anonapersona, it's very worthwhile that you mention the extra safety that gfci's bring to the table. however, just to clarify a few things as i understand them:
1) gfci's can be wired to protect ONLY themselves, or, themselves PLUS other circuits. so we can't always assume that all outlets that are on the same circuit are protected.
2) a gfci can only protect other switches, receptacles etc that lie "further along" in a circuit. in other words, it can't protect receptacles that exist between it and the main panel.
3) as anonapersona pointed out, we wouldn't want 8 different outlets protected by the same gfci. tiny fluctuations in current flow can lead to "phantom tripping"; if you were on vacation you obviously wouldn't want your fridge to be on this circuit
4) gfci's should be tested at least once per month. yeah, like i do that...
there is some info on apd regarding gfci's. i realize some of this may appear to be off topic, but safety is something we all may need a refresher on once in a while. some of you may find these links useful:
http://www.calpoly.edu/~cm/studpage2/dhenning/gfci.htm
http://www.casemore.com/gfci.html.
anonapersona, thanks again for bringing this up.