Comments on: You Are Not A Beautiful Snowflake: Five Years of the iPhone

By: karabird

karabird — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 23:27:36 +0000

hahaha! i can’t really top that one. i’ll just try using ‘shut up’ at the dinner table first, then ease into my new phrase

By: Jarvis Slacks

Jarvis Slacks — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 23:25:03 +0000

Example. “Shut up. You’re just whistling past the graveyard.”

By: karabird

karabird — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:54:10 +0000

I dig. That’s exactly what it sounds like. I’m going to see if I can work it into dinner conversation, test it out

By: Jarvis Slacks

Jarvis Slacks — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:46:37 +0000

It’s supposed to mean that you are being casual and relaxed even though there is something bad happening. Sort of like, lalallalaala, nothing going on here….

By: Andy (@fenbranklin)

Andy (@fenbranklin) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:41:01 +0000

Your point is entirely valid. @xwordy and I used to have this debate many years ago when we were fanboys firmly entrenched on opposing sides in the Windows v. Macintosh debates. Then we gained wisdom, I guess, and decided that one should strive to use the best tool for their purposes, and the rest doesn’t matter. In your case, you’re right – if you don’t want an iPhone, you shouldn’t have to defend your choice, unless someone straight up asks for an opinion, and in that case it’s not really a defense is it?

By: Kara

Kara — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:28:21 +0000

Just what does “whistling past the graveyard” mean?? I am newly obsessed! Do tell.

By: Jarvis Slacks

Jarvis Slacks — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 19:20:09 +0000

I think you are the type of person that should own an iPhone. I’m not. I think I’m more annoyed that I have to defend my choices, especially when my choices really don’t matter and no one should care.

By: Andy (@fenbranklin)

Andy (@fenbranklin) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 19:16:28 +0000

Well said.

There’s an important distinction between addiction/obsession and usefulness though. I use my iPhone as a tool for work (email, remote control, etc) that allows me the freedom to be away from an office and still get my work done. I use my iPhone as a tool creatively, for recording and playing music and for taking photos and videos, I use my iPhone as a tool to read, relax and entertain. Could I do that with other things? Sure. I could use a laptop for work, mixdeck / cd player for music endeavors, cameras, e-readers or (gasp) an actual book. Then I’d have to carry all that crap around anytime I want to engage in those activities. Do I need to have an iPhone to do that stuff? No, I don’t, it just happens to be the tool that I have at my disposal. Do I feel better about myself because I have an iPhone? Not really – as long as it works and works well, I could care less who makes the device or if it has achieved fanboi status or not. Note: full disclosure, we are a multi-smartphone household – my wife sports an Android phone, and I have one as well for development work