Take It With A Grain of Salt
Apple Matters is the third Mac-centric website that I have had the joy to published on. This is a very nice site with fairly intelligent and articulate readers which makes it very fun to post here. However, I have noticed that people who read my articles and comment on them (both here and on other sites that link to my pieces) tend to view me differently. In fact, they fall into two main categories, those that agree with me for the most part and feel I offer a valid point of view and those who think that I am a psychotic-Mac obsessed-raving lunatic-baised-idiotic-fan boy. (cough Bee- cough cough -ble- hack cough spit -brox)
However this trend goes beyond me and extends to quite a few people who write on websites that cater mainly to those who use Apple’s products. Those Apple-minded writers are often times ignored, jeered, insulted, belittled and otherwise not taken seriously. Now before some of you get your panties in a knot let me say this, quite a few of us bring it on ourselves. I, for one, have been raked over the coals for many of my posts and that is due to the fact that I tend to be an arrogant, condescending, self righteous, uncompromising jerk. I am aware that I can come across that way and I plan accordingly.
However several things have happened recently that might cause me to rethink my approach. After a few days of my posting of an article I google it to see who might have linked to it. Unfortunately not everyone who links to, or comments on, my articles leaves a trackback link. Thus quite a bit of useful comments are posted on other sites, and since I want to know what all of those people are saying I have to look around and read their post. After doing that enough I began to see an annoying pattern: people who aren’t fans of Apple have a hard time accepting most of my claims. Is this news? No. Is it annoying? Hell yes.
And here is why it bugs me so much. I have posted an idea that gets ridiculed on other non-Mac sites. Then, when a more general computing site posts the same idea people respond with lots of head nodding and praises. A good example of this was when I posted two Linux articles explaining my views on why Linux fails on the desktop. One of them got picked up by LinuxToday and it was criticized by most everyone on there. And yet two weeks later another Linux site picked up a story that basically said the exact same things. The only difference in the two pieces was that in this case it came from someone “inside” the Linux community and as a result it was praised as being insightful to the problems that Linux faces today. We both made the same point but I was insulted while the other author was lauded. Now, some might argue that the Linux user has more experience with Linux than a Mac user (true) and that his claims would carry more weight with the Linux community as a whole (also true). Or that I came across to harsh and combative (very true), but at some point you would expect that they would at least give me credit for something, wouldn’t you? I may not be a meteorologist but I can tell when it’s raining. So I ask again, why don’t I get the credit? Some credit? Any credit?
Part of the problem I have already mentioned, namely my attitude. Since I am not exactly coming across as a humble writer but instead as an arrogant Mac user I can understand many people’s hesitation to accept my views on blind faith. Of course, there is the additional stigma of being a “Mac User”. I have seen it many times online and encountered it aplenty at my job. People think that because you use a Mac you must be working on a “Fisher Price Computer”. Thus you don’t really know how a “real” computer works. Using a Mac means you don’t have any choices in software and of course whatever you run it on is going to be quite expensive. Now, all of that is a steaming pile of horse pucky but it does accurately reflect many of the outdated stereotypes that still exist. Another hurdle to cross is Microsoft. Just about every Apple writer that takes anything more than a lukewarm approach to criticizing anything Microsoft is cut down for being “out of touch” with the “real world”.
So, how can your average Apple writer be taken seriously on other tech sites not known for their friendliness to those who “think different”? Well, I suppose the biggest thing to do would be to drop (most) of the attitude and tone down the condescending tone we all too often find ourselves using. Maybe that would keep people from instantly disregarding whatever point we are trying to make. Of course there is still a mountain of ignorance when it comes to Apple but maybe if we try hard over these next few years we can do something about that. It is a very exciting time to be an Apple user and so now is the time to get the word out and try to inform others of all the great things Apple is doing. I suppose we will just have to do it calmly and hope for the best.
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I take it that you missed yesterday’s feature article, “Should the Mac Zealots Just Shut Up”. Seriously, I can’t believe you’ve only just now discovered that people do not respond well to jerks. You get mad at the thought that people call your computer and OS the “Fisher Price computer”, yet you pretty much say the exact same things to people using Windows. (Yes, I’m looking at “What Type of Windows Weenie are You”, and no, the title doesn’t compare with “What Type of Mac-Head Are You.”)
The instant you call someone stupid, or treat them with the condesention reserved for the toddler who can’t tie his shoe—which you do when it comes to Windows users—they will become defensive, and stop considering anything you might have to say.
Ster:
I’m not sure how many of James’ essay’s I’ve read so I can’t comment on your suggestion that he’s a jerk - or writes like one. But he is essentially correct that Mac users get less respect. I see this quite frequently at the university’s computer users group.
Well, screw ‘em DOC-loving critics, they’ll go down eventually. *g*
Be an arrogant, condescending, self righteous, uncompromising jerk. It’s okay as long as you can take the blowback without complaining.
Those “but everyone uses this and it has always been like that” office types who compromise in areas where it is highly unnecessary - they use DOC! Hell, I’ve even come across MAC USING GRAPHIC ARTISTS who want your (another Mac user’s) stuff in DOC, causing all sorts of trouble but they still insist! Masochism and stupidity brew in this boiling pot of nonsense! - due to their utter lack of interest and understanding just make me sick. I rejoice every time their Outlook mailboxes collapse or their whole business is delayed at high cost when their win-run server dies in the wake of the latest virus. And then, when I smile and say “told you so” it is not because I am an anal type full of schadenfreude, no, it is because they made a bad decision, were told better in a friendly tone and with best intentions, and still did not learn anything or were just too plain lazy to act. In former times such people were eaten by the bears. In our networked times, them taking a hit means everybody taking a hit. Therefore I despise them and their gutless “I’m only an employee” attitude.
James: As a guy who has responded to a number of your articles on another site, let me say I always enjoy your pieces. However, I do think you make one small error in this one. It’s not “attitude.” It’s simply being pleased as punch with your Mac.
People (read: non Mac users) often confuse one for the other. I love my Macs so much, and I’m so pleased with their performance that I’m happy to share those experiences with any/everyone who will listen. I’m not bragging, or raving like a loon, I’m simply saying, “YOUR computing experiences can be this great, too. Truly.”
I recently had a conversation with a coworker who described to me how his PC laptop “just stopped working.” He took it in for repair, and was told that there were “hundreds of infections” on the machine, rendering it useless. He had it repaired, and seven weeks later the exact same thing happened again. My question to him was, “Why do you put up with that?”
I went on to describe how that’s never happened to me, and I have an always-on connection at home, and I never turn my Macs off. Does that sound like I’m bragging or raving? Because that’s not my intention. I just have a good thing, and peopel want to share a good thing.
I don’t think you’ve got a crass attitude. I think you’re just very happy with the Macintosh experience. And why not.
Davecaolo, just like that!
How did your co react? Lately I get more positive reactions, but usually people get into defense-mode even though unattacked, or, worse, exhibit the office attitude I raved about above your entry. It is very strange, people seem to have problems accepting, even if they realize it, that they made a bad/uninformed choice.
A good friend of mine got a G5 at his business and just goes on and on about how his G5 crashes all the time therefore Macs are crap. I keep repeating to him over and over again: One bad Apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch. Do manufactured goods have problems? Yes. That’s what warranties are for. I suggested he take the thing NEXT DOOR WHERE THERE IS AN AUTHORIZED APPLE SERVICE PROVIDER. “I bought a Mac so I didn’t have to use the warranty.” I can’t decide if I’m crazy or he is…
So, how can your average Apple writer be taken seriously on other tech sites not known for their friendliness to those who “think different”?
For myself and many others, it’s not the attitude that’s the problem. And I certainly have no room to complain about attitude anyway.
My brother and I both have Macs; he has a dual G5 and it’s shweeet. Naturally we both look for accessories and software that can enhance our Mac experience or maybe even get it to do things we already do in XP. :O
But here’s what it’s like to read reviews of Apple products on an Apple site:
“It’s awesome.”
“It’s insanely great.”
“Apple does it again!”
“Wow, I thought they couldn’t top themselves.”
“Another award for Apple.”
“This will change the way we do things.”
A review site in which all of the reviews are positive is basically worthless, even if the reviews are SOMETIMES correct. That’s why your Linux article isn’t taken seriously. Of COURSE you don’t like Linux. It would be like you writing an article on why XP fails as a desktop. In fact, ANY article you write about ANY non-Apple related ANYTHING is probably going to be negative. So why bother reading? Do I even have to ask you what you think of, for example, the Zen Creative portable music player? I know what you’re going to say before you say it.
I need to clarify one little thing above: A review site in which all of the reviews about APPLE are positive. And all of the reviews about products that compete with Apple are negative.
Carry on.
A good friend of mine got a G5 at his business and just goes on and on about how his G5 crashes all the time therefore Macs are crap.
The exact same thing happened to my brother’s G5. it turned out to be a memory problem.
Beyond the incredible overselling and overhyping of what Macs can do (they NEVER crash, they NEVER get viruses, they are SOOOO easy to use), your example illustrates another major annoyance for me about Mac zealots.
When an XP computer crashes or breaks: “XP is unstable, crashes all the time, is riddled with viruses, and there’s nothing you can do so get a Mac.
But when a Mac crashes, (and this happens, just ask Dickrichardson, my brother, or almost ANY Mac user), you get: “You must be doing something wrong. One bad Apple doesn’t spoil the bunch. No product is perfect. I’ve never had that problem. Must be something other than anything related to Apple.”
I rarely ever get crashes on either system, and when it happens, it’s usually hardware related. But when it happens I also react differently. I make fun of the Mac when it goes down, or when I have to restart after installing software, or when something doesn’t work the way it should. I joke with my brother, “It just works. It’s so stable. It does what I want it to do” and all of the other dumb cliches that Mac fanatics are constantly throwing at you.
I understand the desire to oversell it. You want people to use a product you’re so happy with, but there aren’t that many differences so you have to grossly exagerate the advantages of the Mac. But you have to understand that the reaction to ANY problems after you’ve told someone that they won’t have any, is going to be a kind of backlash. And it’s not your friend’s fault. It’s yours and others like you who tried to convince him that he’ll never have the kinds of problems he’s currently having.
Apple Matters is the third Mac-centric website that I have had the joy to published on.
Dude! Do you even proofread your sentences?
I work in a retail chain with a service department, we sell Apples and PCs. 99.9% of the service is for PC’s, almost all of that due to viruses.
And what percentage of your store’s sales are PC and what percentage are Macs? If it’s anything like the rest of the country, then it’s approx. 97% to 3%. If 97% of the cars I sell are Toyotas, then it’s not exactly a shock that 97% of the cars I service will be Toyotas as well. Right?
The statement. “XP is unstable, crashes all the time, (and) is riddled with viruses” is truthful as I perceive it based on my work experience. Likely many of the problems are self inflicted by less-than-knowledgable users, and that is why those people especially should be Mac users.
XP IS about as stable as a Mac. And I find both systems relatively straight forward and easy to use. It really depends on the user. My wife doesn’t really care for the Mac. I like some things about it, some things I don’t.
It is definitely true, however, that XP has viruses and OS X doesn’t, but while that has something to do with the OS, it is mostly the fault of the user. For example, I run XP on two machines and have never had a virus. If XP itself were to blame, I’d be as virus-riddled as everyone else but I’m not. And I spend almost no time messing with virus protection.
So in dealing with the one REAL issue that seperates Macs from PC’s, there are a couple of solutions: 1) Get everyone to convert to Mac and assume that this will stop the problem and not simply give virus writers a different target. OR 2) Educate users on how NOT to get viruses, like not opening attachments in e-mail or switching to Firefox, and running a free virus scanner in the background.
Personally, I think educating users is a much simpler and less obtrusive solution than trying to get them to switch to Macs. For one thing, there’s usually a reason people choose PC’s in the first place, most of it having to do with work or gaming. So moving to a Mac is either not an option or a big upheavel. For another, dealing with viruses and spyware isn’t all that hard. I devote virtually no time at all to it, with my virus scanner running in the background.
My experience with Windows Server 2003 and I am not making up this story. I make a clean install using RAID 1 (mirroring) and then go straight to Window Update to acquire Service Pack 1. I click ‘Yes’ for installing Windows Update software (active X) before it actually update my windows. I am sure that the software come from Microsoft. Then I wait about half an hour until updating progress finish and then the machine ask me to reboot so I reboot. Upon starting up, my computer restarting every 1 minute. With Google, I know my computer has been infected with MsBlast.exe virus. According to my experience, Windows do get infected with virus in 12 minutes according to some research on the web. This is my personal experience, and no offence to everybody (either Mac user or Windows user).
<object to knee jerk partisanship.</i>
Yeah, cause there’s nothing like that on the Mac side.
According to my experience, Windows do get infected with virus in 12 minutes according to some research on the web.
Were you behind a router or connected directly to the interent? The “12 minute” thing is for machines directly attached to the internet. A router’s built-in firewall prevents this sort of thing from happening and is a cheap and easy solution.
I am not behind a router or anything, it directly connected to the internet. It is Windows Server 2003 not Windows XP though. I thought its designed for security, stability and durability. I even run IE in “Trusted Sites” zone mode while updating.
Jeebus, Haizal. I don’t even run my Mac without a firewall. No wonder you got infected. Get thee a router right away.