

Apple is number one danger to Internet freedom, says Columbia professor - rcfox
http://blogs.computerworld.com/17354/apple_is_number_one_danger_to_internet_freedom_says_columbia_professor

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raganwald
Seriously? He seems to be saying that since Steve likes to control the user
experience on his products, and since Steve is dictatorial, then Apple is the
biggest threat to the free internet.

Without offering any substantial example. For example, Apple doesn't allow
porn apps. But its browsers don't block you from visiting porn sites. (I
haven't actually _tested_ this assertion, of course).

Apple's iOS browsers don't run flash. But they do run Javascript, which allows
you to make a wide variety of interactive applications that run on an IOS
device without paying 30% of your revenue to Apple or being screened for
content.

I don't know why he thinks Apple is a bigger threat to Net Neutrality than the
carriers, who have an avowed and demonstrated opposition to Net neutrality. Or
Facebook, which is the world's biggest walled garden.

All in all, super-light on argument and long on emotion. Not quite flag-
worthy, but certainly not the most insightful thing you'll read all day.

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jcromartie
Apple only controls their own domain. They influence things outside of their
own ecosystem, but they don't have any dictatorial power when it comes to the
networks they use. They have been _good_ for competition on the Internet in
terms of browsers and breaking the dominance of Flash to give HTML5/Canvas a
fighting chance.

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sudont
Apple _strictly_ wants to control their own little sandboxes. Jobs is avowed
of open standards, since this means that no one company can dominate the
playing field.

For example, Adobe was forged in the print world, where it's commonplace for a
single corporation to control a proprietary standard used industry-wide. See
Pantone. When they picked up Flash, it was this ideology that led them to
believe that people on the web would just deal with it; accepting the fact
that a single corporation would control the media standards.

The W3C, on the other hand give a lot more leeway to the most flexible and
attractive player. _For now_ that is Apple, at least in the minds of average
consumers. Other than using Apple's language, and their crummy drm'd videos,
there's not that much locking in people. In fact, the best lock-in on the iPad
is HTML5, which isn't that well supported on any other tablet on the market.
(Tab, withstanding.)

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orangecat
Apple may be a threat, but I'd say the telecoms are much worse. Apple can only
cripple their own products; Verizon and AT&T can cripple everything.

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trezor
You mean in the US. The internet is bigger than the US, and right now _Apple_
is introducing the telco-tied and crippling systems previously only seen in
the US worldwide.

Gee. Thanks Apple.

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dbrannan
Perhaps if people in mass stopped using web browsers for their content and
relied strictly on mobile apps. Already this is happening via the iPad,
iTouch, iPhone - and now Apple is gearing for the desktop via OSX 10.7 app
store. I know many developers that are building mobile apps only, and have
given up development for web browsers.

If people stopped using web browsers and funneled everything through a mobile
app store, which Apple controls, then yes we are giving up freedom for
convenience. I would say this is the next logical step in the evolution of
information, and Apple appears to be ahead of the game.

I'm curious to hear HN comments on the matter. Speak up!

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TamDenholm
The article didnt really cite anything specific so i'll just give my opinion
on what i think they're talking about.

 _Flash (obviously):_ While i disagree with the principal of specifically
excluding a technology out of your products that use the web, i do think the
web will be better off without flash.

 _Porn:_ Steve said he wants the iOS devices to be porn free. I disagree that
just because its objectionable to some people doesnt mean you should exclude
it and yes i realise you can go to a porn site using safari but i'm mainly
talking about the app store.

 _The App Store:_ Apple specifically excludes apps that it doesnt like and
while i understand that this can be quality control (although i wouldnt call
the fart apps "quality") it is also censorship.

While i realise that because Apple is a company it can do what the hell it
wants to its own products i would like to see a more open and free company
philosophy.

Then again, just because i think like that, doesnt mean others do.

