Thursday, May 13, 2010

Clarification

In Singapore, we have this small government agency called SPRING. SPRING is an agency responsible for funding small-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore with the aim of making they grow.

Most Singaporeans don’t think much of SPRING and I’m beginning to see why. SPRING Singapore chairman Philip Yeo has put his foot in his mouth by saying people who buy applications for Apple products are “gullible customers” and that they were wasting their money on “useless applications”. He then added the incredible line, “I always tell my daughter, make products and services to sell to the dummies.”

Personal, I always found Apple’s fanatical followers to be an annoyance so I do know a little of what Mr. Philip Yeo is saying, you have to admit the need to grab all thing Apple is a little gullible, but there is a huge difference between me saying this and when this is said by the chairman of SPRING! Needless to say, Apple fans are furious but to compound matters, Mr. Philip Yeo has “clarified” to the Singapore papers that he had been misunderstood. He “explained” that he used the word “dummies” to mean “laymen” and this is not meant as an insult.

I can only say, “That is a “clarification”? “Dummies” is explained as “laymen”!” That why I put funny under the Label, I find his “clarification” to be hilarious! In what world has “dummies” ever being explained as “laymen”?

I admit I’m not the biggest fan of the former chairman of EDB, but if you want to apologize, then just come out and say sorry and this whole thing will blow over. However, I’m willing to bet that Apple fans will be even angrier now after hearing Mr. Yeo’s “clarification”.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

worse... by using laymen = dummies, he's just offended more people...

Anonymous said...

He should have stood his ground because I agree with him although not with his tone. Apple is mostly hype and gloss that exploit human weaknesses.

Ghost said...

Apple may be more style than substance but as the chairman of SPRING, he can't say stuff like that. And like Anon 2.36 said, he then offended more people by coming up with a terrible excuse for his "misunderstanding".