According to popular developer consciousness:

good programmers tend to cluster in some organizations, and bad programmers tend to cluster in other organizations ... (Demarco and Lister 1999). - Steve McConnell

Can we draw the corollary that:

Good programmers tend to cluster away from traditionally closed development ecosystems like Microsoft, and bad programmers tend to cluster toward Microsoft like ecosystems?

Following Robert Glass's train of thought:

The most important factor in software work is not the tools and techniques used by the programmers, but rather the quality of the programmers themselves. - Robert Glass, Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering

Could we conclude that:

Good programmers tend to realize that an investment in their personal development is more important than learning the latest tools? Are product / tool based ecosystems like Microsoft's at direct odds with the core values of a good programmer?

My hunch is that exceptional developers are versatilists. These developers cluster around organizations that embrace knowledge over tools, open technologies, open communities, and these great organizations also embrace vernacular culture. What do you think?