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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Who Got What Wrong - After the Apple Event

Guessing what Steve will pull out is a bit of a “mug’s game”. We all should know that by now.

Part of the mystery is not in the device or service, but what fantastical future we see Apple providing for us. Apple doesn’t promote or market these events…in fact, they hardly say a word, sending out only a invitation. In watching the media frenzy, I wonder how many people understand this, because when the blog-o-sphere doesn’t get what “they” want, the collective hue and cry makes them seem like a slighted lover holding a padded bra.

Not Apple’s fault you got your hopes up. You wanted to believe in every fantasy out there and so you did. That’s about your religion - not Apple.

Then there’s the Whispers. About a sales rep speaking higher than his pay grade, he’s a “insider with exclusive access”. Some CEO who blabs for a bit of self-promotion on every front page (but he’s not at the event…hmmm). Part of this is genuinely newsworthy - but for week’s we’ve seen fanboy renders and ridiculous articles that make the product everything from the Second Coming to the moment Apple lost it. Speculation, endless speculation, that drives traffic, that angers readers, that drives traffic, that engorges fanboys, that drive’s traffic, that also drives stock prices unnaturally high in expectation and hinders entire market segments. If you’re financially involved in Apple, in some commercial way, shape or form, I’d imagine you’d feel it almost your ouroborostic duty to create, conflate, regurgitate and re-gorge on every other bit of speculation out there.

Not Apple’s fault your stock dropped after the launch. You wanted people to believe you knew something you didn’t, that you were something you were not. Makes writing easier if you get your own “Princess Diana” to promote/slate/reconcile, I guess. A proper journalistic source? Sorry - you don’t even appear relevant this morning - you’ve been caught with a sock in your pants.

This is not a healthy ecosystem. Replace “the media” with “the banks” and We The People would have had them in front of Congress by now.

If you’re disappointed in Apple this morning, I’d say you’re blaming the wrong people.