fyi Microsoft Reportedly in Talks to Buy Adware Developer

All:

Pointer to article:
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/44337.html

Kobielus kommentary:

I keep promising myself that I won't blog so frequently on Microsoft topics. And then they hand me more juicy red meat.

Re this Gator/Claria acquisition, I don’t get it. Microsoft recently acquired Sybari to boost its anti-virus portfolio, acquired Giant so it could go all-out on anti-spyware, developed Sender ID and Exchange Edge Services so it can give spam a run for its money, developed IE7 to enable pop-up blocking natively in its browser, and promulgated its Identity Metasystem/InfoCard initiative to address privacy and identity-theft protection more aggressively. Now apparently it wants to negate all of those positive moves with a big foray into the adware arena. As if somehow Microsoft needs to seize even more power over our every keystroke and mouseclick. As if their presence in the cyberworld wasn’t already overwhelming to the point of strangulation.

They need to rethink this move. And right away. I migrated recently to Mozilla Firefox precisely to get away from the IE6 pop-up insanity. What sort of signal does want to send to the market with its overture to Gator/Claria? That pop-ups are now a good thing, as long as they’re Microsoft-sponsored and/or –sanctioned pop-ups?

Jim