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Weekend Open Forum: The most 'evil' tech company?
It's been a lousy few months for Sony with all the PS3 hacking controversy, followed by a lawsuit that triggered a backlash from a group of gamers. Then the recent security breach on the PlayStation Network, which resulted in some sensitive user data being compromised and forced the company to take the service down.
Apple for its part was recently met with intense criticism after a report emerged last week claiming iPhones are quietly recording users' locations and saving the data to unencrypted files. It didn't take long for Google and other mobile players to start being scrutinized as well.
We hear stories like these all the time in the tech industry, sometimes unwarranted or blown out of proportion, and sometimes you just have to stop and wonder: "What were they thinking?"
In the spirit of those awful moments we ask you: which is in your opinion the most 'evil' tech company? In the poll below we've included a few that sprung to mind due to recent controversies, from anti-competitive business practices to privacy issues, peddling unfinished or buggy products, DRM-ridden software or simply a lack of tact when dealing with customers. You can check up to three and of course use the comments for the ones we missed.
User Comments: 82
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Apple might attach you from anus to mouth in their next invention...staying away from them...
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Wow, just one? But who?
Apple, with their arrogance, snob factor pricing, undisclosed location tracking, and generally wanting total control over everything that comes within 300 feet of one of their devices?
Sony, with their constant barrage of proprietary media formats that no one cares about because there is already something good enough that costs less, rootkits on audio CDs, SecuROM, removal of features for which customers have already paid (leading up to the hacker controversy), and the most recent security breach?
Ubisoft, with their increasingly annoying and draconian DRM (for which they rely on the warez scene for "patches? when it breaks), and releasing an intentionally broken game then suing because it worked as designed?
Facebook, for their never-ending pursuit of making all of your information public (and profiting from it)?
EA, Intel, Google, Microsoft for being some of the biggest kids on the block?
In my opinion , the big winner (loser?) is Activision and Bobby Kotick, whose stated goal is ??to take all the fun out of making video games", for running franchises into the ground, disbanding teams in an effort to squeeze every last possible cent out of a game, and stealing withholding team bonuses from one of their most profitable games.
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EA - if you are a PC gamer no more needs to be said; I hate EA
Apple - the over-priced hype and the followers who believe the propaganda that Apple can do no wrong
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No doubt in my mind that Oracle is the most evil of all. Everything they touch is destroyed. Java, Sun, OpenOffice, Acorde imaging system... Should I go on?
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Can we get Samsung on that list for Keylogger? That is my vote!
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Clrabbit said:zecias said:
i think most people are voting for apple because they sell crap products and not because they are actually evil =/
I'd recommend taking a closer look at apple and their history and future plans, and a good hard look at what they are right now.
Crap products is the thin shiny outer layer Apple's evil runs all the way to the core.
never denied that; lemme rephrase it.
apple is evil, but i think most people are voting for apple because they sell crap products, not because they are evil.
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Toss up between apple Sony and att! I wish they would just all burn though....
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Guest said:
Can we get Samsung on that list for Keylogger? That is my vote!
Considering there was no keylogger, why would you vote for that?
I think I'll go for Facebook. Recently I wanted to post a response somewhere, and saw that I was already logged in, apparently because I was logged into Facebook. So I posted, and saw that alongside my name it posted my age. What does that have to do with anything, and why would it tell people such details? I'm sure it's also that forum software's fault, but Facebook shouldn't make this available in the first place.
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EA are not that bad, and yes I am a PC gamer.
Apple are most voted yet people rave Apple products, ''Look at my Iphone , look what my Iphone can do''
Yea buzz off Apple products and the people that use them, I bet half the people that voted Apple have at least 1 Apple product. Only product I ever owned was an Ipod shuffle it was a gift and it BROKE! List is very short, more companys could be put on there. Like where is Steam, Packard Bell, ETC could name loads
Y thos companys!?
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zecias said:Clrabbit said:zecias said:
i think most people are voting for apple because they sell crap products and not because they are actually evil =/
I'd recommend taking a closer look at apple and their history and future plans, and a good hard look at what they are right now.
Crap products is the thin shiny outer layer Apple's evil runs all the way to the core.
never denied that; lemme rephrase it.
apple is evil, but i think most people are voting for apple because they sell crap products, not because they are evil.
Sadly, probably... that's why Dell has votes XD.
(How Dell got on this list I will never know working in PC repair for so many years if any PC OEM deserves to be here it's Gateway.)
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The first evil company of all is Rambus.
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at&t isn't really a tech company since they sell other companies tech
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Thanks for the Link. It's so true. i see people in my school (cause Apple and macs are the "thing" at my school...) mindlessly buying macs, thinking that they're getting good value for their money or that the extra expenses are worth it because they think the hardware is of very good quality. The only thing Macs are good for is the software that Apple makes. But even then there's usually software that might be close to... maybe IMovie and things like that.
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fimbles said:
I actually chose sony as most evil, until i read this..
[link]
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Apple hands down... Sony aren't evil just a little bit challenged imo
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The Mad "iMonk"
The first evil company of all is Rambus.Do they actually do technology? I thought it was a law firm.Apple hands down... Sony aren't evil just a little bit challenged imoI know, it's the whole mind control thing Jobs has going on. Now that's really evil. It's the same s*** that got Rasputin killed. -
superty12 said:
Perhaps there's a reason Apple's logo has a bite in it.
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EA has been ruining successful franchise games for years now, therefore, they get my vote.
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Where's IBM?
the holocaust sponsor
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The United States Government, but I might be out there in limbo by myself on this issue.
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The United States Government, but I might be out there in limbo by myself on this issue.Considering the US government isn't anything remotely resembling a "technology company", you might be simply posting to share your opinion. Either from "limbo" or perhaps elsewhere in space.
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don't know if they qualify but i have to say sprint...worst ever....
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sheep are out in force today, i guess apple are 'evil' because they are popular or something? Or you can't afford it?
voted adobe for flash
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sheep are out in force today, i guess apple are 'evil' because they are popular or something? Or you can't afford it?Follow the watch.....shiny isn't it?........, now count backwards from 100......99.....98...., you are getting hungry......, hungry......., hungry...... for another Apple product. Now when I snap my fingers......you will wake up refreshed, feeling the need to spend too much money, and rush down to the iStore and buy something you will spend many happy hours trying to find a use for later.
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sheep are out in force today, i guess apple are 'evil' because they are popular or something? Or you can't afford it?
voted adobe for flash
Another Appleite (or are they called Jobsonians?) has checked in. And they are pushing their own Final Cut because they have enough issues with Adobe and their CS5 (soon to be CS5.5). Here is part of the description: "Final Cut Pro 7 gives you more creative options and technical control" but with the subliminal message of "creative options and technical control that we tell you must have and nothing more!"
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