The iPad

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Ahh the censorship war.  I see it no matter what forum, no matter what site, no matter what company, no matter what or where, it exists.  None of what you shared surprises me.  Apple, I will agree, has some of the weirdest restrictions I've seen from a major company, its not totally unheard of. 

So is it a bad thing?  I'm kinda on the fence on this one atm. 

King

[X]

I just don't see any reason for blocking content that is not illegal in a device that you own. They are either a business or the morality police. You can't be both, the tax codes don't like that.

If they want to show the world according to Apple, that's fine, but don't block content and not inform the people buying your product that you aren't going to allow certain things.

[Mrs. Rico]

I'm really wondering how people already with iPhones and paying for those already will take to this.  Seems like a duplication of many things for them.  I think the product looks pretty neat and I'm tempted right now since I don't have an iPhone - plus Lynn has wanted some type of eBook reader.  Maybe I'll get her one and surprise her (shush - don't tell).   ;)

Hey, I think that would be great! Although Eric wouldn't let me hear the end of it.

[Rico]

She's back!  ;)

[Bryancd]

I just don't see any reason for blocking content that is not illegal in a device that you own. They are either a business or the morality police. You can't be both, the tax codes don't like that.

If they want to show the world according to Apple, that's fine, but don't block content and not inform the people buying your product that you aren't going to allow certain things.

They are not blocking content, they are not allowing the content on an application. You can still go online with an iPhone or iPad and look at whatever floats your boat.

[X]

I just don't see any reason for blocking content that is not illegal in a device that you own. They are either a business or the morality police. You can't be both, the tax codes don't like that.

If they want to show the world according to Apple, that's fine, but don't block content and not inform the people buying your product that you aren't going to allow certain things.

They are not blocking content, they are not allowing the content on an application. You can still go online with an iPhone or iPad and look at whatever floats your boat.

Is there really a difference? They are censoring a subject that is will only be accessed by the people paying money to access it.

[Bryancd]

Is there really a difference?

Yes. Apple doesn't care what content you look at on the internet, however as a business they need to be aware of the content they tacitly support via there applications. They have a corporate image and reputation which is at their discretion to promote and manage.

[X]

It's nice to know that gay people cuddling is against the corporate image of Apple. Gives me more than enough reason to take my money else where. If all cuddling was banned, I wouldn't have an argument, but as it stands, their image and reputation comes off as bigoted.

I'm not going to suggest that people boycott Apple or anything like that, but it's not something that I can support.

[Rico]

Not that I want to open this up even more, but what are you guys talking about?  Is this an app. or just web surfing?

P.S.  Just a thought, but just about every company censors things in some way.  Basically, they don't want to get sued.  Such as, I gave little Johnny an iPad and look at this stuff you let him do with it.  Just an idea.

[Bryancd]

Not that I want to open this up even more, but what are you guys talking about?  Is this an app. or just web surfing?

P.S.  Just a thought, but just about every company censors things in some way.  Basically, they don't want to get sued.  Such as, I gave little Johnny an iPad and look at this stuff you let him do with it.  Just an idea.

It's an iPhone application for reading web comics.

And Chris, if you feel that way, knock yourself out. I no way feel this is "anti-gay" or "anti-cuddling". If a comany markets and sell's a product, they have every right to control how that product is used. If you don't like it, but anlternative product. Simple free market.

[Rico]

Ahh, well if it's an App. I see no problem in it at all.  Apple keeps those Apps. on a pretty tight leash and they have never been as open a platform as say a PC.  That just goes with the territory.  I don't see anything new in this.  Again, I think they just are protecting themselves - to a degree.  The rest is marketing and so on.

[Feathers]

Surely any company has a right to decide what it does and doesn't want to sell? All companies do it - Ford sells cars and McDonalds sells...meat products (:)). I haven't seen either being forced to sell the products of the other.

Equally, individuals have the right to buy (or not) products from whomsoever they choose to do business with. Anyone can agree or disagree with a company's (or another individuals) policy but I don't believe they have any right to go any further than that.

If I can decide what Apple 'ought' to sell, presumably they have the reciprocal right to decide what I 'ought' to buy? ;)

[X]

Surely any company has a right to decide what it does and doesn't want to sell? All companies do it - Ford sells cars and McDonalds sells...meat products (:)). I haven't seen either being forced to sell the products of the other.

Equally, individuals have the right to buy (or not) products from whomsoever they choose to do business with. Anyone can agree or disagree with a company's (or another individuals) policy but I don't believe they have any right to go any further than that.

If I can decide what Apple 'ought' to sell, presumably they have the reciprocal right to decide what I 'ought' to buy? ;)

Yes they can decide what to sell. They are selling the app, but censoring specific content on that app that doesn't on the surface violate their standards.

They are allowing Walking Dead. A great comic, but one that is heavy in gore, murder, rape, the murder of infants, dismemberment, and a host of other things. Yet same sex cuddling gets banned?

If I buy a Kindle, I don't want to be told one day "oh we decided to not let you read Mark Twain books or access any books with content that is above pg-13."

As Bryan pointed out, they aren't censoring the web. That's nice to know that they are just specifically targeting a specific subject and allowing hetero version of the same stuff to still happen.

What if they decide that they want to expand that exclusion and ban images of mixed couples or minorities in their app content? Sure, they have a right to do it, but having a right does not make it right.

It's a door that I don't think should be opened because it becomes too easy to accept and add more things to the banned list without cause. The problem that I've seen with things like this is that people don't have a problem with things because it doesn't seem to affect them and when it gets to a point where it does affect you, it's too late.

I've never been comfortable with standing back and ignoring something because it didn't affect me personally.

[Bryancd]

Again, they are NOT censoring what you can view at your discretion. They are making a choice as to what they allow on a product that they license and sell. They can't prevent you from looking at any image or content you want, but they don't have to make their own applications open to everything you may want to look at it.

And I am unclear how you know that "app that doesn't on the surface violate their standards." Are you privy to what Apple's "standards" are?

[Feathers]

Are you privy to what Apple's "standards" are?

That's a loaded question...a lot of developers would LOVE to talk to anyone who knows what Apple's standards are!