Lawrence Lessig on Apple’s Customer Communication

Lawrence Lessig:

For example, if the problem I have confronted with Mail.app using Gmail (which I describe more below) is something Apple considers a bug, then I’m willing to live with it for a while till Apple fixes it. If it isn’t a bug, but is a feature (insanely but whatever), then I will spend the time (and incredible bandwidth waste) to deal with the problem in the way the Apple volunteers suggest — either by changing the way Gmail works, or getting a new mail application.

So in a line, it is indecent for Apple to sit by silently while its customers waste thousands of hours (in the aggregate) trying to deal with the problems its “upgrades” create, when the simple act of describing what it intends to fix could save its customers those thousands of hours.

The Apple Mail/Gmail thing in particular demands some sort of explanation. From the outside, it’s not possible to determine whether this new behavior is a bug or feature. I wouldn’t hold my breath, though, waiting for Apple to explain its plans for restoring lost features to the iWork apps.

★ Sunday, 3 November 2013