It's a mistake to conclude that people make rational choices based on the premise that they aren't dumb. Counterexamples abound.

It's literally true that people who have never programmed in a language with GC don't know what it's like, but they absorb folklore about it's difficulties or unsuitability from places like HN. Except such content is almost always from extremes that aren't applicable to most development, thus producing an unintentionally skewed picture.

Articles exactly like this one are needed for balance, and to encourage more experimentation with safer choices.