[LINK] Apple is turning into the evil empire

[Dr Bob Jansen]

On 09/03/2011 2:37 PM, Roger Clarke wrote:
>
> Tragic and frightening aspects include the following:
> (1)  users don't understand what they're buying into
> (2)  users are therefore not giving consent, just being conned
>        into accepting conditions that are against their interests
>
> Tragic and frightening aspects might also include the following:
> (3)  some of the people who have the capacity to explain that to
>        them don't do so (or maybe don't even understand the problem?)
>
>
1. I would argue that most consumers do know what they are buying in to. 
When they buy a fridge they want something that keeps the contents cold. 
When they buy a TV they want something that lets them watch TV channels, 
they don't care whether it is IP TV or  wireless TV, just let me watch 
the show I want when it is on. As for computers, most consumers I know 
just want it to do certain things, like web, email and word processing. 
They understand, as far as their knowledge lets them, what they are 
buying in to. If it works for them at a price they can afford then 
that's all they want.

2. Like all consumers, we are all at risk of being conned by 
unscrupulous merchants who sell us stuff against our interest. But what 
would be the effort to get the complete picture before signing? I would 
posit that we would not sell anything - it'd all be too difficult and 
confusing.

3. The problem comes when us techies try and explain what is possible - 
they just get confused, 'I just want to send and receive email', is what 
I often get. They are not power users, they just want to send and 
receive email. All this calendaring/ archiving/ etc is not for them - 
they have no use for it. It's a bit like the old style video camera, 
does lots of things, editing, subtitles, fade in/out, etc, but 99% of 
the people just record some video. And they are happy with that.

bobj

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Dr Bob Jansen
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