Ridiculous proliferation of Apple Watch shipping news articles

[alFR]

MR has never had this proliferation of inconsequential "news" articles around a product launch before. The shipping process is exactly the same as for every other Apple launch of recent years, they're using the same carriers and the carriers are working the same way as they always have. "UPS Tracking Numbers Start Trickling Out to Apple Watch Customers". What, really? I'd never have guessed people might get tracking numbers, so glad you reported that.

Seriously, this is not news. Why all the coverage this time? Link / clickbait? Come on MR, you're better than this.

 

[GGJstudios]

There's also a proliferation of ordering and shipping related threads, both in Apple Watch and MacBook forums. Both forums need a sticky thread similar to ones in the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Pro and Mac Mini forums:

The "I just bought/ordered/got/shipped my new/refurb Apple Watch" thread, merged
The "I just bought/ordered/got/shipped my new/refurb MacBook" thread, merged

 

[Scepticalscribe]

MR has never had this proliferation of inconsequential "news" articles around a product launch before. The shipping process is exactly the same as for every other Apple launch of recent years, they're using the same carriers and the carriers are working the same way as they always have. "UPS Tracking Numbers Start Trickling Out to Apple Watch Customers". What, really? I'd never have guessed people might get tracking numbers, so glad you reported that.

Seriously, this is not news. Why all the coverage this time? Link / clickbait? Come on MR, you're better than this.

You have my sympathy, and deepest commiserations.

I dropped into that section of the forum, just to check out what was being said, and written, and discussed, and found the veritable plethora of threads on topics that struck me as somewhat inconsequential, to have been, frankly, somewhat jaw-dropping.

But instructive. Very instructive.

 

[alFR]

It's not the forums - if it was I wouldn't care because I just don't read threads I'm not interested in. The news articles are on the front page of the site, which means it's pretty hard to avoid (assuming one wishes to keep visiting the site).

 

[GGJstudios]

It's not the forums - if it was I wouldn't care because I just don't read threads I'm not interested in. The news articles are on the front page of the site, which means it's pretty hard to avoid (assuming one wishes to keep visiting the site).

It would be great if we could filter news articles in a fashion similar to Forum Spy preferences, so you could filter out news articles that focus on topics you don't care about, such as Apple Watch or the retina MacBook. That would make it easier to find news articles of interest, without having to scroll through page after page of articles you don't care about.

 

[The Doctor11]

MR has never had this proliferation of inconsequential "news" articles around a product launch before. The shipping process is exactly the same as for every other Apple launch of recent years, they're using the same carriers and the carriers are working the same way as they always have. "UPS Tracking Numbers Start Trickling Out to Apple Watch Customers". What, really? I'd never have guessed people might get tracking numbers, so glad you reported that.

Seriously, this is not news. Why all the coverage this time? Link / clickbait? Come on MR, you're better than this.

I happen to enjoy knowing when tracking numbers start getting to customers. Yeah no **** they'll get to customers, but knowing when is nice. And honestly is it that hard to scroll past the articles you don't care for?

 

[GGJstudios]

And honestly is it that hard to scroll past the articles you don't care for?

Not hard, but time-consuming.

 

[laurim]

Not hard, but time-consuming.

Really? Keeping you from finding the cure for cancer or something?

 

[GGJstudios]

Really? Keeping you from finding the cure for cancer or something?

What does that even mean? It's not a big deal, but a more efficient method would be useful to some readers. Is that a problem for you?

 

[The Doctor11]

Well that took forever... Now don't be afraid to replay the video a few times. It may take a few times to actually see that something took place. If you need I can slow the video too!

 

[alFR]

I happen to enjoy knowing when tracking numbers start getting to customers. Yeah no **** they'll get to customers, but knowing when is nice. And honestly is it that hard to scroll past the articles you don't care for?

No, but that's not entirely the point: this smells like click/linkbait and I expect a higher standard of journalism than that from MR based on their past performance.

 

[Rogifan]

There's also a proliferation of ordering and shipping related threads, both in Apple Watch and MacBook forums. Both forums need a sticky thread similar to ones in the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Pro and Mac Mini forums:

The "I just bought/ordered/got/shipped my new/refurb Apple Watch" thread, merged
The "I just bought/ordered/got/shipped my new/refurb MacBook" thread, merged

This. The Watch forum is out of control. I feel for the mods because policing these forums must be a nightmare. But the overall experience on this site is going down hill with all these threads and constant whining and complaining form people.

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I happen to enjoy knowing when tracking numbers start getting to customers. Yeah no **** they'll get to customers, but knowing when is nice. And honestly is it that hard to scroll past the articles you don't care for?

There are 5 articles on the front page all related to shipping. Are that many articles on the front page really necessary?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

This. The Watch forum is out of control. I feel for the mods because policing these forums must be a nightmare. But the overall experience on this site is going down hill with all these threads and constant whining and complaining form people.

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There are 5 articles on the front page all related to shipping. Are that many articles on the front page really necessary?

Well, I agree with you.

And yes, I do feel for the mods, with the plethora of witless threads on the Watch Section of the Forum - it does resemble a sort of feeding frenzy.

Moreover, I suspect that the average age of the posters who dwell therein is a good bit lower than the average age in the forum at large.

However, I will say that I actually like this thread title. Two lovely English words, 'ridiculous' and 'proliferation', both of which trip, invitingly, off your tongue on the page.

 

[OllyW]

We are doing our best to keep the Watch forum under control but the volume of posts and new threads can be overwhelming at times. We are trying to strike a balance which allows our members to express their excitement and frustration about the launch while preventing the forum from being filled with dozens of almost identical threads.

It appears to be a similar situation to iPhone launch days. There is a frenzy of posting leading up to the launch which will peak once members get hold of their shiny new devices and then hopefully settles down after a few days with a semblance of normality returning to the forums.

Or it could get much worse.

 

[WildCowboy]

This too shall pass.

We realize not everyone is interested in Apple Watch shipping stories, but we do have many, many people anxiously awaiting their orders. The news articles are in part an attempt to distill some of the craziness of anticipation in the forums. And we have plenty of readers who never visit the forums, so these articles are the only updates they get on the general status of things outside of their own orders.

The days leading up to shipping of a major new product are always crazy around here...some of it is just nuttiness but we've had some great community efforts such as group contributions to tracking models and order statuses to try to figure out what's shipping well and what isn't.

And of course the craziness is ratcheted up a little this time around with the unique launch situation.

 

[chrfr]

I opted to just hide the Watch forum from the new post list. The signal to noise ratio tipped far too heavily toward the noise side of the scale and given that I don't intend to buy a Watch for at least some time, there's no value in me reading about who has a tracking number and who doesn't.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

We are doing our best to keep the Watch forum under control but the volume of posts and new threads can be overwhelming at times. We are trying to strike a balance which allows our members to express their excitement and frustration about the launch while preventing the forum from being filled with dozens of almost identical threads.

It appears to be a similar situation to iPhone launch days. There is a frenzy of posting leading up to the launch which will peak once members get hold of their shiny new devices and then hopefully settles down after a few days with a semblance of normality returning to the forums.

Or it could get much worse.

This too shall pass.

We realize not everyone is interested in Apple Watch shipping stories, but we do have many, many people anxiously awaiting their orders. The news articles are in part an attempt to distill some of the craziness of anticipation in the forums. And we have plenty of readers who never visit the forums, so these articles are the only updates they get on the general status of things outside of their own orders.

The days leading up to shipping of a major new product are always crazy around here...some of it is just nuttiness but we've had some great community efforts such as group contributions to tracking models and order statuses to try to figure out what's shipping well and what isn't.

And of course the craziness is ratcheted up a little this time around with the unique launch situation.

I feel your pain guys, I really do. It must be a vision of hell of earth to try to even begin to attempt to moderate that…..deranged morass of perfervid anticipation and desperate longing.

As I never visited the iPhone sub-fora, I had never witnessed this particular form of frenzy before………..

Well, - memo to self - it might be considered prudent to give that whole section of the forum a very wide berth for a few weeks, before returning to sneak a peek just to see what is going on.

 

[BMcCoy]

Agreed.

Too much Watch coverage.

Especially as the majority of us are not at all interested.

We're only weeks away from WWDC.... where are the stories on iOS and OSX?

 

[C DM]

Agreed.

Too much Watch coverage.

Especially as the majority of us are not at all interested.

We're only weeks away from WWDC.... where are the stories on iOS and OSX?

Lot of coverage, yes. Majority not interested, how do we know exactly?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Lot of coverage, yes. Majority not interested, how do we know exactly?

I am not sure that it is a case of the majority are 'not interested'. Rather, I think that the excessive, impatient, wild enthusiasm which seems to be attending the launch this product, along with the perfervid frenzy has given rise to a situation whereby some of the - perhaps more mature - members feel that the whole thing is somewhat out of control and is almost unseemly.

Now, I will readily concede that I will be interested in reading serious and informed (and - yes, I'm a bit of a curmudgeon - hopefully negative) reviews of this product.

And why not? This is a tech site, and is, moreover, one dedicated to all things Apple. And, as someone who is interested in tech, and in that interface where culture and society and tech all intersect and influence each other - I will read the reviews - and digest them.

Indeed, for that matter, I have a horrid feeling that this is going to be a runaway success - once Apple get over the inevitable teething problems and glitches and crimes against sheer good taste.

 

[Mr. McMac]

I'm really tired of hearing about the Watch. That said, I can't filter out the Watch threads in the forum spy preference panel. I un-click them and hit Save, does nothing

 

[tdale]

Can We Please Have Some Non Watch News?

As above, nothing more to say

 

[rei101]

Yes, is annoying but.... we just have to deal with it. It will be interesting to see when Apple Watch demands are the lowest of any Apple product but that will take like a year.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

As above, nothing more to say

My sympathy lies with you on this matter.

Yes, is annoying but.... we just have to deal with it. It will be interesting to see when Apple Watch demands are the lowest of any Apple product but that will take like a year.

Actually, sad to relate, I have this horrid feeling that it will be a wildly successful product.

For now, though, I do wonder whether or not there is a co-relation between the curmudgeons in this thread (and one or two others here) - among whose august number I count myself - and advancing maturity, which allows for distance and a degree of worldly wise wisdom and weariness……on such topics,

….and, a separate co-relation which is manifested by the expressions of entitled impatience, and wild enthusiasm, not to mention outbreaks of collective hysteria, and is to be found among the denizens of the Watch thread, among whose considerable numbers, I would hazard an educated guess, might be found a disproportionate number of our younger members…...

 

[mobilehaathi]

Actually, sad to relate, I have this horrid feeling that it will be a wildly successful product.

Yes, I think you're right. They're certainly marking the hell out of it. And not just the standard tech adverts (billboards, commercials, web ads, 'reviews' et cetera), but they're exploiting typical fashion industry angles too (have you noticed all the hot celebrities who have been reportedly wearing them?).