Backlash Comparison: Who's Nuttier, Apple Fanatics or Ron Paul Enthusiasts? | Threat Level from Wired.com.
Backlash Comparison: Who's Nuttier, Apple Fanatics or Ron Paul Enthusiasts?
By Kevin Poulsen November 06, 2007 | 11:50:03 AMCategories: Apple, iPhone, Online Political Campaigns
In the past two weeks, THREAT LEVEL reporters have managed to draw the wrath of two different cultural tribes renown for their resolve and certitude: Apple fanatics, and Ron Paul enthusiasts.
Apple fans pummeled Kim for her story on the iPhone's controversial security model, while Ron Paul boosters went after Sarah for her piece on a recent spurt of deceptive spam promoting the Republican presidential candidate. Some representatives from each group got vicious, resorting to personal smears, sometimes laced with misogyny.
In other words, just another day at the office; smears and ad hominem attacks are an occupational hazard of journalism. But having two backlashes at about the same time provides us a rare opportunity to compare the religious fervor of two net-savvy cults of true believers..../p>
