FSF's "Defective By Design" Targets Apple Genius Bars

mjasay writes "At OSCON this year, MySQL's Brian Aker made this bold statement: 'Microsoft is irrelevant ... We're more worried about Apple.' The Free Software Foundation appears to have caught the hint, and has turned its attention to all-things-Apple with a 'denial of service' attack on the Apple Genius Bars. The idea is to completely book all Genius Bars and then ask the 'geniuses,' over and over again, a few questions about Apple's proprietary ways (while, apparently, real customers with support issues are left to flounder). Lost in this anti-Apple fervor, however, is the Free Software Foundation's complete and conscious failure to protect the web. Richard Stallman has long felt that software that doesn't sit on his desktop doesn't affect his freedom, but isn't the opposite true? Why is the FSF focused on Apple when the bigger concern should be Google, Yahoo!, Amazon, and other web players, a point made by Tim O'Reilly recently at OSCON?" Defective by Design is just one of many FSF projects, remember; it hardly seems fair to say that the FSF has been ignoring the implications of software as a service.

Comments

Re:Here's what they will accomplish:

[Blakey Rat]

Apple has "Genius Bars," Best Buy has "Geek Squad" and a painted Volkswagen. It's just a cute little name for something that is, fundamentally, really boring.

and just the fact that Apple has something called "Genius Bars" for Mac users reinforces my commitment not to use Apple products.

"Damn those companies that offer technical support! I won't buy from any company that actually stands by their products after purchase, the bastards!"

People on Slashdot say weird stuff.

I admit that the problem is mine and not Apple's.

No kidding, wackjob.

It's just that everything about Apple's approach to marketing their products creeps me out and causes me to experience an anxious nausea whenever I come into contact with their products or with dedicated users of their products. It's hard to bask in the cultural phenomenon that is Apple when you're nauseous.

Maybe you should see a doctor about that.