The Efficient Mac User

Think Bull: Why the Shuttering of Think Secret Is No Big Deal

- 2008.01.04 - Tip Jar

del.icio.us Bookmark in del.icio.us Slashdot Suggest to Slashdot

Low End Mac Reader Specials

Memory To Go Special: New 2008 iMac 2GB $42 / iMac Intel Core2 DUO & MacBook Pro 2GB $36 - 1GB $20. MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $154 / 2GB kit $94 -- Free shipping available.

Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com

LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, iMac's, Apple Batteries and Apple A/C Adapters. Also Great prices on Used Apple Computers. Call 1-800-941-7654 Click Here.

OWC: Juice up your iPod w/NewerTech High Capacity Battery from $19.99 Free Installation Videos for most models. Pro Installation Service w/FedEx Shipping From $57.95 (Battery Included). - www.MacSales.com

Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.

Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.

Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.

New MacPro Memory 800Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink 2GB $88 / 4GB $138 / 8GB $274 - Click to Maximize your Macs...

Over the past few weeks, those who pay attention to Apple and Mac news (especially rumors and speculation regarding upcoming announcements) will have learned of Apple's settlement with the Think Secret website and its owner, Nick Ciarelli. Lots of kerfuffle has been made about whether this is good or bad for Apple, the press, and the Apple fan community - most have concluded that it is generally bad.

I'm here today to proclaim that it is actually a very good thing - and also that it's no big deal. After watching the train wreck of opinions (probably best typified in the caricature that was analyst Rob Enderle's big gaffe, followed by his attempt to explain himself and save face), I can hold my tongue no longer! Please - stop the madness!

Here are five reasons why we can, and should, comfortably move on from this nonevent:

Apple Wins

Think Secret was largely the fruit of Mr. Ciarelli's use of an inside contact (or multiple contacts) within Apple. As Apple is generally one of the most secretive tech companies around, it is a safe bet - if not a guaranteed sure-thing - that any and all informants were in violation of a legally binding Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Thus, Apple was able, through this settlement, to silence (for now) one or more lawbreakers in their company, a big win.

Apple Loses

Those who believe that this settlement is a purely self-serving move by Apple, with no benefit beyond 1 Infinite Loop, are mistaken on two counts. To begin with, Apple did not learn the names of the sources through this settlement, so the lawbreakers are silenced for now, but they cannot yet receive what is really due them: to be fired and sued for unlawful disclosure.

Second, however, is the unquantifiable factor that Apple gains from rumors and speculation in the buzz surrounding product releases. No doubt Apple felt about this in a similar way that they did when they spoke out against unlocking and "jailbreaking" iPhones: They needed to honor their legal commitments, but the hype and sales that result from these possibilities hurts also.

Nick Ciarelli Wins

Mr. Ciarelli, a student at Harvard University, has gone on record stating that he is very satisfied with the settlement. Speculation about the details of the settlement has nearly reached the level of speculation about a subcompact Mac notebook, but one thing is certain: Mr. Ciarelli is officially off the hook for any shady practices he may have engaged in while publishing the site, while not having to reveal his sources.

And remember: It was not Apple's decision alone to close down Think Secret; the very nature of a settlement is where both parties reach an agreement. Mr. Ciarelli chose to shutter the website, just as some journalists have chosen to reveal their sources, and others have retracted stories. It was his decision too.

Journalism Is Not at Stake

The fact that Ciarelli was able to protect his sources is a boon for journalism, where the protection of anonymity for sources has long been a herald of First Amendment rights. Yet much has been made of the fact that the site was shut down, and this is perceived as a threat to journalism. It's not: Spreading rumors is not journalism.

Journalism is about spreading facts - specifically, legally obtained facts. If Mr. Ciarelli was simply a purveyor of rumors, no claim of threat exists, as he was not a journalist. If, however, he was publishing facts that were obtained illegally (through lawbreaking insiders), he was also not engaging in ethical journalism. Taking journalism classes and writing for the school newspaper does not define Mr. Ciarelli as a journalist, nor does it automatically categorize all writing that he publishes as a journalistic endeavor.

Not all blogs are journalistic, even if the fuzzy and gray boundaries of journalism have expanded to include some. Journalists of the world: Get over it. You cannot cite Think Secret as a precedent-setting publication that will allow you to use illegally obtained information and not be prosecuted for breaking the law.

Apple Is Not a Public Entity

Some of the most irresponsible "journalism" I've seen in the coverage of this nonevent is the comparison of Think Secret to those who would publish governmental secrets that should be a matter of public record. This is wrong on several levels.

To begin with, Apple is a publicly traded company, not a publicly owned company or public service. I don't have a right to information about Apple in the same way that the Freedom of Information Act allows me access to information about governmental documents. Stock holders have a right to the information that their stock prospectuses stipulate; non-shareholders have no right to any information not required to be made public by the Securities Exchange Commission. This does not include corporate secrets.

Furthermore, why do we assume that anything governmental should be public, just because the government is a public service? Personally, I like the fact that the names of undercover agents, etc. are kept secret; I'm certain that there are reams of information that is equally justifiable in its secrecy. Please, discard this unhelpful equivocation.

Let's move on. This is not the end of speculation, rumor, or even leaked facts about Apple. And it is certainly not the end of journalism. LEM

If you find Ed's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.

Recent Efficient Mac User articles

Links for the Day

Recent Content on Low End Mac

About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts

This article copyright ©2008 by Ed Eubanks. Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2008 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
  LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
  Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
  Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
  PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
  Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, PowerBook, MacBook, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.


Have a question?
Ask an expert!

Navigation

Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Best Used Macs
Video Cards
Email Lists
InfoMac's Low
End Mac Forum

Favorite Sites

MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
   Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
   Mac FAQ
Abandonware
   Petition
Mac vs. PC Info

Affiliates

The Apple Store
Mac Connection
MacMall
TechRestore
MacResQ
ExperCom
Crucial Memory
batteries.com

Advertise

All of our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For price quotes and advertising information, please contact at BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only.

Open Link

Problems viewing this page with Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6? It works fine in other browsers, including IE 7. We recommend Firefox for those using Windows, as it is standards based and more secure than IE 6 (and earlier). More LEM visitors use Firefox than any other browser.