Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Even the older smiling Negro gets pulled.


I wasn't going to blog about this, because, quite frankly, I am never surprised at the behavior of those in corporate A-merry-ca (and A-merry-ca in general) when it comes to matters of race. But this latest gaffe by Microsoft is just too rich to pass up.

Most of you know the story by now: Microsoft is running this ad in Poland because they probably don't think the Poles think too highly of us black folks when it comes to intelligence. (I was going to say something else, but I will leave it alone.) So, as a result, they decided to pull a switcharoo and replace the brotha with a white guy. Poland being Poland, I guess they didn't think it be too cool to put a black guy in an ad with something they are trying to sell over there. But why not just use a white guy? Why photoshop the brotha? And such an innocent looking non threatening Negro at that. Look at how that Negro is smiling? I bet that white woman sitting next to him doesn't even feel threatened...let me stop.

Nice try Microsoft, but you made one little mistake in your photoshop fiasco: you forgot to match the white guys hands with the face. Yeah, I know this is the age of Obama, but we still aren't ready for people who are literally half and half just yet.

This is too funny. Of course, as is usually the case with these little racial faux pas, Microsoft is trying to figure out what went wrong, because they are soooooo not racist. The following is from The Times Online:

"Microsoft used its own Twitter feed to apologise. “We are looking into the details of this situation,” a company spokesman said. “We apologise and are in the process of pulling down the image.” ...Later, a spokeswoman for Microsoft in Poland said that the doctoring was a “simple mistake” and was not racially motivated. The picture was taken in September last year, she said, and all four people responsible for editing it had left the company some time ago. “We would really like to apologise,” she said. “We are a multiracial company and there isn’t a chance any of us are racist.”

Soooo, because you are a "multiracial company" there "isn't a chance any" of you are racist? Are you kidding me Ms. spokeswoman? Now I see why your company embarrassed itself with this ad. You people really have no clue, do you?

Anyway, back to your normal lives everybody. This was just a little corporate speed bump on our way to racial harmony here in A-merry-ca. Besides, speaking of speed; I have to go and work out now. I think my man racism is calling me out from down in Texas again. [Thanks Anastassia]And you all know that he doesn't play. I might have some serious chasing to do.


70 comments:

maria said...

PLEASE NO ALICIA BANKS comments!
RIP teddy.

Constructive Feedback said...

Filled Negro:

This is very surprising actually.

With the United States now having a "Black guy" as president I can't understand why anyone would now believe that the Polish have no notion of racial diversity.

Listen man. I know I have never done a collabo with you or any other Afro Spear site before. But this one has opened my eyes. If you and Color of Change wish to take action against Microsoft for this one - I am there with you man.

Just make up a little banner ad in line with the "I Am Troy Davis" click through I an will agree to post it on my blog. How about this as the text: "Tell Microsoft To Stop Lopping The Heads Of Black Men Off In Their Ads"?

History Dude said...

Eastern Europe is not exactly big on diversity-especially Russia. That's been like that for a long time.

Lady-Cracker said...

It is funny to me, but the "hand" looked black when it was with the black head and white with the white head. (If that is not a mind blowing sentence!)

Yes, those kind of northern, kind of eastern European countries are really short of black people and it wouldn't surprise me at all that they feel that the "people of color" don't measure up. (Come on they don't look like us, that can't be good!)

Having said that isn't it rather expected to show "multiculturalism" in ads, even in places like Poland, Russia and Germany? Think United Colors of Beneton? and all of the rest?

P.S. Does he get a "hand" model credit?

Vérité Parlant said...

Microsoft seems to be having a run of PR and marketing gaffes. Weren't they in hot water a few months back with the GLBT community?

Mack Lyons said...

I was wondering when this was gonna get around...

Me and some others got a kick outta that. Guess the brutha was caught lookin' a bit too hard at that white woman and had to go!

And if you're gonna erase the black guy from the photo, then why leave the Asian guy in there? There aren't too many of them in Poland, either, but of course it's implied that Asians are genetically super-smart and all that, so he's given a pass.

Oh, and that has to be one of the worst Photoshop jobs ever. Look at the guy's new head -- that's one hell of an angle to have your neck at.

ch555x said...

Either this was a planted story or I'm going to start wondering why folks like myself never got hired in graphic design depts (undergrad major) while this fool mucks up a basic photoshop job. No comment on Poles not ever seeing black folks, but see all sorts of Asians for some reason...SMH!!!

Monie said...

Instead of the usual bullsh*t denial of racism wouldn't it have been refreshing if MS had admitted that this was racist and took steps to make sure that it didn't happen again.

Anyway IE sucks and I haven't used it in years. I use Word but it's an old version. I'll be avoiding MS in the future though.

Gregory said...

I'm not sure which is more astonishing, that Microsoft would pull this shit in 2009 or that they would do it so incompetently.

Given the history of MS products, I can understand the incompetence, but they really should have got the memo by now that this type of thing would be considered to be stupid.

Monie said...

And the interesting thing is I'm buying a computer soon. I was trying to decide between a PC and an Apple.

So MS just helped me decide to by an Apple! Thanks MS.

Heck if MS can photoshop Black people out of their ads I can photoshop my money out of their pockets!

Obama mmm mmm good said...

Pretty much everyone in this world hates black people.Asian people are well liked.

So i don't blame MS for doing what they did.MS will get slammed for doing this,and be called racist.

No one will ever admit the real reason for why they did it.

History Dude said...

and it wouldn't surprise me at all that they feel that the "people of color" don't measure up. (Come on they don't look like us, that can't be good!)

I picked up a bit of that on a trip to Moscow.
I went to Japan a few years back and it was quite an eye opener. Restaurants and bars where foreigners (Gaijin) are not allowed. Landlords who won't rent to non Japanese. back in the 80's the Japanese prime minister, Yasuhiro Nakasone said in a speech that average intelligence in the United States is lower than in Japan because of America's "large number of blacks, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans."
Yet Japan's constitution has an non-discrimination clause (just window dressing, like Microsoft's I imagine.)

Korea was somewhat similar, but less in your face. Allot of very racist commericals though. Believe me, there isn't going to be any black pres in Korea or Japan or Russia anytime soon!

Constructive Feedback said...

[quote]And the interesting thing is I'm buying a computer soon. I was trying to decide between a PC and an Apple.[/quote]

Actually, Ms Monie - a "PC" and "Microsoft Windows" are NOT synonymous.

You could purchase the very same hardware as you would expect for a Windows PC with MS Office But INSTALL one of the many Linux Distributions as the OS. "Open Office.org" for your office suite and a number of other open source programs that do a good job matching what is available in the corporate world.

In fact - Apple Corp is coming under scrutiny by the "Obama FCC" for their seemingly anti-competitive action against allowing Google Voice on the iPhone. Are you sure a progressive woman like yourself wants to be an investor in Apple's product line as such?

If you think that pharmaceuticals are over priced what about "Apple gear"? They receive a premium on each item sold.

Just imagine if they allowed other hardare firms to create machines with the Apple OS? Surely there would be a lower price point and more families who are presently stuck within the "Digital Divide" having access to the Apple OS.

Are you SURE you want to be a co-conspirator Monie?

field negro said...

"And the interesting thing is I'm buying a computer soon. I was trying to decide between a PC and an Apple.

So MS just helped me decide to by an Apple! Thanks MS.

Heck if MS can photoshop Black people out of their ads I can photoshop my money out of their pockets!"

Monie,that's FN behavior.

"Instead of the usual bullsh*t denial of racism wouldn't it have been refreshing if MS had admitted that this was racist and took steps to make sure that it didn't happen again."

WHAT? ADMIT TO RACISM? That would be a violation.



"Oh, and that has to be one of the worst Photoshop jobs ever. Look at the guy's new head -- that's one hell of an angle to have your neck at."


Yeah, calling ch555x.:)

Nordette, I didn't know about their problems with the GLBT community. Go figure.

"P.S. Does he get a "hand" model credit?"

Now that's funny. Yep, I guess the hand model will collect a check.

Jim said...

This really really is funny. I LOVE that spokes-girl person.

A million years ago I spent some time working with Microsoft (well, 1989 or so, actually). I was overwhelmed to see that employees had pictures of Bill Gates in their offices. I learned NOT to remark about this strange behavior.

Back then, Microsoft had only one Saint. I guess they all are now. The wonders of modern PR Science.

Except we all know its just run of the mill corporate BS. But, I still LOVE that spokes-girl, the balls she has.

field negro said...

[Un]constructive one, do you happen to work for Microsoft or something? What's up with all the Microsoft love? Oh, I get it, you are a big fan now because of their black man switch. Is that it? :)

Jim said...

“We are a multiracial company and there isn’t a chance any of us are racist.”

seriously though, I think this statement shows that the term "racist" has been devalued. The actions she was excusing were clearly racist (though not mass-murdering racist, just let's go along with all the other racists and make a buck -style racist).

But, some how "multiraciality" is supposed to immunize groups or whole countries from the taint of racism. What a very conformist (and Euro) idea.

Ugly though it may be, I, patriotically, think the US keeps trying to confront these problems. It's one reason why every time I come back home I breathe a sigh of relief and want to kiss the ground.

coffee and cigarettes said...

mr r, your stupid rants never cease to astound me. do you have anything better to do with your time than come on this blog every day and spew petty insults and hatred? seriously is that how sad and pathetic your life is? do you have nothing better going for you then troll a blog that your level of intelligence clearly cannot appreciate? dont bother responding, because we already know the answers.

Amm said...

I'm sure many Polish folks wouldn't have cared that a Black guy was in the ad considering that many of them worship the Black Madonna of Czestochowa and that her shrine is the most holy shrine in the country.

isabella mori said...

hm. how do you accidentally photoshop something?

SouthernGirl2 said...

Look at how that Negro is smiling? I bet that white woman sitting next to him doesn't even feel threatened...let me stop.



LMAO @ You Field! :)

La♥audiobooks said...

You see, that's one of the other reasons why I prefer to deal with Apple Inc over Microshit (then again, they are all racist as hell when it comes to marketing anyhow).

Now, I wonder how much appeasing they would have done for the majority if they were running this ad in Africa or the Caribbean.

Predominantly black regions don't get such black 'privileges' from these companies.

Mahndisa S. Rigmaiden said...

Microsoft has an anti-racist culture. I have relatives in Bellevue and there are quite a few Black millionaires there because they got in with Microsoft at the right time back in the day. One of my Uncles Black girlfriends retired by 45 because of her Microsoft money. This is not too uncommon up there. I have worked for companies where you see virtually NO Blacks at upper level management at all, simply administrative assistants, janitors and so forth. But Microsoft isn't or historically wasn't that type of company. I hope this aspect of their company culture has not changed.

People in the Sun said...

Continuing their trend, for the ad in Afghanistan, Microsoft replaced the woman's head with the head of bin Laden.

Anonymous said...

Microsoft is a company of diversity in the USA. It was simply a "Polish" mistake. Only the Poles could manage such a photo gaffe.

FYI, Asia is far worse than Europe when it comes to racism. Japan and Thailand are the leaders in racism against Blacks in the far East. Right, Angie-in-Japan?

grinder said...

Actually, the whole thing would make a great Polack joke.

Anonymous said...

I used "Polish" but grinder came right out and boldly used the "P" word.

field negro said...

"Continuing their trend, for the ad in Afghanistan, Microsoft replaced the woman's head with the head of bin Laden."
)))LOL((((


M. Rigmaiden,I am surprised at Gates Inc. I have also heard that there are quite a few of my cousins who did alright by them. Maybe those people aren't high enough up in the corporate culture.

Yes grinder, aren't we being a tad bit insensitive? I think you have been hanging around some of the more radical elements in the fields too long.

Ms Fit said...

I can understand them catering to their demographics, but they should have shot a whole 'nother photo with all white models if that's what they wanted.

As for the fella in Williamson county...nothing new there. I lived 4 years in Austin (Travis County) and would have to drive through Williamson county on my way to Dallas and would hold my breath untill I passed the williamson county line.

Anywone was a target to these bumpkins. They are also known to be quite curropt. One person I know was arrested yet showed no sign of their custody. They can even make you disappear.

Roderick said...

GOP Rep.: Republicans Struggling To Find "Great White Hope" To Lead Them Back To Power

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins offered encouragement to conservatives at a town hall forum that the Republican Party would embrace a "great white hope" capable of thwarting the political agenda endorsed by Democrats who control Congress and President Barack Obama.

http://cjonline.com/news/state/2009-08-26/jenkins_remark_raises_eyebrows

Antonio said...

So companies apologize via Twitter now? When will it stop?

uptownsteve said...

The Poles think Blacks are dumb????

That's rich.

How come Polacks don't eat pickles?

RiPPa said...

Maybe they needed for the brother in the original ad to have his penis hanging out for them to notice the fuck up?

Anonymous said...

Field: Unlike the biker bar sign you recently blogged about, this bonehead move is racially motivated, and thus, by definition, "Racist."

BTW, have you seen the new McDonalds ads which patronizingly pander to Blacks ? Do you find that type of "pat on the head" type Racism worse than the Microsoft marketing ploy ?

Just curious.

LisaMJ said...

I guess it makes sense that they think that Asians are "smart" but I think it is weird that they left the Asian dude in anyway. If they don't like blacks (allegedly) then why would they like Asians. I also did a little internet research and there are blacks who live there to go to school, there are black soccer players, and there is an African doctor who is a naturalized Polish citizen who is running for an EU MP position. And is it really fair to blame this on the Poles? You could say that this is insulting to them too for Microsoft to ASSume that they couldn't handle seeing a black person in an ad. I bet there, just like in the rest of Europe, they listen to and emulate American rappers (shoot I saw a hip-hop swing Swedish band on the Colbert report, if the Sweedes can appreciate white folks, why not the Poles).

Lisa J

uptownsteve said...

I think this is just a case of some American racists projecting their own anti-black bias onto non-American whites.

I remember when I was in the US Coast Guard and my ship docked in Queenstown, New Zealand in 1983.

The white officers and CPOS were warning us black sailors not to venture far from the ship and definitely don't go into any bars because the New Zealanders were notoriously racist.

Then of course they chuckled and got dolled up for a night on the town.

A few of us bruthas were determined we weren't going to be stuck on that ship so we decided to check out some bars.

We couldn't keep the New Zealand girls away from us which is why they didn't want us there in the first place.

True Blue Texan said...

Am I the only one who noticed the top guy looks considerably older than his replacement? Seem to me this is not only racist, but ageist as well.

I lived in Europe for a few years (not East) but noticed they love famous African-Americans (entertainers, sports players, and Obama) but have great disdain for their own African immigrants and their descendants.

And keep talking about the fascists in Williamson County. This state needs more pressure from "the outside world". I couldn't believe the comments I saw on that link.

Attorneymom said...

FieldNegro, I had a ROOTS moment when I saw the following video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w5pLXcC3mA

Help me Holy Ghost!!

Anonymous said...

If they don't like blacks (allegedly) then why would they like Asians

Even in places where people are not fond of Asians-they still grudgingly respect them. Hell, the Nazis were fond as hell of the Japanese, despite thinking they were the master race! Asians are still seen as being vastly intelligent and disciplined around the world.

alicia banks said...

ditto fn

i see ageism and racism in this severe error...

but
i do love bill gates

anyone can hire a racist and inept employee...

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-58435406.html

Unknown said...

I don't think it's about the Polish not being able to tolerate black people. In the US, people are more concerned about diversity, but in the rest of the world Whites still want the image of being on top. Asians are cool because they're seen as smart and business oriented also, but a Black man sitting on the board of a company is unheard of. It's cool for us to be the rappers, entertainers, and athletes, but making money and controlling stuff is supposedly out of our scope.

Sharon from WI said...

Just an FYI, Field Folks,

MoveOn.org is holding 328+ vigils throughout the country to let Congress members know, before they head back to Washington, that we need health care reform NOW. Click on the link to find the location of a vigil in your community.

http://www.moveon.org/

Anonymous said...

"If they don't like blacks (allegedly) then why would they like Asians"

They see Asians as intelligent, mature and supportive of their people. They see Blacks as just the opposite: unintelligent, immature, and non-supportive of the race.

uptownsteve said...

Nah, that's what YOU see Anonymous.

And if you yourself are black, you belong in a padded room.

In fact I'd like to ship all you Toms off to some deserted island where you could bleach your skin, play badminton and learn ballroom dancing.

Leave the struggle to real black folks.

Black People Suffer From PTSD said...

Oh please. Stop pussy footing around the damn Polacks Microsoft. The world is mostly brown. They're going to have to deal with it an accept it. By not showing diversity they are keeping in place the false sense of superiority and xenophobia. People of color work at Microsoft..or at least they want you to THINK they do. I like how they sacrificed the Black man in favor of two Whites and the more "racially acceptable" Asian.
I call shenanigans on this bullsh*t!

Christopher Chambers said...

Field,

They are full of shit. I have seen this all the time with international marketing/ads. Their only cover is that they out source this stuff out. YET they have final control over the images and copy!

But then again, WE don't control our images. A lot of the nasty ideas they have of us are due to the old racist ideas as foundaiton for newer images of us as flashy actors/comics, loud talking sassy women, over sexed rappers and athletes. That's what's being marketing with "our" image.

History Dude said...

The world is mostly brown. They're going to have to deal with it an accept it. By not showing diversity they are keeping in place the false sense of superiority and xenophobia.

First of all, you are equating "brown" with solidarity with black people. Not true! How much solidarity we gettin from other "brown" folks? Go down to Central and South America, colorism reigns. It's even worse in Asia, where they even look down on whites, how do you think they look at us? Try marrying an Asian and see how their family reacts!

History Dude said...

Here's some brown solidarity from Mexico for ya, on a postage stamp no less...

http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050629/050629_mexicoStamp_hLarge.hlarge.jpg

Mack Lyons said...

The world is mostly brown, but the people with most of the money and control of the media apparatus are, well.....white. Given the image that Hollywood and TV execs push about blacks, I wouldn't be surprised to see Poles and other Eastern Europeans walking around with preconceived notions of colored folk thanks largely to the media.

You see, whites deal with the world being mostly brown by making sure those brown folk stay as impoverished, powerless and/or clueless as possible.

vanishing point said...

maybe they figured that the asian guy was their multi=cultural representative, like tiger woods or something,

i have to agree, the angle of the replacement's head is fucking hilariously stupid, i can't believe how bad that guy looks. this should win an award for one of the worst photoshop jobs.

hey maybe they could have used mr. r's head, he is an asshole:))

all the people who had anything to do with this ad are no longer working with us, ha ha, i bet there are heads ducking under desks at that place today.

Field, some of the comments you got on this are really funny! lolol

Dark Moon said...

and it wouldn't surprise me at all that they feel that the "people of color" don't measure up. (Come on they don't look like us, that can't be good!)

I picked up a bit of that on a trip to Moscow.
I went to Japan a few years back and it was quite an eye opener. Restaurants and bars where foreigners (Gaijin) are not allowed. Landlords who won't rent to non Japanese. back in the 80's the Japanese prime minister, Yasuhiro Nakasone said in a speech that average intelligence in the United States is lower than in Japan because of America's "large number of blacks, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans."
Yet Japan's constitution has an non-discrimination clause (just window dressing, like Microsoft's I imagine.)

Korea was somewhat similar, but less in your face. Allot of very racist commericals though. Believe me, there isn't going to be any black pres in Korea or Japan or Russia anytime soon!

***********************************

I agree. Asians are notoriously racist and elitist and that includes East Indians. There may be some complaints about being a model minority, but for the most part they get a great deal of satisfaction knowing they are not clumped and treated as disparingly as Blacks.

vanishing point said...

Dark Moon:
I agree. Asians are notoriously racist and elitist and that includes East Indians. There may be some complaints about being a model minority, but for the most part they get a great deal of satisfaction knowing they are not clumped and treated as disparingly as Blacks.
______________________________________________________________________-

Tell that to Vincent Chin, his killers got a fine and probation.

Anonymous said...

"But then again, WE don't control our images. A lot of the nasty ideas they have of us are due to the old racist ideas as foundaiton for newer images of us as flashy actors/comics, loud talking sassy women, over sexed rappers and athletes. That's what's being marketing with "our" image."

That is true. A lot of it comes from movies like the ones Tyler Perry makes. It's those kind of images that has been heavily promoted in America and across Europe/Asia. Anything to make a buck is our capitalistic motto. Meanwhile, Blacks lineup to laugh at themselves at the movies.

Nothing much positive about images of the Black race as a whole. But then again, why would there be when you are making big bucks off of negative dumb-ass black images?

Anonymous said...

@UTS, "Leave the struggle to real black folks."

What are "real black folks", like you? If that is the case, I'll gladly leave the race. I want no parts of YOUR definition of what a "real" black person is, because YOU are a loser.

vanishing point said...

hey anonymous 7:19,
just try leaving, that is too funny!

grinder said...

Yes grinder, aren't we being a tad bit insensitive? I think you have been hanging around some of the more radical elements in the fields too long.

Polack jokes were common when I was growing up, but I remember when I stopped telling them. I was 19 years old, and a kid in the dorms of Polish ancestry was having trouble in college.

He was talking about it, and was very dejected because he was on the verge of flunking out. He looked at me and said that maybe it's true about Polacks, and that he was just a dumb Polack.

You just had to be there. It was one of those moments, as they say. So, that ended it for me. But the changing of the face color and not the hand color, well, let's just say I was temped. :)

Dr. Nuwang said...

uptownsteve said...
We couldn't keep the New Zealand girls away from us >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I'm in a great mood tonight, so I'm gonna leave this alone, LOL!! Plus, I just don't feel like digging in that a$$ tonight!!!

The ad was racist but I'm certain Bill Gates didn't personally give his approval.

La♥audiobooks said...


"iI agree. Asians are notoriously racist and elitist and that includes East Indians. There may be some complaints about being a model minority, but for the most part they get a great deal of satisfaction knowing they are not clumped and treated as disparingly as Blacks.
"

Dark Moon... Exactly! Many of them right here in America actually live up to that "model minority" stereotype just so they can get by or get ahead.

"Polack jokes were common when I was growing up, but I remember when I stopped telling them. I was 19 years old,"

So how old were you when you "stopped" telling the Nigger jokes?

Don't tell me you never told Nigger jokes... :)

Constructive Feedback said...

[quote][Un]constructive one, do you happen to work for Microsoft or something? What's up with all the Microsoft love? Oh, I get it, you are a big fan now because of their black man switch. Is that it? :)[/quote]

Filled-Negro:

Did you actually READ what I told my new found friend Monie?

How do you figure that my words were "Pro-Microsoft"?

I first stated that the PC architecture is NOT exclusively Windows.

I suggested that she would get a Linux OS with Open Office.

If anything I spoke of an "Anti-Microsoft" message.

More clearly I spoke an ANTI-CORPORATIST message that some of you favor.

Open Source software is a stance again "corporate capitalist software".

Where as I don't know Monie - from what I can tell about her - she should be supporting the Anti-Corporate software movement and thus not pay money to Apple or Microsoft and instead take the plunge in support of alternative Operating Systems and Word processors.

La♥audiobooks said...

"she should be supporting the Anti-Corporate software movement and thus not pay money to Apple or Microsoft and instead take the plunge in support of alternative Operating Systems and Word processors.'

Like what Ubuntu? LOL. The 'free' distro made by white racist condescending European exploiters of South Africa? CF, you can't run.

field negro said...

"GOP Rep.: Republicans Struggling To Find "Great White Hope" To Lead Them Back To Power

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins offered encouragement to conservatives at a town hall forum that the Republican Party would embrace a "great white hope" capable of thwarting the political agenda endorsed by Democrats who control Congress and President Barack Obama."

Roderick, I will let the [Un]constructive one answer this for you. That's his party.

"BTW, have you seen the new McDonalds ads which patronizingly pander to Blacks ? Do you find that type of "pat on the head" type Racism worse than the Microsoft marketing ploy ?

Just curious."

Yes, Anon. I have. Amd as with all thngs Micky D's, I did find it a tad patronizing. I don't know about other black folks feel, but I do get a bit tired of their ads.

But is it more racist than the Microsoft ad. ? I am honestly not so sure.

OK, back to my Iggles. Vick looked decent out there.

Mack Lyons said...

"Like what Ubuntu? LOL. The 'free' distro made by white racist condescending European exploiters of South Africa? CF, you can't run."

Nevermind Linux will never get the marketshare distro developers want unless they make it so that hamfisted Windows users can traipse blindly through it without leaving (much) damage.

And the fact that compatibility with Windows apps is something that's still being......addressed.

Mahndisa S. Rigmaiden said...

Mack the compatibility issues are an issue, but Open Office on Linux or Free BSD platform works just fine if your box is stable. Constructive Feedback makes sense; if people find Microsoft such a foul company, don't support them by using their products. You can make a powerpoint presentation in FreeWare and you can do equations in LaTeX. If you don't want to support the corporations that monopolize the software and hardware industries, you can make your own PC clone or Free BSD box or Linux box with a bit of effort, you can gain some control.

My husband is a software engineer and one day I was bitching about the Microsoft mafia. He laughed at me and told me how utterly full of shit I was and I gasped then chuckled. He explained that if I really didn't want to support Microsoft, he'd build me a Unix box and install Open Office on it. It worked like a charm and was extremely fast for my computational needs.

So if any of you are really serious about not supporting Microsoft, there are options and for free and or a fraction of the cost of Microsoft products.

Mahndisa S. Rigmaiden said...

Relevant link!

uptownsteve said...

Flyn40s,

"I'm in a great mood tonight, so I'm gonna leave this alone."

Oh, your inflatable doll with the scratch and sniff rug must have arrived in the mail.

Dark Moon said...

Mack the compatibility issues are an issue, but Open Office on Linux or Free BSD platform works just fine if your box is stable. Constructive Feedback makes sense; if people find Microsoft such a foul company, don't support them by using their products. You can make a powerpoint presentation in FreeWare and you can do equations in LaTeX. If you don't want to support the corporations that monopolize the software and hardware industries, you can make your own PC clone or Free BSD box or Linux box with a bit of effort, you can gain some control.

My husband is a software engineer and one day I was bitching about the Microsoft mafia. He laughed at me and told me how utterly full of shit I was and I gasped then chuckled. He explained that if I really didn't want to support Microsoft, he'd build me a Unix box and install Open Office on it. It worked like a charm and was extremely fast for my computational needs.

So if any of you are really serious about not supporting Microsoft, there are options and for free and or a fraction of the cost of Microsoft products.


*****************************

That's great information. i didn't know that. There are a lot of us that use computers everyday but don't have the technical savvy to build our own platforms as you quikly delineated. That is something to consider. Thanks

Race Traitoress said...

I mentioned to Monie over on her blog that NeoOffice works like a charm on my MacBook and it includes both presentation and spreadsheet programs

UncleTomRuckusInGoodWhiteWorld said...

Its not racism on Microsoft's part it is good capitalism, you market to your audience. Ain't no negros in Poland and from what I hear they aren't found of "darkies" of any kind or Jews.

That being said, if this was in South Africa and they took out a white guy to add two blacks men and a woman would you but jumping up or would you not have even posted anything about this at all?

See, if you can flip it and it makes sense it passes the smell test, your protest does not.

Also Microsoft is very multiracial they have every type of Asian you can imagine. :-) Maybe because they are disproportionately in tech/engineering/science where black folks are far underrepresented, that is not racism on Microsoft's part either...

Seda said...

LOL! "...the doctoring was a “simple mistake” and was not racially motivated." 'We really meant to switch out the woman, but it was just a slip of the mouse...'

uh, huh.

Hathor said...

M. Rigmaiden,

Not everyone is fortunate to have a personal software guru. One really has to know quite a bit about the OS. I have seen discussions from engineers that have had problems with getting Open Office to work. They also need the docs to work in reverse.
When I was heavily using MS Office, I'd work on my files at work, school and home.

Personally, I have yet to get the courage to install a version of Linux. Trust me, the first time around will not be a piece of cake. I don't like to tinker. I really want a computer to operate like a toaster.

I suppose many other people feel as I do. I have only seen a few computers sold with Linux.