? That some MCU deity will strike us dead for threading on sacrosanct ground? Or loosing a $4 part? Well, I'm here to tell you this is not going to happen. Yeah, you can destroy a ATmega328 if you try really hard, but it ain't all that easy and it ain't the end of the world either if it happens.
Okay, so here are the facts. 88mA is all I could get out of an (actually several, and BTW, I'm not the only one. Google it or try it.) AVR output, that means it will take more time than previously assumed to charge a MOSFET to the point where it operates properly, and as such it changes the nature of the "story" that has been propagated so far. It's up to you if you want to use this information. I really couldn't care less.
I know, I know, they hang or burn people for this sort of blasphemy. So please, just ignore me. I have no idea what I'm talking about. None whatsoever. Please, go on as you were. I'm sure the experts here will have many like reasons to attack my responses in the future, no matter what they are based on, or how they misinterpret them, so I'll try to repent. I've seen the light... I'll try to be a good boy and not say anything that disturbs the sacred beliefs. LF!
You folks kill me. 
The fact still remains, you do not always need a gate resistor on a MOSFET