You didn't read the article carefully. What would it matter if she made a backup? The data was in a proprietary format squirreled away in a random file and only a period-appropriate utility let her pull it out. She should be thankful, I suppose, that Apple didn't actually delete this database. RSS feed files can get quite large.
But your reaction is a powerful anecdote about the existing narratives around Apple. People tend to treat Apple like this powerful paternal figure. Father knows best, and so unless you are personally smacked down by Father than you tend to defer to him.
In reality, Apple handled this poorly but people will use the "none > bad" logic. Can you imagine if Google closed down Reader and didn't offer an export format in Takeout? But that's because there is a narrative around Google "not getting humans" even though their entire business is understanding your preferences.
But your reaction is a powerful anecdote about the existing narratives around Apple. People tend to treat Apple like this powerful paternal figure. Father knows best, and so unless you are personally smacked down by Father than you tend to defer to him.
In reality, Apple handled this poorly but people will use the "none > bad" logic. Can you imagine if Google closed down Reader and didn't offer an export format in Takeout? But that's because there is a narrative around Google "not getting humans" even though their entire business is understanding your preferences.