Sheila Riche

Review of Microsoft Game Studios - Publi...

Was invited to a conference through a Dyslexia gro...

Was invited to a conference through a Dyslexia group to discuss assistive technology. Teachers, parents and children attended. It was very nice for Mircosoft to host, but there were a couple things amiss. I found it odd that two different presenters made a point of telling their visitors how lucky we were to be at the Microsoft campus. It came off quite arrogant and pompous. They then offered limited snacks (not enough for the size of crowd attending) and then openly shamed parents for taking too many. I wasn't there for snacks and didn't partake in them, but found it odd that Microsoft made it such a big deal. Either graciously offer the snacks and make sure you have enough for your guests or don't offer them at all...but don't shame them. They also offered school supplies to the children there, but again, used a shaming platform and said "If you're not in need (what does that even mean in this scenario?) then please don't take them. How would the children or adults be able to decipher if they are in need or not? It's back to school time and kids "need" school supplies. These people were your guests and you treated them like they should walk on eggshells. If you're going to offer something, be prepared to accommodate those you invite and have enough for those invited. Don't put ambiguous stipulations on what's meant to be a gift and make people feel uncomfortable. However, Microsoft had no problem showing us their store and making sure we were in the market to spend money there. You can do better, Microsoft.