Stop quoting Woz

“Mr Wozniak left Apple back in 1985. But he is still a valued commentator on Apple’s choices – in part because of his role in helping found the company and build many of its products, in part because he continues to have strong opinions on the ones that his company now makes, and largely because he continues to be a loved and respected figure in the tech community.

Like interviewing the parents of soldiers who have been killed, this is one of those patterns that drives me nuts. Technically, what Woz has to say seems relevant because, a long time ago, he helped found a company called Apple.

In reality, there’s almost no substantial value in what he thinks about the business and its decisions. He’s not well placed to discuss the pros and cons. He’s just another consumer.

It’s a gossip-level approach to reporting. But it gets a little traffic and its easy to understand so it works.