Who are the "Mac Marines" and how can we get them to shut up?

[RAMdnd]

Every platform has its zealots.

Sometimes they're valuable, sometimes they're the drunk uncle nobody wants to acknowledge.

Sometimes they're well meaning, sometimes they enjoy being mean.

Sometimes they're knowledgeable, sometimes they're fools.

Go to a PC centric forum and calmly and intelligently present a view about driving a Mac and see if you don't get a lot of flack.

[Furiously Stylish]

One more Evangelista here.

Was just looking at my old "Ask me about iMac" button from the roll-out.

We seem to have gotten away from Apple making us feel like we were a part of something bigger.

"Mac Marines" used to be some sort of an evangelism site. I remember them vaguely. Now it's a link-site, sitting there hoping for better days, I suppose.

[guitarist]

"Go to a PC centric forum and calmly and intelligently present a view about driving a Mac and see if you don't get a lot of flack"

I think some of you guys--with all due respect--are missing the point. Or worse, unwittingly amplifying my point by negative example.

I'm not referring to computer forums where spirited discussion and even abusive language is normal and tolerated. I'm talking about mainstream publications like the Wall Street Jorunal, BusinessWeek, or InfoWorld, places like that, where self-appointed mac zealots feel compelled to email bomb writers of articles they don't like. These are guys who DON'T REPRESENT US, or our views, guys who do a DISSERVICE to the perception of Apple's user base.

It seems like some of us got off track, and got misty-eyed about the glory days of Mac Evangelism. That's an insider's view of an inside world. I'm talking about the real world. Normal magazines who have a tech writer on staff, columnists who in no way deserve being bombarded by a bunch of militant mac users with nothing better to do than pretend they're part of Steve's Army. Steve doesn't want these guys either. None of us do.

Scrape 'em off. They're an annoyance, it's a misleading representation of mac users (or, dear god, maybe I'm wrong, maybe there's a lot of A-hole letter-to-the-editor writers lurking even in the places I expect to find rational mac users) no matter what fantasy mission they're on. It's not necessary, and only confirms the reputation of mac users as pro-Steve Zombies and boot-licking lackeys.

A polite correction of a misinformed article? Sure. A firm rebuttal of a bad article? Absolutely. Mail bombing and name calling? Sorry guys, that's never acceptable.