Derrick
ლ(ಠ_ಠ )ლ
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2010
- Messages
- 5,085
- Reaction score
- 5
So I have been writing for MyBroadband for about two months now and I have already learned more about the industry than my entire Bachelors degree in Media Studies taught me in three years.
Right now, I am struggling a little bit to come to terms with the old adage “there is no news like bad news”. I clearly remember a hot March afternoon in 2005, sitting in a lecture hall on Wits’ East campus vaguely listening to Dr Tawane Kupe waffle on about how bad news sells.
Apparently studies have shown that many consumers show a diametrically oppositional reaction to good news.
I remember naively thinking back then how ridiculous that claim was, and that surely there was something wrong with the testing procedure. Maybe they had inadvertently stumbled into a batch of particularly jaded consumers?
Well I am here today ladies and gentlemen, to tell you, that if the last two months have taught me anything, it’s that people LOVE bad news. They seem to revel in anything oppositional, anything where they get to throw their toys and rant about how they are getting screwed.
Recently I published an article describing how we in SA actually pay 13% less for an Xbox 360 than in the USA. Please be sure to check out the accompanying forum discussion. The outrage this created, not to mention the outrage generated by the follow up article was quite something.
It would actually seem that despite popular opinion, Core Group is not actually screwing consumers. Try telling that to a group of bored, antagonistic forumites.
It’s gotten to the point where I get excited about publishing bad news, because at least then everybody is on the same side.Try telling them something good on the other hand, and you have a virtual riot on your hands!
Ok so before I wrap up, I must mention that it is not always the case, and nor is it all of the forumites. There is often a reasonable bunch of fairly grounded individuals amongst the dying-to-be-liberated (from what, I don’t know) rabble.
I understand that MyBroadband is grounded in a heritage of revolutionesque discourse, but come on people.
It is important to address real issues in the consumer space when we truly are being “screwed”, and if it weren’t for the “pitbull” mentality on this site then the internet situation in SA would likely be worse off than it is.
That doesn’t mean to say that there is a fight behind every corner. Try and see facts for what they are. If we run around with an anti-every-company-making-profit attitude, then, well, we just look silly.
Right now, I am struggling a little bit to come to terms with the old adage “there is no news like bad news”. I clearly remember a hot March afternoon in 2005, sitting in a lecture hall on Wits’ East campus vaguely listening to Dr Tawane Kupe waffle on about how bad news sells.
Apparently studies have shown that many consumers show a diametrically oppositional reaction to good news.
I remember naively thinking back then how ridiculous that claim was, and that surely there was something wrong with the testing procedure. Maybe they had inadvertently stumbled into a batch of particularly jaded consumers?
Well I am here today ladies and gentlemen, to tell you, that if the last two months have taught me anything, it’s that people LOVE bad news. They seem to revel in anything oppositional, anything where they get to throw their toys and rant about how they are getting screwed.
Recently I published an article describing how we in SA actually pay 13% less for an Xbox 360 than in the USA. Please be sure to check out the accompanying forum discussion. The outrage this created, not to mention the outrage generated by the follow up article was quite something.
It would actually seem that despite popular opinion, Core Group is not actually screwing consumers. Try telling that to a group of bored, antagonistic forumites.
It’s gotten to the point where I get excited about publishing bad news, because at least then everybody is on the same side.Try telling them something good on the other hand, and you have a virtual riot on your hands!
Ok so before I wrap up, I must mention that it is not always the case, and nor is it all of the forumites. There is often a reasonable bunch of fairly grounded individuals amongst the dying-to-be-liberated (from what, I don’t know) rabble.
I understand that MyBroadband is grounded in a heritage of revolutionesque discourse, but come on people.
It is important to address real issues in the consumer space when we truly are being “screwed”, and if it weren’t for the “pitbull” mentality on this site then the internet situation in SA would likely be worse off than it is.
That doesn’t mean to say that there is a fight behind every corner. Try and see facts for what they are. If we run around with an anti-every-company-making-profit attitude, then, well, we just look silly.