Korrupted Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Apple's hard-hearted response to a letter full of suggestions to improve iPods made a nine-year old little girl cry, prompting a change in company policy. As a video report from CBS 5 News explains, nine-year old Shea O'Gorman was learning letter-writing at school, and chose to write a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, offering some ideas she had dreamed-up which she thought would make the iPod nano she loves even better. She suggested adding support for song lyrics to the music player so she could sing along to her songs. She posted the letter to Jobs, and three months later attracted a terse response from senior corporate legal beagle, Mark Aaker, senior counsel of Apple's law department. It told her that Apple doesn't accept unsolicited ideas and that she should not send them in. It told her to check Apple's policy on this. The poor little girl threw the letter into the air and ran, weeping, to her bedroom. She felt that Apple was telling her that her ideas just weren't good enough. At just nine years old it's hard to stomach such rejection, even if the policy is designed to protect Apple from future patent lawsuits should submitted ideas ever be used. The girl's mother described the family as feeling "stunned". "It just wasn't an appropriate kind of letter to send to a nine-year old," she said. The CBS 5 News team agreed, and launched an inquiry, which Apple declined to comment on. The company's general counsel has since rung O'Gorman up to apologise for the affair. The company also held a special meeting last week during which ways to change company policy when dealing with children were discussed. Source: http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=14386 My opinion: I think they should have sent some other type of letter, not a legal message like that. I thought it was a little harsh, even if they did apologize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callysto Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 "Apple doesn't accept unsolicited ideas" Such arrogance, to disregard suggestions or ideas from any user let alone a nine year old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swad Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Yeah, that is pretty tacky - I'm really surprised that they don't take suggestions at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristie_jeff Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 I am not in the habbit of defending corporations, but we don't know what the letter said. Maybe she didn't put in there that she was 9 years old. To them it could have seemed as if an adult was writing the letter. I think the media blows stuff out of porportion a lot of the time. If one of us had received that reply from Apple, it would have appeard as a standard form letter and we would have just tossed it in the trash and called them names on the way back to the fridge for another beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabr Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 I am not in the habbit of defending corporations, but we don't know what the letter said. Maybe she didn't put in there that she was 9 years old. To them it could have seemed as if an adult was writing the letter. I think the media blows stuff out of porportion a lot of the time. If one of us had received that reply from Apple, it would have appeard as a standard form letter and we would have just tossed it in the trash and called them names on the way back to the fridge for another beer. Mmmm, that's exactly my thoughts... How would Apple have known it was a nine year old girl writing it? If she was learning letter-writing, I don't think she would have disclosed her age within the letter: "Hello Steve Jobs, I am nine years old and have some ideas for future releases of the Apple Ipod product..." I don't think so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rohde Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Considering the sue-and-forget attitude in the US, it's understandable that Apple will not accept any feature suggestions - it could turn out to be a legal nightmare for them. The letter was probably some standard form they send out for situations like this, although they could phrase it a bit better I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainbone Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 How would Apple have known it was a nine year old girl writing it? If she was learning letter-writing, I don't think she would have disclosed her age within the letter: If you watched the news clip, it's implied that the letter was hand written. That alone would have been a likely sign that the letter was from a child. Even so, blindly refusing suggestions from anyone in a manner such as that is rude. Simply starting the letter with something more like "Thank you for your wonderful ideas, [insert another empty compliment here], but unfortunately due to legal reasons ...", instead of a lawyers cold touch, could have prevented completely squashing a 9 year old girl’s confidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooly Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Very bad.So stop helping Apple. Instead Hack it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dponmac Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 I honestly doubt Apple has the time to thouroughly look through every letter they get from customers. Just because it was hand written doesn't mean they should have assumed it was from a child. A lot of adults' handwriting looks like they have a 3rd grade education. And I guarantee they didn't personally write the letter back to her, it was probably something pre-written that they just send back to everyone that solicits ideas. Besides. The girl is 9. Its about time she gets revealed to the harsh reality of rejection. With ideas like lyrics to sing along to her favorite songs, I'm sure she'll go through a lot more rejection in high school.. :censored2: hmm.. I wonder how our good friend Bill treat this.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainbone Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Besides. The girl is 9. Its about time she gets revealed to the harsh reality of rejection. With ideas like lyrics to sing along to her favorite songs, I'm sure she'll go through a lot more rejection in high school.. The question is: Who does it hurt more? The little Girl, or Apple? Rudely dismissing your customers, especially when you're a company that likes to be viewed as "thinking different", probably isn't the smartest thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouch Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 It's doubtful the senior counsel even read the letter or the reply for that matter - it would be sent out by some mindless gofor who probably sent out a stack of them at the same time. I bet he got a call from steve in the morning though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dponmac Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Think Different. That's Excactly what it is. MOst Big company's would put a little girl's dream down softly, keeping her self esteem up. Apple takes that little girl's dream, obliterates it. and then rubs it in her face. If that's not "thinking different", I don't know what it. Kudos Apple. You have gained my market share investment!! :censored2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac sussed Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 This does not surprise me at all, corporations are all twunts, especially Apple with their special kind of brand arrogance. People are more important than corporations and I feel real sorry for that young girl. I just hope she learns that branding, advertising and such like turns people into consuming muppets. She should toss that nano in the bin. I would like to send sub commandante Marcos into Apple to sort them all out. Rant over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainbone Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Apple takes that little girl's dream, obliterates it. and then rubs it in her face. If that's not "thinking different", I don't know what it. No, that's called the corporate machine. Nothing different about that at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dponmac Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 well i guess thats a young girls first real world lesson then isn't it?? regardless, I find this story amusing.. but I guess thats what happens when you watch family guy 3 hours a day.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristie_jeff Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 If you watched the news clip, it's implied that the letter was hand written. That alone would have been a likely sign that the letter was from a child. I saw the news clip and her hand writting looks better than mine, or at least the same. My handwriting looks like {censored}. I guess that's what I get for watching Family Guy 3 hours a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainbone Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 I saw the news clip and her hand writting looks better than mine, or at least the same. My handwriting looks like {censored}. I guess that's what I get for watching Family Guy 3 hours a day. The obvious point is that it's hand written. Most adults, especially those cursed with chikenscratchitus, would've type it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dponmac Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 The obvious point is that it's hand written. Most adults, especially those cursed with chikenscratchitus, would've type it up. kids are just as computer literate if not more than an adult so they can type it up too. Besides like i said earlier I doubt Apple really took the time to go over all details in the letter. They saw it was a suggestion, tossed it in the "send letter harsh enough to make 9yr child cry" pile and went back to watching Famlily Guy.. that reminds me.. brb Famliy Guy is on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baal Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Think Different. That's Excactly what it is. MOst Big company's would put a little girl's dream down softly, keeping her self esteem up. Apple takes that little girl's dream, obliterates it. and then rubs it in her face. If that's not "thinking different", I don't know what it. Kudos Apple. You have gained my market share investment!! You're a dimwit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McGonicle Posted April 23, 2006 Share Posted April 23, 2006 With the amount of money companies such as Apple spend on R&D and in particualr market research and advertising, you'd think they woudl treat suggestions handed on a plate to them with a bit more respect, particularly as 9 year old girls are probably a part of the demographic they could make more money out of than they are at the minute. And the chances are, they will impliment the lyrics feature soon enough anyway. It was a good idea if you ask me. I don't think there would be any legal issue around suggesting the idea. If there is no patent in existance, then they can use it. And I think it would be hard to patent such an idea which has been implemented in simialr devices already. Hey, weren't Apple the guys who patented stylus tablets? Maybe it was Adobe. I can't remeber... I just remember it used to be hard to get one for my Amiga because of it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Severnya Posted April 25, 2006 Share Posted April 25, 2006 Although lyrics in iTunes isnt a great idea. they probably DID read it, note the idea down, and send the mean letter. This would make people think "oh well, they thought my ideas was a bit pants" and leave it at that. However, apple can take this idea, and slam it into iTunes, and who's to say that someone wrote in to suggest it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dponmac Posted April 25, 2006 Share Posted April 25, 2006 You're a dimwit. oh yeah well sticks and stones may break my bones but so will your mother is she gets on top!!! oh snaps im original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munky Posted April 25, 2006 Share Posted April 25, 2006 Enough flamebait people, stay on topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-.- Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 What would be cool is if the kid decided to make a product like the ipod but has lyrics and any other ideas she has, and sold a million of them. She could call it the iToldu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takuro Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 I actually think that the song lyrics idea is a good concept. Sure, you can save lyrics has text files and view them from the "notes" menu of the iPod, but it'd be cooler to see them going by the screen at *somewhat* the pace of the music. The corporate world is getting even more hearless. She could've done a crayon drawing of an iPod with a cape, and called it "super iPod," and she'd have likely gotten a nasty letter in response to that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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