>Complaining about popular new things in threads about them is a trend I find irritating
It's a little too late for that. Complaining in a vague way across several comments and then not elaborating further is, I think, definitely more rude than making some concrete complaint (like the original comment's complaint about learning something new)
I didn't complain, and I didn't even criticize it in "several" comments; the only comment with anything resembling criticism is the second one I wrote, and it's just a single comment!
I said I didn't like something as a way of making it clear that I'm not trying to brigade for Nix and don't really have any incentive to defend it, and I gave an argument on why I believe the initial comment was being unfairly negative to Nix.
I was then asked why I disliked Nix. I made no complaints, I just listed my opinions. When I was asked to go into actual complaints implying fact rather than personal opinions, I said I'd prefer not to.
It's a little too late for that. Complaining in a vague way across several comments and then not elaborating further is, I think, definitely more rude than making some concrete complaint (like the original comment's complaint about learning something new)