It sounds like bragi lives in a wet climate. I have the same problem with rim brakes - since I ride on gravel roads in the rain sometimes, it turns the brake pads into sandpaper.

On my road bike, if I only ride it in fair weather and on paved roads (or even occasional rain on paved roads), I'm sure my rims would last many years. On my hybrid, riding in salt and slush and ice and sand and gravel, I can go through a rim in 2 years.

I also went with discs for my foul weather/winter bike. I wouldn't consider rim brakes for a winter bike anymore. Rim brakes can completely fade out when riding in freezing rain. There's nothing quite like the feeling of pulling a brake lever and having nothing happen.

Disc brakes can be noisy, especially when wet. It's just one of those things. Maybe someone will make a rotor that plays tunes when you brake.