Microsoft Really Screwed Up :) :) :)

[ET Awful]

They've done some dumb stuff before, but this is just . . . wrong.

"<snip>

The software giant managed to further offend the Saudis by creating another game in which Muslim warriors turned churches into mosques. That game was also withdrawn.

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.

Microsoft has also seen its unfortunate style of diplomacy have an effect in Korea, Kurdistan, Uruguay and to China--where a cartographical dispute saw Chinese employees hauled in front of the government.

Edwards said that staff members are now sent on geography courses to try to avoid such mishaps. "Some of our employees, however bright they may be, have only a hazy idea about the rest of the world," he said.

<snip>"

See the rest of the article here: http://news.com.com/How+eight+pixels+cost+Microsoft+millions/2100-1014_3-5316664.html?tag=nefd.top

[Scooter24]

1. HAHA..

Bitch eh?

[ET Awful]

2. That's the line that prompted me to post the story :)

"Not Specified," "Male," or "Bitch"

Who was the moran that translated that?

[supernova]

4. At a certain gigantic blue company

I worked at previously, we sent our new PC CDs off to be translated.

Turns out the woman responsible for making the translated CDs was using www.babelfish.com to do the translations!! She didn't know how to translate anything and didn't know anyone who did.

Needless to say, she was fired.

[NewJeffCT]

7. babelfish is semi-useful

They need a lot of work on their Chinese translations, though. What comes through when relatives from China send me email is about 25-33% accurate.

[baldguy]

3. "...our employees...have only a hazy idea about the rest of the world."

Well, if being "uncurious" is good enough for Our Great Leader (uh, that's George - not Bill)

[truthspeaker]

5. On the other hand, they had Taiwan labeled as an independent country.

That's only offensive to the Chinese Communist Party.

[jeff30997]

6. "We can call you a bitch if we want to. After all it's a monopoly."