I find the Polish people both racist (like a lot of East Europeans) and homophobic too.
I went to a Paradise Lost gig a year or so ago. They are very popular in Germany, Greece and the old Eastern Block. A Polish fan was at the bar, drunk, but happily smiling whilst telling everybody "I'm Polish, I love heavy metal, hate gays".
Quite why he deemed to tell us this I don't know, since he was living in a very tolerant country at the time.
I find the Polish people both racist (like a lot of East Europeans) and homophobic too.
I went to a Paradise Lost gig a year or so ago. They are very popular in Germany, Greece and the old Eastern Block. A Polish fan was at the bar, drunk, but happily smiling whilst telling everybody "I'm Polish, I love heavy metal, hate gays".
Quite why he deemed to tell us this I don't know, since he was living in a very tolerant country at the time.
From what I've read (& i may be wrong) you see that with Germany where apparently neofascist support is strongest in the former East Germany compared to the former West Germany
See. I'm not the only one. How strange people are seeing different pictures now on the Polish site.
Edit: Just disabled all FF add-ons. It now has changed.
Depends on your ISp as well, some ISPs use a cache, and it takes a while it to be cleared.
Freeserve in dial up days used to do that, flipping annoying it was, not sure how many ISPs uses the system now.
It's obvious why they did it, as black people are almost unheard of in Poland (wiki suggest there are approx 4,500 black and mixed race Poles out of a population of 32 million), and Microsoft wanted to make it look like a generic Polish office.
It was still crap and really bad PR for them, mind - but doesn't imply that Poland is a "racist" country.
I find the Polish people both racist (like a lot of East Europeans) and homophobic too.
I went to a Paradise Lost gig a year or so ago. They are very popular in Germany, Greece and the old Eastern Block. A Polish fan was at the bar, drunk, but happily smiling whilst telling everybody "I'm Polish, I love heavy metal, hate gays".
Quite why he deemed to tell us this I don't know, since he was living in a very tolerant country at the time.
Oh yes, of course: one Polish man = the entire Polish population. Using similar logic, i suppose Nick Griffin represents the common-or-garden Englishman?
Eastern Europe consists of some of the most ethnically, racially and culturally diverse countries in the world. We're far more heterogenous than our western European counterparts (i myself am pure mongrel). Yes, we have problems with racism, but you're not exactly free of it either, certainly you're not free of it to the degree that you can feel superior. In both cases said problems are caused by a minority of people, not representative of the people as a whole.
Yes as a country they and other Eastern Europeans tend to be more racist than others although for many it's sheer ignorance and lack of exposure to Blacks.
“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.”
Comments
It's definitely not - clear your cache.
Completley cleared, using a different browser - still there!
Same here!
It must be you then
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/2597/polandms.jpg
It's definitely changed.
Well if you have seen the picture, you'd see that the mans' head is HUGE and at an angle that would only be comfortable for Regan of The Exorcist!
See. I'm not the only one. How strange people are seeing different pictures now on the Polish site.
Edit: Just disabled all FF add-ons. It now has changed.
I'm just adding that thought as America have the token black president now.
I know it's late but- Eh now?
I hear there's a vacancy for Photoshopper-in-chief at Microsoft... the previous guy got sacked for incompetence... i think you should apply
I went to a Paradise Lost gig a year or so ago. They are very popular in Germany, Greece and the old Eastern Block. A Polish fan was at the bar, drunk, but happily smiling whilst telling everybody "I'm Polish, I love heavy metal, hate gays".
Quite why he deemed to tell us this I don't know, since he was living in a very tolerant country at the time.
From what I've read (& i may be wrong) you see that with Germany where apparently neofascist support is strongest in the former East Germany compared to the former West Germany
Depends on your ISp as well, some ISPs use a cache, and it takes a while it to be cleared.
Freeserve in dial up days used to do that, flipping annoying it was, not sure how many ISPs uses the system now.
It was still crap and really bad PR for them, mind - but doesn't imply that Poland is a "racist" country.
"You can be any colour you like, so long as it's black!"
Give this man a cigar!
BBC News: Microsoft in web photo racism row
Sky News: Microsoft Embroiled in Photoshop Race Row Photo Blunder
I still think racism is a strong word in this case though. Mis-advised localisation perhaps would be a better word.
Oh yes, of course: one Polish man = the entire Polish population. Using similar logic, i suppose Nick Griffin represents the common-or-garden Englishman?
Eastern Europe consists of some of the most ethnically, racially and culturally diverse countries in the world. We're far more heterogenous than our western European counterparts (i myself am pure mongrel). Yes, we have problems with racism, but you're not exactly free of it either, certainly you're not free of it to the degree that you can feel superior. In both cases said problems are caused by a minority of people, not representative of the people as a whole.
“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.”
Personally I want to know who ordered the switch.