> The word "alternative" implies a certain quality and that you can actually switch. It implies that to you maybe, but I don't think you can say that's the uni

> The word "alternative" implies a certain quality and that you can actually switch. It implies that to you maybe, but I don't think you can say that's the universal understanding of the word and how it should be used. Google "define alternative" and this becomes clear: - adjective 1. (of one or more things) available as another possibility or choice. For me, SharpDevelop is a great alternative to Visual Studio. Sure VS has a lot more features and the latest versions look pretty sleek (I love the dark theme). But I have used SharpDevelop very recently (not just in the past) as the IDE of choice on many professional projects too (emphasis on 'choice' because it's a choice you can make to use it, as per the definition). It is a genuine alternative, in that it's available as another possible IDE you can choose to use. I would argue that an alternative doesn't even have to be that good (think alternative medicine); so it doesn't imply "a certain quality" either. However, in the case of SharpDevelop, I do believe it IS a quality tool made available by the open source community.