4 ms·

Can you name any software or hardware product (or vendor) that you have a strong interest in or an admiration for?

by pohl 16y ago

kenjackson 16y ago
I can name plenty. Apple and the iPhone are a couple. Google Search and AdWords, Visual Studio, and Mathematica are some others. Are they perfect? No. Are the companies that made them flawless? No. But I can appreciate a product/company, yet not have my identity tied up with the product. I use an Apple product, but I'm not defined by that use any more than I'm defined by the fact that I use Sylvania light bulbs or Colgate toothpaste.
- pohl 16y ago
  I can name plenty. By the standards of the dictionary I have before me, then, you meet the minimum requirements for the word "fan" to be applied to you. It doesn't mention anything about wrapping your identity up in the target of your interest/admiration, nor does it mention anything about needing to believe that the target is flawless. But that's good news, right? You don't need to get your hackles up when you hear the word "fan" anymore. It should be obvious if you think about it, though: Would someone need to deny that Willie Mays ever made an error in order to be his fan?
  - kenjackson 16y ago
    "Would someone need to deny that Willie Mays ever made an error in order to be his fan?" Yet Gruber does. I'm glad you take solace in being a fan. Feel free to refer to me as an Android/WP7/iPhone/Nokia/Palm fan when it comes to mobile phones. Seems like a pretty worthless statement (I used to think I was just a Laker fan, but by your definition, apparently I'm even a Clippers fan!), but if it makes you feel better about Gruber and his characterizations and perspective, feel free to do so.
    - pohl 16y ago
      I figured it was you who needed some comfort, since your voluminous opposition hinged on the excessively narrow semantics you were imposing on him. I, myself, was able to just take the essay at face value. Amazingly, I was able to understand that paragraph even though I'm a fan of both phone systems he mentioned. Yet Gruber does. That's just disingenuous.
      - kenjackson 16y ago
        No, the "narrow semantics" you suggest were a summarization of Gruber's general approach, as I stated in my original post. And lets go back to Gruber's actual words again: "Android and iPhone fans will read the preceding paragraph very differently." He's clear to point out (a) that there are fans for each and (b) that they will read the paragraph VERY differently. Yet, both of us are fans of both. It seems that according to your definition we have a bit of a contradiction. Gruber never hints at the possiblity of a third way to read the paragraph -- or even the fact that each individual would read that paragraph and draw different conclusions based on a variety of factors -- being a "fan" not necessarily being the dominant one.
        pohl 16y ago
        It's only a contradiction if you force a narrow interpretation. If I read a paragraph, for example, that takes an issue from each gender's perspective, I know that they're painting with broad strokes and that they probably know about hermaphrodites but just didn't mention it. I don't think someone needs to acknowledge chimeras every time they write something that assumes a person has one set of DNA. Sure, it's fun to be Pedantic Man - the superhero whose power is that of being willfully obtuse - but I can read that paragraph and still think he's captured the two aspects of myself that are actively debating about the relative merits of the two platforms. And most people do develop brand loyalties. You and I are somewhat exceptional. I'll be the chimera; you be the hermaphrodite. I get the sense that you'll say anything to prop up your hate, though. Go on ahead without me.
        16y ago

Can you name any software or hardware product (or vendor) that you have a strong interest in or an admiration for?

by pohl 16y ago

Can you name any software or hardware product (or vendor) that you have a strong interest in or an admiration for?

I can name plenty. Apple and the iPhone are a couple. Google Search and AdWords, Visual Studio, and Mathematica are some others. Are they perfect? No. Are the companies that made them flawless? No. But I can appreciate a product/company, yet not have my identity tied up with the product. I use an Apple product, but I'm not defined by that use any more than I'm defined by the fact that I use Sylvania light bulbs or Colgate toothpaste.

pohl 16y ago
I can name plenty. By the standards of the dictionary I have before me, then, you meet the minimum requirements for the word "fan" to be applied to you. It doesn't mention anything about wrapping your identity up in the target of your interest/admiration, nor does it mention anything about needing to believe that the target is flawless. But that's good news, right? You don't need to get your hackles up when you hear the word "fan" anymore. It should be obvious if you think about it, though: Would someone need to deny that Willie Mays ever made an error in order to be his fan?
- kenjackson 16y ago
  "Would someone need to deny that Willie Mays ever made an error in order to be his fan?" Yet Gruber does. I'm glad you take solace in being a fan. Feel free to refer to me as an Android/WP7/iPhone/Nokia/Palm fan when it comes to mobile phones. Seems like a pretty worthless statement (I used to think I was just a Laker fan, but by your definition, apparently I'm even a Clippers fan!), but if it makes you feel better about Gruber and his characterizations and perspective, feel free to do so.
  - pohl 16y ago
    I figured it was you who needed some comfort, since your voluminous opposition hinged on the excessively narrow semantics you were imposing on him. I, myself, was able to just take the essay at face value. Amazingly, I was able to understand that paragraph even though I'm a fan of both phone systems he mentioned. Yet Gruber does. That's just disingenuous.
    - kenjackson 16y ago
      No, the "narrow semantics" you suggest were a summarization of Gruber's general approach, as I stated in my original post. And lets go back to Gruber's actual words again: "Android and iPhone fans will read the preceding paragraph very differently." He's clear to point out (a) that there are fans for each and (b) that they will read the paragraph VERY differently. Yet, both of us are fans of both. It seems that according to your definition we have a bit of a contradiction. Gruber never hints at the possiblity of a third way to read the paragraph -- or even the fact that each individual would read that paragraph and draw different conclusions based on a variety of factors -- being a "fan" not necessarily being the dominant one.
      - pohl 16y ago
        It's only a contradiction if you force a narrow interpretation. If I read a paragraph, for example, that takes an issue from each gender's perspective, I know that they're painting with broad strokes and that they probably know about hermaphrodites but just didn't mention it. I don't think someone needs to acknowledge chimeras every time they write something that assumes a person has one set of DNA. Sure, it's fun to be Pedantic Man - the superhero whose power is that of being willfully obtuse - but I can read that paragraph and still think he's captured the two aspects of myself that are actively debating about the relative merits of the two platforms. And most people do develop brand loyalties. You and I are somewhat exceptional. I'll be the chimera; you be the hermaphrodite. I get the sense that you'll say anything to prop up your hate, though. Go on ahead without me.
        16y ago