What is Digg?55 Comments
- DesireCampbell, on 10/12/2007, -15/+51After watching those new Mac commercials, I didn't think Macs needed support. :P
- isnoop, on 10/12/2007, -2/+32I think you misunderstand the line you quoted. The boards went to pieces only after they removed the mods. It's like having a playground full of schoolchildren with no yard monitor. It's bound to degrade rather quickly.
- FunkyWitDaSysTm, on 10/12/2007, -4/+34these forums were, for many, a last-ditch effort at fixing an out-of-warrenty problem, and finding nswers to questions without having to pay tech support. too bad that people couldn't just behave themselves.
- isnoop, on 10/12/2007, -0/+24Shame. In my opinion, tech support boards are one of the best ways of getting and archiving support information that actually matters to users (as opposed to FAQs compiled by someone who has a narrow idea of what people really want to know). If anything, they should be beefing up their support of the forums. The costs are negligible compared to phone tech support. A single person can handle quite a few forums requests and people don't expect immediate service like they do with a phone call.
- sldSquirrel, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19It's really too bad. They were always very helpful and had answers within minutes.
- SwordofKahless, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16Bottomline is they cut costs by eliminating staff and users they think will pay for support rather than use the forums. As usual the customer loses and it makes for poor customer relations. Pretty much the trend these days with customer support satisfaction dead last in priorities and spending.
- pokey9000, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13Remember when 1-800-SOS-APPL was free?
- flipmeat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6 I am guessing that there is someone on every project team, if not more, that closely watches those forums for their project. They don't post, for reasons that should be obvious.
Maybe some of those helpful, knowledgable posters there are workers using an alias? :-)
When you look at some of the posters with insane post counts, and look at the post times, realize they never seem to sleep, and they are never satisfied, ever - hey, it's just like here. :-P - wordsofwisedumb, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10Coming from a devout Mac user this may sound surprising, but personally I think their hardware sucks. When it works, it works so well you couldn't ask for anything better, BUT it fails fairly often in my experience. I don't personally know a single Mac user that hasn't had a hardware problem at some point (maybe my circle of acquaintances is unlucky). I think this is mainly due to pushing the limit for size of components. If it were not for amazing support and an incredible OS, I would not be using a Mac.
If you plan to buy an Apple product GET APPLE CARE, you WILL need it before you retire the product. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I don't weave in and out of the apple discussion forums every living day, but I really haven't seen many problems with rudeness or trolling or warez discussions there.. At least not nearly enough to warrant this sort of action on Apple's part.
Oh well. This is a bummer. - FunkyWitDaSysTm, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10they need LESS support (usually). when talking about macs and ipods, it's important to remember that they're not perfect, they're not ever-lasting, and they're CERTAINLY not invinceable. hardware fails, etc. it just happens. apple (except for a few weird problems, i.e. the whine, the discoloration), is usually GREAT about fixing things, even if they're not broken.
apple products fail less often, perform better, and are more reliable because they're built from higher-quality hardware & software. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7think different
lol - spunkmyer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I use the Apple support forums quite a bit since I like to help some of the Apple newbies who join and have tons of questions. One of the first things usually stated in the forums is that Apple support does not read the forums and not to bring it up when calling Applecare if you need service. It would be great if Apple really read most of the topics related to support issues but that was never the case. I can see Apples logic in having the user base use Applecare for all the support needs and not having a free support forum moderated by them. Hopefully the people who assist in the forums will keep up the great work and having Apple staff leave wont be noticed.
- mulling, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4That sucks. Call me cynical, but I'm pretty sure that the one of the factors behind this decision was, "Hey, this will totally drive Applecare sales."
Support contracts are a cash cow, and companies like Apple, Adobe et al will frequently go out of their way to drive them up however they can. - friend18, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3This sucks. I go on the discussions forum alot. They are very helpful. I'm sure they will be missed by many.
- Crypty, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4This is the nature of a forum.
Personally I couldn't care less about that forum.
I once went there to discuss the cheap-o plastic on the new iPods with so many others. Basically the plastic on the front/screen is so soft and fragile, that after using it with the included sleeve case for a day, it looked like I had rubbed the thing in sand.
The only "help" and "support" we got from the moderators and frequents were responses like "It's your Fault" and "There is no problem" They would then close the thread.
Corrupt staff indeed. - Lacero, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I got better support from Mac-centric boards like http://forums.macrumors.com , and the people are friendlier too.
- DCMacHead, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I see what you're saying, but I will tell you I don't have many problems with my Macs. If I do run into issues, I can usually solve the problem by running OnyX (a free Mac utility). I can't say the same of the Windows-based PCs that I've owned in the past or the ones I presently use at work.
- kaje, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5"as opposed to FAQs compiled by someone who has a narrow idea of what people really want to know"
What technical people want to know or what everyone as a whole want to know? 'Cause morons make up the majority, so that's the reason FAQs have such dumb questions on them most of the time. "Frequent" is the word used for a reason. - statmobile, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Being an Apple - Discussions user I feel safe in saying good riddance!!! I'm sorry, but less than 5% of posts there are of any value. Unless Apple started putting real people in there to respond to some valuable posts, it is essentially useless.
I guess I'm just used to forums such as Gentoo or LinuxQuestions, but the advice in Apple's forum were flat-out wrong sometimes. I won't get into the details of some of my experiences, but suffice it to say that Apple never provided true tech support people to participate in these discussions. For a closed source operating system this is absolutely necessary. - QuantumLo0p, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5...except for the vital need for a middle ground between the "thought police" mods and a lawless forum.
Mods were quite wanker-like from time to time. Quite often actually. If you said something they didn't like they simply referred offending users to the ALL POWERFUL "TERMS AND CONDITIONS" but would never actually state what exactly was in violation of the Terms and Conditions. This was very frustrating for most users I spoke with. Occasionally when something was talked about, such as an "unconfirmed by Apple so it doesn't exist" problem which in reality was quite real, posts were commonly and heavily edited to be mere shadows of the original text. That is, if they were not deleted entirely.
This behavior by the mods only served to enrage users looking to share problems and find solutions.
I can see why the mods were shot and hidden in the closets but now we have unmoderated forums where chaos can take over.
I think Apple may need to reintroduce mods, kinder and gentler mods who do not suck at doing their job and don't censor the truth. - flag564, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Apple seems to be in freefall. 1st the sweatshops in China, faulty Macbooks, failing Ipods, the Zune taking the world by storm, ipod delays, ho-hum Might Mouse, lackluster mac sales...
It may be time to dump Jobs before Apple goes totally under. - jsk71, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5On one hand, it's sad to see this dismantled. On the other hand, a site like Digg enable users to effectively peer-review problems reported on blogs and amplify issues extremely quickly and in ways the discussion forum never could. ;-)
- easy4lif, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Pretty sad imo. I remember when several times i've used the forum for help with problems I'm been having. I'm still having problems with airport extreme and wirless printing (the dreaded 9672 error)
- space1nvaders, on 10/06/2008, -0/+2I would think this would cause more people to call technical support, which could raise the issue of whether one purchases an Apple Care package. I usually try to help other Apple users but now things are different. Apple might be starting to see growing pains. I recently visited an Apple Store and did not get the same sense of customer service. They had almost all new employees and most were kids who don't know how to provide good customer service. Maybe digg.com can replace the whole Apple Discussion Board. It would probably be better.
- rritterson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2There are other forums out there than can be as helpful.
I tend to use this one: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/macdsl because of the mature posters and the adept mods who keep things under control.
I never found the apple forums particularly helpful, as it was just 100 posts each about the same 10 issues. - CaughtThinking, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3But if the forums aren't up, then how can they lock threads on how crappy Macs are? Where will the Kevin Rose's of the world go to find out what to do after they spill Beer 2.0 on their Mac?!?!!? Maybe SFGate can do something about this!
- harpdog, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The discussions may carry on and their level 5 users will moderate it.
- dpcamp, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3a forum with no mods?!! thats genius!
- nTensify, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It's not Genius, it's Digg.
- Baloo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1大変ね！
- MarylandMacGeek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1One one hand, it is sad to see it go.
Contrarywise, there were some serious problems with the Apple Corporate Image thing and the Almighty Terms of Use.
Here's hoping that the community based fora can pick up the slack.
But the individual Mac communities have their own issues. Please do not ask. You would not want to start me down THAT particular rant. - LeoFREYed, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I'm so angry at Apple. I love OSX but the crappy consumer hardware- and then the awful treatment I received from Apple Care. The forums, if used properly, could raise awareness to issues and let Apple know 'hey this isn't just accidental damage' (ei. my iBook display white spots), and is/was the only way to really contact someone at Apple-- Apple Care must be told to do everything but help, the snail mail reply is cut-and-paste and good luck finding a working FAX number. Just another turn for the worse, shame.
- superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1They should select some of the higher rated posters and give them the same moderating power the departing people had. That would allow self-policing.
The forums however still seem pretty good to me, at least the parts I visit. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I guess the Apple Discussion Support Team (aka Digg Top 20 Users) was too busy posting stories here eh?
- Stark, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i can't believe that those were the best online mac forums on the web... navigation was a nightmare and good threads were buried way too soon.
now there's a big hole for something better to take its place. - chrisjscott, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1As an IT manager for a 30-person company, I'm disappointed to hear of this; I've frequently found the answers to nagging problems on the forums. Having said that, I'll admit to never posting on the boards about controversial issues (like MBP excessive heat, etc.).
Now... the other thing to point out is what I just said: "I've FREQUENTLY found..." as in, "I have a lot of issues w/ Macs that I need to resolve." As much as I love Macs, my experience has taught me that their hardware, as glorious as it may be, is no where near as reliable as IBM/Lenovo or even Dell hardware.
Mind you the OS stability is another issue altogether - I'm just talking about hardware-related problems. - SnapETom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I see the downside to this, but I'm not exactly mourning. For problems, I found the MacFixit forums to be just as good, and not being under Apple corporate, there was a lot more freedom to discuss things. While there were many helpful mods, we also frequently heard stories about censored threads that were even remotely critical of Apple.
- vprice509, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Funny. I went to the "Apple Discussions" forums to have a look. The first thread I checked out had quickly devolved into a flame war, with somebody getting called an *****. [Actually, it was more like "A S S H O L E"] What does it all mean?
- monomyth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1not moderated forums. that is really different way of thinking :)
- fatcat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1well the only way i can think of to confirm this is spam the apple forums...
but don't - Cooperjones, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1There may be legal issues for Apple involved. I think I went on their boards once and realized there was something uncool about it, I guess because it was a corporate site?
Personally, I have never had a real problem with Apple and I have owned 20 Macs over the years. They once replaced my logic board, hard drive, top case and keyboard on a powerbook on the final day of its three year Applecare warranty! They have talked me through the most mundane problems. MacRumors forums has also been a lifesaver, and admittedly sometimes my questions get very involved.
The only "Apple" people I have ever had problems with were "Apple Certified Technicians" working outside of corporate Apple. One, a chick, ripped my friend off for hundreds of unnecessary bucks.
But Apple and Applecare have been worth my seventeen year ride. I am typing on a five year old machine right now -- very much out of warranty -- and it works like a charm. Viva Apple. I never went on their boards. Too corporate. Love MacRumors' forums. - bobbyuggles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Apple tends to get a lot of press whenever something goes wrong. To be sure, some of this is brought on by the "we're better than PCs" marketing style. Forums often tend to be a magnet for problem reporting, but few people post to praise something... especially on a corporate site. As a result, everything skews negative. Essentially, the company is sponsoring its own negative advertising. It is a tough argument to want to sustain that.
You can count me a loyal Mac user who has no problem navigating Windows boxes at work. I've been fortunate that in over 20 years of Macuse, I have never had a hard drive go bad or a major problem with anything Mac except a faulty chip on an old DuoDock (!) which was fixed pretty quickly.
While I like the apple corpsite for their online documentation, I like others, have found that you get the best help at other mac community sites. - StanrickKubley, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Late last year I bought Soundtrack Pro and went to the forums for help with the basically completely unstable program. The only "help" I got was questions about what I was doing wrong. No solutions or apologies. Threads got closed before they were resolved. So the forums are useless. They might as well just get rid of them altogether.
- nTensify, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I think the reason for the collapse of the Apple forums is the same as the reasoning behind forums like the Ubuntu Forums; the community will take care of itself (i.e. they CAN afford to cut those costs).
That's not bad reasoning, to tell you the truth, as many community driven forums do much better than company driven forums. It also doesn't preclude Apple from supporting a community driven replacement (by having some people peak in every now and again and answer questions).
Besides, it'll probably reduce forum spam and clutter, as it becomes more focused in on the /community/ and less focused on the /company/. - meehray, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0 What a shame. I spent a lot of time on this forum. Many of the mac users I know did also. Great source of information.
- percussionlab, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Thats awful. Those moderators were somewhat helpful. Now the forums probably won't be worth *****...
- ehensley, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Lets put it this way. GOOD, its about time. That knowledge pool was very shallow.
On the bright side, they can always get paid by netsecape for content once they come to digg. - Celeron, on 10/12/2007, -15/+11It was for the better. "an increase in everything from rudeness to instructions on pirating music and software"
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -11/+5The support forums are certainly lackluster now.
God only knows Apple products need that luster to be desirable. -
Show 51 - 55 of 55 discussions
Browsing Digg on your phone just got easier with our enhancements to the 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is