Apple banning Facebook in all retail stores

[TheSpaz]

Um, have you actually heard the really stupid reasons why people won't buy Macs? Many of them are for even dumber reasons than that.

You can argue that those kind of people might not buy a Mac anyway, finding any excuse. But then again, with some people, it really only takes that ONE THING to turn them off. So why give them more ammunition? Is it petty to be turned off by one little thing like that? Sure. But the point is, some people ARE that petty. And at the end of the day, the end result can still be a lost sale. And while it's true that person might be an idiot to give up on a Mac due to something as lame as having their Facebook banned, Apple is being JUST as silly for not thinking of a BETTER solution to handle the computer-hogging problem.

Why BAN a harmless website, when there are so many other simple alternatives you can do that will ALSO limit people's time, but not turn anyone off to your product? It just doesn't make sense to me...

Maybe instead of just restricting access to the site, they could redirect the person to a page stating that the site is only banned because it causes unnecessary congestion and loitering in the store.

 

[arkitect]

I'd like to see an Apple store being erected in old Pompeii: enough real-life social amenities and images of the natural human form that Facebook would be redundant and porn would be passe.

Well the sight of ol' Priapus weighing his meat and two veg on a dainty scale is certainly enough to make Facebook instantly forgetable.

 

[tcphoto]

Next thing you know, the deadbeats will be expecting a latte and snack while they check their email at The Apple Store. It's a computer store not a Starbucks or Cyber Cafe where you buy time on a computer.

 

[network23]

At first, I was agreeing with the decision until I thought about it some more.

An earlier post made an excellent observation. Free usage of the Macs will create a positive impression. Kids use the Macs and they discover how easy they are to use and fun to play with. Even if they have no intention of buying one, the thought is certainly implanted and might just make them think of or suggest a Mac when either the family considers purchasing a new computer or the kid is old enough to buy one for themselves.

By banning myspace and facebook, unless you have a very clear and simple message telling them exactly WHY they can't access those sites, I believe the initial reaction is going to be "Wow. No wonder no one has Macs. They can't even load Facebook!" They will see Safari's inability to load what is, in their minds, one of the most popular and important sites as a sign that Macs can't do what they want them to do. They could be instantly turned off on Macs and that positive experience becomes a decidedly negative one. Instead of recommending or wanting a Mac in the future, they will ridicule and be opposed to the thought of owning a Mac.

 

[SFStateStudent]

Gawd, why don't they just sit in their cars and FB from their iPhones! lol

 

[TheSpaz]

Instead of recommending or wanting a Mac in the future, they will ridicule and be opposed to the thought of owning a Mac.

But, it will be fun to prove them wrong when they tell us that "Macs can do facebook!"

By the way... Macs can't game. Just so you know.

 

[mklos]

I would think they could use some form of deep freeze.

I could be totally wrong but...

I believe the demo units in the stores are re-imaged either every night or every morning before the store opens.

 

[Rojo]

Maybe instead of just restricting access to the site, they could redirect the person to a page stating that the site is only banned because it causes unnecessary congestion and loitering in the store.

By the way, what DOES happen now if you try to access MySpace? Is there a message explaining anything? Or does it just not work or show up?

Redirecting to a page that explains why it's banned is still banning a basically harmless website. Just because it helps Apple curb loitering, doesn't mean it's still not going to piss off someone who's testing out their machine.

Again, it's silly of Apple to do this when there are other, non-censoring alternatives they can apply to cut down on loitering.

 

[smooth]

Next thing you know, the deadbeats will be expecting a latte and snack while they check their email at The Apple Store. It's a computer store not a Starbucks or Cyber Cafe where you buy time on a computer.

What a great way to get exposure for their products - if their stores were also cyber/internet cafes. There could be a clear separation for demo products and those available for free usage - with a cafe to go with it.

But I'm convinced Apple does not want a large market share so they'd never consider this...but that's another thread.

 

[jayducharme]

I find Apple's decision ironic, because the company has been using Facebook for the distribution and exhibition of its Insomnia Film Festival. I guess the Apple employees won't be telling customers about the festival....

Surely Apple's software engineers could devise a more elegant solution for the stores' computers. For instance, how about a routine that would simply close down Safari after a pre-set time if the browser was at either MySpace of Facebook? Isn't it natural for potential customers to want to see how the sites they regularly browse to look on a Mac?

Or how about this novel idea: if there are kids in the store wasting time using Facebook and MySpace, have the Concierge tell them to leave.

 

[arkitect]

What a great way to get exposure for their products - if their stores were also cyber/internet cafes. There could be a clear separation for demo products and those available for free usage - with a cafe to go with it.

Imagine all the threads that would get started:

"Waaaaaah! I spilt my Apple™ Latte over a MacBook and now Apple is sueing me"

 

[ortuno2k]

Good decision.
Although I am a FB user, I find it annoying for the young kids who hang out on these social networking sites all the time, MySpace being one of them. GOSH I HATE THAT SITE!
Good job Apple <3

 

[ortuno2k]

I find Apple's decision ironic, because the company has been using Facebook for the distribution and exhibition of its Insomnia Film Festival. I guess the Apple employees won't be telling customers about the festival....

Surely Apple's software engineers could devise a more elegant solution for the stores' computers. For instance, how about a routine that would simply close down Safari after a pre-set time if the browser was at either MySpace of Facebook? Isn't it natural for potential customers to want to see how the sites they regularly browse to look on a Mac?

Or how about this novel idea: if there are kids in the store wasting time using Facebook and MySpace, have the Concierge tell them to leave.

I disagree with your last idea. Telling them to leave would not look so nice, regardless of what they are doing. I've gone to the Apple Store and see people spend time checking their emails and doing other personal stuff, but no one should tell them to leave.
I think silently banning access to the site makes the abusers do less damage and waste other people's time.

 

[queshy]

Not a good idea...people will think that the "Mac" won't let them use facebook. Everyone uses facebook. The more people you have using the Macs, the more people will want them. The best strategy is to get employees to ask FB'ers "Can I help you" every so often so they'll get the idea that they're not supposed to be there for an hour on the computer (if the store is busy).

 

[nagromme]

Awesome! Now just ban MySpace and Facebook from all my friends' computers please

Facebook serves one purpose: to remember high school--which I worked long and hard to forget.

MySpace serves... no purpose at all that I can see. I already have better email and IM services.

I've tried both, and I just don't get what my friends see in them.

Not a good idea...people will think that the "Mac" won't let them use facebook. Everyone uses facebook.

I'm sure this has been suggested, but if I were Apple I'd simply make blocked sites bring up a nice explanation and apology page--making it clear that lots of people had been using MS/FB... and therefore that Macs certainly can use them.

 

[TheSpaz]

Awesome! Now just ban MySpace and Facebook from all my friends' computers please

Facebook serves one purpose: to remember high school--which I worked long and hard to forget.

MySpace serves... no purpose at all that I can see. I already have better email and IM services.

I've tried both, and I just don't get what my friends see in them.

I'm the same exact way.

 

[jayducharme]

Telling them to leave would not look so nice, regardless of what they are doing.

Well, if the store is slow that day and no one else is using the computers, what's the harm in someone browsing whatever sites they want? However, if the store is busy and other customers want to try out a Mac, I don't see anything wrong with politely asking someone who's been on Facebook for hours to step aside and let someone else use the machine. I think most people (especially kids) would be okay with that.

 

[n8236]

I think this move is silly. People surf the web, check their emails, the weather, etc all the time already...how is checking Facebook any different?

 

[JackMaurer]

I think its a great move for several reasons (besides my loathing of what it has done to my generation). The most important being that I have personally walked into the apple store, opened safari and instantly had access to at least 6 peoples facebooks (with revealing information such as location). For some reason people just cant seem to figure out they need to log out, ESPECIALLY on a public computer.

Thats such an obvious lie, when a new user signs in whoever was on before is automatically signed out...

 

[Eric S.]

I think it's a good move generally, but they might have a "designated Facebook machine" and whoever wanted to use it could line up there.

 

[chilipie]

"I google" = "I search on the Internet from only one place, because I'm unaware of meta-search tools or domain specific search tools that are more likely to get me what I want. I measure reliability according as ordering of Google search results."

Find me a better search engine, and I'll use it.

"I podcast" = "I make a video/audio stream available on demand while displaying an ignorance of or affinity for Apple's lawyer strongarming (over use of the three letters `pod'). This all reflects my lack of recognition of the history of Internet streaming media and of the open principles of the Internet in general."

Podcasting doesn't involve streaming - you download a file to your computer and then on to a portable media player.

 

[iNash]

Personally I think Apple should, within reason, let folk do what they want on the in-store demo units. The point is that people are in the stores and using Macs. Even if they just ran in to check the train times, they got to experience a Mac first hand and the idea is that the experience will be positive and stay with them.

I agree completely, we often joke at work about the different views of Apple demo units and our own ones.

The jokes usually roll out like this:

Kev: "So, Apple have a really good idea because you look in their store and there's about 8 employees and 200 customers easily, and all they're doing is playing with the laptops"

Me: "Yeah, but they aren't buying anything"

Kev: "Yeah but they don't have to, so, Apple know that there is people checking emails and going on facebook and they wont buy anything.

But the experience they get and they think, oh this is pretty good, I've never used a Mac before but I quite like the way I can do whatever on it.

So when they want to buy a computer, we know they will come and buy a Mac. Or they will tell there parents, I was in the Apple store and this was really cool... can I have one, and that's why Apple are always so busy and will beat everyone in this shopping center"

Me: "Ok, so why don't we just do that, let kids come in and use Facebook?"

Kev: "Because all our managers in stores will just walk over and say, are you going to buy that? No, well it's a demo unit so can you stop going on facebook"


This really sums up why Apple is so great, they allow you to have a full experience.

I know that when I am walking around and I need to check an attachment or download something I don't bother carrying my laptop I just go into the Apple store and do it.


I think this is a bad move.



Rant over

 

[MojoWill]

you go into any apple store and 80-90% of the people in there are not ever going to buy anything, maybe an iPod yet you can't near any of the hardware you might be interested in buying for people messing around. I hate apple stores because of this. I go in wanting to BUY something and end up leaving with nothing but stress and annoyance and end up buying it online or at a 3rd party retailer.

This will hopefully get rid of the wasters who generally populate apple stores!

 

[bretm]

I don't think Facebook ever had that… unless you were 12 or so.

facebook? It's kinda blah and boring for kids, no? I always thought it was the
Myspace for adults that don't want to post their favorite music and make an ugly neon home page.

 

[minik]

I have a Facebook account and use it religiously. However, I never used any of the social networking site on public computer.

Apple should not block the site at all.