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Fun to watch whataboutism move from politics into computing. Personally I'm about as hostile to Apple News as I am to AMP for a lot of the same reasons. And I

Fun to watch whataboutism move from politics into computing. Personally I'm about as hostile to Apple News as I am to AMP for a lot of the same reasons. And I also don't love Apple's embrace & extend approach to SMS. I guess there was a time when I was concerned about iTunes and DRM and the network effects of an Apple music ecosystem, but I mostly stopped buying stuff through iTMS that I could get elsewhere about a decade ago and then largely ditched iTunes somewhere around 5 years ago after Apple had spent so much time "revolutionizing" the UI that it became a shambling horror of a guessing game rather than an experience, and AFAICT these days there's plenty of ways to use Apple devices for listening to music without using any of their specific apps/services. So, yeah, I'd guess there's probably a concerned audience that isn't exactly picking on Google while giving Apple a pass.

hungerstrike 9y ago
The term whataboutism is bullshit. We're here to talk about our opinions on different topics. Just because you're applying a label to someone else's concerns doesn't make it a thing. Stop trying to make it a thing. Look at your own comment. It's just you saying "I guess this" and "I guess that" so maybe every time someone says that we should start calling it "Iguessism"? I could guess anything! And it really makes it sound as if I have an actual conclusion that means something to anyone, when in fact I'm not saying anything at all!
- beojan 9y ago
  Whataboutism isn't when someone complains that Y is bad too. It's when someone asks why you're complaining about X given Y is similar in some way.
  - hungerstrike 9y ago
    I know exactly what it is, thanks. What I'm saying is that each normal conversational mechanic doesn't deserve an "ism" just because you think it's "a bad thing". It's perfectly normal to add perspective by saying "what about X" in a conversation, which is what this site is here for. This is not a structured debate for crying out loud! People can make your comment disappear without even having to prove anything!
- TPPOW0020 9y ago
  Regardless of what we call it, it's not helpful to defend Google by saying Apple is worse. It doesn't contribute to the discussion. Just deflects. Now if someone was bringing up Apple to draw similarities between what they do and what Google does, or to make distinctions, I can see how that would enrich people's understanding of the issue. But that's not what happened in the comment in question. If we're not careful, this whole thread will be a pissing contest between Google and Apple fans. And we'll forget what's really important (the fact that companies are trying to claim the open web as their own territory)
  - hungerstrike 9y ago
    Oh please. This is not a fucking courtroom and it's not a structured debate. People saying "what about X" is useful for adding perspective. Furthermore, adding "ism" to normal conversational mechanics just because you think it's "a bad thing" is pretty cringe.

hungerstrike 9y ago

The term whataboutism is bullshit. We're here to talk about our opinions on different topics. Just because you're applying a label to someone else's concerns doesn't make it a thing. Stop trying to make it a thing. Look at your own comment. It's just you saying "I guess this" and "I guess that" so maybe every time someone says that we should start calling it "Iguessism"? I could guess anything! And it really makes it sound as if I have an actual conclusion that means something to anyone, when in fact I'm not saying anything at all!

beojan 9y ago
Whataboutism isn't when someone complains that Y is bad too. It's when someone asks why you're complaining about X given Y is similar in some way.
- hungerstrike 9y ago
  I know exactly what it is, thanks. What I'm saying is that each normal conversational mechanic doesn't deserve an "ism" just because you think it's "a bad thing". It's perfectly normal to add perspective by saying "what about X" in a conversation, which is what this site is here for. This is not a structured debate for crying out loud! People can make your comment disappear without even having to prove anything!
TPPOW0020 9y ago
Regardless of what we call it, it's not helpful to defend Google by saying Apple is worse. It doesn't contribute to the discussion. Just deflects. Now if someone was bringing up Apple to draw similarities between what they do and what Google does, or to make distinctions, I can see how that would enrich people's understanding of the issue. But that's not what happened in the comment in question. If we're not careful, this whole thread will be a pissing contest between Google and Apple fans. And we'll forget what's really important (the fact that companies are trying to claim the open web as their own territory)
- hungerstrike 9y ago
  Oh please. This is not a fucking courtroom and it's not a structured debate. People saying "what about X" is useful for adding perspective. Furthermore, adding "ism" to normal conversational mechanics just because you think it's "a bad thing" is pretty cringe.