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Apple Blacklists "Rumor Promoting" Publications
Billy_D_Goat writes "Talk about control, Apple has now decided it can block users from recieving media passes at MacWorld Expo It blacklists these users by deciding if they run "rumor promoting" publications. This includs the webmasters of sites which have little to do with rumors or speculation such as Graphicpower.com/." Probably
just bitter cuz Steve's thunder seems to get stolen at every show, and
their lawyers can't seem to stop it ;)
but inside information.
Remember, revoking the ability to have news coverage of the actual event could dissuade otherwise respectable news organizations from attempting to scoop each other by accidentally acquiring and disseminating ILLEGAL information for someone else's leverage in financial markets.
If the famous Microsoft deal had been leaked back when Jobs took over, there would have been financial mayhem if someone acquired the inside info. If I remember right, the stock doubled the day of the announcement.
Apple legal probably came to the (justified) conclusion that not dissuading the rumor sites was a de facto invitation (i.e. liability) for their own employees to pimp their insider status.
Game: Player 'Donald J Trump' now has AI skill level 'experimental'.
Yes, Jobs is a control freak, and this is a classic example of Jobsian stupidity. But, now that we all know the rules of the game, anybody who cares can simply register under a different name. If they cross-check addresses, a friends address or a cheap PO Box will get around it. Dumb, yeah. But it's not like Steve isn't above shooting himself in the foot on occasion. He rather seems to enjoy it based on past history.
ehintz
Yes, it can. At the last MWSF, rumors were flying of huge product revamps. New iMac, G5, some sort of PDA-like device, all of it. When the "only" thing introed was the new flat-panel iMac, lots of people bitched and whined like it was Apple that promised them all that stuff, and only gave them one thing. Caused a lot of people to overlook how great the new iMac was. Of course, the more reasonable people were impressed, but still. ;)
SIGFEH
I'd expect this kind of treatment from Microsoft but never Apple. As far as I'm concerned screw OS X ... I'm moving back to Linux.
I like rumor sites a lot. I read a number of the Mac rumor sites religiously because I'm constanly curious to find out what's next and when. But I support Apple in doing whatever it needs to to cut back on the flow of future info. Why?
Back when I was a mere bouncing boy I had this wonderful portable computer called an Osborne 1. 1mhz cpu. Two floppy drives, a 300 baud modem and a CRT all running CP/M (DOS without subdirectories for you youngins). All this in a portable case the size of a suitcase. I loved the thing and did much productive playing of infocom games on it. (I had DBase 2, but could never figure out why I'd want such a thing).
Then came tell of a NEW Osborne coming out in, like, six months or so. And this one would run PC-DOS!!! Almost instantly Osborne went out of business. Their cashflow dies as people canceled their orders for "old" computers and planned on waiting for the new one. And along came this _other_ company selling their 'compaq' briefcase computers. I imagine Adam Osborne was pissed.
The moral of this story? Rumors can kill companies, and while Apple isn't small enoght for that to happen easily, I know for a fact that I've told people to "wait a month" to buy a mac based on rumor reporing of a new Powerbook coming real soon now. So, go Apple. Feel free to limit the rumor folks. And rumor guys, please keep working. I'd just die without my inside scoop.
* Windoze/M$: Facist, neoconservative bastards (war mongering, we'll do the thinking for you, etc.)
* Mac/Apple: Total Communists (censoring, controlling, we'll do the thinking for you - but it's in your best interest! at least we're not facists!)
* Linux: Libertarians (freedom of choice, of speech, etc. Resistance to tyranny!)
The issue isn't quite as clear-cut as the people at graphicpower.com or thinksecret.com might suggest. True, it's not entirely fair to deny access simply on the basis of what MIGHT happen, but Apple knows that these sites have definitely been apt to post very real (and hence very secret) information before a MW expo. Last year we saw a genuine (if somewhat muddy) photo of the Quicksilver PowerMac case, and of course there have been multiple other instances of information being exposed days in advance. Denying press-level passes may prevent the rumour sites from getting information at the show that would be under NDA for the press (but would likely be leaked at some point by a rumour site).
I've heard though that a press pass isn't always ideal. Supposedly, Apple employees fasten their lips about some things when they see a press badge, but will sometimes give important info off-the-record to someone who only has a badge to visit the exhibits. I'm sure Apple wouldn't like that either... but it's easier to deny (or ignore) a few names and clock speeds than a photo!
Who knows, this may even be a very sneaky (if not entirely smooth) PR stunt. Remember how MW San Francisco had that "way beyond the rumour sites" hype leading up to it? Denying press passes may be a way for Apple to suggest that there's something particularly juicy being shown at the expo, whether at the keynote or behind closed doors.
One thing I do know: graphicpower.com acted very immaturely with their response. Beyond the colourful language and shutting down the site, the vow to 'use the existing computers forever' is a joke. You can be sure that the person or people from the site will probably either scream for mercy at the prospect of buying a Windows (or even Linux) system, or will be getting another Mac within two years.
MacFixIt deserves what they get for selling out and charging. Hopefully, a better site will arise and take their place.
True, it doesn't ban them from the show. In fact on one of the sites they mentioned that many of the reporters will get a normal pass rather than a press pass purely so that people on the Apple stands will be allowed to talk to them without a member of the apple marketing machine present.
What is the issue here is the princible of the thing (a sadly overused phrase here). Why should sites which are legitimately reporting on Mac events not get in free to do their reporting and others do simply because they happened not to report something that apple didn't like? Keeping in mind here that many of the 'rumours' reported are gained through legitimate investagative reporting rather than leaks from apple.
Apple, at least during Jobs periods, has always had a control-freak culture. Comes from having a CEO who's a screamer.
What gets me is that a site like Graphicpower, which seems to publish 1-2 articles a month (more on a lucky month I guess) can get upset about not getting a press pass. Hell, there are thousands of sites out there with more Mac info than GP... and that are less draped in advertisements. If a site like GraphicPower were legitimately owed a press pass based on the little they present to the web, then about 80% of mac users should have press passes too.
Actually switch "apple" to "microsoft" and it would change a "You what!" story into a "I'm not supprised" story.
Do you mind, your karma has just run over my dogma.
You are an idiot. Yes it is okay since a corporation is doing it. It's their game and they can set what ever rules they want. Read the article, they are denying free passes to "rumor sites". Please tell me how these sites have some right to attend the event for free. They can still buy passes if they want. Is Apple/IDG being stupid and potentially alienating their custommers? Possibly, but they have the right to do business anyway they want.
-matt