I wonder what Diaz would think of my former employer. I, too, had to agree to keep the employer’s secrets. However:
* I could be prosecuted and sent to prison if I did reveal secrets.
* I was under compulsion to not reveal secrets for life.
* If I were to ever write an article or book dealing with my time with the employer, I might have to get the employer’s permission to publish it.
* I couldn’t quit without the employer’s permission.
* I couldn’t participate in most political activities at all, not just at work. (Many First Amendment rights were abrogated–legally.)

I quoted you, not Jesus. ;)

Except that nowhere did Jesus Diaz say or imply that “choosing a Mac is exactly like honoring and supporting tyrannical leaders of a regime that murdered 10’s of millions of people.”

…snap!

At least Apple doesn’t dispatch bicyclists to inflict motorcycle accidents on critical bloggers, like Gooogle does. Instead Apple just sues them.

Of course, FTA actually said that “some employees call them the Apple Gestapo”, or something like that… (I can’t easily and go double check, because the iPhone doesn’t support multitasking with NetNewsWire.)

But yes, the article is paraphrasing a third party source, one who obviously either has a sense of humor or is just disgruntled, one whom isn’t identified for obvious reasons.

Quoting sensitive sources? How… journalistic.

I personally think a tongue-in-cheek comparison to the absurd surveillance (sp?) practices of the East German Stasi, since people seem to have a much sense of humor about the Stasi than the Gestapo. (No Godwin’s Law, either.)

If the level of of surveillance described in the article actually exists, then yes, Apple is being excessive. Requiring (recommending, lol) employees turn over their personal cellphones brings to mind the big story early this year of the Bozeman, Monatana asking job applicants to hand over their Facebook credentials to the city. (Though, I’m sure neither has anything on the Department of Defense or the State Department, your mailman can pretty much say whatever the f*ck he wants. FOIA, anyone?)

While yes, Nazi comparisons are almost always shallow and juvenile, what’s really douche-y is spending an entire article harping about it.

http://themacadvocate.com/2009/05/04/douchebag-row-my-tribute-to-tech’s-finest/

I’m sure it’s a coincidence. :) If it isn’t, I’m flattered. Good stuff, Dan. Jesus is one temper tantrum away from total obscurity.

Except that nowhere did Dan say or imply that “choosing a computer with Windows is exactly like honoring and supporting tyrannical leaders of a regime that murdered 10’s of millions of people.”

Despite Microsoft’s pretty terrible ability to keep secrets—and its CEOs who like to brag about products that either evaporate as vaporware or materialize as compromised, uninspired, by-committee crap—their privacy policies are likely very similar to Apple’s…and Google’s, and just about every other major commercial company that’s ever existed.

From what I can tell, Diaz seems to like Apple in most of his articles (at least recently). For example, recently he wrote: “Top 5 Assclown iPhone Quotes in 2007″ which makes fun of pundits who dismissed iPhone without considering the merits.

Looks like this time his story is too sensational for his own good. The Nazi comparison is definitely inappropriate, but that’s probably because he never had a job in the corporate environment before.

Anyway, Apple’s security seems to be on par as any large corporation.

In contrast, Microsoft seems to be even more restricted than Apple.

MS even fired a guy who posted a photo showing a large shipment of Macs on MS campus. The guy thought the photo is ok to post because the photo contained no Microsoft confidential information, no building features, no security measures, and no Microsoft personnel. But Microsoft fired the guy anyway even when there is no intellectual property at risk.

“Microsoft’s ideological contempt for and resistance to free markets and the open expression and propagation of fresh ideas and technologies is a close parallel of the old USSR…”

I’m assuming this is SOOOOOO MUCH DIFFERENT than Apple being called Nazis. Because really, choosing a computer with Windows is exactly like honoring and supporting tyrannical leaders of a regime that murdered 10’s of millions of people.

To quote LOST: “You see this glass house your living in, Jack? How about I get you some stones.”