Microsoft's Bing Executives Continue to Flee While Their Company Admits Scraping Results From Google

Dr. Roy Schestowitz

2011-02-02 17:22:08 UTC
Modified: 2011-02-02 17:22:08 UTC

Summary: Bong [sic] is being abandoned by its managers just when a major scandal hits the press and some believe that Google might sue Microsoft

The Bong [sic] scandal we wrote about last night (see links in the comments too) is very hotly debated right now, although not as hotly debated as Egypt. Simon Phipps says that based on Microsoft's statement, "Bing admits to using Google data, spins it as no big deal" ("Bing Admits to Copying Google Results," says LXNews). He also redents a message which says Microsoft got "caught with pants down, argues that waddling with pants pooled around legs is perfectly decent behavior" (what a graphical analogy). Microsoft could be sued by Google, some people think. Wired Magazine runs the headline "Google Catches Bing Copying; Microsoft Says ‘So What?’"

Google accused Microsoft Tuesday of copying its search results, an accusation to which Microsoft responded to with a blase, “So What?”

Google’s anti-webspam engineer Matt Cutts accused Microsoft on stage at a Bing-sponsored event of copying Google’s results by watching what people search for using the Internet Explorer 8 toolbar and click on at Google.com, and then mimicking those results on Bing.com.

Several Microsoft search executives have already moved to eBay and here falls another:

Microsoft casualties rise as eBay snags big Bing exec

[...]

Steve Ballmer, captain of the S.S. Microsoft, is working hard to assure the world that all is well with his mighty vessel. But with so many top officers jumping ship, it's tough not to suspect that the hull is badly breached and the old girl is taking on water.

eBay is probably not going to receive the "Yahoo! treatment" as a consequence of all these defections because there is little that eBay can do to serve Microsoft, especially given its business model. ⬆

Comments

wallclimber

2011-02-02 20:04:34

@Clanky, I think the problem is more along the lines of Microsoft claiming BING! is the best, and spending millions (billions?) of dollars pushing it on the world, making deals for BING! to be the default search engine (like for Facebook?), and pretending to be (ahem) innovative, when all along they were just relying on Google results.

It's more comical and sad than evil (though parasites can be pretty nasty sometimes). Microsoft just can't seem to take the time, or put in the hard work needed to create anything on their own.

They think all they have to do is throw enough money at something and it'll work. Money means nothing to Ballmer, otherwise he wouldn't keep throwing so much of it away. I think he just wants bragging rights, and honesty isn't a prerequisite to braggarts like Ballmer.

I also think he's planning his exit, and he doesn't care how big a mess he leaves behind. He wouldn't be the first CEO to suck the life out of a company before jumping ship (tho someone might just push him overboard soon).

Dr. Roy Schestowitz

2011-02-02 20:12:21

Remember how Microsoft ridiculed Google for irrelevant results. Now we know where Microsoft gets its results.

wallclimber

2011-02-02 21:13:42

Yes indeed, I remember. But Microsoft has never let a little hypocrisy stop them from pointing fingers at competitors. It's one of the few things they're actually good at.

It's quite amusing to see Microsoft's chickens finally flocking home to roost. Ballmer should probably stock up on some chicken-feed.

Dr. Roy Schestowitz

2011-02-02 22:14:56

He does bob his head a lot.
Dr. Roy Schestowitz

2011-02-02 22:16:31

Another quick thing is, I sent you E-mail about a month ago. Have you received it? I have no alternative way of contacting you.

Clanky

2011-02-02 18:13:30

So where does Techrights stand on this story? Are Microsoft eveil because they are stealing from Google or are Google evil because their search engine should be free and open source?

Dr. Roy Schestowitz

2011-02-02 20:13:45

Where was source code mentioned in this post?
twitter

2011-02-03 00:04:49

Microsoft is evil for spying on users and hypocritically leveraging the work of a competitor they claim is inferior and a privacy threat for users. Microsoft's demonstrated threats to software freedom and privacy continue to be orders of magnitude greater than the potential privacy problems posed by Google.

Dr. Roy Schestowitz

2011-02-03 06:14:27

To clarify the nature of my response, "Clanky" is affiliated with that anti-Linux site which has been trolling us for years.

Microsoft's Bing Executives Continue to Flee While Their Company Admits Scraping Results From Google

Microsoft casualties rise as eBay snags big Bing exec

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