Dell's Della site for gals causes facepalmage
(Credit:
Matt Hickey)
Oh, Dell, did you start up a firestorm. Sure, your idea was great: create a site marketing your Netbooks to women. But instead of telling non-tech-savvy women what they can do with their laptops--download recipes!--you ended up offending the tech-savvy ladies, who, you know, are the ones who have actually bought your computers.
I have several friends who are women (no, really!). I showed the site to several of them and the feedback was completely negative. One of my friends actually said she now feels bad about the Dell Netbook she bought just two months ago. Awesome.
You see, computers are computers are computers. They are gender-neutral. Your ads should be too. The good news is you listened to consumer feedback over the past few days. Gone from the Della site are the tacky 1950s-style housewifeisms and the "shoe shopping" stuff. They've been replaced by more appropriate language.
Still, Della, your "site" for women, is still a little too "Sex in the City" and not enough "it's 2009 and we all have computers."
With more than 15 years experience testing hardware (and being obsessed with it), Crave freelance writer Matt Hickey can tell the good gadgets from the great. He also has a keen eye for future technology trends. Matt has blogged for publications including TechCrunch, CrunchGear, and most recently, Gizmodo. E-mail Matt. 
Dear Dell: Instead of concentrating on being a Lifetime Channel clone, how about you fix that habit of R900 and 2950 servers in dropping RAM sticks and spewing stop-bit errors? Thx in advance.
Get over yourself girl.
We chose the HP ProLiant DL series long before this "Della" site came out (learn to read, eh?). The reason why lies in the RAM bugs that were rampant through the Dell servers we do have.
On a more philosophical note, what if Dell had came out with a page dedicated towards pushing Jewish stereotypes? Or perhaps one dedicated towards pushing homosexual ones? Would you be as eager to chuff it off with a "get over yourself"?
Didn't think so.
such a harmless stereotype. in certain places in the world you can be killed for having gay sex, but i guess this is similar to you huh?
It's like Dell launching a site dedicated to African American customers and talking nothing but basketball and hip-hop. Not exactly racist, but definitely offensive.
fjtorres (below) was far more eloquent than I about the whole affair... maybe you should go read his/her post.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gQE_N0r1XomQlXbpcUFNoe9e6fWgD985VHQO0
And that's when they're not having acid thrown in their faces:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7724505.stm
The Dell-ites may be merely clueless rather than murdetously misogynistic, but that doesn't excuse their ignorance; as pointed out, it devalues their corporate image at a time it is far from what it used to be. Makes you wonder exactly who put the site together, how old they are, and whether they even have a life...
Say that you should keep your chin up and
They are keen to show you, the unhappy ones below you
But I want to more of that stuff, that's looking at it upside down"
-- Stiff Little Fingers - Silver Lining
Come on Dell, don't make me lose faith in you.
Just saying, computer nerds have a tendency to think everything revolves around that world, but it doesn't!
- by cp256 May 17, 2009 8:11 AM PDT
- Oh no, it's not POLITICALLY CORRECT! Call the PC Police, quick!
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