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I have seen Antennagate, and it is us (crunchgear.com)
38 points by credo on July 17, 2010 | hide | past | favorite | 16 comments



About 80% through the post:

Well, I think this whole debacle demonstrates the power of the Internet to report in the wrong way, as opposed to the Tiger Woods incident, which I think demonstrated the Internet’s strengths

Um, what? What kind of person holds the coverage of Tiger Woods up as some kind of gold standard for how journalism should work? It's hard to think of a story that was trashier or more irrelevant.


Exactly. The author lost all credibility to me at that point. He's basically a TMZ reporter who happens to work at CrunchGear.

The iPhone antennae issue has been covered extremely well. Sure lots of speculation, but that's what you do when Apple won't talk. But people probably know more about antennae technology than they did a month ago.

I just wish Apple would note they made a mistake. The Consumer Reports analysis seems to make this clear, and they never mentioned this in their press conference.


It comes with the territory. Apple can't expect endless adulation over its products without those same people thinking small problems are huge issues.

Choice quote: "to Apple, the iPhone is unlike every other phone on the market — except when there is a problem, at which point it’s just like every other phone on the market. "


I agree with you, except I don't know that a lot of iPhone 4 users consider this a huge issue. I remember people getting upset about slight color imperfections in the iPods a couple of years back. People tend to consider Apple products more than just a phone/mp3 player/whatever, so even minor problems are considered huge issues.

I think they feel that most of this reception frenzy has been whipped up by people who don't own/use the phone, and whose basis of determining the usability of the device is a series of youtube clips.

I respect the shouting and screaming from those who made the 0.55% of AppleCare calls regarding this issue, and the 1.6% who returned the phone. But I think the majority of the noise is made by others, which feels a whole lot more lika whining to me. And I'm hard pressed to respect whining.


When I read all the fuss people have made over the antenna issues I think "God these people are lucky to have the luxury of complaining about this."


Stuff like this always reminds me of this Louis CK clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk

"Will you give it a second! It's going to SPACE!"


That's funny be it reinforces the misconception (that many people have) that cell phones work by talking to satellites.


What do these people think that antenna towers do?


They don't realize they exist. I have has conversations with people who talk about how amazing cell phone satellite technology is.


I have a theory that everybody has about the same amount of problems. For people who don't have problems that life throws in their ways, they simply fill that void with other stuff. This antenna issue is one of those non-problems. Some people just need some drama and when everything else is fine you just create some.


I think it's more of a lack of perspective. Whenever, I read posts on the internet I automatically assume that they are from a teenager. In my head, at least, no responsible adult would do such stuff. More often than not I am wrong.


I have a similar belief. People need struggle and if it isn't provided by life then they'll make it for themselves.


I want to squeeze both fists around my phone when I make a 911 emergency phonecall. Steve Jobs has put my LIFE IN JEOPARDY!

/s


I have an alternative theory that people want to vent their anxiety over the crappy economy, Obama not living up to their expectations, etc. but can't. The media only gives them the iphone antenna thing or ,a few months back, the Toyota acceleration non-issue as places to focus their anger on.


You can say that about just about any aspect of modern life.


TL;DR: Modern journalism-substitute lacks mandate, restraint, and professionalism. It also sells lots of ads. We cried the whole way to the bank.




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