@JaM: If you don't like your shields to give bonuses in melee combat, you of course are free to think that and consequently not download or use any sort of fix. Things to keep in mind though:

1. You are not going to make me believe shields are bad in melee combat, which means my shield fix is not going to change to reflect what you think or want.
2. You are not going to get most people to believe it either, which is clear because so many people have spoken up at being disturbed that shields are NOT working in melee, and because it's historically inaccurate to suggest that shields do not work in melee combat. Even the heaviest of metal shields is typically not more than 15 pounds (exception being tower-style shields meant for covering a man completely), the weight of a bowling ball (wooden shields are lighter still). Practice and training make that kind of weight rather easy to heft on the battlefield. You don't even need to move a large shield around much for it to be effective: it's a big barrier that gives you cover from the enemy, and significantly narrows the area of your body that he can strike at in order to harm you. Smaller shields of course require more active blocking, but at the same time they are much lighter so you can maneuver them around a lot to get that done.

So please, stop insisting that the shield melee penalty should be there: it's a tired and completely erroneous argument, and one that only serves to clutter the thread with kickback from the other 99% of people who realize how shields actually work.