And now for something much sillier: Microsoft's promotional material for XP. In early September, the ever-so-slick Microsoft marketing machine got into gear by sending out an 'Exploiting Windows' email newsletter extolling the virtues of its next operating system.

It may well extol the virtues of its lovely software, but sadly it shows absolutely no regard for the basic rules of the English language.

Apparently, XP means every member of a family will (and we quote) "be able to have there (sic) own environment within the PC that is unique to them".

Microsoft also says many people have "purchased Digital Camera's (sic), Video Camera's (sic), MP3 music players and the like".

Sometimes, software installations go wrong and screw your system up. But with XP, it's not a problem: if this happens, you can revert to the pre-installation settings. As the newsletter reads, "If you install a new piece of hardware or software that causes the PC to fail you can restore the PC to it's (sic) last know (sic) working condition."

But our favourite balls-up is in the very first part of the letter. Microsoft says: "In many homes today the PC is used by the entire family. To meet the needs of everyone in a secure and reliable manor (sic) is a tough challenge we deliver on with Windows XP."

Fair enough, but what about those of us who aren't to the manor born and live in unreliable, insecure flats? Tsk. Let's hope Microsoft checks its code more carefully than its promo material. Err...


thanx to Jon at Silicon.com

They probably used a bl***y MS spelling checker. This exhibits the classical problem that the text editor/checker doesn't catch an error which is a real word. I trust you have fired off an indignant email to Bill G.

Here's a URL for people interested in spell checking:

http://humanspellcheck.com/

Enjoy! [Thanks to my eldest son for this link!]

paulb, this is great! Here's one that made me laugh out loud: "Despite many companies discouraging office romance, some still fall head-over-heals at work." Thanks, S.

Okay, I used Enigma on purpose, and it wanted paulb to become Paulette (have you mended your tutu yet, Dah-ling?),
and head-over-heals to become headphone.

Maverick, is it possible that the author of that Microsoft piece deliberately dumbed it down to fit the culture he was spamming. My guess is that most of the people who received that email would not see anything wrong with it. Microsoft has many faults, we all agree, but Microsoft is known, even by its bitterest enemies, as a very savvy marketer. If they think it will sell XP, they'll even start talking
"Bushonics". What do you call the use of dumbed-down dialect to pump a product? Litteracy?

If they think it will sell XP, they'll even start talking "Bushonics".
That IS "Bushonics", Plutarch.

wordminstral - aside from a hearty welcome I offer, as it is always refreshing to breathe another point of view... I think that these words "stink":

...dumbed it down to fit the culture...

I have a word for a person with this "attitude", I call them "classholes".

Just to make things clear: I, by no means am implying that you personally hold those views, as your use is prolly an accurate description of the "savvy marketer" you were describing (although *savvy seems a bit presumptious).

To answer your question... What do you call the use of dumbed-down dialect to pump a product? Marketing!

hah! I like both litteracy and classholes - now, since you don't seem to have copyright protection, I think I will sell 'em both to Billo

mav - I'll give two bits to keep us on "the same side of the aisle".