It’s hard to think of any creative work that becomes sufficiently widely known without attracting some harsh criticism; not even The Well-Tempered Clavier. I think Bond has his cause and effect backwards: passionate fans are annoying and create passionate haters, and the haters trot out whatever aspect of awfulness exists to be found. Apple fanboyism is perhaps the most transparent example of this phenomenon.
I don’t remember the subject I was commenting on, but a few months ago I left a comment on a thread at ESR’s blog, Armed and Dangerous, that “fanboys are worse than haters, because haters are more often entertaining, even if not intentionally.”
It’s hard to think of any creative work that becomes sufficiently widely known without attracting some harsh criticism; not even The Well-Tempered Clavier. I think Bond has his cause and effect backwards: passionate fans are annoying and create passionate haters, and the haters trot out whatever aspect of awfulness exists to be found. Apple fanboyism is perhaps the most transparent example of this phenomenon.
I don’t remember the subject I was commenting on, but a few months ago I left a comment on a thread at ESR’s blog, Armed and Dangerous, that “fanboys are worse than haters, because haters are more often entertaining, even if not intentionally.”
It’s here: http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=923#comment-234723
I think I may have had this comment in my subconscious when I posted the above.