“Steve Jobs is once again ill enough to have to take time off from his leadership role, which he called a ‘medical leave of absence’ in an email to his staff released today,” Kara Swisher writes for AllThingsD.
“So now, once again, the intense debate will begin about exactly what is happening with Jobs’ health and how much Apple should reveal and how much it will likely not and how that is so very awful, because the people deserve to know,” Swisher writes. “In fact, we–the press and Wall Street and Apple users–already know plenty enough, which is: Steve Jobs has had a persistent and very serious illness he has been fighting successfully for many years now.”
“But his outlook, from the moment he found out about his particular form of pancreatic cancer, has never been really good. More to the point his ability to bounce back several times has been both heartening and more than a little miraculous. But, remember this: In the both times he has taken time off for health reasons, Jobs has come back with fierce innovation and game-changing innovation.”
Swisher writes, “Today, he asked in the email: ‘I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.’ I, for one, think he deserves exactly that and much more.”
Full article, with video of Jobs’ onstage interview at last year’s eighth D: All Things Digital event, here.
MacDailyNews Take: Good luck with that; today’s media in general has major issues getting even the most basic facts correct and reporting them without bias and conjecture, not to mention the disturbing tendency exhibited by far too many in the media of jumping rapid-fire to baseless conclusions amidst total fabrications. Anyone expecting the media in general to have the decency to respect someone’s call for privacy is, unfortunately, dreaming of a world that no longer exists.
No, of course, he will not get it; tabloids=”respectable media” will pay big money to know what is going on.
the media will just make stuff up, like they did after the Arizona shooting. Facts mean nothing these days.
Stockholders and future stockholders have rights.
And, there is no sense in that “people deserve to know” because probably no one, including Jobs himself and his doctors, can be 100% sure what and when will happen within this medical issue.
So public knowing what the issue exactly is will clear nothing but just ruin Jobs privacy for nothing.
Shareholders will not get any firm information on perspectives of Jobs/Apple from this break of privacy. Whatever decision shareholders might take having such information could be AS WELL AS WRONG not having Jobs privacy broken.
All public needs to know that Jobs is getting treated, not stepping down, and that Thomas Cook will be doing his work just fine the way he did already twice before this time.
I already send his health records to WikiLeaks.
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As long as Jobs and Apple keep things legal WRT disclosure there shouldn’t be a problem – except from the media and speculators.
If you put your words in bold, will people take them seriously?
Kara Swisher has always been a f*cking bitch and she will always be a f*cking bitch. She’s also a hit-whore, and doesn’t give a shit about ANYONE’S privacy. Case in point: she’s the very first person to bring up the “debate” about what’s wrong with Steve Jobs.
well, since you have already posted 4 times in the last 2 hours about it, my guess is no.
The military-industrial-media complex loves them some “dirty laundry,” so they will not cut Mr. Jobs and family one mm of slack.
For once I hope these hoard of ambulance chasers will just let thing be and give him some time off!
Sadly all the sickos will come out of their crevices and make all kinds of outrageous statements.
We should all do what we can to shut them down, and shame them.
If the Obamanable does not have to release his birth certificate, I don’t see why Steve should have to release his health records.
Kara get a life.
It would be wise for anyone who invests to consider the future of Apple without Steve Jobs because no one lives forever or works forever. If everyone took that mature approach, the media would bore of the story.
So let’s not entirely blame the media because we’re the ones who click on the stories (the ones who make things up or attack him with baseless facts, that’s a different matter).
My personal view of Apple, as if anyone cares: When I look at the culture of that company and what it has been able to do, particularly in the past 10 years, I think there’s no reason to believe Apple won’t be the market leader for a long time to come — with or without Steve.
So I wish him the best, from one human to another. And I will keep my Apple stock because I believe in the company.
@AAPL
Here’s your right… If you think AAPL is too risky because of Steve’s health, you have the right to get out of it, or not buy into it at all in the first place.
There’s your ‘rights’, and that’s where they end.
Like hell he will….
The chattering classes feed on forbidden fruit of any quality, indigestible, bad taste(ing) or whatever. But then something comes along pretty quickly to move people on.
C’mon MDN, quit the double standards, four posts is pretty sick.
Steve Ballmer should be so lucky that so many people would be concerned for his health; with his temper issues he’s a heart attack just waiting to happen.
Product schedule is set; Tim Cook did fine the last time out. If we start to see a hemorrhaging of top talent from Apple (I’d worry more if it were Jon Ive or some of the programming team leaders who were heading out), that might be the time for concern, but just because the public doesn’t know the succession plan doesn’t mean there’s not one in place. Heck, maybe now the media can stop with the “cult leader” crap & actually review Apple objectively.
Not fair that Ballmer, that schweaty overweight blob of unimaginative blubber, is still dancing around. I just hate this stuff.
God, Steve, have a few Manhattans, and a 2 lb. hunk of prime rib—works for Ballmer.
@DeRS:
Wow, I sure hope English isn’t your native language. The grammatical and factual mistakes really undercut your attempt to bolster your comment through use of BOLD tags.
Also, I didn’t realize that the travel agency “Thomas Cook” had anything to do with running Apple. Isn’t that the job of Tim Cook, the COO? Note: Tim is short for Timothy.
@ Ubermac
You, sir, are an ass.
@ MDN Take
When you snidely refer to the “immorality” of today’s media, where are you classified in this bunch? I counted 5 stories about Job’s health ABOVE this one, one of which, at least from the headline, speculated as to what could be causing his medical leave. Just because you gather articles from “today’s media” and comment on them doesn’t mean you aren’t included in that group of people who should be respecting Steve’s request for privacy.
Your hypocrisy on this issue is sickening. Why shouldn’t a person ask for privacy during a medical emergency? The patient-doctor privacy privilege is a cornerstone of modern medical ethics. I can see the gray area with Steve running a major corporation, and investors wanting to know about the future of that corporation, but he is not a public government figure. The running of major nations, states or cities isn’t dependent on Steve Jobs, there is no reason why his medical privacy shouldn’t be respected.
@Krioni:
So, your reply basically means that you have nothing to say for or against my comment, aside of formal critique of my hasty-errors?
@cspray : Beautiful. I’m never quite sure why there is such an attitude with MDN? I guess they’re better than everybody else? Apple Insider and Mac Rumors cover the same stories without a prejudice. They just report. They don’t act like spoiled 10 year old kids. They aren’t run by Apple either.
I would just like to point out the irony of a nationally published news article about Steve’s health, that asks the question, “Will he get privacy.”
Clearly not. This very article is all the proof you need.