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Ignorant Columnist
- Thread starter jadam
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I wrote one email to him and another to the editor, since i think that a paper should not print something that is so far from reality and misleading.
I don't think you want to know what i wrote to him, i am from the caribbean and we tend to be very Hot Blooded and sometimes cynical.
I don't think you want to know what i wrote to him, i am from the caribbean and we tend to be very Hot Blooded and sometimes cynical.
macmax77 said:
Unfortunately, this may get him provoked and can lead to him forming an Iron Wall against Macs-- "Their users are so hot headed, why should our children be using them?"
I'm not bashing you, just saying that it can be a problem with a short sighted person like this...
There was another thread about this somewhere on MR.... I think. I wrote the dude a letter telling him his article was garbage and to stop writing about five year old pieces of news (I'd have said stop writing like a five-year-old, but I'm not THAT mean).
Technological Monoculture???
Just out of curiosity, does this TMC (Tragically Misinformed Clown) moonlight at Best Buy?
"Chortle... Chortle... Chortle... Macs can't connect to the web. Chortle... Chortle... Chortle... Macs can't share files with PCs."
If adaptation is imperative to survival, why is xenophobia running rampant?
Just out of curiosity, does this TMC (Tragically Misinformed Clown) moonlight at Best Buy?
"Chortle... Chortle... Chortle... Macs can't connect to the web. Chortle... Chortle... Chortle... Macs can't share files with PCs."
If adaptation is imperative to survival, why is xenophobia running rampant?
I think he has a serious statistical error in there as well. He writes:
I don't believe that's correct. I think that figure refers to the overall market, which includes millions of truckloads of cheap PCs used in offices around the world. I'm pretty sure the home computer percentage is significantly higher for Macs than 3%. Still a lot more PCs of course but I think it's not that overwhelming in that context.
Mr. Anderson said:
No. I don't think I'm going to either. What a - can't say it in civilized conversation. Well - I am not exactly expecting a response - hey, if someone sent me an insulting e-mail, I wouldn't reply either.
Can't help but think that this guy is loving all the attention he's suddenly getting and is probably going to benefit from it - clicks count and all that, especially in the world of internet 'journalism'. How do you think hacks like Thurrot still have a job?! 
Seems to me that the article is just revenge for that teacher telling him that he should have gotten his son a Mac. It's not so much that it's completely false, as that most of his complaints come from his experiences five years ago, and are no longer valid in the era of OS X.
Sure, back then you kinda *couldn't* just take a floppy from Mac to PC (hadn't the Mac dropped floppy drives by then, except as a BTO option in the towers?), and I don't think USB thumbdrives were available--if they were, they weren't common. And yes, among Windows users back then, everyone used floppies, and the kind of files created for general school and office work were small enough to put on them--in fact, to fit many many files on them. Back then, viruses weren't nearly the consideration they are today. He's not wrong about these things, he's just not updated his facts.
No, he's just being spiteful because of the trouble his son had trying to get his schoolwork done all those years ago. The line that clinches that is his closer:
Well, so there to you too, mister.
Sure, back then you kinda *couldn't* just take a floppy from Mac to PC (hadn't the Mac dropped floppy drives by then, except as a BTO option in the towers?), and I don't think USB thumbdrives were available--if they were, they weren't common. And yes, among Windows users back then, everyone used floppies, and the kind of files created for general school and office work were small enough to put on them--in fact, to fit many many files on them. Back then, viruses weren't nearly the consideration they are today. He's not wrong about these things, he's just not updated his facts.
No, he's just being spiteful because of the trouble his son had trying to get his schoolwork done all those years ago. The line that clinches that is his closer:
Well, so there to you too, mister.
That is true. His knowledge of Macs was from 5 years ago and his article sounded like a revenge article more than anything else.
I noticed some Windows users stay in the past for a long time. I remember when Windows 2000 was out and someone was asking if they should upgrade to Windows 95 or stay with Win 3.1. They expected machines to still have Windows 95 pre-installed. You would think the marketing of placing the year as the version of a product would provide some clue.
I noticed some Windows users stay in the past for a long time. I remember when Windows 2000 was out and someone was asking if they should upgrade to Windows 95 or stay with Win 3.1. They expected machines to still have Windows 95 pre-installed. You would think the marketing of placing the year as the version of a product would provide some clue.
Mechcozmo said:
Oh god - what did you send him? I know you well enough to know it was very devious. Hehe. Very nice Mechcozmo, - post it!
As a tech journalist for our paper, I was very offended. This man violated writing. I wrote him a letter yesterday... I saw it a few minutes after it was put out, though.
Dear Mr. Brooks,
I don't know whether to laugh or be offended at the tripe you just put out as news.
I laugh due to all of the mistakes you made, and I'm offended, because as a fellow journalist (specialising in technology), you obviously made no research and inadvertently made a confession of ignorance when you wrote "I have always used PCs so I don't really know if Macs are superior."
Here are some examples:
1) "There are two basic home computer operating systems. Apple makes one system for its Macintosh computers. The other is called a PC system. They have similarities, but are not compatible. Macintoshes -- or Macs -- use different programs and different disks."
- Are you living in 1994 still? Linux is a viable alternative to the bloated Windows, making OS #3 at least. I'm not even counting the different varieties of Linux, either. Also, both OSs are compatible, even networking together. Macs cannot use a "different disc," unless there is this new wonder alternative to the hard disk. Yes, by default Macs use a different format on the internal HD, but Mac OS X reads MS-DOS formats in external discs (yes, Windows uses an antiquated HD format), just like Mac OS 9 & 8 did. Also, please note the plethora of major software players that have Mac and PC versions of the same app available. (Including, your assumed favourite, Microsoft Office) Also, Mac OS will read the MS-DOS format of floppies, that is, if you're still stuck in the past far enough to have not moved to some sort of USB drive.
2) "But with PCs locking in 97 percent of the market, deciding what kind of computers to use in a school system is a no-brainer."
- Yet, amazingly the #1 seller in Computers (Top 25 sellers) at Amazon.com is the Apple iBook. Continuing that list, 4, 8, 10, 14, 15, 19, and 22 are all Macs. This is battling the myriad of PC manufacturers in that list. Without going completely down the Top 25-selling Electronics list, the top 3 slots are taken by the iPod and iPod Mini.
Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report all mention "Apple" somewhere in every issue for the past 9 months, particularly after writing features on the iPod simultaneously on the same week (I would know, I have the issues right beside me). The iMac G5 is the most advanced desktop home computer, and the PowerBook G4 takes the Laptop slot, according the NY Times. The iMac continually gets rave reviews.
The "97%" you just quoted includes cash registers, kiosks, etc. In home, office, school computers, that market share is much higher. Those thousands of unit being sold by Apple alone (not counting such vendors as Amazon.com, Best Buy, CompUSA, etc.) have to be going somewhere. Please point me in the direction of a sub-$1300 64-bit PC, please.
3) "In other words, files and work created on a Mac are not easily transferred to a PC."
- A file is a file. It will be the same set of binary code to any machine. It doesn't matter what OS you are using. What matters is the software you created the file with. But I've already addressed that.
4) "And Macs are better for graphics and videos -- or so I'm told."
- Because Mac OS (the OS you think of as inferior and incompatible) utilises an engine called "Quartz Extreme," which takes the graphics work off of the CPU, and onto the graphics card, using the CPU to take on the other tasks. Yes, they are decidedly superior.
5) "If nothing else, Mac users are passionate about their computers. They believe Macs are easier to operate and don't require as much maintenance."
- What does a blue screen look like? What about contracting a virus? What is it like installing anti-virus software? You mean to tell me the only disk utility that comes with Windows is "scandisk?"
Mac OS X utilises UNIX these days, which is the most stable OS technology available.
The Homeland Security Department labelled Microsoft Internet Explorer a national danger, even a weapon. It has come close to doing that to Windows. Most system maintenance is done 'invisibly,' which means that it isn't really needed. That alone makes things easier to operate. An international ergonomics council recently deemed Mac OS X the easiest, most intuitive OS. Mac OS X incorporates more open-source technology; in that respect it is second only to Linux, which itself is open-source. The fact that the teachers are rallying against replacing the Macs might speak for itself.
Those are only a few examples of your innumerable mistakes. You used no facts to back up what you said. You relied on very, very old opinions about Macs that were considered ignorant even then.
You need to look at http://www.apple.com/macosx
Chris Uppole
MacWeekly, featured in the newspaper Lee County Ledger.
Dear Mr. Brooks,
I don't know whether to laugh or be offended at the tripe you just put out as news.
I laugh due to all of the mistakes you made, and I'm offended, because as a fellow journalist (specialising in technology), you obviously made no research and inadvertently made a confession of ignorance when you wrote "I have always used PCs so I don't really know if Macs are superior."
Here are some examples:
1) "There are two basic home computer operating systems. Apple makes one system for its Macintosh computers. The other is called a PC system. They have similarities, but are not compatible. Macintoshes -- or Macs -- use different programs and different disks."
- Are you living in 1994 still? Linux is a viable alternative to the bloated Windows, making OS #3 at least. I'm not even counting the different varieties of Linux, either. Also, both OSs are compatible, even networking together. Macs cannot use a "different disc," unless there is this new wonder alternative to the hard disk. Yes, by default Macs use a different format on the internal HD, but Mac OS X reads MS-DOS formats in external discs (yes, Windows uses an antiquated HD format), just like Mac OS 9 & 8 did. Also, please note the plethora of major software players that have Mac and PC versions of the same app available. (Including, your assumed favourite, Microsoft Office) Also, Mac OS will read the MS-DOS format of floppies, that is, if you're still stuck in the past far enough to have not moved to some sort of USB drive.
2) "But with PCs locking in 97 percent of the market, deciding what kind of computers to use in a school system is a no-brainer."
- Yet, amazingly the #1 seller in Computers (Top 25 sellers) at Amazon.com is the Apple iBook. Continuing that list, 4, 8, 10, 14, 15, 19, and 22 are all Macs. This is battling the myriad of PC manufacturers in that list. Without going completely down the Top 25-selling Electronics list, the top 3 slots are taken by the iPod and iPod Mini.
Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report all mention "Apple" somewhere in every issue for the past 9 months, particularly after writing features on the iPod simultaneously on the same week (I would know, I have the issues right beside me). The iMac G5 is the most advanced desktop home computer, and the PowerBook G4 takes the Laptop slot, according the NY Times. The iMac continually gets rave reviews.
The "97%" you just quoted includes cash registers, kiosks, etc. In home, office, school computers, that market share is much higher. Those thousands of unit being sold by Apple alone (not counting such vendors as Amazon.com, Best Buy, CompUSA, etc.) have to be going somewhere. Please point me in the direction of a sub-$1300 64-bit PC, please.
3) "In other words, files and work created on a Mac are not easily transferred to a PC."
- A file is a file. It will be the same set of binary code to any machine. It doesn't matter what OS you are using. What matters is the software you created the file with. But I've already addressed that.
4) "And Macs are better for graphics and videos -- or so I'm told."
- Because Mac OS (the OS you think of as inferior and incompatible) utilises an engine called "Quartz Extreme," which takes the graphics work off of the CPU, and onto the graphics card, using the CPU to take on the other tasks. Yes, they are decidedly superior.
5) "If nothing else, Mac users are passionate about their computers. They believe Macs are easier to operate and don't require as much maintenance."
- What does a blue screen look like? What about contracting a virus? What is it like installing anti-virus software? You mean to tell me the only disk utility that comes with Windows is "scandisk?"
Mac OS X utilises UNIX these days, which is the most stable OS technology available.
The Homeland Security Department labelled Microsoft Internet Explorer a national danger, even a weapon. It has come close to doing that to Windows. Most system maintenance is done 'invisibly,' which means that it isn't really needed. That alone makes things easier to operate. An international ergonomics council recently deemed Mac OS X the easiest, most intuitive OS. Mac OS X incorporates more open-source technology; in that respect it is second only to Linux, which itself is open-source. The fact that the teachers are rallying against replacing the Macs might speak for itself.
Those are only a few examples of your innumerable mistakes. You used no facts to back up what you said. You relied on very, very old opinions about Macs that were considered ignorant even then.
You need to look at http://www.apple.com/macosx
Chris Uppole
MacWeekly, featured in the newspaper Lee County Ledger.
Yeah, I probably wasn't very specific or 100% technically accurate in terminology, but when you're seeing red... I could have blown this man's arse out of the water.
My email:
Hi, I read your article about Apple computers. I'm sorry you had such
a bad experience five years ago. However, Apple computers have
changed significantly in the last five years. I hope that when you
see the response to the article you wrote that you will take the time
yourself to learn how & why they have changed.
Hi, I read your article about Apple computers. I'm sorry you had such
a bad experience five years ago. However, Apple computers have
changed significantly in the last five years. I hope that when you
see the response to the article you wrote that you will take the time
yourself to learn how & why they have changed.
From the eye of the Storm
After having spent 32 years of my life teaching science in Sarasota, FL (22 years using Apple computers in my curriculum) I am now told by my Superintendent that I should give up my Mac and embrace a PC.
Coming from a 7,700 student school district in Kansas just 7 months ago, Dr. Gary Norris,( gary_norris.sarasota.k12.fl.us ) issued a madate last month that Sarasota County schools (40,000+ students) would become a PC district at a cost of $7 million. No need for research, no need for discussion with teachers or the public, no need for cost analysis... who needs all that rubbish anyway? When I showed him data (Consumer Reports, PC Magazine, Total Cost Analysis reports...) he told me they were just someones opinion".
Well, if you think we are sitting quietly and letting this man run our schools into the ground, think again. Students are signing petitions, parents are calling the Board, columnist who are ignorant of the facts, like Brooks, are helping or cause and teachers are getting vocal.
But we need your help. Please visit our web site at http://www.shsmug.org and take a few minutes to e-mail Dr. Norris and our School Board to let them know they are making a grave mistake. Please stick with the facts and be respectful as we are trying to change their minds and not bash them.
I sent a four page letter to Mr. Brooks (cc to Norris and the Board) pointing out the many fallacies in his article as well as the problems the county would face going all PC (crash prone, viruses/worms/spy ware, poor video and graphics, high maintenance, $7 million shot...). These are the things that may make the Board wonder what the hell this guy is doing and stop him.
Dr. Norris states in his technology "vision" that the Wintel platform "conforms better to the enterprise environment that will allow us to securely distribute sensitive data to parents and open up our Internet access to streaming content" and dismisses us Mac users by stating "some of our educators want to fight the battle of company logos". This guy doesnt have a clue.
If you want to read his entire "vision" I have it posted on the shsmug site.
Thanks for any help you can provide to help us fight this battle.
Doug Gilliland
Honors Physical Science Teacher
Sarasota High School
Sarasota, Fl
http://www.honorsphysicalscience.com
Http://www.shsmug.org
After having spent 32 years of my life teaching science in Sarasota, FL (22 years using Apple computers in my curriculum) I am now told by my Superintendent that I should give up my Mac and embrace a PC.
Coming from a 7,700 student school district in Kansas just 7 months ago, Dr. Gary Norris,( gary_norris.sarasota.k12.fl.us ) issued a madate last month that Sarasota County schools (40,000+ students) would become a PC district at a cost of $7 million. No need for research, no need for discussion with teachers or the public, no need for cost analysis... who needs all that rubbish anyway? When I showed him data (Consumer Reports, PC Magazine, Total Cost Analysis reports...) he told me they were just someones opinion".
Well, if you think we are sitting quietly and letting this man run our schools into the ground, think again. Students are signing petitions, parents are calling the Board, columnist who are ignorant of the facts, like Brooks, are helping or cause and teachers are getting vocal.
But we need your help. Please visit our web site at http://www.shsmug.org and take a few minutes to e-mail Dr. Norris and our School Board to let them know they are making a grave mistake. Please stick with the facts and be respectful as we are trying to change their minds and not bash them.
I sent a four page letter to Mr. Brooks (cc to Norris and the Board) pointing out the many fallacies in his article as well as the problems the county would face going all PC (crash prone, viruses/worms/spy ware, poor video and graphics, high maintenance, $7 million shot...). These are the things that may make the Board wonder what the hell this guy is doing and stop him.
Dr. Norris states in his technology "vision" that the Wintel platform "conforms better to the enterprise environment that will allow us to securely distribute sensitive data to parents and open up our Internet access to streaming content" and dismisses us Mac users by stating "some of our educators want to fight the battle of company logos". This guy doesnt have a clue.
If you want to read his entire "vision" I have it posted on the shsmug site.
Thanks for any help you can provide to help us fight this battle.
Doug Gilliland
Honors Physical Science Teacher
Sarasota High School
Sarasota, Fl
http://www.honorsphysicalscience.com
Http://www.shsmug.org
To those of you writing letters to the journalist, don't bother. He's obviously biased and unprofessional. Try writing a thoughtful, well-reasoned letter to the editor. The "journalist" won't care what you say, his mind is clearly made up, but he might listen to his bosses.
It's funny, many governments are running screaming from windows to linux (and linux was the gateway drug that led me to Apple) while the schools run in the opposite direction. More monopolistic unfair competition if you ask me. If you give away machines to get them in schools, you are just completing the perfect circle of logic that says, everyone uses Windows, at school, at work, and therefore at home. Insidious really.
It's funny, many governments are running screaming from windows to linux (and linux was the gateway drug that led me to Apple) while the schools run in the opposite direction. More monopolistic unfair competition if you ask me. If you give away machines to get them in schools, you are just completing the perfect circle of logic that says, everyone uses Windows, at school, at work, and therefore at home. Insidious really.
doug_gilliland said:
This could be an interesting MacRumors "project"-- save the Mac in Florida?
I wonder how it might turn out...
And doug, how might we contact you? I have some stuff that you might like to use as an example but it isn't really a full blown letter of its own...
Is the decision still up for grabs? I think it'd be interesting to get somewhat of an open-source style "essay" for why the district should stay with Mac. No flaming, just straight facts without over zealous generalizations. With topics ranging from studies of usability etc. to the total cost comparisons of an upgrade.
If other people are willing, I think it'd be a fun MR "project". Also, as a future point of reference for anyone interested in reading a collaboration of information regarding the topic.
If other people are willing, I think it'd be a fun MR "project". Also, as a future point of reference for anyone interested in reading a collaboration of information regarding the topic.
Apparently he can read...
It would seem that Brooks does in fact read his emails as he has posted a new article, "Revenge of the Mac user cultists (and why they missed the point)."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041204/COLUMNIST09/412040376
It would appear that he has also missed the point to many of the emails that were sent to him and I find that his reply is actually rather insulting into trivializing Mac enthusiasm as simply being fanaticism.
Also his Journalistic skills seem to be forgotten since he focuses almost entirely on all the negative emails he got and glosses over any rational emails he received. Of course, if he had an appreciation for rational analysis, he more than likely would not have written the first article.
It would seem that Brooks does in fact read his emails as he has posted a new article, "Revenge of the Mac user cultists (and why they missed the point)."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041204/COLUMNIST09/412040376
It would appear that he has also missed the point to many of the emails that were sent to him and I find that his reply is actually rather insulting into trivializing Mac enthusiasm as simply being fanaticism.
Also his Journalistic skills seem to be forgotten since he focuses almost entirely on all the negative emails he got and glosses over any rational emails he received. Of course, if he had an appreciation for rational analysis, he more than likely would not have written the first article.