It doesn't sound like Apple actually blocked it, just that since they haven't lifted the NDA this can't be published yet, and since they don't seem to be concerned with lifting the NDA they probably won't publish it anytime soon.
Additional developer resources, esp. a book from these guys, would be very welcome though...
There's no reason to treat them differently, I agree.
The question I have is why we're still talking about old news? I'm searching this story in vain for some aditional bit of information that is actionable in any way.
An NDA being in place is a bit of an abstract concept for people and can seem relatively harmless until you hear of concrete examples of how that has impacted participants.
The reason this example is worthwhile is to aid the decision making process of those who are considering contributing to this platform. People need to fully understand the risks to invested time.
Additional developer resources, esp. a book from these guys, would be very welcome though...