Confessions of a Six Figure Professional Blogger

When Nerds Attack

June 6, 2008 | Blogging

I wrote a post over on PCMech a few days ago about Firefox 3. I called the browser a memory hog and I posted a screenshot of how much memory it was using. Little did I know the nerd shitstorm I would unleash. Even though I run a Mac, I have found that bashing anything Apple means you get the MacTard army coming after you and calling you names. Well, apparently there is a Foxtard army out there, too.

I wasn’t going to say anything about it. This goes with the territory of being a blogger sometimes. But, this morning, I had this comment come through ( which I did not approve due to language):

Dude, you own a Mac. Use Safari and shut the fuck up!

Yeah, this guy sure is a thinker.

And some others:

I’m just saing that a ferrari isn’t that cool if my grandma’ is driving it.

Oh, and I love this one:

I’ve officially removed PCMech off my daily visiting bookmarks after reading this article. Completely unfounded, and there’s reasons why software enters a Beta stage. Considering your getting something for nothing, and works better than well-known integrated (effectively paid-for) browsers, I don’t see where you get the right to complain.

This article is based on ONE user experience, in which it could simply be related to a SINGLE add-on that the user is operating. Zero research, zero facts, zero creditibility.

And with that I say Goodbye to PCMech. You are no longer a daily source of informed I.T. related news.

First, cry me a river, man. Second, I never said this was news. Third, YES this article is based off one user experience. DUH! If you want some boring drivel of IT news, go somewhere else. At PCMech, we have opinions. We do news, too. But, a smart person can clearly tell the difference.

Why do people get so defensive about their computer choices? The Mac versus PC debate gets people into red-faced tirades. And apparently saying anything bad about Firefox generates the same reaction (much to my chagrin). And the most ironic thing about it is that I am a heavy user of both Mac AND Firefox. Wouldn’t work without either.

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  • Hi David,

    Everyone's got an opinion. Chrome is supposedly less of a memory hog, but I like to open multiple tabs at once. Chrome doesn't seem to handle this as well as firefox. But Im only one user and have only one experience. ;-)

    Anyhow, these are entertaining to read. Not sure you have done so already but I would be interested in reading articles about how you deal with these situations.

    Cheers,
    Jeremy
  • Paul
    Rich, the Internet is a serious Business and it is also full of humor. That is what makes it so interesting. Without people like Foo, Nathan and njaneardude, we would have nobody to laugh at with their 'So Damn Serious' attitude.
  • Internet is serious business.
  • njaneardude
    I doubt anyone in the cool to call someone a *tard has ever personally known/had a relative that was mentally retarded.
    Dave, you've totally blown any respect I've had for your achievements, in a word, uncool.
  • Malcolm
    I doubt this works for everything. For example: "/b/tard". That term is seen too much use to be changed by now; besides, "/b/philiac" just doesn't have the same ring to it.
  • Paul
    Wow, what thin skins some people have. I think a better suggestion would be "To Grow Up and Get a Life!"
  • So, what you are suggesting is to say that I am a Linuphiliac and perhaps a Firefoxiholic because of the usage patterns exhibited on my computer systems? How dare you suggest that you are capable of making such a diagnosis without knowing me better?
  • Malcolm
    Sounds good to me. But I doubt that just changing one letter will satisfy some people. How about "-philiac"? it makes "liking" something sound like a disease. + it's Latin derived. :)
  • Paul
    Yeah, I was laughing so hard as I type that, I even messed one up, Foxturd!
  • Paul
    Well Dave, after reading this interesting word battle, it becomes very obvious, we have a Macturd, a Foxturn and a Footurd. I think those fit better than using 'tard on the ends.
  • Excellent observation Malcolm, you have managed to verbalize, well to at least crystalllize the points i was trying to make and further more you have a suggested path for resolution to the dilemma which the entire series of tubes faces, lets get Fake Steve in here to help with the work. I am sure that we will fix this in no time at all!
  • Malcolm
    "enosiophobe", "dweeb", "idiot", etc. would be good candidates.

    I can't wait to see what we may accomplish. :)
  • I use both Mac and Firefox. Why would I insult them? And, no, I'm not defensive. I'm posted a blog post. People read. You seem to have become a repeat visitor. :)
  • Foo
    Sarcasm? I don't think that word means what you think it means. How were you being sarcastic? you actually meant the opposite and you think that Firefox and Mac users have well above average intelligence? That doesn't seem to fit with the rest of your rant.

    Sorry, I don't see the sarcasm in your comment at all. I see you using bigoted language to insult Mac and Firefox users and then getting all defensive about it instead of acknowledging that it was pretty uncool.
  • Foo, get off my blog, man. I don't need anybody here who cannot handle sarcasm. I don't have time for you.
  • foo-

    just for clarification purposes, i wrote the first comment not the post, i have not called anyone a *tard or a bigot.
  • Foo
    Using "reatarded" in a phrase like "retarded social skills" is very different than calling someone a "retard" or a "tard" or any of the variants often used to make a generic insult like you did in your original post.

    One can "retard a fire" with a "fire retardant" and one can speak of physical or emotional or mental or even social" "retardation" without being offensive. That's not what happened here, though. You used "mactard" and "foxtard" as generic insults and that's what's not cool.
  • obviously when someone is intolerant of other people's views they are a bigot, but when there is a people whose social skills are slow or hinder relationships with others why is it inappropriate to say they are retarded?

    actually foo, i believe you are correct; just to answered my own question; from now on people who lash out at critic of their favorite software (ie mass defenders of Firefox in this case) it would be more fair to call them bigots than to say they are retarded. they certainly exhibit more of a tendency to be intolerant of other people's views.

    now here's another question--

    does bigotry count as retarded social skills?
  • Foo
    When someone exhibits clearly bigoted behavior and then laughs it off, labeling that person a bigot is not really "name calling" that should just be shrugged off.

    Calling someone a "retard" or any *tard is not funny and it's not a joke and to not acknowledge that it's inappropriate is simply wrong. To defend it is no different than defending use of the word "nigger" or "fag".

    That none of you see that is a real shame. You'll go on and get your laughs at the expense of those less fortunate than you. Sad.
  • @foo .. are you frikken serious .. jezz find a damn funny bone would ya.
  • Hey Dave, look.. a FooTard.

    Don't forget to subscribe to Dave's feed. Have a nice day.
  • dear foo,

    thank you for continuing the name calling, it is very helpful.
  • Foo
    Yeah, go on insulting people with bigoted slurs.

    I should lighten up when people use the "n"-word? Or call people gay or homo as a generic insult?

    You don't think that people with mental retardation deserve any respect and that it's OK to insult and denigrate them as part of your regular communication?

    Even after someone pointing out your insulting comments you think it's still OK?

    Give me a break, bigot.
  • Oh, gimme a break, Foo. Jeez. Lighten up. Political correctness serves no other purpose than to make every self-censor. Humor is obvious to a thinker.
  • Foo
    Do you make fun of people with different skin color or physical disabilities? Calling people *tards is just as bigoted as racial or ethnic slurs. I could care less about your computer or program "opinions" but I expect a bit more from you on the general human decency front.
  • Well, you just got one more Friendfeed subscription, which means a click through to this blog when RSS via FF notifies.
    Consider 'one user opinion' offset.
  • aren't people wondreful :) especially the *tard branch of our society.
  • it seems to me, slightly educated as i am, that computers and the different camps of users is the only quasi-safe argument grounds in our modern society. it is not quite correct for 'normal people' to argue to fundamental differences between religious camps and political arguments are mostly reserved for AM radio heads and cable tv. so its computers that people get to get their panties in a wad over, plus we all use them quite extensively so we all know what we like, or in many cases what we are accustomed to and anything outside that safe area is wrong- thus the internet tirades.
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