China suicide puts spotlight on secretive Apple culture (Update)

[Coventina]

Source: Reuters

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Apple Inc said it was awaiting results from an investigation into the death of a worker in China, after media reports said the man killed himself on learning he was suspected of leaking company secrets.

The case puts the spotlight on Apple, whose public face as maker of the wildly successful iPhone contrasts with its reputation for a highly secretive corporate culture.

(snip)

Apple's iPhones are made in south China by its contract manufacturing partner Foxconn International, a unit of Taiwan electronics giant Hon Hai.

(snip)

"The company has noticed there has been much detailed discussion on the Internet and welcomes public discussion on how to help Foxconn's management where it is lacking," Foxconn said in a statement. "We will scrutinize those places ... and strengthen our assistance to young employees," it added

Foxconn did not go into the details surrounding Sun's death.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE56L29120090722

[Indydem]

1. Man if it was Microsoft, the comments would be excoriating. All I hear is crickets. n/t

[Blandocyte]

2. It's because first I have to look up what excoriating means

before I comment.

[frylock]

3. hard to argue that point

[hunter]

4. This is loathsome.

Shit leaks out all over the place at Microsoft. Is anybody jumping out of windows over it?

Microsoft is a business. Apple is a religion.

Ten years from now every camera-camcorder-text-cellphone-game-video-music player thingie is going to be pretty much the same. Half the world population will use no-name house brands.

Apple will have one that plugs directly into your brain, and that will be the beginning of the Borg Collective.

Steve Jobs in the 22nd century:

[fascisthunter]

5. an imbalanced man kills himself and AP insinuates it was due to a "secretive

cult within Apple's company?

Are you fucking kidding me...? Was this author paid by Microsoft?

[Indydem]

6. Well considering the man was allegedly beaten and tortured at Apples request...

Wouldn't you call that a cult? Jobs has feared the competition and hidden his ideas in super secrecy since MS "stole" the GUI from them.

[fascisthunter]

8. I'll wait for another report before believing this

sounds too over-the-top.

[JonQ]

7. Seems premature to blame this on some apple-cult

could be, but I'll wait for more info first.