“Much ink has been spilled drafting the Steve Jobs encomium,” Brett T. Robinson writes for Wired.
“But Jobs and Apple are interesting for far more than technological prowess — they provide an allegory for reading religion in the information age,” Robinson writes. “They are further evidence that the shifts in popular religion that occur throughout history are accompanied by changes in the media environment.”
Robinson writes, “The shift would require a fitting mythology — a coherent narrative for understanding the transcendent possibilities of networked computing. The implications are far-reaching, because when the dominant modes of communication change, so do the frameworks for religious belief.””
Read more in the full article here.
Encomium …. Oh please let’s not go down the Words with Friends commentarium road to impress the infantile minded blogeters who bow in reverential idiomoniony !!!!!
See, any idiot can look stopped with a few uncommon or even made up words 😉
One person’s encomium is another person’s meconium .
Sure.
I’ve been using Apple products for nearly 30 years now, and while I could justifiably be called a fanboy, it has nothing to do with Jobs’ personality. During Jobs’ periods at Apple, the company focused on producing high quality products that delighted the customer and convinced me that Apple’s focus was on the customer’s experience, and not merely on grabbing their dollars. Profits follow customer satisfaction and loyalty, not tricking them into short term sales every few months with the “latest and greatest” spec improvement, which seems to be the Wall Street model for next quarter’s profit report. Very few other companies have Apple’s focus. That’s what keeps me in the fold. It has nothing to do with cult worship, or other religious-like overtones. At Apple, customer satisfaction/experience come first, and if they meet that objective, profits follow. When Apple adds some new feature, they want to assure it works. Sometimes they fail, but they never throw in check list specs to compete with other companies. You can always always tell when a company has no vision. They post spec checklists, rather than improved customer experiences. They want to trick you into giving up your dollars, and care nothing for you after the sale.
Right on, Dave Marsh. But don’t forget Jonathon Ive and the design consistency which also defines the high quality of Apple’s product.
Well said!
Some of these bloggers, and Wall Street types are always looking for the “Ghost” in the works. Clearly Wall Street has become more about the “Ghosts” than the fundamentals and facts.
I like and use Apple products for the same reasons you do – the constant drive to improve, to make things better!
Yes, lately the Media puts a lot of pressure on Apple and I hope they can resist. Steve’s charisma coupled with blunt truth replies are not there to reveal these idiots for what they are as Steve often did in one brief quote heard round the world.
Apple is not religion because Apple is real. No invisible sky wizard, no promises of everlasting life, nothing that you can’t touch, see, hear or smell. Religion is about belief in nothing. I’ll take Apple any day.
Amen!!!! 😉
Lol. Right because things you can’t touch, see, hear or smell don’t exist… like truth, justice, beauty, peace, joy, love.
I think you do yourself a disservice by railing so energetically against something you obviously do not understand.
“Invisible sky wizard” is nowhere in scripture, by the way. And Jesus said, “God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” In 1 John, “love is of God, and anyone who loves is born of God and knows God… for God is love.”
Your 3,000 year old straw man is obviously very impressive to “Matt”, but Christianity specifically is not a religion about an old dude in the sky. It’s far deeper and more profound, and is Truth that goes far beyond the “truths” of any particular age or culture.
Just sayin’
Religion is based on belief without substantiating evidence. Apple fans have ample evidence in the form of great products that trounce the competition. I wouldn’t call that “religion”—I’d call it having good sense.
Wow, you folks really have a religion bug in your bonnets, don’t you? Religion is not “based on belief without substantiating evidence.” Not at all. Ask any believer.
Supply the evidence please
Why does customer enthusiasm for great products have to equate to some “religious” connection?
Religion my ass.
When a violinist picks up a Stradivarius, he/she falls in love.
When a computer user tries out a digital Apple product, he/she realizes they have been using crap products for a very long time.
We don’t love Apple products, we hate the alternatives.
Apple a religion?
No.
I’ll leave that rubbish to the marketing morons and their suckers. Never try that abstract woo-woo categorization crap on me, if you want to comprehend why I consistently consider Apple the best company on the planet.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow!