The Users Just Don't Care
We software programmers are a curious bunch. We subconciously project our beliefs and values onto the our users.
"Our users love Java applications, because it is portable to multiple platforms." we thought. Yet what applications do people use most often? Internet Explore or Mozilla, written in C or C++. And Mozilla is ported to more platforms than Java.
"When we write Java GUI's we should use Swing, because it is a Java standard and is more powerful." we thought. Yet when it comes to Java IDEs, Eclipse, an IDE written in SWT---the other toolkit---is gaining ground over NetBeans, an IDE written in Swing.
"When we write Web applications, we should use J2EE, because it is superior technology." we thought. Yet we gladly use Amazon.com, Yahoo.com, and Google.com, etc., without even asking what they are written in.
"When we design API's we should use Java interfaces, and refrain from using too much implementation inheritance." we thought. Yet we use API's designed with implementation inheritance everyday---javax.swing.JFrame, for example.
When we are users, we just don't care! What matters at the end is whether it works and works well.
"Which is worse, ignorance or indifference?"
"I don't know and I don't care."