An AppleInsider history lesson.

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Googling around...



<a href="http://www.macobserver.com/editorial/2000/08/04.1.shtml"; target="_blank">The original 2000 story.</a>



[quote]

The Mac Observer Spin: Apple is a paranoid company, but as the old saying goes, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you!



Worker bee is a bad apple for sure. But it is AppleInsider that encourages this type of criminal activity. AppleInsider's forums are a sewer for losers in search of their long lost self-esteem. The nature of AppleInsider's business is closer to a porno site than a legitimate news source. They are part and parcel of that dark underbelly of the Internet we all know exists.



It's a shame that AppleInsider provides a comfortable home for a cabal of twerps who wish they were on the inside at Apple. But it's even worse that AppleInsider is fed by a few truly demented individuals who really are malicious moles in Apple or Apple-related organizations. Apple certainly has every right to hunt down NDA or IPA violators and prosecute them to the full extent of the law.



The Mac Faithful community should pester AppleInsider to change its foul ways. AppleInsider does not support or offer useful critiques of Apple Inc. in any way. In fact, AppleInsider is offering a forum for those who hate Apple and would sell out the company's secret for the mere approval of their pseudonymous cohorts. Is it possible that Kasper might work for an eMachines and would like to meet worker bee to offer him real cash for information on future products?



It appears that AppleInsider's forums do harbor true corporate spies and the forum chatter leads this observer to believe that money has changed hands in the past for Apple's trade secrets. Can AppleInsider be held liable for aiding and abetting criminal activities and shut down -- much like a social club that is in reality a front for prostitution or drug dealing?



AppleInsider will claim full protection under the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights to conduct these forums which are an offense to common decency. We are big supporters of the First Amendment right to free speech and to peaceably assemble. They have the right to publish just about anything they want. And we are well within our rights to call a den of thieves a den of thieves!<hr></blockquote>



So who are the real old timers around here. Who remembers this? I joined in 2001 so this is a solid year before my time.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 113
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    i remember it very vividly



    pissed me off



    hypocrits
  • Reply 2 of 113
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    I joined in January 2000, just prior to attending my first (and so far, ONLY) Macworld Expo in Frisco (the one that first unveiled OS X).



    But I don't recall the nasty article above. I might not have been paying attention that week.
  • Reply 3 of 113
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    ::gumming on a doughnut::



    I remember that story like it was YESTERDAY! I remember being pissed off, but then laughing at the article....felt like they were doing a line from Star Wars...something about Mos Eisley being a "hive of scum and villany".



    I joined AI in January '99 and shortly ordered my Blue & White G3 within the next month or two. The Yosemite case was BRAND NEW back then. In fact, it was AI that first broke the story of the new form factor. Back then I dropped some cash for a matching flat panel monitor for the machine. I was very excited about that machine...and I still love that machine.
  • Reply 4 of 113
    Been here since 1999, I remember it well.



    Before that, I occasionally saw something interesting from macobserver.com, linked on macsurfer.com, and visited macobserver.



    since then I don't give them my clicks, click-throughs, or eyeballs



    damn self-important assho1es !!
  • Reply 5 of 113
    bodhibodhi Posts: 1,424member
    The funny thing is that whoever wrote that article most likely checked AI every day to see if there were any good leaks. That is just that sites attempt to be a "legit" site or just kiss Apple's ass.



    I remember that like it was yesterday. Worker Bee telling everyone the new Mac looks like a Kleenex Box and everyone just telling him he is lying and full of it. Ahhhh...great times indeed.
  • Reply 6 of 113
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    Wasn't the Kasper mentioned in that article the person that was with SlapTech.com (which seems to have a few billing problems at the time) when they put the main page back to the way it used to be before AI was just forums?



    And on a little bit of a side note; a little bit ago when appleinsider.com stopped working and you had to go to forums.appleinsider.com (I think this was late summer) and nobody knew why for a while... does anybody know why? I was told by a friend that I think was told in appleinsider chat in iChat that it was because the MacNN server that AI is on was pinged to the point of crippling it. I also believe that they told me the ping came from Apple themselves... But, as you can tell by my extensive use of italics, I don't know how much of that I should believe.
  • Reply 7 of 113
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Bryan Chaffin was generally cool back when the site was called Webintosh. I used to play Myth with him quite a bit. I don't know how involved he is with the site now.
  • Reply 8 of 113
    serranoserrano Posts: 1,806member
    I think the blackout came from the slaptech purchase of appleinsider from macnn. A dns fluke.



    Does anyone know whatever came of this? What happened to worker bee? How the trial turned out? Has this always been Jon's board?
  • Reply 9 of 113
    See what happens when you believe silly rumours iBrowse <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[oyvey]" />
  • Reply 10 of 113
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    The really funny thing is that MacObserver had a really good mole who allowed them to post detailed specs of products that Apple was going to release. For a good while there they were one of the most accurate last-minute-revelation sites. They stopped very shortly before that article ran. Ha!



    The guy responsible for writing it normally seems to have a good head on his shoulders, but he definitely went tilting at windmills that time. Ah well. Luther said, if you must sin, sin boldly.
  • Reply 11 of 113
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    [quote]Originally posted by Mount_my_floppy:

    <strong>See what happens when you believe silly rumours iBrowse <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[oyvey]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Yeah, I have stupid friends anyway.
  • Reply 12 of 113
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    I've been on AppleInsider since very early 2001.



    Not the most impressive, but not a n00bie.



    Barto
  • Reply 13 of 113
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    I've been a member since late 1998. I remember that article and the hate mail and messages that followed. They issued an apology shortly after.



    I remember telling worker bee that I didn't believe him about the PowerBook G4 because Apple would *never* be crazy enough to drop a firewire port from the then current PowerBook G3 (Pismo). Still waiting for the first PowerBook G4 with more than one Firewire port to ship.
  • Reply 14 of 113
    I was here starting sometime late in 1999 (gEEk at the time). I had alot more time on my hands for posting back then!



    Vividly remember the whole WorkerBee thing. (but I think I miss MaDToOL/68K/Mrs.Tron more... )
  • Reply 15 of 113
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    [quote]Originally posted by Fran441:

    <strong>I remember telling worker bee that I didn't believe him about the PowerBook G4 because Apple would *never* be crazy enough to drop a firewire port from the then current PowerBook G3 (Pismo). Still waiting for the first PowerBook G4 with more than one Firewire port to ship. </strong><hr></blockquote>

    The 17" PowerBook has 2 (one 800 and one 400 specifically)
  • Reply 16 of 113
    [quote]Originally posted by serrano:

    <strong>Has this always been Jon's board?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Jon only came on board after the 'great blackout'. Administration before that went roughly Kasper/Jeff (original founders) -&gt; Mark -&gt; EriMac -&gt; seb/robo -&gt; seb/Amorph -&gt; Jon/Amorph -&gt; Jon/Amorph/Brad
  • Reply 17 of 113
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    [quote]The 17" PowerBook has 2 (one 800 and one 400 specifically) <hr></blockquote>



    Yes, but I said I'm still waiting for it to ship.



  • Reply 18 of 113
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    I first registered at AI in Feb. 2000, Feb. 20th to be exact. 3 years and 5 days ago. That's crazy, I didn't even think about it.



    Anyway, I remember when that happened. I never really believe what Workerbee had to say at the time.
  • Reply 19 of 113
    I joined July or August of 1999, but lurked and read the forums and front page since it was actually a part of MacNN called "Reality".



    I remember some of the oldies that never returned after the Great Blackout such as PowerMac G4 and PeterB and BarrySharp and...



    Anyhow, I remember that article too. A number of people are still pissed at Mac Observer about it even today. I do indeed remember it well. It reeked of bullshit.



    [ 02-25-2003: Message edited by: Brad ]</p>
  • Reply 20 of 113
    Gee. . . I registered all the way back in the summer of 1999. I had a bit over 1000 posts then, and now a bit over 1000 posts. . . Pre and post blackout.
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