T'aint funny, MacGee

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/pcworld/20090423/tc_pcworld/appleapprovestastelessbabyshakeriphonegamethenremovesit

Okay, I think they lost me here. I'm usually behind the push for innovation and freedom of expression. But this writer seems to think that a company doesn't have the right to dictate it's own professional standards.

I get that the Baby Shaker app could be seen as black humor. I don't have a black sense of humor. I lean more towards blue myself. But I get that there are people out there who like dead baby jokes. And if you want to tell one, I support your right to free speech.

But Apple gets a right to say, "No shoes, no shirt, no service", and no dead baby jokes. And that means that no, they don't have to make it available to the public, and allow their customers to download it at their discretion if they don't want to. They have a right to project a company image. And saying that they don't think child abuse is a laughing matter, that's their business.

And if they lose market share because they aren't cool enough to take a joke, that's a hit I'd bet they're willing to take. But I'm thinking that they're not going to lose any business, or sleep, over this one.