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> C# and .NET developers are a largely "silent majority" who may not be getting posted on or talking as much on places like HN compared to developers of alterna

> C# and .NET developers are a largely "silent majority" who may not be getting posted on or talking as much on places like HN compared to developers of alternative options, but this is mostly because they're just getting stuff done with minimal fuss or issue. Or maybe C# and .NET developers are people who learned to program solely to earn a paycheck and they don't chat about programming because they're not computing enthusiasts, which is my conclusion based on the fact that all but one of the C# developers I've interacted with in person are Windows users who have as much experience with other operating systems as one would expect from people who aren't computing enthusiasts.

tasuki 2y ago
Harsh! I have similar experiences/feelings.
jonathanlydall 2y ago
It sounds like you’re not denying that Java and C# are very popular and arguably the “work horse” languages (although I expect Python is overall more used, even if it is used on very large projects where I feel it’s very often a poor choice). As with any “typical workhorse” consumers, you land up with lots who are not necessarily passionate about their day job. Perhaps you’re right it’s more common that C# developers are dispassionate, but I don’t think it means that there isn’t a pretty large absolute number of passionate users, even if the proportion may be low. Look at Windows, its number of users dwarfs everything else, I fully expect that it has a much much higher percentage of dispassionate users compared to any other operating system, but it’s not to say that there aren’t a lot of passionate users of Windows. My point is that even if it is indeed true that C# has a very high percentage of dispassionate developer, it really doesn’t mean or say much, aside from the fact that it’s used a lot. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy using Windows and C# and I’m not going to switch to Linux or macOS for reasons like “wanting to stand out” or “not be associated with dispassionate computer users”, to me it would be like cutting off my nose to spite my face. Windows and C# have for a very long time been super reliable for me, they really have delivered on “just works” over and over, I haven’t lost any appreciable time to things not working. I tried Linux desktops a while back and concluded that, outside of people who just need a browser, it’s generally for people who enjoy tinkering with it, while I more prefer that my OS can just play the game I want, or just use the tool I need without needing to spend time tweaking things for it to work. As for macOS, as a power user, I feel it’s firstly not worth the premium price tag difference, and secondly I can’t see it being worth my having to give up my Windows muscle memory. Admittedly, the battery life is probably unmatched, but I have never found myself wishing that I had more battery life than I get on my business class Dells.
- aragilar 2y ago
  Windows usage has steadily been decreasing, and is now lower than android: https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share#monthly-201501-202403 https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share#monthly-201501-20... It's also worth realising you've self-selected for tools that work on Windows (e.g. I rarely see Windows simply because the tools I use require UNIX). I don't see Windows going away any time soon (simply because Apple is too expensive), but the rise of mobile devices (e.g. tablets) which cover the needs of basic users mean that it's going to be relegated at some point (as old laptops are replaced by other devices) to being a desktop OS for gamers and business users who require native Windows software (because the web equivalent is too slow/bloated). I expect cheap Chromebooks to replace cheap Windows laptops (as long as Google doesn't screw that up).
  - jonathanlydall 2y ago
    In my view, when talking about desktop usage, bringing present day Android into the discussion is somewhat non-sensical as no professional would seriously consider replacing their current desktop with an Android device if they could help it. However, since you bring up the mobile space, Android is another way to prove one of my points. Like Windows in the desktop space, Android has a somewhat overwhelming market share (globally), and similarly to Windows has the highest percentage of dispassionate technology users, where they care more about using their social media or payment processing app than what OS their device is running. Also, I disagree that my usage of Windows is self selecting, it’s actually more selected by device manufacturers and the developers of the software I use. Between Windows and Linux, I’ll have way less driver issues on Windows. For commercial desktop software, the vast majority is built targeting Windows. I choose the OS which is most likely to run the hardware and software I need with the least amount friction. ChromeOS may one day become the dominant OS (it also may not), but today, outside of using a web browser, I don’t think it’s unfair to say to say it’s the “poor man’s” choice of OS in the desktop space. As a final remark, it feels like you’re taking my appreciation of MS’s present day offerings as some sort of attack against your preferences. If you’re happy using non-MS stuff, great for you, but that doesn’t in any way detract from my being incredibly happy with my choice, which just happens to be different.

tasuki 2y ago

Harsh! I have similar experiences/feelings.

jonathanlydall 2y ago

It sounds like you’re not denying that Java and C# are very popular and arguably the “work horse” languages (although I expect Python is overall more used, even if it is used on very large projects where I feel it’s very often a poor choice). As with any “typical workhorse” consumers, you land up with lots who are not necessarily passionate about their day job. Perhaps you’re right it’s more common that C# developers are dispassionate, but I don’t think it means that there isn’t a pretty large absolute number of passionate users, even if the proportion may be low. Look at Windows, its number of users dwarfs everything else, I fully expect that it has a much much higher percentage of dispassionate users compared to any other operating system, but it’s not to say that there aren’t a lot of passionate users of Windows. My point is that even if it is indeed true that C# has a very high percentage of dispassionate developer, it really doesn’t mean or say much, aside from the fact that it’s used a lot. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy using Windows and C# and I’m not going to switch to Linux or macOS for reasons like “wanting to stand out” or “not be associated with dispassionate computer users”, to me it would be like cutting off my nose to spite my face. Windows and C# have for a very long time been super reliable for me, they really have delivered on “just works” over and over, I haven’t lost any appreciable time to things not working. I tried Linux desktops a while back and concluded that, outside of people who just need a browser, it’s generally for people who enjoy tinkering with it, while I more prefer that my OS can just play the game I want, or just use the tool I need without needing to spend time tweaking things for it to work. As for macOS, as a power user, I feel it’s firstly not worth the premium price tag difference, and secondly I can’t see it being worth my having to give up my Windows muscle memory. Admittedly, the battery life is probably unmatched, but I have never found myself wishing that I had more battery life than I get on my business class Dells.

aragilar 2y ago
Windows usage has steadily been decreasing, and is now lower than android: https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share#monthly-201501-202403 https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share#monthly-201501-20... It's also worth realising you've self-selected for tools that work on Windows (e.g. I rarely see Windows simply because the tools I use require UNIX). I don't see Windows going away any time soon (simply because Apple is too expensive), but the rise of mobile devices (e.g. tablets) which cover the needs of basic users mean that it's going to be relegated at some point (as old laptops are replaced by other devices) to being a desktop OS for gamers and business users who require native Windows software (because the web equivalent is too slow/bloated). I expect cheap Chromebooks to replace cheap Windows laptops (as long as Google doesn't screw that up).
- jonathanlydall 2y ago
  In my view, when talking about desktop usage, bringing present day Android into the discussion is somewhat non-sensical as no professional would seriously consider replacing their current desktop with an Android device if they could help it. However, since you bring up the mobile space, Android is another way to prove one of my points. Like Windows in the desktop space, Android has a somewhat overwhelming market share (globally), and similarly to Windows has the highest percentage of dispassionate technology users, where they care more about using their social media or payment processing app than what OS their device is running. Also, I disagree that my usage of Windows is self selecting, it’s actually more selected by device manufacturers and the developers of the software I use. Between Windows and Linux, I’ll have way less driver issues on Windows. For commercial desktop software, the vast majority is built targeting Windows. I choose the OS which is most likely to run the hardware and software I need with the least amount friction. ChromeOS may one day become the dominant OS (it also may not), but today, outside of using a web browser, I don’t think it’s unfair to say to say it’s the “poor man’s” choice of OS in the desktop space. As a final remark, it feels like you’re taking my appreciation of MS’s present day offerings as some sort of attack against your preferences. If you’re happy using non-MS stuff, great for you, but that doesn’t in any way detract from my being incredibly happy with my choice, which just happens to be different.