UPDATE - Well, it looks like they are still publishing in the secret notes section..We aren't sure how this is going to shake out? Was this a publicity stunt? Was it just Nick who was leaving and Ryan staying? or maybe it ends Dec 31st? We'll see. The unfortunate part is that haven't revealed anything significant since WWDC 2007.
Apple has successfully shut down news and rumors site, Thinksecret.
Think about that for a minute. A company just shut down a news website.
Best wishes on whatever is next to Nick and Ryan from everyone at 9to5Mac. You guys were great and an inspiration to us ;)
You will be missed.
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Think Secret was first. This
Think Secret was first. This BITCH-WIFFIN site is next. Godspeed Holmes!
Sink Thecret
Sink Thecret
I'm just trying to figure
I'm just trying to figure out what "...that results in a positive solution for both sides." Means exactly. Is it postive to Nick and Ryan in a "we won't ream you financially till you draw your last breath, and then start in on your family" or positive in a "we'll cough up your lawyer's fees and here's a bag of money for you to go away and never talk about our future products again"?
that is the million dollar
that is the million dollar question. Because of the confidentiality agreement, we'll probably never know. Too bad thinksecret isn't around to tell us.
http://arstechnica.com/news.a
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071220-settlement-shutters-thinksecret-eff-its-for-the-best.html
I just saw some EFF quotes over at Ars, including "We understand that Nick is very satisfied with the outcome of the case". Looks like ThinkSecret cashed in. So if you guys ever want to try sell out you now know what to do. Daddy's gotta start dishing the good stuff instead of just teasers! :)
Was a good reliable site,
Was a good reliable site, sorry to see this happen.
Free speech does not count for everybody although I believe even in the US it's a human right !
I not about to defend Apple
I not about to defend Apple in any way, but please, let's keep in mind that NO right we enjoy is unlimited. All our rights are balanced by the responsibility to honor the rights of others. That is why you don't have the "right" to yell fire in a crowded movie house, or say libelous things about others. What we need in this country is intelligent discussion about these types of issues, not unthinking rants about rights.
You're an idiot.
You're an idiot.
Whatever he is (idiot or
Whatever he is (idiot or non-), you just helped make his case by dismissing him with three name-calling words.
That aside, there is something ugly and at least conceptually frightening about a press with journalistic ambitions (whether you consider it journalism or not is a semantic issue) being hounded out of existence by a private enterprise it dared to have the temerity to annoy. And that's true whether the founder was purely intimidated into quitting by the prospect of the deep pockets of A. Inc lawyers coming at him in waves forever or whether he pocketed enough to finish his undergrad and grad degree programs at Harvard.
When people say he's feeling pretty satisfied about the deal, the main or a major satisfaction may be the moral one: he (as aspiring journalist) was NOT forced to reveal his sources, an issue at the heart of many famous press cases.
Speaking of rights, though, a product may be trade-marked, may be patentable in whole or part, may contain copyrighted materials, etc., AND the company developing the product has the right to try and either publicize or withhold information about the product before it's released, may fire employees who violate company policies in this regard, and has the right to keep its premises and internal communications safe from trespass.
It has no inherent right, however, to persecute those trying to ferret out its secrets by legal means. None, zip, nada, zero. In such cases then, it has to be prepared to prove a revealed secret was obtained by extra-legal means. Otherwise anything this site or others can find out and publish is totally fair game.
Further, Apple is totally aware of the mutual benefit of the cult publishing network that's grown up around it and its "secrets," and has a stake in continuing the dance between what's revealed and what's concealed. And to be honest, so do we. We want to be better informed than the average digital consumer about what's next down the pike from Steveco, but, let's face it, we still want to be at least a little surprised and delighted by some of the details when the man steps up to the MW or other podium to reveal the next "insanely great" device or program.
So the balance is, as they say, "to show a little leg" in advance of the total reveal, that is, to build without destroying the advance interest. And so it will remain until and unless Apple changes its attitude about its brand of strategic secrecy being a useful marketing tool.
But whatever, I will remember this incident and feel Apple looks totally like a vindictive bully here.
I'm curious.... What made TS
I'm curious....
What made TS a "news" site?
Don't get me wrong, I'm sad to see them go, but even the website NAME insinuated that they existed solely to distribute inside information. It wasn't "ThinkOpenInformation" it was "ThinkSecret".
How can a company like Apple, in competition with such a huge copycat like M$, possibly hope to succeed without secrets? Publishing those secrets could lead to the downfall of the company.
Speculating on secrets is fine, but publishing inside information was just plain stupid. Sure, I liked to know, but I also drive faster on the interstate than the posted speed limit. I know it's wrong and I don't try to justify it. Calling "Think Secret" news is ridiculous. Awesome, fun, exciting, but not news.
"but publishing inside
"but publishing inside information was just plain stupid." - it's quite ironic you are writing this on this site :)
Ouch! Cant do much for a
Ouch!
Cant do much for a reputation... I love apple, but still, when you think of the real reason we go to sites like these, it is to get more info on Apple's products. Heck, if these sites were not here, Apple loses the "hype factor", which plays a huge role in product release.
And now... How I am going to
And now... How I am going to get informed? and boom....
Now it's time for you guys
Now it's time for you guys at 9to5Mac to step up and take Think Secrets place!
I was never hugely impressed
I was never hugely impressed with thinksecret - they seemed always to be behind 9to5 and way behind Appleinsider.
Maybe I missed some of their juicy exclusives / first news breaks but I rarely looked at them!
agreed. always have
agreed. always have preferred 9to5 and macrumors...
IIRC they broke the news of
IIRC they broke the news of the Mac Mini and Pages/iWork. That's pretty big. Of course there is Apple losing control of PR but the biggest thing IMO is that Apple has to worry about is the competition hearing about these things before we even do. That's why they are working so hard to plug these leaks. That's how Apple operates. Out on the edge trying to keep distance between their product and any competitors. That's how they can keep their margins.
.dwight
Ironic that Think Secret, a
Ironic that Think Secret, a site dedicated to exposing Apple's secrets, is not prepared to tell us about the secret agreement they signed with Apple...
Steve Jobs is
Steve Jobs is saying.......iWin.
That's dumb.
That's dumb.
Your dumb!
Your dumb!
Dude, "Your Dumb" is bad
Dude, "Your Dumb" is bad grammer. It's "You're Dumb".
dude, it's spelled 'grammar'
dude, it's spelled 'grammar'
The correct spelling is
The correct spelling is "dud". http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dud
As long as we have a
As long as we have a succession of flawed geniuses ragging on each other's use of the mother tongue, I'll add that "Dude" two posts up could have been capitalized, while the period in the above post belongs inside the quotation marks.
Sheesh. All clear now?
Okay, so where did I screw up?
You didn't screw up. You are
You didn't screw up. You are perfect.
@Late Secrets and
@Late Secrets and @tom
Hmm...
Macrumors and Thinksecret both started around the beginning of 2000 but 9to5mac started in 2007.
My imperfect source: www.archive.org
So regarding these facts:
How do you define always? Are you around seven year of age?
Granted, after TS was called to court, their quality/quantity of rumors fell but I am sorry they are gone.
And I must also say that in the short period that 9to5mac has been active they have matured. Good luck and please continue to carry on the spirit of TS.
Cheers
Chris
@ Chris Which is why I
@ Chris
Which is why I prefixed my comments with "they seemed always to be behind..." and "Maybe I missed some of their..."
I've only owned a mac for 2 years and only been keeping a finger on the pulse for 18months, QED, for me, not judging anyone else's experience, TS were always the last choice for news!
@chris obviously i used
@chris
obviously i used 'always' in a figurative sense. how would you define pedantic?
it's no big deal, i just agree with late secrets, there are other rumour sites i prefer - particularly 9to5 and macrumors - for all i know thinksecret were quicker with the juice, but i like the others' editorial more.
By definition, news is what
By definition, news is what someone doesn't want someone else to know. That includes "secrets".
The chilling effect on free speech and the public's right to know is potentially huge.
TS today, AP tomorrow? The WashPost? NYT?
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