Bonum Certa Men Certa

Reddit Took Money From Microsoft to Help the IE9/Vista 7 Marketing Blitz, Which Failed

Reddit
Now sponsored
by Microsoft



Summary: Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) was Microsoft's attempt to market Vista 7, but it finally turns out that Vista 7 SP1 as a requirement is utter nonsense and Microsoft puts further limits on how many people can install Vista 7

IE9 is a disaster in the making, despite the vast marketing campaign from Microsoft. The Internet Explorer team has just lost a key part of its leadership, which quit Microsoft to join Google. This could make chairs break because "Google Will Dominate The Browser Wars," suggests some blogger who outlines the reasons.



Joe Wilcox, formerly a strong Microsoft booster, reports "mixed reactions to IE9" and Microsoft just seems to be busy making a better logo rather than a better Web browser (which imitates the competition in many ways). Speaking of changing logos and copying Chrome/Firefox, watch this new article which speaks of "changing the Microsoft logo to a kitten".

“Shame on Reddit for repeating Digg's past mistakes...”IE9 hype is not real. It's fabricated. For those who wonder, Microsoft made heaps of publicity for it using all sorts of stunts [1, 2] and payments. At the same time, Microsoft used IE9 to advertise Vista 7, e.g. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. It's not as though Vista 7 was the only product advertised (brought to the headlines) using some test build of IE9 or anything else. Microsoft's test build of an unattractive HPC product (already mentioned in here) was also accompanied by Vista 7 hype. Here is an example of similar PR with HPC, surely intended just to advertise Vista 7. Never underestimate Microsoft's PR armies. At the very end Microsoft revealed that "IE9 won't require Windows 7 SP1". Was it the case all along or did Microsoft really "reverse course" as its booster claims right now? Microsoft had a lot to gain by adding allure to both IE9 and Vista 7, portraying them as exceptionally modern by mutual association.

For an understanding of the artificial hype around IE9, we ought to give examples. Lots of hype about download numbers (2 million or so, with AFP playing along) came after sneaky advertising in sites like Reddit. VentureBeat now confirms that Reddit was paid by Microsoft to do this: "Rival Digg’s botched attempt at a redesign and the announcement of a Reddit-inspired rally in Washington D.C. by TV personalities Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart have bumped up the site’s numbers. Now the site has announced that the buzz has brought a new ad campaign from a very big client — Microsoft."

Shame on Reddit for repeating Digg's past mistakes (last mentioned 3 weeks ago). One our a readers, a regular in Reddit, wrote that it (language warning) "sounds like they're going to lose their ABP exception entry then... also sounds like they're going the way of /. [...] though the IE9 advertisement was thus far only in an article asking for information [...] we need a social news site that's immune to m$, crApple and their zombies [...] i wouldn't mind a "if you're a m$ or crApple cultist, your ass is banned" policy on that site... i'm really tired of having to trudge through the shit posted by people without brains... and social filtering fucked up by such zombies... (not quite related, but) i stopped reading index.hu when they put IE9 ads at the top and bottom of every single fucking article... if they want to help m$ ruin the web again, fuck them... as for reddit, i'll just wait and see"

We previously showed that Vista 7 adoption was relatively poor (Microsoft makes improper comparisons to hide this), so no wonder Microsoft tries using other products to spur Vista 7 sales. Here is the new story of someone who has just dumped Vista 7 and went back to Vista (Vista sales brought far more money to Microsoft than Vista 7 ever did).

So where did all of this get me? I upgraded a machine that met the specs for Windows 7 but that the manufacturer would not certify as Windows 7 ready. I ran the compatibility checker, which saw nothing insurmountable. It didn't work out. Was it a bad idea to give it a shot?

"Not necessarily," says Rudolph. "Most Vista-era computers will upgrade to Windows 7 very easily -- the vast majority will."

But not this time. Tonight I begin the process of restoring Vista. I sure hope this is the end of it.


Microsoft may have to invent some other reason/excuse for people to buy Vista 7*. IE9 just isn't it.

What can a monopolist do? Well, Microsoft has begun limiting TechNet licences [1, 2, 3, 4], betraying some of its biggest supporters by doing so. As Pogson put it (in relation to this news), "You should use GNU/Linux. You can try as many installations as you want for the same low price, $0."

Is Microsoft just trying to speed up its destruction? First they deny most Windows users a browser upgrade (then flip-flop) and now they limit the number of people who can use Vista 7. Times must be hard at Redmond and very soon we'll write a post about Microsoft's financial strains. ___ * Vista also had such excuses made up, e.g. DirectX 10, which worked fine in Windows XP after just a little fiddling.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Video: The Rise of GNU/Linux and Free Software as Seen by RMS in 2004
DTP's founder argued that when Windows goes below 85% "market share", it'll lose its grip in the monopoly sense
When (Almost) One-Man Operations Are Disguised as Medium-Sized Companies
the CEO hides in the US (hiding from his ex-wives, 4 daughters from those wives, and Sirius staff that he defrauded)
Microsoft Actually in Trouble, Microsofters Unable to Obey Judges' Orders
For the second time in a week, Microsofters are unable to obey orders
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
Microsoft's Debt Exploded by 15.4 Billion Dollars in the Past 9 Months Alone (Despite All the Layoffs)
As of minutes ago, at 6PM on a Friday, the numbers are made public
 
Links 02/08/2025: Microsoft Already Kills Vista 11 SE, Smartphone Sales Down, Truth Gets "You're Fired!" in the US
Links for the day
Russia: GNU/Linux Rises to Highest Adoption Level Since Invasion of Ukraine
Moving up in the north
Microsoft's Latest Financial Report: We "Gained" 300 Million Dollars in "Goodwill" and Liabilities Grew by 32 Billion Dollars
Microsoft's debt has reached an all-time high
The Register US = The Register MS
Formerly The Register UK
Weeks After Microsoft Shut Down Its Operations in Pakistan Windows Falls to All-Time Lows
Only less than a month ago it was quietly revealed, based on laid-off staff, that Microsoft shut down in Pakistan
Criminal Behaviour is the Standard Operating Procedure at Microsoft
In the future I'll be able to tell how, when dealing with SLAPPs from Microsofters, their Microsoft services failed me and sometimes even blocked my contacts
GNU/Linux Rises to All-Time Highs in Europe
many people will get fired for buying Microsoft
All-Time Highs for GNU/Linux on the Client Desktop/Laptop, Based on Steam Survey
GNU/Linux rose to 2.89% in Steam
Links 02/08/2025: Blaugust 2025 and "Russia Declares Navalny Memoir ‘Extremist’"
Links for the day
Free Software is Not a Business Model
Go ahead, ask your friend, "how do you plan to monetise your children?"
LLM Slop Harms Real Literature, Real Web Sites, Real Journalism
LLM slop is a parasite and it'll run out of legitimate outputs
Upcoming OSI Scandal Series
The OSI is a rogue actor because it serves Microsoft in exchange for money
Slopwatch: The Issue Persists, But the Consensus in the Media Changes as Google Enrages It With LLM Plagiarism
We've meanwhile assessed the latest output from Linuxiac
IRC Proceedings: Friday, August 01, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, August 01, 2025
Links 02/08/2025: İstanbul Retail Inflation Reaches 42.48%, US FBI Opens Office in New Zealand
Links for the day
Gemini Links 02/08/2025: ZFS, LLM Hype, and Fake Modules
Links for the day
Links 01/08/2025: Health, Conflict, and Attacks on Freedom of the Press
Links for the day
Meeting (Webchat) With Maria Arranz Gomez, Florian Grundies, Jürgen Janda and Konstantinos Kortsaris Confronts EPO Management About Breaking Promises and Crushing Workers
The lack of consistent messages suggests plans other than what's advertised and the lack of consultation (secrecy) likewise
Links 01/08/2025: "The Great British Firewall" and U.S. Army Sponsors Palantir
Links for the day
For Second Day in a Row, Top Story in The Register MS is "Microsoft Says"
The editor in chief exercises control over everybody else
LLMs as Attack Method Against Free Software and Programming
DDoS in "hey hi" (slop) clothing
Stability and Reliability, Backward Compatibility
I don't fancy relying on social control media as "sources"
What "the News" Looks Like in 2025
The "says" (or "sez") phenomenon
History Will Be Distorted, Sometimes Intentionally, Under the Guise of Intelligence (Manipulated/Curated Slop)
Militarised misinformation or military-grade chaff is a national security threat, even domestically
Financial Engineering Companies: A Company Worth 4 Trillion Dollars Would Not Borrow 100+ Billion Dollars at Interest Rates Like Today's
Many headlines perpetuate the lie Microsoft had just 2 waves of layoffs
Microsoft is Googlebombing "Linux" While Paying Former News Sites to Publish SPAM
How much lower will IDG sink?
Google as a 'Bullshit Generator' Disguised as Intelligence
It'll probably cause Google to get sued a lot, both by individuals and companies
As Expected, Google in the UK Now Experiments With Slop Instead of Web Search
At this point more people ought to stop and think: Does Google's search engine deserve trust?
The Data You Don't Give Away is Your Advantage
stop sharing data that does not need to be shared
Being Obedient or Doing the Right Thing
The world always changes for the better because of people who think "Outside the Box", not the cogs
Gemini Links 01/08/2025: Happy Hacking Keyboards and New Gemini Arrivals
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, July 31, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, July 31, 2025
Sabotaging Linux on Behalf of Microsoft With UEFI 'Secure' Boot (De Facto Remote 'Kill Switch'), Then Defaming, Stalking and Harassing Critics of 'Secure' Boot for 12 Years, Then SLAPPing Their Spouses and Them
The sorts of stubborn lunatics we've been dealing with
Moving on in Techrights, Geeks Gonna Geek
In the coming weeks we plan to focus (as we explained last week) on patents, GNU/Linux issues, and the occasional philosophical essays
Slopwatch: Google News Has Lost the Plot
Almost the majority of articles returned for "Linux" are fakes
Links 31/07/2025: Australia Restricts YouTube Access, Personal Privacy at Risk
Links for the day
Links 31/07/2025: Spotify Collapses and Spotify Now Forcing Some Users to Undergo Face-Scanning
Links for the day
A Lot of Supposedly "Successful" Businesses Are Just Debt-Racking Vessels Without Any Prospects of Financial Sustainability
The probability of bankruptcy of any business is more than 0%
theregister.com: The Voice of Microsoft US?
It basically sold out
Yes, You Can Love and Adore Things Whilst Also Criticising Them
Is society being divided and groomed/primed to be resistant to constructive criticism?
Links 31/07/2025: War in Ukraine, Security News, and Cyberattacks Against Journalists on the Rise
Links for the day
Gemini Links 31/07/2025: Fake Money and Gemini Diaries
Links for the day
An Illusion and Cult Worship of Magnitude (Ubiquity as "Victory")
GNU has been around for over 40 years and it'll likely continue to exist for another 40 (in some form)
Google: From Pointing to Relevant Sites to Pointing to Social Control Media to Actually Parroting Social Control Media as "Facts"
Google has become a misinformation company
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, July 30, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, July 30, 2025