One nice thing about the HN crowd is that it is for the most part pragmatic, able to quite refreshingly discuss C# as a language without immediately descending into these tired talking points casting Microsoft as patent-wielding bogeyman, etc. This is even more peculiar now that Oracle owns Java and is actually engaging in the kind of behavior that we were supposed to be desperately scared of Microsoft engaging in with .NET any day now.

If you're reflexively injecting off-the-shelf 'be afraid to use it' notes into a conversation where C# is mentioned, and applying a trite pop-psych analysis to Miguel de Icaza to boot, you may want to take a few steps back and ask who is really bringing faith and dogma to the table here. Is there anyone in this crowd who hasn't heard your stated opinion approximately 1,000,000 times, and who wouldn't carefully weigh such considerations before making any production commitments?

I agree that the Oracle acquisition and lawsuit is troubling. I disagree with everything else you've said. Java has an established, vibrant open-source ecosystem. C# does not. Java was the brainchild of a bunch of sincere tech geeks. C# was another cynical MS business ploy. Sun and now Oracle are heavily invested in Linux and other open-source projects. Microsoft has many times described open-source and Linux in particular as its enemies and indulged in a lot of sabre rattling and hints of patent infringements and has fought tooth & nail to stop adoption of Linux and open formats and standards at every possible turn:

http://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/199501735/microsoft-... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2023127.stm http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/05/microsoft-file...

Would I be happier if Java were in better hands? Yes. Does that make Mono/C# a reasonable alternative? No chance. If you're tired of hearing these arguments blame Microsoft for making them intrinsic to any discussion of their platform. Technological choices sometimes have ethical implications.