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How 8 Pixels Cost Microsoft Millions
NubKnacker writes "Economic Times, one of India's biggest business daily's is carrying a story about how a small colouring mistake forced Microsoft to recall 200,000 copies of Windows 95. This wouldn't be the first time that has happened to Microsoft. From the article, "Microsoft has also managed to upset women and entire countries. A Spanish-language version of Windows XP, destined for Latin American markets, asked users to select their gender between "not specified," "male" or "bitch," because of an unfortunate error in translation." Ouch!"
This is a dupe. Too bad the editors don't bother checking the dupe email box.
Come one, come all, for the greatest dupe on earth... It's not the exact same article, but it's the exact same source materiel...
If I was low on Karma, I'm sure I could Karma Whore and just copy high scoring posts from the previous article...
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104_2-5316664.html
Looks like everyone else is a week behind the times...
-- Dave
up 12 days, 22:30, 2 users, load averages: 993.20, 994.21, 994.56
*makes note to limit user processes...
[Insert obligatory Snopes link here]
8 pixels is nothing to be mad about. Microsoft has flooded Poland in win2k/xp. Just check the map in time zone setting. They didn't get banned here though. Seems they predicted how global warming affects Europe in the future.
I managed to save a screenshot (well, actually HTML) of the pulled story, because everything (including my comment) disappeared. Check out my Journal entry about it. If you try replying to my comment in the Journal entry, you get a message like:
Submitted Comment
There was an unknown error in the submission
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
Ford Pinto was introduced in the USA in 1970, while Ford Corcel was introduced in Brazil in 1968. The Corcel was actually a Renault design, made under license by Willys in Brazil. Ford in Brazil merged with Willys in 1968. They made a "Ford Jeep" for several years in Brazil.
This post was copied from the previous article.
irb(main):001:0>
*sigh*
Just stop plugging this stuff already. As somebody who has lived in Spain for the last 14 years I can tell you with 100% certainty that "nova" and "no va" are pronounced differently, and nobody says "no va" referring to cars here anyway.
A Spanish-language version of Windows XP, destined for Latin American markets,...
You fail.
~ Aero
No, snopes is pointing out that a common-usage phrase across all Spanish-speaking langauges ("no va") would not have been a surprise.
"Pinto" is a Portugese Brazillian slang term for penis. This is the same problem that the LaCrosse had... it was a slang term in Quebec/French for masturbation, not a general French word known to all speakers.
Neither of these examples would be caught by your average translator or Spanish/French-speaking marketer.
In Central American Spanish "male and female" can be translated to "macho y hembra" or "masculino y femenino". "Macho y hembra" refer mostly to animals, while "masculino y femenino" are used with humans, and are considered correct when used in, say, a fill out form. "Hembra", while not strictly a profanity sounds very rude when used on women.
The perfect sig is a lot like silence, only louder
"Who would know that the Indian govt. would be overly sensitive to Kashmir?"
Sorry, but this may sound patronizing. India and Pakistan have squabbled and fought minor wars over Kashmir for half a century. Almost every single time India and Pakistan make the news - which they do regularly, here in Europe - Kashmir gets a mention, with India accusing Pakistan of funding, training and arming insurgents in Kashmir, Pakistan denying vehemently.
Since India and Pakistan are now nuclear powers, this gets attention in countries that know what being bombed feels like, i.e. every non-American country. Kashmir may yet spark the next nuclear holocaust.