“While Apple values and appreciates vibrant public commentary about its products, we believe you and your company have crossed the line by offering a bounty for the theft of Apple’s trade secrets. Such an offer is illegal and Apple insists that you immediately discontinue the Scavenger Hunt.”

That’s pretty much the crux of it and why it was so insane in the first place. Vallywag were essentially offering a reward for someone to break the Law. But here’s the best part: Does Gizmodo, reporting on this story call gawker media out for it’s stupidity? No, instead their headline for the latest installment of this fiasco is: “Apple Indirectly Confirms Tablet Existence with Cease and Desist Letter”

Gizmodo finishes by telling people to use an anonymous email when sending anything to Gawker, essentially encouraging the whole illegal stunt although they cover themselves with a trite “Just don’t do anything illegal to get any of the evidence”.

This is what bugs the life out of me about these online publications. Everything is a big joke, an opportunity for some sarcastic quip. There isn’t a story, no matter how mundane that they can’t manage to make some teenage level of diskish comment about. Are technology fans really that childish that this kind of “oh look at us, aren’t we so clever and funny” kind of reporting is all that appeals to them. A mature and responsible journalist would (or at least should) call gawker out for it’s bull, but hey, it’s only a “blog” so anything goes, right? Could you imagine of the New York Times was encouraging this kind of behavior? Or even Wired or Macworld. Of course they would never do that, because they’re written by grown ups.

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