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Apple letter breaks little girl's heart
MacNN ^ | 04/17/2006

Posted on 04/17/2006 7:13:16 AM PDT by Panerai

Apple's corporate policy for dealing with unsolicited ideas may be changing. The company held a special meeting to discuss ways to improve its cold-hearted, boiler-plate response to any unsolicited improvements or suggestions submitted to the company, after it found out that it shattered a nine-year girl's heart. According to CBS 5 News, 9-year-old Shea O'Gorman wrote to Apple CEO Steve Jobs as her class was learning about writing business and formal letters. The third-grader wrote Jobs to offer suggestions on improving her iPod nano, such as adding song lyrics so listeners can sing along to their tunes. Although it took three months, the company finally responded to her letter--although it was not what O'Gorman and her family were expecting. Instead of a polite response from Jobs, the girl received a cold, stern letter from Apple's legal counsel telling her that the company didn't accept unsolicited ideas and that she should not send any suggestions to the company.

Apple's full legal policy, designed to protect itself from protracted legal battles about royalties and licensing from submitted ideas, was available online, according to the letter received and read by both O'Gorman and her family.

"She was very upset, and kinda threw the letter up in the air and ran in her room and slammed her door," the girl's mother told CBS 5 News.

Although Apple declined to comment on the story, a company representative reportedly called the girl to offer an apology (following an inquiry by CBS 5 News); in addition, the report says that Apple held a special meeting last week to discuss ways in which it could improve its corporate policy when dealing with children.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: apple; customerservice; dontbesocallous; ipod; ipodnano
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1 posted on 04/17/2006 7:13:19 AM PDT by Panerai
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To: Swordmaker

ping


2 posted on 04/17/2006 7:14:03 AM PDT by Panerai
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To: Panerai
"She was very upset, and kinda threw the letter up in the air and ran in her room and slammed her door," the girl's mother told CBS 5 News.

She was expecting a job offer...and to be a dot.com millionaire by 12.

3 posted on 04/17/2006 7:15:37 AM PDT by PBRSTREETGANG
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To: Panerai

"My lawyers will SUE you, my little pretty! And your little DOG too!!"

4 posted on 04/17/2006 7:16:49 AM PDT by Cincinatus (Omnia relinquit servare Republicam)
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To: PBRSTREETGANG

--I suppose the mother will be filing a lawsuit--


5 posted on 04/17/2006 7:17:13 AM PDT by rellimpank (Don't believe anything about firearms or explosives stated by the mass media---NRABenefactor)
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To: Panerai

I suggest a class action lawsuit by all people who have had their feelings hurt by Apple's policy!
susie


6 posted on 04/17/2006 7:17:18 AM PDT by brytlea (amnesty--an act of clemency by an authority by which pardon is granted esp. to a group of individual)
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To: Panerai
Sounds like the parents missed a wonderful opportunity to teach their daughter about the realities of the business world and the power of the consumer in the free market...instead, choosing to foster a victim attitude.

Shattered her heart indeed...if her heart is this easily "shattered" then, IMHO, the parents need to spend a lot more time instilling in her what is really valuable in this life, or at the very least recognize that what occurred here was not any kind of "earth shattering" event.

7 posted on 04/17/2006 7:18:22 AM PDT by Jeff Head (www.dragonsfuryseries.com)
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To: Panerai
I've heard of seventh-grade assignments: "If you were advising Douglas MacArthur on how to win the Korean War, what would you tell him?"

Young children have little of value to say on some topics. Allowing them to go through life thinking that Generals and CEOs are eagerly waiting to hear what they think, is not doing the children any favors.

Some kids have too much self-esteem. Reality smacks them in the face and they fall apart.

8 posted on 04/17/2006 7:18:27 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Never question Bruce Dickinson!)
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To: rellimpank
I suppose the mother will be filing a lawsuit

Well, they do have deep pockets.

9 posted on 04/17/2006 7:18:35 AM PDT by KittyKares
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To: Panerai

Steve Jobs doesn't care about the children!


10 posted on 04/17/2006 7:18:40 AM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: Panerai

So.....? Their response to her idea?

Uhhhh...... yeah, well weeeeeee.... uhhhh.....already came up with that idea, yeah, THAT'S the ticket!


11 posted on 04/17/2006 7:18:50 AM PDT by Hatteras
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To: PBRSTREETGANG

Let kids have their dreams.


12 posted on 04/17/2006 7:18:53 AM PDT by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! (Charlie Mike, son))
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To: Panerai
Well, good idea I think. I'd like to know the lyrics to the songs too.

Only thing is, because we've been raising a bunch of pansies who have not had their "self-esteem" endangered over the past twenty years, I'm kinda fearful about where our county is going. I mean if little Susie and little Timmy can't handle a little bad news... where does that leave the rest of us?
13 posted on 04/17/2006 7:18:57 AM PDT by Mathews (Shot... Splash... Out!)
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To: PBRSTREETGANG
She was expecting a job offer...and to be a dot.com millionaire by 12.

Thats a pretty tall exaggeration, PBRSTREETGANG.

It said that she wanted on her iPOD Nano:

...song lyrics so listeners can sing along to their tunes

14 posted on 04/17/2006 7:18:59 AM PDT by ExcursionGuy84 ("Jesus, Your Love takes my breath away.")
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To: Panerai

I assume this policy is to prevent accusations that Apple is using an idea from an unsolcited customer suggestion.

Still, the P.R. person could have seen this letter as an opportunity instead of a threat.


15 posted on 04/17/2006 7:19:07 AM PDT by dinoparty
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To: Panerai
>"She was very upset, and kinda threw the letter up in the air and ran in her room and slammed her door," the girl's mother told CBS 5 News


Our youth -- the future
John McCain's in training for
their temper tantrums . . .

16 posted on 04/17/2006 7:19:51 AM PDT by theFIRMbss
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To: Panerai

17 posted on 04/17/2006 7:20:10 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: Panerai
I would have suggested never releases the Ipod Nano. What a POS that thing is.
18 posted on 04/17/2006 7:20:32 AM PDT by bahblahbah
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To: Panerai
"She was very upset, and kinda threw the letter up in the air and ran in her room and slammed her door,"

I work with several people in my office who are just like that.

19 posted on 04/17/2006 7:20:45 AM PDT by OB1kNOb (America is the land of the free BECAUSE of the BRAVE !! BUILD THE WALL! PROTECT OUR BORDERS!)
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To: dinoparty

oops, I didn't read the article obviously, as it states the reason in black and white. sorry.


20 posted on 04/17/2006 7:20:57 AM PDT by dinoparty
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