Racist Microsoft

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

[Unwashed]

Enthnicity in Poland is pretty much 100% caucasian, in the USA it's 75%.  I don't think targeting your demographic is rascist.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

they could have made more of an effort, at least photoshopping the hands as well

[Hyacinth]

they could have made more of an effort, at least photoshopping the hands as well

;D ;D ;D

[lewic]

Ha ha I've only just noticed the hands!

Do tend to agree with Unwashed, they are probably just targeting their demographic. I expect their Oriental and Asian adverts have airbrushed out the white woman as well as the black guy. Or they use a completely different photo.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

the guy on the end looks a bit oriental, and I don't suppose Poland is awash with them either

with us it was the other way round - whenever we got a swish bit of new kit, the publicity photographer would scour the corridors for an ethnic student, preferably female, to stand next to it, for photos in the prospectus. Made us look a bit like Baghdad Metropolitan Women's University. Which was all a bit annoying for us, because we were the most mixed bunch imaginable, but not sufficiently so for photographic purposes

[Garjan]

The representation of gender and ethnicity and fair portrayal is my field of expertise. I normally do not object to targetting your demographic. However, in the original picture it seems to me that it is only blacks, asians and women who need empowerment?
Considering the demographics in the US, you would presume a white guy being in the picture as well.
And with the Polish demographics in mind: what is the Asian guy still doing there???

Perhaps this is a case of getting "lost in translation", but in the Netherlands we use empowerment in more or less the same way as emancipation: something for people in a backward social position.
From this point of view, inserting a white guy in the picture is balancing things out. It would undermine the possibiliy of interpreting the original picture as meaning: blacks, asians and women are in need of empowerment.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

so Microsoft poland were being racist in taking him out, and Microsoft US were being racist in putting him in. No wonder those jobs in the Guardian pay so much money, it's beyond my poor brainpower

[Unwashed]

The diversity of UNIX.

[lewic]

PSML!! Thats why I dont think I'm ever going to pull at work  >:(

[Mr Smith]

I know for a fact that people get airbrushed all the time in the press and in publications, did you know that Katie Price is a 32B, ;D

[Sholls]

PSML!! Thats why I dont think I'm ever going to pull at work  >:(

But, at work, are you not surrounded by like minded individuals who also get their geek on for UNIX? ;)

*Sholls, ex-physicist who likes shoes, shiny things & life outside the lab. ;) *

~~~

As for the M$ marketing... Credit crunch or no, there is no excuse for such sloppiy Photoshopping. I know 12 year olds who, for a tenth of what was (probably) paid for the 'work' in question, could have delivered better.

[Ninnyscrops.]

Any still use dos language on a daily basis like me?  Asciicpy is still alive and well  ;D

Linda