[zmmmmm]

> indicative of a trend that, in hindsight, will have begun just around 2011/12

I think the very beginnings of it were earlier. The moment Apple jumped the shark was when they banned apps not originally written in C/ObjC from the app store. In that moment they made it virtually impossible to be a geek with any credibility and not be at least a little embarrassed to be an Apple fan. They reversed their decision but it was too late - geeks flooded into Android and the Android market increased its app count by about 400% in the ensuing months. Ever since then I've noticed that my geek friends who carry iPhones have been defensive about it - they say things to rationalize why they aren't carrying a real geek phone.

[cageface]

That was exactly the turning point for me too. I was uneasy about handing them so much control but was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt given their history and their roots in BSD.

But this decision showed they were willing to make heavy-handed and capricious decisions at users' and developers' expense and revealed the dark side of Apple's policy of total control of their platform.

[rimantas]

After reading this comment I am really glad I am not some "geek". I am a programmer, developer, whatever, but I hope I will never turn into geek like one described here.

[cageface]

So you prefer to have some corporation dictating what tools you can use, even if other tools are equally or even more productive for your work? Even if this policy has as much to do with their business agenda as it does with any technical concerns?

[slurgfest]

I can understand that you like Apple products and will stick by them, but I don't understand the kind of disgust you express about being the kind of person that doesn't like Apple products.

Is it a product, or a tribe?

[boboblong]

As a geek, believe me, the feeling is mutual.

[no_more_death]

Sorry, but your comment did nothing to convince the person above. In fact, you may have just turned a middle-of-the-roader into a lifelong enemy of your cause. I'm sorry if I'm beating up on you but this problem is huge in our circles.

Can we get off our snark and get people on our side instead? Comments should elevate others instead of showing off our sarcasm.

[boboblong]

My comment wasn't sarcastic and I'm not interested in evangelizing.