So, here’s a puzzling bit of argumentation from Steven Strubel:
However, my hunch is that Apple will continue to prevent its employees from blogging for the foreseeable future so that it can maintain its mystique. This approach may work for awhile, but the employees in Cupertino will eventually revolt, snub their noses at policy and begin blogging in force – even if it is anonymously. Why? Dissatisfaction and low morale.
As much as I love Apple (I own an iBook laptop and an iPod Mini) the company is entering its next lifecycle. Despite recent huge hits like the iPod and the iTunes Music Store, Apple has struggled to sell its premium, albeit “insanely great,” computers to the majority of users beyond the core evangelists. Desktops and laptops make up the lion share of Apple’s profits. Already many smell the growth slowing and have taken notice, sending the stock downward.
If Apple’s profits continue to decline or stay flat, investors will find more attractive stocks. While no one is predicting a return to the dark days of Gilbert Amelio, a declining share price will eventually force Apple to make changes (as Microsoft did) to maintain profit targets. This will deflate employee morale, breed dissatisfaction and prompt Apple’s internal mavericks to begin blogging–unless Apple acts first.
For once, Apple needs to follow Microsoft’s lead by quickly letting their employees blog. Corporate transparency can’t be stopped. Apple, rekindle your revolutionary spirit, loosen your grip and let your employees blog – even if it’s just a preemptive move. If you don’t, this will only harm your brand over the long haul.
Where to start.
First of all, his timing is pretty bad, since Apple just announced record profits that shot its stock price through the roof. Second, also in the category of bad timing, his post comes just when Apple employee Dave Hyatt, in his Surfin’ Safari weblog, is engaging in conversation with Internet luminaries including Tim Bray, Ian Hickson, and Eric Meyer regarding nothing less than the future of Internet standards and Apple’s role in it.
But most puzzling to me is the huge leap from Apple’s (debatable) sales slump and (indesputably non-existent) profitability struggle to official developer blogs as the only thing that can save the company, equating official PR blogs with “corporate transparency.” First, it’s not at all clear that, to the extent that Apple has problems, lack of corporate transparency is the cause. Second, to the extent that corporate transparency is the cause of Apple’s problems, Strubel fails to make the case that blogs in general can bring about a meaningful new transparency that will address Apple’s problems. Third, to the extent that blogs in general can solve Apple’s problems, he fails to make the case that official blogs are the way to make that happen. In fact, I would argue that Hyatt’s weblog, whether or not it appears in some slick Apple blog portal, provides unprecedented transparency and, further, opportunity for two-way dialog between the company’s developers and the larger community.
Maybe these arguments (and their supporting data) exist. If so, I’d like to hear them. But frankly, I don’t see how it could be possible. Blogs are great, but they can’t cure cancer and they probably can’t single-handedly change the fate of multi-billion-dollar companies.
