For the past few days, we’ve been digging in pretty deep against Microsoft for its odd way it’s trying to push IE8 online. And we were hardly the only ones. Apparently, Microsoft was listening.
Today, it has changed the worst of those campaigns, the “Ten Grand Is Buried Here” one, to remove the restriction that required you use IE8 to have a chance to win the money. Previously, there were 4 rules for the promotion, but Microsoft cut those in half, removing the ones that told you to get rid of your current browser and download IE8. More importantly, it removed the language that told users to “get lost” if they were using anything besides IE, and implying they were idiots for using any other browser.
The Microsoft blog I Started Something tries to spin this as Microsoft just making changes to make more clear what it always intended for the campaign, saying that “get lost” was meant to be “get lost in the hunt” (both have since been removed from the site), and saying that, “The “it’s not as stupid as it sounds” text in the footer was always in context of the “tell a friend” messaging. It implies that telling your friends about this competition is not a bad idea since you might not have the chance to follow or solve all the clues yourself. Some people obviously misinterpreted that.”
Yeah, whatever.
From what I’m hearing, Microsoft was not happy at all with Australian team for this campaign (the MSFT Aussies made it) and made the moves to correct it. Now anyone, using any browser, has a shot at the money.
Smart move, though I’m not sure it will fulfill the original intention: To get more people to use IE8. But they’re still trying. The key line says, “How will you know if you’ve found it [the money]? It’s a cleverly concealed webpage you can view on Internet Explorer 8.” “Can” is the keyword there, you don’t need to use IE8, but you can, to view it.
I think I will use Safari or Firefox to look for the money.
Aussies are famous for sledging! We definitely know about aussie cricket team for sledging but now seems like aussie MSFT team too sledges! Lol…
Can’t MS say this, but just give the money to the first IE8 user who finds it, and then be all like “Hey look, a loyal fantastic IE user has found our money! Huzzah!”
Er… IStartedSomething.com is not a Microsoft blog… o_O
Oh wow, yeah….that’s quite the gaff.
Long probably thinks it’s pretty funny though
Ah but that is probably what *they* want you to think!
Ah but that is probably what *they* want you to think!
It took reading the fine print for me to realize that this is for Australian residents only. May want to mention that in your articles.
It seems a remarkable number of articles about this have neglected to mention the Australian residents only thing. MG Siegler can save some time by not bothering to search using any browser as he’d only be wasting his time.
Rude and deceptive seems to be standard practice for Microsoft with it’s current and potential customers over the last couple of years. Ever since they released the massive failure called VISTA.
I felt nothing in comparison to this page on IE8’s website, which absolutely infuriates me: http://www.micr...comparison.aspx.
That page is downright slander.
WTF?! They seriously loosing it!
IE more secure that Firefox and Chrome? Ha!
Tie between web standards? Oh please.
Developer tools? Ummm… Yeah right.
Customization? At least they admit in a way that Firefox wins that battle.
PERFORMANCE?! You have got to be kidding me?
Will someone please sue these idiots?
I’m no expert but I’ll chime.
I do think IE8 is more secure — it doesn’t execute XSS code but gives me a warning; firefox execs it. This has previously saved me.
As a webdev I can say the dev tools built into IE8 are on par with firebug.
Rest of the comparison is BS I think.
That same person that will sue them should sue Apple for all of their bogus claims as well.
In case you have not figured it out, Marketing companies do not exactly play by the rules when it comes to making products look good.
Well, the “security firm” that did the security comparison hosts their website on and sends registration confirmation (for access to the security comparison paper) from Lunarpages servers. Yeah, that just screams “legit security firm”.
lol … the comparison ooks soo Fake …..
—that would be libel!
Its funny that you consider Microsoft to be rude by suggesting that people who use anything else other than IE are idiots when Apple, via their commercials, have been suggesting that anyone using Windows and PCs are idiots and experience countless crashes and issues on their computers.
Meanwhile, Windows has a market share that no other operating system is ever going to come close to and the only viable version of Office only runs on Windows with absolutely no competitor in sight.
Microsoft needs to find a good ad agency once and for all. It’s been hit and run for a number of years now.
should have added that the CMO needs to be on top of what goes on
I think I will *not* look for the money at all.
I believe the official description that the language was “in context”. Let’s remember, this came from Australia. Attitudes are different there, they ran a tourism campaign that asked “Where the bloody hell are you?” – causing controversy in other countries.
I guess Microsoft’s US people didn’t quite understand Australian sensibilities.
“I believe the official description that the language was “in context”. Let’s remember, this came from Australia. Attitudes are different there, they ran a tourism campaign that asked “Where the bloody hell are you?” – causing controversy in other countries.”
Yes, sensibilities here ARE different. You can call someone a `bloody idiot’ and chances are they’ll shout the next round. But tell someone to `get lost’ and you’ll be lucky to avoid a punch in the face, even amongst friends.
And they quite clearly told the majority of internet users (i.e. those not using ie8) to get lost!
Is anything real happening in the tech world, MG?
God, I was wondering the same thing. This article is utterly bogus.
Seriously Mg articles are getting so annoying. They are mostly not interesting and really annoying to read cause too much opinionated/biased
MG and his articles are all about apple, iphone and facebook…he can be good marketing person for them !! haah…
Par for course Microsoft takes what everybody else is doing already and then acts like they created it!!!
you mean, like apple, google?
Sounds like to me that Microsoft listens. A LOT. Extending XP again because people like it, even when Windows 7 is right around the corner. Listening to comments on its advertising.
This is why, since purchasing my Zune in Jan 2008, I have been slowly becoming a Microsoft Fanboy. They listen to me.
Apple on the other hand, has always seemed much more interested in forcing me to do things without giving a damn about my interests.
Mark,
nobody forces you to use Apple. Buy something else.
I love this Microsoft ad campaign, solely because the entire Internet has thrown a shitfit over it.
Who CARES?! Why MSFT is dedicated resources to an increasingly irrelevant part of their business is proof enough that this company’s better days are behind it, at least from an innovation standpoint.
It also looks like the layout and typeface for this promo, from the image above, were lifted directly from US wireless carrier Sprint’s playbook. Perhaps the agency in question only works with companies that are at the precipice of their demise?
How comes it is not a SilverLight based website? They don’t promote even their one fake standards.
To be honest, I don’t know why there’s so much hate for Microsoft, especially on TechCrunch. Yes this campaign sucks, but most advertising campaigns run by Apple are just as idiotic, and in most case even worse, yet you praise Apple. Let’s not forget that most Apple products are designed specifically for brainless idiots, take the iPhone for example.
I think Maddox said it best.
http://www.theb...cgi?u=macs_cant
> Now anyone, using any browser, has a shot at the money.
This was possible even before with the firefox user agent add on!
MS needs to change its name and ad agency and embrace open source to get trust and love…
for who does really trust MS anyways in anything…
Microsoft can suck it.
too little too late…
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
Does it really matter who makes the better browser, the better computer, or the better software? Whether you prefer to use a Mac or a Windows machine, it’s ultimately your choice to make and no one else’s. Why do users of one OS continue to degrade users of another OS? To me, it’s a completely pointless debate that will never be resolved, simply because the hardcore OS users of one system will never agree with the hardcore OS users of a different system – It’s exactly like a religious war.
I, for one, and becoming quite tired of all the bickering.
It’s insane the hatred comments comming from alot of you guys/gals.
MS have the right to dictate any condition they want for there campaign, any that is that doesnt violate discrimination laws. And last i checked browser use wasnt in that list.
Go upgrade yourselves to the new iPhone 3.0 and leave the bikering at home!
Peach and out!
They have 3500 Twitter followers for the campaign!!!!
I think this is probably going the way MS wants it to :p and we have all been sucked in
3,500 followers is not a lot. I bet they were hoping for a bigger response.
Could Microsoft possibly have a worse reputation?
@ Judson Collier
I hadn’t seen that page, but it’s disingenuous at best and outright lies at worst.
Bizarre how a discussion about Microsoft always brings out anti-Apple comments – what’s with that?
Live and let live. Use what you are comfortable with and be happy – remember that without competition the market would stagnate.
IE8 Don’t try it before .