Microsoft's multicultural missteps
Company offends foreign countries with software gaffes

Jo Best, Cnet News.com
  Monday, August 23, 2004

 

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Microsoft's lack of multicultural savvy cost the Redmond, Wash., behemoth millions of dollars, according to a company executive.

The software giant has seen its products banned in some of the biggest markets on earth -- and it's all because of eight wrongly colored pixels, a dodgy choice of music and a bad English-to-Spanish dictionary.

Speaking at the International Geographical Union congress in Glasgow last week, Microsoft's top man in its geopolitical strategy team, Tom Edwards, revealed how one of the biggest companies in the world managed to offend one of the biggest countries in the world with a political faux pas.

When coloring in 800,000 pixels on a map of India, Microsoft colored eight of them a different shade of green to represent the disputed Kashmiri territory. The difference in greens meant Kashmir was shown as non-Indian, and the product was promptly banned in India. Microsoft was left to recall all 200, 000 copies of the offending Windows 95 operating system software to try to heal the diplomatic wounds.

"It cost millions," Edwards said.

Another blunder from Microsoft involved the use of chanting of the Quran as a soundtrack for a computer game, which was roundly denounced by the government of Saudi Arabia.The company later issued a new version of the game without the chanting, keeping the previous editions in circulation because Microsoft's U.S. staff thought this wouldn't be spotted. But the Saudi government banned the game and demanded an apology. Microsoft then withdrew the game.

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 That game was also withdrawn.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.

Edwards said that staff members are now sent to 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.

Microsoft spokesman Ricardo Adame added, "It is complex to do business globally and in multicultural environments. Like any large company, we have made mistakes, and this is to show that we have definitely learned from the past."

Chronicle staff writer Matthew Yi contributed to this report.

Windows XP, destined for Latin American markets, asked users to select their gender between "not specified," "male" or "bitch,"

[...] a soundtrack for a computer game, [...] another game in which Muslim warriors [...]

I seriously feel like those countrys need to relax. When a company makes as many things as Microsoft does, there's going to be glitches, and if they're too idiotic to think we made the errors on purpose, they can just E.A.D.

Windows XP, destined for Latin American markets, asked users to select their gender between "not specified," "male" or "bitch,"

Do you know what the Kashmir dispute is about and the significance of it?
Are you a Muslim?
Are you a woman in Spain?

The answer to all these questions is obviously no, so you have no fucking clue as to how these 'mistakes' are viewed by others. Get educated, use your brain, and then post. Whether the mistakes were done on purpose or not is completely irrelevant.

Okay, now I'm gonna use my "lack of education" and tell you to relax. What I said contained no facts, it was nothing but my opinion. The last time I checked, here on the internet at least, everybody is entitled to their opinion.

Oh, and for future reference, I am a muslim woman living in Spain.

Oh, and for future reference, I am a muslim woman living in Spain.

you don't have any idea of what it means to those poeple so go read NorthPoint's post

Gee, people who stand up for something they believe in is so irritating isn't it? Hey big corporation roll over everything I believe in, I don't care. Or wait, I'm a middle class western teenager who doesn't believe in anything, and can't understand why anyone else would. Hey man, just relax, it's just my opinion.

I don't think these countries need to go about banning the software for it to not sell. If these blunders are so offensive they won't sell anyway. People get so offended over stupid stuff.

If they had the race as "cracker" in stead of whitey would I complain? No, I'd laugh. Or if they had dickhead instead of male would I care? no.

Everybody is too sensitive and I hate it.

Let me guess, you are not registered to vote.

Microsoft made what is known as a mistake.  It happens to everybody not a big deal.  You file a complaint with them, they fix it in the update, and we all move along.  But wait that's not good enough we need to ban this software in our country.

I know this is a strange concept for many Americans during the current Administration, but your government should protect the interests of its Citizens. India took action to prevent information that it deems is incorrect to be distributed in its country. Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country which banned software that was insulting to the Muslim faith. How is any of this overreacting?

Northpoint, banning software that labels disputed territory as disputed, instead of bowing to the whims of the government, isn't protecting the interests of its citizens, it's protecting the interests of the people in power.

Maybe this is standard fare in other nations? I'm of the opinion the government needs to interfere in my life/business as little as possible.

The objective truth of the matter is that Kashmir is a disputed territory. Claiming it as anything else is distorting the facts, which helps nobody, whether they want to believe falsitudes or not.

WTF are you talking about???

I, for one, agree with fiber...less government is the way to go; less services, less taxes, less meddling in everyday life. America is a hop, skip, and a jump away from communism, and it's sickening.

It's not irrelevant, NorthPoint, because the Indian government shouldn'y feel that way. Just because something exists doesn't make change irrelevant! Difficult? Yes, change can be difficult, especially in situations like this, BUT IT IS NEVER IRRELEVANT.

A hop, skip, and jump away from communism?

Have you ever been to a communist country?

 
Well, well, everyone is own their own, yes? Everything isn't about you as an individual you know. 

I have nothing more to add. I don't want to argue this or really anything else of a political nature through these forums.

Have you ever read the communist manifesto?

In the communist manifesto there are 10 "planks"...the first plank is basically an introduction as to why a communist country is better, and the remaining nine planks are basically suggestions on how to change a non-communist society into a communist society.

ALL 9 OF THE SUGGESTIONS ARE IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY, AND HAVE BEEN FOR DECADES, IF NOT LONGER.

OH MY GOD!!! Thank you for your AMERICAN point of view. Gee, it's nice to know there is only one point of view in the world. It makes things so much easier.

You laugh at personal liberty and the freedoms of a Republic?

Jesus fucking christ you are stupid...my point of view is not a fix-all! It's not even that american! My point of view is that change should never be viewed as an impossibility! What the hell is so wrong with that!?

You don't live here, NorthPoint...you don't know all the fine machinations of the country.  You haven't studied the US constitution.

You also happen to live in a ridiculously socialist state as-is...

That's what I meant...how can you argue with that?  What is to be gained by India continuing to claim Kashmir is their own?  More fighting, more bloodshed?

It's a ridiculously idealistic idea, and you're right that it won't happen, but I continue to be miffed that you seem to be saying that it's better in the current situation.

It's about respecting other points of view and understanding that there are other points of view which are equally valid to your own.