In the past two weeks, THREAT LEVEL reporters have managed to draw the wrath of two different cultural tribes renown for their resolve and certitude: Apple fanatics, and Ron Paul enthusiasts.

Apple fans pummeled Kim for her story on the iPhone’s controversial security model, while Ron Paul boosters went after Sarah for her piece on a recent spurt of deceptive spam promoting the Republican presidential candidate. Some representatives from each group got vicious, resorting to personal smears, sometimes laced with misogyny.

In other words, just another day at the office; smears and ad hominem attacks are an occupational hazard of journalism. But having two backlashes at about the same time provides us a rare opportunity to compare the religious fervor of two net-savvy cults of true believers.

(It’s important to note that there are Apple fans and Ron Paul supporters who are reasoned and sane. They are ineligible for this competition. THREAT LEVEL will be rating only the behavior seen on the irresponsible edges of the groups.)

Let the judging begin.

Apple Fanatics

Ron Paul Enthusiasts

Provocation Kim Zetter writes an accurate article on what experts say is the poor security architecture of the iPhone’s operating system Sarah Lai Stirland writes an accurate article on a recent flurry of deceptive spam promoting Ron Paul’s candidacy Response Convinced that iPhone security is a-okay, blogger Daniel Eran Dilger falsely accuses

Kim of basing the entire article on a single source. (Three sources are named in the Wired story.) Someone creates a "Sarah Lai

Stirland" account on a decoy

Rudy Giuliani forum, and posts a message suggesting Sarah had been paid off by Giuliani fans to write a "fake" story

Sleaze Factor: 2.0

Sleaze Factor: 7.0 Quotes "I dare you to have Zetter rewrite the article after interviewing more than one source. Perhaps this would result in an informed, balanced piece rather than a simple regurgitation of the message one individual fed her as a story." "The fake Ron Paul article we talked about on aim has been published. Hopefully, it will help accomplish your goals… Please send my payment via PayPal."

Effort: 6.0 (2,300 word piece)



Effort: 3.0 (A few sentences)

Fallout MacDailyNews re-reports

Dilger’s claim as fact, then declines to correct the false story.

Apple fans on the site’s message board pummel Kim with misogynist remarks A Paulite makes a two-and-a-half minute video based on the fake posting. The video is widely promoted on message boards and blogs, and logs 16,000 hits on YouTube in less than a week.

Reach: 4.0 (Google News)



Reach: 8.0 (Blogs. Reddit, but no Digg)

Wisdom of the Crowds "Women should stay out of tech, period, and be given an abacus to play with. — MacDailyNews reader who’s never tried to use an abacus "So Wired has been exposed as lying about non-existent Ron Paul-supporting spammers. Even if they weren’t lying … (Paul’s fundraising) is what drives lying little statist creeps like Wired editorialists to spew their online lies." — Lew

Rockwell.com

Zeal: 2.0 (Some dissent. No hate mail)



Zeal: 9.0 (Little dissent. Lots of hate mail)

Final Tally



Total: 14.0





Total: 27.0



The bottom line: though the sexism voiced by some in the Apple camp deserves honorable mention, Ron Paulites win by a landslide. We’re certain the Apple-heads will try harder next time. At least make a video or something.