Now, I’m going to start with a big generalization here. The majority of people I know within the it-buinsess are either a-religious, anti-religious or just agnostic, and I expect this holds true for the majority of it-people in our parts of the world.
Then why is it that whenever a discussion takes place regarding various it-aspects, that it bears so many traits similar to religion?
The most obvious issues currently are the ever popular Microsoft versus …. well everybody.
Watching a debate where Microsoft or a MS product is mentioned often turns into an religious anti-/pro-Microsoft bickering match.
“My God is installed on 80% of computers”
“Yeah, but My God can run on 16 MB Ram”
“My God outsells your God”
“My God is free”
Yadda yadda yadda….. and thus it goes. And if people think that – oh, well it is because M$ is the “evil empire”, well – consider Apple.
Its religious following often clashes with pretty much anybody else.
“My God is pretty to look at.”
“My God is easier to upgrade.”
And it has been like this for a loooong time. Remember Quake and Duke Nuke’m 3D?
“My God is real 3D.”
“Yeah, but My God doesn’t look like brown blurry dots.”
But, is it because “we” are non-religious people, and everybody needs to have something fundamental to believe in, so we substitute our religious struggles with (irrelevant) other principles?
Now, personally, I’m lucky that I have few (if any ) principles, because it makes it so much easier to view the madness around. Sure, I primarily use Microsoft products – however, I also use Open Source products where I feel they are supriour – FireFox being a great example, or this blog-engine. I care little about Open Source vs. Closed Source, as long as the product has superior cost-benefit for me…… meaning what does it “cost” me (time, money) versus what I can get out of it.
It is good to be pragmatic.
