I have no doubt whatsoever that several of Apple’s rivals would like to see Steve Jobs fail, but this does not necessarily imply they want him dead. Bloomberg extended a rare courtesy to Jobs yesterday as it published an obituary for him; rather prematurely! An accidental error to say the least, a reporter published a document marked “Hold for release – Do not use.” It was, however, immediately taken off the web. The 2500-word document included details of Jobs’s rise from a college dropout to a tech tycoon. Since media organizations keep obituaries of important persons pre-made and update them as needed, this one was unfinished and had blanks for Jobs’s age and cause of death. Here’s what Bloomberg said on its error:
An incomplete story referencing Apple Inc. was inadvertently published by Bloomberg News at 4:27 p.m. (New York time) today. The item was never meant for publication and has been retracted.
The report was obviously meant for internal departments only. What makes this error ironic perhaps is the fact that Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, and has often hesitated to discuss his health in public.
And, yes, the gaffe has survived and can be read over here in full. Wait for what Jobs has to say about this.
