New Emails Show Steve Jobs Referred To Facebook As 'Fecebook' Amid App Store Conflict

The Apple vs. Epic legal battle has brought new documents to light, revealing the strained relationship between Apple and Facebook that dates as far back as 2011. 9to5Mac reports: Around this time, Facebook had not yet released a dedicated app for the iPad, which debuted in 2010. Apple's Scott Forstall, then serving as the company's software chief, sent an email to Phil Schiller and Steve Jobs regarding a meeting he had with Mark Zuckerberg about bringing Facebook to the iPad. At the heart of Facebook's concerns was that Apple would not allow the Facebook for iPad application to include "embedded apps." Forstall wrote: "I just discussed with Mark how they should not include embedded apps in the Facebook iPad app -- neither in an embedded web view or as a directory of links that would redirect to Safari. Not surprisingly, he wasn't happy with this as he considers these apps part of the 'whole Facebook experience' and isn't sure they should do an iPad app without them. Everything works in Safari, so he is hesitant to push people to a native app with less functionality, even if the native app is better for non-third party app features."

Zuckerberg suggested a few compromises to Forstall: Do not include a directory of apps in the Facebook app, links, or otherwise; Do not have third-party apps run in the embedded web view; Allow user posts in the news feed related to apps; and Tapping on one of these app-related links would (1) fast switch to a native app if one exists and the user has it installed, (2) take the user to the App Store if a native app exists and the user has not installed it, (3) link out to Safari otherwise.

"I think this is all reasonable, with the possible exception of #3," Forstall wrote in the email. Steve Jobs responded and wrote, "I agree -- if we eliminate Fecebooks third proposal it sounds reasonable." Note Jobs's spelling of Facebook there. A few days later, Forstall followed up and said that Zuckerberg did not like Apple's counterproposal. [...] CNBC adds: "When Facebook's iPad app eventually launched, it said that it would not support its own Credits currency on iOS for apps like Farmville -- a compromise along the lines of what Apple's executives discussed.

Future predictions.

[Ostracus]

I agree -- if we eliminate Fecebooks third proposal it sounds reasonable.

*wipes tear from eye* Truly a visionary.

Re:

[Qwertie]

Isn't the real story the level of control Apple exerts over apps? If Apple says your app can't have links to web pages, that's it, you can't, end of story.

You think it's okay because it hurt Facebook and you don't like Facebook, but don't forget Apple can and does do this sort of thing to all kinds of developers on a regular basis. While grabbing 30% of their revenue.

So, I never did shed a tear for Steve.

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[ArmoredDragon]

To be fair, some of them tried to then go to windows phone, which removed said freedoms (albeit it tried adding them back to try to help stop itself from circling down the drain, but that wasn't even remotely enough.)

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[DarkOx]

No more than its a store of how Facebook/Zuck never play by any rules. iOS is Apple's curated platform and everyone knew that people writing for it, and end users buying into it.

It was back in 2010 by far not the only 'smart' platform competitor. Blackberry and Windows were very much alive back then. You can argue that now the iOS/Android duopoly should subject Apple to outside rules but the case for it back then was not very strong. Still inst in my opinion. Don't like Apple's rules make your product Andoi

Re:

[ArmoredDragon]

As an app developer, you really don't have much of a choice. While Apple doesn't hold the entire market, they hold enough of it that you can't simply ignore them if you want to make it anywhere.

Suppose for example you built a physical product that also has a companion smartphone app in order to use a significant portion of its functionality - even if apple held only 40% of the market, you still have to support them anyways, which also means you have to follow any rules they set, no matter how unfair they mi

Re:

[raorajesh]

Yes... The One was always quick to spot turdiness...

Jobs was right

[saloomy]

Facebook is shit. Also, the way it follows you around and polders your personal browsing history is not worth its service. - just my opinion.

Re:

[arglebargle_xiv]

I've always referred to it as Fecebook, initially for the content, then later because of who they are. The label just comes naturally, there's no need to even think about it.

Thank You Steve Jobs

[crunchy_one]

Another instance of Steve getting it 100% right, despite being dead. From this day forward, Facebook shall be known to all as Fecebook.

Re:

[NFN_NLN]

The guy used to purposely drive around in a car without plates so he couldn't get ticketed for parking illegally in handicapped stalls.... but even he draws the line at Fecebook.

Re: unrelated

[Cmdln Daco]

Being dead looks bad. I guess he screwed that one up, though.

Typo?

[Calydor]

Is there any kind of proof that this was deliberate and not just something as simple and human as a typo?

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[Ostracus]

Note where the "e" and the "a" are on qwerty keyboards. Different fingers involved.

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[Calydor]

What, do typos only happen with adjacent keys?

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[WankerWeasel]

You're assuming they're using a desktop/laptop and the home row with full hands. They may well have been using an iPhone. The screen was also much smaller then and much easier to fat-finger the wrong letters.

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[SleepingEye]

In that case, he's either: 1) not using the autocorrection he approved. 2) he is using autocorrect, and it's shit. =P

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[WankerWeasel]

This was back in 2018, shortly after the iPhone was released. Autocorrect wasn't nearly as good as it is now. It would have been iOS 2.0 days.

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[arosenfield]

They're much closer on a Dvorak keyboard, but still two units apart, so even on Dvorak it's a very unlikely typo.

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[Calydor]

I will often be thinking of several different ways to phrase something, with similar words in similar places. Sooner or later they start getting mixed up, and letters get transposed. I'm not saying that's what happened here, because I really don't know either way, but if he's thinking of starting the line with 'I feel that' while he's writing 'Facebook', he may have gotten the 'fe' moved over to replace 'Fa'. At that point it becomes a typo and a case of not proofreading.

Or he was an immature brat, equally

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[otuz]

What if he was a Dvorak user?

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[crunchy_one]

I can't claim to have been a friend of Steve's, but I knew him well enough to be pretty damned certain that was no typo. Steve was profane, he reveled in it.

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[timeOday]

Sheesh, now we want evidence for why a single letter is out of place?

Rather just file it under, "something kinda cute that supposedly happened once."

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[ayesnymous]

Have we ever seen any of his emails signed "Stave" or "Steva" or "Stava"?

Typo?

[hcs_$reboot]

No. A mere joke.

That's OK....

[inode_buddha]

Countless nerds have referred to Abble as "ghey". This merely confirms it.

so what?

[Anonymouse Cowtard]

I refer to Apple as Crapple but I've never submitted this as news to /.

Re:so what?

[stephanruby]

Nice try Mark Zuckerberg!

Re: so what?

[BAReFO0t]

At the rate it's going nowadays, maybe you should!
Most of us would probably click that [+] on the Firehose, just for shits and giggles! :)

Re:

[diesel66]

I'll explain it to you, since you seem a bit slow on the uptake. This is noteworthy to some folks because they respected Steve Job's opinion as a visionary tech leader. Nobody cares about your opinion except you because you are a nobody. Thus you use of the hackneyed and unimaginative "Crapple" is not noteworthy.

A good visual pun

[Anachronous Coward]

But it loses something when spoken aloud. Feecebook doesn't have enough punch, and Feeceebook just sounds awkward.

well

[hamburger lady]

he wasn't wrong.

"New Emails" From Steve Jobs

[hcs_$reboot]

These emails must come from really far far away.

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[Archimboldo]

They're from his Fatebook account.

Wow.. a new meme

[fred911]

Fecebook brilliant and accurate. All I could come up with was Bookface.. Just shows what thinking outside the box normally produces.

This was obviously a typo

[Nabeel_co]

Seriously? This was obviously a typo.

If there were multiple instances of this going back and forth, then I'd buy this, but without that, the most likely thing is that it's a simple typo.

How is this a news story?

Re: This was obviously a typo

[BAReFO0t]

Most desperate Apple AND Facebook fanboy award right there.

Facebook fanboy... so also "Most saddest person and life" award right there too! ;)

New Emails?

[Mystic102]

"New Emails Show...". How can they be new? Are they from our Overlord from the Netherworld?

Never thought you'd make me like Jobs...

[BAReFO0t]

Ok, let's say... hate less... :)

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[notathome]

that's a fact. I use his products, but he was a royal prick.

Duckduckgo search of fece pulls up Facebook top

[omfglearntoplay]

LOL. Fece = Facebook. Right, and proven by our friends at Duckduckgo. Take that Fecebook! Really though, it is pretty much where shit is thrown around on the internet the most. Something should be done.

It's official

[RogueWarrior65]

I will now be referring to it as Fecebook. Once again, Steve Jobs was a genius.

Re:

[Anonymous Crowded]

Guess it's a slow news day again . . .