WTF Stories of the Week

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

And perhaps people would be less down on the cult-of-apple if they didn't take any questioning of apple as a personal slight against them.

Exactly!

[Alex]

Well, I have no real ill will towards Apple products (though I've never been particularly enamored of them). But Steve Jobs does seem to be something of a douche as a person, which has little to do with the quality of the company products.

Personally I just am perplexed by people who reviled Microsoft as evil then have orgasms over each product rumor while Apple does things that are, to my view anyway, worse (in terms of how they try to control information, control products, and control the secondary marketplace). How evil would MS have been if they had a major and growing share of the handset marketplace and then used their position to try and destroy Flash (regardless of how wright or wrong that decision would be)?

I find the whole platform war silly but really, are the slobbering blow jobs and senseless Windows hate from Apple fanatics really any worse than non fanboys mocking Apple?

[Ghoulish Delight]

In some ways, he sure was.

[Gemini Cricket]

To clarify, a douchebag with mouse ears.

[JWBear]

And Apple products aren't all that. I see plenty of news about Apple product this has problems, Apple product that has problems. I've had to reset my iPod to factory defaults a number of times because of it freezing up. Bill's copy of iTunes is corrupted, and we can't update it or even unistall it. Their customer service is a joke. On the other hand, my HP desktop with Windows 7 runs like a dream. I just have never understood the cultish loyalty to Apple.

[mousepod]

Just so I understand, JW

1) Steve Jobs is a douchebag
2) Apple is a bad company and its fans are wrong for being loyal
3) People shouldn't take it personally when you attack the thing they like and in the same gesture basically refer to them as sheep

I completely understand.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by mousepod

Just so I understand, JW

1) Steve Jobs is a douchebag

I never said that.

Originally Posted by mousepod

2) Apple is a bad company and its fans are wrong for being loyal

Again, I did not say that. Apple is not a bad company, but neither is it the great shining paragon of technology some people make it out to be.

Also, there is nothing wrong with being a loyal customer. But worshiping a particular brand like a cult, and defending it religiously, is beyond being a fan.

Originally Posted by mousepod

3) People shouldn't take it personally when you attack the thing they like and in the same gesture basically refer to them as sheep

Who's attacking Apple? Not me. Apple makes good products - popular products. See my response to #2 above. Yes, I did point out that they do have problems (just like any other company), but that's hardly attacking them.

I was poking fun at those people who worship Apple and everything it makes. Obviously I hit a nerve. Sorry I poked your sacred cow. But if you took it personal, that's something you need to deal with and figure out why.

Originally Posted by mousepod

I completely understand.

Obviously you don't.

[mousepod]

Say what you want, JW, but when you enter into a conversation thusly:

Of course not. We should all be struck with awe at the mearest glimpse of an Apple product, and be filled with an overwelming desire to purchase them, worship them, make passionate love with them. All other products are mear pale attempts at imitating their awesomness and coolness. The other electronics companies should realize this and close their doors; their executives to bow down to The Jobs, kiss his feet, and appologize for tempting the masses to stray from the One True Productline.

And then say "Who's attacking Apple? Not me. Apple makes good products - popular products," after you just said

And Apple products aren't all that. I see plenty of news about Apple product this has problems, Apple product that has problems. I've had to reset my iPod to factory defaults a number of times because of it freezing up. Bill's copy of iTunes is corrupted, and we can't update it or even unistall it. Their customer service is a joke. On the other hand, my HP desktop with Windows 7 runs like a dream.

,

I'd consider your point-by-point response to my defensive answer to be a little duplicitous or at least, to borrow a couple of popular words, "bullying" and "douche-y".

And believe me, I do understand.

[Alex]

You're way over-reacting, I'd say. If he's attacking anything directly with those words, it is a certain type of Apple-product groupie.

And if saying that Apple products aren't perfect and the end-all-be-all is the same as attacking Apple then that's a low bar and definitely one that even casual Apple afficianados have engaged in with much enthusiasm.

And Microsoft may be a douchier company than Apple, but I'm hard pressed to imagine the argument that Bill Gates is a douchier person (over say the last 15 yeass) than Steve Jobs. At least on the level where any of us know either of them. That's not to say Steve Jobs is a horrible person, just that Bill Gates seems to be a pretty good one.

[mousepod]

You're absolutely right, Alex. I've had a rough week, and I'm certainly overreacting to JWBear's comments.

I apologize for contributing to bringing the conversation to a silly level.

But still, JWBear is being kind of a douche.