The Wal-Mart Hole Gets a Little Deeper

Since it was bloggers who brought the problem to light, we might as well make fun of it as well…

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (January 9, 2006) – A feature on Wal-Mart.com that offered movie recommendations based on current purchases was shut down last week when it was discovered that “offensive” racial connections were being made by the software, according to media reports. For example, the purchaser of a “Planet of the Apes” DVD was given the recommendation of a movie about Martin Luther King Jr. as a “similar item.” “It’s just simply not working correctly,” Mona Williams, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, was quoted as saying. The problem was initially brought to light by Internet bloggers, the reports said.