A Day in Paradise

Microsoft’s multicultural missteps / Company offends foreign countries with software gaffes

Interesting article regarding taking cultural differences into account when creating software. The mistakes that are highlighted are from Microsoft, but I’m sure other companies, and possibly ever OSS projects run into similar problems.

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.