[mtotheb]

An important variable, the titles of the posts set the stage. That post's title was "Windows 10 _spies_ on your use of System Settings" whereas this one is "My Mac _contacted_ 63 different Apple owned domains in an hour, while not is use." It would be interesting to, in a month or so when everyone has forgotten this conversation, repost this with a more critical title and see if that reshapes the comments or influences their tone.

[ryandrake]

Apple gets a lot of benefit of doubt here and in the tech press, some of it having been earned. When other vendors' OSs phone home dozens of time, it's nefarious. When Apple phones home dozens of times, it's for innocent "core functionality" or other reasons that sound acceptable.