Were are into the next day of the great Vodafone HTC Desire Firmware farce.

Rather than admit to their mistakes and attempt to rectify them Vodafone have merely started to roll out the white wash.

The PR people have stumbled out the local wine bar and are firing off explanations as to why all their customers are wrong and the new firmware is great.

Apparently Vodafone want all this crap on their smartphones. They are having a slightly harder time actually proving it.

This was originally scheduled for release a couple of weeks ago but was delayed to technical reasons. - Vodafone Spokesman

"technical reasons" obviously meaning "we don't know what the hell we are doing".

Yesterday's Android 2.1 update gives customers access to Vodafone 360 products and services, which brings the experience on the Desire in line with other devices supplied by Vodafone. This means that customers have the choice to use 360 services as they wish to. - Vodafone Spokesman

Unless your "choice" is to use the apps and find they are so badly coded that they simple don't work.

Unless your "choice" is to not use them and then discover they are permanently stuck on your phone.

Many of the faults are apparently,

perceived faults - Vodafone Spokesman

That's right. "perceived". Not real. Those duplicated text messages ... they aren't actually duplicated that's just in your mind! It's time to break out your totem and check you aren't in someone else's dream!

I have looked into your issue and believe this to be a manufacturing issue as this was firmware provided by HTC as Vodafone do not provide firmware. - Customer Services

Vodafone don't provide firmware? So who the hell did the work on this piece of crap firmware update? I really doubt HTC are going to be spending their time creating a firmware just for Vodafone customers full of Vodafone branding junk.

No Vodafone, it wasn't HTC, Father Christmas, Elvis, goblins or Bin Laden. It was you. Your firmware crafted by the hands of your firmware monkeys. Let's not call them engineers as that is an insult to qualified professionals across the globe.

Part of the functionality in the 360 update is the addition of bookmarks for the device's web browser. These bookmarks are all for sites and services which are either open to under 18s or have reputable age checks in place, including Match.com and Flirtomatic. - Vodafone Spokesman

So what? I don't want your bookmarks. I am capable of bookmarking sites I want to visit. Edit your own bookmarks! If you want to cruise the web looking for desperate women then feel free but please don't push this junk onto my phone. If I was sad and lonely and my only hope of getting off was internet dating I might be grateful for the tips but I'm not. I'm sure you Vodafone guys are going to be a hit with the ladies (even the ones who are actually female) so I wish you luck.