Main Entry: fan•boy
Pronunciation: \ˈfan-ˌbȯi
Function: noun
Date: 1919
: a boy who is an enthusiastic devotee
I have been on gun forums since the late 90’s. Over the years, I have watched the evolution of the “Fanboy” phenomena. There are two versions of the fanboy IMHO. One is much more aggressive/angry than the other type. Both types tend to be weak minded, between the ages of 20-30, easily influenced and have a near cult like devotion to the manufacturer. No matter if GOD himself stated something, they would follow what the manufacturer told them.
The first instance of this I encountered was with the ARMS Fanboys. They believed that ARMS was the best mounts available and when LaRue Tactical came along, the push back was massive. I bore the brunt of this, but eventually prevailed as I articulated the positives of the solid, hardened steel lever over a MIM one. I received hate mail from this ordeal like you cannot imagine. I even got to talk with Dick S. lawyers. That went well. 
The first type of “Fanboy” is what I call the “unpopular.” This person generally has a lack of self esteem and has the great desire to be popular and thought of as “cool.” They tend to want to dress, act and talk like the manufacturers front men. They will even go to the extreme of changing their hair style or grooming habits. They tend to meek and mild and not prone to aggression.
The example of these people would be the Magpul Fanboys that emulate what Drake, Costa and Travis wear, say and do. Magpul does its best to discourage their Fanboys and generally disapproves of their stupidity. They are the only manufacturer that does this (that I am aware of).
The second type of “Fanboy” is what I call the “Zealot.” These folks have higher levels of self esteem than the “unpopular” Fanboy. They generally desire to be part of a “club” and greatly desire for the manufacturer to notice them. They typically cannot “buy” their way into the manufacturers good graces so they have to do other things that grab their attention. These guys are the ones that get into all the debates on the errornet. They will defend their favorite manufacturers to the ends of the Earth and blindly follow whatever they say. The manufacturer could be a compulsive liar, information manipulator, and just all around AHOLE, but they never see it. The kool-aid drinking tends to be very strong with these types. They will search out any enemy of their favorite manufacturer and resort to any means necessary to downplay their opinion. They cannot be reasoned with and are generally a waste of your time so don’t bother engaging them as their cup is already full with what they do not know.
There are some manufacturers that not only support the above activity, but actually encourage it. My theory for this is that the owner of said company was never popular in school and now they have people that worship the ground they walk on. It is purely an ego trip for them and they enjoy it. What they fail to realize is that their Fanboys cause the more level headed consumers to pass on their products.
*Note: Being a fan of a manufacturer, instructor, etc is 100% fine. Just know that there is a line where it can become compulsive.
C4
