Snippet: Sal Soghoian No Longer with Apple ☇

Sal Soghoian:

Q. I hear you no longer work for Apple; is that true?

A. Correct. I joined Apple in January of 1997, almost twenty years ago, because of my profound belief that “the power of the computer should reside in the hands of the one using it.” That credo remains my truth to this day. Recently, I was informed that my position as Product Manager of Automation Technologies was eliminated for business reasons. Consequently, I am no longer employed by Apple Inc. But, I still believe my credo to be as true today as ever. […]

Q. What does the termination of the position of Product Manager of Automation Technologies mean for the future of user automation in macOS?

A. Ask Apple. Seriously, if you have any questions or concerns about the future of user automation, ask Apple. If user automation technologies are important to you, then now is the time for all good men and women to reach out, speak up and ask questions. The macOS user automation technologies include: UNIX CLI (shell, python, ruby, perl), System Services, Apple Events (JavaScript, AppleScript, AppleScriptObj-C, Scripting Bridge), Automator, Apple Configurator (AppleScript, Automator), and Application scripting support in Photos, iWork, Finder, Mail, and other Apple applications.

I’m not entirely sure what to make of this, as macOS’s automation tools have always been top-notch and well-developed, and certainly that can be tied to the leadership of that project. Unfortunately, it’s not merely a personnel change, but the position itself is being eliminated, which means the powers that be at Apple have decided that a Product Manager of Automation Technologies is an obsolete or unnecessary position. I doubt the next version of macOS is going to lose all AppleScript and Automator capabilities, but considering how hands-off Apple has been about iOS automation, these might be signs of things to come.