"Just keep rubbing it in, via the press, analysts, newsgroups, whatever."

--Microsoft, internal document [PDF]

Summary: The press which is in Microsoft's pocket uses its position irresponsibly to brainwash the masses by the spread of marketing and not reporting

THE reality behind Vista 7 cannot be distorted, not even with obedient, self-appointers reporters who comply with norms, pressure, PR agencies, and hearsay. Some of them are also paid by Microsoft. They made a big mistake when they spread the message that Windows Vista would be a great success (even after it was released) and they are doing it again with Vista 7.

“They made a big mistake when they spread the message that Windows Vista would be a great success (even after it was released) and they are doing it again with Vista 7.”Shifting of focus from Vista to Vista 7 is perfectly clear to see and there is even a shift of focus to vapourware that we call "Vista 8". We'll come to this later. Not a single headline about "Vista" has appeared in the past week's news^*, compared to 20 clusters of headlines about Vista 7 (which is also relatively little). This is typical.

So who is responsible (at least in part) for hyping up Windows? Well, there is the unofficial 'Microsoft press' (they recently set up a biased "visualization" site), which writes positively about Vista 7 and quotes Microsoft as taking pride in waste. The same publisher also shows what Comes vs Microsoft once revealed -- that Microsoft may want to abolish SQL.

Think the "NoSQL" movement isn't prominent on Microsoft's radar screen?

Think again. Not only is the company tracking it, some people inside Microsoft have actually jumped on the anti-SQL bandwagon. This came to light when Microsoft Technical Fellow Dave Campbell took some pot-shots at the latest threat to the company's bread-and-butter database strategy during the recent Professional Developer's Conference.

This is an old plan that never materialised (more lock-in). It is interesting that the 'Microsoft press' can bring this up, along with baseless and ridiculous claims from Doug Barney, who shockingly claims "Mobile Windows Surge Due". Where does this man live? Based on several surveys from planet Earth, Windows Mobile is sinking like a rock, but that's just the reporting one ought to expect from the 'Microsoft press' (they have a whole bunch of domains now), which sometimes seems to act like a peripheral marketing agency of Microsoft.

In a similar vein, BetaNews is talking only to so-called 'analysts' who are in Microsoft's pocket. They are approached for the reporter to get perspective on Microsoft's competition. This includes Rob Enderle [1, 2, 3] (on the same week when Enderle is using TG Daily to boost Windows Mobile) and a Microsoft-focused group, which has been saying the same things elsewhere this week (Rosoff as a source). On the other hand, BetaNews has also published this article from Carmi Levy, titled "See ya later, WinMo: Microsoft's mobile strategy needs a reboot"

After 13 years and countless kicks at the can, it's time for Microsoft to call it a day.

Going back to Vista 7, Microsoft is looking for free labour, just like the in "Show Us Your Wow" campaign that left submitters' contributions dumped altogether, along with the campaign Web site.

What's in it for those who help Microsoft?

In return, Microsoft will choose five random winners who will get some Windows 7 swag.

They must be referring to schwag (bribes), many of which we saw before. Microsoft offers many "incentives" to people who praise and promote the operating system. In fact, Microsoft's PR booster Ina Fried is selling the illusion of scarcity whilst another Microsoft booster, Paul Thurrott, does likewise. Joe Wilcox, formerly of Microsoft Watch, wrote about this in BetaNews. Now that people criticise the marketing tactics of Apple and Microsoft, Wilcox also comments about their stores.

Perhaps even more interesting is the level of fantasy, which includes hype and vapourware one finds when it comes to Windows. Vista 7 is hardly adopted and Microsoft is already talking about future versions. Why? Probably to "freeze the market," to use Microsoft's own words. They always fail to deliver what they promise, but it keeps people deluded and unwilling to explore other options.

Vista 7 is already anti-competitive by design and people still notice.

Now there is a more Microsoft orientated web version reliant on Microsoft servers (I'm sure)?

Vista 7 stifles Samba compatibility, for example. ⬆ ____ ^* We use Google News as a yardstick.