I usually do not read the comments sections in other blogs (time issue) so was unaware of this pattern. Apparently I am not the only one attacked for questioning the perfection of all things Apple (AAPL).
Eric Savitz writes a tech section for Barrons and in reading it this week came across this item.:
“On my Tech Trader Daily blog, I recently wrote a flurry of posts about concerns on the Street that demand for both the iPod and the iPhone may be sagging. Some analysts doubt Apple can hit its target of 10 million iPods for 2008. Some are saying that Apple has reduced orders for iPod and iPhone components. Bullish comments from Tim Cook last week helped buoy the shares, but some investors nonetheless are sitting on fat losses. For a while there, the fanboys were taking out their frustrations on me, on the comment section of my blog. With every post on questions or data points that don’t fit with the idea that Apple can do no wrong, I would get creepy, vitriolic comments. I was forced to shut down the comment section of some posts in the face of anti-Semitic attacks, threats of physical violence and generally acidic bile. It was ridiculous, and unnerving. And I hope it stops.”
What is wrong with you people? Why is the very thought of Apple not being perfect so offensive to you? I have read Savitz’s columns for a quite a while now and one would have to be exceedingly thin skinned to take anything he says as inflammatory.
Why the hostility? Why the anger? Personally in the just over a year blogging about hundreds of different companies the level of hostility and outright rage from the Apple folks is unmatched.
Perhaps they think they can bully those of us who doubt Apple’s perfection into being quiet?
It is too bad Savitz took down the comments section as I am sure it gave Apple fans a “victory” in their minds. Leaving it up would have only illuminated the world as the who they really are (those who troll blogs leaving those types of comments). Apple does seem to be in a class of one when it come to these types of folks.
My guess is that unlike their claims to “have bought Apple at $10” they are sitting on price levels far higher and are taking their current losses out on those of us doubters, like we have any control over the 53 million shares that trade daily (maybe they think we really so?).
Alas, put the comments back up Eric and reveal to the world the cult of Apple. I will leave mine up and will look forward to laughing at the ones for this post….spew on folks!!
Disclosure (“none” means no position):Sold July $280 calls in Jan
5 replies on “What Is Wrong With Apple Lovers?”
It’s always unfortunate that the most vocal crackpots get to represent an entire community of people. I offer no defense for the vitriolic posts of uncivilized hate mongers.
Speaking of the general community, though, I think the defensiveness of the Mac users comes from the fact that the mainstream world of computing and finance has always written off Apple and its users as being this weird little anomaly that will surely go away.
Even moreso now, in light of Apple’s successes, pundits tend to turn molehills of Apple trouble into mountains of Apple death and catastrophe, simply because they are looking for any excuse for Apple to finally fail and meet their expectations of inevitable demise.
It’s from this general atmosphere that your friend “The Macalope” was born – a snarky reality check for those pundits who try to marginalize and dismiss the Apple’s success and spin all Apple related news with Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.
anon,
I have no problem with people being defensive. In fact, most shareholders of a company tend to be, they bought the stock because they thought it was a good idea, they will defend that decision in the face of a doubter, human nature.
What is separates the Apple folks is that the vitriol you talk about is the norm, not the “few”. Even those who are not “commenters” on a website but have their own like the Macalope exist only in this world of insult and anger, not reason.
As for the doubters, I do not see doubters calling for “death and destruction”, just not unbridled perfection. There is a huge difference. Savitz is a perfect example, nothing he says could e construed in that way at all.
Scary
Vlado,
Not scary, sad. It is just a phone or a computer right? Getting that wrapped up in a “thing” is really sad…
Todd,
The Apple/Mac pack is chock full of true believers. The disgraceful writers to Eric’s post are kool aid drinking cultists. When you factor in the deranged rhetoric often found on stock boards it is not surprising they mounted such an assault. Still, it is a damn shame. I hope he bans all IP’s that posted hateful remarks. The entire WSJ product line might consider doing the same. There’s no useful dialogue with writers prone to hate speech.
Dave