Apple's .Mac service -- a $99-a-year subscription package of email, Web storage, and other online services -- is struggling. "Over the past four days," reports News.com, ".Mac users have struggled to get its Web site publishing features, iWeb, and related file-share capabilities, iDisk, to work." It seems Apple is looking into the problems, but not soon enough to quell unrest in the active Apple forums. One unimpressed user is tech blogger Om Malik, who calls the service "dotLame": "My email has been delayed or has gone into the ether, prompting me to switch to a different email address for now." All this is giving lie to Apple's smug new "It Just Works" ad campaign.

And, worse, there's no longer anyone around to cool the flames, since Apple has reportedly fired its forum hosts, and is now questioning the value of forums where its customers can rant and rave altogether. Some forum participants fear the firings are a prelude to a complete shutdown of the forums. That certainly would be in character for a painfully tight-lipped Apple. Obviously, if you're going to overpromise and underdeliver, it's best to undercommunicate.