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> This might be the most tone-deaf handling of a potential PR disaster so far this year. I think you're assuming that the broader public shares the indignation
by takluyver 12y ago
> This might be the most tone-deaf handling of a potential PR disaster so far this year.
I think you're assuming that the broader public shares the indignation of HN about this. On mainstream news sites, it's down under the 'technology' heading. It sounds like Lenovo is scrambling a fix that will remove the certificate. If that's out in the next day or two and they have a way to get most affected users to apply it, probably hardly anyone will get clearly 'hacked'. They'll keep playing the 'honest mistake' card, and it will mostly blow over.
- ZanyProgrammer 12y agoLess technically inclined people will still buy Lenovo's lower range products, and I'm sure businesses will do the enterprise thing and continue to buy Lenovo, since they tend to be the definition of ossified. But what about power users? I think Lenovo (and ThinkPads in general) have a reputation as the power user computer for Windows and Linux users. Not the biggest hit to be sure, and nothing to get the attention of CNN, but surely Lenovo will lose a certain segment of power users.
- takluyver 12y agoThey're losing favour among a - probably fairly small - segment of users. But they're probably calculating that they'd lose much more customer confidence by admitting that it's a big problem, especially before they've got a fix out. In a couple of days, they might be much more contrite about this. But today, the PR department's number one job is to keep it from becoming a big story in mainstream media.