Why the segregation and negativity?

Posted by cbright6062 on February 17, 2013 07:53 pm 10

The more I watch events unfold, particularly around this particular forum, the more that my doubt about the tech community grows.

It seems like today, it's a game of picking a side, and fighting for them to the death, while attacking the other side for everything that it's worth.

Every other thread these days seems to be either about how Microsoft is dead, Windows 8 sucks, we're paid shills, we're irrelevant, etc. On the other side, you have people posting about iSheep, Fandroids, or whatever else, talking up with arrogance about how Microsoft will kill everyone else, etc, etc, etc.

Why?

I will use myself as an example.

I use Windows 8, because I like Windows 8. I have a HP Desktop, Acer Laptop, and Microsoft Surface RT.

I use my HTC Arrive from Sprint, running Windows Phone 7.8. I have a Facebook account, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Youtube, and several other networks. I primarily use Bing as my search engine, but often will use Google too as a backup in cases where Bing doesn't find what I'm looking for (Google seems to be better at finding technical answers, for example).

On the gaming front, I have a Nintendo 3DS and an XBOX 360 (and quite a few previous gen consoles, but that's another story). I'd probably have a PS3 as well (I don't want a Wii, simply because there's nothing that over-interests me on it).

I never really got into the world of music players, so I never really owned an iPod, Zune, etc. I use a mixture of Kindle, Nook, and ComiXology for reading (I do want a Kindle Fire and Nook at some point). I have a ton of DVDs and BluRays, and am a subscriber to Netflix, Hulu Plus, and probably eventually Amazon Instant.

I also use BOTH Outlook/Hotmail AND Gmail TOGETHER as my primary email addresses. I use Skype for my primary instant messaging service these days, but would probably use Google Talk as well if I needed.

Now, let's take a look at this here. I am not part of a single "ecosystem". For the most part, I am not "part" of any of these "ecosystems". I am a general tech geek, and I love all technology. The only ecosystem I have absolutely no part in is Apple, and that's mostly because I'm not the biggest fan of their products (they're just not my thing), and the fact that I lack the budget to even try getting into their ecosystem (and I'm sorry, unlike what most people say, if I have the $1000+ to buy a Mac, I'll buy a high end Windows Desktop/Laptop, since I like Windows).

What I cannot begin to understand though, is why it seems so few people are like this anymore. I don't want ANY of these companies to die. I want to see everything settle out and eventually reach an equilibrium. I want to see people use stuff they enjoy, without killing everything else in the process.

I will be honest. Yes, Microsoft, Apple, and Google are all going in their own directions. That's a GOOD thing. They SHOULDN'T be trying to be exactly like one another. The Microsoft Surface should NOT try to be an iPad, or a Nexus tablet. They should all have their own UNIQUE features to them, and unique feels.

I bought a Surface because it WASN'T an iPad, because I wanted the Surface as it was. I bought a Windows Phone, because it WASN'T an iPhone or Android Phone. I liked what I saw in the Windows Phone as it was. I like Windows BECAUSE it works differently from Mac.

I don't want everything to be the same. I don't want to see there be only a world of "winners and losers". And most of all, I just want to see a place like The Verge forums be a nice place where we can just sit back and ENJOY TECHNOLOGY.

Even if for only this thread, I plead a truce between everyone, so we can discuss this situation out calmly, and rationally. I ask of you, Tom, and the Moderators, please watch this thread, and close it if it gets nasty.

Let the discussion begin.

ALSO: TL;DR: Read it.