It's reasonable to say that choosing templating systems as the rallying point was not the best move, but it's what got me rattled up, anyway. :-)

And you are absolutely correct - the crackpot to genius ratio is quite high. Being skeptical is quite healthy. It's the cynical part I don't like.

I guess the other point I want to raise and seek to discuss is - how are the geniuses expected to differentiate themselves from the crackpots? If the world at large isn't even willing to look at your better mousetrap, then what do you do next?

Some people toil on in obscurity, content that it works well for them and the public be damned. Some get furious and abandon the project. Some get violent and argue against their attackers who don't see the light of the New True Way.

And in the end? Meh. If you toil on in obscurity, you're somewhat satisfied at the end of the day, because you have the superior product (at least for you and your own uses). But the world sure wouldn't be beating a path to your door. The other responses up above there would benefit no one.

Perhaps it's more of a marketing and product development question - if you've built your better mousetrap, how can you convince the public to at least take a look? If something existing is truly the superior product and you don't at least fulfill a niche, then you'll be ignored and relegated to niche status, being labeled eccentric (if you're lucky). And if it's good, then hoorah - off you go to power and glory. But no one will look, then you're just completely spinning your newly re-invented wheels.