As a 3rd year university student struggling to get respondents for my research, it’s perhaps an amusing slap in the face, taken on a stiff chin, to get banned from a forum for asking permission to post a questionnaire. Yet this has been my lot from 2 forums.
So what is it about? With all the ‘I’m a PC’ and ‘I’m a Mac’ adverts either gratuitously slandering each other or equally gratuitously advocating their ‘pivotal’ role in influencing Microsoft’s decisions, I set out to find out what it meant to be a Mac or a PC. My research is focussing on what motivates Apple and non Apple users to buy what they do, specifically when it comes to electronics. The aim is to understand whether there is such a thing as a Mac or a PC person. Is there a correlation in consumer behaviour, suggesting a possible culturally/sub-culturally united mindset?
Having spent a small fortune on facebook ads – (499 clicks, but barely 5 respondents) I decided to look for other ways of advertising my research. What a better place to find devoted consumers than forums built around these products, sites which see users spending vast amounts of their time either moving the earth to help each other to blast the latest technical issue with their device or insult everything about another user – down to the very keys they type on.
After carefully wording my posts requesting permission to publish my questionnaire, on a variety of forums dedicated to different platforms, and explaining the reasons for my research, the results came through.
PC and non Apple smartphone forums
After posting the requests on 2 sites, XDA developers and Tech PC Forums, I quickly realised a ban was in place on both my accounts, despite having only asked for permission to post my questionnaire!
Apple forums
A mixed response. A Macworld admin gave me a highly positive welcome. No welcome from MacRumours admins, however, a lot of interest from users. After explaining my uncertainty about posting the questionnaire, I was prompted to ‘private message’ users who’d given permission. However, a rather cold reception followed after explaining my lack of knowledge regarding ‘private messaging’.
Android forum
Perhaps not a fair reflection since I only attempted to use one forum Android Forums, however, despite the very warm receptions from forum admins, a rather frosty uncertainty was soon received from users, accusing me of spamming them, asking me to reveal my identity… which I promptly did.
Does this reveal an interesting insight into the painfully paranoid nature of PC users with years of experience of viruses, spam and bugs? Has this framed a whole community mindset? Does it also suggest that Android and Mac users, striving to broaden their community and find friendlier alternatives, are .. well friendlier people?
Oh well, too many questions. And with that in mind, please answer my questionnaire! It’s 2 pages but only 5 minutes at most. As a thank you for kindly helping me to complete a quarter of my degree, I’m offering you the chance to win £50 vouchers to a retailer of your choice.