Ask HN: What kind of information do you look for before learning/using new tech?
This might sound a bit esoteric, but it works for me every time: First of all, it's a feeling.  Tech A feels more 'right', or resonates better, than tech B (where both are in the same category). 
Of course this is not the only metric. I'll look at longevity prospects of the tech, how much it breaks with 'tradition' and I'll try to focus on the negatives people have about the tech. But if more than one solution presents itself and I'm at an impasse - feeling wins.<p>I also acknowledge that one day, I might wake up to a stinking pile of tech-crap, but even then at least I know that at the time it felt right.<p>For example, many years ago, in a decade far far away (The 90s), I went with ColdFusion as a tech stack. Back then it was that, Perl or maybe TCL. ColdFusion felt right because it allowed very rapid prototyping with a clear syntax and batteries included. There was nothing like it. Fast forward a few years later and that tech was so smelly it made everyone nauseous but I knew at the time it made perfect sense, and by then other options presented themselves.