MR is pretty good about not flaming people
i think it's obvious apple has monitored websites in the past and used them as a source of passive feedback... a lot of really good ideas that show up on websites eventually make it to an update or something.
example: apple didn't see tabbed browsing as important enough to include in the original beta Safari, or at least not important enough to delay it's release; yet now that there's been huge outcry on these sites we're seeing tabbed browsing in v62.
i think for the most part, they rely on employees, but there's probably a very small network of testers out there that get to make feedback.
what i wouldn't give to be the bug in steve jobs ear...
pnw