Why doesn't Apple employ professionals for this forum?

Then don't use it and call AppleCare or use Chat. This is just another alternative and is free for those who are no longer in warranty. If you are out of warranty it will cost you $29 USD to talk to a professional.

Because we volunteers are cheaper. As noticed when you agreed to the TOS, while the forum is owned by Apple, it is operated by fellow users. As deggie indicated, if you want to speak to Apple, then use Apple Care.

Amateurs? I resemble that remark !

I and most others who will respond to you - including those who already have (and refrained from tooting their own horns) have decades of experience with Apple products and the software that runs on its devices. I for one was most assuredly a Professional and Apple computers were my Tools of Choice -

In most cases, our 2¢ is worth $10 of an entry level Apple employee relying on a Knowledge Base of info - but they too will get experience over the years.

You will find that if you are a good (re)Searcher, you can find any info you need. That's one thing that 'higher' education teaches in college = how to find the answers.

Last I checked, there was no "Young Professional on the Mountain", but rather the "Old Wise Man" there. [ there are a few exceptions of course ]

The ASC is the world's second-busiest forum, with more than 9.6 million persons registered, and gets more than 100,000 'hits' a day.

To answer all the many questions posted in these forums, Apple would need a staff of thousands available 24/7. The cost of that would be prohibitive and could not be offered for free, so instead Apple generously provide these forums and their huge support server base for users of Apple products to assist each other.

There are several thousand regular contributors to these forums offering free help and advice in their own time, of which about 400 have reached Level 6 or higher. Those 400 are able to contact each other for additional advice, and some also have regular meetings with Apple staff.

As a fellow user yourself you are free to post advice to other users, as well as asking any questions you might have. You are equally free to not do so and to ignore any advice offered in these forums, but you are not free to insult Apple or the contributors to these forums (not that you did!) 🙂

Apple employee/members here:

(latter 2 = quantities unknown but adequate, IMHO)

New Team: Community Specialists (c.2013)

I ran a customer support shop for a niche Windows software app with ±20,000 users for 4 years. Most days, we were NOT busy at all. 99% of all issues originated between the chair and screen. This community's method is the only possible way to handle the volume - and seems to work well

👿 [ I see you have been around here for a while, so I know your question was a loaded one ] 👿

Hi richard177,

Be careful what you ask for. 🙂 As ChitlinsCC pointed out, Apple does have a number of professionals working here in the forums. Some of them just run and moderate the forums, others actively participate. But, as Klaus1 mentioned, there are 9.6 million users here. In other words, about 1% of all Apple users. Who is supporting that other 99%?

But if you have ever encountered any of those Apple professional here in the forums, you might have a better appreciation for us "amateurs". While the Apple people do a good job, it is a job for them. They work for a major corporation and probably get evaluated on a quantitative scale. I have never seen them do anything more than give you links to the appropriate Apple technical support documents. There is no way they would ever be able to engage with individual OPs (original posters) like yourself like we can. Of course, the quality of amateur help you receive can vary. While Apple's doesn't go very deep, they are very consistent. We are not. Sometimes we are flat out wrong. But sometimes you are talking to true professionals who would charge hundreds of dollars an hour for the quality of support you are getting for free.

If this forum was only serviced by professionals, then what would we 400 do? 😢

I figure that based on the years of experience the estimated 400 level 6 contributors have, if they were paid their current salary (or last salary before they retired), plus the overhead the company would have to pay (employer taxes per employee, benefits (medical, long term disability insurance, life insurance, vacations, 401k matching funds, 401k management costs, employee stock purchase plan, etc...), office space (cubes, desk, chairs, heating, air conditioning, electrical, cleaning, food services, etc...), equipment costs (computers, phones, etc...) networking costs (switches, routers, bandwidth costs, etc...), plus I'm sure I forgot something...), I figure it would cost Apple about $100,000,000.00/per year to provide the equivalent value from those 400 volunteers. And that doesn't count the other less frequent contributes.

Or get it for free !

And it is not like Apple doesn't provide other support options: Apple Telephone Support, Chat, Genius Bar (not previously mentioned in this thread). This User-to-User forum just happens to be another channel.

I've been wondering why Apple doesn't run this forum with professionals.

I used to be in the computer peripheral business. I was often amazed how some of our customers knew more about our products than the man that designed it did! I have been on this site for almost 10 years, and have gotten much life saving advice from people doing it out of simple kindness. Moreover, I occasionally get advice that is helpful, but not strictly in line with Apple's preferred methods.

I am only a level IV, but for reasons I can't really explain, I get a great deal of personal satisfaction helping people with some of the few issues I am good at (optical media). My point is, I honestly am not sure you would get better help from paid Apple employees.

You seem to have a list of things that are troubling you. I would strongly urge you to write down the top three or four items. Then go to those sections in these forums and nicely, and politely ask for help. Usually, (but not always) you will get good answers for free.

Given the cash Apple has stashed away, it seems a little tight of Apple to leave it to amateurs.

Hey! That cash is for my dividend check. 😉😁