> The problem with hard rules is there's numerous exceptions when it doesnt make sense to follow, invalidating the "rule" all together

But rules aren't invalidated by exceptions ? The only thing that matters is, trying to follow the rule to the best of your abilities when it gives you enough benefit.

In the end what matters is each independent situation - the rules are only guidelines to get started.

FFS this was understood decades ago with the ISO 9001 revamp where they sanctuarized that obtaining quality products wasn't most efficiently achieved by following bullet point lists religiously, and even then it was already common sense.

The fact that the rule can't solve every single problem in the world doesn't invaludate the rule.

Solving some problems is still better than solving no problems!

They also did say ‘software’.

It's a general rule that solves the stickiness problem, I don't think you need to go deeper than that. Is it or is it not true that going with community maintained software as much as possible prevents stickiness? We don't want to miss the forest.