Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Humor, Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store
Dealing with app-noxious app-oholics
The other day I had the fortune of hanging out with TUAW's own Mike Rose and our old colleague David Chartier in Chicago, and my main fear going into the meeting was that, given what a bunch of iPhone geeks we were, we'd just spend the whole time showing off apps on our iPhones. Not that seeing cool apps isn't awesome, but if you've ever had anyone excitedly show you what an app can do, I think it gets to be a little much. And I'm not alone -- though yes, the iPhone does a lot of things that we have never been able to do before, it is possible to get "app-noxious," a term coined by MSNBC to describe people who are way too excited about what their iPhone can do. Yes, we know already, there is an app for that. Give it a break.This isn't the first time this phenomenon has popped up, and if you own an iPhone, you probably already know about it anyway -- I was definitely looking for made-up ways to use SnapTell Explorer when I first installed it. So next time you feel the urge to break into someone else's conversation to let them know about this app you bought last night that does exactly what they're talking about, hold your tongue, at least until you're not interrupting.
And of course that doesn't mean that app nerds can't still be nerds about it -- yes, though Rose and Chartier and I didn't spend the whole time showing off apps to each other, we each did bring out phones at least once to show off just how great this new app we just got was.
[via MacDailyNews]

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jorn said 11:42AM on 5-15-2009
But, uhm, isn't this website kind of app-noxious?
;)
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Luna Lovegood said 10:41AM on 5-15-2009
"...TUAW's own Mike Rose..."
OMFG! You chilled with TUAW's own Mike Rose? That is off the hook!
"[W]e each did bring out phones at least once to show off just how great this new app we just got was."
So that copyeditor's position at Weblogs, Inc. hasn't been filled?
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cloudbase said 11:18AM on 5-15-2009
OMFG I love you Luna that was the funniest shiz
nomoremsbs said 11:10AM on 5-15-2009
Does this guy have a naturally negative personality? I have always enjoyed learning about new apps. And this has been my experience with others too.
It is not uncool to enjoy apps with others I wonder who really has something to gain by portraying iPhone app conversation as uncool? Oh no, another conspiracy theory.
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oliver hart said 11:33AM on 5-15-2009
This article is dead on. Do you own an iPhone? It's annoying as shit to people when you whip out your iPhone and start bragging about "how neat this cool new app is"
It's obnoxious. I found that out the hard way
tabaks said 11:15AM on 5-15-2009
Being appnoxious clearly takes the back seat to being a "idon'tknowwhattowriteaboutnoxious", this "contributor" has gotten himself to be. Not only does he clearly struggle to find fresh things to write about, he insults a number of people he's supposed to write these "news" bits for. So, good one, TUAW, just one more nail in a coffin for your website. I have already begun skipping it in my daily read routine. Oh, yes, feel free to insult me by calling me dailyroutinenoxious nagger. Who cares anyway?
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oliver hart said 11:53AM on 5-15-2009
I care. Why bother commenting on something you don't care about? Troll somewhere else.
tabaks said 2:09PM on 5-15-2009
Oliver, you made 2 comments in this column and both annoying and one personal, as opposed to mine, which commented ON the subject and quality of it. So, the ONLY troll here is YOU. Just IMHO...
oliver hart said 3:56PM on 5-15-2009
I like this blog, I read it daily. You made a comment on how this post is "one more nail in tuaws coffin"-and IM the troll? Why do you bother commenting on something you don't care about? If you don't like it go somewhere else. Or better yet start your own blog. IMHO you're a dbag.
airmanchairman said 12:03PM on 5-15-2009
App-noxious isn't uncool, it's a way of life...
And only those techno-Luddites sickened by techno-fear or worse still, with a marked techno-inferiority-complex (there are many) would fail to appreciate the joy of same-platform or cross-platform app-comparison.
What privileged times we live in, where a brilliant app exists for almost every little undertaking.
Ever wonder what the techno-landscape would be like 5 years from now?
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davidjkon said 12:36PM on 5-15-2009
may need a new picture here. Pownce is gone.
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Kevin Elliott said 3:27PM on 5-15-2009
How does this article explain how to deal with app-noxious people again? Was this article really necessary? :)
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mark said 7:18PM on 5-15-2009
this article was written in the pre-app era, but it's still quite relevant:
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/mar/22/business/fi-iphone22
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Faye said 8:48PM on 5-15-2009
OK, let's just remember what the "MS" in "MSNBC" represents. You don't think they are extending their anti-Apple campaign to there, do you? If you don't, I've got a bridge to sell you, cheap.
Reply