[sunstone]

So Google really has hit the nadir of the wall that Microsoft hit when Gates testified before the Justice department. It's a tough day for all of us Google fan boys but it's time to look in the mirror and carefully consider the current reality.

[me_me_me]

What always baffles me is the term fanboy, how in this day and age do we still have people believing/having faith in a company.

They all did something abhorrent or yet to be caught doing it. And yet we have people who would seemingly jump into fire for a brand (even in face of damning facts).

Is this a form of ancient tribalism still at play?

[Ensorceled]

Not sure why you are getting downvotes but, yes, it's tribalism. If you self identify as an "iPhone guy" or "Android gal" and invest a significant amount of money and energy into that decision, it's hard not to "tribe up" and feel obligated to defend the company you have identified with.

[pjmlp]

Indeed, I don't get how people can get into "don't be evil" and other kind of corporate propaganda.

[michaelcampbell]

How many years now has that NOT been a thing?

[pjmlp]

It was never a thing to begin with.

Anyone that believed it was only deluding themselves.

[me_me_me]

Ah, I wouldn't be so cynical.

Most people start with good intention. Then they get power and power corrupts.

[pjmlp]

That is the thing, companies aren't people.

They are composed by a group of people, each with their own set of goals and morals, which isn't the same thing.

[EnderMB]

This kind of stuff is everywhere. It's very common with celebrities (Chris Brown being a shining example), and you see it a lot on HN with companies that are raising the bar of expectation, like Tesla.

The key similarities between the two fan bases are that they all want to be a part of something with other people, whether it's being a female fan that follows an artist with a history of abuse against women, or being a fan of a company that offers cheap perks in favour of treating employees like humans with basic needs outside of a ping pong table.

The other similarity, and it's a very cynical one that you may or may not agree with, is that many people simply don't care if it doesn't affect them - which is funny in the age of the "cancel culture".

[goatinaboat]

It’s vicarious living, there is so little real conflict in modern society, people enjoy participating in artificial conflicts such as sports teams, etc. Or inventing new categories to feel oppressed over.

[friendlybus]

The brand alone is just a symbol for a company doing something valuable. People pay ridiculous fees to see cars go around in circles that they'll never drive themselves. For better or worse google is doing something valuable to some people, they are fans of that.

[kmlx]

people are inherently driven by feelings. rational decisions are few and far between.

if you want to objectively analyse a company all you need to do is check their 10-Q each quarter. but that means studying and analysing their actual performance and their peers' stats.

> how in this day and age do we still have people believing/having faith in a company.

the same can be said for people that still believe in politicians/governments. even thou we have all the evidence in the world that these forms of control are pretty much obsolete especially compared to our current modern way of life, you will still get millions of fanboys/girls that dismiss all the evidence.

[wdr1]

> What always baffles me is the term fanboy, how in this day and age do we still have people believing/having faith in a company.

"in this day and age"

Where things different at some point? Or where you simply less familiar with other times?

[idlewords]

What is the nadir of a wall? The baseboard?

[richthegeek]

What is the point of pedantry? The base instinct?

[idlewords]

Pureed metaphors usually mean someone is writing without thinking. There's a whole nice Orwell essay on it!