Late last week it was reported that Apple is now blocking access to MySpace pages from computers in the Apple Store as a means of preventing cyber-loitering. Apparently some 'customers' have been hogging both the iSights and the bandwidth the stores provide and impeding the free flow of shiny, glossy, well-designed commerce.As I am neither a teenager, the parent of a teenager (thank mighty Isis!) nor an indie-geek-folkie musical sensation, the MySpace phenomenon has largely passed me by. I did attend a meeting once where MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe was presenting, and I recall thinking that the News Corp buyout had enabled him to get himself some REALLY nice shoes. I imagine the collective 'talk to the hand' from Apple retail will bother the MySpacies a little bit, but I doubt it will reduce either company's cool factor dramatically.
[via ThinkSecret/CNET Crave]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-30-2007 @ 7:27AM
johnnycakes said...
Finally! I'm very glad to see Apple is doing something to stop people using the Stores as free internet cafes. Trying to actually see the products and assess whether you want to buy one instore at somewhere like Regent Street (London) is a total nightmare, as tourists and students use them for free access - usually checking their hotmail etc.
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5-30-2007 @ 7:36AM
Brian said...
...or
Apple and Starbucks should combine forces so that it IS an internet cafe.
...perhaps some ice cream too..
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5-30-2007 @ 7:49AM
Martin said...
myspace is a dangerous place for kids (and maybe some adults) to hang out. I joined so I could contact someone I found on there, and instantly got people I'd never heard of - some purporting to be celebrities - wanting to be my "friend". Being a cynical 40-year-old I "denied" them, but many kids will fall for approaches made by less than honest character hook, line and sinker. If you've got kids, keep 'em off it is my advice.
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5-30-2007 @ 7:54AM
JPhilipson said...
It's about freakin' time.
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5-30-2007 @ 8:15AM
oomu said...
Apple and Starbuck combining, imagine the Power it would be, together, anything would be possible, they could save the world ! hum :)
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5-30-2007 @ 8:44AM
auero said...
They've done this in almost every apple store around me already for months. I would have thought it was everywhere.
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5-30-2007 @ 8:44AM
Scott said...
I can vouch for Apple since I was once an Apple store employee. I worked weekends and witnessed this a lot, especially the girls. They would spend a good 15-30 minutes on the computers... on myspace. It was very annoying.
Good job Apple!
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5-30-2007 @ 9:29AM
AlexBH said...
ABOUT TIME!! I am a former Apple Store Employee and I can tell you it was sometimes a nightmare.=
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5-30-2007 @ 9:39AM
sixhoursago said...
This is so good.
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5-30-2007 @ 9:42AM
Adam said...
Apple, starbucks and ben & jerrys... there'd be no need to leave EVER
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5-30-2007 @ 9:47AM
JiN said...
I'm not a former Apple Employee but I can say that banning MySpace or whatever other service from being used on the demo computers is for the best. I can't stand the people who go to the Apple Store and sit at a system for hours! These are the same idiots who decide to use a MacPro to surf the web!
At my place of employment I have banned MySpace because co-workers who were placing blame on IT for not keeping their systems stable (excuse for goofing off) were on MySpace the entire day.
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5-30-2007 @ 10:16AM
Stuart said...
I read a story about Apple supposed blocking access in stores awhile ago and it was then proven to be false.
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5-30-2007 @ 10:46AM
Jon said...
They had blocked it about a year ago in the store I worked at. Some nerd must have thought he could buy friendship by showing the 'cool kids' how to use proxy sites, so for those tards we'd just use remote desktop to freak them out / shut them down.
(The looks on their faces when Word opened out of nowhere and started typing "I'm watching you..." in 100pt font was priceless)
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5-30-2007 @ 1:20PM
phlavor said...
Myspace. Bringing 1994 back to the web since 2003.
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5-30-2007 @ 1:33PM
john from Buffalo said...
FUCKING DAMN RIGHT THEY DID! I would wonder into the Apple Store at Walden Gallery in Buffalo New York, and there would be like 30 kids huddled around looking at FaceBook, MySpace, and YouTube. NOT BUYING ANY PRODUCT .... so ya.. screw the little dirtbags.
- J
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5-30-2007 @ 2:10PM
Brian said...
@15: I couldn't agree more.
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5-30-2007 @ 5:45PM
Chad said...
@11 - Going to Myspace won't have an effect on the machine's stability. It IS the responsibility of your IT department to keep them stable. If they aren't, guess who's fault it is?
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5-30-2007 @ 7:19PM
Galley said...
I told my teenage daughter that you lose IQ points every time you visit MySpace.com. She thought I was kidding.
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5-30-2007 @ 10:57PM
nahyatt said...
If they really wanted to put a stop to loitering they should also ban Runescape. I think i see as many kids on Runescape as Myspace in an Apple store, and they spend more time!
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6-01-2007 @ 8:45AM
steve said...
it's blocked in my house too i hate the site with a passion
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