Computer zealotry
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The label "computer zealot" pejoratively refers to a person who strongly advocates a specific operating system, programming language, program or hardware for every application, appropriate or not.
Some of the most common types of computer zealots include :
- Amiga zealot, someone who advocates Amiga software and hardware.
- Apple- or Mac zealot, someone who advocates Apple hardware and software, such as Mac OS X, iPod, G5 and XServe. See also Apple evangelist.
- Browser zealot, a zealot of a specific web browser. A term used in browser wars.
- BSD zealot, someone who advocates BSD.
- Java zealot, someone who advocates the Java programming language.
- Linux zealot, someone who advocates Linux.
- Microsoft or Windows zealot, someone who advocates Microsoft, especially Microsoft Windows.
- Text editor zealot, a zealot of a specific text editor. A term used in editor wars.
Since the word zealot is extreme, the label zealot is useally leveled only at the most extreme advocates, or used satirically, though some critcs of particuler computer advocacy may lable all such advocates as zealots regardless of how they advocate.
Anti zealotry
Due to the phenomena of zealotry, so called anti-zealots have appeared. These can include parodying the zealots points in favor of the zealots pet hate, for example "PC zealots" when against Apple zealots. Trolling with "facts" about the platform, when done professionally, is known as "FUD". Highly publicizing when something is wrong with the platform, a common occurrence when a security vulnerability is found in a "secure" platform. The worst form of all is parodying the Zealots themselves, by deliberately over advocating the platform and spreading misleading facts.
Examples of places where anti-zealots are common include MacSlash, comp.os.linux.advocacy on USENET, Slashdot BSD, and OS news