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Why do people seem to think "opinionated" is a virtue these days?

• zenbowman 13y ago
  An excellent question. Opinionated: conceitedly assertive and dogmatic in one's opinions. It generally refers to people who assert their opinion without making a sound argument for it. I consider it a huge negative. Another vice that many consider a virtue is when they consider themselves to be "real" - this is generally code for lacking any self-discipline and being unable to control emotion.
• lmm 13y ago
  Because, particularly in Java-land, if you're not opinionated you end up providing a FactoryFactoryFactory. A beginner is in no position to weigh up the pros and cons of the different build tools available, so it's better for a guide to simply make a recommendation and explain that one than to give the beginner a confusing choice.
• Daishiman 13y ago
  Two reasons that come to mind: - Java is such a massive ecosystem that you need someone to guide you through the complexity and to show you the diamonds among the piles of dung. - You're being honest. Really, my impression of Java has been so bad because of people that want "industry standard" and "enterprise" things that I welcome fresh perspectives from people in the field. Ultimately, if someone points out that a certain statement is they own opinion it's easier for you to judge it in a broader context, so even if you still disagree you don't feel like you're being misled.
• kazagistar 13y ago
  Its better to have one opinion then ten conflicting ones. Its also easier to learn how to do something from an opinionated source then one that tells you to do "whatever you want", without providing you with good ways of evaluating the choices and intelligent defaults.