Apple does not get social. Or maybe this is simply wrong.

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

At no time, at no place, has any human being thought: I love this song! Let me Ping it!

Apple's Ping is a failure. When pundits say that "Apple doesn't get social", and all the pundits say this, Ping is always singled out.

Though Ping is just the shiniest symbol of Apple's failure to get social. Despite innovations in social media, including with respect to music and tv shows, which Apple offers, iTunes remain its sturdy Ward Cleaver self.

Likewise, for all Apple has achieved, they completely missed the boat on social media platforms. You think no one does platforms as well as Apple but there is no "Apple+" and Apple failed to recognize the potential of Facebook, which Microsoft invested in, and failed to buy Twitter when it was dirt cheap.

Seems like the entire company doesn't get social. It's not in their DNA. Except for well-placed, well-timed statements they make to AllThingsD or select BigInvestor, Apple almost never speaks to the press or the public.

Leading us all to say, as always: Apple does not get social.

Except, now I'm re-thinking my position here. 

When we think of social media, we think of Facebook, naturally, which is the 800lb Silicon Valley nerd of social media, or of Twitter, which is the future of all social media, or, if you're a hater, you think of Google+ as social media. Unless you're a Hispanic rapper, at which case you think of MySpace as social media. Best if we use Wikipedia to guide us:

The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content." 

Social media is media for social interaction as a superset beyond social communication. Enabled by ubiquitously accessible and scalable communication techniques, social media substantially changed the way of communication between organizations and communities, as well as individuals.

Using that as our definition, perhaps we are wrong about Apple. Perhaps Apple is awesome at social media. 

Yes, Ping sucks. Yes, iTunes deliberately limits interactive dialogue and user generated content. And Apple does not speak to us unwashed masses. But think of what does flourish thanks to Apple.

Ignore the dated Web 2.0 term, the future of the web is mobile. The future of social media is mobile. Apple makes the best mobile experience out there.

Plus, it's FaceTime, while limited to the hundreds of millions of iOS and Mac OS devices, is possibly the best, simplest video chat service.

What of Facebook? Facebook thrives on the mobile device. It is at its best on iPhone. Period. It's similar with Twitter. Twitter is now baked into iOS and the many Twitter apps function best on iPhone.

Is Flipboard a form of social media? After all, it effectively presents tweets and RSS feeds to its users. Flipboard exists thanks to iPhone and iPad.

Path? Everyone seems to love the new Path app. Only, it's more than an app. Read how Path describes themselves:

Launched in November of 2010, Path has grown to include close to 1 million people sharing life with close friends and family all over the world. The company is headquartered in downtown San Francisco.

Our Values

Path should provide you with the simple way to keep a journal, or "Path", of your life on the go.

Path should help you authentically express yourself and share your personal life with loved ones.

Path should provide you with a quality network, superior experience, and fastest performance.

Path should delight you through design, information, and communication.

Path is social media. It is a social media platform that already has about 1 million users. And lives thanks to iPhone.

Earlier today, Apple named Instagram the iPhone app of the year. Don't use Instagram? Maybe you should. It's definitely social media:

It’s a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures.

Snap a photo with your iPhone, choose a filter to transform the look and feel, send to Facebook, Twitter or Flickr – it’s all as easy as pie. It’s photo sharing, reinvented.

Oh yeah, did we mention it’s free?

Without iPhone -- without Apple -- there is no Instagram. And no 10 million Instagram users.

Maybe Apple does not get social. But at the very least, and this is a big deal, they get how to make social media thrive.