07.13.00
Free Speech, Free Silence
Jul 13 Thu (08 AM)
Today, Dave Winer of Userland <http://www.scripting.com/> took a little swing at Apple:
As far as I’m concerned Apple goes it alone, blazing their own trail, picky about the developers they work with. [Irish Times reporter] Karlin is right, I am obsessed with this free speech First Amendment thing, I’ve been part of a system where saying what you think was considered bad manners. Never again.
Apple, as an incorporated entity has Free Speech rights as well, but the back side of Free Speech is Free Silence. Unless a topic has serious health or human rights concerns, anyone has the right to *not* say anything. If Apple doesn’t want to talk to someone that they feel will call them on it, that’s their perogative. I think it shows weakness on Apple’s part, but to say that your own Free Speech trumps someone else’s Free Silence is a one-sided view.