Lemming Hate can also be useful for pushing the industry/community forward in positive ways. For an example, see the lemming hate of goto (for which Dijkstra w

Lemming Hate can also be useful for pushing the industry/community forward in positive ways. For an example, see the lemming hate of goto (for which Dijkstra was arguably the catalyst). goto has several legitimate purposes (at least in some languages..) but it is best if inexperienced engineers avoid it as a rule of thumb unless they know exactly why goto is the best solution for a particular problem, and can articulate why the rule of thumb should not apply. Yes, it is best if we educate everybody properly instead of relying on the formation of this sort of Lemming Hate. However little memes like "goto statement considered harmful" are easier to spread throughout the industry than a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the value of different sorts of control structures. If you want to get a message out fast and have it widely heard, these sort of lemming/meme messages are invaluable.