Comments on: Apple Might Be Watching You

By: Roman ShaRP

Roman ShaRP — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:10:58 +0000

I agree with guys who posted before me. I don’t see anything bad in it.

Company monitors its product/service problems and feedback? It’s great! Or do you prefer “sell and forget” attitude?

Company offers help? I’d love such company :) Or do you prefer calling to company only to hear “No, this can’t be our problem, it’s your problem”?

By: exglade

exglade — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:02:29 +0000

For me, I think it’s very good for a company to step down viewing the public. Like the Prime Minister of my country step down from his seat and take the train, then only he realise what a crap is the train service now.

I feel pleased if I am Nicole Gorski. Mac is a caring company :D I hope Microsoft do the same.

By: Votre

Votre — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 19:35:44 +0000

A public forum is a public forum. And I’d find it foolish for any company worth its salt to not stay on top of what is being said about them or their products. That is quality control at its most basic.

I also think I’d rather get a call out of the blue from a company, for a question I asked public, to the other alternative, which is to have my question (which I posted on company-owned forums as well as via direct e-mail to tech support) totally ignored.

I’ve had the alternative happen enough times that I’d welcome Nicole Gorski’s experience with Apple.

By: Dotan Cohen

Dotan Cohen — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:43:30 +0000

She posted in a public place, so I do think that this is fine. In fact, I think that it is great. What is scary about a company rep reading a public forum? There was a story on /. a few months ago about Comcast doing somthing similar.

By: Max

Max — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:20:52 +0000

I think it’s a good idea. It’s not like Apple called her to sell her something. They called because they saw she was having problems in the support forums and wanted to help out. I wish more companies would do the same thing. I agree that maybe there should be some preference in the Apple forums options that says “Apple could call me/e-mail me” but I don’t think it’s a bad thing that they called at all.

By: Angelo R.

Angelo R. — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:08:08 +0000

To be honest, I think this is great. Companies are realizing that people are going to other sources for information, and are willing to step in and provide that information.

As long as you are
a) Not being charged for it
b) Don’t have any sort of tracking built into the mac

I don’t see how there should be a problem.

What they need to realize, or at least state, is that they shouldn’t be tracking people unknowingly. Sure they could troll around forums looking for people to help, but they can never, and should never, install any sort of desktop tracking software.