Then the esp8266 came along, offering wifi and gpios and an arduino-like programming experience at a price point of literally $1
In this amazing world full of such inexpensive choices, it seems so bizarre to me to demonize any of them. They're all excellent in some way, and it's OK that there's more than one.
This isn't football, handball, American politics, or Highlander: There can be more than one. It's OK.