Personal Identity and anti-branding

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by VanessaDarling

I have to say, I respectfully disagree with his.

I think a lot of "bashing" can be very helpful to someone thinking about buying a product. I can't speak for anyone else, but I read user reviews for certain things (computers, televisions, etc), before I buy them.

As with any product, you will have users who have a bad experience with said product. However, if hundreds of users are reporting the same exact problem, that can be very usseful to someone thinking about buying that same problem.

Though some of their complaining may come across as bashing, it can be very helpful to someone else thinking about buying said product.

I don't think that's what DG is talking about. Few (rational) people consider a reasoned product review to be bashing. When people use the term bashing, they generally mean the tearing down of one product or brand to support the lifting up of another, or simply to justify one's own choices. Bashing is also what happens when someone thinks "why I don't like something is why no one should like something".

A form of bashing sometimes seen on MR is also dropping in to the support forum of a product one never had any intention of buying, simply to rant about all of the perceived flaws of the product and talk up their own choice of product, generally insulting those who use the other product in the process.

Originally Posted by VanessaDarling

I don't look at it as evangelizing. I just look at it as people like certain things, and express their like to others.

And that's not what most (rational) people consider evangelizing. Saying that you like or prefer something and providing a reason for it, especially in an appropriate context, is not evangelizing.

It really comes down to what is appropriate (socially speaking) in a given situation. Gushing in a "why I love my ereader / computer / tablet" conversation is expected. Dropping into a thread of happy Nook users to tell them "my Kobo is da bomb because blah blah blah and Nook sucks" is just rude.

Evangelizing is also recommending a particular product consistently regardless of whether it meets the needs of the person it's being recommended to. You can see this in the "Which one should I buy" forum sometimes. It's an easy trap to fall into, because sometimes we are blinded by our preferences for a given product, causing us to minimize the importance of features it doesn't provide.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by VanessaDarling

I have to say, I respectfully disagree with his.

I think a lot of "bashing" can be very helpful to someone thinking about buying a product. I can't speak for anyone else, but I read user reviews for certain things (computers, televisions, etc), before I buy them.
s with any product, you will have users who have a bad experience with said product. However, if hundreds of users are reporting the same exact problem, that can be very usseful to someone thinking about buying that same problem.

Though some of their complaining may come across as bashing, it can be very helpful to someone else thinking about buying said product.

There is a difference between complaint and bashing.

Complaints can be legitimate, as in an update not working properly, or a defective device. If the company is on its toes, these things are corrected with an update. If not, that device soon goes the way of the dodo.

My problem is when an entire company is reviled because of a perceived 'closed' platform, or suspect business practices, or just because they feel the price are too high...

[DiapDealer]

The key to "getting along" (with regard to branding/anti-branding, anyway) is to simply not give two sh*ts if someone hates/loves what you hate/love. I'm perfectly willing to hate/love what I hate/love in a total vacuum. I feel no particular urge to team up with OR segregate based on that hate/love. My hate/love needs no external validation/conflict to thrive. I'm OK with people who think differently than I do (provided they reciprocate that OK-ness).

Or perhaps I just don't hate/love many objects.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Or product bashing. If what you have works for you, fine.

If you don't like the companies business policies, prices, or their products, just don't buy them.

Agreed.
Graciously accept that others don't share your values in product specifications, corporate behavior, or politics.
Live and let die.

[speakingtohe]

I think anyone should be allowed one such statement, it is the ongoing reiteration and the keeping them alive with the thumbs up or ditto meaningless posts that I find less than charming.

Helen

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Agreed.
Graciously accept that others don't share your values in product specifications, corporate behavior, or politics.
Live and let die.

Graciously accept that others don't share your opinions. It doesn't make them wrong.

Live and let live.

[Catlady]

What I find annoying is the way other company's products are made to accommodate Apple's iStuff. Why did my home stereo from Sharp come with a special iPod dock to play and charge the device? I have SanDisk mp3 players, not Apple; I have to buy an extra cable to plug them in, which hangs messily from the unit, and the mp3 players don't charge through the stereo. It doesn't seem fair that I am forced to pay for a feature--the iPod dock--that I neither want nor use.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by Catlady

What I find annoying is the way other company's products are made to accommodate Apple's iStuff. Why did my home stereo from Sharp come with a special iPod dock to play and charge the device? I have SanDisk mp3 players, not Apple; I have to buy an extra cable to plug them in, which hangs messily from the unit, and the mp3 players don't charge through the stereo. It doesn't seem fair that I am forced to pay for a feature--the iPod dock--that I neither want nor use.

I understand your point. I get annoyed at the different ports on my various computers/devices that I will never use and the occasional lack of one I would use. I am not sure I am paying extra, and basically that would be my choice whether to buy it or not so if the overall cost was higher because of these ports I would probably buy something else. I am a tad thrifty.

I have noted various non dangly small adapters IPod to USB for sale at dollar stores, bed bath and beyond etc. $2-$5 IIRC. Might be worth it for neatness.

Helen

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Catlady

What I find annoying is the way other company's products are made to accommodate Apple's iStuff. Why did my home stereo from Sharp come with a special iPod dock to play and charge the device? I have SanDisk mp3 players, not Apple; I have to buy an extra cable to plug them in, which hangs messily from the unit, and the mp3 players don't charge through the stereo. It doesn't seem fair that I am forced to pay for a feature--the iPod dock--that I neither want nor use.

There's a hundred million iPxxx' s out in the wild. Their owners appreciate a compatible dock. Adding a dock or connector for them would make *them* more likely to buy and the added sales pay for the feature on all the units.
I have no use for the iPod port on my home theater receiver (Creative Labs, here) but I'm pretty sure most of the Apple owners with the same model have no use for the 7-channel analog inputs that drew me to it so I figure it's a wash. They get something they need, I get something I need (which makes my BluRay surround audio much better), and the added sales volume makes the price a bit lower for everybody.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

There is a difference between complaint and bashing.

Complaints can be legitimate, as in an update not working properly, or a defective device. If the company is on its toes, these things are corrected with an update. If not, that device soon goes the way of the dodo.

My problem is when an entire company is reviled because of a perceived 'closed' platform, or suspect business practices, or just because they feel the price are too high...

Hmm, a business practice would be the only valid reason to revile a company...

What I often miss in reviews is comparisons between different companies. The only thing you often read is "A is good, B is bad". While A might be good but has some problems while B might also be good but has some other problems. And finally, the product that fits best with you is the one that has the least problems in the functions you're searching for.

For me, I'll never buy an apple product. Simply because the closed platform is such a huge no-no for me, that however good the product is, it'll never overcome that.

(oh, and fanboys, for whatever company, can put me off as well...)

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

I understand your point. I get annoyed at the different ports on my various computers/devices that I will never use...

I have a Firewire port on my desktop and notebook, but I never use them. I chose that desktop mainboard and that notebook because of other features, and the FW just came with it. I would still have bought them, had there been no FW while still costing the same.

However, someone else might want to connect a Firewire hard disk, camcorder, or external audio card to that port. I also have two DVI ports on my graphics card, but only one monitor; someone else might use the same card with two monitors.

The difference between these and the iPod dock port is that they are generic, and the iPod dock port is not. You can connect all sorts of stuff to the Firewire port, or connect many different brands and types of monitors (16:9, 16:10, 4:3, in many different resolutions) to the DVI port, but to the iPod dock port you can *only* connect an Apple iPod, and *only* very specific models at that.

My receiver also comes with an iPod dock. I actually had an iPod. And no, it would not fit that particular dock, as it was intended for *newer* iPods.

After switching to FLAC, I ditched the iPod, and refuse to buy anything created by Apple ever again. (For several reasons, not only because of that iPod dock.)