Story by
Ernst-Jan Pfauth
Ernst-Jan Pfauth is the former Editor in Chief of Internet at NRC Handelsblad, as well as an acclaimed technology author and columnist. He a Ernst-Jan Pfauth is the former Editor in Chief of Internet at NRC Handelsblad, as well as an acclaimed technology author and columnist. He also served as The Next Web’s blog’s first blogger and Editor in Chief, back in 2008. At De Correspondent, Ernst-Jan serves as publisher, fostering the expansion of the platform.
While I was standing in line for one of the first iPhone 3G’s in Holland last July, this tweet by Amazon CTO Werner Vogels made me chuckle:
Strange how people who fanatically promote openness are lined up outside a shop that delivers some of this era’s most closed/lockedin tools
He was absolutely right. The iPhone IS locked-in and many examples of rejected iPhone apps show what the consequences are. If you develop an app that comes close to Apple’s core products, you don’t stand a chance. Just ask Dutch iPhone app developer Vincent Verweij about his experiences with the Apple Store.
Yet almost every 2.0 geek seems to have one, even mr. Vogels himself. Thus the best thing we can do is accept it and laugh about it. Here’s a suggestion how to do so: wear a t-shirt of an exploded iPhone. The most locked-in device, now revealed on your t-shirt. Quite a funny example of fashion sarcasm.
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