Post #1727501

2026-03-20 11:25 UTC

I’m incredibly tired of people posting with a (programming) language tag just to hate on that language. Their **words** are always: why said language is wrong and awful and no one should use it, or how the hell did this language become so popular when mine is obviously superior; but their motivations are never that sophisticated. **Their** language thinks about the problem in some particular way, and they’re so familiar with that way of thinking that it has become part of their identity. The target of their hate thinks about the problem some other way, and that is now an affront to them … to their identity … to their sense of self-worth. I prefer Python to Ruby (and I’m not a Ruby expert, so I could be persuaded). That doesn’t make Ruby bad or Python good! I prefer Rust to C++ (and by the way, I **am** a Python and C++ expert — and **not** a Rust expert!). Don’t shut out alternatives! I’m not saying you have to love them or even **use** them; but they still exist because something in them has value! If you pretend they don’t, you’re just deceiving yourself. Like being a flat-earther. Figure out what you can learn! Grow! Keep using your favorite if it remains the best fit for your problem. Just use it smarter! #Python #Ruby #Cpp #ProgrammingLanguages

Replies (3)

@pawamoy@fosstodon.org 2026-03-20 11:46

@YesJustWolf I just mute these accounts indefinitely 👍

Open ##1887065
@benjamineskola@hachyderm.io 2026-03-20 13:15

@YesJustWolf Yeah, it bugs me a lot too. I kind of assume people just don’t understand what hashtags are for? Like, if you add hashtag-ruby, to me that says you want to broadcast your post to people who are interested in ruby. And so if the post is ‘ruby sucks lol’, you just seem like a dickhead. Disliking a language is fine! Posting about disliking it is fine! Being unconstructive in your dislike is fine! But directing all that at people who like the language is obnoxious. (And yeah in practice I think their reasons for disliking are probably poorly thought through, in the way you describe. But that wouldn’t be a problem if they weren’t forcing those opinions on others.)

Open ##1887066
@ekuber@hachyderm.io 2026-03-20 14:38

@YesJustWolf I try my best to always stop myself when I want to say "I dislike X" and reframe it as "I like Y". Talking about why something is nice, even if you still mention X to compare and contrast is much more productive and results in nicer (if shorter) conversations and a much Kore reasoned thought. Its easy to say "this is shit", it's more effort to go into the nuance for why the tradeoffs of your preferred choice are reasonable.

Open ##1887068