Summary: A look at Facebook's relationship with Microsoft in 2010; Microsoft employees have an effect in competitors of Microsoft, so this issue is addressed too

IN an earlier post we said we would elaborate on the Facebook affairs. We shall do that now and also expand on the issue of entryism (Microsoft entering other corporations).

Facebook -- to its credit -- contributes a little to Free software, but the management over there is close to Microsoft^* and it does all sorts of favours to Microsoft (we wrote about them before). Microsoft is pushing out/causing inconveniences to Facebook's non-Microsoft customers, on whom it also spies with JavaScript.

The previous post was about Silver Lie infiltrations through NASA, so now is a good opportunity to mention this new announcement: "Microsoft Launches The Facebook Silverlight Client"

Facebook is said to be dropping Microsoft adverts (less spyware from Microsoft) and there is also this in the news:

• Zynga's FarmVille Expands Beyond Facebook to MSN-ier Pastures



• Zynga’s ‘FarmVille’ Facebook Game Debuts on MSN Site (Update2)



• FarmVille Ready To Harvest A New Crop Of Users With MSN Games Partnership



• Zynga exports popular FarmVille to MSN Games



• Zynga To Bring Its Games To Microsoft Properties

This is another game that will enable Microsoft to spy directly (not via Facebook) on users. As for Facebook, they still have a Bong [sic] deal that enables Microsoft to watch over Facebook users. Microsoft has a new patent on "personal data mining", which we last mentioned here some days ago; this is important and Canonical should pay attention [1, 2].

When it comes to display advertising on its own site, Facebook is taking full control of its inventory away from Microsoft. Even prior to Microsoft's initial $240 million investment in Facebook in 2007, the two companies had an advertising partnership giving Microsoft the ability to serve display ads on the social network. That was a three-year deal which was up for renewal. The two companies just finished renegotiating it, and Microsoft will no longer be serving up display ads on Facebook.

"Facebook Swaps Banners for Search Deal With Microsoft" says this new article:

Facebook is changing its approach to display advertising and dropping traditional banner advertising, which Microsoft has sold on the social network since 2006. But Facebook is also deepening an existing search deal with the tech company that will put Bing.com results in front of Facebook's 400 million global users.

Microsoft keeps its feet inside Facebook not only with an investment but with search too. People must not underestimate these things because Microsoft has offshoots that are dedicated to data mining on individuals and controlling what they write. This leads us to another problem.

“Microsoft keeps its feet inside Facebook not only with an investment but with search too.”A couple of weeks ago we pointed out that Microsoft was coming near to Red Hat's headquarters. A couple of hours ago, Jan from Red Hat publicly told me: "the exodus at MSFT leaves a bad taste. Are they maybe "infiltrating" other corps and orgs?"

Well, based on the latest news [1, 2], Microsoft might be setting up a datacentre right in Red Hat's back yard. Locations of datacentres are usually strategic [1, 2] (because of tax, competitors, recruits, and other political reasons [1, 2]).

Another type of strategic move would be prizes/awards. Microsoft is buying more influence in other companies by rewarding them and the CEO of Evolve Technologies has just been made a Microsoft MVP, just like Miguel de Icaza. Miguel is problematic because of his role at Novell and the CodePlex Foundation, the executive of which we mentioned here before (here is the official press release).

Anyway, another company that has just been 'injected' with Microsoft influence would be G2G3, based on this press release.

G2G3 appoints industry thought leader as US Director of Architecture

[...]

He spent 11 years in a senior position at Microsoft Corporation where he was responsible for the architectural development of Microsoft’s system management products and technologies.

We are actually more concerned about another new Nokia appointment (DRM influence in Nokia came from a man who used to work for Microsoft). Here are the latest details:

Manos joined Digital Realty from Microsoft, where he ran Microsoft's global data center operations. His new job will put him in competition with other big vendors building mobile services platforms, including Google, Apple and Microsoft, he noted.

More here:

Mr. Manos used to head up Microsoft’s vast data center operations. In that role, he set up many of the enormous computing centers that handle Microsoft’s myriad online services, including Xbox Live, hosted e-mail and the Azure business software platform.

And this is the guy whom Nokia hires for a notable role? Recipe for another Wenger-esque disaster. ⬆

"Compatibility with DRM. We understand that this could be a sore point in W3C, but from our viewpoint, any DRM-incompatible video related mechanism is a non-starter with the content industry (Hollywood)."

--Stephan Wenger, Nokia [PDF] (previously worked with Microsoft)

____ ^* Facebook's father has interpersonal relationships with Ozzie and Microsoft's patent troll Nathan Myhrvold.