Uh the point wasn't whether or not riding with a brake is appropriate. The author asserted that by definition, if you are riding a fixed gear, with a brake, then you are no longer riding a fixed gear, because, again, according to the author, a fixed gear is defined (exclusively?) by its lack of brake.

Clearly this is not the case.

And the author also completely drops the ball on the point that many of the people he labels hipsters ride brakeless ANYHOW.