Apple's reasonable judgment?!??!?!?!?!
That's an oxymoron if ever there was one.
Murderdrome is a comic published exclusively for the iPhone and iPod Touch, which makes its removal from iTunes something of a problem for publishers Infurious and bodes badly for their comic-rendering application. It should come as no surprise that a product called Murderdrome has found itself removed from a channel that …
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.... when everytime Apple sticks the knife in their customer-suckers backs and twists it when they produce one of their long history of BUGGY and FLAWED products - like the G3 iBook, G4 iBook, G3 PowerBooks, G4 TiBooks, G4 AlumiBooks, MacBooks, MacBook Pros, the Majority of G3 - G4 - G5 Power Macs, G3 and G4 iMacs, and even the new MacIntel iMac and Mac Pros - yes MacTards and Apple Kool Aid Drinkers, ALL the buggy Macs are well documented on the Internet.
Funny how Macs and iPuds always seem to croak from one of those built-in flaws right after the warranty runs out.
While I'm anti-censorship in most cases, I have no problem with Apple's policy.
Now if the MPAA started rating applications, then Apple could simply follow the ratings (like they do on movies as you point out.)
However, you already know the video game rating system here in the States is horrible. While the MPAA can restrict movie viewers at a theatre, any retailer who denies selling a violent M rated game to a 4 year old can face a lawsuit. The Register has pointed out this problem before so this shouldn't be a surprise.
The real question is, should it be Apple's responsibility to become a rating body as Infurious has suggested? I personally don't think it's Apple's responsibility to become a rating organization so we are left with the current dilemma.
The truth of the matter is, the ratings system right now is a mess. With Playboy magazine only being purchasable by someone over 18 here, but a DVD that is extremely violent with an R rating such as Hostel being purchasable by a young child.
So the problem really isn't Apple's and with the current situation of things being what they are, I'm fine with them restricting items as they see fit. If a consistent rating system were in place, then people could practice self censorship, which is always better then forced censorship.
You can!
Windows Mobile gives instructions on how to get the comics on your WinMob device ...
Buy a copy of the New York Times (or newspaper of choice)
Cut out the comic strip of your choice
Discard remainder of newspaper
Buy glue
Stick comic strip to WinMob device
Remember to keep glue for next comic
There, see ... Familiar Software to Make your Life Easier!
Listen, if there are people out there with enough free time and brain cell bandwidth to crack the iPone (spelling intentional - from Dictionary.com "(b) An obsolete writ to enforce appearance in court by attaching goods or requiring securities.") then this app will find its' way back onto the Silver Frisbee.
Hell, Apple just released tools to let anyone install anything - package that up right, and make it downloadable.
Good luck to them too. I'm all in favour of underground successes which piss all over political correctness in all its' forms. How hard is it to produce an over-18s app / content area? Or are they after the "Disney Halo"? Far chance of that at this stage, I suspect...
Got to mention - webster, take a breath mate! You'll pop a vessel!
Although I feel a little sorry for the producers of Murderdrome it can't hurt to have regular reminders of why locking yourself into Apple means trusting them to make decisions for you.
(disclaimer: not that locking yourself into many companies is a risk, Apple just seems to be able to exercise more control than most other companies and somehow the buyers see it as a selling point...)
...to deliver to then this would be a bad thing. But it's not. Windows Mobile, Symbian, Android anyone?
Why are people getting all upset about the treatment of iPhone apps? Apple have rules and can apply judgements how they see fit. If you don't like it, leave. Can it be more simple? No. Take your (no doubt open-saucy) moral indignation somewhere else.
Apple should not be allowed to apply censoship! If an organization that is appointed and controlled by democratically elected officials has the power to censor or ban some content, I will accept it because ultimately it is the public that controls the process through whoever they elected.
That a private company decide to censor content is an entirely other matter. What's next, applications that automatically censor anything that makes apple look bad? That apple provides an advisory rating such as "this application contains material not suitable for young children" is certainly acceptable, just removing the content because apple doesn't like it is not acceptable!
Commercial companies, apart from those who sell "objectionable" content, have to worry about what their shareholders, clients, advertisers and governments actually think about the content they deliver.
This is why the BBC actually has more cutting edge TV than any other British TV company, they don't have to find sponsors for programs that some might find "offensive" and brand managers are very conservative about what their products might be associated with.
Apple are also susceptible to blandishments from competing organisations along the lines of get rid of that upstart, and we'll do you a much better deal on our content. So don't be too surprised if the same technology appears under the guise of DC or Marvel. After all one does have to maximise shareholder value, and they are not a charity.
Ah. the price of everything and the value of nothing.
It really won't be too long before Google, Yahoo and the rest start censoring what you can and can't see, in the name of profit, Apple just isn't quite big enough or strong enough to ignore these things.
Want to change their decision, eMail them direct, and frequently.