The rexblog (you won’t believe this) is boycotting
Apple: [UPDATED] While I don’t believe that FEC crackdown meme, I DO
believe there’s a real danger to blogging in the
judge’s decision in favor of Apple, which, if upheld, will
force several enthusiast websites to disclose their sources on
articles they published regarding unannounced Apple products.
According to reports, Apple used the argument that the
web sites were not protected by free speech because they are not
legitimate members of the press.
Dear Apple: I’ll tell you what FREE SPEECH is. Free speech is
what those of us who evangelize your products FOR FREE do. I’ll tell
you what EXPENSIVE SPEECH is. When you start suing those fans (like me)
who you don’t think should be protected by the Constitution and we
start using that FREE SPEECH to tell the world not to buy products from
companies who want to take their freedoms away from them.
While it will have absolutely no impact on anyone’s bottomline (as even I forget to use it most of
the time), I am removing the iTunes affiliate link from this
weblog. In fact, I suggest all bloggers who have one do the same.
A little background: I purchased my first Mac in the spring of 1984
after selling a car to do so. Since then, I have purchased hundreds of
thousands of dollars worth of Apple products for the companies I have
run or owned. Last year, in an upgrade at Hammock Publishing, we
purchased close to $100,000 worth of Apple products. And, we all know
my personal obsession with the brilliance of the company and its
products. For example, on December 29, I posted a long list
of reasons why I didn’t think the iPod could be killed.
If Apple continues with this assault on its customers and biggest fans,
then those customers — especially those obsessed Macophiles who, like
me, blog — must display where the real power of the Apple community is.
Perhaps a display of what a day without any of us Apple zombie-evangelists downloading an iTunes song would send a message.
Perhaps an Apple Store-free day.
Perhaps a week, a month or from now until they drop this ridiculous lawsuit.
Ironically, I’ve never supported boycotts of any type because, frankly,
I think it’s crazy when some religious group says they’re not going to
buy something they weren’t going to buy anyway.
But in this case, Apple is assaulting its own customers. Those of us
out here who love their products so much we spend time sharing with the
world how crazy they are not to also own the products.
Apple is the last company in the world I thought I’d be
saying this about, but if Apple can do this to its customer-fanatics
(like me) and we don’t answer back in a way where they’ll clearly get
the
message, then, let’s just drop some of the hyperbole on the whole
concept of “the markets are conversations” because if Apple can show
the world how to shut-off the conversation, the notion has not only
been cracked, it has been broken.
Update: I wonder if Apple thinks dog photo blogging is protected free speech.
Update Saturday 3.5: Here is a link to the wikipedia entry on the Apple vs. Does case.
Also, and I’m going to post this separtely as well, more than
boycotting the purchase of Apple products, I’m boycotting the FREE
SPEECH I provide Apple by serving as one of their cult members. In
other words, I’m switching. I’m switching from being a fan of Apple
products to being a mere user of the company’s products. I still think
the products Apple makes are insanely great. I just think that
attacking fan websites using the legal argument that they are not
protected “free speech” is merely insane. I’ve decided that in this
case, I’m going to practice Apple-free speech. In other words, no more
talk here about what I love about their products. No more, anyone who
doesn’t use the Mac platform is crazy. No more, iPod/iTunes crush the
world. Hell, I’m even wishing we could call it something other than Pod
casting. I’m going to start practicing Apple-free speech.
