Steve Jobs on "Freedom from Porn" and other Fine Points

By: Charles Cooper
Topics: Tech Talk

Steve Jobs: Email Interlocutor

(Credit: AP)

Unlike your run-of-the-mill multimillionaire CEO, Steven P. Jobs has no hesitation about mixing it up over email when strangers send him heat-seekers. Or even simple questions about the ins and outs of technology.

What's rare is to find Jobs embroiled in a long-winded back-and-forth, such as the one he conducted with Gawker contributing editor Ryan Tate.

Tate, angry after viewing an Apple television commercial touting the iPad as nothing less than "a revolution," shot off a critical note to Jobs, who responded a few hours later. That led to a fascinating give-and-take over a range of topics, including porn, the iPad, Flash and what Bob Dylan might think about Apple. Some of the excerpts:

Tate:If Dylan was 20 today, how would he feel about your company? Would he think the iPad had the faintest thing to do with "revolution?" Revolutions are about freedom.
Jobs: Yep, freedom from programs that steal your private data. Freedom from programs that trash your battery. Freedom from porn. Yep, freedom. The times they are a changin', and some traditional PC folks feel like their world is slipping away. It is.

Later on they get into some geek-gab:

Tate: Was it a "technical issue" when Microsoft was trying to make everyone write to the Win32 API? Were you happy when Adobe went along with that? You have the chance to set the tone for a new platform. For the new phone and tablet platform. The platform of the future! I am disappointed to see it's the same old revenge power bullshit....PS And yes I may sound bitter. Because I don't think it's a technical issue at all -- it's you imposing your morality; about porn, about 'trade secrets', about technical purity in the most bizarre sense. Apple itself has used translation layers and intermediate APIs. Objective C and iTunes for Windows are testament to this. Anyone who has spent any time coding knows the power and importance of intermediate APIs. And I don't like Apple's pet police force literally kicking in my co-workers' doors. But I suppose the courts will have the last say on that, I can't say I'm worried."
Jobs: You are so misinformed. No one kicked in any doors. You're believing a lot of erroneous blogger reports. Microsoft had (has) every right to enforce whatever rules for their platform they want. If people don't like it, they can write for another platform, which some did. Or they can buy another platform, which some did. As for us, we're just doing what we can to try and make (and preserve) the user experience we envision. You can disagree with us, but our motives are pure. By the way, what have you done that's so great? Do you create anything, or just criticize others work and belittle their motivations? that billed the iPad as nothing less than "a revolution."

Charles Cooper is an executive editor at CNET News. He has covered technology and business for more than 25 years, working at CBSNews.com, the Associated Press, Computer & Software News, Computer Shopper, PC Week, and ZDNet. E-mail Charlie.

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by imtiazahmedcbc April 12, 2011 2:18 PM EDT: iPhone sells like a hotcake even in countries where there no 3G Networks. Amazing.

Imtiaz
http://www.Publicity.pk; Reply to this comment


by quidam10 September 1, 2010 5:06 AM EDT: I dono about the other stuff but the freedom from porn statement I support all the way. Millions of people are enslaved by porn addiction and struggle to recover to a normal life style. And Im willing to sacrifice a little technological inconvenience but at least maybe it will help keep someone from becoming enslaved to a destructive lifestyle. I wish Microsoft created a porn free platform a long time ago.; Reply to this comment


by apuan777 May 17, 2010 1:05 PM EDT: Apple's real goal with the iPad is to control content. Where is the USB port Job's?; Reply to this comment


by ToolMangler1 May 15, 2010 10:35 PM EDT: One mans 'Porn' may be another mans OS or API. Here is a quote from "tmittelstaed".

"by tmittelstaed May 15, 2010 12:17 AM EDT ".

"What Jobs is REALLY mad about is that the pictures of the prototype make it clear that Apple designed the new prototype so as for it to use different cell DSPs meaning that it can work on the Verizon network as well as the AT&T network by just swapping out the cell chip. In other words, Apple has been planning on screwing over it's AT&T contract for exclusivity on the ATT network, and now that has been confirmed to any experienced electronic engineer. So now ATT has a chance to put the screws to Apple before Apple screws them - the playing field has been leveled to be fair, and Jobs is mad about it. Tough cookies"; Reply to this comment