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Jon Stewart assails Apple for becoming "Big Brother"

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

#71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the law that is meant to protect sources IANAL. Nor do I know all about journalists' rights v. police procedures, but I am puzzled at all the press and online discussion about "protecting sources": Seems to me that journalists should be able to protect sources of * information * - which is different than protecting sources of * stolen property† * ___________________ †or "stolen-ish" - whatever Calif calls found pro…

The problem is, by serving a warrant and confiscating all his computers and related devices, they've bypassed his ability to protect sources not just in this case, but in all other cases, as well. That's the rationale for making the legal path subpoenas rather than search warrants with journalists.

[Chief Deputy District Attorney] Wagstaffe said Chen’s computers, hard drives and servers would remain untouched until investigators determine whether Chen is indeed protected by the shield law. -- http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/04/26/da...

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

#72
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Take it up with the police, not Apple.

Apple sits on the steering committee of the police unit that entered Chen's house. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1795

Accusation is hard, lets go insinuating! Hey look, the author of that article used to work for Gawker!

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

#73
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.

Some of us (programmers) are still upset over 3.3.1. We don't have the platform that the Daily Show has, but Apple will never receive another dollar from me. My brand new Studio XPS 16 is wonderful (the 1080p RGB LED screen is slick) and I'm glad I bought it instead of a MacBook Pro. Apple is free to screw over developers, and developers are free to vote with our wallets.

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

#74
post #23
post #18

This is great. Apple isn't the company I fell in love with. Can anyone say that this still represents the Apple we know today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USn5t5nQWU8

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Sounds like the Apple I know and love allright :)

Yeah, also fits Wal Mart, Microsoft, McDonalds, Goldman Sachs...

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

#75
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

Some of us (programmers) are still upset over 3.3.1. We don't have the platform that the Daily Show has, but Apple will never receive another dollar from me. My brand new Studio XPS 16 is wonderful (the 1080p RGB LED screen is slick) and I'm glad I bought it instead of a MacBook Pro. Apple is free to screw over developers, and developers are free to vote with our wallets.

I'm more upset over the HTC lawsuit (though aspects of 3.3.1 and the Gizmodo thing aren't helping). Apple is dishing chilling effects all over the place.

Right now I've switched software, not sure when I'll be getting new hardware, but it most certainly won't be an Apple product -- for the first time since 2003.

I realize they don't care about people like me and our perception of them, but that's not the point for me.

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

#76
post #64
post #17

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 wh…

But guy had already returned the phone - so for what purpose was the search in any case - and why not just call him in - it's not like he posted his own face on his own blog or anything? Apple could be perceived as going too far to protect an average design here.

Well that's sort of the part that John (and many other journalists, comedic or not) glossed over: the whole theft of property thing. It's not about recovering the phone, because this isn't Apple's civil suit. This is a criminal investigation. And while Apple may have been instrumental to getting it started so promptly, it's really out of their hands at this point.

I think that many journalists are sort of waltzing around the edge of this story because at least a few of them understand that there could be some serious repercussions on how shield laws are interpreted in America.

It's a very complex issue that doesn't really lend itself well to a comedy treatment. You have a very shady scenario with an Apple engineer that Gizmodo claims must have “left the phone there” (but is that true? probably we'll never know). You have a shady scenario with the finder who somehow knew or was simply a shitty enough person not to return a lost phone to the bar (that's what I'd do, and what I hope any decent human would do). You've got the embarrassing situation of Denton's gleeful love of checkbook journalism. And now you've got potential criminal activity. It's a total shit show of Silicon Valley fail, no matter what angle you look at it from.

Daily Show just chose the funniest angle to view it from, but definitely not the most accurate or comprehensive. That's fine; outside of political satire they really don't have any assumed duty or responsibility to their viewership.

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

#77
This actually saddens me on Jon Stewart's part. I'm a huge fan of his with his ability to report the more truthful side of politics. This lessens his credibility to me since his facts are misrepresented or missing. He completely ignores the "finder's" role in this and his not-so-secret desire to make money on his discovery, and fails to address the moral obligation on Jason Chen's part as a professional journalist, all for the purposes of making Apple look like the only bad guy here. Ergo, all for the purposes of making a "funnier" bit for the purposes of entertainment.

Additionally, his jab at Gray Powell joking that he was using the iphone to pick up chicks takes the cake. Completely false and misleading! I think Jon Stewart needs to take a look in the mirror on this one.

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

#79

In classic Jon Stewart fashion, he reemed Apple...major points for "minority report" and telling them to knock down AT&T's door...that's what they SHOULD be doing!

"Reamed"?

Are you correcting the spelling or asking for a definition? Urban Dictionary has definitions for both spellings.
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