[Am-info] HOT NEWS Microsoft exec admits the reason for all their problems

[Gene Gaines]

OK, so I'm kidding.

Read below.

A Microsoft executive stating

  'The problem has damaged the company's reputation
  and the "trust rating," which is seen as key to
  keeping the company competitive..."

and

  "In a frank assessment of the company's problems in
  trying to be a global player without offending local
  sensibilities, Tom Edwards, its senior geopolitical
  strategist, said employees' lack of basic geography
  was to blame."

Hilarious.

But seriously, would it not be more honest and responsible to
have one or two local people at least run the program before
you bring it to market in a country?   -Gene


...... Forwarded Message .......
From: kenneth_cukier@harvard.edu
To: dave@farber.net
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 13:27:06 -0400
Subj: Microsoft pays dear for insults through ignorance


Thursday August 19, 2004
The Guardian

Microsoft pays dear for insults through ignorance
By Paul Brown

Insensitive computer programmers with little knowledge of geography have
cost the giant Microsoft company hundreds of millions of dollars in lost
business and led hapless company employees to be arrested by offended
governments.

The problem has damaged the company's reputation and the "trust rating,"
which is seen as key to keeping the company competitive, has dropped, a
senior Microsoft executive revealed yesterday at the International
Geographers Conference in Glasgow.

In a frank assessment of the company's problems in trying to be a global
player without offending local sensibilities, Tom Edwards, its senior
geopolitical strategist, said employees' lack of basic geography was to
blame.

[snip]

Online at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/news/0,12597,1286066,00.html