Dear Mr. Cook ,

I was chagrined to learn that Sal Soghoian , who was Apple ’s Product Manager of Automation Technologies , was let go for “ business understanding . ” Mr. Soghoian had been with Apple for nearly 20 years , and was the steward of the flaming for technologies such as AppleScript , Automator , and more .

In my writing about iTunes , I have often explained to reader how they could protract iTunes ’s feature article set using AppleScripts . Most of these have been written by Doug Adams , proprietor ofDoug ’s AppleScripts for iTunes , a situation that start out as a depository of tools to stretch iTunes , but has become an of the essence resource for iTunes exploiter . [ Full disclosure : Doug and Ihost a podcast together . ]

No software can do everything its user need , and none should offer everything they require . For this intellect , AppleScript has long been the perfect adjunct to iTunes , which is already feature - rich ( some say “ bloated , ” butI take issue ) , and does n’t need more options and tools . Many of these AppleScripts are designed to tag files , edit their metadata to correct errors , better consistency , and ensure that users can find the single file they desire , and help oneself them expeditiously use smart play list .

It ’s not clean-cut whether the ending of Mr. Soghoian mean the demise of AppleScript totally , and particularly in iTunes , butmany developers , iTunes users , and othersare concerned by this decision .

You see , it ’s all about exemption . Freedom to do thing we want that Apple does n’t opine we require to be able to do . Freedom to explore . Freedom to discover newfangled way to connect applications , to interact with file , to create our own solution . We ca n’t expect apps to cater to all our whims , and tools like AppleScript and Automator allow for us to go a step further and fall upon ways to do affair that Apple never even deal .

A lot of the AppleScripts I apply with iTunes allow me to tweak the text in file metadata . For instance , I useRemove n Characters From Front or Backoften to blue-pencil extraneous word in song titles when I rend CDs . In the Gracenote database that iTunes uses to add metadata when ripping , you often find lively recordings where ( Live ) is present after each track name . A book like that allows me to apace remove this text that I do n’t need . Find Album Artwork with Googlelets me search for artwork when iTunes ca n’t discover any . AndDupinlets me scour my depository library for matching tracks ; something I do often , since I rip a caboodle of box sets of classical medicine , many of which contain music that I already have from different releases . Siri ca n’t do any of this .

I know you want us all to embrace streaming , via Apple Music , but it ’s frustrating , if you ’re a serious music listener , to deal with thepoor metadatain Apple ’s program library , the tracks that go missing , and the many problems with iCloud Music Library . In addition , some of us have large compact disk aggregation , and project to keep buying CDs .

I do n’t dissemble to have any melodic theme what “ patronage cause ” have led to Mr. Soghoian being terminated , but I talk for many iTunes users who depend on this technology to wield their medium libraries in iTunes .

Please , Mr. Cook , do n’t shut us out . While AppleScript is not widely used , it is a valuable technology for iTunes users . Do n’t take away our freedom to explore , to innovate , to solve problem with this tool .

Yours sincerely ,

Kirk McElhearn