I am an advocate of open markets. One of the cornerstones of such a system is the ability for the customers to talk and discuss the interesting qualities and de

I am an advocate of open markets. One of the cornerstones of such a system is the ability for the customers to talk and discuss the interesting qualities and deficiencies of the various products. We all know about this economic model: If I can only buy one product but have 2 to chose from, I try to figure out which is better and spend my resources wisely. When it comes to technologies, frequently the only cost is our time. And since our time is so valuable, we like to spend a bit of it discussing the merits and problems with the tools we use. Of course, there can be an emotional connection to these tools (I <3 Perl) that can interfere with discussions. But on the whole, I think these discussions can be insightful and interesting, and can even introduce me to new ideas. That's what hacking is all about after all, isn't it?