That 1859 article-writer is lucky he lived before computers were invented.

His head would have exploded in moral outrage, from all the people engaged in non-productive amusements, to the general detriment of society.

Those who attempt to make other people ashamed of having fun are just the worst. I catch myself being judgmental and snarky sometimes, but in keeping with the nerd code, I have never intentionally tried to make someone else feel bad about themselves for liking something I don't like. My personal niche obsession might be infinitely superior to yours in all possible ways (in my opinion), but that doesn't make you a bad person. It just means you're from a different nerd tribe.