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« Time to take out Pat Robertson, figuratively of course || Back to Blog | The golf network protocol » August 24, 2005
Andrew Dupont developed a Mac OSX widget that helps people who use the Azureus client to download content via Bittorrent. Although it has become popular, Apple won't list it on its widget page. Andrew asked politely and got a polite reply from Apple [Note: in the comments, Dave Rogers points out that this quote comes from DashboardWidgest.com, although Apple apparently agrees with the sentiment. Thanks, Dave.]:
Talk about your chilling effects! This is how the Net is bifurcating: Chickenshit companies like Apple (and many many more) play it safe even when it comes to hugely valuable tech like Bittorrent, so the "mainstream" Internet has one set of protocols while another set is driven underground. We end up with a cultural and economic divide, with the lawyer-safe Internet on one side and the transformative Internet on the other. To use the transformative Net, you need tech skills, knowledge that it's there, and a respite from the brainwashing that's going on.
Step by step, we're intentionally creating a new Dark Ages for ourselves, maddeningly when a new connected enlightenment is within our reach. Why aren't I picking on Microsoft which, given its market position, is doing far more damage in this area? Because we should expect more from Apple. Or so many people believe. I'm still waiting. Posted
by D. Weinberger at August 24, 2005 01:06 PM
TrackBackListed below are links to weblogs that reference The Lawyers' Net:
» Free to Be P2P? from Peer Pressure Tracked on August 25, 2005 06:13 AM
» Yet another chilling effect... from Tensegrities Tracked on August 25, 2005 10:30 PM
» Making Google better will not make the web better from Greg Yardley's Internet Blog Tracked on August 26, 2005 09:25 AM
» Apple won't include a BitTorrent Dashboard Widget in its widget gallery from Five Live Links Tracked on August 27, 2005 04:34 AM |
Comments
Just to pick nits, the quotation you've attributed to Apple is incorrect. It should properly be attributed to dashboardwidgets.com. Later in the post the Apple reply appears, although it is also negative and for the same reason.
Posted by: dave rogers | August 24, 2005 01:37 PM
We should expect more from Apple. Most of the time we get more. Not this time, apparently. Still, things may change. I wonder if there's an official place to complain to?
Posted by: scott feldstein | August 24, 2005 01:47 PM
Having DRM's and supporting them is a company choice, however if their stance is not to support bleeding edge, then they will lose. MSFT learnt this in the early 90's w/ internet technogoioes. Apple will learn the same with the music industry too. Remember that apple now has to pay MSFT for an iPod patent !!!
Posted by: /pd | August 25, 2005 06:02 AM
There is also the lightweight and kickass BitSticks from VanillaSoap Design: http://vanillasoap.com/widgets/
Posted by: Phil | August 25, 2005 11:48 AM
Thanks for the correction, Dave. D'oh!
Also, another comment that mysteriously has not been posted here (I don't know why) takes me to task for saying that Apple is not creating a chilling effect. I meant to say that Apple was suffering from a chilling effect.
Posted by: David Weinberger | August 25, 2005 12:13 PM
Remember that apple now has to pay MSFT for an iPod patent !!!
No, don't remember that: it's not true. Microsoft hasn't sued anyone over this patent. Some news reporter thinks they could sue Apple, but nobody's actually done anything. And even if they sue they still actually have to win the suit. Then Apple might have to pay Microsoft a fee for every iPod sold.
This all kind of reminds me of the time when Microsoft, as a gesture of confidence in the platform, invested $100 million in non-voting Apple stock back in the 90s. To this day people still come up to me and say "doesn't Microsoft own them now?" As if Apple couldn't find $100 million under the cushions of their break room couch.
Posted by: scott feldstein | August 26, 2005 10:08 AM