Microsoft Succumbs to Political Correctness--censors own font libraries.

Microsoft Knowleg Base::Windows Update ^

[VulgarWit]

Microsoft announced today that it is pulling symbols deemed "offensive" from it's font libraries. In an unprecedented act of political correctness Microsoft Corporation has releases a "Critical Update" which forces the removal of the "BookShelf Symbol 7" font library (Bssym7.ttf) which contains several symbols which may offend enlightened persons with elevated sensibilities as and may cause the immediate failure of personal computers running various versions of the Windows operating system.

The font library in question (Bssym7.ttf) was originally released on Friday, November 17th 2000. Microsoft has no immediate comment on why it took 4 years to discover the offensive symbols. Industry experts have suggested that sensitivity training may be required for the software developers and graphic designers involved in the project. Unconfirmed sources have also suggested that the symbols themselves may have been recently elevated from merely offensive or Orange to completely intolerable or Red in the early days of the current Democratic campaign.

A Critical Update is one that the Redmond, Washington corporation considers "critical to the operation of your computer..." The category is normally reserved for security patches for the computer itself but has to all appearances been expanded to include security patches for the consciences and sensitivities of end-users.

It is unclear from the Microsoft statement which of the characters (fig. 1) contained in the recalled font library spurred the recall though there is speculation throughout the industry that character x6A (a two-barred 'S' similar to '$') or character 0x77 (resembling a heart) are the most likely culprits. The former because it may offend those who are financially challenged or "resource-deprived" and the latter because they are romantically challenged or--as one commentator put it " have made a self-referencing life choice."

One of the potentially offending characters 0x77 or a "heart" which may offend single people or those who "have made a self-referencing life choice." Other possible offinsive characters are shown in the "Characters to copy" box.

No representatives from Microsoft Corporation were available for expanded comment. Microsoft is an industry leader in Personal Computing Software. Linux, a competing software platform, is not known to have font resources paralleling those pulled by Microsoft.

[microgood]

Maybe they are the Nazi like symbols.

[Bogey78O]

Ya think?

[null and void]

That would be silly...

[VulgarWit]

Quite possibly it could be the swastikas--or the Star of David even. Of course the swastika--as we know the symbol-- had meaning and significance long before it was co-opted by the Nazis and there is an obvious use for a font with that character or variations of it to be used by historians, theologians, etc. So nope.. I'm sticking by the article--it's gotta be the heart or the dollar-sign.

[drjimmy]

Did you come up with this one yourself, or did you lift it from the Onion? Either way, it's a funny one.

[John Jorsett]

Or maybe it's the Chinese symbol that says "John Kerry is our *itch."

[dangus]

I think you're kidding, but the 2nd character on the 6th row is the legitimate swaztika. The 14th character on the 5th row is the Nazi swaztika (the "crooked cross"). Notice how it's on an angle, subverting the "grounded" symbolism of the ancient swaztika. And its also on the same row as the Star of David.

The "critical" patch is silly, but I do think Microsoft is reasonable to purge the symbol. But are they purging the whole table? Some of those symbols are important.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

In other news, MICROSOFT ENCARTA is being rereleased so as to delete an article about Levrenti Beria, recently declared to be out of favor by the Praesedium of the Supreme Soviet. In its place, an expanded article on the Bering Strait will replace it.

[IYAS9YAS]

I've seen the hakenkreuz in Korea. It is often a mirror image of the Nazi version (at an angle, but reversed). It is/was a good luck symbol and is used in decoration on buildings (even bus stops).

[IYAS9YAS]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakenkreuz

Here's a link that explains it further.

[VulgarWit]

I MIGHT be kidding.../sarcasm
The patch removes then entire library-- Your comment actually illustrates my point. How useful is it to have the "grounded" symbol and the nazified version both available to illustrate the differences between them.

[kaktuskid]

It was also an American Indian symbol.

[Poohbah]

In other news, MICROSOFT ENCARTA is being rereleased so as to delete an article about Levrenti Beria, recently declared to be out of favor by the Praesedium of the Supreme Soviet. In its place, an expanded article on the Bering Strait will replace it.

You wouldn't happen to be a history geek, would you? :o)

[killjoy]

I think you're kidding, but the 2nd character on the 6th row is the legitimate swaztika. The 14th character on the 5th row is the Nazi swaztika (the "crooked cross"). Notice how it's on an angle, subverting the "grounded" symbolism of the ancient swaztika.

Actually those are both 'Nazi' style swastikas. The Buddhist version is reversed and points the other direction.

[rikkir]

The people at MoveOn.org are "deeply saddened". They wont be able to use the swastikas as bullets for their dem talking points.

[VulgarWit]

Actually, according the article link posted by IYAS9YAS above the Nazi's didn't seem to discrimate between clockwise and counter-clockwise swastikas. Thought the "14th character on the 5th row" is more common they both appear on authentic Nazi parephenalia. The 45 degree angle appears significant but a tilted version also appears outside naziism. so it would appear that the only way to tell a nazi swastika from any other (authoritativley) would be by the context in which it is used.

[NCjim]

I think that the Arabic symbol sets should be removed as they are offensive to me.

[VulgarWit]

I'll just bet they are... How else are they supposed to hi-light the manufactured "fascism" they try to label the President with... Did Musolini's boys have a useful symbol the dems can use in place of the swastika?

[killjoy]

The 45 degree angle appears significant but a tilted version also appears outside naziism. so it would appear that the only way to tell a nazi swastika from any other (authoritativley) would be by the context in which it is used.

Point taken. The only ones I have seen on temples in Asia, where they are very common, have been non-tilted versions. Regardless, it is a symbol from history and should be included in a symbol font. Wacky liberals....