If I said I'm sorry I would be lying. Hell, I can't stop laughing at them. I'm usually not a fan of Schadenfreude but this is damn deserved. This is like a Darvinism on work here.
Wave Hoax Tricks Gullible iPhone Users Into Microwaving Their Phones
- Thread starter Steven Bogos
- Start date
If the spread of troll-culture results in pranks with this, what's the issue?Absolutionis said:
Strawman argument. Doctors are specialized people, and as such have credibility that is ascribed to them by their career choice and education alone, which makes us trust them even if we don't understand what they're doing or why. This is an inherent attribute of a specialized society, where we as individuals can't handle everything ourselves, and needs specialized people (plumbers, carpenters, smiths, lawyers, cooks etc.) to do the things we can't do ourselves. Therefore we trust them implicitly.Aeshi said:
The internet, however, has no inherent credibility attached to it. Everything you read, see or hear there might as well be a hoax as it might be true. Some people figure that out before they even touch the internet the first time, and if in doubt, they do some more thorough research (hence 'Google knows'). Some people, like these, learn it the hard way.
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Personally, i tend to look at stuff like this as, on one hand, a cruel joke (because it is cruel, no matter how you look at it), but on the other hand, i also consider it an interesting social experiment, and certainly also an educational experience for the victims. And while the Android fan in me screams 'Haha those stupid Apple users', I'm fortunately intelligent enough to know that you could probably repeat the experiment with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and get the same results with the stupid Android users.
I?m a pretty naïve and stupid person and yet even I realize that microwaving your phone is a bad idea, I know that I phone rechargers are absolutely terrible but you can?t be this desperate.
The amount of cruelty being displayed in this thread I find pretty amazing.
And the worst part is not, for me, the lack of sympathy for the poor chaps who fell for it, but the fact that it comes from people who are actively demonstrating they are just as ignorant as the victims.
I'm not going to sum it all up but someone implied that *obviously* microwaves interact badly with, among other things plastic. Which is laughable. Much of the current wireless energy technologies, which are actually a thing, are based on microwaves. How many of the people laughing their ass off here knew beforehand what a rectenna is ? I didn't. Do they even know now ? Why couldn't the latest iPhone have one ? I just learned you can find those in RFID chips.
Does it sound "impossible" to you that Apple releases a hardware upgrade on their latest phones that allows wireless recharging, and use a later software update to enable it, just for the awesome advertising potential ? We're talking about the people who came up with the Siri ads here. "Implausible" ? Certainly. Should the victims have exercised more caution before trusting a random 4-chan spawned JPEG ? Absolutely. But when smartphones behave to mostly everyone like magic boxes that can be supplemented with "apps" (instead of computers with tightly-packed, specific hardware and a locked-up OS), when almost no one can tell how microwave ovens actually work... (I'll bet this is the case for most people here, the reason metal can interact very poorly with microwave ovens is pretty nontrivial.) ...yeah, not surprised.
Just because many of us here on the Escapist are tech-savvy enough to know that this doesn't hold up doesn't mean everyone else is (especially those lacking a physics background). And I'd like to add that if the tech companies out there (Apple first) didn't try their best to advertise their products as magic boxes that "just work", without letting anyone in on the hows and whys, we may not be having this kind of problems in the first place...
And the worst part is not, for me, the lack of sympathy for the poor chaps who fell for it, but the fact that it comes from people who are actively demonstrating they are just as ignorant as the victims.
I'm not going to sum it all up but someone implied that *obviously* microwaves interact badly with, among other things plastic. Which is laughable. Much of the current wireless energy technologies, which are actually a thing, are based on microwaves. How many of the people laughing their ass off here knew beforehand what a rectenna is ? I didn't. Do they even know now ? Why couldn't the latest iPhone have one ? I just learned you can find those in RFID chips.
Does it sound "impossible" to you that Apple releases a hardware upgrade on their latest phones that allows wireless recharging, and use a later software update to enable it, just for the awesome advertising potential ? We're talking about the people who came up with the Siri ads here. "Implausible" ? Certainly. Should the victims have exercised more caution before trusting a random 4-chan spawned JPEG ? Absolutely. But when smartphones behave to mostly everyone like magic boxes that can be supplemented with "apps" (instead of computers with tightly-packed, specific hardware and a locked-up OS), when almost no one can tell how microwave ovens actually work... (I'll bet this is the case for most people here, the reason metal can interact very poorly with microwave ovens is pretty nontrivial.) ...yeah, not surprised.
Just because many of us here on the Escapist are tech-savvy enough to know that this doesn't hold up doesn't mean everyone else is (especially those lacking a physics background). And I'd like to add that if the tech companies out there (Apple first) didn't try their best to advertise their products as magic boxes that "just work", without letting anyone in on the hows and whys, we may not be having this kind of problems in the first place...
Ah ha ha ha ha...ha ha haa haa haa....Ok I'm done *wipes away tears*. I just cant believe that people were dumb enough to try this.
Secondly, unlike some hoaxes that affect the most vulnerable members of our society this one doesn't. Put it this way, if you bricked your brand new iPhone by microwaving it then you can probably afford to buy a new one.
Na I'm with Kieve on this one, this should be a learning experience for these people, don't believe everything you read, especially if it seems too good to be true...because it probably is.
You do seem to be getting disproportionately defensive about this whole thing though...did you microwave your iPhone?
Here's the thing Jimwa, these people who have nuked their phones only have them selves to blame. You can't say that they were forced to put their phone in the microwave, it was a choice they made to believe the false advert. You don't have to know about the physics of Microwave radiation to understand that electronics in a microwave is a bad bad idea. Look it even says never put a metallic object in the microwave on the bloody door of microwave AND in the instructions that came with it. So it's not like it's not common knowledge.Jumwa said:Once again, whatever makes you feel good about taking pleasure in other peoples misfortune. That's what clearly matters.Kieve said:Sorry, I can't fake sympathy for an idiot who'd put their electronic device in a microwave. Nor do I feel pangs of empathy for someone who sticks their tongue to a frozen lamp-post, puts their hand on a hot burner, or loses their life savings to a "Nigerian Prince."Jumwa said:
If stupidity weren't occasionally harmful or hazardous, people wouldn't learn from it. Hopefully these idiots will walk away from the experience a little wiser - and better off, sans iPhone.
Secondly, unlike some hoaxes that affect the most vulnerable members of our society this one doesn't. Put it this way, if you bricked your brand new iPhone by microwaving it then you can probably afford to buy a new one.
Na I'm with Kieve on this one, this should be a learning experience for these people, don't believe everything you read, especially if it seems too good to be true...because it probably is.
You do seem to be getting disproportionately defensive about this whole thing though...did you microwave your iPhone?
Personally, if I was crafting a self-destructive prank like this, I would have left plenty of clues that it was a hoax. That way, only the really stupid people fall for it, and it makes them look dumber for actually believing the blatant lies. I mean, look at the bottom of the ad; it says to microwave it longer if you have a stronger microwave. That should send up warning flags to anyone who is paying attention. I'm quite sure that 4Chan was more interested in getting stupid people to do something really stupid instead of trying to get any iPhone user to break their phone.Sigmund Av Volsung said:
I'm inclined to call FAKE! on this.
The "ad" is obvious.
But the people who microwaved their phones are the more subtle one.
What is more likely?
Someone dumb enough to microwave their phones.
Or
Someone claiming to have microwaved their phones for luls and troll value.
The photos?
How were they taken?
Someone probably had a new phone, put their old phone in the microwave, used the new phone to take a picture of the result.
After all, its just one additional step on the path Old Phone -> Trash Can.
And you get a nice humorous reaction.
That being said, the internet is a big place, there might exist some person dumb enough to do it.
The "ad" is obvious.
But the people who microwaved their phones are the more subtle one.
What is more likely?
Someone dumb enough to microwave their phones.
Or
Someone claiming to have microwaved their phones for luls and troll value.
The photos?
How were they taken?
Someone probably had a new phone, put their old phone in the microwave, used the new phone to take a picture of the result.
After all, its just one additional step on the path Old Phone -> Trash Can.
And you get a nice humorous reaction.
That being said, the internet is a big place, there might exist some person dumb enough to do it.
I swear this is something I'd have a Family Guy Death "holding my sides" moment of hysterical laughter at. I don't feel sorry for folks who fall for this and find it absolutely hilarious that people do. I'm mean sometimes but damn, I just think that frying iPhones in microwaves is funny, as I'm not the biggest Apple fan. Knowing that people are willing to believe anything is possible with Apple is just... wait... I'm not finished holding. my. sides. LOL
So "Loss" would've been a better word. Sue me
Dumb = Mentally inferior, that's the defintion of Dumb. That's not even bothering to re-mention the previously mentioned person who was saying "Sure people who use other brands probably fall for this, but iPhone users deserve it more."
Quite hilarious when you see others realize that "Information Age" doesn't quite equate to "Intelligence Age".
If this actually turns out to be true, then it's goddamned funny. If not, it's just funny.
If this actually turns out to be true, then it's goddamned funny. If not, it's just funny.
Hey, be happy their only convincing people on the internet to fuck up their phone and not cut their hair or their wrists or something, or try to convince the Third World that ebola is a white cultist conspiracy to wipe out the population of Africa.
Oh wait...
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/2014-ebola-outbreak#conspiracy_hoax
Oh wait...
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/2014-ebola-outbreak#conspiracy_hoax
Well, for one they had EVERY opportunity that the rest of us had to learn enough to realize this was stupidity to attempt, what's the excuse for that?Jumwa said:
Another thing is, have you ever tried to reason with some of these people? There IS no getting through to them in any other sort of way except to wait for them to display their obvious stupidity and then point THAT out. It may make them mad, or cry, but I bet you they have finally learned something...
I had a manager that went so far as to call me an idiot in front of all the staff because I insisted that gold was in fact classified as a metal. He said that since it didn't react to magnets (it does, actually, just not a strong attraction like with iron) so it couldn't be a metal. Well, I just heard he also fell for this hoax... No sympathy. I would have warned him about it, but I remembered the last time he thought he was right and decided to let him learn on his own...
Yes, I would argue that I am intellectually superior to him and his ilk.
"How do I reech these keeds?" -E.Cartman
Here is a list of things you should microwave:
1. Food
2. Liquids (in a proper mug)
That's it. Microwave nothing else.
1. Food
2. Liquids (in a proper mug)
That's it. Microwave nothing else.
Nah. Don't wanna contribute to the "sue-happy" culture that's become so prevalent here in the States.Aeshi said:
Joking aside, I would have sympathy for these people, if say, they had suffered real damages as a result of the actions of others. But in this instance, it's the equivalent of those dumb-asses who do the fire challenge.
They're doing an incredibly dumb and obviously dangerous thing of their own accord. They aren't being coerced. They aren't be forced. They have no one to blame but their own gullibility.
Now, had they been forced into doing something that might've actually injured them, I might muster some sympathy for their plight. I would certainly demand action be taken against those that had perpetuated the hoax. But since this particular hoax has lead to nothing more than the destruction of what are the very definition of luxury items....I can't really find it in my heart to feel sorry for them.
Especially when these same people are proud to display their idiocy for all to see on Twitter and other social-media sites.
It's unfortunate that they lost their shiny-new, expensive phones. But that doesn't mean I have to feel sorry for them.
But that doesn't equate to one thinking another is inherently inferior. Smart people can do dumb things. Saying someone was 'dumb' about one thing doesn't mean they're dumb about everything else.
I'm not sure who said that, but it's not a sentiment I share. I don't care what brand a person has latched onto. My only concern is whether or not they're dumb enough to actually believe they can charge their phone in the microwave.
I'd have the same lack of empathy for these people if they'd done something similar with their <insert non-Apple brand> phones.
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Honestly, I get it. And to be honest I'm usually one of the first to be disgusted by a bit of schadenfreude. However, even in this case, I'm not really deriving pleasure from this story. It's more that, as I said above, I just literally can not muster any sympathy for them.
Aeshi said:
lets see, rich enough to afford an Iphone, and clearly some other device to take a picture, check.Jumwa said:
they do something so mind-numbingly stupid with said Iphone you actually have to read it again just to be sure thats what actually happened, check.
They actually copping to doing said stupid things while providing pictorial evidence of that stupidity, check.
Eeyup, we are in fact cleared for schadenfreude, I repeat, We Are Cleared For Schadenfreude.
Seriously, no one was hurt, and at worst they're out one stupidly over priced piece of shit of a phone, and a microwave, and lets be honest here.
The lost microwaves are the real tragedy here.
So yeah, stop being those guys [https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=bMOzvxQHywM#t=30], no one likes those guys, and this is really one of those instances where the 'stop victim shaming' argument just makes you look bad, not the guys laughing at the morons who lacked the common sense to NOT spot an obvious load of bullshit when they saw it.
*resumes laughing at the morons who microwaved they're phones*