Article:		Developer Notes from WWDC 2003
Subject:		The Masses
Date:		2003-06-24 11:28:39
From:		anonymous2
In your article you wrote "To be honest, the masses don't have the capability to appreciate the elegance and depth of this platform." I'm at a loss to fully express how shocked I am that such elitist crap could get posted on the site. Not only is it utterly offensive but its short-sighted as well. I hate to inform you of this but the "masses" that you're looking down your nose at are the primary market for computers and electronics and if, as a developer, you want to marginalise yourself then feel free but I'd rather have a more mass-market and larger audience. And what the heck happened to "the computer for the rest of us"? Or is "the rest of us" now an elite group?

Showing messages 1 through 12 of 12.

• The Masses
  2003-06-24 21:17:20  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  The elegance and depth of the platform does detract from the platform's ease of use. If it were not for cost and Windows only applications, the Macintosh would be the platform best platform for the masses.
  
  It's sad to see such elistest crap on ora.con.
  
• RE: Masses crap
  2003-06-24 23:08:13  Derrick Story | [View]
  
  
  I've pretty much stayed out of this fray because my point here has been missed all together. No problem. But I stand by my view that in the overall computing world, most people don't understand the power and elegance of the Mac platform, and most never will.
  
  BTW: definition of "masses" -- "Ordinary people in society, as distinct from political leaders, aristocracy, or educated people" (In this case educated about computer operating systems.)
  
  As for your kind comment:
  "It's sad to see such elistest crap on ora.con."
  
  My response is:
  It's "elitist," not "elistest"
  It's macdevcenter, not ora
  It's .com, not .con
  
  -Derrick
  
  
  
  
• RE: Masses crap
  2007-05-01 21:27:39  09-F9-11-02-9D-74-E3-5B-D8-41-56-C5-63-56-88-C0 [View]
  
  
  Thank you for demonstrating your superior ability to spell.
  
• but why is the Mac not for the masses?
  2003-06-25 23:23:35  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  It's one thing to claim that the masses do not understand the power and elegance of the platform. It's yet another thing to say that the platform is not for the masses because the masses do not understand the power and elegance of the platform.
  
  Please address your statement that the Mac platform is not for the masses. Is it because the masses do not understand the power and elegance of the platform?
  
  
  
• RE: Masses crap
  2003-06-25 16:15:16  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  Your last paragraph made me laught out loud. :)
  
  When I see a Harley-Davidson, I think "Eh.. a motorocycle. . " and don't give it another thought. It might as well be a Yamaha, or a Kawasaki, or... whatever.
  
  A Harley-Davidson owner might be a little miffed that I fail to "get" his or her passion for this incredible machine. That doesn't make the Harley-Davidson owner elitist. (Much less elistest.) We simply find our passions in different places. Different strokes for different folks.
  
  A fine and inspiring article, Derrick.
  
  
• RE: Masses crap
  2003-06-25 15:35:56  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  right on, derrick. i'm probably more knowledgeable than the average mac user...but every time i come to this site and learn a little more about the os, i become even more appreciative about the power of the mac os. i will probably never appreciate it the way you do...but i'm getting there.

• The Masses
  2003-06-24 16:10:32  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  hmmm...i thought he meant the Mac masses. i think he's right about that, too...it's a given that the Wintel masses have no clue, but even the Mac masses don't have a clue as to how amazing the infrastructure of OSX is...and that's not a slight on Mac users. it's just that the masses are not programmers and developers. there's no need to take offense.
• The Masses
  2003-06-25 10:34:07  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  There are at least as many Windows users (if not a lot more) than can understand the inner workings of OSX. It's a fine, fine operating platform. That's not to say that I think it's practical.... yet.
  
  To back this up... I'm not even sure what the Windows market share is these days, but we'll just say it's still well over 50%, and Apple has 5%, so at least 10 times the users. Out of those users, how many hardcore developers are there? Compared to Apple developers? I'd venture to say there's a lot more Windows people out there that can really understand the inner workings of OSX and how great it's merits are. That still doesn't change marketshare, income per app developed, etc. MOST developers (commercial, not hobby/shareware) are interested in making money by developing software, it's their profession. When you want to make money, you target the largest audience.
  
  I'm not so sure that the masses can't understand the inner workings enough to see the beauty of OSX. I think it's more like "the masses don't care about the inner beauty of operating system design". They probably care more about buying a practical solution to their needs.
• The Masses
  2003-06-25 15:30:48  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  "masses" usually means a large percentage or a significant majority. of course there are more developers on the wintel side just as a function of their huge market share...but the masses of pc users are not developers. market share is high b/c of all the personal users who love the cheap systems and all those businesses. but for all those users in business, only a small percentage are developers and techs that know what's going on. i'm willing to bet that the average mac user knows more about the underpinnings of the os than does the average pc user...

• The Masses
  2003-06-24 14:21:52  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  To say that Derrick was referring only to Win 95/98 users is apologist in the extreme. He was clearly speaking of end users in general. Nevertheless, I sense no elitism in his remarks as he was clearly under the influence of the Steve's R.D.F. Which is not to say that the statement "the Mac isn't a machine for the masses" is one that Apple corporate would endorse.
• The Masses
  2003-06-24 15:12:18  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  It's funny how something can be interpreted in so many different ways. Quite entertaining.

• The Masses
  2003-06-24 12:47:38  Derrick Story | [View]
  
  
  Oh my gosh! You need to cut back on your coffee consumption.