Home Messages Index
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Author IndexDate IndexThread Index

Re: DFS is a hypocritical bastard, Story at 11.

____/ Sean Inglis on Saturday 19 April 2008 11:11 : \____

> Andrew Halliwell wrote:
> 
>> What a surprise eh?
>> Doofy is a hypocrit, what a shocker.
>> And before any of his cronies jump on me and call me a liar and a hypocrit
>> back (original thinking in wintrolls has never been seen), it's quite
>> plain to see why.
>> 
>> Who is it that constantly complains and whines about "all the content of
>> COLA (content in their minds being the wintroll posts) being obscured by
>> "Roy Spamowitz?"
>> 
>> And ooooo, looky here, what's this?
>> 
>> Doofy's doing exactly the same thing that roy is. in reverse, posting
>> every single problem anyone's ever had with linux in swathes of spam...
>> 
>> Now, wintrolls... Are you going to yell at mr doofy for spamming the
>> newsgroup? No? Well, that makes all of you hypocritical bastards.
>> 
>> Doesn't it?
>> 
>> NB I'm not complaining about doofy's spam, couldn't give a shit what he
>> does with his time one way or the other... Just the sheer hypocrisy of
>> spending months complaining about and attacking roy and then doing exactly
>> the same things yourself.
> 
> He isn't making even his usual bloody awful job of doing it. Not only is he
> posting individual gripes, in some cases, he's posting exactly the same
> gripe in exactly the same words in consecutive posts.
> 
> I've never really given any credence to accusations of shilling for MS, but
> the more I see of it, the more I'm convinced that's exactly what it is.

I apologise in advance for being boringly repetitive here, but to ensure you
know this practice continues to this date and to ensure you see evidence I
repeat some stories below. It's not a suspicion as there have been open
admissions of this by those who are involved.

___

Microsoft pays star writers to recite slogan

,----[ Quote ]
| The stodgy old media industry has a rule that newspaper reporters, and TV 
| news hosts, shouldn't trade on their public trust to endorse products.
`----

http://valleywag.com/tech/federated-media/microsoft-pays-star-writers-to-recite-slogan-271485.php


Malik, Arrington and Battelle: X-22, come in [to Microsoft]

,----[ Quote ]
| What would possess a collection of online publishers and venture capitalists 
| to pimp a Microsoft advertising slogan?
| 
| Valleywag today reported about a site tied to a Microsoft ad campaign
| where the likes of Michael Arrington, Om Malik and others seemingly 
| lend their support to the "people-ready" catchphrase.
| 
| I sent e-mails both to Arrington and Malik and--surprise, 
| surprise--heard nothing back. (Obviously, they are not yet 
| sufficiently "Coop-ready.") Microsoft was still checking for me into  
| whether money exchanged hands. But even if not a single shekel exchanged 
| hands, I must wonder about the absence of common sense. Why would 
| ostensibly independent voices come across as Microsoft shills? If 
| they were hoping for a free dinner with Bill Gates, there are 
| smarter ways to go about it. 
`----

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9733995-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20


,----[ Quote ]
| "The main thing I'm pissed off about right now is that they pulled all the 
| ads, which mean we're taking a revenue hit. We're running a business here, 
| and have payroll to make. We run ads to make that payroll. Those ads have now 
| been pulled." 
| 
| Microsoft once again corrupts confidence in the blogsphere. They 
| turn 'citizen journalists' to marketing people in disguise. 
`----

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9734034-7.html?tag=head


How's the Reception at [Microsoft's] Channel 9?

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates emphasized the importance of blogging in a 
| May 2004 speech during the company's annual CEO summit. But Gates doesn't 
| blog; same for Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
|
| [...]
|
| Many Microsoft employees do blog, reportedly more than 4,000 of them.
| The number of employee bloggers was comparatively quite small, about
| 300, before the launch of Channel 9 and the success of Scoble's blog.
| 
| Last year could be called year of the blog at Microsoft. Employee
| blogrolls swelled and Microsoft bloggers disseminated lots of 
| vital information about the company. Increasingly, employee
| bloggers are becoming Microsoft's primary evangelists. They are
| certainly a group over which the company can exact some control
| and which can spin information to Microsoft's advantage. 
`----

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/developer/hows_the_reception_at_channel_9.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535


Recidivist M$ Up to New Tricks

,----[ Quote ]
| Unleash the Astro-Turfers!
| 
| Already on Apple oriented developer mailing lists one can see the 
| astro-turfing has begun. A really amateurish attempt by 'Mac Developer' (no 
| one uses a stupid handle like that) turned up today.  
`---- 

http://rixstep.com/1/20071004,00.shtml


Meet Thomas Brooks. He's a viral marketer for Microsoft. 

,----[ Quote ]
| It's unfortunate that paid blogging is becoming all the more prevalent in 
| communities like 1UP. And it's not just the blogs or reviews, it's also the 
| message boards. Microsoft, for instance, also has a person (or people?) who 
| is paid to post on some of the popular gaming boards (and no, Jeff Bell 
| wasn't part of that plan). But it's not just Microsoft -- I know of a few 
| other game publishers who pay users to blog. They don't necessarily require 
| bloggers to say positive things about their products, but it's certainly 
| implied with the paychecks.       
| 
| What bums me out about all this viral stuff is that, to some extent, you 
| don't know who to trust anymore. There was a time when, if you no longer 
| believed in what the professional editors where saying, you could at least 
| count on your fellow gamers for honest opinions. Not anymore. In a sense, 
| perhaps that helps elevate the importance of the professional word once 
| again, which I suppose is a good thing for us. But I'm still not happy about 
| it.      
`----

http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8281416&publicUserId=4561231


,----[ Quote ]
| In 2001, the Los Angeles Times accused Microsoft of astroturfing
| when hundreds of similar letters were sent to newspapers voicing
| disagreement with the United States Department of Justice and its
| antitrust suit against Microsoft. The letters, prepared by Americans
| for Technology Leadership, had in some cases been mailed from
| deceased citizens or nonexistent addresses.
`----

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing


MSN Is Spamming The Blogosphere

,----[ Quote ]
| Mr. Youth LLC is a marketing firm and lists MSN as a customer.  Their
| website is here: http://www.mryouth.com/  Their phone number is
| (212) 779-8700.
| 
| I've talked to a couple of other bloggers who said they are receiving
| similar comments on their blogs.  This pisses me off because MSN/Mr.
| Youth should 1) be more upfront about their true identity, and 2)
| provide a real e-mail address so that I can request they take my
| blog off their marketing campaign.
`----

http://www.scott-o-rama.com/2006/12/06/msn-is-spamming-the-blogosphere/


,----[ Quote ]
|     "Some years back, Microsoft practiced a lot of dirty tricks using
| online mavens to go into forums and create Web sites extolling the virtues
| of Windows over OS/2. They were dubbed the Microsoft Munchkins, and it
| was obvious who they were and what they were up to. But their numbers
| and energy (and they way they joined forces with nonaligned dummies who
| liked to pile on) proved too much for IBM marketers, and Windows wont
| he operating-system war through fifth-column tactics"
|
|     Mr Dvorak wonders if Microsoft is today using reverse-dirty-tricks
| to promote the Xbox 360: pay people to create Web sites that slam the
| gaming computer in order to provoke a barrage of defenders.
`----

http://worldcadaccess.typepad.com/gizmos/2005/11/2_grassroots_an.html


Microsoft really loves Bloggers !!!

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft regularly flies customers and industry experts to its
| campus in Washington to listen to the feedback given by those
| people.The company invites dozens of key customers and partners
| to the event,where they spend brainstorming as a group.But as of
| late, Microsoft has changed it's strategy and the company is
| making extensive use of blogs to get direct customer feedback.
| 
| Within a year,more than 1000 Microsoft employee blogs featured
| developers and product managers talking directly to customers every
| day, instead of once a year.Microsoft employees read dozens of
| blogs every day to see how customers react to Microsoft products
| and services. In fact,Microsoft employees have taken a bigger leap
| and even contribute to other's blogs in the expanding space of
| Blogosphere.
`----

http://thoughtsprevail.blogspot.com/2007/03/microsoft-really-loves-bloggers.html


Microsoft Traps and Hunts for Bloggers in India !!

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has announced the "Microsoft BlogStars" contest, to Hunts
| for Developer Bloggers in India. After feeling the power and increase of
| the Bloggers community in India, Microsoft tries to trap and hunt Bloggers
| in India to buildup the blogging community, for writing blog posts
| supporting towards Microsoft Technologies.
`----

http://i5bala.blogspot.com/2006/10/microsoft-traps-and-hunts-for-bloggers.html


Seattle Area Bloggers Needed for Microsoft User Research Study

,----[ Quote ]
| For your participation, we'll give you your choice of retail
| software and hardware from our extensive list. Current titles
| include the latest Xbox, Xbox 360, and PC games, keyboards,
| Microsoft Office, Windows, productivity software and much more.
`----

http://blogs.msdn.com/usability_recruiting/archive/2007/01/05/seattle-area-bloggers-needed-for-microsoft-user-research-study.aspx


Bloggers meet Mr. Bill (Gates)

,----[ Quote ]
| That meeting is to help Web developers understand how to "unlock new
| revenue opportunities" through technology and content, which could
| include podcasts and blogs. The Microsoft sessions wraps up with a
| one-hour q-and-a up with Bill Gates.
`----

http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7BD18F3BC9%2DF59E%2D4DB4%2DB978%2DD4651079E274%7D&source=blq%2Fyhoo&dist=yhoo&siteid=yhoo
http://tinyurl.com/yjaseg


Bribing Bloggers

,----[ Quote ]
| This is the most frustrating thing about the practice of giving
| bloggers free stuff: it pisses in the well, reducing the credibility
| of all blogs. I'm upset that people trust me less because of the
| behavior of other bloggers. Don't even get me started about PayPerPost.
|
| [...]
|
| Do not, under any circumstances, consider upgrading an XP system to
| Vista... even if it's fairly new and even if it's Vista Supremo
| Premium Ultra-Capable.
`----

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/12/28.html


Microsoft's Laptop Giveaway Becoming PR Disaster?

,----[ Quote ]
| This thing is starting to feel like a PR disaster. Bloggers are
| starting to smell blood and this thing very well may begin to
| turn into yet another episode of bloggers gone wild.
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/061228/23174_id.html?.v=1


Bribing Bloggers

,----[ Quote ]
| It's a bribe. Period. You say nice things about us, you get nice
| things from us. Heck, just say neutral things about us-we'll give
| you a killer new laptop and we know that you'll be inclined to say
| better things about us.
`----

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2077596,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03129TX1K0000616


Getting a Vaio [with Vista, from Microsoft, even in March 2007]

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Belgium rang me yesterday (I don?t think they realised it 
| was a public holiday here!).
| 
| [...]
| 
| The phone call yesterday was to confirm my address - the laptop (a
| Sony Vaio - dunno which model or spec yet) is en route with Vista
| Ultimate and Office Ultimate pre-installed.
`----

http://www.tomrafteryit.net/getting-a-vaio/


INQhack survives Vistability test in Volesville 

,----[ Quote ]
| The Vole (Microsoft) supposedly invited The INQ over for tea because
| we are notorious "Microsoft doubters" - and we were accompanied by
| other supposed Vole doubters such as the folk from lifehacker and
| a very nice man from Slashdot, as well as some Microsoft MvPs.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36312


Microsoft desperately wants my love -- and yours

,----[ Quote ]
| I spent December seventh, eighth, and ninth in Seattle as Microsoft's
| guest. Microsoft flew me there from Florida at its expense, put me up
| in a nice hotel, provided decent food, and comped me and four other
| invitees to this "special conference" with presentations about the
| marvels of Vista and other recent or upcoming Microsoft products. They
| didn't quite play the old Beatles song "Love Me Do" in the background,
| but it was the event's unstated theme.
`----

http://www.linux.com/article.pl?sid=06/12/12/085222


http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0%402-651865,36-991097%4051-991184,0.html

As you see, it's in French but it is short and sweet.  It refers to an
article published in the Swiss newspaper Le Temps on Monday (available for a
payment of 2.50 Swiss francs.)  But I find the Le Monde article
sufficient and can offer a translation:
 
     1,445: number of students in the world paid by Microsoft to
     promote favourable speech in their universities
 
     "How Microsoft has infiltrated the Swiss universities" was the
     title of the Monday Le Temps.  The Genevean newspaper pointed to
     these students charged with "forging links with their peers and
     the professors" to improve the image of Bill Gates' firm in the
     universities.  The program "Microsoft Student Partners" is not at
     all clandestine, it has an official Website at
     "http://student-partners.com";.  It is no longer at all local: the
     1,445 students at the service of Microsoft are active in 102
     countries.  In France, more than 100 students carry the title MSP
     and correspond with the Microsoft teams during their whole time in
     school.  These French students have actively participated in the
     launch of the Vista operating system, organising 87 conferences
     and stands, leading 17 training sessions and moderating 42 blogs.


Microsoft Using YouTube To Promote Vista & Live, Leaves Comments Open

,----[ Quote ]
| The more interesting aspect is that Microsoft would use the Google owned 
| YouTube for such as promotion; it certainly demonstrates just how powerful 
| the market position of YouTube has become over the last 2 years that 
| Microsoft would use it to promote their products.   
`----

http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/30/microsoft-using-youtube-to-promote-vista-live-leaves-comments-open/
http://tinyurl.com/2ghzzm


Is Seven Renegade, Guerrilla Marketer or Fake?

,----[ Quote ]
| Some advice for Microsoft: If this site is unsanctioned but real, don't shut 
| it down. The most recent post is reason enough. The anonymous blogger gives a 
| short history of Windows architectural changes, and he or she provides the 
| most information about Vista. Microsoft, you need some good Windows 
| evangelism right now, and an anonymous and seemingly insider blogger is a 
| great way to generate buzz. If Seven provides some juicy details, people will 
| subscribe to his or her feed, and enthusiast sites will report or blog every 
| little feature.       
| 
| Some kudos for Microsoft: If Seven is a sanctioned guerrilla marketer, he or 
| she has been too long waiting to blog. Microsoft, you need to get some good 
| leaks out there to generate buzz. Please, let's see more of this. Be 
| aggressive, take marketing risks. A blog such as this is worth millions of 
| dollars in advertising, if it delivers the goods (meaning details) and 
| generates buzz.      
`----

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/operating_systems/is_seven_renegade_guerrilla_marketer_or_fake.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535


The Best Enthusiasm Money Can Buy

,----[ Quote ]
| We might think that spending several hundreds of millions of dollars every 
| year on commercial speech would be just about enough to allow any company 
| to "tell its story" to the public. But we would not be Microsoft, who the Los 
| Angeles Times revealed was gearing up a multi-million dollar public relations 
| campaign which included planting ersatz letters to the editor in major 
| national newspapers. The goal: to create the appearance, if not the reality, 
| of "grassroots" support for the company.      
| 
| "Spontaneous" testimonials penned by hired guns may not be an entirely novel 
| idea in the surreal world of public relations, but Microsoft's response to 
| having been caught in the act of committing such a crass act was certainly 
| uncommon. At first, the company denied their intentions to actually implement 
| such a plan. Then, a few days later, company spokespersons announced a new 
| spin: Microsoft has a perfect right to engage in public opinion manipulation 
| campaigns, if that's what it takes to "tell its story."      
| 
| Now, what exactly was that story, again?
`----

http://www.vcnet.com/bms/departments/dirtytricks.shtml


Authored by: PJ on Tuesday, April 01 2008 @ 03:59 AM EDT

,----[ Quote ]
| boo hoo
| 
| I don't do that. It's not well known. It's SCO
| that used to claim that, if you remember. I loved
| the moment when Darl said he liked Slashdot, because
| it was really free discussions. Hahahaha.
| Doug said that not because it is true but because
| Microsoft can't compete with decency, so they have
| to slime the other side. He did the same thing
| to Yoon-Kit, if you recall. Slime, slime, slime.
| It's what they do.
| 
| I saw what Microsoft did to Slashdot. Any time
| you have moderation by the community, you open
| yourself up to hordes of Microsoft shills showing
| up and eventually taking over. Microsoft has
| too much money, and they can throw more and more
| troops into battle. That's the impression I formed,
| anyway.
| 
| I don't want Groklaw ruined, so when I find
| what I believe are astroturfers
| and shills pretending to be FOSS people, I do
| throw their fannies over the fence. I give
| them every chance to cut it out and stay, but
| if they persist, they are outahere. It's in
| our comments policy, so it shouldn't be a
| surprise.
| 
| I didn't know Doug was one of them, until now.
| 
| That doesn't mean they can't read and comment
| but they can't do it as members, because Groklaw
| is for group work, and I really don't want
| people who are only here to disrupt to be
| members.
| 
| I could tell you some stories. We even had a
| lawyer who had done work for Microsoft show up,
| pretending to be a community person.
| 
| He didn't say he was a lawyer or that he was
| connected to Microsoft in any way, but I knew
| his name. So we had a private
| little discussion. I told him that he could
| express himself freely but only if he told
| all of you who he was here representing.
| 
| Not one comment after that. I didn't expel
| him, but I was disgusted.
| 
| We had a guy from CompTIA also. He pretended he
| was just expressing his personal views, not
| the company. So I mentioned that I doubted that,
| since he was posting from CompTIA. Again, no
| further comments were ever posted. With him too
| I didn't expel him or remove his comments, but
| I let him know that I expected him to be honest.
| That's what Groklaw is about. I don't think
| anyone has the right to come to someone's web
| site and play underhanded games.
| 
| We have other Microsoft names you'd know who are
| members. I doubt they are here to participate
| in what we do. I don't out them, of course, as
| long as they stay within the guidelines for
| behavior here.
`----

http://www.groklaw.net/comment.php?mode=display&sid=20080331212042460&title=MS+shill+blogs---+Groklaw+unfair&type=article&order=&hideanonymous=0&pid=684674#c684703


Microsoft Pays $200 for Mentioning Its Tools

,----[ Quote ]
| If you're a professor and you mention Microsoft programming tools in a 
| scholarly presentation -- in fact, even if you just use the tools -- 
| Microsoft will send you a check for $200.  
`----

http://chronicle.com/data/articles.dir/art-44.dir/issue-33.dir/33a03001.htm


Microsoft Hires Programmer to edit Wikipedia Entry For OOXML

http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/79130/index.html


http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/3000/PX03096.pdf

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Author IndexDate IndexThread Index