unfair press!

A

applewhore

Registered
Yet again, Apple is used unfairly in the UK press...

Normally, we see companies using PBs etc. to extol the virtues of PC companies / internet related businesses - but not in situations where Apple stands to make a gain... simply "piggy-backing" the gorgeous designs of our friend, Mr Ive..

Today, in the Daily Mail (UK newspaper), on page 2, they are reporting the "sobig" virus...

Under the HUGE headline of :

"TENS OF MILLIONS HIT BY COMPUTER VIRUS FROM HELL"

they show a drawing of a girl using an original iMac...

For f***'s sake - what's all that about, eh?

The reporter's name is t.utton@dailymail.co.uk (just in case anyone else felt the need to press the point home...!)

:mad:
 
I'm writing an email right now. I just have a question though, what exactly is the name of the man I'm writing to?
 
It's not necessarily the writer's fault.... it might be the layout person, or the editor, and he's just taken some stock photography and plopped it next to the article.

Whoever did it, though.... psh. :p
 
Arden - fair call, but I'm afraid I'm visiting my parents in the UK, and although I've got everyone here using PBs now, they haven't taken the step to scanning yet!

Therefore, I can't prove what I'm saying to be true! sorry...

adambyte - I completely agree that it might not be strictly his fault, but his name is the only one given with regards to the article, so I felt vindicated in dropping him a message pointing out their error!

When you get subliminal messages like this in reporting, it's no wonder it takes time for the general populace to learn "the truth"!

;)
 
well, i;m guessing that most pc users don't know that macs aren't effected by all these viruses they spend their days worrying about. so how would some joe shmoe know that an imac isn't just any computer, it's a virus retardent computer? the up side is that it shows a mac as a 'computer' and not like some specialty machine that is only good for graphic artists. still a good idea to let them know their mistake but likely more positive associations than bad ones would come of this in the long run. remember it's not what people say about you, it's whether they're talking about you at all. :)
 
I just thought I'd post a copy of what I wrote to the journalist - I'm not trying to stir up hate mail for him!

The article just pi$$ed me off - sloppy and inaccurate!

"Hi Tim

I read your article in the Mail today, and just wanted to make a couple of points:

A) The “How It Works” list should read :

“sobig arrives in e-mail” etc.
receiver opens attachment
“attachment infects computer” etc.
“virus also loads program” etc.

If the recipient deletes the attachment without opening it, no harm is done – you are scaremongering by not making this more obvious...

B) The drawing used in your article depicts an iMac – made by Apple – the only computers not to be affected by .exe files – VERY misleading to the general public...

Sorry, but couldn’t let this pass... It’s only Windows users who have problems with these virii!

Edward"

edX - perhaps you're right, but I do think that when people see an easily-recognisable iMac alongside a headline that suggests (very strongly) that this is one of the millions of computers that has been hit - it will register, on some level at least, and leave a negative impression that may influence future buying decisions.

If it had been a beige box, it would have been a much more sensible (albeit less aesthetically pleasing) depiction!

I just needed to vent!

:D
 
I agree, if the average Joe Shmoe is computer shopping, and he sees an iMac, and remembers reading about that virus that was affecting all these computers, and he remembers the picture that accompanied the article, and that this computer resembles that picture, then he is going to avoid it so he doesn't get the virus.

If, however, the iMac depicted was a gumdrop model, then sales of lampshade iMacs shouldn't decrease because of it.
 
And remember, it is the Daily Mail. One of the more evil papers around. I'm surprised they're not blaming the virus on a global conspiracy perpetrated by gays, asylum seekers and the French :)
 
Btw., Macs are not "the only computers unaffected". You can use Linux, Sun Solaris and a few other operating systems without the "ability to execute .exe files". ;-) And don't forget that using VPC 'enables' a whole world of virii and worms. "Pandora's Box" would be a nice codename for VirtualPC 7. ;-)

Btw.: I also guess it's not the writer's fault that the picture took place of a better one. Maybe it's even worse and the layouter is a Mac fan who deleted all PC pictures from their pix' database. ;-)
 
fryke... you're right, of course about macs not being the only ones to avoid .exe files...

my mistake - i answered in indignant haste!

:rolleyes:
 
Um, did you send that missive already? You should say something like, "I know this probably wasn't intentional, but the computer depicted in the picture accompanying article X is a Macintosh, and Macs are immune to the Sobig.F virus. It's not a really big deal, but it would be nice if you didn't put a computer like the Mac in a bad light by comparing it to a Windows machine with the Sobig virus." Reword where necessary.

Question: What did the caption say that accompanied the picture? That could make all the difference...
 
Well, it's all turned out better today for Apple!

In the Business section of the Sunday Times, the front banner section reads :

UNPLUGGED
The revolution that will free workers from the office."

with a photo of a guy using... a 15" PB!

There's then a 2/3 page article on page 6 illustrating a typical wireless network with another picture of the same guy sitting in a pub with his PB on his lap - looking very pleased with himself!!!

(I gather he runs The Cloud - a company that is installing WiFi by "piggybacking on the back of the network used to support the digital amusement machines in the 1,350 pubs and bars operated by Leisure Link.")

You can read the article online (but without photos, I'm afraid) at :

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-789695,00.html

Anyway - here's one with postive imagery for Apple - unlike the sobig. virus article - thought I should point out the good as well as the bad...


arden - I already sent the message - as I said earlier...

I agree that it could have been worded differently, but my response was reasonably measured, given the layout of the article!

The caption effectively read :

sobig arrives in e-mail
attachment infects computer
virus loads program

under the main headline of :

TENS OF MILLIONS HIT BY COMPUTER VIRUS FROM HELL


Anyway, enough of that - I'm back to enjoying my PB now!

Have a good day, all!

;)
 
Okay, so Apple's not actually getting any press in this, then? Nobody's doing a story about how Mac's are immune to Sobig or perfect for Wifi... so it's really fair/unfair depiction against context of the story, am I correct?
 
That's what I was trying to say, obviously unsuccessfully!

" edX - perhaps you're right, but I do think that when people see an easily-recognisable iMac alongside a headline that suggests (very strongly) that this is one of the millions of computers that has been hit - it will register, on some level at least, and leave a negative impression that may influence future buying decisions.

If it had been a beige box, it would have been a much more sensible (albeit less aesthetically pleasing) depiction!

I just needed to vent! "

:rolleyes:
 
hmm... try and find better thread-titles, though. the one used here let me expect a link to an article that compared the platforms and was unfair to the Macintosh.
 
Right, that's what I was saying. But I think this topic is about over, so we can probably drop it now.
 
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