For once, I agree with your conclusion. I am not aware of any evidence showing this may be harmful, so in the end, I think it is up to the parents and the kid.
However, how do you know that "having more skills is good under virtually all circumstances" when toddlers are concerned? I have no reason to assume that learning to read at a very young age is harmful (which is why I'm not against it), but I can easily imagine ways that it could be harmful (or beneficial). But making a definitive ruling either way requires knowledge that neither I nor you possess. So I say "go ahead if that's what you want" just because I'd rather not recommend against something unless it is shown to be bad. But you seem to make a big assumption about developmental psychology that you have absolutely no basis to make.
However, how do you know that "having more skills is good under virtually all circumstances" when toddlers are concerned? I have no reason to assume that learning to read at a very young age is harmful (which is why I'm not against it), but I can easily imagine ways that it could be harmful (or beneficial). But making a definitive ruling either way requires knowledge that neither I nor you possess. So I say "go ahead if that's what you want" just because I'd rather not recommend against something unless it is shown to be bad. But you seem to make a big assumption about developmental psychology that you have absolutely no basis to make.