Micro$oft removes 'unacceptable symbols' from font

Looks like Micro$oft are going down the PC road now ...

On 10 February 2004, Microsoft released a new "Critical Update" with the following description:

SUMMARY
A critical update is available to remove unacceptable symbols from the Bookshelf Symbol 7 font that is included with Microsoft Office 2003. The Bookshelf Symbol 7 font is contained in the Bssym7.ttf file ...

What irks me is that Microsoft listed this as a "Critical Update," which is supposed to mean that it is important for the stability or security of the operating system. A simple font change does not qualify, so it's obvious that they wanted to force this update upon their users.

To see what characters were removed, click on this link: www.thememoryhole.org...

That is some major crap. Is there any way to get it back after installing the update?

Start- Programs- Accesories- System Programs- System Restore. (XP)
This might not be the correct translation because I run my system on german but I think you should understand. Once you click on the system restore you can choose a date to restore back to.
BE CAREFULL , if you have done anything of importance to you on your pc after the date you want to restore to, it will be gone once you do so. That means, make backups of everything you have done after installing the update if not you'll erase them. This is preaty shure to work, have fun.

This is nothing new, during the launch of Windows 95 (I am an ex-Microsoft person) we had to fix the wingdings font, if you put NYC or something into a program with that font on it gave the star of david, crossbones and something else. Jewish groups said it showed Kill all Jews basically.

Just some bad luck ususally

How did microsoft miss putting those up on the software

Damn. They removed the Swastika and the Star of David?
How am I gonna play Nazis and Jews on my PC now?


Seriously though. I would say that this is a little bit too politically correct. Editing symbols is a bit daft. Equating the Star of David with the Swastika (even though the ancient root of the swastika is pure) seems to be a bit thoughtless too.

Looks to me like they want to get rid of anything that anyone could identify with culturally. Man, I'm telling you Microsoft is going to usher in the new age. Bill's software is just a tool for the New World Order.

DeltaChaos

Whats more supprizing to me is that the Swastika is in there. I never noticed those symbols and if I wasn't told I would have probably never noticed they where gone.

And they dared call that a critical update?

Bunch of pushy bullies. I didn't even knew theses symbols were there.

Probably that some people who spend too much of their free time fooling arround with odd fonts got offended and threatened to sue M$, thats why it's "critical".

Pwah. The swastika is famous these days because it was (is?) the Nazi emblem. But it's thousands of years old, appears on all sorts of ancient pottery, such as Native American... you even find it some old churches. Stood for the circle of life, birth, death, renewal, all sorts of wise things. Such a shame that it was corrupted by some loon with a bad moustache and propensity for yelling. Anyway, please correct me if I'm mistaken, you historians out there...

I just looked it up and it used to be a good luck symbol

www.luckymojo.com...

The Swastika" is the oldest cross and emblem in the world. It forms a combination of four "L's" standing for Luck, Light, Love and Life. It has been found in ancient Rome, excavations in Grecian cities, on Buddhist idols, on Chinese coins dated 315 B.C., and our own Southwest Indians use it as an amulet.

like you say it's a shame that something that stood for something so good has taken on such a different meaning

Actually Im not...fabulous find.

I expect Anti-semetic attacks to drop sharply worldwide after this move by Microsoft.

It's a stupid update, but as a note - the nazi swastika is backwards (reversed) if you compare it to the original ancient symbols.

Bogus....thats what it is this whole thing about a Cridical update is, bogus. Because in wing dings cappital TUV are three diffrent types of crosses, cappital X is a iron cross, and the capital Y is the star of david! and they make a critical update to remove those two things? and that only? Sheesh! I can see the Swasticka (Isn't it not surpriseing that MS had a Swasticka somewhere in their system.....what made them think of puting that there )being removed but not the star of david, that's like been in that wingding type of font for a while.

[Edited on 23-3-2004 by Curiosity]

Originally posted by MrDead
It's a stupid update, but as a note - the nazi swastika is backwards (reversed) if you compare it to the original ancient symbols.

Quite true. I guess that reverses the meaning? Who knows. The ol' Nazi madmen loved their occult stuff.

This stuff dont matter. It just a symbol of the star of david and the nazi symbol. Bad forum Piksy