Apple Response to 3rd Grader’s Letter: Get Lost!

[lolly]

Third grader Shea O’Gorman loves her iPod Nano, so when her class started learning about writing a letter, she decided to write Steve Jobs. In her letter, Shea wrote about her ideas to improve the gadget.

Three months later, she heard back … from the big meanies at Apple’s legal department telling her to shove off!

That’s right, apple’s legal department, telling a nine year old that apple does not accept unsolicited ideas. Apple’s legal department told her not send them her suggestions, and if she wants to know why, she could read their legal policy on the Internet.

"We were stunned, we just were stunned, is the best word to say. It just wasn’t the appropriate type letter to send to a third grader who had the initiative to write to them," said Shea’s mom.

"It kind of seemed like they were saying well we don’t want your idea like it’s not good or anything," said Shea.

And her mom thinks it’s even worse coming from apple. "They are a company who tries to promote itself as an educator of children. That was really, it was unacceptable. They know better than that," said Shea’s mom.

cbs13.com - Apple Sends 3rd Grader Cease And Desist Letter

[Wilks_eye]

This is a bad sign. If Apple doesn't do a little damage control here, they would lose some rep.

Why do we do business? Its to satisfy people. If legalese and suits prevent us from being nice, from having human ethics in business, then what the hell is it for?

[rossable]

companies have had this policy for years!
what's the big deal of it now?

i remember getting a similar letters as a kid from several companies.

it's all for the prevention of getting sued by some guy forty years after the fact for some letter he wrote when he was 6. think about it from a business stand-point and it totally makes sense.

[Wilks_eye]

Granted. But they could have handled it way better and way more nicer than they did. Plus, they could also have sent a letter to the parents telling them why they had to do that.

[rossable]

Originally Posted by Wilks_eye

they could also have sent a letter to the parents telling them why they had to do that.

it's a form letter...

no matter who you are or what age you happen to be, if you submit a suggestion you will get the same response.

i'm not positive about this but i think that because of legal reasons they can specifically do what you suggested because they don't want to get sued. so if you have a suggestion join the freaking company and give it in the proper setting. i know that you have the intention of helping make a better product but companies aren't "open source" and by trying to help out you actually limit what they can do or how they can do it. that may not be true but the point is still there.

[Wilks_eye]

Originally Posted by rossable

it's a form letter...

no matter who you are or what age you happen to be, if you submit a suggestion you will get the same response.

i'm not positive about this but i think that because of legal reasons they can specifically do what you suggested because they don't want to get sued. so if you have a suggestion join the freaking company and give it in the proper setting. i know that you have the intention of helping make a better product but companies aren't "open source" and by trying to help out you actually limit what they can do or how they can do it. that may not be true but the point is still there.

Yes, and its the same form letter that just got them bad publicity. I mean how hard is it to enclose a small , more personal worded note? Some clerk in the legal department is too busy to jot down a few words for a kid?

Yes, the point exists and no one is refuting that. It just doesnt hurt to be nicer don't you think? Sometimes, suit-centricity sucks but alas, its there.

[mjhoagland]

Originally Posted by Wilks_eye

Yes, and its the same form letter that just got them bad publicity. I mean how hard is it to enclose a small , more personal worded note? Some clerk in the legal department is too busy to jot down a few words for a kid?

Yes, the point exists and no one is refuting that. It just doesnt hurt to be nicer don't you think? Sometimes, suit-centricity sucks but alas, its there.

Business isn't about being nice. It's about doing business and making a return to your investors, if there are any. If company policy dictates that form 42WTF(ever) be sent in response to unsolicited ideas then you had better do it or you're going to get fired. That's all that happened.

It's way too over publisized. Kids these days are treated like f-in demigods on tricycles rather than kids. Kids are stupid, flat out. They don't know the real world; they don't know business; they don't know how adults work; they don't know reality in general. It's not their fault. Don't think me to be a monster about kids, I like being around em and my fiance's daughter is adorable. But the facts remain the same among this.

How people get enough emotional skin as adults is by taking some smacks to the face and to keep rolling with the world. It's part of learning and growing up, nothing more.

[rossable]

well said! anyone who thinks kids need protected from anything are callow themselves! life experience builds character and forms you into who you are. to deny children this is the reason that the world is full of ignorant adults. i don't care if you agree or not. everyone is entitled to their own opinion, you can be wrong if you want!

[Wilks_eye]

Business isn't about being nice. It's about doing business and making a return to your investors, if there are any. If company policy dictates that form 42WTF(ever) be sent in response to unsolicited ideas then you had better do it or you're going to get fired. That's all that happened.

If you choose to view your business as such, I respect that. I am not attempting to dissuade anyone from their perception of how to do business. Business isnt about being nice, true, because people have to be nice first. some aren't but are still successful. That's just the way it is. And I don't think Apple is horrible at all. It all came down to process and papers, that's all.

Pardon me sirs, but Im not saying Apple shouldn't have sent the letter. All I'm saying is that It could have been handled differently. Please dont get ticked off. All I'm saying is that it could have been handled differently, with even such a bit of time and thought spent.

Kids don't know adult business, of course that's true. But we don't actually say or think when were around kids : "Stupid you. You dont know real business. That is why you are stupid."

well said! anyone who thinks kids need protected from anything are callow themselves! life experience builds character and forms you into who you are. to deny children this is the reason that the world is full of ignorant adults. i don't care if you agree or not. everyone is entitled to their own opinion, you can be wrong if you want!

But wait, I do not view Apple to be the ultimate evil empire to be protected from. I also believe in not overprotecting children. I also believe the issue was overblown. All Im saying is that there is a way to handle it nicely and be perfectly legal still with the letter.

And yes, we can agree to disagree, And you can be wrong if you want to too. Anyway, I believe the issue is past and it will only be an insignificant speck in the history of Apple. If it will ever be included at all. So let's not argue guys okay? Its just diffrent strokes.

Peace.

[L[Design]]

Well said MJ and ROSS! I am an educator, kids now days are for the most lazy and want everything handed to them. When the young girl received the letter from Apple, her parents could have made a life lesson from that. "Keep your head up." "You can do whatever you want." And so on.... But now days, parents protect the kids, to every end of the spectrum, somedays i get nothing more done than making kids study for tests, making them, when they fail the test, gues what? Not their fault. We need to toughen kids up again.