Two Tribes in Sydney

ByLaurel Papworth

I’ve been watching two tribes forming in the last week.TRIBE ONE: iPhone in Australia.First: Here they come – the hordes of Mac zombies. Listen to them, clamouring for their sustenance: “iiiiiiiiiiPhonnnnnnnnnnne…. iiiiiiiiiiPhooooooonnnnne”. Remember, if you meet one, aim for the head.(Nic Healey, Managing Editor, T3 Magazine) John Allsopp has written an indepth evaluation of iPhone…

I’ve been watching two tribes forming in the last week.
TRIBE ONE: iPhone in Australia.
First:

Here they come – the hordes of Mac zombies. Listen to them, clamouring for their sustenance: “iiiiiiiiiiPhonnnnnnnnnnne…. iiiiiiiiiiPhooooooonnnnne”. Remember, if you meet one, aim for the head.
(Nic Healey, Managing Editor, T3 Magazine)

John Allsopp has written an indepth evaluation of iPhone in Australia:

Original Article

There’s clearly a tonne of excitement in Australia (and elsewhere) about the imminent release of the iPhone. Personally, I think it is a beautiful device, and in particular it revolutionizes the user experience for the mobile web. In the US and elsewhere is has driven up the adoption of mobile web browsing enormously. And that is what has really excited me about the advent of the Phone.

And Mark Pesce’s piece is called iPhail (iFail I guess). ’nuff said.

Unless we want Stilgherrian to have the last word – a Twitter word no less:

stilgherrian: Hmmmm… If I go to the Sydney CBD now, will there be roaming hordes of angry iPhone-less people who queued too late? Better take a stick…

stilgherrian: Crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge, noting that world continues to function without an iPhone. How is this possible?

TRIBE TWO: World Youth Day.

I was just down Bondi Beach on a cold Monday evening and the place is full. Tribed up into groups of 30 to 100, wearing WYD appropriate clothing. Expecting 1/4 to 1/2 a million additional Christians in Sydney by the weekend.

iPhone one week, the Pope the next. If we survive this, we’ll survive anything.

There is nothing scarier than individuals who form social networks to reinforce their passion, once you have them motivated, on the move and heading your way.

If we mashup iphones and WYD what do we get?

The cruciPod from… (I forget)

*ducks*

I forgot to say: Tribe Three might be the T-shirt wearing, iPhone toting brigade? Nearly 1000 members in the Wearing a T-shirt is a not a crime, Morris Facebook group.

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13 Comments

  1. And both tribes genuflect before the altar of two entirely over-rated icons.

    the iPhone tribe is really best described as a bunch of iLosers. Imagine that, lining up for a stupid phone. How dumb? And it ain’t even the best phone there is.

    As for these Jesus Freaks, well, that’s exactly what they are. Freaks. The sooner they go home, the quicker we can get back to talking about fixing our transport system, the Murray Basin and everything else that truly matters.

  2. Gosh these anonymous commentators passing judgment on anyone different to them.

    I for one think it is great to get a little “social” back in the tribe. People talked to each other in lines on Friday, and I am guessing showering pilgrims in swimsuits will talk to each other tonight.

    There is no harm in either group that I can see, yet it draws the ire and anger of others….what would that be? Loneliness? Lack of Purpose? Rejection from the tribe…?

  3. Seriously, I don’t understand the green poster. Is it encouraging or discouraging intolerance?

  4. err… neither? Or – as there is very little intolerance of Christianity in Australia, it only sucks if you are a Muslim – it’s highlighting the intolerance of those who stop people from wearing satirical t-shirts.

    It’s an image from ages ago called CruciPod that I use from time to time to highlight that brand mashups mean the brand is no longer under the control of the ‘owners’.

    In this case, cos it’s a big week of Apple and Christianity and the hoohah over slogan t-shirts being worn in Sydney (you can get a $5000 fine, whereas being a Flasher only means a few hundred dollar fine) it was relevant. Blocking freedom of speech of one tribe to support another tribe will cause a forking in the community. In this case, the Facebook group and media coverage of the satirical T-shirt ban.

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