Over the last couple of months (and maybe longer), user #857673, known by the Alias ‘As Seen On TV,’ has been responding to a number of Apple-related posts on Slashdot, billing himself as an Apple employee and making sweeping, but seemingly accurate statements about the inner workings of the company. This is a good thing—his or her posts have been engaging to read, insightful (+5!), and free of the standard marketing bullshit that typically bogs down any sort of corporate response (especially the effluence that runs down the ivory walls of Cupertino).
But is this person for real? If so, Apple needs to set up a blog and put ASOT front and center—their frankness is a needed counterpoint to Apple’s standard ‘Think Indifferent’ PR visage. If ASOT isn’t an employee, Apple should say so, as someone else is puporting to be the public face of the company to an important tech community. I feel a bit like I’m killing the golden goose by pointing it out, because I’ve enjoyed the peek into a company that normally likes to pretend its insides are a gelatinous hive thrumming with communal genius, but the longer we take the posts on Slashdot as gospel, the easy we might be set up for a fall.
iTunes Music Store Sells Videos [Slashdot]
As Seen On TV’s User Page [Slashdot]
