Thread by @tottinge

An old boss of mine said “I don’t know why programmers care what programming language they’re using; the important thing is the application functionality.”

I noted that he drove a late-model cadillac.
If the destination is all that matters, why drive a new car and why a luxury model? Why not a used Toyota or Chevy 4-cylinder?
If the purpose is transportation, why does a vehicle matter?

Maybe for a lot of us, an old used sedan would be sufficient. Or a bicycle. Or Uber. But clearly the means of transportation mattered to my old boss. Comfort, reliability, safety, power... all things he was willing to pay for.

And it’s new for a reason. If he drove a 1978 Plymouth, he would have trouble getting it repaired, and parts would be hard to come by.
There is something about looming obsolescence that mattered to him as well.

For that matter, he had some nice suits and ties he wore.
Apparently the car and the clothes sent a message, and that was something that he felt served him - or he just liked it.

Why is the tech stack and editor and OS important to us?
Why did they seem less important?

People spend thousands of hours in their code base. Why should it be something comfortable with a future? Why can’t it just be old ROM basic? Why not use obsolete tools and skills? Why not be clunky? Why not use languages resistant to new ideas, without an active community?

Why ask why?

Maybe help people avoid obsolescence, learn new skills, leverage productive new tech, explore and expand their horizons? Why must we be consumers and not producers of human capabilities?