4 ms·

Will someone explain why people who don’t pay Apple a dime have some right to use iMessage? That seems to be at the root of all this, and it makes little sense

Will someone explain why people who don’t pay Apple a dime have some right to use iMessage? That seems to be at the root of all this, and it makes little sense to me.

the-rc 3y ago
Why would people who don't pay Apple a dime have some right to get their emails delivered to iCloud accounts? Why would people who don't pay Apple a dime have some right to look at public pictures hosted on iCloud Photos? Perhaps Apple will find a way to charge for all three.
- Grustaf 3y ago
  They do charge for iCloud, they charge the person that put the photos there.
- orf 3y ago
  Hey, I don’t pay for your computer or electricity but I’d like to run some programs on it to mine for bitcoin that I can sell for a profit. Please provision access ASAP, thank you.
  - the-rc 3y ago
    You can serve my browser some JavaScript and then consume my memory and CPU, right now. This is inherent in communication over the Internet: there are costs borne by both sides. But mining Bitcoin is quite different from routing messages anyway. That's a strained example. SMTP is a lot closer. And Apple will accept emails from Android, Linux or Windows systems just fine. HTTP is not as close, but still more so than Bitcoin. I don't know why people try to make an argument that even Apple, as far as I can tell, is not making. They stick to their usual "protecting the user" line.
    - orf 3y ago
      > And Apple will accept emails from Android, Linux or Windows systems just fine. HTTP is not as close, but still more so than Bitcoin. No they won’t, not unless the emails are addressed to an active iCloud user. That has paid them.
      - the-rc 3y ago
        If you send an iMessage to an iPhone user, that has paid them, is there really much difference? This is more and more of a stretch.
        orf 3y ago
        That’s a subset of the behaviour beeper is enabling, so yes it is different. And you’re not sending it - you’re asking Apple to send it for you, and using their resources in the process. And, as you haven’t paid them a dime, they can rightly say no. Just as you did when I asked to use your computer for crypto mining. Feel free to say yes to that, but understand that while you say no you’re also understanding why apple says no.
        the-rc 3y ago
        Apple themselves say no for a totally different reason. I haven't seen anyone making this argument other than random posters on the Internet.
        orf 3y ago
        If you understand why it’s not the same as receiving an email, and why an owner of a resource is not obliged to allow people to use that resource for free and for their profit, then why make this thread to begin with?
        TradingPlaces 3y ago
        That’s a separate question. I’m just an Apple customer who doesn’t want to subsidize Android customers. That’s it. Explain to me why I should.

Will someone explain why people who don’t pay Apple a dime have some right to use iMessage? That seems to be at the root of all this, and it makes little sense to me.

the-rc 3y ago

Why would people who don't pay Apple a dime have some right to get their emails delivered to iCloud accounts? Why would people who don't pay Apple a dime have some right to look at public pictures hosted on iCloud Photos? Perhaps Apple will find a way to charge for all three.

Grustaf 3y ago
They do charge for iCloud, they charge the person that put the photos there.
orf 3y ago
Hey, I don’t pay for your computer or electricity but I’d like to run some programs on it to mine for bitcoin that I can sell for a profit. Please provision access ASAP, thank you.
- the-rc 3y ago
  You can serve my browser some JavaScript and then consume my memory and CPU, right now. This is inherent in communication over the Internet: there are costs borne by both sides. But mining Bitcoin is quite different from routing messages anyway. That's a strained example. SMTP is a lot closer. And Apple will accept emails from Android, Linux or Windows systems just fine. HTTP is not as close, but still more so than Bitcoin. I don't know why people try to make an argument that even Apple, as far as I can tell, is not making. They stick to their usual "protecting the user" line.
  - orf 3y ago
    > And Apple will accept emails from Android, Linux or Windows systems just fine. HTTP is not as close, but still more so than Bitcoin. No they won’t, not unless the emails are addressed to an active iCloud user. That has paid them.
    - the-rc 3y ago
      If you send an iMessage to an iPhone user, that has paid them, is there really much difference? This is more and more of a stretch.
      - orf 3y ago
        That’s a subset of the behaviour beeper is enabling, so yes it is different. And you’re not sending it - you’re asking Apple to send it for you, and using their resources in the process. And, as you haven’t paid them a dime, they can rightly say no. Just as you did when I asked to use your computer for crypto mining. Feel free to say yes to that, but understand that while you say no you’re also understanding why apple says no.
        the-rc 3y ago
        Apple themselves say no for a totally different reason. I haven't seen anyone making this argument other than random posters on the Internet.
        orf 3y ago
        If you understand why it’s not the same as receiving an email, and why an owner of a resource is not obliged to allow people to use that resource for free and for their profit, then why make this thread to begin with?
        TradingPlaces 3y ago
        That’s a separate question. I’m just an Apple customer who doesn’t want to subsidize Android customers. That’s it. Explain to me why I should.