[coldtea]

>Anyone else agree with this view ? Programming languages should be choosen based on technical merits, rather than who is behind it.

Absolutely not. Technical merits are only part of the considerations.

Big companies, for example, where the stakes are higher, never chose languages on their technical merits alone. The also look at the owner/stewardship of the language, and in many case, roll their own languages, to avoid being at their mercy.