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The Best Science Writing Online 2012
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I’ve been a consumer technology critic for over 10 years. During that time, hate mail has been part of my job every day.
In the early days I thought I understood it. Back then, it was all about Microsoft versus Apple. It was easy to see why people took sides: Apple was the underdog taking on an established giant. It was fun to root for one side or the other.
Today, though, there are fanboys and haters ready to attack every conceivable position in the tech world—“position,” of course, meaning “company or product.” Mention almost any big name, and you’ll hit a raw nerve: iPhone. Android. Kindle. Canon. Nikon. Google. Facebook. And, of course, Apple or Microsoft.
We’re not talking about civil disagreements, either. We’re talking about name-calling, hair-pulling, toxic tantrums, featuring a whole new arsenal of modern-age putdowns (the suffix “-tard” is always popular). It’s gadget hate speech.
At tech conferences, we columnists compare notes on the hostility of our hate mail. Doesn’t matter if you think you’re being evenhanded in the review; someone will flame you for it.
So when the Apple iPad debuted last year, I tried a crazy experiment: I wrote two reviews in the New York Times in a single column, taking opposite positions. One was for the fanboys—all positive. One was for the haters—all negative. Surely, I thought, this would satisfy everyone.
Incredibly, though, the stunt pleased nobody. The anti-Apple bloggers wrote about my “love letter” to the iPad; the fanboy bloggers foamed at the mouth about the “hatchet job” I’d written. Each side ignored half of the review!
Later, I learned that I was witnessing a well-documented cognitive bias: the hostile media effect. It says that people who hold strong opinions about an issue perceive media coverage of that issue to be biased against their opinions, regardless of how neutral the coverage may be. But that phenomenon usually applies in politics, not electronics. That could only mean one thing: that gadget brands have, in fact, become politicized.
What’s going on here? Why do people work themselves into such a lather over their choice of phone, for heaven’s sake?
First, tech companies these days work hard to link their products to style and image. Those colorful, silhouetted dancing iPod ads never mention a single feature—except how cool it makes you. The message seems to be, “You’re not worthy if you don’t buy one”—and suddenly, if someone disses your gadget, they’re also dissing you as a person.
A second factor is that gadgets are expensive, and they quickly become obsolete. You become invested in the superiority of your purchase. People see you using it, judging your choice—so you defend your choice. Insult my gadget? You’re insulting me.
The old Apple underdog phenomenon is still at play, too—but now in reverse. Apple is now the overlord of music players, tablet computers and app phones. Forget the 1997 Apple commercials that encouraged us to “Think different.” Today if you buy Apple, you’re not an iconoclast—you’re a sheep. Those who once would have rooted for Apple the underdog now root against it.
For the same reason, Facebook and Google gain their own hater populations as they grow bigger and more prosperous. Size and success naturally stoke suspicion and cynicism.
But why gadgets? You don’t encounter this degree of rabid partisanship among customers of rival clothing stores, insurance companies or banks, and those are large companies, too. And why now? I mean, you didn’t hear about people in the 1950s flying into name-calling rages over their choice of toaster oven or gangs in the 1980s starting rumbles about brands of hair gel.
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8 Comments
Add CommentInteresting article David. I would argue that it doesn't only happen in consumer electronics. This same over-zealousness occurs in other realms where there is also a great deal of emotional investment on the part of consumers -popular music, or automobiles for example.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe are seeing this a lot in our business in an interesting way. We offer onsite Mac support in NYC, and many potential clients are surprised that we can help them with BlackBerry, Android, Sonos, and other non-Apple products. So the concept of brand loyalty is very pervasive out there. We try to push against it and get our clients to really think about their specific needs, and not buy what's hot at the moment. The best solution is not the same for everybody. Is the Mac really right for your needs? Might the BlackBerry be a better option than the iPhone, based on how you want to use your mobile device? And so forth. We find most people are not generally thinking this way.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEasily explained: We are amidst a brain mutation period caused by dark matter of the universe having been radiated by solar bursts and raining through us at this very moment. This coupled with impulses forced to us by WATSON through our hand-helds creating wild firings between the synapses as we frenetically try to stay in step with Technology advances and data flow. This condition is marked by outward apoplectic characteristics and significant loss off interpretive powers.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIts either that or Squirrel Nest Envy/Competition.
; )
Nice piece
This phenomenon is by no means unique to gadget heads. I have noticed regular contributors to comments sections in all sorts of forums building a noxious profile around a user name. Maybe a wikileaks-type operation which outs the real identities of user-named polluters of the net is called for.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell its a perception thing . Yes I remember the MAC vs Apple thing. Personaly I was and am a camp follower if it works and most of the people are buying it . I will support it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou find it everywhere . Persnoal biases. I supposed to say politly we a techonogy prejudiced. Yes its true. So I like old Windows mobile so I never went into Android vs Apple . Although I will pick Android. I do acknowledge Apple creating a new product which a truly "personal" computer. A computer we can dress up like our own "Barbie" & "Ken" . I am completely guilty of this so I make my computer beautiful as well as my phone . I always hate the soulless desktop of the corporate world that I have to fix because they are afraid end users might put hatefull wall paper . that is also the phenomena of the Iphone & Android we can make them say anything we like . As long as the folks in the back office or Exchange severs don't find out what is in you In Box.
Technology "Bashing " is as old as Personal computer. Its fun for some "Guru" of the "c" Prompt tell you how great the world of command line is . While another is pontificates why its so good to put on thing on top of another in a GUI.
As far as technology goes it just needs to work . Do we really care how "cool" we look doing it . Do we need to rabidly purchase more Chinese made stuff that won't last until the wireless contract ends. This makes manufactures happy let the battle for whats you type of phone . Its silly.
Very Good Article.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have gone through this phase as a young one.
I had to buy the correct brand , Say a Camera. Then when the camera prices came down I had several and found that if one has a "good camera eye" it does not matter what camera one uses.
One can always catch the moment in a snapshot.
In came the video camera, the whole ball game changes.This was the time I was a bachelor.
The money and choice was not a problem then.
The came the computer. They were expensive but I had to buy (Commodore 64-128, Amiga, Atari) what was available. When the notebooks of old era came I could not afford them.
I thank god for that.
I lost interest in them till Windows came into existence. We were hooked to it and trapped beyond our control till I discovered Linux and meaning of freedom and correct choice.
Then followed the period of transition in my mind along with struggling with money matters.
When there are money matters the there is no choice left. one has to survive preserving only a few of one's favorite hobbies that included computers to me.
Common sense, pragmatism and rationalization take precedence over the trends, emotions an attachment.
When the comparatively cheap laptops hit the market, I had to make a choice. My calculations told me I can have there desktops for the price for one laptop. One for me in office, one at home for me and one for the kids, all assembled to my specification with hardware available at the time. Now I have 6 out of 7 old computers all doings (thanks to Linux) some useful function at home. One computer busted while recording Cricket World Cup in 2007.
The rationalization there is that I don't have to carry any luggage (laptop).
Then I bought the first laptop (I needed one to test Linux distributions) IBM of course, one third the price in Singapore without an operating system and booted it with Linux at the airport on my return home.
Another second hand laptop (for testing Linux) and new netbook (for my daughter) were added to my armoury without feeling the pinch.
This is my rationalization going berserk.
I carry a cell phone (it is a hindrance to my peace) only when I travel abroad and feel like dropping it into a dustbin in the airport but resisted and gave it to my wife instead.
i boil my transmigration to 3 phases.
1. Choice with lot of spare money in hand
2. Pragmatism with barely enough money in hand
3. Rationalization while enjoying all the intellectual freedom that one get with Linux.
If Linux did not come into existence i would not known what I mean by freedom of choice.
I wish the author would do more study on age, sex and the social class in his future studies and how these habits changes with time like in the case of mine.
I agree that the vitriol derives from the presumption of anonymity in the online world. However, I suspect also a tendency toward forming community. There are these things called forums on the net that likely represent, even replace the clubs of earlier periods. These clubs are also easier to attend and interaction is asynchronous. We do not all have to attend at the same time. As suggested in the article, the marketing machine works tirelessly to attach the "device" to the person. Once successful, the person becomes a member of the "community" surrounding the device. Do these communities comprise every owner of a particular device? Not likely. Rather, these communities are primarily formed of the more emotionally invested individuals particular to the device. There have been "Corvette" clubs for as long as the "device" has existed and the same can be said for a host of other devices as well. Whether or not any particular individual actively participates in the "club" is not necessarily an indicator of how thoroughly invested this individual is in their relationship with the device. That depends more on how successful the marketing was with this individual and how susceptible the individual is to the marketing process. Regardless, once a member of the "club," a sense of "nationalism" or commitment to the club can develop. There is likely a relationship between the depth of that relationship and the intensity of comments made by the individual.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo sad. There should be no room for emotion in science and technology. Balancing the facts to optimize the facilities that one wishes to acquire is all, but the balance depends on one's value judgements. And in this we will always differ - t´would be tragic if it were not so? I expect vitriol to flow from politics and religion, both based on mythologies. But the semi-illiterate, sick outpourings found often in the comments in SciAm and the New Scientist depress me; as the man said, you can have your own opinions, but not your own facts, and those comments are from people who haven´t a fact.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this(I am 73, B.Sc, M.Met. and still thinking.)