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While I agree with most of the article, I have some reservations though: > I’m tired of people dumping on Windows, that most popular operating system, because

by davemp 3y ago

While I agree with most of the article, I have some reservations though: > I’m tired of people dumping on Windows, that most popular operating system, because it’s not what we choose to use . . . Criticism can be constructive and the network effects of platforms are real. There is an appropriate time and place for these things. For languages which are almost entirely open source at this point the choice isn’t so important. For things like closed source (and deeply flawed) operating systems we should find healthy ways to advocate against them (not the people who use them). Don’t be a contemptuous nerd shaking your fist at the wind, but don’t miss opportunities that could actually make a difference.

II2II 3y ago
If someone says, "I'm tired of dealing with X in Y," or, "I can't figure out how to do A in B," it may be appropriate to say Z or C will help. As for outright advocacy, it is poison. In the best case, it's adding a lot of noise for people who are trying to make a decision. In the worse case, it's forcing people in the other direction. There's a lot of reasons why it may be forcing people in the other direction. The article's author mentions exclusionary language/tone. In other cases advocacy diminishes the credibility of the message (e.g. they distort how good their choice is or how bad the alternative is). Plus, some people simply don't want to be associated with that type of culture.
deleted 3y ago
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