> The problem with this, is that most opinions are applied to most circumstances in highly contextual ways. What's the best database? It's one thing to talk about it in abstract and another entirely to talk about it for a specific project.
That doesn't prevent someone from being right 100% of the time. It may prevent them from saying "x is the best database", but not from saying "x is the best for y use, z is the best for... etc"
The problem is with the fact that no-one is capable of always being right, not that the hypothetical person couldn't always be right.
> That doesn't prevent someone from being right 100% of the time. It may prevent them from saying "x is the best database", but not from saying "x is the best for y use, z is the best for... etc"
PG has noted that Robert Morris was one of the smartest people he knew, because he always knew when he shouldn't give an opinion.
> The problem is with the fact that no-one is capable of always being right, not that the hypothetical person couldn't always be right.
No disagreement there. A corollary: a big problem is embodied in people who don't know that the above is the case and take steps to mitigate it.
That doesn't prevent someone from being right 100% of the time. It may prevent them from saying "x is the best database", but not from saying "x is the best for y use, z is the best for... etc"
The problem is with the fact that no-one is capable of always being right, not that the hypothetical person couldn't always be right.