Marco Arment“Even if that's not explicitly what Apple is doing here, they simply must know that's what it looks like. And it's just about the worst look imaginable.”
Casey Liss@marcoarment
> Do they regroup and get back to creating great products to silence the critics? Or do they simply silence the critics?
The latter is just so comically shortsighted.
> Do they regroup and get back to creating great products to silence the critics? Or do they simply silence the critics?
The latter is just so comically shortsighted.
Dan Moren@caseyliss @marcoarment Silencing the critics? Nobody shut down Daring Fireball as far as I’m aware. Not like people are going to stop posting criticism?
Tanner McCoy@dmoren @caseyliss @marcoarment
Excluding someone respected like Gruber damages Apple’s credibility and makes it look afraid of honest scrutiny. If Apple’s decisions and products can’t stand up to fair criticism, it just raises more concerns about the company.
@tsizzle @caseyliss @marcoarment Not offering executives for interview is not the same as “being excluded.” As far as I’m aware, John will be at the keynote and briefings like much of the rest of the press.
The argument that somehow Apple execs were going to spill their guts up there is just fallacious.
@dmoren @tsizzle @marcoarment I know three members of the press that didn’t get an invite this year.
@caseyliss @tsizzle @marcoarment I did not get one in the initial round either. But I have subsequently and I think you’d have a hard time arguing that I’ve pulled my punches. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@dmoren @tsizzle @marcoarment Not trying to say anything about anyone else.
Though I will say that, far as I can tell, much of my peer group did not get invites this year, but did last year.
🤷🏻♂️
@caseyliss @tsizzle @marcoarment I’ve had to fight for my invite as many times as not in the last decade. Apple will do what it will, often with no rhyme or reason. Should I take it all personally?
Neal Pozner@caseyliss I’m not putting it past Apple to be super thin skinned, but didn’t Marco and John both say they would not be going this year for various personal and understandable reasons, even if they were invited?
Marc Robinson 
@caseyliss @dmoren @tsizzle @marcoarment ATP will still discuss everything they announce. Like you have all the other times you didn’t attend. The only thing your attendance changes about the discussion is what you thought of the lunch.
@dmoren @caseyliss @marcoarment
I’m not trying to argue that they would say anything substantive (Grubers interviews never really do), but not showing up at all is very telling.
@tsizzle @caseyliss @marcoarment There are very clearly a lot of topics they cannot or do not want to talk about. Which, I agree, is disappointing. But it’s not shocking.
@dmoren @caseyliss @marcoarment
Sure, but now they won’t talk about anything. That’s much different than not wanting to speak on a few topics but getting people excited for others. When the only things you hear from Apple executives is from court documents, that’s not great.
@tsizzle @caseyliss @marcoarment This has all happened before. Apple pulled out of Macworld Expo because it didn’t suit their needs. They’re always going to prioritize what they think is the benefit for them. And while it was interesting to see the execs on the show, let’s not kid ourselves: they weren’t going to let slip anything they weren’t allowed to.
@dmoren @caseyliss @marcoarment
Not sure why you feel the need to defend the company so much but this is obviously different. They pulled out of Macworld and announced new ways to interact with customers. This is not that.
@tsizzle @caseyliss @marcoarment There is a difference between “defending” and “explaining.” IA lot of people seem to be shocked because they think Apple was their friend and now they’ve *gasp* changed.
They’re a profit-seeking corporation. Always have been. They were never your friend.
As for Macworld…”announced new ways to interact with customers”? What? No, they left because it didn’t behoove them to stay.
@dmoren @caseyliss @marcoarment
Ok, announcing new ways might have been a reach but they at least explained their reasoning (https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2008/12/16Apple-Announces-Its-Last-Year-at-Macworld/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). They don’t owe Gruber anything, but the Macworld exit was transparent and this is just them being petty about being critiqued.
@tsizzle @caseyliss @marcoarment Yeah, I was there. 😉 The point is, as John himself has written numerous time, Apple is going to serve Apple first, customers second, developers third, if at all.
Moreover, the pettiness, while reasonable, remains an inference, when the far simpler reasoning is that it doesn’t serve them.
Zany Ninja@dmoren @tsizzle @caseyliss @marcoarment
Gruber is quoting Steve Jobs and positioning himself as "very insightful and not negative". But the truth is, when Steve Jobs made that comment, he was explicitily referring to that one post of Gruber's, and not everything Gruber has ever written, or even Gruber as a person.
The fact is, Gruber can be very negative and not very insightful. Case in point (and the reason Apple have declined his interview):
@zanyninja @dmoren @caseyliss @marcoarment
I would like to think the leader of one of the biggest corporations in the world is not that thinned skinned. Especially when that quote is about an awful person. Not really sure how you can assume what Jobs meant from that quote. Gruber has gained a larger following and started interviewing Apple execs after his death.
@tsizzle @dmoren @caseyliss @marcoarment
Seriously?
1. That quote about "an awful person" was a deeply unpleasant insult aimed at Cook (and others). Did you even read it?
2. The Steve Jobs quote couldn't be clearer - "We think John Gruber’s post is very insightful and not negative" - it's referring to a specific post, and not Gruber, and not everything he's ever written. Of course it isn't an important point, and I was being mean-spirited by saying it...but Jobs' meaning was crystal clear.
Marc Puricelli@dmoren @tsizzle @caseyliss @marcoarment I think this is the right take but I wonder if Jobs was still alive if they would not have an exceptional press conference and respond to some of the criticism head on like they did for antenna gate. I think Cook is deeply uncomfortable with unscripted appearances.
@marcpuricelli @dmoren @tsizzle @caseyliss @marcoarment There it is! “What would Steve do?” This discussion has officially overstayed its welcome.
@marcintosh @dmoren @tsizzle @caseyliss @marcoarment Yeah, yeah... We're all just having fun and speculating here. None of what is posted here matters don't you know? As your namesake, I'm disappointed, Marc.
Mieszko Ślusarczyk@tsizzle respected->die hard fan who repeatedly defended them, even when the facts weren’t in their favour.
marlies 
@tsizzle @dmoren @caseyliss @marcoarment it’s an assumption they’re not joining him this year because of his (mild) criticism. There are many other reasons imagineable, like them wanting to steer clear of association with his terrible takes on Gaza. Or something we don’t even know about. Like maybe he made an inappropriate comment to a female Apple staffer backstage last year.
I’m a fan of Occam’s razor but in this case it’s being applied way too liberally by almost everyone.
@marlies @dmoren @caseyliss @marcoarment
This is a pretty extreme conclusion to jump to.
Not jumping to conclusions but stating it could be because of a political stance or sexual assault?
@tsizzle I’m just listing examples of the sort of thing that could also lead to Apple pulling out
Joe Rodricks@caseyliss @marcoarment they’re not critics. They’re the most die hard fans, which makes it all the worse.
Thom Bullock@caseyliss part of what’s uncomfortable for all of us about this is - it might work anyway. Is Apple so mass market now that it can forget the enthusiast community and have no ill effects whatever? I don’t think that’s impossible.
Orlando Gabriel Herrera, SOC@caseyliss @marcoarment Apple isn’t silencing critics, they’re silencing themselves. We can interpret this as Apple showing discipline. Staying quiet when there’s nothing concrete is what we’ve all asked for
nwh@marcoarment
I find it honestly crazy how none of this is taking into account that things are not normal right now.
"There's a horse in a hospital!"
With the current political climate (47, Gaza) I can imagine that there is simply a general guideline to avoid any non-scripted events.
There were rumours that the 25% iPhone tax was a direct retaliation for Cook not joining the Gulf-Grift 2025 POTUS47 tour. So I am assuming Apple is just putting their head down and battening down the hatches to "weather this storm".
I find it honestly crazy how none of this is taking into account that things are not normal right now.
"There's a horse in a hospital!"
With the current political climate (47, Gaza) I can imagine that there is simply a general guideline to avoid any non-scripted events.
There were rumours that the 25% iPhone tax was a direct retaliation for Cook not joining the Gulf-Grift 2025 POTUS47 tour. So I am assuming Apple is just putting their head down and battening down the hatches to "weather this storm".
This is getting a little tiresome.
It's a little sad to see how everyone in the comments pretends not to know the real reason Apple declined to sit down with Gruber.
It's like, almost everyone here covers for each other, has each other's back, and joins in in attacking Apple just as a mindless reflex. I hate to be as rude as Gruber, but all these comments look like a circle-jerk to me.
For the real reason, look no further: