Apple removes apology-hiding JavaScript from UK website

Non-apologetic link to non-apologetic apology now visible – on large displays

Apple has removed from its UK website the JavaScript code that caused its court-mandated apology to always be displayed "below the fold" – meaning that you had to scroll down the web page to find it.

If you launched Apple's UK website earlier this week and resized your browser window, a bit of JavaScript code called "heroResize" caused the page's main image – the "hero", in designspeak – to swell just enough to make sure that the apology at the bottom of the page remained below the fold.

Now it doesn't. But you'll need a rather large display to see that apology without scrolling: on our 20-inch, 1680-by-1050 pixel screen, the apology remains below the fold.

Well, "apology" is a bit of an overstatement. What the paragraph says is merely: "On 25 October 2012, Apple Inc. published a statement on its UK website in relation to Samsung's Galaxy tablet computers. That statement was inaccurate and did not comply with the order of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales." A link to a two-paragraph non-apology apology follows.

That text, at least, is an improvement over the original six paragraphs of mealy-mouthery that contained four paragraphs worth of digs at Samsung, and which included a quote from UK High Court Judge Colin Birss, who ruled in Samsung's favor in the design-copying lawsuit that started all this silliness, saying that Samsung's Galaxy Tab line was "not as cool" as the iPad.

The dotted line shows where Apple's home page ends without scrolling on a a 1680-by-1050 pixel display;
the "That statement was inaccurate..." paragraph is outlined in red (click to enlarge)

Apple was ordered to post a less self-serving statement, which they did – but added the heroResize code to make the non-apologetic link to the non-apology remain below the fold.

As of Thursday, however, you can now more easily find the link to that page without having to deal with Apple's trying to hide it with resizing code – that is, if your display is large enough. ®

Bootnote

Apple may be meticulous in its product design look and feel, but not in its orthography. The link from its UK home page refers to the "Samsung/Apple UK judgement", while the page to which it links is titled "Samsung/Apple UK judgment." Well, that's how they read at 2pm Pacific Time on Thursday – who know what further changes are in the offing in this "apology, apology, who's got the apology?" foolishness.