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From 1992 until 1996, I used Adobe Illustrator exclusively. I used at my job, so this was not low-end hobby use. It was full-time, high end output. Daily. In late 1996, my boss took it upon himself to hire a graphic artist who I would train, but I wasn’t consulted on who was hired. The new guy showed up to work on his first day with a copy of CorelDraw 6 under his arm and a goofy grin on his face. I told him I had used version 5 and really felt it was far behind Illustrator 6 that was currently on the market. To be fair, I let him install it and show me what it could do.

A month later, we had Draw on all of our computers and I never used Illustrator full-time again. I had to admit that this goofy new guy had shown me a product that got the job done easier, better, and cheaper - in my opinion. And my opinion is all that mattered at this company.

Fast forward to May 2008.

I’m having dinner with an acquaintance I had just met through a mutual friend. This guy is also a professional graphic artist. The conversation started out focused on his training. He went to school to study graphic arts, so I already knew he was an Illustrator guy. He also mentioned he used a Mac. It was a great conversation.

And then he asked me about my graphic arts career.

I told him that I learned by doing, in my parents’ print shop while working my way through college (studying a far different career path). Then I told him I had used Illustrator early on, but decided to switch to CorelDraw, which I still used. His response?

“I didn’t know they still made that.”

I’ve heard similar reactions.

A few years ago I was doing some ads to go in the USA Today. Because they said PDF’s generated by Illustrator were the preferred format (at that time), I decided to design the ads directly in Illustrator (version 10). They were using an earlier version. I sent over a PDF, created in Illustrator. My rep called and said there was a translation error going backwards in version and to PDF at the same time. Apparently a drop shadow or similar effect didn’t turn out right. We went back and forth, and she gave me the exact settings to use, all to no avail. Finally, I decided to re-create the artwork in CorelDraw and publish it as a PDF using the PDF settings she gave me for Illustrator. I purposely didn’t tell her what I had done, only to try the new file. “Whatever you did worked that time!” she emailed.

In about 2001, I was calling around for print quotes. One pre-press person I spoke with heard “CorelDraw” and over-reacted like a 10-year-old when Sesame Street is on TV: “Oh no. You don’t use THAT do you?” She acted like my artwork would have cooties.

I responded firmly but politely, “Yes. I don’t bash your software so please don’t bash mine. I’ve been using it for years and have never had an issue with it.” I decided to use someone else.

So back to where my original story started… After a few years of using Draw with my colleague, I had been promoted and was running the advertising department. We were expanding, so I had to hire a couple new employees. This time I said Draw was a required experience. There was no shortage of applicants, many of whom were highly talented. I wondered if all those dogmatic Illustrator users realized just how many Draw users were out there.

I have no beef with Illustrator or its users.

I do have a problem with ignorant arrogance. If I meet someone who uses Freehand or another illustration program, instead of unknowingly bashing it, I ask them what they like about it and why they chose not to use the “industry standard.” It can be an enlightening conversation, and I’ve seen some brilliant artists that don’t use Draw or Illustrator. I’ve seen great effects in some of these lesser known apps that neither Draw nor Illustrator have.

There are many schooled graphic artists who subscribe to all of the dogma their Illustrator evangelists preached to them. I actually feel sorry for these people. Their ignorance borders on bigotry toward users of alternate applications. Draw users have seen and heard it all before - the snide comments, the rolling eyes, and the uneducated dismissals. This from people who have probably never even used the application.

There’s a reason CorelDraw exists today in its 14th version. It’s a great app, every bit as good as Illustrator (if not better), significantly less expensive (with far more extras included in the box), and arguably far easier to learn and use.

I’ve used Draw at my full time job for the past 12 years. I’ve done several 200+ page magazines, huge signs, small signs, nearly 200 pocket-sized pamphlets, web site graphics, postcards, newspaper advertisements, high end graphics, low end graphics, logos, T-shirts, you name it. CorelDraw has aptly handled every task I’ve thrown at it.

The computer world is filled with zealous users of products that don’t have the most sales. And they’ll all tell you that “most popular” doesn’t always mean “better.”

Just ask advocates of Macintosh, Zune, Firefox, WordPerfect, and Linux.

And CorelDraw.

I originally wrote this and posted it on my original Myspace account on March 20, 2007. And of course nothing has changed, so I re-posted it on my new account in May of 2008, and now I think it belongs here. So without further delay…

By not-so-popular demand. This is more out of necessity, after seeing endless moronic Myspace douche bags out there. So how do you know if you’re a Myspace douche bag? Well if you meet any of the criteria below, you seriously need help…

You might be a Myspace douche bag if…

You post a bio that requires scrolling the window to read it all. Are you SOO freaking important that we have to read everything you feel you must bestow upon us? Our lives are incomplete without knowing ALL of your thoughts, right?
Solution: Say it in a paragraph. If anyone is interested in more, they’ll ask.

You use “your” instead of “you’re.” Are you a damn idiot? That’s third grade shit and you still don’t know any better? I can almost excuse the teenagers who are at least still in school, but not the 40 year old douche! You’re yet another example of why humanity is dying a slow death. Don’t get pissed when other cultures laugh at us, because we (well, YOU) can’t even handle the basics of our own language.
Solution: If you don’t get it now, you never will. You’re an eternal douche bag. And an idiot.

All of your top friends are hotties of the opposite sex. You do realize that some people approve all friend requests, right? A guy with a bunch of hot chicks as his top friends really doesn’t impress anyone but you. It usually means you have no real friends to put there. When you buy a picture frame, do you keep the photo that comes with it, too? I’ve even heard stories of really feeble guys who create other profiles using some random hot woman’s picture, make the profile private, and then posts comments to his main page so it looks like he is really popular. Douchified!!
Solution: Get some actual friends in your top friends so people won’t think you’re a lame Myspace troll.

You list your religion as “Christian – other” and then post all these pics of you drinking, half naked, or with every other word in your bio being “fuck” or “shit.” You know you’re not really religious, so don’t be afraid to say so. Get a backbone, will ya? Looking to hook up with a nun or something?
Solution: Just leave it off and don’t try to fool us or yourself.

You’re a guy and you say you like walks on the beach. OK, even if you DO, that just sounds completely lame and you know you’re only saying it with the faint hope that some chick will fall for it.
Solution: Say what you really like so you don’t end up taking walks on the beach when you’d rather be at home playing video games or playing with yourself.

You change your profile picture every day (or several times a day in extreme douche cases.) Come on now! Are you that important? Do you think people notice? If they do, they’re probably thinking how utterly pathetic you are to keep doing that. It only shows that you have no life.
Solution: Bite the bullet and leave one pic up for a few weeks so it at least looks like you have a life.

You have a shirtless picture of yourself. Unless it’s you on the beach or at a pool, a pic of you flexing or shirtless in your bathroom or bedroom just oozes douche. If it’s a picture of you LIFTING your shirt to show your abs - that qualifies you as a 2X Douche!
No hint available here – you’re too far gone.

You list about 200 bands in your music section. Seriously. Do you honestly expect anyone to sit there and read that? Anyone who does sit there and read that is a bigger douche than you are. No one cares that much.
Solution: List a few from each style you like and we’ll get the idea.

You’re not a band, actor, DJ, or otherwise famous person, yet you have over 500 Myspace friends. Trust me – you’re the only one who is impressed here. Really - we’re not. You don’t have that many friends in real life, so don’t pretend you do. It just shows that you have nothing better to do with your day than to sit around and troll for people to accept your friend invitations.
Solution: Try having only real friends and maybe a couple of famous people you like. It might actually reveal the true, non-douched you.

OK so now go out there, edit your page, and empty the contents of your douche-ified self.

I’m done.