This has become an annoying part of my web surfing experience for the past few years and it only seems to be getting worse. Why is it that a person can’t comment on a blog or article without being called names? On that same note, why is it that people can’t post basic opinions without having to go over the top with their comments? Case in point is my recent surfing related to the iPhone.
No surprise here, I love gadgets. As such, I like to read about them and test them out whenever possible. This attitude is probably going to put me in the poorhouse one day. But that’s a story for another day. During the past 2 weeks I’ve been reading zdnet.com, which is a website that provides news, reviews, and blogs related to all sorts of technology. There have been countless articles and blogs related to the iPhone, both positive and negative. In some cases, the writer of the article or blog makes good points and others are just way off base. But that’s not the worst part. It’s the people commenting on the article that prove how obnoxious people really are. If you say something good or bad about the iPhone you are instantly labeled a Microsoft or Apple Fanboy or Zealot. What is a Fanboy or Zealot you ask? Well, I had to go to one of my internet sources to find out (thanks Matt 1.0). In basic terms, it’s someone that will always promote a product by a certain company no matter how good or bad it is and will trash the other company at the same time. And that definition is being nice. Some of these people are just over the top in their opinions to the point it’s ridiculous.
Why is it that I can’t like or dislike a product without be called names like Fanboy and Zealot. How childish are we here?! Give me a break. I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I own an iPod Nano and a MacBook Pro and actually like both of them. It was after buying the Nano and getting to see first hand how smooth a user interface it has that I started thinking about buying a MacBook Pro. Are either of these products perfect? No. Do I think they are the best products to suit my needs? Yes. That is why I bought them. Does the mean I hate Microsoft and every product they make? No. News to the world. It is possible to like both Microsoft and Apple products! It’s also ok to say both positive and negative things about either one of them or to, dare I say, like one better than the other. So, to everyone that uses terms like Fanboy and Zealot for people like me that actually test products out and chooses the one they like best, get over yourself. You’re just making yourself look bad by calling people that you don’t know names.
Don’t get me into the sticks and stones speech. But, I’ll admit, these people really frustrate me.
P.S. – Sorry for asking and answering my own questions.
