Editorial - Macrimination 

The Mac Smackdown - Bash PC Users ??

By Steve Sobek - Contributing Editor

After writing last week's Macrimination, "The Mac Smackdown Coming Down On You," a treatise pointing out one of the most blatant and unsupported instances of Macrimination ever, I proudly sent off an e-mail to the list the link had first been posted on. For some time, a discussion ensued about the wisdom of responding to such Mac bashing -- and whether constructing a response was actually more negative than positive for the Mac community.

The discussion made me realize that I had to go a little bit more in depth in this column as to its purpose and what I hope to accomplish writing it.

In the column, I criticized another piece written by student newspaper columnist, who panned the entire platform and didn't really give any real reasons as to why. It also was obvious from reading the article that the author had not used a recent Mac equipped with Mac OS X, as it seemed he was describing problems more often associated with OS 9.

In the following discussion, which includes some quotes from the Mac-related e-mail list I first described in "Mac Smackdown," the authors shall remain anonymous to protect the innocent -- or even the guilty.

One lister said he wasn't sure if we should respond to these kind of attacks. If people are ignorant, he said, "That is their issue."

Another said that saying we take such transgressions seriously could paint Mac users in a bad light. "Are we really that neurotic?"

Another lister asked if we couldn't all just get along and stop bashing each other.

I agree, that we should not bash PC users just for being PC users. But I also believe that it's an insular attitude toward the rest of the computing world that contributes to the fact that the Mac has such a small slice of the market-share pie. And whether we like it or not, any misinformation about our platform, or our computers, can indirectly lead to real consequences down the road. Uneducated buyers who might actually consider buying a Mac otherwise may turn away because of something they read on the Internet. If it's in print or on an official news Web site, it must be true, right?

This is why Macrimination (this column) exists. Not to make us look cultist or elite, but to make sure that the score is right. I have no problems with some people buying PCs. As a matter of fact, there have been a couple of times I have told a friend seeking advice to stay with a PC instead of making the switch.

But, it's that possible Jeremiah Cohick who gives me pause. That PC user who is looking for something easier to use and would benefit greatly from using a Macintosh, much as the computing world opened up for me when I got my first Mac three years ago. I worry about this potential Mac switcher, reading that column bashing Macs with no real facts, and deciding that maybe he should just go ahead get that Dell she was looking at.

When this happens, not only does Apple lose potential converts, it risks future Apple innovations and breakthroughs that could someday benefit us all.

It's in our best interest, as Mac folk, to point out such misinformation whenever we have the opportunity. And it's why I decided to call this column Macrimination -- and not Macs Are Really Cool.

Tune in next week, when Macrimination tells you how it's all about to get better, and the future is so bright that we have to wear shades. All because of some tiny pieces of silicon.

Steve Sobek is a journalist and Webmaster of United Mac. Reach him at ssobek@stevesobek.net.