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Jon Stewart assails Apple for becoming "Big Brother"

networkworld.com

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Re: Jon Stewart assails Apple for becoming "Big Brother"

#11

Post by ahk »

sgman wrote: post #4
ahk wrote: post #3

What a turnaround! Just a few days ago everyone was highly sympathetic towards Apple losing one of their most valued secrets (not really all that much though) and boycotting Gizmodo and everything. Now with even Jon Stewart mocking them, calling them Big Brother and asking them to look in the mirror, this has turned into a major PR disaster for Apple. IMO, if they don't respond quickly and positively, this could turn…

Judging from their past actions, I don't think they really care about the PR effect of this.

Maybe so, but I think it's different this time.

Would you be able to walk into a Apple store again and buy something there knowing that this was a company that ordered the goons to break down the doors of some guy's house? Face all those cheery Apple employees and Geniuses and not silently think if they supported the actions of their company?

Re: Jon Stewart assails Apple for becoming "Big Brother"

#14

Post by Scriptor »

ahk wrote: post #3

What a turnaround! Just a few days ago everyone was highly sympathetic towards Apple losing one of their most valued secrets (not really all that much though) and boycotting Gizmodo and everything. Now with even Jon Stewart mocking them, calling them Big Brother and asking them to look in the mirror, this has turned into a major PR disaster for Apple. IMO, if they don't respond quickly and positively, this could turn…

> Just a few days ago everyone was highly sympathetic towards Apple

And just a few days before that everyone was angry about 3.3.1. :)

This video still seemed pretty benign. However, I wonder if this is that start of shift in how people view Apple. They've had other criticisms, for sure, but this is one of the first times they're publicly called out as being oppressive.

Re: Jon Stewart assails Apple for becoming "Big Brother"

#17

Post by gizmo »

Hmm, I think Jon took a few too many creative liberties here for the sake of entertainment.

1. According to Gizmodo the door was broken in because the journalist wasn't at home. He was having dinner in a restaurant, arrived later when the search was already in progress. The authorities acted respectfully with his belongings, etc. There is a huge difference between ringing the bell a few times and breaking the door when nobody answers and driving a truck through the front door at 60MPH, just because you can. Jon suggests the latter approach was taken.

2. He said that Apple claimed the prototype wasn't theirs, and that they didn't want it back. Comedy Central completely made this up! Apple definitely wanted the device back the moment it got lost.

3. Stop hammering on the "THEY BROKE THE DOOR!" bit. It's completely standard police practice, and it's not the Wrath Of Jobs.

That said, it goes without saying that Apple isn't the little guy anymore, and calling out Apple for its Big Brother tendencies is completely fair.

Re: Jon Stewart assails Apple for becoming "Big Brother"

#19

Post by [deleted] »

noilly wrote: post #7
jimmyjim wrote: post #5

Video seems to have been removed. Here's at least one direct link: http://www.cultofmac.com/jon-stewart-rips-apple-for-iphonega...

straight from horse's mouth http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-28-2010/appholes starts in earnest around ~2:00; probably region locked

[deleted]

Re: Jon Stewart assails Apple for becoming "Big Brother"

#20

Post by jrockway »

Microsoft was supposed to be the evil one. But you guys are busting down doors in Palo Alto while Commandant Gates is ridding the world of mosquitoes! What the fuck is going on?! It's all mixed up!

At least Apple doesn't charge you $80 to change your desktop background on a netbook. But otherwise, I agree.

Apple is hurting the field -- locking down hardware, mandating woefully outdated legacy programming languages, and specifically crippling their hardware and software. Microsoft, on the other hand, is not nearly so bad. At least they are trying to push F# on the world, which I see as a good thing.

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