Comments on: Logical fallacy: popularity is not quality http://betterexplained.com/articles/logical-fallacy-popularity-is-not-quality/ Learn Right, Not Rote. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:38:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Haggis http://betterexplained.com/articles/logical-fallacy-popularity-is-not-quality/#comment-605 Haggis Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:43:57 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/logical-fallacy-popularity-is-not-quality/#comment-605 The last two comments are a bit thin... I could use similar points to support the Nazis! eg. Popular among the "common fellas" Hide the fussy details Accept failure Demonise opposition The point of the article is to apply critical thinking to popularity, not to target one product or company. Microsoft are in business to make money. Period. That's all. If that requires innovation, then they innovate. If it involved clubbing baby seals, they would be based in Canada. User experience won't come into it. XP sucked until they got the bugs out, but by then Vista was being launched. People DIDN'T buy Vista until MS STOPPED selling XP. Hardly what you would call giving you a choice... Giving you a choice means you might not choose my product or service. Therefore I will spend time and money making sure you "choose" me. If you can be persuaded that your choice was your own, even better. To address Anonomous's question directly, MS didn't attract all those users, the OS was pre installed. Look around your desk and tot up the cost of all the windows only software. Don't forget the OS cost you about £150 as well. That's a lot of business to protect... The last two comments are a bit thin…
I could use similar points to support the Nazis!
eg.

Popular among the “common fellas”
Hide the fussy details
Accept failure
Demonise opposition

The point of the article is to apply critical thinking to popularity, not to target one product or company.
Microsoft are in business to make money. Period. That’s all. If that requires innovation, then they innovate. If it involved clubbing baby seals, they would be based in Canada. User experience won’t come into it. XP sucked until they got the bugs out, but by then Vista was being launched. People DIDN’T buy Vista until MS STOPPED selling XP. Hardly what you would call giving you a choice…
Giving you a choice means you might not choose my product or service. Therefore I will spend time and money making sure you “choose” me. If you can be persuaded that your choice was your own, even better.
To address Anonomous’s question directly, MS didn’t attract all those users, the OS was pre installed. Look around your desk and tot up the cost of all the windows only software. Don’t forget the OS cost you about £150 as well. That’s a lot of business to protect…

]]> By: darel http://betterexplained.com/articles/logical-fallacy-popularity-is-not-quality/#comment-604 darel Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:16:39 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/logical-fallacy-popularity-is-not-quality/#comment-604 I hope you are not becoming another microsoft hater. We have enough of them already! What people don't appreciate is that Microsoft made it easy by obstructing a lot of technical details from common fellas (compared to other Os'es). That gave it a headstart, and even if other brands try to play catch up, the advantage has been taken I hope you are not becoming another microsoft hater. We have enough of them already! What people don’t appreciate is that Microsoft made it easy by obstructing a lot of technical details from common fellas (compared to other Os’es). That gave it a headstart, and even if other brands try to play catch up, the advantage has been taken

]]> By: Anonymous http://betterexplained.com/articles/logical-fallacy-popularity-is-not-quality/#comment-603 Anonymous Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:07:30 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/logical-fallacy-popularity-is-not-quality/#comment-603 Question, but... How can Microsoft make an OS that attracts, and yet later on you claim that most people just "Go along for the ride"? I understand what you are saying but you did contradict yourself. Question, but… How can Microsoft make an OS that attracts, and yet later on you claim that most people just “Go along for the ride”? I understand what you are saying but you did contradict yourself.

]]> By: Kalid http://betterexplained.com/articles/logical-fallacy-popularity-is-not-quality/#comment-602 Kalid Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:04:48 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/logical-fallacy-popularity-is-not-quality/#comment-602 Hi Jeffrey, thanks for the comment. Yes, it's very easy to take things at face value and assume it's "great" because everyone is doing it. Hi Jeffrey, thanks for the comment. Yes, it’s very easy to take things at face value and assume it’s “great” because everyone is doing it.

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