Ask HN: Why do audience members cheer wildly in technology keynotes?

Given my experience with academic conferences, I find this behavior in technology keynotes to be downright bizarre.

Obviously people don't behave in this way in academia. What's different here?

Are audience members told to behave in this way? Is it peer pressure?

And why do they get all excited over the most trivial of things?

Could it be that the more they cheer as a group, the more money they will make (e.g., by getting more people to buy/use the products/services mentioned in the keynote and later their software that is associated with those products/services)?

I've wondered the same thing! During Google's IO conference, the speakers expected and encouraged applause. Apple conferences are an even stronger example.

It feels phoney, but perhaps it isn't. I don't think the thought process is complex enough to involve considerations of financial benefit from cheering.

My theory is that there is a critical mass of "fans" of the company (Google, Apple, etc), and they are very enthusiastic about new features/products while the rest of the crowd claps out of reflex/habit.

On earth, humans cheer wildly when they see things they like. This could be anything from a man throwing a ball into a net, to a useful new operating system feature. It's considered a way to express approval, especially when gathered in a crowd, where shouting words would be less effective.

See also: booing.

Because they're expecting to get a goodie bag at the end of the presentation and are expressing their desire for it to contain a lot of expensive new stuff.

Damn, these comments make us sound like a bunch of robots :)