
Steve Jobs “Folks who want porn can buy an Android phone” - TheBurningOr
http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/19/steve-jobs-android-porn/
======
ZeroGravitas
Clearly, Steve Jobs is the only person in the world that believes privacy mode
in browsers is for planning surprise birthday gifts for your spouse.

~~~
GHFigs
This is not about web browsers at all.

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brazzy
Wouldn't it be funny if people did just that, by the millions?

~~~
Estragon
Apparently Apple is feeling the heat, if he feels compelled to publically
denigrate his competitors that way.

~~~
GHFigs
It's only denigrating if you yourself feel that porn is a bad association. If
not, it's just stating a pretty reasonable suggestion: if having porn apps is
important to you, buy a phone that supports porn apps. Don't buy one that
doesn't.

The subtext is that Apple is willing to lose customers over not being in the
porn business, and he's willing to state as much. Maybe this could be seen as
denigrating if you suppose that they probably won't lose very many at all over
it, suggesting the availability of porn apps on Android does not really add
much value to the platform. But that seems a bit indirect.

You'll note he did not say "people who want porn are bad people" or "people
who want Android phones are bad people" or "porn is the only thing Android is
good for".

~~~
theBobMcCormick
He's also subtly lying. The implication in his statement is that porn apps are
allowed in the Android Market, which is false and I'm sure Steve knows it's
false. See the android developer content policy here:
<http://www.android.com/us/developer-content-policy.html>.

~~~
GHFigs
_The implication in his statement is that porn apps are allowed in the Android
Market_

...how? He doesn't mention the Android Market. He surely knows the Android
Market is not the only way to get applications -- in fact, TechCrunch even
quotes him elsewhere as indicating that there is a "a porn store for Android".
Not anything like "There is porn in the Android Market".

Remember, the context is him responding to a request about _his_ product.
Stating clearly that people who want what is being asked for should go
elsewhere makes a lot more sense to me than it being some kind of vague
underhanded marketing tactic. What else would you say if someone asks for
something you're not interested in selling? Should he say "Oh well maybe we'll
reconsider. Don't buy a product that does what you want."? Wouldn't _that_ be
dishonest? I mean, if this is lying so subtle that you have to explain it I
really don't think it's meant to deceive.

The whole thing is just silly and shows how little it really takes to get HN
into a frenzy these days.

~~~
theBobMcCormick
I'm _certain_ he's aware of it. I'm certain he's also aware that you can
easily get to porn on an iPhone using Mobile Safari. Much more easily than
installing an non-Market app like Mikandi and then using it to find porn. Hell
there are even a rather astonishing number of porn sites that seem to
specialize in iPhone optimized content.

So given all that, you have to wonder why does he even _bother_ to mention
Android at all, especially considering that the Android Market prohibits porn
just like the Apple App store. You've got to be incredibly naive, or
deliberately disingenuous to claim it doesn't sound like a deliberate attempt
to slander his competition. Kind of like the old political routine of asking
your opponent when he stopped beating his wife. :-)

~~~
GHFigs
_You've got to be incredibly naive, or deliberately disingenuous to claim it
doesn't sound like a deliberate attempt to slander his competition._

I'm sorry you feel that way, but I believe you're wrong in your
interpretation. You won't hear anymore about it.

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pistoriusp
Just to be clear. The Android marketplace doesn't allow porn either.

But due to the open nature of the iPhone a company created a "pornstore."

IMHO, the browser has been a pretty good porn marketplace for a long time - I
don't see the need.

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morphir
I'm all for porn. Larry Flint said it once: It's just sex.

So why make a big deal of it? There is no way you can take the morale high-
ground by disallowing porn. Tell me, are apples customers conservatives that
walk around playing golf all day?

~~~
sp332
Um, most porn is nothing like sex.

~~~
jasonlotito
Yeah. In porn, people are having fun!

But seriously, the mentality that porn is dirty is misguided, especially
alongside the death and destruction that are pushed in the gaming industry.

~~~
yummyfajitas
The problem with (most) porn is that they really aren't having fun. All they
are doing is working through a list of positions.

~~~
modoc
I guess it depends on what porn exactly. I know a few people in the biz, both
the indie side and the pro side, and they have a ton of fun.... I'm sure
there's some folks who aren't, but I don't watch that stuff:)

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TheBurningOr
What really bothers me about this particular aspect of the App Store approval
process is how hypocritical it is. If Apple wants to make the App Store a
clean place then that is their prerogative. However, to leave Sports
Illustrated Swimsuit apps and sex position apps while talking all high and
mighty seems rather hypocritical.

~~~
melling
Are you asking why Apple allows the same stuff you can find in a Barnes &
Nobles but refuses to allow porn?

Maybe Steve does the B&N test?

~~~
zacharypinter
I still think comparing the App Store to physical stores is a flawed analogy:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1272433>

Jobs emphasizes this by pointing out that Android (or, non-Apple) is the only
option available for mobile software if you disagree with Apple's app store
policies. Why not allow people to download/install apps outside the App Store?
They do own the phone, right?

~~~
fierarul
>They do own the phone, right?

That's just a technicality.

They own the phone but for Apple it's more like a subscription: people will
buy apps from Apple's AppStore, buy accessories that need Apple's approval
(and where Apple gets a cut) and after maximum 3 years upgrade to the next
Apple piece of hardware.

So the phone purchase isn't an atomic purchase, it's more like the first
downpayment to "the Apple experience".

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rythie
Isn't that what Sony/Betamax said about VHS?

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fauigerzigerk
Well, thanks for the tip. Will do.

But what's really amazing about that guy is that he is apparently unable to
understand the difference between a thing and an explanation of that thing. He
has banned (or rather censored) a dictionary on the grounds that it included
the words "fuck" and "shit" after all.

OK, it was fun writing that, but I actually don't believe it. He does
understand that difference. He just thinks keeping the utmost distance from
anything "dirty" regardless of the type of connection is beneficial to his
franchise.

We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out in the market in the long
run. Whilst waiting I'm going to buy an Android phone for hacking and other
types of pleasure ;-)

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petercooper
That's interesting. I haven't had a problem looking at porn on the Web using
the iPhone. Okay, the screen's a bit small so it's pointless, but still. WTF
would we want to _pay_ for it when the Web has so much for free?

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ErrantX
I have no real hangup over porn (indeed, I spend days looking at it for
work..) but I can see his point.

Apple, understandably, don't want to be in the minefield arena of porn
distribution via the App Store - it's a smoking gun in a sense.

This is just a closed product of the App store.

Though it appears Jobs also considers it a moral imperative; which is wrong.

~~~
robotron
To repeat what others have said: there is no porn in the Android Marketplace.
There is a 3rd party adult appstore. There are also some "girlie" apps like
swimsuit model calendars or whatever. Saying "Folks who want porn can buy and
[sic] Android phone" is not Jobs defending the iPhone but attacking the
Android platform.

~~~
ErrantX
To be fair; Jobs is commenting about Android - not the Android Marketplace. It
feels a distinct difference.

(I wasn't commenting on that anyway tbh)

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axod
Who cares? That's what a browser is for. + vids+pics.

What utility would be added by making an 'App'?

~~~
pavlov
Multitouch and GPU acceleration? E.g. fast pinch-to-zoom into hi-res
originals.

~~~
zephyrfalcon
Somehow "multitouch" and "pinch-to-zoom" sound really strange in this
context... :-)

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zsouthboy
Except porn isn't allowed in the Android appstore either.

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seabee
The difference is, the Android appstore isn't the only source of apps.

~~~
zsouthboy
I completely agree.

It appears people are taking this statement the wrong way - Porn isn't allowed
in the appstore, so his statement is bullshit. Of course we can install our
own apps / porn on Android! That's one of the best parts.

But we (android community) get to dodge the THINK OF THE CHILDREN bullshit
that Jobs is trying to stir up because it's not allowed in the default
distribution method.

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patrickgzill
I think he doesn't really believe it, except in the sense that he wants to
avoid the brand being tainted by identification with porn.

That is, he doesn't want to see something on the TV news about how high
schoolers with iPhones are watching porn in the cafeteria.

~~~
theBobMcCormick
Err.. They already _can_ watch porn on the iPhon in the cafeteria. Do a quick
google search for "iphone porn". There are a HUGE number of porn websites that
do a perfectly fine job of streaming porn to the iPhone/iPod Touch.

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torial
This seems to be a smart movie on Jobs' part. I'm not an Apple fan per se (I
don't own any Apple products) but can see some definite advantages to Jobs'
strategy.

1\. Every business guy I've talked to loved the iPhone's power and what they
could do without needing to lug a laptop around everywhere. So the iPhone has
a definite business appeal, and keeping porn out helps keep that ambiance. 2\.
Clearly he is using the porn store for Android as a, "hey, Android is
entertainment, iPhone is for professionals " type of message. 3\. I think the
other smart thing, which no one in Apple will talk about is the reduced
bandwidth consumption they will have by not having porn! It is an inherently
bandwidth hungry system (presuming online, not stored in a DB) to be
encouraging videos and images. 3a) This allows them to leave out a
strategically bad (PR/Marketing-wise) niche that would strain an already
strained infrastructure. 3b) This strain on the infrastructure would affect
those business types that they have good appeal with.

FWIW - I think people claiming that Apple is socially conservative is absurd.
They have a former VP candidate for the Democratic party on their board. And I
bet if people looked into it, they'd find a health balance of board political
donations go to liberals.

~~~
theBobMcCormick
Jobs is also lying and I'm sure he knows it. Personally I'm not sure I see how
that's a _good_ move. The Android Market doesn't allow porn apps either (see
the developer content policy here: <http://www.android.com/us/developer-
content-policy.html>).

The bandwidth consumpsion argument is also total bullshit. Do a quick
google/bing search for "iphone porn". There are a _lot_ of porn sites ready,
willing, and able to stream porn videos to Mobile Safari.

------
wallflower
maxklein said it best:

Do you really think Apple wants porn apps in their Top 25 Grossing, Paid, and
Free lists?

"I'm an app store developer, and if Apple opens the doors, let me tell you
what will happen : First of all, there will be hardcore porn immediately. Boob
apps will flood the store, because that's what makes money."

<http://news.ycombinator.net/item?id=1110804>

~~~
theBobMcCormick
Just to be clear, the Android Market doesn't allow porn apps either (see the
developer content policy here: <http://www.android.com/us/developer-content-
policy.html>). But it _is_ relatively easy for an Android user to load apps
from outside the Android Market. One of these apps _is_ a porn market:
[http://phandroid.com/2009/11/27/android-porn-market-from-
mik...](http://phandroid.com/2009/11/27/android-porn-market-from-mikandi/)

Bit of a tempest in a teapot really, since any user who could figure out how
to download and install mikandi (or the equivalent) could also just search for
any of the NUMEROUS porn web sites that work just fine on either Android or
iPhone.

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frevd
honestly, who is he to dictate what we oughta do and dont

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signa11
wasn't it steve-jobs who had earlier potificated : 'i would rather be a pirate
than be in the navy...' why so serious ?

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mnemonicfx
3 years of having arguments with the public will make some people lose their
patience. That's how I see it.

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markkoberlein
This is another brilliant marketing move by Steve and an attempt to influence
the news media's view of the Android phone.

If the news media starts talking about Android phones as "porn" phones then
the iPhone will be presented as the shiny white alternative to that.

~~~
theBobMcCormick
I'm not sure how a completely obvious lie is a brilliant marketing move.
Granted, lying has worked for some companies before, but personally I think
this is likely to do more to _hurt_ Jobs reputation than to help it.

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dkuchar
done

