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Jobs: iPad Gives You Freedom —From Porn

Apple boss gets into late-night email war with tipsy Gawker writer

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted May 17, 2010 7:46 AM CDT
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(Newser) – When Gawker writer Ryan Tate saw an iPad commercial proclaiming the device a “revolution,” it kind of pissed him off. It probably helped that his employer is in a legal battle with Apple, and that he was having a stiff drink. So he fired off a sort-of nasty email to Jobs, invoking Bob Dylan and protesting that “Revolutions are about freedom.” And Jobs, surprisingly, responded. “Yep, freedom from programs that steal your private data. Freedom from programs that trash your battery. Freedom from porn.”

That just got things going in the late-night exchange. Tate replied, vigorously arguing about the merits of Flash, Apple's control over content, and porn. “Gosh, why are you so bitter over a technical issue?” Jobs asks, referring to Flash. He adds: “You might care more about porn when you have kids...” You can read the whole exchange here—Tate says he feels okay about posting it, because he's sure Jobs assumes any emails he sends will go public.

In this Jan. 27, 2010 photo shows Apple CEO Steve Jobs holding up the new iPad during a product announcement in San Francisco.
In this Jan. 27, 2010 photo shows Apple CEO Steve Jobs holding up the new iPad during a product announcement in San Francisco.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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Jobs not only built and then rebuilt his company around some very strong opinions about digital life, but he's willing to defend them in public. Vigorously. Bluntly. At two in the morning on a weekend. - Ryan Tate

I don't think it's a technical issue at all—it's you imposing your morality.
- Ryan Tate

By the way, what have you done that's so great? Do you create anything, or just criticize others' work and their motivations? - Steve Jobs

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 22 comments
rockettube
May 22, 2010 1:11 PM CDT
It's the internet and unless Apple is going to start suppressing what websites people are allowed to go to, then they won't be "keeping porn off the iPad". RocketTube.com has been iPad compatible since before the devices even landed on store shelves and our analytics show that iPad users are finding us in droves. Right now rockettube.com is the only tube site compatible with the device, but it offers over 34,000 free full-screen videos to iPad adopters. I don't think straight porn will be far behind. Maybe they can keep it out of the app store which is fine... but off the web? Thats a job that too big for even Apple to tackle.
RufusT.Firefly
May 17, 2010 11:18 PM CDT
This whole matter made me think of this spectacular song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Anybody out there remembers it?
Movana
May 17, 2010 6:56 PM CDT
I like Steve.

 
Steve Jobs • pornography • Gawker • Flash • Gawker Media • iPad • iPad applications • iPad apps

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