Steve Jobs is a Meanie

Apple is everyone’s favorite whipping boy. From the constant derision directed at it for being “elitist” to the criticisms for its products consistently being underwhelming, overpriced, and flying off the shelf because of fanboys (like me), Apple can never seem to catch a break.

9-year old Shea O’Gorman wrote to Apple with suggestions on how Apple could improve her iPod Nano. In return, she received a form letter from Apple’s legal department informing her that Apple does not and cannot accept unsolicited product ideas, and urging her not to send any in the future.

Seems straightforward enough. Of course the parents of Shea O’Gorman immediately contacted the media to get their 15 minutes of fame with a sob story about how big bad Apple made their little girl cry.

Can you say “non story?” I surely can.

First, Apple was not only within their rights to tell this girl to f-off, but they were actually smart to do so. Not doing it would be opening themselves up to legal problems in the future if they implemented ideas similar to hers. Secondly, Apple explained that clearly in the letter (something the camera glosses over in the report, but the reporter never mentions). Thirdly, to the pompous ass at the end who noted that Steve Jobs would probably be watching that report and be embarrassed and respond, get over yourself dude; you’re a local newscaster. Steve Jobs doesn’t care what you have to say.

The mom in this case is a total bore, lecturing Steve Jobs on business and dealing with children. I understand that most of her anger is directly due to her daughter crying, but her daughter is owed an explanation as to why Apple reacts that way, not some pandering “they’re wrong” crap. She needs to learn that not every person that makes her kid cry is a bad person, and your kid crying does not make her automatically right.

A little bit of parenting at the moment the crying began would have solved this thing. Instead of parenting, mommy went to the nation’s number one babysitter: television.

Shea needs to learn that just having an idea does not entitle you to an audience to hear it, especially when it might get the company you send it to in legal trouble down the line. If Shea is going to be writing adult letters to adult corporations, mommy should teach her how to handle adult rejection.

It really is that simple.

(Oh, and just for the record, the Nano has the feature to show lyrics on the screen already; another lesson of making adult suggestions to adult companies would be to make sure your great idea isn’t already being used)

[tags]apple, ipod, nano, shea o’gorman[/tags]

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  • asdfsadf2

    well, you’re a complete moron. but what can i expect, you use a mac.

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com Vinny

    Wrong, dumbass. I don’t even own one. See the 30,000 previous articles about that for clarification.

  • http://www.seekingmysanity.com Bridget

    Parents use to much scapegoating when it comes to their kids. If I knew my child was writing a letter to a corporation (and I would know because I actually am involved in my children’s lives), I would also explain to them from the beginning that a) they may not even receive a response as the corporation is massive and they receive so many letters that my child’s may not be read immediately. 2) I would also explain that if a letter came back it may be a letter of rejection, or thank you, or even a mass generated response. If my child is going to do something that mature then they need to have the maturity to accept whatever response they get. Yes, if my kid did that and cried over it, I would be upset – not at the corporation, but because they are simply crying. It’s life.

    Too many parents are raising their children to just blame everyone else for their feelings. Why? Because we have medical professionals telling us that coddling our kids and treating their feelings like it’s the end all be all of life. I’m a mother of three, as you already know. I treat my children with respect as humans, and have complete empathy for how they feel. I help them through the feelings and help through the process of dealing with the feelings. My youngest is three years old. She cries any time she doesn’t get her way. If her sister says “no, you can’t play with my Gameboy” I don’t punish her sister when Tashie cries. It’s rejection. No, it’s doesn’t feel good. That is why it is rejection. Deal with it.

    My girls are gonna grow up and know that there are gonna be a range of emotions that they will go through, but they will have to deal with. Not every single thing in life is someone else’s fault. I know this first hand. How many emotions do I grow through in one day? I am permanently disabled. Do I sit here and blame every one else for being in pain all the freaking time? Do I sit here and call television stations when my newspaper is in my bushes instead of my porch? This is life. There are no guarantees that things are gonna go our way. There are going to be hard things to come for everyone. This includes rejection. And I have been dealing with rejection all week. The only time I get pissed off about it is when the rejection is done in an ignorant way. If it is done with courtesy and respect, then I move on. I will continue to get rejection. But am I going to the newspapers because of the way some ignorant doctor treated me a few days ago? No. I screamed, I cursed, and yes I cried. And now I have to the point of moving on. And I hope and pray that my children take from their experience of living with a mother who is going through what a typical mother doesn’t – I hope they grow up to look back and see the strength I had, the resolve I had, and the way I handled rejection. I had my emotions and pushed through them and now am moving on. All children should be taught this.

    Man, I’ll go on and on and on about this. But this mother needs a kick in the head. And her kid needs a lifetime supply of tissues. Because life is hard. At times it sucks. And it’s not always the other person’s fault. Cry your eyes out. Then move on.

  • Belf!!!

    I just watched the video.

    That was five minutes of my life I’ll never get back.

    And I miss them terribly.

  • asdfsadf2

    well, you’re a complete moron. but what can i expect, you use a mac.

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/ Vinny

    Wrong, dumbass. I don’t even own one. See the 30,000 previous articles about that for clarification.

  • http://www.seekingmysanity.com/ Bridget

    Parents use to much scapegoating when it comes to their kids. If I knew my child was writing a letter to a corporation (and I would know because I actually am involved in my children’s lives), I would also explain to them from the beginning that a) they may not even receive a response as the corporation is massive and they receive so many letters that my child’s may not be read immediately. 2) I would also explain that if a letter came back it may be a letter of rejection, or thank you, or even a mass generated response. If my child is going to do something that mature then they need to have the maturity to accept whatever response they get. Yes, if my kid did that and cried over it, I would be upset – not at the corporation, but because they are simply crying. It’s life.

    Too many parents are raising their children to just blame everyone else for their feelings. Why? Because we have medical professionals telling us that coddling our kids and treating their feelings like it’s the end all be all of life. I’m a mother of three, as you already know. I treat my children with respect as humans, and have complete empathy for how they feel. I help them through the feelings and help through the process of dealing with the feelings. My youngest is three years old. She cries any time she doesn’t get her way. If her sister says “no, you can’t play with my Gameboy” I don’t punish her sister when Tashie cries. It’s rejection. No, it’s doesn’t feel good. That is why it is rejection. Deal with it.

    My girls are gonna grow up and know that there are gonna be a range of emotions that they will go through, but they will have to deal with. Not every single thing in life is someone else’s fault. I know this first hand. How many emotions do I grow through in one day? I am permanently disabled. Do I sit here and blame every one else for being in pain all the freaking time? Do I sit here and call television stations when my newspaper is in my bushes instead of my porch? This is life. There are no guarantees that things are gonna go our way. There are going to be hard things to come for everyone. This includes rejection. And I have been dealing with rejection all week. The only time I get pissed off about it is when the rejection is done in an ignorant way. If it is done with courtesy and respect, then I move on. I will continue to get rejection. But am I going to the newspapers because of the way some ignorant doctor treated me a few days ago? No. I screamed, I cursed, and yes I cried. And now I have to the point of moving on. And I hope and pray that my children take from their experience of living with a mother who is going through what a typical mother doesn’t – I hope they grow up to look back and see the strength I had, the resolve I had, and the way I handled rejection. I had my emotions and pushed through them and now am moving on. All children should be taught this.

    Man, I’ll go on and on and on about this. But this mother needs a kick in the head. And her kid needs a lifetime supply of tissues. Because life is hard. At times it sucks. And it’s not always the other person’s fault. Cry your eyes out. Then move on.

  • Belf!!!

    I just watched the video.

    That was five minutes of my life I’ll never get back.

    And I miss them terribly.