It isn't about the configurability; but rather, the default configuration.

Facebook offers secure messaging, but the default is insecure; and to use it, you have to reconfigure it every time. Why? Because they don't want you to use it.

And so it is for the Critic. The defaults are such that they neuter Perl, rendering it verbose, stilted and gutless; Java with sigils.

But far worse; it gives a stick to those, without the knowledge or judgement to make informed decisions, with which to beat those who could. It sets an arbitrary and capricious standard by which those, without the capacity and drive to learn the language, can hamstring those who have taken the time and effort to do so.

And worst of all, it implies without stating, some utopian view that compliant code will be good code; and non-compliant code is "bad code".

Yet, it is easily demonstrated that you can take code that doesn't work and make it fully compliant; and it still won't work.

And equally, take thoroughly tested and exercised working code; and it will flag up a gazillion red-herrings.

It is dumb pretending to be smart; rote pretending to be intelligence; it is the failed writer turned film critic; the failed sportsman yelling advice to the professional and berating the referee/umpire.

It has done more harm to Perl -- by confirming and legitimising every uninformed and malicious opinion of the write-only language -- than any other single thing barring only PBP.