Yet another Apple nay-sayer has fallen afoul of the one member of the Macintosh community that everyone wishes would just go away.
According to a blog post by George Ou (link via Daring Fireball), Artie MacStrawman is at it again.
Ou claims that MacStrawman disparaged the character of the security professionals who are quoted as having claimed to have wirelessly hacked Apple’s Airport drivers, a claim refuted by Apple.
Further, Ou says that MacStrawman threatened to kill one of the professionals – David Maynor – and his imaginary dog.
Mac users will remember MacStrawman as the Mac user who:
- Says the Mac is utterly invulnerable to any and all malicious attack.
- Mindlessly worships Steve Jobs.
- Blindly buys anything Apple releases no matter how dumb and stupid and dumb it is.
- Refuses to accept that Windows might be better at anything. Even being Windows.
- Emails death threats to anyone who disagrees with him.
Daring Fireball’s John Gruber said “I just wish that guy’d switch to Windows or Ubuntu or something.
“But… he’s Artie MacStrawman. So I guess that’s not going to happen.”
Complicating matters is the fact that MacStrawman may have initiated the entire controversy. According to Maynor, it was MacStrawman’s argument that the Mac is utterly impregnable to attack that caused him to hack a MacBook using a third-party wireless card and driver and then claim that he could do the same thing with an Airport card and driver without actually having tried it.
Maynor did admit that he was the first to issue a threat, saying that he wanted to stick a lit cigarette into MacStrawman’s eye.
“I shouldn’t have said that,” Maynor said. “It’s just that that guy really bugs me.”
At least on this point, Maynor and the Mac community can agree. Artie MacStrawman bugs everyone.
first!
First.
Blast. I took the time to write out my full name. I should’ve known better.
Um, we’re NOT supposed to blindly buy everything Apple produces, no matter how dumb and stupid it is?
Hmmmm…
I need to go have a chat with my Pants™®
moo
yep. sorry about that. i think about changing my name to a single letter.
one that can be reached quickly on the keyboard. like “l”. or the on/off switch.
started up again. the on/off switch wasn’t a great idea.
If you didn’t buy a Cube then don’t preach to me about “Blindly buying anything Apple releases no matter how dumb and stupid and dumb it is”
CARS didn’t even have to make anything up for this one. (not that they ever do…)
Two Cubes…
Damn.
moo
Top 10 yay i rule
‘leven, suckas?
CARS makes stuff up. All the time. Anyone who’s been around here very long, knows that. I mean, in big letters, at the top, it says RUMORS. What more proof do you want? Do I have to show you the whole Package™® ?
Artie MacStrawman for President.
post script:-If there are twins, do they become MacStrawmen?
Is it just coincidence that MacStrawman and John C. Dvorak have never been seen together?
IT IS TRUW
MACS R THE ROX.
my big brother said so and he’s 12 so he knows bunches.
Can’t post today, internet is down.
Sorry guys!
This has nothing to do with snakes on a plane. How did that happen?
When is Apple gonna release the iPants? I would so totally buy them.
First!
No, no. The lit cigarette thing seems perfectly reasonable to me. Press on!
First! Or like forth first or something.
Oops, sorry for the double post but this just hit me and I want to know who threw it. But it got me thinking, is it possible, you know, in a ying and yang kind of way, that MacStrawman is really Rob Enderle? The two extremes exist in one person?
Are you kidding I love the cube! It was a little over priced, but when Apple EOL them we got great discounts and put them all over my work. Every podium had a tiny Cube inside to power the projectors. We are now just starting to look at replacing them with Mac Minis.
P.S. this Artie guy is giving mac users a bad image. I have dispatched the kittens. Problem should be taken care of soon.
Man, I understood it all wrong (again).
I hacked an Airport Car by threatening the driver with a Cola can.
He drove me to the gate in time…
joe, I don’t think you can use the word “suckas” with a question mark. It just doesn’t have any oomph.
Ideally, it should be followed by an exclamation point as in:
That bitch just used ALL your toothbrushes, suckas!
I, ummmm, have a cube.
OH THE SHAME!
My PONY ate your STRAWman.
This Artie guy honks me off so bad that I can’t even post!!!
Wait a minute… Oh, right.
Well, since I’m here anyway: Stupid fucking Artie, stupid fucking snakes, on a stupid fucking plane!
Somehow this all feels like less of a waste of time now.
everything is a waste of time. Some wastes are just more fun than others.
You guys are so last week. I’m sick of these fucking snakes on this fucking train!
mother fu*king snakes in a mother fu*king theater!
http://www.wltx.com/FYI/story.aspx?storyid=41179
Snakes on a train was not nearly as good as snakes on a plane, IMHO.
Is it just me, or is Snakes on a Plane a metaphor of how buggy and vulnerable Windows is? The plane represents Windows, the snakes represent malware, and Samuel L. Jackson represents Windows Defender. If that plane were an Apple plane though, there would be no way in hell that muthafuckin’ snakes could be let loose on it, because we all know that Apples are invulnerable to all bad things.
If there were Apple planes, the tickes would cost 3 times as much and occasionally the hinges would break and the noise from the turbines would be unbearable at times. Also, the Apple Plane Switch commercials would be pretty lame.
Would your ApplePlane Care protection plan also act as a floatation device?
Some upcoming attractions:
“Flakes on a Train”
A heart-warming tale of slackers on a cross-country vacation!
“Brakes in the Rain”
A heart-warming tale of an itinerant mechanic and a driver who loves to brave bad weather!
“Snakes in Your Brain”
A heart-warming… Wait a minute, this premise is a re-hash of Stargate SG-1, and that just got cancelled. They may make a movie though, if DVD sales exceed expectations. Keep watching the skies!
I’m just waiting for the hot lesbo action iPod.
Whew, I was afraid it was going to be me!
Ubuntu! Yellow Dog!
… Hey, whose toothbrush is this? ‘Cause I’m gonna use it, sucka! Totally!
How’s that, anonymous?
His name should really be Artie F. MacStrawman
[...] Don’t get me wrong – this whole fiasco has provided some good laughs – but things are getting out of hand, as always seems to be the case these days. Now, I’ve decided my position in this case; the lack of evidence and vehement denial by Lynn Fox that even Apple have been provided with any evidence of an exploit leads me to believe that there really isn’t one. Underneath all the claims, there’s just nothing. Imay still be wrong, of course; but this seems the most likely explanation, given the facts we currently have. [...]
[...] The News.com reporter summarizes, “While some in the Mac community see the cancellation of Saturday’s talk as prove that Maynor and Ellch are frauds…” Yes, that would be Artie MacStrawman. Damn that hayseed! [...]
[...] It’s true, there’s a lot to complain about in this piece. The lead-in referencing a system compromise that was only made possible by third-party software. The appearance of Artie MacStrawman (”OS X didn’t somehow, magically, prevent the attack as some users seem to think it’s capable of doing.”). The absurd idea that it’s “time to admit” anything, as if Apple should hang its head, kick at the dirt and say “I’m soooooorry”. [...]
[...] The Macalope can’t say he read the whole post (c’mon, it’s 4,000 words!) – he’ll wait for the movie. He did skim enough to see a few appearances by Artie MacStrawman and some idle speculation about Apple’s possible manipulation of the situation. Burke doesn’t have a problem with the term “Apple apologists” (perhaps he should read some of the Macalope’s work on stock option backdating) but you won’t find the terms “SecureWorks apologists” or “Ellchistas” or “Branch David Maynoridians” anywhere in the piece. [...]
[...] The distinct odor of Artie MacStrawman in LMH’s assertion that “many” Mac users think OS X is bulletproof and “some” want it to look that way. [...]
Wow. You guys are funny. I loved this comment section because it was remarkably empty of “Macs suck!” “Windows is better” “Macs are only secure because only 5 people own one and no one cares” and so on. SOOOOO bookmarking this site…
[...] He even breaks out our old friend, Artie MacStrawman. [...]
[...] I do not have any Apple stock. I have no vested interest in the company. I am not Artie MacStrawman. I’m just a user. [...]
[...] Okay, before I quote the best part of the article I read, I have to give some background on the most famous Apple user, Artie MacStrawman. [...]
[...] Lunatic Fringe – Ah, our good friend Artie Macstrawman. How does this mythical Mac user have anything to do with Apple? [...]
[...] Step 1: Crazy Apple Rumors invents Artie MacStrawman. [...]
I want ellipses! John, you never tell us when the cool kids are trying new things!
[...] Following up on his successes yesterday, George Ou keys what should be called Artie MacStrawman in Nuremberg which will probably cause Macalope readers to hemorrhage out their eyeballs because, yes, we’re still talking about the wireless controversy! [...]
sounds like bobbymax / harveymudd from the forums of http://www.lightreading.com
I’ve met lots of people who use and love Macs. I’m one of them. Have I ever met anyone who:
> Says the Mac is utterly invulnerable to any and all malicious attack.
No
> Mindlessly worships Steve Jobs.
No.
> Blindly buys anything Apple releases no matter how dumb and stupid and dumb it is.
Depends, but typically No.
> Refuses to accept that Windows might be better at anything. Even being Windows.
Nope. Most Mac users I know don’t care.
> Emails death threats to anyone who disagrees with him.
Anyone who does this is unhinged.
This is how you characterize the Mac community? I’ve yet to see these kinds of statements from anyone on Apple discussions, in any of the mac-related blogs I read, or from anyone I talk to about Macs as a fellow user. So does that mean I’m not part of the community, or does it mean you’re just happy to tar everyone with the same narrow brush so you can get a good digg-bait headline. Lame.
Todd…
Dude…
This is a parody.
[...] presumably because he’s one of the more vocal Mac bloggers. But he’s definitely not Artie MacStrawman – he’s the first to criticize Apple when they’re in the wrong, particularly in his area [...]
[...] snickering messages to the effect of “why do they even try?”. Well, he’s invoking Artie Macstrawman. The Zunes are pretty underwhelming, as they basically match the iPods at best, and certainly [...]
[...] Artie Macstrawman is back. Most Mac/Apple users are gracious, helpful, knowledgeable, and critical of Apple when it [...]
Yaa! Mac stuff!