Save Mr Goma!
A web site and petition has been set up to secure a work permit for the instant internet celebrity Mr Goma. Mr Goma shot to fame recently after being mistakenly interviewed on air by the BBC about the Apple vs. Apple court case.
A web site and a petition have been set up to secure a work permit for the instant internet celebrity Mr Goma.
Mr Goma shot to fame after being mistakenly interviewed on air by the BBC. He arrived at the broadcaster for a job interview as a "data support cleanser". A BBC producer collected "the expert" from the wrong reception lounge and suddenly Mr Goma, an IT graduate from the Congo, was being interviewed live on air about his views on the recent Apple (Records) vs. Apple Computer court case.
You can view video of the incident if you are one of the few people on the internet not yet to have seen it, and you can also view the video of a segment about the mix-up on the BBC's equivalent of "MediaWatch".
Instant stardom and respect for a man stuck in a hard spot followed. One poster to the site has dedicated a poem to the brave Congan:
Guy Goma - he knows about apples
He knows about IT
He's grace under pressure
Ask the BBC
The incident had the less welcome effect of drawing him to the attention of the British authorities, who are now looking at deporting him for seeking to work in the UK without the appropriate permit.
I'm not sure what impact the signature of a UK citizen living abroad will have, but I'm going to sign it anyway. You could too.