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January 27, 2003 11:13 PM Subscribe
"When you're holding the moon for ransom, you value the stability of an application..." - The marketing genius of the Apple Switch campaign combined with the religious zealotry of the Linux overlords. My understanding was that this was originally slated to run during the superbowl, but was pulled at the last second due to the racy references to fembots.
I, for one, welcome our linux compatible space laser using overlords.
posted by dazed_one at 12:41 AM on January 28, 2003
posted by dazed_one at 12:41 AM on January 28, 2003
Good stuff. I read a comment on Slashdot today saying that it's very difficult to satirize the Windows experience, but comparably very easy to satirize both Linux and the Mac.
His reason were that Linux has some very visible, very obvious gaping holes in its user interface and applications yet still has such vociferous support. The bit about updating your RPMs and checking your version dependencies hit this right on the head. When people familiar with Linux and the nerd culture from the inside actually have a sense of humour and some communications skills, as demonstrated in the above link, you can get some pretty funny stuff.
The Mac on the other hand, he said, was so generally slick, and its users loved it so much, that when they raise a stink about little nit-picky things (smiling mac, anyone?) it just looks rediculous from the outside world. But they also realize this and can (generally) make fun of themselves for doing it.. Joy of Tech is a good example of this mindset.
Using windows, on the other hand, was such a mundane part of every day life that people don't seem to want to give it any more thought than they have to when they're not at work or whatever. Even if it's to make fun of it, the unpleasantness of using a computer at work makes for an interesting psychological effect of pushing the flaws of Windows to the back of people's minds.
posted by Space Coyote at 2:25 AM on January 28, 2003
His reason were that Linux has some very visible, very obvious gaping holes in its user interface and applications yet still has such vociferous support. The bit about updating your RPMs and checking your version dependencies hit this right on the head. When people familiar with Linux and the nerd culture from the inside actually have a sense of humour and some communications skills, as demonstrated in the above link, you can get some pretty funny stuff.
The Mac on the other hand, he said, was so generally slick, and its users loved it so much, that when they raise a stink about little nit-picky things (smiling mac, anyone?) it just looks rediculous from the outside world. But they also realize this and can (generally) make fun of themselves for doing it.. Joy of Tech is a good example of this mindset.
Using windows, on the other hand, was such a mundane part of every day life that people don't seem to want to give it any more thought than they have to when they're not at work or whatever. Even if it's to make fun of it, the unpleasantness of using a computer at work makes for an interesting psychological effect of pushing the flaws of Windows to the back of people's minds.
posted by Space Coyote at 2:25 AM on January 28, 2003
People push a lot of far more significant things - than the mediocre nature of the Windows experience - to the back of their minds also. Sudden Climate Change, anyone? yeah, those Woods Hole 'world's leading oceanagraphic institute' people, they're just these biased these bleeding heart 'save the whale' types who just don't understand the realities of the marketplace...like those editors of the Wall Street Journal do...
posted by troutfishing at 4:37 AM on January 28, 2003
posted by troutfishing at 4:37 AM on January 28, 2003
You're mentioning this because the Wood's Hole folk use Macs or Linux? Or is this is a preemptive strike against the global warming contribution of another O.S. thread full of hot air?
posted by srboisvert at 4:53 AM on January 28, 2003
posted by srboisvert at 4:53 AM on January 28, 2003
People push a lot of far more significant things . . .
Axe grinding's the third floor. This is housewares.
posted by yerfatma at 5:05 AM on January 28, 2003
Axe grinding's the third floor. This is housewares.
posted by yerfatma at 5:05 AM on January 28, 2003
srboisvert: troutfishing was alerting us to the fact that Windows is responsible for sudden climate change. I had downloaded the whole story on a Word document, but something ate it.
On the other hand....thanks for the link jdaura. It's nice to see links to advertising spots that I don't see 30 times a day on TV.
So, where do I buy a copy of "whatever the hell you want"?
posted by ?! at 5:10 AM on January 28, 2003
On the other hand....thanks for the link jdaura. It's nice to see links to advertising spots that I don't see 30 times a day on TV.
So, where do I buy a copy of "whatever the hell you want"?
posted by ?! at 5:10 AM on January 28, 2003
Actually - sorry to be a party pooper - I thought it was kinda lame.
posted by adamgreenfield at 5:11 AM on January 28, 2003
posted by adamgreenfield at 5:11 AM on January 28, 2003
yerfatma - oops, sorry. must have hit the wrong button.
My understanding was that this was originally slated to run during the superbowl, but was pulled at the last second due to the racy references to fembots Fembots? How about 'Bill got pissed' yanked network's chain 'cause Linux is overrunning China, making big inroads in India?'
posted by troutfishing at 5:13 AM on January 28, 2003
My understanding was that this was originally slated to run during the superbowl, but was pulled at the last second due to the racy references to fembots Fembots? How about 'Bill got pissed' yanked network's chain 'cause Linux is overrunning China, making big inroads in India?'
posted by troutfishing at 5:13 AM on January 28, 2003
I would comment, but ... I'm running Linux, and Flash doesn't play sound on my system for some reason.
posted by IshmaelGraves at 5:43 AM on January 28, 2003
posted by IshmaelGraves at 5:43 AM on January 28, 2003
Troutfishing: how about "it was never really going to play during the superbowl and that statement was a joke."? Sound good?
Meaning, it's dubious at best that a flash ad was to run during the most expensive advertising timeslots ever.
posted by The Michael The at 5:58 AM on January 28, 2003
Meaning, it's dubious at best that a flash ad was to run during the most expensive advertising timeslots ever.
posted by The Michael The at 5:58 AM on January 28, 2003
yay! she brings the rain is perfect background music for anything.
posted by danOstuporStar at 6:20 AM on January 28, 2003
posted by danOstuporStar at 6:20 AM on January 28, 2003
that was great, i also liked the 'slashdot zombie' cartoon on the site, where the guy was eating his own brain
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 7:01 AM on January 28, 2003
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 7:01 AM on January 28, 2003
The Michael The - I thought it was a flash piece of a real (full, nonflash) bit o' animation slated to run. I'm gullible , I guess: I don't watch TV. . . Mefi, oh mefi! - that's my TV. It talks back too. Swears at me even, sometimes.
posted by troutfishing at 8:37 AM on January 28, 2003
posted by troutfishing at 8:37 AM on January 28, 2003
Alms - I can't look at that movie just yet because the link seizes control of my browser and tries to download the whole 5.8 mb file - and my computer crashes if I try to quite IE. Both Bill Gates AND Steve Jobs are my computer overlords, and sometimes they fight.
Gee. maybe I should switch to Linux, too, and become an evil overlord on my own.....
If that .MOV file is what I think it is, I'm deeply in your debt and I'll stash it, appropriately, in my vast (and obsessive) "Sudden Climate Change" archive.
posted by troutfishing at 8:48 AM on January 28, 2003
Gee. maybe I should switch to Linux, too, and become an evil overlord on my own.....
If that .MOV file is what I think it is, I'm deeply in your debt and I'll stash it, appropriately, in my vast (and obsessive) "Sudden Climate Change" archive.
posted by troutfishing at 8:48 AM on January 28, 2003
Ever notice that if you say "open source" several times fast, it starts to sound like "open sores?" Yet another contributing factor to millions geeks' inability to score.
Sad, really, that your strength could be your weakness. Hallmark of a super-villain? So true.
posted by mrmcsurly at 10:21 AM on January 28, 2003
Sad, really, that your strength could be your weakness. Hallmark of a super-villain? So true.
posted by mrmcsurly at 10:21 AM on January 28, 2003
Using windows, on the other hand, was such a mundane part of every day life that people don't seem to want to give it any more thought than they have to when they're not at work or whatever.
Isn't this closer to ideal though? Who wants to obsess over an OS all the time, particularly when not sitting in front of a computer? Unless you like being an obsessive fanatic I guess..
posted by valerie at 1:20 PM on January 28, 2003
Isn't this closer to ideal though? Who wants to obsess over an OS all the time, particularly when not sitting in front of a computer? Unless you like being an obsessive fanatic I guess..
posted by valerie at 1:20 PM on January 28, 2003
"Who wants to obsess over an OS all the time, particularly when not sitting in front of a computer?".....
But isn't is nicer than obsessing about impending War in Iraq or Income Inequality in the US or Sudden Climate Shifts, or, or, or............Hey - I have to obsess on something. At least my OS isn't life threatening! Hey! An OS that could KILL! Hmmmm. !!! - marketing strategy? Get Gates on the phone, and quick!.....
posted by troutfishing at 1:58 PM on January 28, 2003
But isn't is nicer than obsessing about impending War in Iraq or Income Inequality in the US or Sudden Climate Shifts, or, or, or............Hey - I have to obsess on something. At least my OS isn't life threatening! Hey! An OS that could KILL! Hmmmm. !!! - marketing strategy? Get Gates on the phone, and quick!.....
posted by troutfishing at 1:58 PM on January 28, 2003
maybe Windows could try to KILL people who tried to load Linux on their Wintel machines?...hmmm........
posted by troutfishing at 1:59 PM on January 28, 2003
posted by troutfishing at 1:59 PM on January 28, 2003
Hilarious!
Don't even suggest it, troutfishing! I can see the news reports now - "the latest virus to rock the computer industry ..."
posted by dg at 3:35 AM on January 29, 2003
Don't even suggest it, troutfishing! I can see the news reports now - "the latest virus to rock the computer industry ..."
posted by dg at 3:35 AM on January 29, 2003
dg - Just an innocent bit of whimsy...I don't even KNOW Bill Gates! Besides, how would the PC's actually do it? Maybe in a decade or two, when they controlled the functions of our houses, and they could have at us like HAL in 2001...
"Please Dave....please don't do it Dave......Dave, I'm scared......Dave, my mind is going....Dave...."
posted by troutfishing at 10:32 AM on January 29, 2003
"Please Dave....please don't do it Dave......Dave, I'm scared......Dave, my mind is going....Dave...."
posted by troutfishing at 10:32 AM on January 29, 2003
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posted by sgt.serenity at 11:38 PM on January 27, 2003