Apple removing links to Consumer Reports study from forums

[pwjone1]

Originally Posted by Tamara

The threads are deleted because they violate the terms that everyone agrees to when they create an account at Apple forums.

Gee, guess I should have read the terms of service. No, wait, life's too short. What do they say? Don't criticize Apple? Don't link to criticism of Apple?

Anyway, I don't think Apple is being all that wise, in terms of handling the Consumer Reports thing. You don't play with the consumer press and not put yourself in a rather bad position. Think of the SUVs that rolled over too easily, or the problems on Lexus traction control, etc. They love to print your denial right next to the test showing you're full of it. Sells magazines. Although CR, I think, is at least also about getting it right, and protecting the Consumer.

I generally respect companies that are up-front and consumer friendly enough to run forums or similar. If they don't frequently, someone else will, but I think it kind of works better if you have input from the company, some level of moderation to cut the spam and trolls. And for the most part, Apple does that, although deleting stuff it doesn't like is definitely dark-side behavior. But otherwise their support, in my experience, has been good. Kind of a no-win situation for them, I suppose. Dell, Lenovo, HP, Amazon, etc., all run fairly decent user forums, it's a big plus in my mind, although you have to learn to read the things properly, everything gets criticized, rightly or wrongly. But I remember one batch of HP video cards that went from "nothing wrong" to "we'll replace for free", after a pattern was seen, and users kind of diagnosed the problem for them (bad bearings in the fan).

And I should note, even do-no-harm Google has shut down discussions it did not like, search for the Google Desktop Enterprise Search newsgroup some time, see what they did there (although Google at least left the old data up).

That's one reason I like independents, like Mobileread. Better for comparisons and less likely to lawyer up on you on terms of service, less likely to disappear something.

[stargazertony]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

It's pretty sad, actually, that a brand that prides itself in best practises (at a price) is such a knuckle-dragger about its reputation: banning apps, content, prosecuting journalists for "leaks", and this regular policy of deleting threads from its so-called support forums. Apple is obsessed with managing the message, ironically having become the very "establishment" the brand was created to destroy.

I agree with you. There is a big difference in what a company like Apple says and what they actually do. What they sell most is marketing. They are extremely adept at it and have convinced millions to be absolute zealots about their products. I own an iPod touch and it's the last Apple product I will own since so much more can be done with an Android product.

[Talldog]

You can't really expect Apple to behave any differently given the cult of religion that has grown around the company over the years, including in the press. Unfortunately for them, their iPhone, iPod and iPad lines have achieved so much mainstream success that they are now encountering a lot of people, customers and others, who don't drink the koolaid.

Turns out, Apple is no better and no worse than any other company. Who knew? But, they make some great products, and they're no doubt going to continue to have a lot of mainstream success.

They'll figure it out.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by pwjone1

Gee, guess I should have read the terms of service. No, wait, life's too short

I read the Terms of service before participating in the Apple Discussions (since 2004), and the Terms of service before participating in Mobileread's forums. Just seems like simple courtesy.

[HamsterRage]

Interesting. Apple has become the 800 gorilla.

[Krystian Galaj]

Originally Posted by =X=

Wow no kidding!? I'm surprised people are not more upset about Apples practices. It's one thing to moderate a forum due to fowl language and offensive material.

It's another thing to delete forums because it doesn't make a companies product look good. Apple must realize it is acting unethical as they claim it was a server error and are not admitting intent.

I expect people grew to expect that from Apple over the years, so why surprised?

[Xanthe]

Originally Posted by Talldog

You can't really expect Apple to behave any differently given the cult of religion that has grown around the company over the years, including in the press. Unfortunately for them, their iPhone, iPod and iPad lines have achieved so much mainstream success that they are now encountering a lot of people, customers and others, who don't drink the koolaid.

Precisely.

Welcome to the real world, Apple.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

Precisely.

Welcome to the real world, Apple.

I can just imagine people saying that out loud right now-the tone of their voices.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by kjk

I read the Terms of service before participating in the Apple Discussions (since 2004)

Then can you tell us what Terms the removed posts violated?

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Then can you tell us what Terms the removed posts violated?

Who said that Violating the Terms was the reason they removed them?
The only CR post I read was this one:

Topic : Consumer reports has un-recommended the iPhone 4
http://discussions.apple.com/thread....03228&tstart=0

[wigm]

sooo...every single post is always on topic and does not violate the terms...except the consumer reports posts...mmmm

[kjk]

Originally Posted by wigm

sooo...every single post is always on topic and does not violate the terms...except the consumer reports posts...mmmm

Did you read my Ars Technica link on the first page?

And they do delete posts that violate the Terms-not sure where you get the idea that they don't. I'm assuming that posts that stay on Mobileread don't violate their Terms either.

[kindlekitten]

bwahahahahaha!!!!!

Originally Posted by Tamara

The threads are deleted because they violate the terms that everyone agrees to when they create an account at Apple forums.

I don't see the big deal. The Apple forums are user to user tech support forums. They are not discussion forums to discuss blogs from all over the web. It's sad that so many people like to blow something out of proportion.

Should bloggers scream when Mobileread deletes a thread or locks it because it violates the Mobileread terms?

guess what! we do!!!!!!!

[wigm]

Originally Posted by kjk

Did you read my Ars Technica link on the first page?

And they do delete posts that violate the Terms-not sure where you get the idea that they don't. I'm assuming that posts that stay on Mobileread don't violate their Terms either.

That's what I was getting at. There will always be topics that for some reason don't belong where they are or just don't belong, happens here too. Most forums that I read usually let you know what happens with posts the moderators move/remove.
Something as high profile as the iPhone will always raise an alarm when Apple remove negative posts, even if the users were actually wrong......in SJ's eye is almost always the case...remember we are wrong, Apple is right.

[loveangel]

its sad i like apple products