Just Werks

   "Just werks" (for "just [1]works" if that's somehow not clear) is a phrase
   usually used by [2]noobs to justify using a piece of technology while
   completely neglecting any other deeper and/or long term consequences,
   though the argument has legitimate uses as well. A noob doesn't think
   about technology further than how it can immediately perform some task for
   him, to him "just werks" is a mere rationalization that gives him the
   comfort needed to not think things through.

   "Just werks" can be used legitimately to express that something simply
   works, e.g. thanks to being [3]simple, for example "PDFs suck,
   [4]plaintext just werks". This use of the term is acceptable.

   This phrase is widely used e.g. on [5]4chan/g, however mostly in the wrong
   way. It possibly originated there.

   The ignorant "just werks" philosophy completely ignores questions such as:

     * Is there anything better in the long run? A normie will always prefer
       a shitty software he can immediately use to a software that would take
       one day to learn and that would make the task many times easier,
       comfortable, cheaper etc.
     * Is this affecting my [6]freedom (and things like "[7]security" etc.)?
       A normie doesn't realize that by using proprietary or bloated program
       will limit the number of people who can maintain, fix and improve his
       software, and that technology is used to abused him, e.g. by spying on
       him, making him depend on something unnecessary etc.
     * How is this affecting my computing in a wider sense? A normie won't
       even think about such thing as that using some proprietary format will
       likely immediately close the door to working with it with a FOSS
       program, or that installing a specific OS will limit what programs he
       can run.
     * Am I becoming a slave to this technology? By adopting something
       proprietary and/or bloated I am slowly becoming dependent on an
       ecosystem that's completely under control of some corporation, an
       ecosystem that can quickly change for the worse or even disappear
       completely.
     * Am I supporting [8]evil? E.g. by paying to a corporation, letting
       someone collect data in the background, promoting a bad piece of
       technology etc.
     * Am I hurting better alternatives by not using them? E.g. by using a
       proprietary social network gives one more user to it and one fewer to
       a potentially more ethical free social network.
     * Is there anything just plain better? A normie will take the first
       thing that's handed to him and "just werks" without even checking if
       something better exists that would satisfy him better.

See Also

     * [9]everyone does it
     * [10]just doing my job

Links:
1. work.md
2. noob.md
3. minimalism.md
4. plaintext.md
5. 4chan.md
6. freedom.md
7. security.md
8. evil.md
9. everyone_does_it.md
10. just_doing_my_job.md