Editor's note: You think gaming fanboys are bad? Try covering pro sports -- NASCAR fans are absolutely out of their minds when it comes to the reasons why they love their drivers and hate the rest. Mike's got little patience for this sort of blind loyalty -- and the coarse conversation that comes along with it. Is he a hater, or just someone who wants rational discourse? -Jason

Bitmob is a wonderful place. For the most part, we contributors can give our honest opinions and expect to have a respectful dialogue without ridiculous name-calling and insults to our intelligence. This is the reason that this is the only site I've ever had the desire to share my thoughts on.

While I was thinking about this, I realized that fanboys/girls are the exact reason why I would never dream of posting elsewhere.

Fanboys aren't exclusive to the realms of videogames. Sports teams, celebrities, and musicians all have their fanatical followings. When I was a kid, girls were insane over the Backstreet Boys or Leonardo DiCaprio, and I verbally sparred with them. It was in good fun, and I tolerated their obsession. Today, however, my patience with fanboys is extremely low.

He is rather dreamy, I suppose....

Gamers in particular have a lot of emotional investment in their games and the makers of their hardware. Scrolling boards at other game-info outlets shows that hundreds of people are content with slamming fellow gamers for their opinions. I have a Nintendo Wii and a PS3, but I can't remember ever slamming Microsoft or their products simply because I don't own them. I wouldn't even mind a discussion about the pros and cons of their respective systems, but it's not an easy thing to do.

The language people use in their fanboyish rants is also unsettling. I'm still unsure whether it's the anonymity of the Internet or the immaturity of somebody who doesn't have much life experience, but you never hear real speakers end every word with "asshole" or a sexual slur. I'd never take them seriously if they did. Obviously, if you like the Yankees and I like the Red Sox, we're going to be competitors, and most people are going to get insulting and personal.

But I think gamers should be especially wary of the image they send out. We all know that gamers come from all walks of life, have different body types, genders, financial situations, or social status. The popular perception of gamers, however, is still the dark basement with a large man eating Cheetos and playing the newest MMO. I think this gives us a responsibility to our hobby to project a better image. Sports, music, and movies are already established mainstream mediums in our country, and gaming does not have the wiggle room that these entertainments enjoy.

So gamers, am I just a hater, or do you agree that fanboys/fangirls are a detriment to the gaming community? Is it immaturity, or something else? As always, please post your thoughts and engage in some civilized discussion with me.