Microsoft to Remove Swastikas from Office
 

http://bink.nu/DesktopModules/Articl...?ArticleID=671

Microsoft Corp. said on Friday that its latest version of Office software inadvertently contained a font featuring two swastikas, and said it would offer tools to remove and replace the offending characters from the program. The swastika, which was made infamous by Nazi Germany, was included in Microsoft's "Bookshelf Symbol 7" font. That font was derived from a Japanese font set, said Microsoft Office product manager Simon Marks.

"It was discovered by one of our customers a couple weeks ago," Marks said, adding that there was "no indication of malicious intent."

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/p...FontLetter.asp

Its just a byzantine symbol. What's the big deal? :D

Kudos to Microsoft, but they should've removed it along time ago. Why I would ever want that in a font is beyond me.

that is so fucking "PC" it makes me ill, first of it is an ancient Japanese symbol called "manji" , that is a hell of alot older than Nazis, second it swirls counter clockwise, not clockwise like the Nazi swastika. i don't know why that one that is clockwise would be in a japanese font
check it out
http://altreligion.about.com/library...ldefsmanji.htm
*note: fixed url -Cheers

Link didn't go anywhere. If its not a swastika than it shouldn't be removed. I thought the Nazi's borrowed it from the Byzantine empire. The Byzantine's could've easily borrowed it from the Japanese though. My knowledge of Japanese symbols is limited to a little bit of katakana and a titch of hirogana.

If it is a different symbol though, then this is probably PC overreacting. If your offended by something that "looks" like a swastika, then you might be looking too hard.

Because he made the link wrong. Here you go:

http://altreligion.about.com/library...ldefsmanji.htm

This is stupid. I swear... Microsoft has much more pressing things to pay attention to (like the gaping security holes in much of its software) than removing a symbol from an obscure font that no one uses anyways.

People, please, get a grip! Sure, anything truly linked to old-Nazis or Neo-Nazis should be dealt with. But this is just silly. Think of the time and money that was used up to get this whole thang accomplished, Hell, I wish I could get my 2 minutes back. People that are so easilly offended should be deported to North Korea. Give them a year or so, bring them back. I bet we wouldn't hear a peep from them again.

Folks, as soon as I posted my response, I thought of something: You guys might not agree with me. And that is what makes This Here Country Great. I am not for deporting anybody. My point of view is this basically: Relax. Don't get worked up over BS.

Why are they removing a potentially useful symbol?

Believe it or not there are historians in this country who might find it useful. Although no historian would be writing in Word :-P

They did it to take away the risk of loosing money, sound business thinking. The thought of all kinds of organisations and companies that might start to shout "boycott" is enough to spend some doug on preventive measures. PC was not an issue, shareholders money was.

Am I the only one who got the mental picture of a microsoft office decorated like the SS headquarters, with big nazi flags and eagles and paintings of hitler repeatedly jamming Alt Ctrl Del?

Seriously, this is not a bad move on their part. It shows that they listen to the public and gladly meet their demands (without actually doing any of the above, for what really matters). Plus the public is a silly overexcitable entity, which will soon forget all the problems that need to be dealt with...

How fucking pointless. How am I going to make propaganda for my ultra-right wing terrorist bingo club now ?

No.

Cant say I didnt imagine an office building full of blonde hair blue eyed young men furious typing away and a random "Scheisse!" here and there.