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That being said, the girl at the checkout counter in the background, wowzers.
What did you say to her? Just curious :)
Needless to say, I feel much safer ordering my tall nonfat no water chai now..
It's a shame; Apple's tightly controlled administrative methods are going to bite them in the butt one day.
As someone who has actively supported and switched MANY users to apple, I get disturbed with apples strict policy on pretty much anything, sometimes it gets to a point where you just want to tell them how much you pay them to talk down to you.
However, I love them too much to talk to consumerist.
Anytime I'm on vacation, I step into an Apple Store and use the closest iMac or 'book to shoot a lame "thumbs up" shot for my kids at home. Then I log into my Gmail from Safari and email it away.
Ha! Take that Steve-o.
Hey sales rep can you show me how to take a photo with this thing that I just paid $600 for?
Sorry not allowed to do that.
And for both the iPhone, and for a recent store grand opening, not only did I take plenty of video inside the store, but the videos I posted online were apparently passed around the internal network. I got comments from several Apple folks, most working behind the scenes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4uuu3PkTPk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPHCcK98NRo
In both cases, it seemed the management of the malls in which the stores were located were more nervous about all the cameras than the Apple Store folks.
I don't know if it is there to prevent people taking "casing" photos that could later be used to plan a robbery (or worse), or if it's to make it harder for people to duplicate the Starbucks look in other stores, or maybe both. Or possibly some other reason entirely. Sorry.
They asked him how he took it and he said he just took the photos. They said he wasn't allowed to.
Oh well.
Here's the photo...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mckramer/545288238/
So out came my camera, after about 2 photos I got told off, seems I could be a competitor doing surveillance or something. The fact that if I was a competitor I would probably do it more discreetly is besides the point of course.
Why let common sense get in the way of an annoying policy?
Paul, we originally bought some inCase leather ones, but tried them out and they didn't fit. Returned those, now we're with the inCase rubber ones. You can see Patrick holding his phone with one over on my Flickr feeds.
That's strange. I take a lot of pictures in the Palo Alto store and have never had a problem. Here's a cute on I took this weekend:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/56624456@N00/75415...
Apple encourages customers to try out all the functionality of the phone in the store. Calling, SMS, e-mail, and yeah.. even photos.
You may have been annoying customers.. ;)
It was a museum, “The Computer Museum” in Boston, Mass. Folks would pull out cameras and we’d have to tell them sorry, but no photography. They were welcome to buy commercial photo sets in the museum gift shop but they couldn’t take pictures themselves.
The reason really was the insurance company.
A policy that allowed general photography would have cost significantly more. The folks making those decisions didn’t consider that money well spent, so we went with the cheaper no-photos policy.
Why were photo sets, documentaries filming in our galleries, and such “safer” then J. Random Public shots? Because we knew the pros weren’t going to be focusing on security systems and the like. Also by the time they were published or broadcast the material would be somewhat dated and we’d have possibly changed layouts and/or security measures.
Sure a thief or vandal might still surreptitiously take photos for analysis & planning but at least they’d not be out-in-the-open best-quality shots. Also if we did see the camera we’d now have noticed the person, possibly evicted them, but at least be paying closer attention to their activities in our galleries, possibly changing security measures (I used to have an Apple 1 board sitting out in the open 10’ from my office door.)
I’ll also acknowledge that the floor staff loathed certain types of photographers.
There are few things more annoying then giving a tour or answering a question and having a flash go off in your face. Or everyone inconvenienced while a family or group poses for “the perfect shot”, blocking an exhibit or hallway, making everyone uncomfortable. I even had some try to herd all other visitors away from an exhibit or out of a gallery they wanted to photograph.
Back to Apple, they’ve had a number of well publicized store thefts. They knew that the iPhone introduction would draw crowds so they likely reminded everyone of photography policies. And there was probably some concern about criminal acts that accompanied other high profile introductions like gaming consoles.
So Apple having a “no photos” rule, and reminding their staff to enforce it, doesn’t seem so unreasonable to me.
I gotta also point out that find the ire expressed a bit ironic. Scoble has championed the idea of the blogger as journalist, deserving of the privileges of other journalists. He’s also certainly well aware of most companies policies regarding dealings with the press (as evidenced in the recent post regarding an interviewee being fired.) So apparently walking into a store and taking photos for his blog is different from other media interactions–how? Would setting up a guerrilla video interview be also acceptable? At what point does it become unreasonable, at what point does personal activities become professional, at what point isn’t it polite to let the store manager know whats going on?
Finally, giving a clerk following policy “some lip back”? Tell me you weren’t as rude as that.
— Maggard
(BTW The assumption most folks at The Computer Museum made, including the museum floor staff before they inquired, was the no-photos policy was a way of squeezing a few more bucks from our visitors. In fact the money we made off photo sets in the museum gift shop was negligible and the shelf space would’ve been more profitable featuring gadget pens or such. We explicitly had the photo sets available as a courtesy in response to the no photos policy.)
You didn't sell cameras. Apple does.
What's funny is I can't even use Apple's own product inside the store if this is really Apple's policy. There's nothing ruder than a company that tells me I have to use their own product outside. When I am faced with corporate rudeness I get rude back.
By the way, I've taken lots of photos inside the Computer History Museum, which is the new home of the equipment you protected in Boston (and two videos) and no one has ever said a thing to me.
Oh, and iPhones don't have flashes, so staff doesn't need to be concerned.
Oh, and over on Flickr there are 47,000 photos tagged with Apple Store: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Apple%20store&a...
I hadn't heard the insurance angle, though. Thanks for giving your perspective.
That applies to interviews. I wasn't trying to interview an Apple employee. I was taking a picture of Abdul and minding my own business.
Part I:
http://channel9.msdn.com/showpost.aspx?postid=1...
Part II:
http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=1...
When I lived in Arizona, I'd go to the Apple store at the mall in Chandler every now and then. It being Arizona, it's legal to carry a firearm so long as it's not concealed and so long as the owner of the premises doesn't tell you not to.
The Apple store had absolutely no problem in letting some fairly scruffy-looking guy (not nerf herder scruffy, but close!) browse around in their store with a cocked-and-locked .45 on his hip ... but damned if they'll let you take pictures there!
It`s geared to developers - in contrary to Apple`s position. :)
http://www.openmoko.com/products-index.html
I(n fact thinking about it, in the Pasadena store I was actually encouraged by some of the staff to take pictures (they moved some stock about for me) after I mentioned I was blogging this...
Are we sure this pic isn't from 1987?
I'm with daved...*yawn*
But I didn't try to take shots in apple store yet, so I should try :-)
Perhaps the people in the store just wanted to go about their business quietly, without there being a production. After all, not everyone waits in line all night so that they get their attention fix.
And someone might even have complained to the store manager.
Not everyone is as addicted to attention that they have to have to be in front of a camera on a continuous basis.
http://sheehantu.wordpress.com/2007/06/09/5-rea...
Gawd, what a whiner.
http://mikeelliottsblog.wordpress.com
It also makes perfect sense that everyone ignores it. Apple stores are cool - who wouldn't want to take a photo? I've taken countless photos in at least half a dozen Apple stores, and some HD video too, never without a mention. Walk into the NYC 5th Ave store and just count the cameras. The place is a certified tourist attraction!
I'll bet the salesperson you ran into was one of the few who had read the policy and had the guts to enforce it.
I have worked in retail for over 20 years and it has been a long term policy. Tru taking a picture in a Casino. You will get beaten.
Grow up.
http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_i...
I don't think it's fair to blame the employee. It's private property and the employee was doing what he's paid to do. You should be talking to the Apple Store management, but since this is pretty much a standard policy in retail stores, it's probably not worth the trouble to complain.
But I believe Shelley's overall point still remains...
As for the woman who informed you of Apple policy at the store... why don't you amaze her and say you're sorry next time you see her in the store. She doesn't set company policy and didn't deserve your lip as I read it.
In fact we encourage people to take pictures, try out that digital camera in iPhoto, use the built in computer web cam.
Its all a means of marketing at my store, thats just weird.
I've spent $20,000 on food... for some reason the grocery store gets pissed when I have dinner in the produce section. My dealer doesn't understand why I keep doing doughnuts in his lot and park there all day... I don't know why he's pissed.
This is stupid. You bought something. In a store. The store has rules. The rules don't disappear because you bought something.
No matter how much money you've spent, that doesn't mean any consumer can do whatever they want in the store with their purchased products. This is normal. Sometimes it's enforced. Sometimes it's not. Big deal.
"Anyway, they can’t stop me from taking pictures in the street and that’s the only way into an Apple store. So, there isn’t an expectation of privacy there."
Huh? It's still a private store. The only way into your house, Scoble, is from outside so you should have no expectation of privacy there.
Regardless of how you feel about the policy, why be such an ass? "Rude policies deserve rude responses" is that really what you think? Is this the best your generation has to offer: rudeness to the tyranny of a store policy? Man you live in a small, small world.
Is that rude? Maybe. It was shocking cause I've taken pictures in dozens of Apple stores before without anyone saying anything. Even an Apple store employee here says there's no such rule.
Starbucks is another story. It did have an official policy of not allowing people to take photos in its cafes.
@Podesta - I didn't know that about Starbucks and I have taken pictures in there cafe and had no problems with staff.
Our first local Apple store was broken into the first month it was open. If having a policy against pictures helps prevent this, or if having such a policy reduces their insurance premiums, it seems quite reasonable.
I'd rather pay for the hardware and software than pay for the theft and insurance premiums allowing people to take photos costs us.
If you're asked not to do something, don't be a Scoble and give lip to the underpaid employees there to help you (do everything except waste store space taking photos for your own gratification and publication), do what the place is there to do... help you, and help other customers get access to the Apple products they want.
If you want to take photos, buy the product, take it to your own building, and photograph it there.
And you might be happier reading my link blog, or watching my videos. There I just talk about cool stuff, not about stupid experiences in Apple stores.
Amusing!
As another former Appler, I can confirm this as my experience as well. Unless they re-reversed their decision, I believe the employee was incorrect in disallowing photography. It should be noted the vast majority of corporate retail environments, esp. malls, disallow photography. Usually they fear people ripping off their designs. Spend millions on a redesign and have a competitor send in a photographer posing as a customer to steal it (it happens). Can't really blame the employees. I don't support it, since someone in the store design biz could just see your design, and go outside your store and write down notes or sketch... but never the less, that's the thinking.
Stop being a negative jackass.
I don't know why but it's been like that as long as I've been alive.
Most of the time, you won't hear anything about it form anybody, but that employee was just doing their job. You didn't get specific about what you said but it sounds like you were being a dick. Considering how thin-skinned and defensive you are when anybody says anything even slightly critical of you or your friends, you'd think you'd be slower to dish it out.
Did you get what you paid for? If so, you're even. Spending money doesn't entitle you to getting to break policy.
And as yet another former Apple retail employee, managers at the stores I worked at were always talking about the no photography rule. If it was no longer in effect, management was not aware, and most employees rely on management to get this kind of info. The official Apple document with such policies is very, very long and Mac Specialists don't get paid enough to read it, especially if they are part-time.
If you're concerned, shoot an email to store management and ask if such a policy still exists, as you were under the impression it was reversed. Maybe you'll inspire someone to look into it.
Lastly, if you had a Genius Bar appointment regarding your troubles taking pictures with your iPhone or iSight, I assure you that the Geniuses would allow you to take pictures to show your problem. Comments regarding the policy as problematic in this way are asinine. Also, in my experience, you can take pictures with DEMO cameras and phones in the store to try out the functionality, as you won't be keeping those pictures anyway, and store staff can easily delete them.
What I think is clear from this discussion is that these policies are not widely known, are not consistently followed, and are a source of confusion, resentment and general unpleasantness when staff try to enforce them.
I think that private establishments have the right to forbid or limit photography, especially if there are legitimate security or insurance issues. But if they are going to have these policies, I think they need to be clear, posted and followed consistently. Maybe in the old days (five years ago?) no one thought to post these because most people weren't wandering around with cameras, and the problem didn't come up much. But these days, if you have to have such a policy, I think you need to post it to avoid such unpleasant encounters.
I was at the Boston Public Library this spring to do a training session about Flickr for local librarians. I was a little early, and when I walked in with my camera, I was wondering if I could take pictures of all the great artwork in the old building. But I was impressed to see the library's photography policy clearly posted, which told me all I needed to know:
http://www.bpl.org/general/policies/photography...
Perhaps they know that photos that you take are going to end up on the scobleizer blog. LOL
Why it's corporate policy to annoy loyal customers, I'll never know.