Comments on: The other shoe http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/ Apple news and analysis from everyone's favorite mythical Mac user Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:33:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Peter Cohen http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20523 Peter Cohen Thu, 10 May 2007 17:59:19 +0000 http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20523 "For us Mac users, it’s pretty commonplace to change the ‘user agent’" No it isn't. For us geeks who spend our lives checking sites like this, it might be commonplace to do so, but for the vast majority of Mac users, this doesn't happen. “For us Mac users, it’s pretty commonplace to change the ‘user agent’”

No it isn’t. For us geeks who spend our lives checking sites like this, it might be commonplace to do so, but for the vast majority of Mac users, this doesn’t happen.

]]> By: The Macalope » Blog Archive » The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here! http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20507 The Macalope » Blog Archive » The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here! Thu, 10 May 2007 17:00:01 +0000 http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20507 [...] In an interesting addendum to the post below about Mac coverage, the Macalope has learned from his friend the Ratboy… [...] [...] In an interesting addendum to the post below about Mac coverage, the Macalope has learned from his friend the Ratboy… [...]

]]> By: Quix http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20465 Quix Thu, 10 May 2007 13:53:35 +0000 http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20465 "Has anyone noticed that – on a percentage basis – pro-Mac posts tend to seem somewhat more literate than anti-Mac posts?" It's been this way since I can remember. Most of the anti-Mac rhetoric I see is based on sheer ignorance and lack of experience - from Microsoft-beholden drones who have probably never even used a Mac. Most Mac users I know have used both Mac and Windows extensively, and have a solid position from which to judge. Ignorant posters = illiterate posters. And that describes most Apple haters I've read. “Has anyone noticed that – on a percentage basis – pro-Mac posts tend to seem somewhat more literate than anti-Mac posts?”

It’s been this way since I can remember. Most of the anti-Mac rhetoric I see is based on sheer ignorance and lack of experience - from Microsoft-beholden drones who have probably never even used a Mac. Most Mac users I know have used both Mac and Windows extensively, and have a solid position from which to judge.

Ignorant posters = illiterate posters. And that describes most Apple haters I’ve read.

]]> By: Rip Ragged http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20345 Rip Ragged Thu, 10 May 2007 03:24:03 +0000 http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20345 Has anyone noticed that – on a percentage basis – pro-Mac posts tend to seem somewhat more literate than anti-Mac posts? Not that I think Mac users are any smarter, just more careful to present themselves well – more likely, I think, to ensure good spelling and correct punctuation in their emails and blog posts. Try looking around objectively and see if that isn't so. If it is true it also helps explain the uptick in Apple's influence. Even among themselves the anti-Mac folks notice that pro-Mac arguments make more sense, even when they disagree. If you live in the deep south, notice that TV news anchors and top-dollar DJs don't have southern accents. It's for the same reason. Even people with southern accents accord more intelligence to those without. There is a Windows web dialect that becomes easier to spot hanging out on Mac sites. Read the comments on anti-Mac sites. It's real. Has anyone noticed that – on a percentage basis – pro-Mac posts tend to seem somewhat more literate than anti-Mac posts?

Not that I think Mac users are any smarter, just more careful to present themselves well – more likely, I think, to ensure good spelling and correct punctuation in their emails and blog posts.

Try looking around objectively and see if that isn’t so. If it is true it also helps explain the uptick in Apple’s influence. Even among themselves the anti-Mac folks notice that pro-Mac arguments make more sense, even when they disagree. If you live in the deep south, notice that TV news anchors and top-dollar DJs don’t have southern accents. It’s for the same reason. Even people with southern accents accord more intelligence to those without.

There is a Windows web dialect that becomes easier to spot hanging out on Mac sites. Read the comments on anti-Mac sites. It’s real.

]]> By: Dez http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20313 Dez Thu, 10 May 2007 00:11:20 +0000 http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20313 For us Mac users, it's pretty commonplace to change the 'user agent' (via the 'Debug' menu that has to be specifically enabled in the Terminal) so that Safari registers as IE for Win. This alows us to use websites that otherwise lock us out, claiming not to be compatible with Safari (very often they are, despite the warning). As this is mostly done by Mac users (and maybe Linux users too? I'd be interested to hear) the measured Mac percentages are always lower than the reality. I don't think Windows users ever do this (can they?), even Windows power-users that I know are surprised to hear that this can be done. For us Mac users, it’s pretty commonplace to change the ‘user agent’ (via the ‘Debug’ menu that has to be specifically enabled in the Terminal) so that Safari registers as IE for Win. This alows us to use websites that otherwise lock us out, claiming not to be compatible with Safari (very often they are, despite the warning). As this is mostly done by Mac users (and maybe Linux users too? I’d be interested to hear) the measured Mac percentages are always lower than the reality. I don’t think Windows users ever do this (can they?), even Windows power-users that I know are surprised to hear that this can be done.

]]> By: monkyhead http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20306 monkyhead Wed, 09 May 2007 23:41:21 +0000 http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20306 "Computerworld reported yesterday that the Mac’s share of U.S. computers surfing the web doubled in the last 8 months." Ooh... sorry... That was me. Bad habit. Bit of a nervous clicky finger. “Computerworld reported yesterday that the Mac’s share of U.S. computers surfing the web doubled in the last 8 months.”

Ooh… sorry… That was me. Bad habit.

Bit of a nervous clicky finger.

]]> By: monkyhead http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20305 monkyhead Wed, 09 May 2007 23:39:41 +0000 http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20305 "Computerworld reported yesterday that the Mac’s share of U.S. computers surfing the web doubled in the last 8 months." Ooh... sorry... That was me. Bad habit. “Computerworld reported yesterday that the Mac’s share of U.S. computers surfing the web doubled in the last 8 months.”

Ooh… sorry… That was me. Bad habit.

]]> By: Gloatware http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20300 Gloatware Wed, 09 May 2007 23:04:44 +0000 http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20300 Tee-hee, this is just a Windows worm making the rounds, that changes the OS identifier in the browser requests. I wrote it and forwarded it around last summer. Kinda surprised it took this long to be noticed. It was a prank to see if we could fool some webmasters into thinking they were losing a lot of potential customers who were "Mac users". Or I could be lying. BUt how would you know? Tee-hee, this is just a Windows worm making the rounds, that changes the OS identifier in the browser requests. I wrote it and forwarded it around last summer. Kinda surprised it took this long to be noticed. It was a prank to see if we could fool some webmasters into thinking they were losing a lot of potential customers who were “Mac users”.

Or I could be lying. BUt how would you know?

]]> By: John Muir http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20255 John Muir Wed, 09 May 2007 19:10:01 +0000 http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20255 Oh no, since the dotcom boom of 2000? Omens, omens! ;) Oh no, since the dotcom boom of 2000? Omens, omens! ;)

]]> By: DDA http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20251 DDA Wed, 09 May 2007 18:53:49 +0000 http://www.macalope.com/2007/05/09/the-other-shoe-2/#comment-20251 If they are really talking about "surfing the web," then they are talking about HTTP(S) (and perhaps FTP) traffic from browsers and, for that, they can use the browser -reported OS info which is pretty accurate, I'd think. If they are really talking about “surfing the web,” then they are talking about HTTP(S) (and perhaps FTP) traffic from browsers and, for that, they can use the browser -reported OS info which is pretty accurate, I’d think.

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