“You Should Use Another Tool”

Nobody should take anyone serious who says that they “should” use another tool, without asking any questions.

When I utter a minor annoyance about Excel on Twitter, half a dozen people tell me I “should” use some spreadsheet software in the cloud, and never any Microsoft stuff.

When I vent my frustration about Spotify, there are bound to be some followers who tell me I “should” use Pandora, Google Play, or some other competitor.

When I tell people my Nexus phone has an issue, there are ALWAYS smug Apple fanboys telling me I “should” use the amazing Apple stuff, not a crappy Android phone.

All these people seem to make the assumption that I am either too ignorant or too lazy to pick the tool that’s best for me. Apparently, in their eyes, I haven’t yet figured out which is “the best choice”.

But I’m not stupid, and I’m not lazy.

Spreadsheet software is very important in my work. I have not seen any software in the world that can compete with the sheer power of Excel. Sure, Microsoft has produced a lot of crap in the past. But Excel could be one of the best things they ever did. Suggesting that I switch from Excel to Google Docs is like saying I should swap a Ferrari for a Daihatsu Cuore. It makes no sense at all. (Yes, I use Google’s spreadsheet software sometimes, and it awfully basic.)

The music I love most is almost always from Europe. Sorry, but I just don’t like American music. This means the catalogue from Spotify (a European company) is for me probably a much better choice than the typical American catalogues from tools such as Pandora or Google Play. What use is a slick user interface for me when the tool cannot even play Galaxy Hunter, Acting Lovers, Blue System, or Baccara?

And last but not least, me switching from Android to Apple is just as likely as me moving from Europe to China. I don’t mind fragmentation of the OS, a rich diversity of products, the lack of censorship, and the absence of a huge digital wall around the ecosystem. Maybe you’re different. That’s OK. But I like my freedom.

Nobody should take anyone serious who says that they “should” switch from one system to another, without doing any research or showing any kind of interest in the other person’s context and personal situation.

The only thing we “should” do is refer them to this blog post.

(image: zzpza, Creative Commons 2.0)