> I grinned to myself while reading that rah-rah press release.  ...  One of
> the big advantages of having lived through EDA history as it happened is
> that you don't get sucked into the false enthusiasm of a press release
> which is pimping an olde idea as a "new" approach.
>
>     - from http://www.deepchip.com/gadfly/gad051806.html


From: [ A Frustrated PR Person ]

Hi, John,

As long as you're talking about rah-rah press releases, you should look at
the two recent Blaze DFM releases that went out this week.  They are both
infused with hype beyond credibilty, which pissed me off.  It hurts me when
I'm trying to tell a legitimate story.

In their first press release, their headline "New Leader Ignites Company
Growth and Customer Expansion" is over the top to the point where it's
bullshit.  I have nothing against the ex-Forte CEO, Jacob Jacobsson being
their new CEO.  I'm against hyping the news unrealistically.  The language
in the body of this press release clearly says he was hired to spur the
company's growth (future tense) while the headline gives the false
impression that Jacob is doing it now (present tense).  He might be, but
they don't give any evidence.

By comparision, the second Blaze DFM press release was a hyperbolic mess
full of meaningless language.  Look at its first sentence:

    "The future of design for manufacturing for semiconductors has
     arrived and startup Blaze DFM is leading the way."

If they're going to make this claim, I'd like to see the proof, otherwise
it's insulting to the reader.  Their third sentence was just as bad:

    "Going far beyond just providing yield models or DFM reports,
     Blaze delivers tools that enable designers to get the most out
     of advanced process technologies."

It's an empty throwaway sentence.  Does any EDA vendor ever claim to enable
designers to get the LEAST out of advanced process technologies???!  Another
one was:

    "Early customers for Blaze MO include leading foundries, large
     fabless semiconductor companies and IDMs."

If you're going to claim customers, you'd better name them or it is an
empty claim that you're better off not saying.

As I read both releases I felt one of two things: either their PR person had
no control over the language or that they were written to mislead -- I don't
know which.  Regardless, writing like this besmirches all PR people.

I can understand why you react so poorly to press releases, John.  I hate
being seen as a hypemaster not knowing what I'm doing.  What can I do as
a PR person to have my legitimate story not get lost in the noise of these
over-hyped stories?  

    - [ A Frustrated PR Person ]