Apple forces bathroom escorts on WWDC reporters

[AppleInsider]

Paranoia on the part of Apple reached a new high this week when the company refused to allow journalists covering its annual developers conference to use the restroom facilities on site without a personal escort.

After some debate, ComputerWorld's Matt Hamblen wrote a lengthy blog post on the matter because he found it somewhat demoralizing and embarrassing, especially given that he was covering the conference from a secure press area that Apple itself had the opportunity to select and isolate more appropriately if it so chose.

"I started off for the wash room, but was told by Apple officials that I couldn't go alone," he wrote, claiming that the seemingly absurd measure was the result of both Apple chief executive Steve Jobs and a just-announced iPhone 3G being somewhere within a 50 yard radius.

Having obliged to Apple's demand the first time around, Hamblen who had been drinking quite a bit of coffee found himself in need of a second trip to the facilities. So instead of "looking ill" by approaching the same man who'd accompanied him prior, he asked a female Apple staffer if he could possibly handle the return trip on his own. No dice.

"So, I went to my favorite restroom escort, and he looked at me like I WAS ill," Hamblen wrote. He then explained to the escorts that he wasn't an old man with a bladder problem, but had simply been slurping a lot of caffeine. That, however, made him the subject of considerable mockery once he entered the bathroom, as the escorts traded "jokes about what might be wrong" with him.

On his second trip to the restroom, Hamblen was also warned not to talk too loudly because Jobs was behind a curtain somewhere conducting an interview. "Apparently, I not only have a bladder problem, but I run off loudly at the mouth as well," he wrote. "I shared my story of these trips to the john with some journalist friends sitting in the press room, and they began to tell me their tales of Apple paranoia."

One friend noted that during a press event at the company's Cupertino campus, she was treated "treated like a convict on home suspension," almost as if she should have been wearing an ankle bracelet.

"So, through the rest of the afternoon, my reporter friends, women and men alike, said they were going to storm the barricades and visit the bathroom without an escort," Hamblen continued. "One said she made it back without the escort, and a man said he told the escort he was going on the floor unless he could go on his own."

The situation was certainly odd, and akin to a fourth grader asking for a "potty pass," especially since Hamblen was later privy to an authorized interview with Apple staffers in which he got to handle two new iPhone 3G units -- both a white and black model.

"[I] noticed the feel of the plastic rear portion (to allow easy transmission of radio signals) and the slight bulge in the shape," he wrote. "While I was allowed to hold them, I was not allowed to photograph them."

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[bullrat]

Yes, but did he wash his hands before handling the new iPhones?

[DCJ001]

Originally Posted by bullrat

Yes, but did he wash his hands before handling the new iPhones?

When you were a child, your parents probably taught you to wash your hands after going to the bathroom.

He probably didn't wash his hands because his parents taught him not to pee on his hands when he goes to the bathroom.

Old but good.

[camroidv27]

Perhaps if our government is interested in more "National Security" they should look to Apple for tips of the trade?

[ncee]

Originally Posted by camroidv27

Perhaps if our government is interested in more "National Security" they should look to Apple for tips of the trade?

and as Paul Havey use to say … "and now you know the rest of the story"! (once we've told the story.

Skip

[nagromme]

Sometimes I think people get a little TOO into the "fun" of being a security guard, or police, or whatever. Power corrupts!

I'm sure they were following orders... but the WAY they followed them was just uncalled for.

[iVlad]

I wonder why Apple doesn't want iPhone to be photographed untill July 11? I mean the first iPhone was all over the news with videos and pictures. This time is very secure. Hmm ... very strange. Perhaps Apple is holding a secret.

[macFanDave]

I warned you.

I just got this picture in my head of your Apple bathroom escort sitting on your lap (with a stoic stony look on his or her face) while you are taking a dump.

Eeeeeewww!

[blursd]

And notice how no one even makes an issue of the fact this reporter PUT UP with the repeated treatment. If he were really so mistreated and offended why didn't he just leave ...? Oh wait, its because he wanted to see the iPhone. So I guess its okay to whore out your morals as long as you get something you want in the end - then when you get what you want you can complain about how you voluntarily placed yourself into a situation where you were supposedly mistreated.

Remember ... you're only getting half the story here.

[macinthe408]

This is awesome. If you're a shareholder (raising my hand), you love these stories of paranoia and protecting IP.

After all, all Apple wants to do at the expense of everything and anything else, just like any other publicly traded company, is return a profit to its shareholders.

If you think a corporation should be or do anything else (be nice, help old ladies cross the street, not spill hazardous material into the ocean, kiss the asses of visitors to its campus, etc.) at the expense of returning a profit to its shareholders, then you're the wrong species of animal.

It's all fun and games until we see Samsung or HTC with a cheap ripoff of the iPhone hitting the streets in a few weeks...I wonder how they got access to the hardware so fast.

[ga1lyons]

Yes they are protecting their IP, and they are going to the bathroom to protect myP also.

This happening is ripe for a standup comic who works IT shows.

[mdriftmeyer]

Bottomline: Insider information has leaked, in the past, via the bars, bathrooms and more during these events.

Apple doesn't want to see any of it's employees passing off USB mini-drives of information about their IP.

It seems absurd, but then again we get information about famous people as if the reporters were literally occupying the same bodies, but obviously follow these people around like flies to crap.

Overhearing conversations between Apple Engineers who shoot the s*** wherever is nothing new.

I used to hear some of the worst crap come out of the mouths of folks working at Apple. I didn't bother narcing. I just walked-in on the conversations when they were so full of it that it just seemed proper to call them on it.

The internal website used to have what would now be considered an anonymous blog where people would vent.

When the Sabbatical Program was cancelled [effecting 1/3 of current staff] there were large quantities of comments stating that those 12 weeks of paid vacation were all that was keeping them at Apple.

This was in 1998 before the iMac was released and Steve was transforming all departments.

Being from NeXT I looked upon these folks as bottom-feeders used to getting perks like they were royalty.

The same infection still resides inside the Apple communities and corporate workforce. Most often they come from the dumbest and least skilled mouths you've ever met.

[Tantrum]

Many Apple employees have 3G iPhones. I suspect that some of them have slightly different phones than others, either in terms of hardware specs or software capabilities installed. Apple wouldn't want anyone to see a surprise feature before they show it in a buzz-creating ad in the two weeks before 4th of July holiday weekend.

Steve Jobs' WWDC keynote was about meeting expectations. It's possible that one more thing will pop up between now and July 11th.

AT&T and Apple should do everyone a favor and start collecting Zip Code data on people intending to buy the phone on Day 1 -3. If they don't, their service reputation will suffer. They should also tell people waiting in line how many iPhones may be available in their store.

[merdhead]

Asking to go to the toilet? Ha! He's lucky he was allowed to live.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by macinthe408

This is awesome. If you're a shareholder (raising my hand), you love these stories of paranoia and protecting IP.

After all, all Apple wants to do at the expense of everything and anything else, just like any other publicly traded company, is return a profit to its shareholders.

If you think a corporation should be or do anything else (be nice, help old ladies cross the street, not spill hazardous material into the ocean, kiss the asses of visitors to its campus, etc.) at the expense of returning a profit to its shareholders, then you're the wrong species of animal.

It's all fun and games until we see Samsung or HTC with a cheap ripoff of the iPhone hitting the streets in a few weeks...I wonder how they got access to the hardware so fast.

Sorry, no. This sort of security theater won't change that, and it is just that, theatrics. The design of the iPhone changed almost none at all. No one is saying that Apple has to help anyone, I'm not seeing what's being protected here that justifies violating someone's dignity.

[icfireball]

Originally Posted by iVlad

I wonder why Apple doesn't want iPhone to be photographed untill July 11? I mean the first iPhone was all over the news with videos and pictures. This time is very secure. Hmm ... very strange. Perhaps Apple is holding a secret.

No. Apple just wants the media to use ONLY the official photos provided by Apple so all photos anybody sees look outstanding.

[Slewis]

Null.

[ecking]

I was a floor bathroom escort at WWDC and we were given tasers. We had a betting pooling going about who could tase the most people. I won, 15 people tased on day one alone!

[NasserAE]

Apple seem to hide some information about the upcoming iPhone. Why they did not show allow anyone to photograph it? what about showing the unit the journalists after the keynotes and let them photograph it?! Furthermore, Apple 3G iPhone FCC filing indicate that Apple requested that photos, specs, and users manual to be withheld from the public for 45 days (thats until July 15th) because of unannounced specs!!!

[winterspan]

Originally Posted by macinthe408

This is awesome. If you're a shareholder (raising my hand), you love these stories of paranoia and protecting IP.

After all, all Apple wants to do at the expense of everything and anything else, just like any other publicly traded company, is return a profit to its shareholders.

If you think a corporation should be or do anything else (be nice, help old ladies cross the street, not spill hazardous material into the ocean, kiss the asses of visitors to its campus, etc.) at the expense of returning a profit to its shareholders, then you're the wrong species of animal.

It's all fun and games until we see Samsung or HTC with a cheap ripoff of the iPhone hitting the streets in a few weeks...I wonder how they got access to the hardware so fast.

Why does it seem like on every story about Apple doing something negative, there is always some Joe six-pack claiming to be a "concerned shareholder" that excuses or even celebrates Apple's asinine behavior?!?

Secondly, I disagree with much of the post. Protecting IP is obviously a very important reason to have effective security, but making reporters have a personal escort to the bathroom is beyond ridiculous. It's not as if they are sitting in an area surrounded by Apple R&D labs for god sakes. Apple runs the whole show -- they could have easily placed them in a proper area with easy access to the restrooms. Besides, these people were getting personal access to the iPhone 3G anyways, so what could they have possibly been worried about? A reporter attacking Steve Jobs from behind with a press pass lanyard?

As for other manufacturers building iClones, they sure as heck don't need to steal an iPhone to do it. all the components are common and well known, and the 3G iPhone hardly changes anything from the original. I doubt Samsung or HTC would even care about what exact components are in the iPhone, or that they could even take away any kind of strategic knowledge from knowing that.

[One Infinite loop]

Well, he is a reporter after all. I trust my drug dealer more than bloggers and reporters. At least my drug dealer has some integrity.

[JakeTheRock]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

Bottomline: Insider information has leaked, in the past, via the bars, bathrooms and more during these events.

Since we are on the subject of bathrooms, was that pun intentional?

[tmedia1]

He should have pissed on the floor: wow:

[planetWC]

So let's see, the reporter was there for his JOB of reporting on the iPHone. So insead of not getting his job done, you know the thing he gets paid for, he had to put up with Apple mistreating him?

What exactly in your fanboi mind would be the OTHER side of the story? That professional reporters are treated like children rather than professionals for what? Why are you saying "supposedly" are you saying they are lying about their treatment?

Originally Posted by blursd

And notice how no one even makes an issue of the fact this reporter PUT UP with the repeated treatment. If he were really so mistreated and offended why didn't he just leave ...? Oh wait, its because he wanted to see the iPhone. So I guess its okay to whore out your morals as long as you get something you want in the end - then when you get what you want you can complain about how you voluntarily placed yourself into a situation where you were supposedly mistreated
Remember ... you're only getting half the story here.

[planetWC]

The only IP custom on the iPhone *IS* the software. You know the software that is already publically available to anyone.

All the other components are OFF THE SHELF.
There is no IP to protect. Frankly Nokia and others already HAVE 3G phones with cameras that have a higher megapixel resolution AND they have rear and front facing cameras as well.

That is all generic technology buddy. Treating the reporters like children is just foolishness.
And if the Apple employees HANDPICKED to be on station at Moscone don't have the discipline to keep their mouths shut then fire them. If you know which reporters leak your info then don't give them credentials or allow them into the secure press areas.

Originally Posted by macinthe408

This is awesome. If you're a shareholder (raising my hand), you love these stories of paranoia and protecting IP.

After all, all Apple wants to do at the expense of everything and anything else, just like any other publicly traded company, is return a profit to its shareholders.

If you think a corporation should be or do anything else (be nice, help old ladies cross the street, not spill hazardous material into the ocean, kiss the asses of visitors to its campus, etc.) at the expense of returning a profit to its shareholders, then you're the wrong species of animal.

It's all fun and games until we see Samsung or HTC with a cheap ripoff of the iPhone hitting the streets in a few weeks...I wonder how they got access to the hardware so fast.

[bobertoq]

Originally Posted by iVlad

I wonder why Apple doesn't want iPhone to be photographed untill July 11? I mean the first iPhone was all over the news with videos and pictures. This time is very secure. Hmm ... very strange. Perhaps Apple is holding a secret.

Such as a front-facing camera + video conferencing, and new various carriers such as t-mobile and Verizon. Hah... I wish

[palaemon]

I can't believe that you got to have that experience. And you bitch about it. I bet 1000 people would gladly have an bathroom escort in order to have been there.

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Paranoia on the part of Apple reached a new high this week when the company refused to allow journalists covering its annual developers conference to use the restroom facilities on site without a personal escort.

Unless you read the original blog, you miss what is probably the underlying reason why the security.

As the blogger, Hamblen, states near the end of his blog, "On a serious note, I presume that Apple wanted to prevent me and other reporters from sneaking off to one of the interview rooms where the new iPhone 2.0 was being displayed. (Apple also kicked reporters out of the developer's conference following the Jobs keynote and posted warnings to developers not to share proprietary information from their conference)" REF: Matt Hamblen. http://blogs.computerworld.com/user/matt_hamblen

Perhaps we should take into account, the conference was not for reporters, and all participants were subject to the conditions of Apples non-disclosure agreement; which, however did not apply to the media.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/sites...ip_warning.jpg

As we can see, there is no "live" news being fed from the WWDC following the keynote. As a third-party developer, I would be equally hesitant having the media loose on the premises. The security strategy was not just for Apple, the iPhone or any of its other products or applications, but also for the protection of those developers in attendance and their applications.

Thank you Apple.

Get a life guys. You don't hear any of the 5,000 plus paid attendees complaining.

[Peruchito]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

Unless you read the original blog, you miss what is probably the underlying reason why the security.

As the blogger, Hamblen, states near the end of his blog, "On a serious note, I presume that Apple wanted to prevent me and other reporters from sneaking off to one of the interview rooms where the new iPhone 2.0 was being displayed. (Apple also kicked reporters out of the developer's conference following the Jobs keynote and posted warnings to developers not to share proprietary information from their conference)" REF: Matt Hamblen. http://blogs.computerworld.com/user/matt_hamblen

Perhaps we should take into account, the conference was not for reporters, and all participants were subject to the conditions of Apples non-disclosure agreement; which, however did not apply to the media.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/sites...ip_warning.jpg

As we can see, there is no "live" news being fed from the WWDC following the keynote. As a third-party developer, I would be equally hesitant having the media loose on the premises. The security strategy was not just for Apple, the iPhone or any of its other products or applications, but also for the protection of those developers in attendance and their applications.

Thank you Apple.

Get a life guys. You don't hear any of the 5,000 plus paid attendees complaining.

best post yet. and i totally agree.

[Monkeyoe]

Originally Posted by nagromme

Sometimes I think people get a little TOO into the "fun" of being a security guard, or police, or whatever. Power corrupts!

I'm sure they were following orders... but the WAY they followed them was just uncalled for.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

I love that quote Can't remember who it was by though

[sibelius]

I've had to deal with the press on many, many occasions. The one thing that's common among the 'seasoned' pros is ego. They somehow believe they are above and beyond all that we simple common folk have to endure... like rules, for example.

The press are used to getting their way and not being constrained by rules.

So, basically, this article is just talking about a bunch of rich kids who got temporarily placed in a "regular kid's" school and are bitching about how crappy it is they have to follow the rules.

I especially like the part where they all thought they would use the 'storm the castle' approach and all just go at the same time. They act like they've been in a war camp for years in cruel conditions and they need to escape. What a bunch of idiots!!

If you don't like the conditions, take a different job -- or don't accept requests to cover Apple any more. Babies.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by sibelius

If you don't like the conditions, take a different job -- or don't accept requests to cover Apple any more. Babies.

I don't understand how your little anecdote applies to this situation. Why do you think it's appropriate to be followed and watched in the bathroom as a standard part of the job? I've not heard of anything like that in civil situations. Moscone Center isn't Gitmo.

[old-wiz]

Originally Posted by tmedia1

He should have pissed on the floor: wow:

Why not piss in the bathroom and aim poorly and hit the escort's shoes?

[old-wiz]

Originally Posted by ecking

I was a floor bathroom escort at WWDC and we were given tasers. We had a betting pooling going about who could tase the most people. I won, 15 people tased on day one alone!

I have a feeling that using a taser on someone would be considered criminal assault unless you are in fear of your life and you would wind up in jail and Apple would likely be sued.

Even law enforcement has to follow specific rules about when they are allowed to use a taser.

[the cool gut]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

Unless you read the original blog, you miss what is probably the underlying reason why the security.

As the blogger, Hamblen, states near the end of his blog, "On a serious note, I presume that Apple wanted to prevent me and other reporters from sneaking off to one of the interview rooms where the new iPhone 2.0 was being displayed. (Apple also kicked reporters out of the developer's conference following the Jobs keynote and posted warnings to developers not to share proprietary information from their conference)" REF: Matt Hamblen. http://blogs.computerworld.com/user/matt_hamblen

Perhaps we should take into account, the conference was not for reporters, and all participants were subject to the conditions of Apples non-disclosure agreement; which, however did not apply to the media.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/sites...ip_warning.jpg

As we can see, there is no "live" news being fed from the WWDC following the keynote. As a third-party developer, I would be equally hesitant having the media loose on the premises. The security strategy was not just for Apple, the iPhone or any of its other products or applications, but also for the protection of those developers in attendance and their applications.

Thank you Apple.

Get a life guys. You don't hear any of the 5,000 plus paid attendees complaining.

Not to mention that the journalist swine where F*cking lucky to have bathroom privileges at all. If it was me, they'd each be issued a pair of depends.

[woofer]

Originally Posted by DCJ001

When you were a child, your parents probably taught you to wash your hands after going to the bathroom.

He probably didn't wash his hands because his parents taught him not to pee on his hands when he goes to the bathroom.

Old but good.

I like to use the rest rooms at Best Buy...they have those high velocity air, hand dryers. It blows the piss off your hands real good.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

Perhaps we should take into account, the conference was not for reporters, and all participants were subject to the conditions of Apples non-disclosure agreement; which, however did not apply to the media.

From what I understand, tech journalists are asked to sign NDAs all the time. That would be much more appropriate.

[Sky King]

Originally Posted by nagromme

Sometimes I think people get a little TOO into the "fun" of being a security guard, or police, or whatever. Power corrupts!

I'm sure they were following orders... but the WAY they followed them was just uncalled for.

I find it fascinating that so many people are interested in protecting the representatives of the media. Perhaps if the members of the media/press, or whatever you choose to call them, learned to act both responsibly and honestly (to report and not spin the information they sell) one get more excited about the way they are treated. Unfortunately, members of the media, just like members of the judiciary, have taken their constitutionally guaranteed rights and prostituted them. Remember that the Founding Fathers warned of this i(both the media and the judiciary assuming too much power) in the Federalist Papers shortly after our Constitution was written.

Note to the media: If you don't like being treated like out of control children, then stop acting like out of control children.

[icfireball]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

From what I understand, tech journalists are asked to sign NDAs all the time. That would be much more appropriate.

Yes, it seems like an NDA would be sufficient.

[quinney]

Originally Posted by icfireball

Yes, it seems like an NDA would be sufficient.

Would press members have agreed to sign it though?
Or would they have signed it and then blogged about how
unamerican it was to have been required to sign it?