LOS ANGELES -- Software giant Microsoft Corp. is apologizing for altering a photo on its Web site to change the race of one of the people shown in the picture.
A photo on the Seattle-based company's U.S. Web site shows two men, one Asian and one black, and a white woman seated at a conference room table. But on the Web site of Microsoft's Polish business unit, the black man's head has been replaced with that of a white man. The color of his hand remains unchanged.
The photo editing sparked criticism online. Some bloggers said Poland's ethnic homogeneity may have played a role in changing the photo.
"We are looking into the details of this situation," Microsoft spokesperson Lou Gellos said in a statement Tuesday. "We apologize and are in the process of pulling down the image."
It might be triggered by racism, but it might just as well have been done because there are no (hardly) any dark colored men living in poland so the picture would not represent the "average user" the polnish community sees.
PS Both reasons are wrong, although 1 is worse then the other i think.
It might be triggered by racism, but it might just as well have been done because there are no (hardly) any dark colored men living in poland so the picture would not represent the "average user" the polnish community sees.
I was thinking the same... that the stock photo was changed to reflect the local market, not necessarily a malicious act.
08-26-2009, 01:16 PM
Microsoft apologizes for race photo
:up:
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