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Apple had the second biggest quarter by a company ever. It's good journalism to acknowledge not only the great aspects of Apple - design, products, marketing bu

by b0sk 15y ago

Apple had the second biggest quarter by a company ever. It's good journalism to acknowledge not only the great aspects of Apple - design, products, marketing but also acknowledge the unsavory parts of how these companies have to rely on brutal labor conditions to get things done. Yes, other companies are doing it but it's not the point of the article.

glhaynes 15y ago
I agree Apple should be criticized for any unfair labor practices that go on under their watch, just like any company should be. What I think me and many others are starting to wonder is why is it almost always Apple that's singled out? I could probably find 20 items in this room that were made by Foxconn et al and don't have an Apple logo on them. But there seem to be constant articles, radio news segments, one-man plays, etc criticizing Apple's labor practices specifically and nearly none about any other company's products — when there are non-Apple-specific discussions of unfair labor practices, they tend to refer to broad generic terms like "the electronics industry". My guess is that at least a part of it is because many of Apple's users have such an emotional connection with their Apple devices that go everywhere with them — it "hurts" in a way to hear about one's iPhone being morally questionable in a way that it doesn't to hear the same about your Xbox.
- cullenking 15y ago
  Because apple is one of the most profitable companies in history. Every quarter we see the staggering amount of money they make, and seeing that, many people go "why aren't they paying workers more, why aren't they sucking up the difference and manufacturing in the US?". There are logical answers to those questions, regardless of whether they make moral sense. However until we see other companies posting world-record breaking profits, we will likely see more articles concerning apple's decisions and their human costs. Edit: I am not making any judgements or criticisms, this is just an observation on why people feel the need to criticize.

by b0sk 15y ago

glhaynes 15y ago

I agree Apple should be criticized for any unfair labor practices that go on under their watch, just like any company should be. What I think me and many others are starting to wonder is why is it almost always Apple that's singled out? I could probably find 20 items in this room that were made by Foxconn et al and don't have an Apple logo on them. But there seem to be constant articles, radio news segments, one-man plays, etc criticizing Apple's labor practices specifically and nearly none about any other company's products — when there are non-Apple-specific discussions of unfair labor practices, they tend to refer to broad generic terms like "the electronics industry". My guess is that at least a part of it is because many of Apple's users have such an emotional connection with their Apple devices that go everywhere with them — it "hurts" in a way to hear about one's iPhone being morally questionable in a way that it doesn't to hear the same about your Xbox.

cullenking 15y ago
Because apple is one of the most profitable companies in history. Every quarter we see the staggering amount of money they make, and seeing that, many people go "why aren't they paying workers more, why aren't they sucking up the difference and manufacturing in the US?". There are logical answers to those questions, regardless of whether they make moral sense. However until we see other companies posting world-record breaking profits, we will likely see more articles concerning apple's decisions and their human costs. Edit: I am not making any judgements or criticisms, this is just an observation on why people feel the need to criticize.