Rumor: Steve Jobs Spends Less Time Online During Leave of Absence
10:53 pm, February 23rd, 2009, Lonnie Lazar
Steve Jobs, who historically would spend hours a day logged into a chat client, has been using his computer less since taking his six-month leave of absence, according to a report by former PBS journalist Mark Stephens.
“Steve Jobs has stopped using his computer. He’s off curing himself of something he won’t name and in some manner we can’t know but I CAN tell you right now it doesn’t involve using his computer,” Stephens wrote under his pen name, Robert X Cringley.
Stephens argues in his post that because Jobs has not yet resigned from his position as CEO at Apple, his health is material to Apple and to Apple shareholders, is material to the company, and should be disclosed.
Because Jobs’ previous habit was to be available online to his coterie of personal contacts, a trend he apparently continued even after he announced he’d be taking a six month leave of absence near the beginning of this year, the apparent fact that he is no longer logging on daily is, according to Stephens, “important.”
“His condition remains squarely on the table, hot and steaming and ready to be served-up,” Stephens writes. “Who cares?
Anyone cares who actually expects Steve Jobs to return to Apple.”
Via MacNN
Posted by Lonnie Lazar in Rumors, Steve Jobs | Comment on this article
Is it “Stephens” (as it is in the first paragraph) or “Stevens”(as you have it in the rest of the post)?
steve, on February 24th, 2009 at 4:04 am
thank you steve. we will have the CoM copy editor flogged at noon today.
Lonnie Lazar, on February 24th, 2009 at 9:14 am
has it occurred to this gentleman that
1. Jobs is still only a phone call away
2. perhaps the reason he’s not being seen online all day is because he realized that folks are tracking him and changed his freaking username.
also, Jobs health is only material in so far as it renders him unable to do his job. the fact that he was suffering all of this and still released 2 phones, several computers etc shows many that in fact his health was not an issue in terms of being CEO. It was only an issue to nosy analysts looking for a reason to knock down the stock prices etc.
Lucas, on February 24th, 2009 at 11:07 am
All of this BULLSHIT — *especially* from the absolutely *sickenenly* kissass techmedia [Yes--I'm looking at *you*, Mossberg ....] — all points to the truth WE ALL KNOW but no one [Me #1] wants to say out loud.
And that is this ….
Steven Paul Jobs is dying & most likely won’t make it to 2010 ….
CaryMG, on February 24th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
I just got off Short Term Disability, and I was away from the computer for a couple weeks. My issue isn’t life threatening, and no ones business but my own. My employer certainly doesn’t have the right to dig into my medical records, why does this ass think he has that right with Steve. How is right to privacy null and void if you are successful at running a company.
I just want to smack this guy.
Ryan, on February 24th, 2009 at 4:06 pm