'Fake Steve' chides CNBC's Goldman in source foofaraw

Ha ha ha, excellent video. Comments on this post are also quite good.

I do not belive that my tone would be any different Kai. If it were Steve Ballmer, I would still be annoyed by the use of the words "played" and "punk'd" in such a discussion.

Its bad enough that when I want to talk politics with someone and they quote some slapstick line made by John Stewart, so If I want to catch up on the news about Israel and India I go to the Huffington post. If I would like to know what wacky new tech offering that the Brando company will be selling I go to Gizmodo. Gizmodo wants to be known as a legitimate news media and that is fine. But when Gizmodo posts an article about how big Steve Ballmers "pit stains" are with they're left hand and posts a heartwarming retraction to spreading rumors with they're right, I still have to question the sincerity.

Not being a particular Microsoft fanboy myself I fell resolute in my opinion that if it were Ballmer or Gates who had questionable health issues I would be over at "the unofficial microsoft weblog" expressing much the same dismay at how the issue is being handled by all news media.

If you like we can bet with Yen since the idea of American tender seems offends you. I like what you have to say Kai, but I do not think the issue is pointing out the nakedness of the emperor, I think the issue is about making a distinction between sensationalism and responsible journalism.

No one should ever apologize to Gizmodo. I remember a time when tabloid journalism was looked down upon. It would seem that since "Reality TV" became a the standard model, reporting on "batbaby" started to look relevant and enticing to "Traditional" journalists.

I agree that the CEO of any company has an obligation to fully disclose any information that may effect the company. However, does anyone else see that we as a species react in much the same manor as our predecessors at the last turn of the century? We exist here in this forum as fans, investors, consumers, employees and many other things yet we behave as if we are really our primate cousins and verbally fling feces at one another based upon speculations and hearsay.

If you want to make nasty comments that are self serving and bias, I will see you on the anonymous boards. If, however you would like to have a discussion about the details pertaining to Apple Inc I ask you to stop clucking like frantic chickens and take a moment to thank TUAW for providing us such an avenue for that discussion.

"Perhaps the less I write about it, the healthier he'll get."

Then Jobs will be dead by February. Bloggers, even corporate ones, don't know the meaning of the word "restraint."

@J:

Come here often? Get used to that burning sensation :)

@Robert and Staff:

Look. You guys *know* I love you...but this has got to stop now.

I really, really wish I could get a "do over" on this post without the "Personal and Editorial Note"...it fairly ruined a good piece.


@Everyone:

As a community, I think it is time to face some facts: The Future is Unwritten...but it is very likely to be different from the past. Many people, as J pointed out, own Apple. Steve Jobs is *one of them*. One.

While it is possible, hell even likely, that the man has been in denial about the state of his health, it doesn't matter. While we would *like* a world where "Steve can just be Steve" *this one* ain't *that one*...and everyone at Apple and outside of it knows what a risky game has been played by making The Company about the vision of The Man.

Start moving on now. While we can hope, common sense, anecdotal info, observation, statistics and history in a general sense tells us that most people of a certain personally are very risk oriented and often go over the line of reason...to their own detriment.

From what we all know, and think we know about THIS particular guy...can we honestly tell ourselves this would be the one...one case where he did NOT do this? :)

We've got (probably less than) six months to rethink some things. We probably should have had a year...but...well...some people.

As for Dan Lyons...why *any writer* in the "blogsphere" would be doing anything but THANKING HIM is beyond me. He basically made Giz and ValleyWag (more) legit, by not only pointing out that they were unfairly harshed on, but that a "real journalist" had other information from a different source that corroborated it...the same journalist that attacked Gizmodo.

Please stop attacking people for pointing out the nakedness of the emperor. You've got the eyes to see what is plainly there yourselves.

-K

Dan Lyons' behavior is completely out of line. He outburst and attack were very unprofessional. I think he is an embarrassment to journalism. To the editor of Newsweek - "Please fire the fool." Lyon could have expressed his opinion without personally attacking Goldman. He was bully looking for a fight. Let's all write to Newsweek and get this idiot off the air completely.

Respectfully, I disagree. Dan Lyons has a great record of pulling up journalists/reporters who simply parrot the press briefings put out by tech companies. Unfortunately, Dan is quite correct in pointing out that Apple has one of the best PR teams on the planet, that is very good at using journalists for their own purposes. Goldman was used, and he knows it - that's why he was ranting before Lyon's correctly ripped into him.

What is also clear, is that whilst I have the greatest respect for Mr Jobs, he hasn't been completely honest with either himself, or the owners of Apple, or both. When you accept the position of CEO, you take on certain fiduciary responsibilities, which it appears that he may well have breached.

To make it clear, I honestly hope (and pray) that he recovers quickly, whether he comes back to Apple or not. I hope he lives to 100.

That was hilarious - all yelling at once! Classic!

So let me get this straight:

One person who knows nothing about Steve Jobs' actual health (let's call him "Pot") is telling another person who knows next to nothing about Steve Jobs' actual health (let's call him "Kettle") that he's black.

Sigh.

This is nuts. Jobs is widely perceived as being the driving force behind Apple's success. This may or may not be justified, but it's the fact. What most of you are saying here is that we should all stand at a respectful distance while insiders, with better knowledge of his health, unload their Apple stock ahead of the news. The law says otherwise.