06.21.10
Microsoft Shoves Bing Toolbar Down People’s Throats Using Windows Update, Cheats Search Engine Meters
Summary: Microsoft’s hyperaggressive business practices lead to a withdrawal and require companies to change how they measure search engine market share
MICROSOFT OFTEN abuses Windows Update, which was intended to be about security, not about promoting services like Bong [sic].
Microsoft "sabotages" Firefox every now and then by modifying the Web browser without the users' permission. It last happened earlier this month. Microsoft goes further than that by bundling new software with Windows Update (which was supposed to target security issues), then pretending it was an accident:
Microsoft has bundled a Bing toolbar add-on along with its Patch Tuesday security update.
The download adds the Bing toolbar to the Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox web browsers of certain users without their permission.
[...]
Microsoft told tech news site The Register that the stealth toolbar installation was the result of a bug in the update, and that the problem has since been taken care of.
This publication put scare quotes around ‘Bug’ in the headline. How can a company install an entire piece of software “by accident”? Perhaps this ‘bug’ is backlash from the public. Well, maybe; but maybe it’s something else. Either way, the thing about Microsoft is, it has already victimised many people’s Web browsers — browsers which are now stuck with this unwanted toolbar. Microsoft gets to say that it fixed the ‘bug’, but the mission was accomplished because many forceful installations went through.
Let this prove that Microsoft has never changed. It’s a highly unethical company that lets no law get in its way. The browser ballot which Microsoft had to implement to dodge massive fines (for serious violations of the law) is something that took Microsoft many times to get right as well. There kept being all sorts of ‘bugs’ that always worked in Microsoft’s favour. See for example:
- Browser Ballot Critique
- Microsoft’s Fake “Choice” Campaign is Back
- Microsoft Claimed to be Cheating in Web Browsers Ballot
- Microsoft Loses Impact in the Web Despite Unfair Ballot Placements
- Given Choice, Customers Reject Microsoft
- Microsoft is Still Cheating in Browser Ballot — Claim
- The Microsoft Who Cried “Wolf!”
When it comes to search market share, Microsoft has just 3% of the market, according to this new article from Forbes, which says that “Microsoft Slumps” and explains:
Fast forward to June 2010. Microsoft has lost 40% of the market in Internet browser use–Google’s Chrome browser and the “open source” Mozilla Firefox browser control one-third of the market along with 100% of the media buzz. And in spite of years of effort, Microsoft owns a mere 3% of the search market worldwide, compared with 84% for Google.
The article is more of an Apple vs Microsoft comparison, with more at CNN/Fortune. “Technology Research Group: More Downside Risk Than Upside Potential In Microsoft,” says another new article about Microsoft’s trouble. At this stage, Microsoft directly interferes with rivals rather than improve its own products.
“At this stage, Microsoft directly interferes with rivals rather than improve its own products.”So far over the past 2.5 years we have seen how Microsoft used unethical tactics to hijack Yahoo!, which now has an alliance (meaning that Yahoo! serves Microsoft).
The same dishonesty which was exposed over a week ago keeps making false headlines such as [1, 2, 3, 4], claiming that both Yahoo! and Microsoft have gained market share in search. They are publishing lies in the press, thanks to comScore which allowed Microsoft to manipulate it (Microsoft is also gaming others who are Microsoft partners that claim to measure US market share in search). Even comScore, despite being a Microsoft partner [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10], had to admit its numbers were bunk. They are breaking search and as BNET puts it, Microsoft is gaming the system. The headline says “How Yahoo and Microsoft are Gaming the Search Market, and Why it Will End”. Well, when will disinformation from the press end? Microsoft is spamming its way into claims of gains and typically, the press only mentions US market share, which almost triples Microsoft’s real impact.
As a side note, regarding Hotmail, Microsoft is suing some more, as covered in:
- Microsoft Sues Spammer For Fooling Hotmail Filters
- Microsoft Sues Spammers Who Abused Its Spam Filters
- Microsoft Sues Hotmail Spammer…Again
- Microsoft sues spammers for abusing Hotmail anti-spam filters
- Microsoft sues alleged spammer for gaming Hotmail’s spam filter
There are even articles about it from Microsoft itself, using the R&D Magazine that it so regularly uses for self promotion and PR. Then there are the shameless advertising gigs from Ina Fried and others [1, 2] who play along with the PR.
Microsoft is cheating online for bragging rights. When it comes to money, however, Microsoft loses at a pace of about $3 billion per year. █
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