Here here! Very well stated. While I have not been at it quite that long I am going on close to 30 years now building and repairing. Almost every time a customer received a guitar with a well tuned up nut, and over all set up but in particular the nut, they are amazed at what they put up with for years before finally getting a professional set up. Most players spend most of the time playing close to the nut so it's got to be right.
The height of the nut slots should be the height of the fret in front of it. You just treat it like it's another fret. I sometimes push the bass stings a hair higher for players who like to beat on open chords.
There's nothing wrong with zero frets imho but they are also not really necessary if you get the nut slots to equal the fret height. Zero frets will even wear out faster then a bone nut will.
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