These words, and ones like it, comprise the mantra of the fanboy. Fanboy? What's a fanboy? A fanboy is someone who we all love to hate. They are people who have taken either a purchase (in the case of console systems) or a game (in the case of PC games) to heart. They will vehemently and unrelentingly fight for their respective system… often forgoing logical thought processes. Nobody except the fanboy knows why they do it… perhaps it is because they think that somehow everybody should be playing the game they love, or the console they have pledged allegiance to for the next two years. Perhaps they are upset because they got involved in the rampant pre-release hype and are disappointed, but still feel the need to defend their purchase. For whatever reasons, fanboys are a constant nuisance to the everyday gaming forum member.
Every forum has them. Some forums are nothing but a bunch of fanboys all telling each other how great their game is, and flaming anyone and everyone who holds a different opinion. What makes them such a nuisance? Well I'll tell you. What makes them the big nuisance they are is that they are incapable of seeing the big picture. They will not look past their console, or game, or whatever else, to see what else is out there. Other forum members will try to debate with them… but there is no debating with them. Its like arguing with a brick wall… a brick wall that can spew forth personal insults. You can try to make points in your one-sided discussions with them… but they will always say the same thing back. You can even outright deny what they say you meant, but they will still retort with the same thing.
So… now you're probably wondering how to combat fanboys. Well, unfortunately, you can't. If fanboys are anything besides annoying, they are persistent and obstinate. You could beat them over the head with a Hammer of Logic +10 and it won't matter. They will just put on their Helm of Boneheadedness +15 and keep right on going. So, the best thing to do, however hard it may be… is just to ignore them. It's one of those things where you should do as I say, not as I do, because if any of you know me you have probably seen one of my bouts with a fanboy.
Arguing with a fanboy is useless… and always results in a flame war. The flame wars that stem from an argument with Joe Normal and Freddy Fanboy are nothing compared to the flame wars that erupt between two differing fanboys… those are truly vile, as usually within two posts it has degraded into rampant personal insults that you would find on a grade school playground.
How can you avoid being a fanboy? Well, for starters, don't get involved in hype. Hype is a breeding ground for fanatical fanboys. Secondly, if you do like a game or console or whatever a lot, great. We all do. But don't take it to heart. Don't take personal offense when someone says they don't like it. Don't treat the thing you like as you would your first born child. If it really bothers you enough that someone is bashing your system, ignore it. But don't resort to fanboy tactics, as that solves nothing. If you feel yourself to be a fanboy, then please. Get help somewhere.
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Friggy