“Windows rules!”
“If it’s not a Mac, it’s not worth jack!”
“There is one true operating system, Linux, and Linus Torvalds is its prophet!”
Those of us who hang around tech circles have heard sentiments like these. And we’ve seen the defenders of one OS rise up in flame wars against the acolytes of the competition. Wars of words have erupted between Mac and Windows users, Android and iPhone supporters and, seemingly since the dawn of silicon, EMACS and vi programmers. They usually carry a whiff of nearly religious zealotry.
Sometimes these conversations can be fun to engage in or just listen in on. All too often, though, they turn mean, and civility evaporates. And occasionally they turn even uglier.