What's Wrong with Steve Jobs?
News Commentary. Since nobody knows, rumors are, sadly, the only answers coming. The newest: hospitalization and surgery. |
Citing an unnamed source, Valleywag claims that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been hospitalized for surgery. I didn't bother to contact the hospital or Apple for comment. The topic of this post isn't Steve's alleged hospitalization, but the rumor of it.
Apple and its CEO cannot escape the inevitable. In the absence of facts, rumors will persist. Rumors can hurt Apple, its shareholders and Steve's recovery. It's long past time for somebody at Apple to take hold of this PR bomb that's getting tossed around and is sure to be dropped by somebody. Better for there to be facts—there are none right now—than persistent rumors.
Defenders of Steve's privacy are many—and they're all wrong. As leader of a public company, Steve has no right to privacy where his ability to act as CEO is concerned.
Today, Jan. 26, Apple Matters' James Stoup finally joined the "it's nobody's damn business" crowd. He writes:
It isn't my business. It isn't your business. We have no 'right' to know anything about his condition. Steve Job owes us, the press, Apple shareholders and even his board of directors absolutely no information about his current medical condition.
Apparently, the Securities and Exchange Commission thinks it is somebody's right to know, James. The week of Jan. 19, the SEC opened an inquiry into disclosure—or rather, the lack of it—about Steve's health situation.
I don't know who Valleywag's source is. I wouldn't publish a single-sourced story on a topic of such importance, or any other. Anonymous sources could easily be looking to profit from Steve's hardship. These rumors could send Apple's shares rolling. That wasn't the case today, as Apple closed up $1.28. I didn't see Valleywag's report hit the mainstream media. But what if it had?
On Jan. 22, somebody used Wired's image viewer to distribute a fake story about Steve having a heart attack. MacJournals has posted a "handy-dandy Steve Jobs Health Story Template." It's in bad taste, but makes the point about the obsession people have with Steve's health. Now they can write their own story.
In the absence of facts, these rumors will continue. Surely they will hurt someone if allowed to continue.
On Jan. 16, Silicon Valley Insider's Henry Blodget blogged:
Steve Jobs' health is not a 'private matter'—it's a matter of legitimate and serious concern to everyone who owns or does business with Apple. And these folks deserve to be given enough respect and information that they can make their own decisions about whether Steve really is likely to return in six months—and, if not, what the company's ongoing management structure will look like.
Henry is right—and not just for the benefit of Apple shareholders (of which I am not one). These ridiculous rumors hurt Apple and even Steve. You people defending Steve's so-called right to privacy can yell blue is pink until you're red in the face. But only the color of your face is changed.
[Please send your tips or rumors to watchtips at live.com]
Related Posts:
- SEC Investigates Steve Jobs' Health, Apple Watch, Jan. 21, 2009
- Web Responds to Steve Jobs' Leave, Apple Watch, Jan. 14, 2009
- The Steve Jobs Era Is Over, Apple Watch, Jan. 14, 2009
- Steve Jobs' Leave of Absence E-Mail, Apple Watch, Jan. 14, 2009
- Apple's Board Issues Statement of Support, Apple Watch, Jan. 5, 2009
- Hormonal Imbalance? Like Male Menopause?, Apple Watch, Jan. 5, 2009
- Steve Jobs Sets His Priorities Right, Apple Watch, Dec. 18, 2008
- Web Responds to Jobs Macworld No-Show, Apple Watch, Dec. 16, 2008
- Steve Jobs Won't Give Macworld Keynote, Apple Watch, Dec. 16, 2008
Comments (6)
Hmmmmm.
Since Steve has stepped aside and is not involved in running Apple at the moment, exactly why is his health anyone's business?
And please explain: "Rumors can hurt [ ] Steve's recovery." That doesn't seem to be a clear thought at all.
Posted by Chip | January 26, 2009 6:20 PM
Joe, slow news day?
Posted by Joe Bored | January 26, 2009 6:23 PM
And just what would it mean to the SEC and to shareholders if Steve Jobs' surgery turns out to be something trivial, like fixing a bunion, and he staged it amidst the swirling rumors about his grave condition just to be able to say "You see, I did have surgery"?
Investors are clearly being toyed with and it doesn't even seem sane that Apple would be doing this. What are they actually hiding? Is there something far worse than a health issue that they are scheming to hide from shareholders?
Steve Jobs' and Apple's conduct has been as "cuckoo" as that "esteemed" Governor of Illinois. Any investigator seeing this would be compelled to think that (a) they are crazy or (b) something is happening that they desperately need to conceal --- and it ain't his health.
Posted by a-reader | January 26, 2009 6:24 PM
I'm sorry but repeating a single-sourced rumor from some dodgy operator first and then in the same breath coming out with "I wouldn't publish a single-sourced story on a topic of such importance, or any other." is just sooo slimey it makes me cringe.
Either have the cojones to say "yes world, i'm cashing in on single-sourced dodgy rumors" OR "no, i'm a man of integrity and value".
Ps i haven't even read past that quoted sentence as i had to write this comment and then quickly switch to another site...
Posted by whatever | January 26, 2009 7:05 PM
Joe, since we have an obligation to Steve Jobs health, I think I have an obligation to yours too. You run two popular blogs here, one for Apple and the other for Microsoft. What will happen, (God forbid) you got seriously ill? Who will be running them? Are there any family illness I need to be aware of such as diabetes, craziness before I continue commenting here?
Posted by Andre Da Costa | January 27, 2009 9:33 AM
Andre Da Costa wrote: "Joe, since we have an obligation to Steve Jobs health, I think I have an obligation to yours too."
Andre, oh, Andre,
Your attitude makes my point about people living in denial about public versus private. Anything affecting a CEO's ability to run a public company isn't private. Matters would be different if Steve Jobs ran a private company.
That said, my health is fine, and I'm sure I would be replaced if incapable of writing the blogs. That's business, not sentiment. With Steve Jobs' health, sentiment is getting in the way of business.
Joe
Posted by Joe | January 27, 2009 2:41 PM